Category Archives: Business & Politics

David Eby

VICTORIA — Changing British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples Act is “non-negotiable” and it will be pushed into law, Premier David Eby said on Wednesday. “We are working with chiefs to try to find a path forward,” Eby said at an unrelated news conference in Victoria. “We have to do it, and we will do it.” Eby’s statement comes ahead of his meeting with First Nations leaders on Thursday to discuss the amendments to the so-called DRIPA legislation, which was cited by First Nations in two landmark cases last year. The Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title decision last August sparked concerns about implications for private land ownership, while the B.C. Court of Appeal added to the uncertainty in December when it found the province’s mineral claims regime was “inconsistent” with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a framework for the provincial legislation.

John Rustad

Creative thinking from the provincial government would go a long way to avoiding the kind of revenue hit being experienced by the District of Houston because of the closure of Canfor’s sawmill, says B.C. Conservative Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. He’s suggesting everything from easing up on requirements to return a former industrial property to a “green” status to a tax holiday for a new owner of a property. Current BC Assessment Authority provisions allow a company to have its buildings and improvements assessment for taxation purposes drop to 10 per cent of what it was, if it declares a permanent closure to its activity. …Houston is not the only community [with] a severe property tax loss, he said. “The same is happening in Fraser Lake with West Fraser closing its mill, and that will be happening in Vanderhoof with Plateau,” Rustad continued. Rustad said [the] provincial government is driving away industry and people.

Ward Stamer

Brian Menzies

KAMLOOPS — The BC NDP announced legislative changes [to] expand timber sales and increase harvest volumes. …if approved, is anticipated to increase B.C.’s fibre supply by as much as 800,000 cubic metres. …Forests Critic Ward Stamer noted 800,000 cubic metres doesn’t equate to much overall, and questioned why the changes aren’t being done through regulation and policy. “…that means there is something else in here that they are either not telling us about or there is a dramatic shift in what the organization is actually supposed to accomplish…” said the Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Stamer. …“Our members … purchase fibre from the open market,” said Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association. “These changes will enhance access to market-priced wood fibre, foster innovation and support well-paying jobs – and represent an important first step in implementing BCTS review recommendations to boost value-added manufacturing in British Columbia.”

Ravi Parmar

The Province has introduced legislative amendments to the Forest Act and Forest and Range Practices Act, which empower BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to improve access to fibre, create more opportunities for loggers and contractors, deepen partnerships with First Nations and strengthen its stewardship role in B.C.’s forests. “Our path forward for forestry means a BC Timber Sales that moves fibre faster, creates more opportunities for workers and contractors, and ensures local logs go to local mills,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “These changes matter to the workers grinding it out in the bush, to the worker on the mill line who will see a steady stream of timber, and to local companies and communities who will be able to access the fibre they need.” These legislative amendments are expected to increase B.C.’s fibre supply by as much as 800,000 cubic metres, directly supporting faster fibre delivery, stronger local economies and more responsive forest stewardship.

The B.C. government says it’s making legislative changes to bolster access to wood fibre, including timber damaged by wildfires, insects and windstorms. The Forests Ministry says the changes will potentially increase the supply of fibre by as much as 17,700 truckloads and allow B.C. Timber Sales to auction off contracts for forestry thinning, wildfire risk reduction and damaged timber salvage. A statement from the ministry says these “fibre-generating activities” will be available to forestry contractors and value-added mills. …B.C.’s forestry industry has been facing a shortage of fibre as the Wood Pellet Association of Canada said in 2025 that the fibre supply has fallen more than 40 per cent since 2018… Kurt Niquidet with B.C. Council of Forest Industries said in 2024 that local and global demand for wood products to build more affordable housing is growing, but the forestry industry is also facing a “critical shortage” of timber for B.C. mills.

The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Annual Convention is just days away, with registration closing April 2 for the April 8–10 event at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.

Forestry is a Solution theme focuses on sector challenges and opportunities
With BC’s forest sector at a crossroads, this year’s convention brings together leaders from industry, government, First Nations and local communities to advance solutions tied to housing, wildfire resilience, reconciliation and economic stability.

Program highlights include trade, fibre supply and wildfire resilience
Attendees can expect keynote speakers and panel discussions on global markets, competitiveness, product diversification and wood supply, alongside a trade show and networking opportunities across the forest sector supply chain.

Over 600 delegates expected at Western Canada’s largest forestry gathering
The convention offers a key platform for collaboration and dialogue, positioning forestry as part of the solution to some of BC’s most pressing challenges.

The Council of Forest Industries 2026 conventions welcomes veteran strategist Bruce Anderson as a luncheon keynote. Anderson brings more than three decades of insight into public opinion and Canadian politics to a timely luncheon keynote. One of Canada’s most respected market and opinion researchers, Anderson has advised major corporations and organizations—from Royal Bank of Canada and TELUS to Enbridge and Teck Resources—as well as numerous industry groups and NGOs. Formerly Chairman of Abacus Data, he is a familiar voice on Canadian media, including CBC News At Issue panel, the Good Talk podcast with Peter Mansbridge & Chantal Hebert, and is a contributor to publications such as The Globe and Mail and Maclean’s. Drawing on current research, Anderson will explore how Ottawa’s evolving agenda is reshaping trade, investment, and resource development—and what it will take to ensure forestry remains central to Canada’s economic future. A must-attend session for anyone watching the intersection of politics, public opinion, and the forest sector.

Alberta’s government has tabled legislation to ease regulations and barriers to more easily enable the sale of some goods from other provinces. It’s part of a commitment Alberta made with its provincial and federal counterparts in signing an interprovincial free trade pact in November. That trade accord, which is supposed to take effect this summer, would see provinces recognize each other’s regulations for most consumer and capital products to avoid duplicative inspections and requirements. …Government officials told reporters before the bill was tabled that manufacturers in industries such as oil and gas, lumber and logging and fertilizer producers will likely see the most positive impact once the pact takes effect.

With just 13 days to go, anticipation is building for the COFI Convention 2026, taking place April 8–10 at the JW Marriott Parq in Vancouver—bringing together more than 600 leaders from industry, government, First Nations, and communities under the theme Forestry is a Solution. A featured session, The Path Forward: Building Resiliency for the Future, will see the Hon. Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests and Makenzie Leine, Deputy Minister of Forests in conversation with COFI President and CEO Kim Haakstad. Against a backdrop of fibre supply pressures and shifting global markets, the discussion will explore both immediate actions and long-term strategies to restore predictability, strengthen competitiveness, and position BC as a global leader in sustainable forestry. With keynotes, panels, and networking opportunities across the supply chain, registration remains open for what is set to be Western Canada’s largest forest sector gathering.

Join Dallas Smith in this episode of the Rez Dog Walkers Podcast as he sits down with Shannon Janzen, former Vice President at Western Forest Products and a key contributor to the recent independent report, From Conflict to Care: BC’s Forest Future, for a thoughtful conversation on the challenges and future of British Columbia’s forestry sector. Shannon shares her perspective on the structural barriers impacting the industry today. She also explores lessons learned from her work as a consultant supporting Indigenous communities in business development, highlighting the growing importance of collaboration between Nations and the opportunity to rethink forest management with respect to the unique challenges faced by different regions across B.C. Dallas and Shannon also explore the background and some of the key findings of the recent report, highlighting the need to find opportunities amidst the challenges and the importance of building trusting relationships as a prerequisite for certainty and sustainability.