Cariboo-Prince George NDP candidate Jon Van Barneveld says Canada should institute a national wood-first policy for federal public buildings, which would help the Canadian forest sector, including Northern B.C.
Van Barneveld, a UNBC student, criticized Conservative incumbent Dick Harris and his party for voting against a Bloc Quebecois-sponsored bill last year which would have implemented such a policy. Harris dismissed the criticism, saying the bill was redundant because the Conservatives are already helping promote the use of wood in Canada and abroad.
The bill would have promoted the use of wood as a primary building material in the construction, maintenance and repair of federal buildings, similar to legislation already implemented in British Columbia at the provincial level. Japan has also adopted similar legislation, and Oregon State is considering it as well.
"The bill that was previously voted down in the House had the potential to benefit the entire country, and especially British Columbia, because we are the primary producers of dimension lumber," Van Barneveld said Wednesday, while he campaigned in the Quesnel and Williams Lake areas for the May 2 election.
Barneveld could not put an estimate on the kind of boost using more wood in federal public buildings would provide to the Canadian forest industry.
He said, however, that Harris had done a disservice to Williams Lake, Quesnel, Prince George and Vanderhoof by not supporting the bill.
Harris, who has been an MP for nearly 18 years, said wood-first legislation is not necessary because the Conservatives are already promoting the use of wood trough domestic and international programs. Part of the federal government's push includes funding to position wood as a construction material in China, where British Columbia has had success in boosting its sales.
"The time is coming within just a very short several months, I think, when the mills in Canada are going to be working to capacity to supply the demand for softwood dimension lumber," said Harris, who was campaigning in Prince George on Wednesday.
The collapse of the U.S. housing market, and an impending timber reduction from the pine beetle epidemic, have closed a number of mills permanently in Northern B.C., including in Fort Nelson, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Prince George and Quesnel.
In Prince George, the Sinclar Group's Winton sawmill and Canfor's Rustad Bros. sawmill remain shut down indefinitely.
A number of mills have restarted recently, including in Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Chetwynd and Quesnel, largely to service the Chinese market.
"So, we're kind of happy with the results of the investments that we've made without having to go to a specific wood-first regulation for government buildings," said Harris.
He said it's also difficult for any government to single out a particular construction material, like wood, at the expense of concrete, steel or aluminum.
Also in the race in Cariboo-Prince George are Liberal candidate Sangreeta Lali, a University of B.C. student who lives in Vancouver; Green Party candidate Heidi Redl, a Williams Lake rancher; Christian Heritage Party candidate Harry Thiessen and Independent candidate Jon Ronan.
