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Second, and in response, on July 5 the anti-HST group filed a petition for an order of the Court to quash the HST, arguing that the tax is unconstitutional as it had not been introduced through a vote in the BC legislature. Both judicial reviews are to be heard commencing August 16. Legal, political and public wrangling aside, what has been lost in the shuffle is any coherent debate about the importance of the HST to economic recovery and future prosperity for the economy generally and specifically the forest sector. With recovery in the US housing sector some years away, and relatively low lumber prices that are forecast to be flat, our forest industry including supporting communities and working families needs all the help it can get to remain globally cost competitive. The HST is of direct assistance in that regard.
John Allan |
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Wood Enterprise Coalition Announces Wood First Advisor Appointment The newly-formed Wood Enterprise Coalition (WEC), a partnership of Wood WORKS! BC, FPInnovations and BC Wood, is pleased to announce that Werner Hofstätter has been appointed as Wood First Act Advisor. Mr. Hofstätter most recently served as the director of the BC Ministry of Forests and Range’s Wood First Initiative, where he played a key role in implementing the Wood First Act, developing BC’s “Generating More Value from Our Forests” strategy and promoting innovative technologies such as bio-energy and cross-laminated timber. Working directly with Wood WORKS! BC, Mr. Hofstätter will be a liaison with the province's new Wood Enterprise Coalition, three organizations working together with a common vision of increasing the use of wood in public buildings in the province. The mandate includes championing the Wood First Initiative, supporting the movement of innovative products from the lab to the market and promoting wood education and culture. This working group will play a principal role in creating a "Living and Building with Wood" culture in the province. "Mr. Hofstätter brings a high level of skill and expertise to our Wood WORKS! BC team and the newly formed Wood Enterprise Coalition, as well as extensive knowledge about the Wood First Act in BC," states Mary Tracey, executive director of Wood WORKS! BC, and executive member of the Wood Enterprise Coalition. The Wood First Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2009, requires provincially-funded projects to use wood as the primary construction material where appropriate and within the BC Building Code. “BC Wood is very pleased to be part of the WEC and an active partner in the delivery of Wood First activities in the province,” explains Brian Hawrysh, CEO of BC Wood and executive member of the Wood Enterprise Coalition. “Mr. Hofstätter with his previous experience with British Columbia’s Wood First Initiative, will be instrumental in the efforts of the Wood Enterprise Coalition in the implementation of next generation wood-based building systems in construction of public buildings,” says Erol Karacabeyli, manager of Building Systems at FPInnovations and executive member of the Wood Enterprise Coalition.
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The British Columbia Forest Industry Builds Plans for BC Wood Demonstration Projects The British Columbia forest industry builds plans for BC wood demonstration projects The newly formed Wood Enterprise Coalition (WEC) comprising of three key British Columbia forest industry groups, WoodWORKS! BC, FPInnovations and BC Wood Specialty Group has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the British Columbia/Canadian design, construction and manufacturing community linking demonstration project funding announced earlier this year by the provincial government. Through the RFP, the Wood Enterprise Coalition (WEC) will identify wood applications and building projects in the concept, schematic or design development stage in BC which can successfully demonstrate, structurally or architecturally, the commercial viability of innovative wood-based products or traditional wood products used in non-traditional ways. The environmental and economic benefits of wood use are to be emphasized in these demonstration projects, which will assist in expanding and developing wood product markets. This is the first step of an exciting new initiative to identify the best possible projects in BC for consideration by the WEC. Additional future steps will lead to the construction of demonstration buildings, systems and products that will introduce, document, evaluate and showcase new workable wood solutions that have the greatest potential to be repeated in broader North American markets. The full RFP document and related background information can be found at: 
Wood WORKS! BC Congratulates Two BC Cities on Wood First Resolutions Wood WORKS! BC executive director Mary Tracey today congratulated the City of Kelowna and the City of Armstrong on the passage of new Wood First Resolutions in support of the province’s Wood First Act which aims to increase demand for wood products by requiring provincially-funded projects to use wood as the primary building material. The City of Kelowna passed a Wood First Resolution on June 28, stating that all municipal infrastructure projects receiving provincial or wood industry financial support employ the appropriate structural or architectural use of wood. A Wood First Resolution was also passed by the City of Armstrong on May 10. Armstrong took one additional step in its commitment to wood on June 14 by adopting a Wood First Bylaw. Seven BC communities have already passed Wood First Resolutions, including Quesnel, Nakusp, Prince George, Castlegar, Fruitvale, Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Campbell River, bringing the total now to nine. The City of Armstrong has been a strong supporter of wood use in its civic projects for a number of years, with the completion of its new swimming pool as the most recent showcase of wood, and a civic arena as one of its first. “In 2005, we constructed with provincial and federal funds as well as our partner the Township of Spallumcheen, the “highest content” wood arena in Canada. Wood WORKS! BC coached us in the design of the arena, which showcased the forestry industry in the Okanagan with significant support from local mills and remanufacturers,” explains Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper. “Our community is proud to be supporting the Wood First Initiative of the provincial government.” |
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Controversy over the introduction of the HST on July 1 has increased substantially with two related court actions having been launched within a week of each other. First, in late June a group of Business Associations (including COFI) requested a judicial review in the Supreme Court of British Columbia of the draft legislation, HST Extinguishment Act, associated with the anti-HST group. This legislation had been submitted to Elections BC some months earlier and was subsequently supported by over 700,000 signatures from BC voters. However, the Business Associations feel that clarity from the Court is required in that in their view the draft legislation falls within provincial jurisdiction and as such cannot “extinguish” the HST as it is a federal tax.