BC Indigenous Coalition lobbies Ottawa on the salmon farm industry ​

OTTAWA -- Chris Roberts, elected chief councillor, Wei Wai Kum First Nation, based out of Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, in coastal British Columbia, spoke in Ottawa today.


"It's through our rights and title that we must have a say on how, if and what kind of salmon farming can take place in our territories, in our backyards, where we have lived for millenia.

"After the disrespectful and damaging decisions to close salmon farms in my territory the Laichwiltach People, in the Discovery Island without proper consent of the rights holders, we at the coalition can no longer trust that the minister Murray can deliver a thoughtful, unbiased transition plan for the remaining salmon in our sovereign territories.

"That is very worrisome as I stand here with my brothers and sisters . . .

"We as First Nations, we are the original environmentalists, not the fancy downtown activists that you hear about.

"Our people have been looking after wild salmon for thousands of years, and we continue to do so through our guardian programs and our monitors, and we will continue to do so.

"People 5,000 km away will not be making political activist driven decisions for ancient nations that have been stewards of our lands and waters and resources, since time immemorial.

"Now we know there are divergent views on salmon farming among First Nations on the coast of British Columbia. And that's their right. But it's also our right as First Nations to be able to say, YES.

"If a nation can say no to a resource extraction development activity in their territory, they should be able to say yes. And that's because it's done on their terms, on terms that are set out by the laws and traditions of our people.

"Those laws and traditions guide how business is carried out and how things are to be monitored properly.

"This enduring stewardship obligation that I talk about is bestowed to all of us by the Creator of the territories that we call our home, all across Turtle Island.

"And we must respect each other as sovereign nations, and trust in each other that we will uphold those. And when we disagree, we should come together nation-to-nation to talk about our difference of opinion to find areas of compromise, and to seek to understand how we might be able to move forward collaboratively.

"The DFO minister Murray's decision to close all salmon farms in the Discovery Islands, against the wishes of the right's holder nations, in our case the Laichwiltach people, has set a dangerous precedent.

"Not only does it mean that the rest of the transition planning process for the sector is unstable, it threatens salmon farm operations in the rest of the territories where the nations want those farms to operate.

"More importantly, her decision has threatened rights holder First Nations ability to pursue their self-determination, and their right to economic reconciliation by allowing outside influences to make decisions in our territories.

"Just a little bit more about the proposal that was put forward from the Laichwiltach Nations, we were seeking to understand what the impacts are, every sector, every single activity in our territories have an impact, and it's our responsibility to understand what those are, to determine if we can come to grips with it and manage them in a way that is sustainable, and in keeping with our true values and traditions.

"It's really sad that our proposal was unaccepted, because it's a lost opportunity. The opportunity that existed was to advance our guardian watchmen programs, our fisheries stewardship technicians, to directly participate in the research and monitoring to evaluate the impact from salmon farming on the environment and on wild salmon.

"I am not going to deny those exist, but as we talk about a transition, as this government likes to call it, we wanted to be on the front lines of what that would be, to embrace new innovations and the possibility of new technologies that could be implemented to reduce or eliminate the risks to wild salmon.

"And the fact that our proposal was disregarded is troubling. It sends a signal that I don't know if there was ever a genuine interest in supporting a transition.

"And so to just kind of mandate something to land-based in this case, it doesn't make sense to me, because there's a lot of evidence and investment across the world where this has been attempted, and maybe it will be figured out one day, but if we talk about a transition and going towards something better, we have to embrace and work with what we have now.

"To try and flick it off like a switch I think it flies in the face of what is required to have investment in research and development and bring new innovations.

"So we call on Prime Minister Trudeau to pass a critical file on to more responsible and unbiased minister to complete. We strongly recommend the minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, the Hon Mark Miller, for this job.

"We are also fathers and mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, like you, who want to see our families succeed and communities thrive and have a promising future.

