Natural Resources Committee on Nov. 8th, 2017

[Peter Moonen]

Werner Kurz from the Pacific Forestry Centre is an expert who I go to when I ask about that. There is a carbon lag when you cut down a tree. There's no doubt about that. If the tree is not regenerated, if the forest is not regenerated, that wood is not carbon neutral. If it goes into a building and then it ultimately gets burned, it is not carbon neutral.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

I don't mean to cut you off but in the interests of time, do you feel that areas that have been logged are being replenished to the point where we can actually see a neutral situation, or are they being used alternatively, and thus creating the problem that you're talking about?

[Peter Moonen]

Canada's conversion to non-forest use from forest is less than 0.2%, so I have no doubt. I'm a biologist by training, and I live in a forest that was logged 105 years ago, and those damn trees get in the way. I can't even see the ocean anymore.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

It's an important point. I'm glad it's on the record. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

You have 30 seconds if you want to use them. I'll even give you more.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

It's very skills intensive, when we talk about the secondary sector here. It's very skills-based.

Do you have the challenges that other sectors do in terms of labour shortages and the like? Is this something that you're worried about as a sector? Are you partnering with colleges and universities and the like on these issues?

[Peter Moonen]

Yes, and I'm going to deflect that to Catherine, because I know the skills and trade shortage for the forest sector, or the logging sector, is one she was dealing with many years ago. Part of that is because 20 years ago people thought the forest industry was a sunset industry. These days it's a sunrise industry—make no mistake—whether it's for lumber, tall wood, or energy.

[Catherine Cobden]

I couldn't have said it any better, Peter. Well done.

[Sandy Ferguson]

If I can just add, we just hired our first environmental engineer at our Mackenzie site. He's a 29-year-old whiz kid out of the University of Northern British Columbia. We didn't have that position two years ago.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Those are good middle-class jobs.

[Sandy Ferguson]

He is providing an excellent contribution around the aspects related to environmental issues in our power plant and our sawmill, and he is contributing to the work we're doing with the government in British Columbia around looking at all the issues related to the carbon tax and the low-carbon economy.

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

It's also a green job.

[The Chair, Liberal, James Maloney]

Indeed. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Fragiskatos.

Thank you to our witnesses for taking the time to join us. That was very interesting and engaging, and the value of the contribution will be reflected in our report.

We will suspend for two minutes, and then we'll get into committee business. I'm hoping people will stick to the two minutes, or as close to it as possible.

[Proceedings continue in camera]