A British Columbia First Nations leader says the province must rethink its approach to the forest industry in light of Canfor Corp.害羞草研究所檚 decision to shutter two sawmills and leave 500 workers without jobs.

Nak害羞草研究所檃zdli Whut害羞草研究所檈n Chief Colleen Erickson says First Nations must play a bigger role in the industry害羞草研究所檚 future in B.C. because Indigenous entities would not be 害羞草研究所渟ending our profits elsewhere害羞草研究所� as corporations not headquartered locally would.

Erickson害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檛 surprised Canfor could not access affordable fibre anymore due to what she calls 害羞草研究所渦nsustainable害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渁re not going anywhere.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 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害羞草研究所檚 basically left on their own (here),害羞草研究所� Erickson says.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no remediation on their part. There害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭here needs to be a better effort by government to decide what vision they have for the industry in B.C.,害羞草研究所� Scott Lunny, director of the union害羞草研究所檚 Western Canada district, said in a previous statement.

害羞草研究所淚f Canfor won害羞草研究所檛 do it, find a company that will invest in B.C.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭he government needs to step in and say, 害羞草研究所楲ook, if you害羞草研究所檙e not going to use this tenure, then we need to give it to somebody that is,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Dawe says. 害羞草研究所淏ecause we have a community here, and they should be looking after that community害羞草研究所檚 best interest.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檚 future.

害羞草研究所淣ew approaches to First Nations stewardship, forest tenure, treaty, and equity and investment will support economic reconciliation and build stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities,害羞草研究所� council CEO Linda Coady said in a previous statement.

But the group also says the province also needs to be 害羞草研究所減roviding a reliable supply of fibre to the industry.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very frustrating that we害羞草研究所檝e come to this point,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淏ut for sure we need to look at the remaining resource that we have and see how we can do better.

害羞草研究所淲e definitely need to do something different.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� Chuck Chiang in Vancouver

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

The Canadian Press