"Like you, we want our people to have good jobs, and like you we want everyone to be able to afford healthy food and put food on their tables for their families.

"The government of Canada is on a dangerous track, with policy decisions to close sustainable farming in our waters. They are suggesting that we grow Canadian salmon on land, even the B.C. government says it's not feasible, and at this point in time it does not make sense.

"We have with us, an example here, the salmon that you see, it was not grown in Canadian waters, where it could have been or should have been. It was not grown in any of our territories, where it could have been and should have been.

"It was not processed by workers in the community of Klemtu of the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais, or the community of Port Hardy on north Vancouver Island, because Minster Murray has severely impacted the production of the salmon farming industry by closing down farms in our territory, and we're concerned of the track that might continue on with the rest of the coast.

"The piece of salmon was flown all the way from Norway or Chile, thousands of kilometres away, and when you think about the net effect and of citizens of the planet that we care for, of climate change, and carbon emissions, how is that sustainable?

"And because of decisions by Minister Joyce Murray, this costs you and your family more on your grocery bills to put this healthy meal on your table for your family.

"I'm not sure what the price of it says, but I think, uh, yikes!" he looks at the label on the package, "It's $55 for this slab of salmon, something that would have previously costed around $30.

"And this piece of salmon is going to become even more unaffordable for you and your families if these decisions continue, not only because it's imported from far away, but because we no longer have the jobs of farming salmon in the communities.

"And we have also been fishing nations, it's engrained in my blood for several generations. But we are also salmon farming nations as we stand here together, and we are coastal nations.

"And we should have the right to say what happens in our territory.

"This is an important job that we have, and I am reminded by some of my Elders and people in my community that often have a difficult time coming to grips with various industries, because of their perceived impact, but when we talk about it, we're reminded that, as newcomers came to our territories, balance has been disrupted from day one, and we have constantly had to adapt to changing times.

"A lot of the things that are being sought to protect are the commercial salmon industry, which I am proud of my family's participation for many years, but an industrial full scale commercial fishery on the whole coast of British Columbia with countless canneries dotting the coastline, that was not our way as a people, but we were participants in that and we embraced it.

"Unfortunately, our rights to make decisions on how that fishery would be managed were not recognized early enough and we are suffering the consequences of a vast reduction of salmon on the coast.

"So when we look at a new industry like salmon farming, we're also meeting it head on, embracing it for the opportunity that it could be, and ensuring that things are happening on our terms.

"And that's very important because each nation is distinct and unique, and have their own set of laws and values that must be upheld, for this industry to continue."

Firewood CMTs an Anthropological Oddity

In the days prior to the Industrial Revolution First Nations built canoes to travel the extensive waterways of the Pacific coast. Each dugout canoe was manufactured out of a single cedar tree and these dugout war canoes were designed for ocean voyages of long duration.

 Sometimes during these journeys canoeists ran afoul of the weather. The water on the Inside Passage is a reasonably constant 6 or 7 degrees Celsius but the weather varies and rainfall is a potential threat all year long, especially from October to March. Dealing with these wet conditions called for planning, which included the invention of the 'firewood CMT,' a form of culturally modified tree (CMT) found on remote islands and inlets of the Pacific Coast of Canada.

 "Knowledge of the history of forest use is crucial for understanding the development of forests, which in turn helps to understand how societies react to forest development," said Rikard Andersson, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. "Culturally modified trees (CMTs), recorded in the western U.S. (and Canada), northern Scandinavia, and south-eastern Australia, are features that can be dated precisely, and they bear witness to unique events of human activity."

 David Garrick is a Canadian anthropologist with specific expertise in CMTs in west coast rainforests. "These artefacts define the First Nations communities in a practical way. They had camps all over the place, often at the mouth of a river. If they were taking a three-day voyage by canoe and it started raining they would pull out of the water, but how would you start a fire?"

