The newly appointed BC Forests Minister was visiting the Northwest this week and says the forests industry is looking hopeful in the region.
BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar has been meeting with local workers, community leaders and first nations leaders in the leadup to the BC Natural Resources Forum, to talk about the future of forestry.
“And I think, it was perfect to see the light, the sun shining because, I'm feeling optimistic, as is the community about the future of forestry for, for this community in particular, but also for the region as well.”
Parmar's very first decision he made as Minister of Forests was to approve a tenure license tied to the Skeena sawmills for the Kitsumkalum First Nation.
"So I know that they are in the early days of exploring what needs to be done. It's an older mill, so certainly, more work is going to be needed to be to be done to be able to, to get it up to, to the standards that, that it needs to be to be able to deliver for workers and for families."
The Kitsumkalum First Nation purchased the mill last spring for $14.05 million dollars and required that transfer of tenures in order to move forwards.
" You know, this was just one of many conversations I expect to have with, the local nations about finding ways to be able to get the fiber to that mill and hope that there'll be opportunities for all to explore value added, aspects of it as well. We do ship a lot of raw logs from this area. And I know that, the reason for that is there isn't much in the form of value added, opportunities. And I'm hoping to change that in my time as minister for us."
Parmar will continue his tour over the coming days and plans to build local partnerships through forest landscape planning tables.
“I’m looking forward to actually being at the table with industry, First Nations and local leaders, looking forward to, to talking about, the work of the B.C. Wildfire Service as we plan for the 2025 wildfire season. I'm looking forward to talking about B.C. timber sales and the work that we're going to be doing to, to upgrade and make sure that it's delivering for workers. And, you know, the reality is I'm going to be looking forward to being on the ground talking to people. Victoria, where I'm from, is not the center of the universe. When it comes to forestry, it's all of these forestry dependent communities. So it was really important for me to kick 2025 off with what I think is probably one of the most robust tours that a minister of forests has ever done.”