BC’s new forests minister says he wants to bring industry, workers, First Nations and communities together to fix the ailing sector.
Minister Ravi Parmer recently spoke with Vista Radio about his goals for the portfolio.
“The three things that I want to accomplish over my time as minister is restoring confidence in BC’s forests sector; standing up for workers and families in forestry communities like Campbell River each and every day in the actions that I take; and honoring the commitments that my government has been leading over the last number of years with British Columbians around biodiversity as well as around the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.”
Parmer says 2025 is going to be a challenging year, and revitalizing forestry in BC will be critical. He says he has no experience in forestry but asked for the file because he wants to learn, and because he understands how it’s been the pillar of the provincial economy for the past century. He says that will include reviewing provincial forestry policy “through the lens of economic prosperity.”
“I want to, when I end my time as BC’s forests minister, to leave a legacy of ensuring that for the next century it continues to be a strong pillar in BC’s economy and in our prosperity as a province,” he says. “I have mad respect for the hard-working men and women that are out in the bush, that are working in mills, that are directly and indirectly employed by forestry.
“I hope by my actions that I will make them proud.”
He says one of his first tasks will be to work with Ottawa to try and find a resolution to the long-running softwood lumber dispute. BC softwood producers recently had export tariffs to the USA nearly doubled, prompting mill closures in the Interior. Now, with incoming US president Donald Trump threatening to impose more tariffs on Canadian products, he says he needs to push Ottawa to find a resolution for BC lumber exporters.
Ravi Parmar is the NDP MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca and the youngest representative in the BC legislature.
