A British Columbia First Nations leader says the province must rethink its approach to the forest industry in light of Canfor Corp.91裸聊视频檚 decision to shutter two sawmills and leave 500 workers without jobs.

Nak91裸聊视频檃zdli Whut91裸聊视频檈n Chief Colleen Erickson says First Nations must play a bigger role in the industry91裸聊视频檚 future in B.C. because Indigenous entities would not be 91裸聊视频渟ending our profits elsewhere91裸聊视频� as corporations not headquartered locally would.

Erickson91裸聊视频檚 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 weren91裸聊视频檛 surprised Canfor could not access affordable fibre anymore due to what she calls 91裸聊视频渦nsustainable91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渁re not going anywhere.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 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 everybody91裸聊视频檚 basically left on their own (here),91裸聊视频� Erickson says.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no remediation on their part. There91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淭here needs to be a better effort by government to decide what vision they have for the industry in B.C.,91裸聊视频� Scott Lunny, director of the union91裸聊视频檚 Western Canada district, said in a previous statement.

91裸聊视频淚f Canfor won91裸聊视频檛 do it, find a company that will invest in B.C.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淭he government needs to step in and say, 91裸聊视频楲ook, if you91裸聊视频檙e not going to use this tenure, then we need to give it to somebody that is,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Dawe says. 91裸聊视频淏ecause we have a community here, and they should be looking after that community91裸聊视频檚 best interest.91裸聊视频�

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 sector91裸聊视频檚 future.

91裸聊视频淣ew approaches to First Nations stewardship, forest tenure, treaty, and equity and investment will support economic reconciliation and build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities,91裸聊视频� council CEO Linda Coady said in a previous statement.

But the group also says the province also needs to be 91裸聊视频減roviding a reliable supply of fibre to the industry.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 very frustrating that we91裸聊视频檝e come to this point,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淏ut for sure we need to look at the remaining resource that we have and see how we can do better.

91裸聊视频淲e definitely need to do something different.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� Chuck Chiang in Vancouver

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

The Canadian Press