PG Mayor says younger workers needed as forestry sector deals with state of flux

A common enhancement of BC’s battered forestry sector is needed according to Prince George Mayor Simon Yu.

Yu took part in the three-day Council of Forest Industries Conference that took place in Vancouver – Yu was part of a panel on Friday that included District of Vanderhoof Councillor Brian Frenkel.

He added various curtailments and shutdowns including Canfor shutting down its pulp line at the PG Pulp and Paper Mill was a massive blow.

“Prince George is very much the centre of the forestry industry around northern BC. The shutdown of the pulp mill is very devastating to our local tax base – it represents over one percent of our tax base.”

Yu says there was consensus that in order for the industry to survive, more young people need to be brought on.

“50% of the people working in the industry are 55 years years old. We have ten years to put some positives together and we also agree that we need to take a closer look at the residual product of the forestry sector.”

“There are some bumpy roads ahead in terms of planning, stability and fibre supply. We all agree that if we don’t get the narrative right we simply won’t have enough young people joining the industry.”

He added the Fraser Lake closure, also put a damper too the local economy as a lot of people from that community do shop and spend money in Prince George.

“Fraser Lake is close to Prince George. The people who live there shop here in Prince George – so closing down a mill that is impacting 100 or so people out that now don’t have jobs will affect the Prince George economy as well.”

Despite some of the recent downturns in the sector over the past few years, our city has been lucky to escape further difficulty due to its diverse economy.

“We are very fortunate that we have the university here and potentially some other big industries coming in the form of hydrogen, LNG and mining. Having said that, forestry, was is and always will be one of the cornerstones of the Prince George economy,” added Yu.