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  As the date for our Annual Convention approaches, registrations are nearing capacity as the industry looks forward to an opportunity to compare notes. With the ongoing softwood lumber dispute, appreciation of the Canadian dollar, merger and acquisition activity, the MPB epidemic and ever changing market dynamics there are many issues to discuss. While our program and list of speakers is very impressive, it's also that "hallway" conversation that usually is a major source of information. See you in Kelowna!  John Allan |
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The convention will provide sessions and events of interest to industry CEO's, vice presidents, marketing and production managers, senior representatives from suppliers and equipment firms, law firms, financial institutions, senior federal, provincial and local government officials, chambers of commerce, Mayors, MLA's and MP's, as well as local, regional and national media. This event will bring together key industry, government and customer representatives to identify opportunities, challenges, strategies and successes in our global marketing efforts. There will be something for everyone with executive panels on key markets; senior government perspectives; supplier exhibits; and abundant networking opportunities, including a networking reception on Thursday evening. And when the convention is over, there's lots to do in beautiful Kelowna with wineries, golf courses and more just minutes from the convention hotel. Speakers include John Mikkelson, of Centex - one of the leading home building companies in the US, Mike Thompson, representing Weyerhaeuser in China, Joseph Caron, Canada's Ambassador to Japan; Premier Gordon Campbell and Rich Coleman, Forests and Range Minister. Take this opportunity to gain a better understanding of the issues, opportunities and challenges facing the BC forest products industry, while networking with customers, suppliers, industry leaders, community leaders and policy makers.
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While these four students presented at the AGM, the other four students, Hillary Sheppard, Fort Nelson, Jimmy Lerch, Valemount, Jonathan van Barneveld , Houston, and Evan Atkinson, Mackenzie, visited Victoria High School and gave presentations to students on 'First Nations' and 'The Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic'. This provided a great opportunity for the northern students to mix with the Victoria students and share their thoughts on the importance of forestry and some of the issues facing forestry today. In addition to attending the ABCFP Conference, the students, accompanied by COFI North Forest Education Manager Chris Lear, chaperones Don Lefler and Dan Broderick, two high school forestry teachers, and Karlijn Szabo, RPF with Canfor Mackenzie, visited UBC's Faculty of Forest Sciences and Centre for Advanced Wood Processing and toured Government House and The BC Legislature where they were met by northern MLAs and Ministers. For more information contact: Chris Lear, COFI Northern Operations at (250) 564-5136 or by e-mail at: lear@cofi.org. |
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Working in partnership with School District No 91, Nechako Lakes, COFI member company operations, and the College of New Caledonia (CNC), and built on the success of a trades awareness program piloted last year in Mackenzie, BC, Project Trades saw 30 grade 10-12 high school students and their career teachers participate in an intensive two-day trades awareness program. Teachers, parents, students and industry representatives have all heard about the looming, and in some areas, current shortage of skilled trades persons yet very little had been done to provide students with a 'real-life' opportunity to become aware of the many different trades available in the forest industry, the training involved, how apprenticeships work and what the jobs are really like. Over the two days of Project Trades, the students and teachers visited Pope & Talbot's and Stuart Lake Lumber's sawmills in Ft. St. James, L&M - Nechako Lumber's sawmill and pellet plant in Vanderhoof and Canfor's Northwood pulp mill in Prince George. At each facility, the group was given an overview of the facility and mill operation, a safety orientation and an overview of the various trades on site including apprenticeship opportunities. The group was then divided into smaller groups to better facilitate meeting the trades people at their work site. Each trades person gave the students an overview of their trade, how they themselves got involved in their chosen trade, recommendations on courses to take in school and then showed the students a bit of what they do on the job. Over the course of the two days the students were introduced to trades such as millwright, electrician and electrical technician, power engineer, sawfiler, planerman, pipefitter, machinist, welder, fabricator, carpenter, painter and heavy duty mechanic. Capping off the program, the students and teachers met with the Dean of Trades at the College of New Caledonia and toured the college's various trades training programs. Project Trades clearly is opening the window into the trades within the forest industry. For the