| Small sawmill boost seen
if study findings hold firm

. By SARAH A.
ZIMMERMAN -
A. STUDY released last
“ week , makes several
recommendations it says

could result in more than 80 ~

new jobs in the small scale ©
wood processing industry.
. The study polled 45 small

sawmillers in the Kispiox

and Kalum areas to deter-
mine where gaps in the in-
dustry were preventing it
from flourishing.

The results showed most
sawmillers had serious chal-
lenges surrounding’ -fibre
supply, business planning,
quality control. and market-

ing.

The report makes 10 rec- —

ommendations which forest-
ry consultant Rick Brouwer
says, if implemented, could
result in an increase from the *
-sector’s current 79 jobs to its
potential capacity of 162.

“We've given very spe-
cific action plans and we’ re
hoping people will buy in,
Brouwer says. |

“Itneeds the will and the

support.”
He compares the job
growth potential stem-

ming from the survey to be
equivalent to the amount of
jobs one shift at the Terrace
‘Lumber Company would
provide.

' “T?s a huge potential,”
Brouwer says.

All 10 recommendations
come. with specific action
plans regarding which agen-
cies and authorities need to
be involved to make the rec-
ommendation work.

Percy Gavronsky runs a
small sawmill 15 kilometres
north of Terrace called PMG
Sawmilling.

He participated in the
study and agrees the single
‘largest issue he is facing j in

_ terms of growing his busi-
ness is log supply.

“If I had a secure market
and a secure log supply I feel
that 1 could employ at least -
two people besides myself,”.
he says.

“If I decided to do two

shifts, I could employ six _

HAIRSTYLING & DAY SPA

. ployment,”

His:firm just released the results of its study on the small sawmill sector.

FORESTRY consultant Rick Brouwer demonstrates samples of wood cut in small sawmills in the Terrace area.
SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO

people.”

Gavronsky says his mill
is working at about half the
days available in a month. If
he had the wood he would

‘see a significant increase in

production.

“We could literally dou-_

ble production, double: em-
he says:

Though he can’t say what
will happen as a result of the
study, he’s grateful the in-
dustry is being examined. -

“I’m glad that they are

paying attention to us,” he 7
"says.

Recommendations range
from suggesting sawmillers
form associations or organi-
zations to represent the sec-

-tor as a whole to a specific -

-yecommendation --aimed © at “ says.

changing how the BC Tim-
ber Sales program sets the
terms of its sales.

That » plan advocates al-
lowing licencees to set the
duration of the term to up to
four years. That would, in
theory, allow smaller saw-
mills to cut the wood at a
slower pace..

That would likely involve
regulatory _ changes, | says

Norm Parry, B.C. Timber. ©

Sales manager here. He says
the recommendation will be
brought to Victoria to be as-
sessed as to whether or not it

_ can be implemented.

Recommendations ” such

as forming associations to

speak with a united voice, -
are easily possible, Gavron-
sky says.

“A unified voice gets
government’ s attention, ” ihe

Other benefits of. net-
working include the ability’
to increase buying power

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Shane deJong of Terrace
‘Totem Ford presents Sandra
Sheasby with the keys to
her 2005 Ford Freestyle as _
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the use of this vehicle for
“34 days” in celebration of
Totem Ford’s 34 years of
business in Terrace.

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“st

‘and the potential to share the
burden of. major. purchases
such as kilns among several
sawmillers rather than indi-
viduals carrying those finan-
cial burdens themselves.

The report also touches
on the need to update saw-
millers; training and provide
training to people interested
in getting into the small scale.
wood processing business.

Of the sawmill owners or
interviewed, 36 are cutting
for profit to the.tune of $8.7
million, the report shows. -

This project was paid for
by Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada
and coordinated through the
North West Loggers Asso-
ciation.

The study’ s-10 recom

mendations are:
@ Ensure that timber is
available in smaller blocks

ee ye Te Ra oe ap
3 =EXO5G ‘eggenall white 325

to provide an opportunity
for small operators to enter —

the market for wood.
@ Establish flexibility in

setting the.terms of BC Tim-:
"ber Sales.
@ Establish a virtual log

yard.

. Set up log holding ar-

cas.

@ Expand the number of .

woodlots in the Kalum and

* Kispiox areas.

- Mi Provide for the expan-

sion of three-phase power

infrastructure. .
o | Conduct an assessment
of the Kalum/Kispiox fibre

basket, with particular focus _

of fibre quality wood,

M@ Develop an organiza-

tion... of small scale wood
processors. a “*

. Wi Upgrade. the. skills sets

of small-scale wood proces-
sors.

ay a

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - A3

| News In Brief

Rivers on danger list

A NORTHERN river ranks second out of 10 rivers the
Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. considers as en-
dangered.

The Taku River, in the far northwestern corner of the
province. is the location of a plan by Redfern Resourc-
es to re-open the Tulsequah Chief mine and to build’a.
160km road to the location. .

The tenth place river is the Iskut, also in the north,
because of planned power projects and road building.
The provincial government has given the thumbs up

| to development of the Tulsequah Chief mine and the

federal government seems to be heading in the same
direction, but there is concern about the potential of the
mine to release acid leechate and over effects on ani-
mals and fish should the access road be built.

Number one on the list is the Fraser River while the
streams of the Greater Georgia Basin rank number third
behind the Taku.

The outdoor recreation council is a ‘lobby ‘and edu- :
cation gréup aimed at highlighting environmental and
other concerns.

‘Also on the list is the Nicola River and one of its
major tributaries, the Coldwater River.

Police seize cocaine
POLICE HAVE arrested three adults after a raid which
resulted in the seizure of cocaine and other drugs, drug:
related paraphernalia and stolen property.

- Aided by a search warrant, police found the items at
Apt. A-4424 Greig Ave. on April 6 and arrested a 60-
year-old man, a 31-year-old woman n and a 35- “year-old

| woman.

Officers say they seized about 15 or 16 “flaps”,

pre-packaged paper containers of cocaine, a stolen’ digi-

tal camera and Pioneer car stereo’ and drug parapher--

‘nalia including syringes, cocaine residue and baggies,

i

; promises to appear in Terrace court on July 5..

marijuana residue and baggies, crack pipes, pipes for
snorting coke and spoons to cook up crack.
‘Cpl. Mike Tivers, who heads the RCMP drug sec-

- tion here, said the exact amount of drugs seized and its

fea

street value isn’t known. |
“We haven’t had a chance to’ weigh it all,” he said.
“Tt all depends on whether they were half gram or one
gram flaps.”
Tivers estimates the amount to be between seven-
and-a-half to eight grams, or a half-ounce. of cocaine.
He estimates a half-gram of cocaine sells for. about

$50. ;

Officers are recommending charges of possession.
for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a con-
trolled substance against all three suspects to federal.
drug prosecutors. All three adults were released with

Qa

Mark: your valuables —

‘POLICE. ARE reminding people to. record the. serial

numbers of their valuables and to mark items.

That’s because they often recover items and have no
idea who the rightful owners are, says Cpl. Mike Tivers .
of the Terrace RCMP.

_ “Tivers"réminds people to wrife*déwWn%serial' nuin-, ?
: bers and:to: ‘engrave a driver’s licence “number or other =

2 ey Hy aaa ale gale

number of pe personal importance on the items to aid with
identification. ;

irr i

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