Heffley Creek Mill (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

MILL CURTAILMENTS

Winter mill curtailments welcome B.C.’s new forests minister and critic to their roles

Dec 2, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — While the Tolko Heffley Creek Mill was a hive of activity on Monday (Dec. 2) morning, come December 20, the mill will be shut down for all business except deliveries. It’s one of six Tolko curtailments around the province all beginning this month.

“They’ve had significant curtailments at this plant alone. They have already lost 30 per cent of their capacity, they’ve dropped their graveyard shift,” said BC Conservative Forest Critic and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer. “That also impacts the logging contractors. This was the best time of year to log — when things freeze up and you don’t have sensitive ground. This is when you can actually try to make a little bit of money. And nobody has a crystal ball, but I’m quite sure there will be more curtailments as this unfolds.”

British Columbia has a new minister of forests, Ravi Parmar, who hopes to bring fresh eyes and ears to the portfolio. But don’t expect what he calls a flashy road map.

“Doing that important listening and learning. But you are going to see clear concrete action (not a flashy road map). There are a number of initiatives in our platform focused around a review of B.C. timber sales, some steps we are going to take to make sure we continue our work on value added, which we have supported Tolko and many other partners on. But I’m ready to get to work,” Parmar told CFJC News.

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Turtle Island

21h ago

Question of the Week

Is an apology or resignation by Bill Sarai appropriate for not revealing he had secretly recorded a conversation with Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson?

23h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Will the last month of the year be better than the first 11?

Dec 01, 2024

For their part, Tolko lists current market conditions for the reason behind the work stoppage, while also hinting at provincial policy burdens in hurting their ability to succeed economically.

“This temporary downtime is due to high fibre costs, poor weather conditions during the fall harvesting season and weak North American lumber and plywood markets,” said Tolko Communications Advisor Chris Downey. “The BC policy and regulatory burden causing high costs and limiting access to available economic fibre for our BC manufacturing facilities continues to impact our BC footprint.”

“We also have to be able to grow our economy and not just be dependent solely on trying to export our products to the United States — regardless of if there is going to be an increase in tariffs,” added Stamer. “We have got to make sure we are increasing our other international markets, as well. We have got a lot of good products that we should be supplying around the world, but because of our cost structure it’s just too ineffective and too expensive for us to do it.”

The BC Conservatives campaigned on reducing red tape around permits and reworking the stumpage system as a whole in the province.

Keta Kosman, owner of the Madison Lumber Reporter, does however see a light at the end of the tunnel.

“We’ve seen a bottom. This year-and-a-half has sort of let us know where the floor is. That is the reason for the curtailments — I mean not the reason, the reason for the curtailments is not to let the cost of lumber drop below the cost of production. Now we know where that is and that gives a stability to the lumber manufacturers and the builders,” said Kosman.

Parmar is ready to work across the aisle in his new role, noting the experience of workers and his new critic, Stamer, in his desire to move the industry forward.

“I’m open to all ideas, whether that is from workers on the ground, from industry partners or from the official opposition. I’m looking forward to talking about all the ways that we can ensure we have a robust, sustainable forest industry that delivers for workers and families in every part of our province,” said Parmar.

Currently in B.C. there are more than 1 million cubic metres of cutting permits issued but not harvested.