A British Columbia First Nations leader says the province must rethink its approach to the forest industry in light of Canfor Corp.香蕉视频直播檚 decision to shutter two sawmills and leave 500 workers without jobs.

Nak香蕉视频直播檃zdli Whut香蕉视频直播檈n Chief Colleen Erickson says First Nations must play a bigger role in the industry香蕉视频直播檚 future in B.C. because Indigenous entities would not be 香蕉视频直播渟ending our profits elsewhere香蕉视频直播� as corporations not headquartered locally would.

Erickson香蕉视频直播檚 comments Friday come after Canfor announced it will close mills in Vanderhoof, B.C., and Fort St. John, B.C., by the end of the year.

The Vancouver-based company says the challenge of accessing economically viable timber for fibre, ongoing financial losses, weak lumber markets and a big increase last month in U.S. tariffs all played a role in the decision.

But Erickson says most First Nations members in the area weren香蕉视频直播檛 surprised Canfor could not access affordable fibre anymore due to what she calls 香蕉视频直播渦nsustainable香蕉视频直播� harvesting practices.

She also says an industry with heavier First Nations involvement would not shutter mills in B.C. and invest elsewhere because local community members 香蕉视频直播渁re not going anywhere.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚 think most people have come to that (conclusion) because of the fact that they can just close their doors and go elsewhere to log, and everybody香蕉视频直播檚 basically left on their own (here),香蕉视频直播� Erickson says.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no remediation on their part. There香蕉视频直播檚 nothing to compel them to use some of the profits to help people diversify into something else. If things were local, then it would be a local discussion.香蕉视频直播�

The call for more local management of forest assets has been echoed by unions, including the Prince George, B.C., local of United Steelworkers whose members comprise 325 of the 500 positions lost in the closures.

香蕉视频直播淭here needs to be a better effort by government to decide what vision they have for the industry in B.C.,香蕉视频直播� Scott Lunny, director of the union香蕉视频直播檚 Western Canada district, said in a previous statement.

香蕉视频直播淚f Canfor won香蕉视频直播檛 do it, find a company that will invest in B.C.香蕉视频直播�

Public and Private Workers of Canada national president Geoff Dawe says while members of his union are not directly impacted, he agrees that companies that are not invested in local communities should lose their forest tenure rights.

香蕉视频直播淭he government needs to step in and say, 香蕉视频直播楲ook, if you香蕉视频直播檙e not going to use this tenure, then we need to give it to somebody that is,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Dawe says. 香蕉视频直播淏ecause we have a community here, and they should be looking after that community香蕉视频直播檚 best interest.香蕉视频直播�

Provincial industry group BC Council of Forest Industries has said in light of the Canfor closures that advancing new agreements with First Nations is one key priority the province should have in safeguarding the sector香蕉视频直播檚 future.

香蕉视频直播淣ew approaches to First Nations stewardship, forest tenure, treaty, and equity and investment will support economic reconciliation and build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities,香蕉视频直播� council CEO Linda Coady said in a previous statement.

But the group also says the province also needs to be 香蕉视频直播減roviding a reliable supply of fibre to the industry.香蕉视频直播�

Erickson says that is where the province need to talk to First Nations more because she feels her community is more knowledgeable about sustainable management of forests locally than others from elsewhere.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 very frustrating that we香蕉视频直播檝e come to this point,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淏ut for sure we need to look at the remaining resource that we have and see how we can do better.

香蕉视频直播淲e definitely need to do something different.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� Chuck Chiang in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press