This week, over 700 business, government, First Nations and community leaders have gathered in Vancouver for the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention. Greg Stewart, President, Sinclar Group Forest Products and COFI Chair opened the conference by welcoming the many provincial, municipal, First Nation and industry leaders present. Referencing the sector’s current challenges, Stewart said, “this is a pivotal time because there is no going back. Our collective focus at this conference needs to be on what we need to do differently to reshape the industry in the short and long term”. Noting that there are a lot of complex and difficult issues on our plate, Stewart added ” we need to prioritize our actions and hopefully—by tomorrow when Premier Eby speaks—we are all on the same page”.

Stewart then introduced Squamish First Nation representatives, who welcomed the delegates to their unceded territory and spoke of their Nations’ unique and long history in the area. Welcoming the delegates on behalf of the host city was Vancouver City Councillor Lisa Dominato. Referencing statistics from the economic impact study recently released by COFI, Dominato spoke of the forest industry’s significant contribution to the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Dominato noted “the importance of talking to the public about this given that it helps the city meet their housing, climate change and other goals both now and in the future as the city grows, with a focus on bridging the rural/urban divide”.

Regional Chief, BC Assembly of First Nations Terry Teegee provided the opening keynote talking about the importance of shared decision making, emphasizing that the path forward for the forestry industry will be in partnerships that are rooted in free, prior and informed consent through processes that adhere to UNDRIPA. In the Q&A with Shannon Janzen, Chief Teegee talked about how “UNDRIPA can be a path forward to certainty for the Forestry Industry, creating the space needed to make the decisions together”. With respect to desputes, Teegee said “yes, there is a need for a dispute resolutoon process”. He said First Nations communities that want to be a part of the economy and more First Nations are thinking outside the box to find opportunities, such as utilizing fibre for energy and creating value added products.