Category Archives: Special Feature

Murray Wilson

A solutions-based documentary to help save BC’s forests from devastating wildfires. Will you join us? British Columbia is facing an unprecedented crisis. Each year, wildfires of devastating proportions ravage our lands, destroy homes, and fill our skies with harmful smoke. It’s a wake-up call to the urgent need for change.

Our current wildfire management strategies are woefully inadequate. Despite the valiant efforts of firefighters, the scale and intensity of these fires have overwhelmed our capacity to control them. This documentary, led by Rick Maddison, a long-time Kelowna resident who lost his home to wildfire in 2003, seeks to uncover the root causes of this crisis. Through candid conversations with industry experts, professional foresters, and insiders, we will discover demonstrably proven strategies to mitigate out of control wildfires. This film is a journey into the heart of the fire, challenging the status quo and demanding accountability from those in power.

Our crowdfunding goal of $50,000 will enable us to produce a documentary that not only educates and informs but also mobilizes public opinion towards demanding action from the BC government. By contributing to our campaign, you’re taking a stand for a safer, more resilient British Columbia. Join us in this eye-opening discovery of innovative forest management suppression strategies which will help BC residents secure a better future for all.

You may need to click the video link below twice to make it play:

Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) is excited to share our “Year in Review” – a compilation of market development activities completed by FII and our many industry, association, government, academic and research partners over the past year. We are committed to a collaborative delivery approach, building on the strengths and shared resources that other organizations bring to this important work. This report summarizes not only the work of FII, but also the many organizations and programs that we contribute to and work closely with. Despite recent industry and market challenges, B.C.’s forest sector remains a significant contributor to our economy and a global leader in forest product exports. This is due in part to the progress made by the suite of programs supporting the evolution and diversification of the sector. In this report you will learn more about the range of work underway, and the milestones achieved over the past year. While market diversification efforts often take many years to pursue, it is valuable remind ourselves of the important work being done to support the sector. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC), the health and safety association for the forest industry in BC. BCFSC has been working with industry over these past two decades to help create a skilled and safe workforce, where safety is integrated into every activity and operational process. There are now approximately 60 different training courses for forestry workers including faller training, supervisor training, incident investigation, resource road driver training and many other general forest industry courses. Over the last 20 years, 40,000 participants have engaged in training opportunities to BC forestry workers. BCFSC’s training programs have been developed with industry to support our collective efforts in creating awareness and improving the skills and knowledge of forestry workers from tree planters, hand-fallers, operators in mechanized harvesting, forest supervisors, wood products manufacturing workers.  These efforts have contributed significantly to the reduction of injuries and fatalities.

The BCFSC FIRS App is a FREE forms management mobile application designed to reduce the amount of safety-related paperwork and administrative work required in the field. The app can be used with both iOS or Android mobile devices and assists SAFE Certified companies in streamlining and consequently reducing the amount of safety-related paperwork and administrative work required in the field. The online forms portal supports record keeping requirements for small BC forestry employers and contractors in building and maintaining SAFE Company Certification. …The FIRS App also has a desktop dashboard to access information uploaded and saved from mobile devices and offers the option to download records in PDF format. The BCFSC FIRS App is available through the App store for Android and iOS devices. Just go to the App store on your device and search for BCFSC FIRS to download the FREE App.

In 2022, the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) and its members released a 10-point commitment to building a better world; chief among them was treating forest sector workers fairly, with the highest priority placed on their health and safety. We believe that safety and respect go hand-in-hand. Every day, WPAC members and their employees work tirelessly to ensure leading safety practices are implemented and embraced. We know we will be measured by our collective efforts as an industry. Our reputation and the trust of regulators, the general public and the families of our employees depend on this. …The BC Forest Safety Council’s ongoing participation in and support of our safety initiatives have been integral to WPAC’s success. It’s a positive and productive relationship that underpins our sector’s global reputation on safety. WPAC’s Safety Committee has anchored its vision in a yearly work plan that holds the association accountable to searching out new technologies and research to support a safer culture, communicating best practices and safety news, and collaborating across the country on all safety matters.

