Regardless of whether the BC Conservatives or BC NDP come out on top in the recounts, the BC Greens will hold the balance of power.
Here’s the northern BC agenda from a Green perspective they should demand in any coalition (which excludes provincial issues of electoral reform, health care and education).
Get plantation thinning going: The former BC NDP government was holding back on approving plantation thinning permits.
Thinning immature stands around town with selective logging methods has many benefits, and few downsides. It reduces the fire risk, opens up the canopies to get more precipitation penetration, and can grow better wildlife habitat and more species diversity. It also throws a lifeline to our struggling forest industry and moves us away from clearcutting primary and old growth forests.
Get small value-added forestry going: Every home in Prince George should have local birch hardwood flooring but you can’t even buy it.
Let’s find creative ways to transport private logs from private land to small sawmills without having to register as a sawmill site, having to timber mark small amounts of private logs, having to scale private wood, and having to report production.
We also need easier access to public wood through tenure reform including community forests, opening up a log sort yard, and revisiting the Wood Enterprise Centre we had in Quesnel before the BC Liberals scrapped it.
Ban forestry herbicide spraying: All three parties had some kind of pledge to ban or limit forestry herbicide spraying but only the Green Party said ban all herbicides, just like they did in Sweden back in 1984 and Quebec in 2001. Just do it. It’s not needed for reforestation, we know we need more deciduous trees in our forests, and we are finding out these herbicides have unforeseen and long-term impacts.
Get meaningful Indigenous reconciliation going: Lots of work to do but a big one is funding a northern Indigenous Art, Culture and Technology centre in Prince George. Let’s get carving, art, language, ecological knowledge, textiles, basketry, leather, metal and woodworking happening.
Let’s make it open to everyone, so non-Indigenous people can learn from and embrace Indigenous knowledge and culture. This could be a great way to grow our Indigenous craft economy and grow our Indigenous pride.
Let’s secure the future of Tea Creek Farms out in Kitwanga way. I’ve followed the work of Jacob Beaton and Jessica Ouellette for years and there’s an excellent documentary on CBC Gem called Tea Creek about their work rebuilding Indigenous food sovereignty and teaching new generations of Indigenous kids agriculture.
Their work is critical, it needs to be supported, and it needs to be expanded across the north. It should not just be about growing food but processing it and getting that food into institutions and schools.
Legalize grizzly bear hunting: For too long urban progressives have alienated rural folks to keep their urban base happy with political decisions like blanket bans on the grizzly bear hunting.
Grizzly bear hunting for sport wasn’t right but if we can harvest some grizzly for food, and the science says we can do so sustainably, we should be able to do it.
Ban foreign farmland ownership, support local farmers: Our farmland should be owned by Canadians and it should be put to work feeding Canadians, not foreign corporations.
Most of our food is imported and we need to grow our self-sufficiency. This should include water security for farmers, and reducing red-tape to help re-establish local dairies, local egg farms, local beef processing, and more northern control over the vegetable marketing commission.
The north has a long history of being ignored by Victoria, regardless of whether a conservative or liberal-leaning government is in power.
If the BC Greens hold the balance of power, they should use it to push northern issues like these. It might just turn a few blue seats green in coming years.
James Steidle ran for the BC Green Party in the most recent provincial election.
