National

B.C. sets aside some timber supply for value-added

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 24 Jan, 2023 06:06 PM

DELTA, B.C. - The British Columbia government is launching a new program that will ensure dedicated access to the provincial timber supply for secondary manufacturers that make value-added products.

Forests Minister Bruce Ralston says the goal is to build a stronger, more resilient forest industry with value-added products such as mass timber, plywood, veneer, panelling and flooring.

Thank you @CoastlandWood for the tour and for hosting many industry leaders today. It is great to see a #BC business growing and expanding. @ILAlogger @IWPABC @JakePowerWood @BrendaBaileyBC (3/3) pic.twitter.com/8iqmsr23P7
— Bruce Ralston (@BruceRalston) January 24, 2023

The government says in a statement that those products are increasingly in demand as alternatives to carbon-intensive construction products such as cement, resulting in steady job growth in the province.

The statement says the program will be restricted to those facilities that have minimal or no forestry tenure and are approved as a value-added manufacturer.

Figures show overall harvest levels in the forest industry in B.C. have decreased in the past decade, but employment in the value-added sector has grown by about 35 per cent since 2012.

Paul Rasmussen, with the Interior Lumber Manufacturers' Association, says they're encouraged to see the government recognize that a dedicated fibre allocation for the value-added sector is required.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau skips COP27 for Tunisia, Asia visits

The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit on Nov. 12 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, before heading to the the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Trudeau skips COP27 for Tunisia, Asia visits

Foot injury may not result in fractures: witness

Dennis Chimich, an expert in the biomechanics of bone fractures, testified for Doug McCallum's defence team, which is presenting evidence to suggest their client was not lying when he told police a woman ran over his foot in a grocery store parking lot.

Foot injury may not result in fractures: witness

Housing prices remain soft, sales flat, throughout the Fraser Valley

Prices continued to soften, with month-over-month Benchmark prices down slightly across all property categories. For detached homes, prices are on par with October 2021 levels, while townhomes and apartments are up 7.7 per cent and 11.5 per cent, respectively, over 2021.

Housing prices remain soft, sales flat, throughout the Fraser Valley

Funeral honours RCMP officer in Richmond, B.C.

The 31-year-old mental health and homeless outreach officer was stabbed to death two weeks ago while she and a City of Burnaby employee attempted to issue an eviction notice to a man who had been living in a tent at a local park. Jongwon Ham is accused of first-degree murder in Yang's death and is expected to return to a Vancouver court again today for remand.

Funeral honours RCMP officer in Richmond, B.C.

Hundreds attend Halloween melee in Delta, B.C.

The injured teen suffered burns to her arm and shoulder when her jacket was set ablaze, the two officers received minor injuries and firefighters had to douse several bush and dumpster fires.

Hundreds attend Halloween melee in Delta, B.C.

Vancouver home sales down 46% from last year

Last month sales totalled 1,903 and were 33.3 per cent below the 10-year October sales average. The board attributed the slowdown's continuation to inflation and rising interest rates, which have led many buyers and sellers to reassess purchasing or listing a home.