The following is written by a Salt Spring Islander in response to news reports of the currently shut Crofton pulp mill having interested buyers.
By PETER HAASE
Forests become sawn lumber and the scraps usually processed into pulp and paper. If only!
The waste and environmental destruction in B.C. has been immeasurable from day one. The greedy lumber barons still rule.
The Crofton mill and adjacent log export facility are just two of many lumber-related industries in our province, and have existed just across the narrow waters between Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island. The centuries-old forestry industry in our province is so enormous it boggles the mind.
There are many pulp and paper mills and massive sawmills, scattered around our magnificent, lush province. The export of raw logs is a stupidly unbalanced policy, sending material that could be used in secondary wood industries like Sweden has done.
Flying for hours over B.C. presents an endless green carpet of forest, still mismanaged by our day-dreaming governments, federally and provincially. Ironically, we harvest all this lumber, sell it for pennies to China and the United States, while shutting things down here because the profit margin does not suit the wealthy owners? Both limiting exports and increased home manufacturing could work in concert, but that would take brains and imagination. Sorry, but greed and unemployment seem to be today’s agenda.
I’ve worked in construction on a few mills, and know how quickly a shutdown can turn a thriving mill town into a ghost town. It’s all avoidable pain and loss, but China and the U.S. continue to gain as we lose. Maybe Canada should be more protectionist like other countries. Is it short sighted to suggest, charity begins at home? Any thoughts?
British Columbia exports millions of cubic meters of raw logs annually, with figures varying based on market demand and coastal harvest rates. Recent reports indicate that raw log exports reached approximately 2.75 million cubic feet in 2024 to Asia and the U.S., while some estimates suggest higher, long-term averages or peak years exceeding 6 million cubic metres.
In Sweden, IKEA’s global success stems from its “democratic design” approach, offering stylish, functional home furnishings at remarkably low prices through a unique flat-pack, self-assembly model. By focusing on cost-control, massive economies of scale and immersive, experience-driven, maze-like retail stores, IKEA became the world’s largest furniture retailer, operating over 500 stores globally and generating over $45 billion in annual sales in fiscal year 2024.