Merlin Nichols

When I was Mayor of Chetwynd the crisis that has come home to roost was clearly seen in the ominous silences with which our efforts to avert the crisis were met in Victoria. …we predicted mill closures with devastating effects on the community if the policies the government of the day appeared to be taking were put into effect. …With the closure now announced, it will do us no good to point fingers and cast blame, though blame, if any, primarily rests with political authority. …The assurance by CANFOR’s CEO that the closure was not based on a shortage of fiber, but rather on the difficulty of obtaining permits to harvest, should be the starting point. And from there we go on to chart a workable solution. …Finally, Victoria must play a key role in the negotiations, and without delay, if this operation and this community is to be salvaged.