“Mill closures, production curtailments and companies with the means to do so choosing to invest and grow in other jurisdictions and shrink their presence in B.C.”
At the 2024 Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference in Vancouver Sept. 16-20, the forestry sector will be higher profile than usual, with multiple resolutions highlighting growing concerns from communities dependent on the industry. UBCM, which brings together local governments to influence provincial policy, is a vital forum where the voices of smaller, often rural municipalities are amplified.
This year, forestry is back in focus—not necessarily on the minds of residents in Vancouver or Victoria, but certainly in the communities that depend on it for their economic survival.
Several resolutions reflect this anxiety, none more than the one from Kamloops, which proposes tying timber rights directly to local mills. While not exactly original, it’s a bold proposal, emphasizing that the wealth generated from forests should stay in the communities where those forests stand. This approach addresses a fundamental concern that’s been building across British Columbia: too many mill closures, too few local benefits, and an overall sense of provincial mismanagement.
And that’s where the voices of industry leaders like Jock Finlayson come into play. Finlayson, one of Canada’s most experienced economists, has been vocal about the crisis in B.C.’s forestry sector. He, along with other industry experts, has pointed to the ongoing closures of Canfor mills as symptomatic of a deeper problem—one rooted in provincial forest policy failures.
Citing a ”colossal mess of forest and land use policy in British Columbia,” he last week observed “mill closures, production curtailments and companies with the means to do so choosing to invest and grow in other jurisdictions and shrink their presence in B.C.”
The situation is so bad that forester Dave Elstone commented in his View From The Stump newsletter for April 2024: “Declining harvests have resulted in over a 30% reduction in lumber capacity since 2017, and a 47% reduction in lumber production.” The latest statistics show 2023 wood production plunged 19% from 2022 levels.
Critics argue that the government’s approach has been more reactive than proactive, failing to address long-standing issues such as unsustainable timber supply management, high stumpage fees, and an overall lack of coordination between environmental objectives and economic needs. I would add that during the COVID-era anti-logging protests at Fairy Creek, it was clear that performance art, not sound science, became the dominant thread in B.C. forest policy.
Many in the business and forestry communities have voiced concerns that policy decisions—such as those restricting access to timber and overregulating logging practices—are directly contributing to the downfall of the industry. The Canfor closures, which have resulted in thousands of job losses, are seen by many as emblematic of these failures. Communities like Fort St. James and Fort St. John, both of which have put forward forestry-related resolutions for UBCM, are grappling with these realities daily. Fort St. James, for instance, has proposed utilizing fire-damaged wood—a clear attempt to turn disaster into opportunity. Meanwhile, Fort St. John’s resolution calls for more rigorous environmental assessments to ensure forestry’s sustainability. Both towns, heavily reliant on forestry, are feeling the squeeze of mill closures and provincial policies that seem disconnected from on-the-ground realities.
Kamloops' resolution to link timber rights to local mills is, in many ways, a response to this very issue—trying to recapture control over local resources that, for too long, have benefited corporate interests far removed from the communities themselves. By making sure timber rights remain tied to local mills, Kamloops and other communities are essentially saying, "Let us reap the benefits of our forests." First Nations, uneasy to see the erosion of an industry that three quarters of B.C.’s 200+ nations participate in, have also been weighing in.
Add to this the resolution from Pouce Coupe, which takes a broader approach by emphasizing the importance of resource jobs, not just in forestry but across sectors. The Pouce Coupe council is keen to remind everyone that while the world moves toward greener energy, the resource sector remains vital for the livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians. They are advocating for provincial policies that don’t leave these sectors behind in the rush toward a greener future.
At the heart of it all is a growing frustration that the provincial government has not adequately managed one of its most important natural resources. The result has been a steady erosion of jobs, economic activity, and confidence in the sector. Thought leaders like Finlayson are right to sharply criticize the crisis of mill closures, and the resolutions from communities like Kamloops, Fort St. James, Fort St. John, and Pouce Coupe reflect a desire to reclaim some control and rebuild an industry that has been at the heart of British Columbia’s economic fabric for generations.
Seeking to diagnose the root cause, Elstone suggested that a reform-minded provincial government tried to do too much, too fast, in recent years. “The consequence of change has been a climate of increased uncertainty that has impacted the BC forest industry particularly hard,” he said. And he referred to comments from former B.C. premier Glen Clark at the 2024 BCBC Business Summit, “literally saying ’stop making changes…let business catch up…We need a period – a lengthy period – of stability.’” I was in the room for that and agree it was an arresting statement.
In the halls of UBCM, forestry may not grab the headlines the way climate change or housing policy does, but for many communities, it’s a matter of survival. These resolutions are a plea for the provincial government to recognize that mismanagement can no longer be tolerated and that proactive, community-centered policies are urgently needed if the sector—and the towns that depend on it—are to have a future.
To offer a constructive note, I recommend that the prospect of future wildfires be treated as an opportunity as well the grave risk it obviously is. The fact is that a century of very effective wildfire suppression has impacted the health and resiliency of our forests to changing climatic conditions. An area of B.C. twice the size of Vancouver Island has burned and $3 billion spent on firefighting costs.
By aggressively playing catchup, it will be possible to both protect threatened communities and ecosystems while also giving the forest industry important work to do while effective long-term policy is put into place.
Stewart Muir is founder and CEO of the Resource Works Society.