Wood that was logged from a vacant lot across from Sechelt Hospital has been purchased and will be processed locally.
“With the downturn of forestry we felt it was important to support our local forest contractors and forest companies by keeping local companies busy. This helps the Nation contractors, local business and the overall local economy,” said Jordan Louie, forestry general manager of Tsain-Ko, in a release.
In September, shíshálh Nation hired Triple Tree Contracting to log approximately two hectares of vacant Nation-owned land across from Sechelt Hospital, to reduce the risk of fire. Several human-caused fires had burned in the forested lot, and it was being used as a homeless camp.
The Nation received three bids for the harvested wood, and the contract was awarded to Suncoast Lumber & Milling in Wilson Creek, which has purchased 372 cubic metres. It was sorted as dimension lumber used for fencing and decking and will be sold locally and in Vancouver. The remaining wood will be chipped at Salish Soils.
Shishalh Nation members work for both Triple Tree and Suncoast Lumber.
“One of our main mandates is Nation Contractor employment and capacity building within the Nation. This was a perfect opportunity to show that the Nation companies and employees are capable of providing an excellent and safe job in the middle of shíshálh lands, in the downtown area,” said Louie.
High stumpage and a decline in international demand are contributing factors to a slump in the forestry industry, according to Suncoast’s chief financial officer, Rafail Chernis. “We’re getting hit from both sides and we’re still trying to survive. We appreciate the shíshálh Nation is trying to support us.”
The Nation has no immediate plans for development of the property.
