BC’s Premier met with representatives from two local mills yesterday.
John Horgan spoke at Interfor in Castlegar on his trip to the Kootenays, which also included a stop at Kalesnikoff Lumber to meet with CEO Ken Kalesnikoff.
He was optimistic about the use of mass timber in the province as Kalesnikoff Lumber starts construction on their new facility.
“We’re going to direct places like the St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and the Royal BC Museum in Victoria to use cross laminated timber, to use mass timber in construction to create a market here so we can demonstrate to the world that BC forest products are unparalleled and we can build the technology of the future using home grown lumber,” Premier Horgan said.
He highlighted how important it is for the economy to use the best available technology which ensures every scrap of fiber is getting into the market place.
While he feels excitement is ahead, he also described the forest industry as cyclical, saying there are challenges as well.
“I want to thank Duncan at Interfor for all that they’ve been doing to stabilize the industry as we go through the down turn in the beetle kill and we look at two of the worst fires seasons we’ve had in BC’s history. That’s had an impact on the fiber basket, we’ve got concerns about access in the United States.”
The Premier has also asked that the forest industry sit down with communities, workers, First Nations and government timber supply area by timber supply area.
He said this is to ensure that the right wood is getting to the right mill and that jobs will be secure into the future.
That same day there was an announcement by Canfor that all BC sawmills, except for Wynnwood near Creston, will be down for one week starting April 29.