People in British Columbia and employers will learn the economic value of apprenticeships, thanks to a study funded by the B.C. government and Canadian Apprenticeship Forum – Forum Canadien sur l’Apprentissage (CAF-FCA). “Building a stronger B.C. means supporting the people who build our province,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “This research shows how essential apprentices are to address the skills gap. This study demonstrates the value apprentices bring to employers and our economy, and helps inform employers looking to attract and retain more apprentices to meet our labour needs.” …The trades sector spans numerous industries of B.C.’s economy, such as construction, manufacturing, mining, forestry, mineral and resource extraction, automotive, marine and shipbuilding services, aerospace, and tourism and hospitality.
VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber announced that the Company has completed the acquisition of Spray Lake Sawmills located in Cochrane, Alberta, following completion of Canadian regulatory reviews and satisfaction of customary conditions. “Building on our operating footprint in Alberta, we see Spray Lake Sawmills as an ideal fit with our lumber and treated wood business. We are excited to welcome the experienced and dedicated team to the West Fraser family,” said Ray Ferris, CEO. Spray Lake Sawmills produces treated wood products, dimensional lumber and a variety of innovative wood residuals and biproducts. It has an annual lumber capacity of 155 million board feet and holds two Forest Management Agreements granted by the Government of Alberta with a total Annual Allowable Cut of approximately 500,000 m3.
ALDERGROVE, BC — An Aldergrove wood processing firm will receive up to $300,000 to expand its factory and create seven new jobs as part of a provincial program. Western Wood Preservers is expected to use the money to expand and renovate its facility to potentially double its production of treated lumber and move to year-round operations. The money comes from the BC Manufacturing Job Fund. In total, $1.3 million is going to four businesses in the Fraser Valley in the recently-announced funding. “The funds are expediting the company’s plan to enhance its treating facility, which will result in increased employment to handle the increase in production capacity,” said Chris Carter, director of Western Wood Preservers. “Given the reduction in available fibre, our facility improvements will help extend the life of more wood products through pressure treating.”
RICHMOND, BC – Paper Excellence Canada announced today a generous contribution of $50,000 to the Nature Trust of British Columbia. This donation will support the Nature Trust of BC’s conservation projects in the Kootenays and reflects Paper Excellence’s unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and conservation. “Our support for the Nature Trust of BC’s endeavours in the Kootenays aligns with our core values of environmental responsibility,” said Blair Dickerson, VP, Public Affairs, Paper Excellence Canada.” …“We are grateful for this generous donation. Protecting these lands, sustaining migration corridors and ensuring these ecosystems remain intact will help fight climate change and biodiversity loss for generations to come,” said Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO, Nature Trust of BC.
VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor announced it will curtail operations at its Polar Sawmill located in Bear Lake BC, north of Prince George. The curtailment is the result of a shortage of economically available fibre in the region and is expected to be in place for a period of approximately six months. …”Unfortunately, BC is amongst the highest cost operating jurisdictions in the world. With persistent weak market conditions and a shortage of cost-competitive fibre in the region, we simply don’t have enough economic fibre to support both of our Prince George-area mills through this winter. As a result, we are making the difficult decision to curtail operations at Polar to ensure continued operations at our other facilities in the region,” said Stephen Mackie, Executive VP, North American Operations. The curtailment will remove approximately 140 million board feet of production over six months.
The BC Forest Discovery Centre in North Cowichan is receiving $222,000 in federal funding to develop an online exhibit on sustainable forestry from pre-colonization to modern day. Question is: will the exhibit take a biased approach to logging — like the centre’s industry-funded Forests Forever exhibit — or explore a full range of management options, including potentially no logging? …Despite being located in North Cowichan, the centre makes no mention of the fact the municipality’s forest reserve overlaps the coastal Douglas-fir forest, the rarest forest type in B.C. — described as “imperilled” by the watchdog Forest Practices Board. Private land development and logging are contributing factors. …It’s time for the BC Forest Discovery Centre to recognize the value of protecting the forest in its own backyard and to portray logging with fairness and balance. The expenditure of almost a quarter million in federal taxpayers’ dollars on the centre’s newest exhibit only emphasizes the point.
BC’s government is trying to implement further steps to protect and preserve the province’s at-risk environment through a new biodiversity and ecosystem health framework (BEHF). Right now the BEHF is just a draft proposal, but Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, is hopeful that it will become legislation and allow for the preservation of BC’s well-known natural landscapes. “People in BC share a deep connection to nature, from our ancient forests and diverse wildlife, to our coastal waters and mountain ranges,” said Cullen. “Together, we are charting the next steps for conserving BC’s rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems that support us all.” …Although the BEHF is vague in its current stages, conservation activists are applauding the government’s steps towards preservation and protection of BC’s old-growth. However, these groups warn that “the devil will be in the details.”
The Province is taking more steps to conserve nature for the long-term health and well-being of communities with the release of a draft biodiversity and ecosystem health framework. “Together, we are charting the next steps for conserving B.C.’s rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems that support us all,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. B.C. has the greatest diversity of species, ecosystems and habitats of any jurisdiction in Canada. The resilience of the province depends on an integrated and inclusive approach to stewarding B.C.’s water, land and natural resources. The framework is another action the Province is taking as part of ongoing work to improve stewardship of B.C.’s lands, forests and water, to implement the recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review and to honour B.C.’s commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
