Event Report COFI 2025 Convention comes to Prince George By Andrew Snook T he BC Council of Forest Industries’ annual COFI Convention took place on April 3 and 4 at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre in Prince George, B.C. Themed, “Where Do We Stand? Strategies for Competitiveness and Sustainability,” this year’s COFI Conven -tion focused on factors and innovations that can reshape the future of the forest sector in B.C. Greg Stewart, president of the Sin -clar Group Forest Products and Chair of the COFI Board of Directors, welcomed attendees to the convention and intro-duced Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan, who spoke to the crowd about the many challenges facing the forestry sector. “Despite the growing challenges of the forestry sector, I’m encouraged to see so many familiar and new faces attend-ing this week to learn about shared path -ways,” Chief Logan told the crowd. “As a nation with deep roots in the forest sector, we’re constantly seeking new, innova -tive approaches to both the forest sector and the forest policy. It is no secret that the industry is facing its most challenging times in history, from increased costs at home to fluctuating and confusing policies directions.” Chief Logan’s family has worked for many generations in the forestry sector, including her son, who due to a lack of employment certainty in the local forestry sector, needed to move to Saskatchewan to find work as a millwright. “We have to find a way to keep our kids at home that love the forestry sector,” she told the crowd. Chief Logan stated that B.C.’s forest -ry sector needs to be strategic in how it supports and creates profound change to COFI Board of Directors Chair Greg Stewart welcomes attendees. Photos: Andrew Snook. the industry. “There is a tremendous amount of work we can do right here to pivot our industry to fight for the workers that have built this province, our communities, and, like the Wood Innovation and Design Centre, con -tinue to show how the wood construction can still lead the way.” Chief Logan stressed the importance of partnerships and the forestry sector for the region. The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation has had a long mutual beneficial history of partnerships with forestry companies and biofuels companies, and those looking to innovate and think differently, Chief Logan stated. “Shared prosperity means building the solutions in B.C. that allows our children and future generations to build a future on the same resources that build opportuni-ties and futures,” she said. Chief Logan also discussed the need for B.C.’s forestry sector to diversify away from its heavy dependence on the U.S. market. “We have two ports. We can ship our wood to anywhere in the world,” she told the crowd. City of Prince George Mayor Simon Yu also welcomed the crowd to Prince Geroge. Yu discussed the importance of the forestry sector to the region, and the need to create fibre certainty so companies operating in the region can invest further into keeping sawmills and other forest products plants running, and possibly, expand and open new mills. “We need to be innovative and rethink wildfire management, harvesting, and most importantly, thinning,” he said. Yu added that all the stakeholders in the room – industry, labour, government, First Nations – need to establish trust with each other, and focus on working with each other to find solutions to everyone’s challenges so the sector can grow a health-ier value-added industry. MLA of Prince George-Mackenzie Kiel Giddens also welcomed the crowd to the convention. Giddens stated that he SPRING 2025 24 Canadian BIOMASS
Canadian Biomass Spring 2025: Page 24
