As one of the organizers of this rally, I'd like to thank everyone who made it possible, a list too long to mention here.
I did my personal best to invite a range of speakers to keep this nonpartisan and inclusive of the whole community, and the workers, the people and business were heard.
Fort St James has some bright lights of hope on the way that other small BC communities do not have. Hopefully the rally will keep this issue on the forefront, it is up to you in those places to keep this ball rolling.
It's not about ONE resolution. It's about finding solutions to breaking the boom and bust cycles that prevent growth. Supporting one you don't like to achieve nine or ten others you do is how things get done.
Thanks again to everyone who turned out.
-- Rick Montemurro
-- Concerned Citizens FSJ Committee
thx Stand Up For The North

I attended the rally today, I thought it very well organized and alot of important issues were raised. If I had one criticism I would make it would be that neither our MLA John Rustad or MP Dick Harris would attend. I find it hard to accept anything other than a family emergency as an excuse for the no-show of area politicians, as this rally was about the very survival of your constituents community. Mr Harris offered no reason that I have seen for his no-show, Mr Rustad's excuse was this rally in his opinion might be sanctioned by NDP supporters. Mr Rustad this kind of leadership is at the very best cowardly, and at the very least an apology is owed the people of Fort St. James for your blatant lack of representation. Once again thanks Rick and Winson on a job well done.

Refering to Mayor Rob MacDougall comment -

“One shift is more than what we have now so we should be thankful.”

Then his comment on one proposed resolution to tie the harvest to the communities where the harvest occurs.

That isn't going to happen says the Mayor. He says he has already spoken with the previous and current Minister of Forests, and that is just not a possibility. "We have to remember there are communities on the coast who have had their mills dismantled. For them, the only work that is left is the logging and the hauling, so we have to respect that."

It's great that logging and hauling is creating work for those on the coast who have lost their mills but no so great if the raw logs are being shipped out of the provice or out of the country along with local jobs.

Although the mills partial resurection is good news for Fort St. James I'm just wondering who he wants everyone to thank, the government for implementing policies that have been part of the problem rather than part of the solution or Conifex who stands to benifit the most.

Sounds to me like MacDougall is throwing in the towel and kissing butt all in the same breath.

“That isn't going to happen”, “that is just not a possibility” are certainly not the type of comments, complacency and negativity you would expect to hear from a Mayor who's community's future depends on those forest resources he is referring to.

Absolutely unbelievable !!!

Never liked it seeing all the Trucks going from Leo Creek to Hixon, Wood should be milled close to where it is cut. Rick your are so right, things have to change.

Workers of Canada,

If you are wondering why you have no jobs?

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7427022351584640827

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7427022351584640827

For those who are interested in major changes in Canada:

http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/home.html

Or www.solidarityforeverheehee.cu

Would support the the working class kindly outline their stance on the forest industry.

Your good mayor is seemingly following instructions as is your MLA and your MP.
Ironic that these elected people cannot stand for those who elected them.
There is something very wrong with this picture when the wellbeing of the communities which are in question do not deserve the local elected representation which they request.
How does a mayor a MLA or a MP simply say to their constituents that "nothing can be done" about something that can put practically an entire community economy out of business?
If they do not wish to represent our interests then they should resign immediately as they have no social mandate to act contrary to our interests.

I believe that the "nothing can be done" statement comes from the federal softwood agreement and that appurtance requirements were dropped by Canada in order to get a political charged "deal".
This softwood "deal" is a disaster for Canada, BC and especially small towns which rely on the forest industry. The only beneficiarys of this deal are the international corporations which have gained the ability to move their forest assets (timber which we licenced to them)as they decide (for their reasons) while having no requirement to provide local employment or community benefit (the reason which we gave them the licences to cut our trees).
Why would we allow these corporations to keep their timber licences when this social contract has/is/will be broken? How can our government legally or ethically overide and nullify this critically important social contract?

There are two remedies to this federally driven disater. One is to reenact the appurtancy requirement and to hell with the softwood agreement. The second is to revoke the timber licences from those who do not wish to fullfill the social contract and transfer this timber to the community to control. If the community has no means to attract investment in local facilities at least it would be able to hire its own logging contractors and profit from its local forest resources.

We are not asking our MLA and MP for them to change the direction the world spins.
We are asking them to do what is right for our communities rather than international corporations.

Excellent post woodchipper. I agree 100%.