City of Powell River Council voted to defer a Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) resolution proposed by mayor Ron Woznow until more research can be done.
At the May 22 council meeting, Woznow read his resolution that recommended UBCM call upon the ministry of forests to take immediate steps to secure at least 45 million cubic metres of economically viable fibre for the 2025 calendar year, and that the ministry continue to increase access to economically viable fibre by five million cubic metres each year until achieving the annual allowable cut totals set by the chief forester.
Woznow said the economic benefits of forestry in British Columbia are well known.
“It’s also well known that forestry jobs and forestry wealth have declined significantly,” said Woznow. “What is the impact on Powell River? There’s $7 million in economic activity that isn’t occurring because of the significant addition of regulations. It affects small businesses, it affects contractors, and so this motion is to let the minister of forests know that there is an opportunity to move forward and to have faith in the chief forester.
“I’ve put forward these recommendations that by and large have been ignored or made impossible because of multiple new regulations that have been put in place.”
Councillor Rob Southcott asked Woznow where his numbers came from, and added that forestry is a huge concern here and across the province.
Woznow said the last time he was at the truck loggers annual meeting at the UBCM, there were a number of people providing information and he followed up with one of them. He said he asked the individual about numbers city council could use in deciding whether or not to support the motion.
Councillor Cindy Elliott said on April 24, she went to Western Forest Products’ public advisory group meeting and lots of good information came out. She said she believes Woznow was trying to address the current undercut in the province.
“We should definitely be supporting our forest industry, including removal of all the administrative barriers that are currently causing that undercut,” said Elliott. “What the chief forester for Western Forest Products talked to me about was the need for a BC wood first procurement policy, from local, all the way up to the provincial government.”
Elliott said the chief forester indicated that wood from Quebec was being used for big projects, which bothered local producers. She said Council of Forest Industries data indicates BC is currently the most expensive jurisdiction in the world to produce lumber and wood products and that is mainly due to administrative and regulatory barriers and inefficiencies.
“What I would love to do is put forward a resolution to UBCM that speaks to the points that Western Forest Products have asked us to lobby for,” said Elliott. “While I might not be liking the wording of this particular resolution, I do want to support one. I am wondering if there is room for us to work together and maybe make a resolution that incorporates the ideas that came from the meeting that specifically talks about streamlining and fixing regulatory certainty in our province.”
Councillor George Doubt asked if there was a deadline for UBCM resolutions. Deputy corporate officer Jessica Walls responded that June 15 was the deadline, so any resolutions would have to be approved by council by June 5.
Doubt said he would encourage Woznow and Elliott to work together and come up with a resolution that might have the opportunity to find support around the convention floor.
Councillor Earl Almeida made a motion to defer the resolution to the June 5 city council meeting and allow Woznow and Elliott and others in the local forest industry to revise the resolution. The motion carried unanimously. Elliott said she would meet with the mayor to come up with wording for the resolution.
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