If you don’t take steps to protect your hearing, you’ll lose it. And there’s no getting it back. It’s important to think about what you can do to protect your ears and preserve your hearing – and to find out more about the signs of hearing loss to help determine if you or someone you love is experiencing it. …The first step in protecting your hearing is knowing what the damage threshold actually is. …As a good rule of thumb, if you have to shout to be heard, the noise around you is too loud and you’re risking your hearing health. Turn down the volume (and never turn the volume up past 60% when you’re using earphones or earbuds), take frequent breaks from noisy environments to give your ears a rest, and use hearing protection like earplugs or hearing protection earmuffs. Note that it’s important to insert foam earplugs correctly to ensure a proper seal.

Once a year, companies with a BC SAFE Companies certification or an Alberta Certificate of Recognition from the PIR I program must complete an audit….There are different kinds of safety audits, including internal audits, in which a company employee reviews the health and safety company program, and external audits, in which an outside auditor visits the company. Larger companies (including those over 20 employees in BC) must complete an external audit at least once every three years. Some large companies complete external audits every year. …Audit reports are submitted to the safety association (e.g. BC Forest Safety Council or Alberta Forest Products Association)… While audit reports are not used for conducting enforcement activities and do not include workers’ personal information, they are not subject to legal privilege. They could be reviewed in the future (such as after a serious incident) to determine if certain problems had been identified in the past and if the employer knew or should have known about the problem.

WorkSafeBC’s Planned Inspection Initiatives for Forestry Operations is a comprehensive prevention initiative that addresses workplace safety in BC forestry operations. The intent is to execute impactful WorkSafeBC inspections that focus on the risks that impact the serious injury rate and time-loss claims rate with a goal to: Raise awareness and promote adherence to safe work practices; and Reduce the serious injury and time-loss claims rates in forestry operations with the greatest risk exposure. These risks are linked to high-risk work activities… For a full view of the Forestry Planned Inspection Initiative and to help you better understand and address some of the health and safety issues for forestry workers, visit https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/what-we-do/worksafebc-planned-inspectional-initiatives/forestry

With last year’s wildfire season setting new, unprecedented records and this year predicted to follow suit, the respiratory hazards for frontline wildland firefighters have become a pressing concern. The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has been at the forefront, not only in firefighting but also in pioneering research and developing equipment to protect their workers—a model that can extend to BC forestry workers.

On May 1, 2024, the British Columbia Forestry Safety Council (BCFSC) hosted a webinar titled “Mitigation Strategies for Wildfire Smoke and Other Respiratory Hazards in Wildland Firefighting.” and invited Drew Lichty, Occupational Hygienist at Canada Wildfire, and Steve Lemon, Provincial Safety & Wellbeing Officer to discuss the various respiratory hazards faced by wildland firefighters, the latest research findings on exposure levels and the mitigation strategies BCWS has implemented to control and reduce these exposures to help BC Forestry workers get a better understanding of the risks of wildfire smoke to respiratory health and how to mitigate the risks using PPE recommendations. This article provides an overview of the webinar.

Emergency drills are not just about racing a stopwatch and testing equipment. They involve developing skills, building confidence, finding new ways to improve emergency systems, and mitigating potential trauma with a calm and orderly response. …Section 32.2 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires employers to provide training and conduct simulated evacuation or rescue drills. For silviculture worksites, this can include extracting workers from clear-cuts with steep slopes or harvesting debris, effective use of emergency response vehicles, and water-rescue exercises among crews that regularly use boats to get to work. For seasonal operations such as tree planting camps, emergency drills should be conducted as early in the year as possible to ensure all workers are prepared to assist in a rescue from day one. …A key consideration is that the process is more important than the outcome. Identifying mistakes or discovering problems in emergency drills is one of the best possible learning outcomes … they are also important team-building exercises that help establish functional and positive lines of communication among workers. 

Access to economical timber throughout British Columbia has never been more challenging. The mid-term and long-term supply have been impacted by factors such as bark beetle infestations and large-scale wildfires throughout the interior. …This shift in operations has also resulted in the rapid adaptation and implementation of winch or traction-assist harvest systems. …However, placing more mechanized equipment onto steep slopes has also resulted in new hazards that industry must be adequately prepared for. In the fall of 2022, the BC Forest Safety Council, in partnership with industry members, initiated a three-part, multi-year project with a focus on documenting and introducing best practices for Steep Slope Emergency Preparedness within the timber harvesting sector.

The first phase of the project was the production of a three-part video series focusing on elements fundamental to emergency response planning and execution for steep slope harvesting operations. Two of the three videos in the series are now available on the BCFSC YouTube Channel and the third is currently in development.

