Local logging tenures belong to the people who live here, says the District of Houston council in one of its strongest statements to date since Canfor shelved plans to replace its closed sawmill with a new one.
Saying it is aware the company has put both its licences to cut wood and its closed sawmill up for sale, the District remains "firm in our belief that the harvesting of local logs should be directly tied to local jobs," it stated in a Sept. 26, 2024 release.
"Tenures, in our view, are not mere assets to be traded between large corporations. They belong to the people of this community and region, and ultimately, the people of British Columbia."
But the council also admitted it has no control over who may end up with Canfor's tenure and mill property.
It did add its priority is to work with the provincial government and First Nations.
The council also reminded the community that the 2014 deal in which West Fraser closed its Houston Forest Products mill and then transferred its wood to Canfor was to ensure that the latter could run its mill for another 30 years.
That deal was one half of an arrangement between the two companies in which Canfor closed its Quesnel mill and transferred its tenure to West Fraser.
"While this arrangement benefited the companies involved, we feel it has not provided the long term advantages for our community," council said.
As part of its plan to stabilize the local economy, the council has spent the last decade trying to convince the province to give the Dungate Community Forest more wood.
Majority-owned by the District of Houston, the council has argued Dungate can not only log for profit but do so responsibly by also adding to the region's outdoor recreational amenities and so diversify the economy.
But the latest attempt by the District to state its case fell through when it was snubbed by Bruce Ralston, the forests minister, at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver held the week before the official start to the provincial election.
Ralston's ministry told District of Houston officials he had no time to meet with council members.
The council's statement follows an offer made by John Brink of Brink Industries to buy Canfor's Houston, Bear Lake, Vanderhoof and Fort St. John mills which are either closed or about to be closed.
Brink, who owns Pleasant Valley Remanufacturing in Houston and other facilities in the north, said he needs wood from Canfor to keep his own operations open.
"While he has expressed interest in the mill, there are indications that re-opening may not occur for another five years," council stated. "This uncertainty raises concerns about the immediate reopening or operation of the mill."
"Without concrete plans to quickly restore the mill's operations, our community could face prolonged economic impacts."