students, it was as if a light had been turned on 'we didn't know some of these trades even existed or the opportunities there are for us'. Ken Young, Career and Trades Coordinator for School District No 91 noted: "In our region there currently exists a shortage in many of the trades and skilled labour positions. Project Trades fits within the current plans of our school district, which includes creating an awareness of trades, as well as promoting trades opportunities as a real option for our students. COFI' Forest Education Program has created a great program which not only excites the students of SD 91, but the mills which participated in the program also became active and enthusiastic participants. Many of the trades people stated something similar to "I wish they had things like this when I was in school!" This has been a great partnership and we hope to continue working closely with COFI in bringing more career awareness opportunities to our schools and students." Planning is now underway to offer Project Trades in other school districts across north-central BC with the next program being held in School District No 60 (Peace River North) April 25-27, 2006. For more information contact: Chris Lear, Northern Operations at (250) 564-5136 or by e-mail at: lear@cofi.org. |
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"The Gala is a unique event in British Columbia as it brings together the wood products manufacturers and the design and building communities to celebrate excellence in wood design," said Mary Tracey, BC Wood WORKS! Director. The jury received an outstanding 61 nominations in eleven categories and honoured design and construction projects commissioned after January 2003. Other categories acknowledged leaders who are doing their part to build a wood culture in BC. The Industry Leader Award was presented to Ross Gorman, Gorman Bros. Lumber Ltd, for his 55 years of service in the industry. Ross was recognized for his outstanding contribution to the promotion and development of wood markets, the use of Canadian wood products and fostering a wood culture in BC. Standing out as an advocate for the use of wood in the new Armstrong Arena, Armstrong councilor Chris Pieper was honoured with the 2006 Wood Champion Award. "Chris is an inspiration to all of us" stated Mary Tracey, BC Wood WORKS! Director "going far beyond the call of duty he demonstrated a tireless commitment to the use of wood and his belief in the attributes of wood have gone a long way to building a wood culture in British Columbia." For more information visit the Canadian Wood Council website: www.cwc.ca. |
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 1. CVD Duties On Friday, March 17, the NAFTA CVD Investigation Panel confirmed the decision of the Department of Commerce to find a de minimus (zero) rate on subsidy. This is a case ending decision, however, the U.S. Administration has until April 27 to request establishment of an Extraordinary Challenge Committee. In the absence of such a request the CVD Order should be revoked. The position of the U.S. Administration is that cash deposits are not refunded retroactively. This outrageous position currently presides over U.S. $4.4 billion in cash deposits. Canada will be arguing the refund issue at the Court of International Trade on April 4. For more information please see the following websites: BC Lumber Trade Council: |
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 Since the early 1990's, some of Canada's principal markets for wood products have demanded that wood product exports be heat treated to a minimum internal core temperature of 56°C for at least 30 minutes to kill pests that may be associated with the wood, prior to export. It is expected that other countries will adopt similar phytosanitary import measures in the future. The recent adoption of the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade will increase the demand for Canadian heat-treated wood. ISPM No. 15 sets guidelines for the regulatory control of wood packaging/dunnage and describes officially endorsed pre-shipment heat treatment or fumigation. As a result, to ensure that Canadian exporters can continue to access traditional and new markets, the CFIA has recently modernized existing export certification systems for heat treated wood products, in compliance with Canadian and international standards, resulting in the Canadian Heat Treated Wood Products Certification Program (CHTWPCP). In order to export certified wood under the CHTWPCP, treatment facilities, brokers, shippers, or other exporters who are consolidating wood products are required to register under this program. As an accredited Service Provider, COFI's responsibilities include: Over the past weeks, the COFI Quality Control Staff met with all members registered under the existing Heat Treatment Program to outline the changes required to procedures, records and ultimately the Mill Quality Manual. Meetings were held with mill personnel in Kelowna, Williams Lake and Prince George. The effective date of the new program is April 1, 2006 with existing registrants provided a 6-month grace period to implement the new program. |
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For registration package and more information go to the COFI website: 
