VICTORIA — The NDP government’s latest foray into regulating timber allocations and forest tenures has triggered a sharp-edged exchange of between the industry and Premier John Horgan.
“Given the magnitude of the potential impacts, we would have expected to have the opportunity to discuss with you before the changes were introduced, in keeping with the collaborative approach you have spoken about,” wrote West Fraser’s Ted Seraphim and Canfor’s Don Kayne, respectively the outgoing and incoming chairs of the Council of Forest Industries.
The meaning is left to a combination of regulations, to come later, and ultimately a judgment call on the part of the minister and his cabinet colleagues. “Unilateral action works against the best interests of the province and the industry overall and undermines the relationship,” they concluded. “We would appreciate the opportunity to meet as soon as possible to seek clarification of your government’s intent for the forest sector in B.C.”He waited a full month to write back with a vague promise that his staff would be in touch “to arrange a meeting with the COFI board soon.
Next he went after loose talk about the government in general and the bill in particular being responsible for mill closures. But Horgan’s letter came in the wake of last week’s news that Tolko industries was closing its sawmill in Quesnel and reducing operations in Kelowna.