THERE MAY be no cards and probably no cake but it is worth noting that this month is the second anniversary of forest minister Pat Bell’s March 2009 trip to Terrace to urge wood licence holders to join forces.
With traditional sawmills and pulp mills either closed or sold off (a point reinforced when West Fraser shut down its Kitimat Eurocan pulp and paper mill in early 2010), Mr. Bell reasoned that pooling of wood would provide enough volume of specific species and type to attract a new generation of value added investor.
Two years on the Northwest BC Forest Coalition remains a bride in search of a groom. It hasn’t been for lack of trying. The coalition is marketing the volume of its member licence holders and there has been a stream of eager suitors bearing flowers and chocolates.
But with the exception of a now-delayed deal between a company which wants to make bio-fuel and one local licence holder, there have been no substantive results.
Those more optimistic say it takes longer than two years for ideas to mature into proposals and then into adequately-financed projects. Those more pessimistic say the current healthy whole log export market is just too tempting for local licence holders compared to dealing with unknown companies and technologies.
Let’s hope the third anniversary sees some concrete results.
The Terrace Standard, Terrace, BC