A British Columbia manufacturer who says he is facing closure accuses the provincial government of hypocrisy after the recent prime minister who recently had a product that had a hand.
BC veneer products make it added wooden value products to Surrey, things like doors, windows, musical instruments and much more.
He also provided the wood carving that UBC designers used to build a football ball of innovative “wood skin”, something Prime Minister David Eby promoted while on a June commercial mission in Japan.
“I’m the guy who provides all the veneer for this and I don’t know how much more I can help with wooden skin because without any help from the government … this business has been done,” owner Jeff Gunia explained.
The problem, Gunia explained, is that the company was unable to secure more logs – the fibers in the industry are talking – to maintain its factory and its 17 employees.
The forestry company with which it works on the island of Vancouver has already reached the maximum permitted cut for the year.
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The operator has another block that can harvest in January, but Gunia says it will be too late.
“From now on, my business will die if the government does not allow it to go and make 15 lorries to keep me and 17 people busy. It’s a simple 15 trucks,” he said.
Gunia has said that the problems of his company are particularly abused, given the emphasis on the prime minister and the province have put in the promotion of value -added wood products, instead of carrying raw logs or lower -value timber products like two to four.
“The government is just very hypocritical,” he said.
“Converting the wood into veneer is the ultimate top -notch value you could have. These types have added value, but leave a plant that will die where all value is. It is absolute shame.”
Opposition conservatives accused NDP of failure in the forestry archive, showing job losses, an unstable fiber offer and accusing the government of not having a strategy to support local manufacturers
“This is a government that will promote a football ball, but not the people behind it,” said conservative leader John Rustad.
“The British Colombians deserve a government that supports local success stories, not one that allows them to fail quietly after the disappearance of the cameras.”
Forest Minister Ravi Parmar said he plans to reach Gunia to find out more about the challenges of his companies.
“The work done by BC veneer, as well as many other value -added bodies in British Colombia, is exactly what we want to see,” he said.
“Finding ways to support these value -added exploitation bodies is a big priority for me. One of the first decisions I made as a minister when I started my review for the BC timber sales was to double the percentage of 10 % of the available volume.
Parmar added that the revision of timer sales that will be released shortly includes various recommendations for more effective fiber distribution, including a “virtual record” model that would allow companies such as BC veneer to buy direct logs.
He also said he is also considering ways that they have recently announced federal funding to support the industry could be used to move the logs from the northwestern BC to the lower mainland, where they can have access from addicted value producers.
Gunia said she was willing to talk to the minister, but that immediate solutions are needed, not promises.
“This business is in the hospital right now … The government just doesn’t really want to do anything other than listening and say,” We hear you, but we can’t help you, “he said.
“So I’ll die for the next three or four months if I don’t get fibers right away.”
& Copy 2025 Global News, a part of the Corus Entertainment Inc.
