The BC Forestry Alliance organized a peaceful rally outside the Parliament Buildings in Victoria on Feb.18.

Carl Sweet, one of the rally organizers, spoke to the Herald about the Alliance’s goals. As a sales equipment consultant at Inland Kenworth in Quesnel, Sweet has had a longstanding, working relationship with forest industry workers.

“Our hope was to raise more awareness of the importance of the forest industry to the province, raise awareness to people who probably don’t understand how crucial it is to our economy, and we were also there to deliver our ‘Saving the Working Forest for all Generations’ petition,” said Sweet.

“Minister Donaldson, (Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development), came out and accepted the petition. We had MLAs from NDP and Liberals there, in and amongst the crowd. It was a very well organized, well received rally. It wasn’t a protest; it was a rally. Government came out and greeted us and were very pleased to be able to receive us well.”

Donaldson issued a statement following the rally, explaining government’s plans for the forestry sector and affected British Columbians.

“I spoke with members of the B.C. Forestry Alliance today because I wanted to hear about their concerns. I told them that our government will support the thousands of people who rely on the forest sector for their jobs and livelihoods. We will continue to work with the sector to address challenges and ensure a bright and sustainable future,” Donaldson said.

He also spoke of the importance of the Federal government becoming involved.

“We know there is a greater need, which is why we have been pressing the federal government to bring resources to the table, as they did during the 2008 downturn. I spoke with Seamus O’Regan, federal Minister of Natural Resources, last week and let him know that British Columbians believe that worker support is a shared responsibility.”

Sweet was happy to see such a strong turnout, estimating that there were around 2000 people present, as well as approximately 40 commercial trucks and even a heavy-lift Kamov logging helicopter. He believes that many underestimate the importance of the forest industry and the revenue it provides government, which helps to pay for social programs such as healthcare and education. The Alliance also hopes to combat the misinformation and demonization of the forest industry and those who work in it.

“One of the things that we’re trying to encourage people to do if they don’t know about forestry is take the time and do some of their own research. There’s a lot of real misinformation from protectionist groups and environmental groups,” Sweet explained.

“We encourage people to reach out to loggers or industry professionals and have the real facts given to them before they decide whether forestry is good or bad. People believe loggers want to see the last tree cut down, and it’s so far from the truth. Loggers don’t want to see the last tree cut down. For every one that we harvest, we plant three.”