Up to 200 trucks are expected to make their way to Vancouver to rally in support of the forest industry this week.
From the north, trucks will be leaving from Prince George and joining with more southbound to the Union of BC Municipalities Convention in Vancouver.
“We are very concerned about our future,” said organizer Frank Etchart of Nadina Logging in Merritt, citing stumpage as a major issue at hand.
“Right now the BC government is saying there is nothing they can do. We have a tremendous increase in stumpage. The BC Government is using the data from the past ten years and they are not really reflecting the true market value.”
Etchard said the recent announcement of funds coming from the province to help forestry workers isn’t enough.
“We have to have immediate relief. Where are you going to retrain someone who is 55 or 60 years old who had a house worth $250,000? Who is going to move to that community now? He would be lucky if he got $30,000, so what possibility does he have? This is what we are fighting for. This is pressing and we have to do something about it, that’s the message.”
Prince George trucks meet at 2:00 am at Inland Kenworth, Wednesday. They’ll meet more trucks in Quesnel at 4:00 am and more will join in Williams Lake at 5:00 am.
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