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  Those readers familiar with the B.C. forest industry will know that we are immersed in a period of rapid structural change that is massive and largely unpredictable. Internally, we have seen significant consolidation with more to come. Externally, our cash deposits in the softwood litigation have increased to where B.C. companies have seen U.S. $2 billion stripped from their bottom lines. The appreciation of the Canadian dollar has added significantly to that burden. While the U.S. market has remained strong beyond forecasts of a year ago, traditional coastal markets have not been as rewarding. Therefore it is even more important for us to work closely with our provincial government in fine tuning the execution of the Forest Revitalization Plan (FRP). While the plan embarked on a course of introducing market based reforms, we must also remember that market forces will always prevail. From a policy perspective, the old days of a cookie-cutter, one size fits all, policy approach is gone. We have a diverse and complex industry that needs implementation of a flexible, adaptive policy environment that allows the forest sector to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, like market and currency fluctuations, that are largely beyond our control. The FRP framework allows for this to happen. Government and industry now need to deliver its promise on the ground.  John Allan |
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Economic commentator Michael Campbell expressed the view that natural resource sectors are at the beginning of a long-term cyclical boom which will last for perhaps twenty years. Also attending were Minister of Forests Michael de Jong, Minister of State for Forestry Roger Harris, Minister of Health Shirley Bond, and Canfor's Vice President of Forestry and Environment, Ken Higginbotham. The forum was hosted by Minister of State for Mining, Pat Bell. COFI participated in an "interactive" section of the trade show aimed at potential entrepreneurs. Staffing of the COFI booth was assisted by Keith Fowler and Mark Feldinger of Canfor, Rosaline Ferre of Brink Forest Products Ltd. and Blair Mayes of Dunkley Lumber Ltd. For more information please contact Steve Kozuki at (250) 564-5136 or by e-mail: kozuki@cofi.org |
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 The Southern Interior forest education team has seen some changes in the past few months with the retirement in October of Jeannie Steele, Educational Liaison for Riverside Forest Products and the hiring of Jennifer Stewart as her replacement. This fall, new zone educators in the Cariboo and the East Kootenay, Gail Wallin, Maureen LeBourdais and Norma Blissett, have brought forest education van tours and Pro Day workshops to their regions and are busy working on additional projects for the New Year. The Thompson zone has hired Susan Bondar as their educator, while the West Kootenay has brought on Nancie Dohan, both of whom will be starting their new positions early in January, bringing to six the total number of forest educators in the southern interior. With a hard-working and dedicated team such as this delivering forest education, career information and the wood culture message to teachers and students, it can only have far-reaching and positive results for the industry! One of the first forest education events of the school year was to hold an educators' workshop in early October, co-hosted by Deb Sluggett and Jeannie Steele along with COFI south forest education coordinator, Debbie Bazett. Newly-hired forest educators and potential applicants heard about the successful program that Deb Sluggett and Jeannie have developed in the Okanagan and left with many ideas and resources for their programs. Okanagan educators, Deb Sluggett, Jen Stewart and Deb Bazett held a Forest Health Pro Day for teachers on October 22 that brought educators from several school districts together in Vernon and Revelstoke to take part in field trips and seminars. Vernon field trip participants heard presentations on mountain pine beetle, disease and fire, as well as succession and stand measurement and had a chance to observe logging equipment at work, which was a trip highlight. In Revelstoke, participants learned about aspects of forest health such as beetles and disease, as well as caribou habitat. They finished off the day with a tour of the Downie Mill. November saw Deb Sluggett, Jen Stewart and Debbie Bazett, heading to Vancouver to make a presentation at the provincial Career Educators' Conference on "Growing Jobs in the Forest Sector". Emphasizing the diversity within the industry and the job opportunities and demands for skilled workers in coming years, this workshop was well-received by those who attended. Handouts developed for the career presentation will be sent to counselors to supply students with information on post-secondary programs and career opportunities. Selkirk recruiter for the School of Renewable Resources, Pete Schroder, visited several Okanagan secondary schools in December to share information about Selkirk's programs with interested students. Further recruitment tours for the interior will be held in the spring, as well as a career fair for students at the ILA's April convention and trade show. For more information on some of the forest education projects and activities in the southern interior, check out the Learn Forestry website: www.learnforestry.com or contact Deb Bazett by e-mail bazette@cofi.org or by phone: (250) 866-9663.
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Nominations Close February 1, 2005 Interested parties are encouraged to consider the different award categories and to submit nominations on behalf of those whose efforts and accomplishments merit recognition. The first BC Wood WORKS! Awards Gala will be held on Monday, March 7, 2005 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. Please note that the Wood WORKS! Awards program encourages self-nominations and multiple submissions. The successful projects will be judged by a panel of professionals, and winners will be notified prior to the Gala event. For more information go to the CWC Website: www.cwc.ca |
The consent agreement with Federal Competition Bureau does not change West Fraser's status as the third-largest lumber producer in North America, but it requires the merged company to sell its stake in two British Columbia sawmills and related harvesting rights. They include interests in Babine Forest Products Ltd. at Burns Lake, and nearby Babine Timber Ltd. in northwestern British Columbia. The two mills have the capacity to produce 300 million board feet of lumber annually and are operated as a joint venture with the Burns Lake Native Development Corp. West Fraser has also agreed to surrender, temporarily, 75,000 cubic metres of annual cutting rights near Williams Lake in central B.C. over the next 10 years. West Fraser is an integrated forest products company that produces lumber, laminated veneer lumber, MDF, plywood, pulp, linerboard, kraft paper and newsprint. West Fraser has manufacturing operations in British Columbia, Alberta and the southern United States. West Fraser is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. With the completion of the Weldwood acquisition, West Fraser has approximately 7,500 employees. For more information go to West Fraser 's website: www.westfrasertimber.ca |
Canfor's sale of the sawmill came as a result of a consent agreement between the company and the Commissioner of the Competition in relation to its acquisition of Slocan. "The Fort St. James Sawmill was not an asset that Canfor wanted to divest itself of but was required to by the Competition Bureau as a condition of approval for the acquisition of Slocan," explained Jim Shepherd, President and CEO of Canfor. "The acquisition of the Fort St. James mill is a great strategic fit for Pope & Talbot. The mill's production is complementary to Pope & Talbot's existing lumber mills, its geographical location in the northern interior of B.C. diversifies the company's resource base, and the associated timber tenures significantly increases our timber base." said Michael Flannery, Pope & Talbot Chairman and CEO. The deal is expected to close on March 1st, 2005. For more information go to the Canfor website: www.canfor.com and the Pope & Talbot website: www.poptal.com |
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In less than two weeks, BC Forests Minister Michael de Jong officially opens the new facility on January 25th and launches the next phase in BC's aggressive five-year strategy to open up the Chinese market to BC wood products. Along with executives from BC forestry companies, Minister de Jong's message will be simple and clear -BC is China's best choice for wood products and wood-frame construction is an attractive, cost-effective and energy-efficient solution to China's housing needs. Hundreds of Chinese developers, builders and government officials are expected to attend the grand opening to learn more about BC's forest sector and see firsthand the many benefits of building with wood.
Story and photos courtesy of Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. For more information see: www.dreamhomechina.com |
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