Editorial: Saving BC forestry will take radical rethinking

By Kennedy Gordon – Prince George Citizen

Think of last week’s BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) conference in Prince George as a swift kick in the Carhartts for our forestry sector.

With something like than 630 forestry professionals filling the Civic Centre, the event brought attention to some serious challenges facing the industry and the urgent need to rethink how both BC and Canada approach forestry in a world that’s changing fast.

For decades, the U.S. has been Canada’s top trading partner for forest products, but that’s rapidly shifting. Despite lumber producers having to deal with ever present softwood countervailing duties and anti-dumping fees, the U.S. remained our top partner.