File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

FORESTRY SUMMIT

‘Cautiously optimistic’; Critic Stamer uncertain of forest summit results

Nov 3, 2025 | 4:27 PM

VANCOUVER — Early Monday (Nov 3), Premier David Eby held what was referred to as a forestry summit with provincial and federal leaders.

The summit was over shortly before noon, with the participants holding their news conference from the Vancouver cabinet office.

B.C. Conservative forest critic Ward Stamer was not invited into the meeting. The Kamloops-North Thompson MLA called the conversations with federal partners “a step in the right direction,” but cautioned on how much was actually accomplished.

“I’m not entirely sure what was really accomplished other than possibly another task force,” Stamer told CFJC News. “As you remember, the premier set up his own task force months ago and we still haven’t heard or seen anything from that. Obviously, I’m cautiously optimistic. The feds didn’t offer any new money, that is still part of the $1.2 billion the prime minister announced a couple of months back.”

ONE MAN'S OPINION

COLLINS: There is no disgrace in being cheesy once in a while

Dec 07, 2025

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 4, 2025

Dec 04, 2025

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: 16 days of activism against gender-based violence

Dec 03, 2025

Stamer did applaud the move from Eby to back away from a $75-million ad campaign, calling it a total waste of money and a risk to anger who he called the ‘thin-skinned’ president south of the border.

“It’s good news that they are talking and the fact that our forest minister is ahead of all the other provinces’ forest ministers, so there is an opportunity for them to continue to move forward,” said Stamer. “But there are still some structural issues here in B.C. that we should be addressing and, unfortunately, the NDP doesn’t seem to be wanting to make any changes at all. Nothing in regulation, nothing in policy, we’ve still got way to much red tape, [BC Timber Sales] is still not supplying as much fibre as they are supposed to be.”