A British Columbia First Nations leader says the province must rethink its approach to the forest industry in light of Canfor Corp.含羞草研究社檚 decision to shutter two sawmills and leave 500 workers without jobs.
Nak含羞草研究社檃zdli Whut含羞草研究社檈n Chief Colleen Erickson says First Nations must play a bigger role in the industry含羞草研究社檚 future in B.C. because Indigenous entities would not be 含羞草研究社渟ending our profits elsewhere含羞草研究社� as corporations not headquartered locally would.
Erickson含羞草研究社檚 comments Friday come after Canfor announced it will close mills in Vanderhoof, B.C., and Fort St. John, B.C., by the end of the year.
The Vancouver-based company says the challenge of accessing economically viable timber for fibre, ongoing financial losses, weak lumber markets and a big increase last month in U.S. tariffs all played a role in the decision.
But Erickson says most First Nations members in the area weren含羞草研究社檛 surprised Canfor could not access affordable fibre anymore due to what she calls 含羞草研究社渦nsustainable含羞草研究社� harvesting practices.
She also says an industry with heavier First Nations involvement would not shutter mills in B.C. and invest elsewhere because local community members 含羞草研究社渁re not going anywhere.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 think most people have come to that (conclusion) because of the fact that they can just close their doors and go elsewhere to log, and everybody含羞草研究社檚 basically left on their own (here),含羞草研究社� Erickson says.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no remediation on their part. There含羞草研究社檚 nothing to compel them to use some of the profits to help people diversify into something else. If things were local, then it would be a local discussion.含羞草研究社�
The call for more local management of forest assets has been echoed by unions, including the Prince George, B.C., local of United Steelworkers whose members comprise 325 of the 500 positions lost in the closures.
含羞草研究社淭here needs to be a better effort by government to decide what vision they have for the industry in B.C.,含羞草研究社� Scott Lunny, director of the union含羞草研究社檚 Western Canada district, said in a previous statement.
含羞草研究社淚f Canfor won含羞草研究社檛 do it, find a company that will invest in B.C.含羞草研究社�
Public and Private Workers of Canada national president Geoff Dawe says while members of his union are not directly impacted, he agrees that companies that are not invested in local communities should lose their forest tenure rights.
含羞草研究社淭he government needs to step in and say, 含羞草研究社楲ook, if you含羞草研究社檙e not going to use this tenure, then we need to give it to somebody that is,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Dawe says. 含羞草研究社淏ecause we have a community here, and they should be looking after that community含羞草研究社檚 best interest.含羞草研究社�
Provincial industry group BC Council of Forest Industries has said in light of the Canfor closures that advancing new agreements with First Nations is one key priority the province should have in safeguarding the sector含羞草研究社檚 future.
含羞草研究社淣ew approaches to First Nations stewardship, forest tenure, treaty, and equity and investment will support economic reconciliation and build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities,含羞草研究社� council CEO Linda Coady said in a previous statement.
But the group also says the province also needs to be 含羞草研究社減roviding a reliable supply of fibre to the industry.含羞草研究社�
Erickson says that is where the province need to talk to First Nations more because she feels her community is more knowledgeable about sustainable management of forests locally than others from elsewhere.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 very frustrating that we含羞草研究社檝e come to this point,含羞草研究社� she says. 含羞草研究社淏ut for sure we need to look at the remaining resource that we have and see how we can do better.
含羞草研究社淲e definitely need to do something different.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社� Chuck Chiang in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
The Canadian Press