Forestry worksites are busy, dynamic environments where multiple employers and contractors often perform sequential activities and a variety of tasks on one site. This necessitates a comprehensive safety management plan outlining the responsibilities employers, contractors and workers onsite. …When an owner engages multiple contractors for forestry operations, they must assign prime contractor duties to a qualified contractor or other party through a written agreement. The prime contractor is responsible for the coordination of health and safety activities for all employers and workers at the worksite. …Sub-contractors, too, play a critical role in maintaining a safe worksite. They must protect their workers’ health and safety and cooperate with the owner and prime contractor in coordinating health and safety activities at the worksite while also complying with regulatory requirements listed above.

Traditionally, when we talk about safety, we think of personal protective equipment (PPE) and policies to prevent physical harm. However, there’s another important but less visible aspect of safety that’s equally essential: psychological and cultural safety. These forms of safety are critical for fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment, which in turn enhances workforce resiliency and retention. …At the recent BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Convention in Vancouver, Louise Bender of Mosaic Forests and Jason Krips of the Alberta Forest Products Association introduced the Forest Sector EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Alliance, a collaborative effort to advance equity, diversity and, inclusion across Canada’s forest sector. …Psychological and cultural safety in the forest sector can be challenged by various barriers, including historical perceptions, language differences, and cultural misunderstandings. …Through strategic leadership, practical initiatives, and a strong commitment to psychological and cultural safety, Canada’s forest sector can lead the way in creating safe and inclusive workplaces for all.

Don Iveson

On Day 2 at the Council of Forest Industries’ conference, Executive Advisor, Climate Investing and Community Resilience of Co-operators, Don Iveson, provided the opening keynote on “Forestry’s Role in Climate Resilient Housing and Communities”. The session was moderated by COFI’s Zara Rabinovitch. …Iveson set out four goals to combat this crisis: make it low-carbon, make it resilient, make it affordable, and make it at scale. He argued that changes are required such as housing density and implementing better building codes. …The second keynote David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data led the conversation “From Crisis to Consensus: How Wildfires are Changing the Public Conversation on Forestry in BC”. This session was moderated by David Elstone. …There’s broad, cross-partisan support for government action to actively manage forests to prevent and mitigate wildfires. 73% believe that forestry has a positive impact overall, and 89% see that a strong forest sector is vital to BC’s economy.

Michael Armstrong

The first panel focused on the perspectives of local leaders with the Mayor of Prince George Simon Yu, the Councillor of the District of Vanderhoof Brian Frenkel and the Councillor of of Campbell River, Susan Sinnott. The session was moderated by Lisa Dominato, MA, GCB.D, Councillor of the City of Vancouver. …The panel discussed potential solutions for wildfire risks, looking to new technology such as AI and how to adjust existing projects. Long-term planning is fundamental with all stakeholders in the room, and the path towards reconciliation is what the municipal government has been wanting for a long time. In the armchair session “Old Growth, Biodiversity, Conservation Financing and Three Zone Management: Connecting-the-Dots on the Managed Landscape”, Deputy Minister, B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Lori Halls, and Former Chair, BC Forest Practices Board and Co-Author of Old Growth Strategic Review Al Gorley discuss the opportunity ahead. Michael Armstrong moderated the session.

Kicking off the first panel, COFI’s Kurt Niquidet introduced the Forest Industry Economic Impact Study, highlighting the economic benefits of the sector in BC. Forestry as an economic powerhouse. …Daryl Swetlishoff, at Raymond James discussed capital flows and the need for further investment in forestry to ensure the future for those benefits for years to come and Kimberly Burns, at Dentons, said challenges in profitability and turnaround time can deter private investors, particularly when there is uncertainty. …During a Spotlight Session, Jason Krips of Alberta Forest Products Association and Louise Bender of Mosaic Forest Management spoke about building workforce resilience through diversity. …One of the most important discussions at the 2024 COFI Convention is BC’s Strategy for Stabilizing Fibre Supply. COFI’s Linda Coady asserted the importance of stabilizing fiber supply requires an “all hands on deck” approach. The Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, the Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry Innovation Andrew Mercier, and BC First Nation Forest Council’s Lennard Joe sat down together to discuss this critical issue.

