Mike Morris

Regarding a recent Canadian Press story  about a 1,000-year-old cedar tree that was harvested on Vancouver Island. It wasn’t the headline that caught my attention — although I am concerned over the harvesting of primary forests — but it was the forest minister’s comments that jumped out at me. In response to a question about the lack of economically available fibre in BC, he said, “It has nothing to do with government policy, it has nothing to do with reconciliation.” “It has everything to do with the fact that the trees aren’t there. They will come back, they will grow back. But they are not here right now.” Finally, an admission from government that the trees aren’t there. Why then did he and his entourage take a very expensive trip around the world trying to expand a market knowing we had no timber available? Everyone, including industry itself, has been aware of this for years.