Maybe we’re being tricked into believing that summer never ends around here. No question the endless summer contributes to enjoyment of vacations past – even recent ones. The images below are from our Labour Day Weekend trip to the McLean Mill National Historic Site.. aboard the completely restored 1929 Baldwin ex-logging locomotive at the 1912 CPR Station. The track winds through the City of Port Alberni and then the surrounding forest for 35 minutes each way.
Meanwhile, seasonal lumber market activity continues searching for direction. We learned this morning that China’s total log imports are up a staggering 27% year-to-date and lumber imports are up 13% YTD. Interestingly, Mark Kennedy also reports China’s lumber imports from Russia are up 18% YTD, while lumber imports from Canada are in fact down 1% YTD (BC is up 2.4% YTD but down 4% for the month of July). Says Mark, “We have been wary that a slowdown in real estate development activity in China would lower Chinese demand for logs and lumber. This has been our primary concern in 2014. However thus far, there is no evidence of this occurring. This steady demand of logs and lumber in China has helped support North American lumber prices in the face of a slower-than-expected US housing recovery.”
At the same time, proof that summer might not really be endless, even if this province’s teachers strike make it seem so, is offered to us in the release of Jim Snetsinger’s report on Area-Based Forest Tenures which includes results of the public engagement process described in an earlier post here.
“Jim’s recommendations provide a valuable roadmap on how to proceed. However, given the recent Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot’in decision and requests from forest companies and communities to focus on key immediate priorities, the ministry will not be proceeding with legislative changes that would enable forest licence conversions in fall 2014 or spring 2015.”
– Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests 28 Aug. 2014
Harder.Blog 