Gord Johns

Spencer Coyne

Crystal McAteer

Forest Products Association of Canada awards Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, BC; Spencer Coyne, Mayor of Princeton, BC, and Crystal McAteer, Mayor of High Level, Alberta, as the 2025 recipients of the Jim Carr Forest Community Champion Award. The honour recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting Canada’s forest sector and the families and communities that depend on it. Named in memory of the late Jim Carr, former Minister of Natural Resources and International Trade Diversification, a tireless advocate for Canadian forestry and its people, this award celebrates community leaders who have shown dedication to advancing the environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable forest management in Canada. 

A Member of Parliament since 2015, Gord Johns has continued to advocate for the forest sector—the backbone of the communities he represents—promoting sustainable forestry, biomass innovation, and value-added wood products that will create jobs and reduce waste. …As Chair of the Vermillion Forks Community Forest, Mayor Spencer Coyne brings together the partners of the Town of Princeton, the Upper Similkameen Indian Band, and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to oversee the land management and harvesting rights over 11,000 hectares of forest land. …As a lifelong educator, Mayor Crystal McAteer has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of the forest industry and environmental stewardship.