I think the individual should be stationed in Mackenzie. This is a communication post. Being an ambassador in a community is the ultimate role for a communicator.

There is no stronger way to communicate that a company supports a community in which they say they continue to have an interest.

There is not better way for a Canfor communications person to learn from living in a community like Mackenzie how a company affects the well being of a single industry town and how the relationship between Canfor and its small town presence can change in the future to improve that relationship for the benefit of both Canfor and the community.

Well said Owl...

I agree. This new communications person should come to mackenzie, the reality of what happens to small towns from decisions made in the in the corprotate board room does to a small town.. It would be a real eye opener. I dont think the big wigs of any company really understands the total impact of having a town that relys on forestry to support the buisnesses in the comunity.. and its citizens right down to the children in elemntary schools that really don't understand the politics. but they see their friends leaving, their dad's leaving.. their friends dad's leaving. I am just saying it affects absolutely every person in our communtiy. thats some of the reality this new communications person could see live and learn from.

Every small town in the Northwest is supported by one or two sawmills. If these mills close the towns have a major problem. Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston, Quesnel, 100 mile, Savona, Chetwyn, etc; etc; etc;.

Its no secret what happens to a small town when the Major Industries shut down. You just have to look at States like Vermont, New Hampshire, etc; also look at the small towns on Vancouver Island that had sawmills and pulp mills,. where are they today.

Kitimat could be the next major problem if they do not build the new smelter and decide to generate electricity only. If this happens 3000 or more ;people will be out of work.

Agreed Palopu.

As for the job, I suspect where it will be stationed could depend on a couple main things:

- Where the suitable candidates live and/or wish to live
- Whether the area will allow for instant accesibility to other areas of the company for stuff like meetings, briefings, planning, etc.

It would be pretty difficult for a communications person stationed in Mackenzine, to field calls about operations in Prince George or Houston. Add to that the fact that you are not going to put a communications person in every city that Canfor operates in and I would guess that the job will be in a larger city where the person will have easier access to the entire operation and the rest of the "big picture" stuff that is going on.

NMG .. of course I am well aware of what you are saying and the commonly held beliefs as well as facts about such matters.

I am also well aware of the fact that Mackenizie is not the only such town, nor Canfor the only such corporation involved with what are essentially single industry towns.

That being said, this is the 21st century with respect to both communication and travel technology. Not all, but many of the meetings an individual like that needs to attend can happen in a different fashion, especially those which are one on one or one on two or so within a company.

In fact, there is nothing that says that they should not look at their entire communication operations at this time, look who is working in that part of their business, and arrange it so that they do have a closer relationship with that part of their operations and the communities they are in.

In fact, this kind of thinking is not that foreign to Canfor. Until about a year ago Canfor had a "public relations" office in the downtown of PG, in part, if not totally, to show corporate support for downtown PG.

I realize it is unusual. I suggest they put it up on the board and address the positive and negatives of such a change. Remember, we are talking in part about the image of Canfor.

Right now they have a problem as I see it anyway. Whenever they restart some or all of their mills, some people will have had enough and will not put themselves into the position of moving to such a community unless they absolutely have to. Canfor is best off to try to turn that around by doing rather than by saying.

Actions do speak louder than words. So does money to some, and money can be had in many places right now. It is a worker's market if you are willing to keep on moving. It is those people in the service network of a town that are hardest hit in the end, not those mill workers who are more mobile.

All communication officers live in the VanVic area, because that where the media is centered. That is why they have communications officers. VanVic is the center of BC so that is the logical spot.

Besides, VanVic would be much weaker economically if corporations kept their people physically closer to where the money is generated. AND you can golf year round in the VanVic area!

Unfortunately, the communications/community relations operation at Canfor is an operation of perhaps two or three people, stationed in Vancouver at head office. When times are tight, communications is usually the first area to be chopped. Community relations tasks often are divied up among local people.

Perhaps Coonfer will show up helping David Emerson with his new federal portfolio?

Imagine foreign affairs operating only out of the capitals of the various countries without ambassadors and consular people sending messages and making contacts in the immediate countries and parts of countries they have dealing with them?

If communications were only about marketing their products, then that is one thing. Maybe that is all it is. Then they might as well stick it under marketing and promotions.

If it is, however, also about being a good corporate citizen, then, in my view, they have to move into the "hinterlands" since that is the part of the world they are economically high grading.

I simply see it as not paying for the true cost of doing business. Others are too often left holding the bag with a shrug of the shoulders and words something like "Didn't you get paid for your efforts? ..... well then, what are you complaining about?"

Owl, so true, so true. The ideal situation would be Canfor to have community relations dept in PG...The question is, how committed is Canfor to this - do they realize the benefits? Do they care? Community relations offices in the 'hinterlands' have come and gone and come and gone. Alcan had one in Vanderhoof, and at least part time in PG. Where are they now? Northern Forest Products Association made great strides in bridging community and companies, but where are they now?
Organizations who are still funding commmunity relations such as Northern Health are practically mandated by the province. Not so in industry.
In the end, how long will Canfor be here? In PG and in Mackenzie and in Houston etc? Their development of significant operations in the US do not bode well for northern B.C.

"Kitimat could be the next major problem if they do not build the new smelter and decide to generate electricity only. If this happens 3000 or more ;people will be out of work."


The construction is underway...

I am from Prince George and I agree that these operations are important to residents. But a corporation has no debt to society or any town. And think about it before you react. Do you owe something to the company? No. If the company cant make payroll and need people to work for free for an indeterminate amount of time to have a chance to survive would you be there? If you get a better job offer somewhere but you are needed at your current job should you have to stay? After payday the company and the employee and society and the town are even and zero "owed" either way. Its called capitalism. Its a crappy system, but its also the best system.

Yamchargers; You're right all that matters is money, when you get right down to it.
metalman.