During the luncheon Keynote, Arun Alexander, Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States discussed the productive and mutually beneficial trade relationship between Canada and the USA, and how this benefits the forest sector. …Susan Yurkovich at Canfor moderated a Q&A with the Deputy Ambassador, where the two discussed the trajectory of the trade relationship. …At COFI’s panel on “Wildfires, Biodiversity and Natural Disturbances: Building a More Resilient Forest Sector”, we were joined by Torchlight Resources’ Jamie Stephen, BC Forest Practices Board’s Keith Atkinson, United Steelworkers’s Jeff Bromley, and Mosaic Forests’s Molly Hudson with Sandy Ferguson moderating the session. The forest industry is constantly evolving, where forest planning must prepare for natural disturbances, account for Indigenous values, and maintain socio-economic benefits now and in the future. …The last panel of the day looked to the role of forestry leadership, with West Fraser Timber’s Sean McLaren, Western Forest Products’ Steven Hofer, Nanwakolas Council’s Dallas Smith, Huu-ay-aht First Nations’ Robert Dennis Sr. and Gorman Group’s Nick Arkle. Business Council of BC’s Laura Jones, moderated the session. 

The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) kicked-off their annual forestry conference in Vancouver, with a sold-out Ice Breaker (more than 700 delegates and 51 booths). The two-day conference promises to be an outstanding event given the expected attendance and high profile speakers such the Hon. David Eby, Premier of BC, Regional Chief Terry Teegee, BC Assembly of First Nations, Arun Alexander, Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States; BC Minister of Forests, Hon. Bruce Ralston and BC Minister of State for Sustainable Development, Hon. Andrew Mercier. Linda Coady, President and CEO of COFI opened the conference noting her delight to be in a room connecting with so many provincial, municipal and First Nation leaders as well as the many firms and individuals that service and supply our mills. The event sponsor, KPMG Partners John Desjardins and Andrew James shared the stage, emphasizing their firm’s work with many forest industry clients, the challenges industry currently faces and the importance of working together to address the issues of concern.

The JW Marriott Park Hotel and Conference centre was the scene of a forest sector reunion of sorts. This evening was a demonstration of the camaraderie and support within the forest sector as delegates and exhibitors mingled, snacked, shook hands and hugged in a display of mutual respect and friendship. Sandy had so much fun pulling all of these willing faces together for group photos. 

VANCOUVER – A new economic impact study released by the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) confirms BC’s forestry industry is a vital part of the province’s economy, generating billions in wages and government revenues, sustaining about 49 thousand direct forestry jobs and contributing $17.4 billion in GDP in 2022. “This Study demonstrates that the BC forest industry is one of the main drivers of BC’s economic base, providing outsized benefits to living standards and government revenue by generating employment, value-added activity, and exports,” said Kurt Niquidet, Chief Economist. …“The industry has been challenged by rapidly changing market conditions, high costs, natural disturbances like fire and insects, and the impact of new public policies. Timber harvesting on provincial crown land has declined by about 30% since 2021.” To capture the impact of these changes the Study provides projections for 2023 that point to a loss of jobs and other benefits delivered by the sector. “We need to find ways to stabilize fibre supply and build a more predictable and sustainable path forward for the sector”, said Niquidet. Among the key findings… BC’s forest industry:

• Contributes $17.4 billion annually to BC’s GDP
• Sustains close to 100,000 jobs, including 48,725 direct forestry jobs
• Contributes $9.1 billion in wages, salaries and benefits
• Generates $6.6 billion in government revenue
• Sustains one out of every 28 jobs in BC
• Represented 24% of all merchandise exports by value in 2022
• Invested approximately $15.8 billion in construction, machinery, equipment, repairs and maintenance from 2013 – 2023, through local companies & suppliers

Vancouver, BC: This week in Vancouver, the annual convention of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) will bring together more than 700 local, provincial, federal, Indigenous and forestry leaders to discuss the future of the province’s forest sector. Held at the JW Marriott Parq Hotel, the convention is one of the largest gatherings of the forest sector in Western Canada and comes at a time when interest in conditions in BC’s forest industry has never been higher, and neither have the stakes. “Harvest levels on public forest lands in BC have dropped by almost half in the last five years”, said Linda Coady, President and CEO of COFI. “Since late 2022, the industry has and continues to experience a series of closures and curtailments. While the reasons for this vary and include markets, beetles, fire, industrial capacity rationalization, and new public policies, the consistent underlying factor is the access by BC mills to an economic supply of timber.”

