Forestry needs business background, group says

A non-profit community based company says they want businesses in the forestry sector to hire anyone with a business background.

Westwind Forest Stewardship Inc. held the workshop at the Fort William Historical Park to discuss what could be done to change the forestry model. Tom Clark, who works for Westwind Forest Stewardship Inc, said the workshops goal is to make the forest sector into a business that allows communities to have more input on what direction the companies take.

"I think it is an important point," Clark said. "I think a lot of people hear us talking about handing over forests to communities. Our idea of governance is choosing people from local areas and from the region with a business background who understand what the forest produces. They will be able to build a business that is very responsive."

Traditionally, private companies managed the forest and held many of the sustainable forestry licenses. Clark said some of those companies aren’t even located in Ontario.

With the forestry sector struggling, Clark said a change in the way companies do businesses was necessary. He said the government controls too much of how the lumber is distributed and because of that large companies are hurting.

"I think local people know how to get that wood out there," he said.

Peggy Smith, co-chair Northern Ontario Sustainability Communities Partnership, said she wants more decision making done by local communities.

Smith said a change in how wood is distributed in Ontario could be perceived negatively.

"Some people see it as a door closing," Smith said. "But some people see it as an opportunity and people are trying to find ways that we can do things differently. People here today are talking about the challenges they are facing."

Most northern communities traditionally rely on lumber as a major resource. Smith said more than 10,000 people lost their jobs in the forest sector and a change is needed for communities to have a future.

More than 30 people attended Tuesday’s workshop. Smith said it is a pretty good representative group and when those people leave she hopes they carry on the discussion of transforming the forestry sector.

"If they go home and talk to their mates, or community members about what’s going on this will carry on further," she said.