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By Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Forestry families need more than empty words from Horgan

Aug 15, 2019 | 2:35 PM

IT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR for forestry workers and their families. Dozens of forestry-dependent communities have suffered through shift curtailments, weeks of operational downtime, and permanent or indefinite mill closures. It saddens me to think of the struggle these families are going through. We are not just talking about the jobs, the numbers or the stats. We are talking about families, the stress they are under and a nearly non-existent NDP government.

Smaller forestry communities are hit especially hard. When the industry goes, so does the livelihood of many residents. Those who work as log truckers or in other ancillary areas of forestry are also dealing with uncertainly and the possibility of job loss. Whole towns are facing real uncertainty. Fort St. James declared a state of financial emergency this summer – an unprecedented event that reveals the far-reaching impact of the struggling industry.

I feel for the families that are asking for help but not getting answers. It worries me that the NDP have been missing in action and that they don’t grasp the reality facing hundreds of families. B.C. lost nearly 13,000 jobs last month alone and there is no sign that the situation will begin to dramatically improve any time soon.

That being said there are many people and organizations working hard in the midst of this crisis, doing what they can to support the families and communities hardest hit. Our BC Liberal Caucus has toured the province, spending time in many forestry-dependent communities, holding meetings and hearing directly from those on the front-lines of this crisis. My colleagues and I have been in Merritt, Kelowna, Fort St. John, and several other cities, having conversations with workers, employers and community leaders who know firsthand the challenges facing the industry and the steps that can be taken to aid its recovery.

From these conversations we drafted a five-point plan that we sent to the premier and his forestry minister nearly two months ago. Our recommendations were based on providing much needed relief and strengthening the forest industry for the future. Specifically, we suggested the province engage the federal government to look at multi-level supports for communities and workers, in addition to establishing a multi-partisan forest competitiveness committee to examine options for the future — both in the short and long term. We recommended that the government immediately reduce stumpage fees and the carbon tax on the sector until market forces stabilize, that they re-engage the U.S. to get B.C. a better softwood deal, and that they create a fund that impacted communities can use to hire affected forestry workers on wildfire mitigations projects.

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While the crisis cannot be cured overnight, our plan can benefit hard-hit communities, provide people with the assistance they need and the industry with the support it needs to recover. With our province in the worst forestry crisis in 40 years, these communities need immediate help and resources, and a government that has a vision and action plan for the future.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.