Community job coordination offices are opening to help B.C. Interior forest workers laid off in the industry downturn, Forests Minister Doug Donaldson says.

Donaldson spoke to Black Press Thursday, after a raucous last day of the B.C. legislature session where he was again pressed for action on logging and sawmill shutdowns across the province. Opposition critics reported multiple cases where forestry-dependent families are looking at a bleak Christmas season.

The assistance office in 100 Mile House has opened, and others are preparing to open in Clearwater, Fort St. James, Mackenzie and Fort St. John, he said.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 to give direct one-to-one service for workers, trying to connect them with retraining opportunities, and the other four are on their way to being opened,91裸聊视频� Donaldson said.

For workers who are looking for retirement rather than retraining, there have been more than 500 applications so far to a that offers up to $75,000 for qualifying workers. It91裸聊视频檚 open to full-time mill workers who are 55 or older, have worked in a mill for the last two consecutive years, and meet other criteria.

Forests Minister describes status of retirement bridging program for laid-off workers

91裸聊视频� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a $40 million program over two years, so it takes a little while to implement,91裸聊视频� Donaldson said. 91裸聊视频淲e have more than 500 applications in, and they91裸聊视频檙e being dealt with on an individual basis.91裸聊视频�

For loggers who have been idled, the is delivering a $27 million program to reduce fire risk and improve forest health by removing burned trees or wood debris.

91裸聊视频淪ome of the contracts that have been awarded in the Cariboo, for instance, $707,000 to Cariboo Pulp and Paper for bringing in about 74,000 cubic metres of wood out near 100 Mile House,91裸聊视频� Donaldson said. 91裸聊视频淚n Cariboo North, $160,000 to Barkerville Historic Town and Park to bring about 9,000 cubic metres out.91裸聊视频�

In the legislature, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond called for action on one of the latest layoffs, 50 people including mechanics, welders and hauling contractors for Western Canadian Timber Products in the Fraser Valley. The problem cited by this and other employers is stumpage rates are too high, she said.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 exactly the same for first nations woodland tenures as well, which is why nobody is operating on them at the moment,91裸聊视频� Bond said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 all talk and no action.91裸聊视频�

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Donaldson noted that stumpage, the province91裸聊视频檚 fee for Crown timber, was reduced Oct. 1 by 12 per cent for Interior forests and 24 per cent for Coastal logs, to reflect a sharp decline in lumber prices this year. Additional reductions would only raise more protests from U.S. 91裸聊视频渓umber barons,91裸聊视频� who have called B.C. stumpage rates a subsidy in the current trade dispute and previous ones.

Donaldson said he scheduled to meet next week with Seamus O91裸聊视频橰egan, the new federal natural resources minister. He will be asking Ottawa for 91裸聊视频渇lexibility91裸聊视频� in its Employment Insurance rules to make more laid-off workers eligible for payments.

91裸聊视频淲ith the different curtailments we91裸聊视频檝e had this year, some might not have been able to acquire the number of weeks required for EI eligibility,91裸聊视频� Donaldson said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 something the federal government has looked at before.91裸聊视频�

tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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