Issues on the agenda include a new economic impact report from COFI and the current economic and investment outlook for the industry. …The 2024 program will look at increasing demand for products BC can produce, including engineered wood products for affordable housing and biomass and wood waste for energy and recyclable materials. BC Premier David Eby, Forests Minister Bruce Ralston, and Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry and Innovation Andrew Mercier will speak at the event.

The Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at UBC Forestry is made possible by a generous $5 million donation from the Koerner family. Our center is pioneering proactive forest and fire approaches to tackle the challenges of our changing climate. Our goal is to co-develop and deliver the transformative change required to coexist with wildfire and adapt to warming climate. The four nearly back-to-back extreme wildfire seasons from 2017 to 2023 collectively affected all parts of BC – emphasizing vulnerability of all communities along the coast, interior mountains, and northern boreal forests – with strong parallels across our nation. The new centre will advance research, collaboration and innovation to enable society to coexist with wildfire through proactive forest management and eco-cultural restoration. Our focus is on “good fire”, cultural fire stewardship led by Indigenous collaborators, as well as forest thinning to emulate historical good fires, combined with prescribed fire when safe to do so, to restore plant diversity, resilient ecosystems, and mitigate risk of future fires.

Over the past three years various regions of British Columbia have experienced significant drought. Already the Prince George and Cariboo Fire Zones have put burn bans in place for commercial (Category 2 and 3) burning as of March 28, 2024, prior to the official start of the wildfire season (April 1st). These are sound proactive measures given the current conditions throughout a large part of the Province. However, even with these measures in place there is still a significant risk of wildfires starting on private land that is not regulated by the Wildfire Act. This year the risk is significant and elevated by the drought and potential for a drier warmer spring. …Typically, private landowners start unregulated fires to burn organic debris or grass to either dispose of waste materials or to protect their properties from wildfire. While under the right burning conditions, this can be a sound and effective practice but can easily go wrong when landowners do not have the right experience and knowledge to burn.

Unfortunately, there is very little guidance to private landowners on both burning regulations and the penalties that can be applied when a private landowner’s fire crosses onto crown land. Historically, private land burning has resulted in numerous early spring wildfires that have been damaging to both private and public land. …Given the conditions of this current season I would recommend that private landowners avoid any burning to limit their liability and protect their property.

Ahead of the 2024 fire season, British Columbia Wildfire Service has undergone rigorous data analysis from previous years to help focus resources for wildfire prevention. This data analysis has been amalgamated into a prevention plan at each of the six fire centres across the province, including the Coastal Fire Centre, where staff is currently working to develop initiatives to support the organization’s prevention program goals. Organized around the seven disciplines of FireSmart: Education, Emergency Planning, Vegetation Management, Legislation, Development, Interagency Cooperation, and Cross Training, the prevention plan serves to steer the Coastal Fire Centre’s prevention with the goal of reducing the negative impacts of wildfires on public safety, communities, critical infrastructure, industry, the economy, and the environment. …The prevention plan is a tool used primarily at the fire centre level to display historic trends and program achievements, substantiate program priorities, forecast annual costs, develop work plans, and assess prevention initiatives.

When you ask a child what they think about forest fires, they tend to answer in one of two ways. Eyes wide and a slight look of fear – falling into the “afraid of fire” category. The other is eyes wide and piqued interest – falling into the “fascinated by fire” category. These are the two sides of fire – the good and bad aspects of a natural, if sometimes dangerous, phenomenon. That’s why it’s so important to teach children about both the good and bad of wildland fire, and the differences between “pure” wildfire and managed or “prescriptive” fire. Because while there are definite dangers related to the extreme wildfire events we’re seeing more frequently (human-caused or climate-change driven), there are also notable benefits of fire as a landscape management tool. Fire is a natural event in many forest ecosystems. …

When you introduce children to nature through PLT Canada activities, they’ll learn how to think, not what to think, about the environment. Collaborative, inquiry-based learning uses nature to teach students about math, science, language arts, social studies, economics, art, and even giving back to the community.

Wildfire management is of critical importance.  In many cases, contemporary landscapes have been altered from their natural condition due to a variety of factors including decades of fire suppression causing a build-up of fuels to unnatural and non-historical levels. …As land managers, our opportunity to make a difference is through active fuel management to reduce potential fire behaviour.  As such, it is imperative that we have the best available information when making management decisions.

