qathet Regional District (qRD) directors received an update on Mosaic Forest Management’s activities, both provincially and within qathet region.
At the July 24 committee of the whole meeting, Mosaic Forest Management representatives briefed regional district directors on what the company is and the kinds of forestry activities it is conducting.
Aaron Racher, general manager, North Island operations, said Mosaic is Canada’s largest private timberland producer, and between the company’s employees and contractors, about 2,000 people are employed directly on the BC coast, mostly on Vancouver Island.
Racher said Mosaic sells its products to mills, predominantly to 50 local mills, as well as overseas.
“Obviously, we are a big part of the economic activity on the coast; we pay more than $13 million a year in property taxes to municipalities on the coast,” said Racher. “We have a big focus on continuing to improve how we do things in the woods. Safety is by far our number one priority, as is managing the environment. On the safety side of things, we are really focusing on where we interact with the public, so over the last number of years, we’ve done quite a bit of work with our logging trucks.
“Every truck has onboard telematics that we monitor all the time. It’s a requirement for our contractors to have these in. We also require all our drivers to go through additional training around how the vehicles work.”
Racher said the company goes back more than 100 years on the BC coast. It is owned by Canadian pension funds in Victoria and Montreal. He said the company sees the long-term value, which is a great ownership structure for timberlands.
Racher added that while Mosaic does export logs, all the wood has to go to local mills first, and it is only exported if there is a surplus to local mills.
The company has progressive aboriginal relations certification. Racher said Mosaic was the first forest company in Canada to be certified by the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business.
“What this does is establish a framework about how we can engage and collaborate with First Nations in all our interactions,” said Racher. “It sets the framework for how we work with our First Nation partners.”
Colin Koszman, land-use forester with Mosaic, said in 2023, his company was recognized as one of BC’s top employers.
“We are proud of that accomplishment,” said Koszman. “We have embedded a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.”
Koszman added that in 2023, Mosaic donated more than $750,000 across coastal BC to community groups and organizations, going toward wildlife and fish habitat improvement projects, such as the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Marmot Recovery Foundation. In qathet, Mosaic supports activities at Brooks Secondary School and Powell River Action Centre Food Bank, and has also contributed to Powell River Educational Services Society.
In terms of community and recreation, Mosaic has assisted Powell River Junior Forest Wardens, Powell River Salmon Society, Sunshine Coast Trail, Powell River Search and Rescue Society, and has provided firewood for community groups, according to Koszman.
“We are certainly glad that we can support the qathet communities and the folks here,” said Koszman. “We also provide funding for First Nations scholarships and training programs.”
Koszman said Mosaic has managed forest lands in City of Powell River and qRD areas. In 2022 and 2023, harvesting took place in lands around Lois and Horseshoe lakes. Thichum Forest Products from Tla’amin Nation was the contractor, added Koszman. The properties have been replanted. He said the seedlings are climate resilient.
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