Through the provision of funds from the Innovation Solutions Canada program in 2023, Forsite Fire, in collaboration with Ember Research Services, embarked on developing two product streams that improve the accuracy of fuel typing by using remotely sensed data. Our first product, the Wildfire Fuel Generator (WFG), quickly produces maps for fire response and planning using satellite-derived metrics and proprietary machine-learning technology to classify environmental characteristics into one of the benchmark fuel types. Our second product, FuelID, relies on both LiDAR data and machine learning technology to derive detailed fuel characteristics.

The Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee (WCSIC) has once again partnered with the Tree Frog Forestry News to host Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week. Under the SFI Forest Management Standard, certified organizations are required to limit the susceptibility of forests to undesirable impacts of wildfire and raise community awareness of wildfire benefits, risks, and minimization measures. Wildfire continues to be a top of mind concern in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, as such, the Tree Frog Forestry News, along with some of our sponsors will present the latest on wildfire mitigation and best practices in a series of stories to be published this week. The WCSIC has created a Wildfire Resource Page to complement this weeks coverage — please join us in sharing this important material with your colleagues and communities.

BC’s forests, an emblem of both natural beauty and economic vitality, have supported communities and families for generations. This economic powerhouse did not develop by accident — good forestry jobs today are the result of many decades of union organizing, strike action and labour struggles. The success of the B.C. forestry sector in the past also hinged on legislative and political leadership from government restricting raw log exports, requiring manufacturing and ensuring B.C. forests benefit B.C. workers and communities. In recent years, this sector has faced a “perfect storm” of challenges, leading to a significant decline in employment and economic contribution. As we navigate these turbulent waters, it is imperative that both the federal and provincial governments take decisive action to protect good forestry jobs and ensure a sustainable future for this critical industry.

The decline in B.C.’s forestry sector is not just a statistic; it is a crisis that affects real people and communities. …The solution to this crisis requires a multi-faceted approach, focusing on the protection and creation of unionized jobs, sustainable forest management, increased autonomy for Indigenous communities and innovation in value-added products. …Public funding needs to generate value for communities, not private shareholders. Funding for existing industries and new startups should flow with strict conditions for job creation, union coverage and apprentice ratios, and include strict targets for equitable participation under community benefit agreements. …On Tuesday, forestry workers from the three unions representing unionized forestry workers in BC will gather in Victoria to discuss the challenges the industry is facing and work together to develop a strategic plan for the future of their sector. …The time for action is now; the future of B.C.’s forestry sector, and the communities it supports, cannot wait.

Building on 60+ years of success, Evans Lake continues to innovate with our forest education experience, efforts to make our programs accessible and inclusive to an even wider community and communicating that experience back to families at home.  In the past several years, more than 80% of Evans Lake summer campers are “more interested in spending time in and learning about the outdoors/forests,” and feel that they “know more about forests and the outdoors” because of their experience. Over 6,000 children, teens, and people from groups attend the Evans Lake Forest Education camp each year.

The Evans Lake Forest Education Society will be holding its online silent auction on April 17th^. to April 21st to raise money for our Campership and program initiatives. Over the past two years, our revamped Campership Program supported children from 49 families to attend our programs—funded by Evans Lake. Our Campership Program helps to give underprivileged children and youth this positive experience of attending our camp that they will hold onto for years to come!  It is all about INCLUSION!

“Many adults that I have talked to over the years have told me that going to the Evans Lake camp was a positive experience in their lives that they still remember,” said Brad Techy, a long time board member and volunteer.  

Check out the over 90 donations that we have had for you to bid on!  Visit our 32Auction site today. You can browse the items and sign up as well to bid on them starting April 17th.

Linda Coady

Stéphane Renou

In Vancouver, leaders and changemakers will be coming together at the GLOBE Forum 2024 to explore solutions to reimagine our economy, and to look at innovations that go beyond sustainability to regeneration. Globally, the shared challenge of moving towards a net-zero economy and reducing emissions is vital. In British Columbia and Canada, we have a unique opportunity with a sustainable and regenerative natural resource like forestry. …The Canadian forest sector has a critical role to play in meeting this challenge. The forestry industry in B.C. strives to use virtually 100 per cent of every tree. …Bioproducts are being developed that can replace non-renewable materials in items like medical face masks, asphalt for roads, and natural-based glue and adhesives for wood panels in houses and buildings. …If there are no pulp mills, we cannot grow the bioeconomy and develop the value-chain of engineered products and bioenergy that will move us towards a net-zero economy.