David Garrick and his son Aki gaze at Johnstone Strait

 An essential CMT would be found ashore where they could and often did make land and find the firewood CMT, each site containing a dry source of wood. The travelers would find a small cavern dug above the roots inside a massive cedar tree trunk. "They would peel shreds of the dry cedar found inside the hollowed trunk and they would ignite a fire inside the tree."

 These firewood CMTs were commonplace, "There's one found at every encampment." Garrick has studied these peculiar modifications from Banks Island all the way to Kitkatla. He and others have found abundant evidence of a kindling source that provided instant fire to travelers. For the past three decades David Garrick concentrated on the study of humans interacting in forests  on the Pacific Coast.

 He found a perfect place to do CMT research on Hanson Island, about 15 km south west of Alert Bay, B.C.. He set up the Earth Embassy in the heights of the 4 sq. km. island and he worked under the auspices of the Yukusem Heritage Society (composed of four First Nations from the Broughton Archipelago and Johnstone Strait).

 "If you keep the ecosystem intact it becomes a living laboratory and a living museum, and a living classroom." For further study, "We have a post-secondary learning opportunities in the area. We have trails into all kinds of nooks and crannies on Hanson Island."

 Garrick's laboratory on Hanson Island has been a welcome presence in the First Nations of coastal B.C. because his research provides a good history lesson about cedar usage in the culture and economy of the people. For instance a 'core-popped' cedar tree looks like a traumatic injury to those who pass by, but core-popping was no problem to First Nations, instead, it was a marker of time, "What happened to the cedar tree core was caused by a memorable event like a potlatch."

 First Nation forest use went into a state of chaos for a period after contact with Europeans and the anthropology is specific about describing the trauma, "After epidemics reduced the population of Indigenous people, you see the sickness of the people reflected in the cedar peelings. Suddenly there are one-tenth the number of people available to peel cedar tree bark or cultivate and harvest other plants in the cedar groves."

 Garrick's work will continue on Hanson Island where he equipped others to teach everyone from small groups of First Nation students to the First Nation CMT researchers who identify the evidence of occupation and prior use in traditional territories. He maintained beautiful gardens at the Earth Embassy and he had members of the multi-nation Society trained to cut and maintains trails to the instructive cedar groves that will stand in perpetuity on Hanson Island.

David Garrick and Mack McColl cross Hanson Island summer 2008

April is Construction Month

Carpenters' Regional Council of BC

By Mark Derton, CRC of BC President

This year, B.C.’s construction industry celebrates the fourth annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month in April.

I would like to thank and recognize the sacrifices and important efforts made by our members every day in every region of B.C. When the women and men of our union lace up their boots and head out the door to provide for their families, they contribute to the economy, help sustain jobs in other sectors, and help build the community. In B.C., up to $100 billion in construction projects can be underway at any given time, which represents over 8% of the province’s gross domestic product.

Our industry was declared an essential service throughout the pandemic, and CRC members have consistently provided their talents and commitment to contractors and clients, working safely under Covid guidelines and additional regulations. Large projects have introduced strict safety protocols, and we have had to adapt new practices. There have been very few cases of Covid-19 in the construction industry, with union jobsites being among the safest. Thank you for staying safe and looking out for each other.

The construction sector and trades-workers are set to play a major part in the province’s post‑pandemic economic recovery plan. Skilled tradespeople are going to be crucial and relied upon for major industrial projects and massive infrastructure investments.

Today, the CRC is busy training the next generation of construction workers to carry on the important work UBC members have been doing in B.C. for over 100 years.

Submitted by CRC of BC and Canada to McColl Magazine

Major Economic Damage, Job Losses, If Salmon Farm Licenses Are Not Renewed

  Feb. 23rd, 2022

BC COASTAL COMMUNITIES FACE MAJOR ECONOMIC DAMAGE, JOB LOSSES IF SALMON FARM LICENCES ARE NOT REISSUED BY DFO CAMPBELL RIVER, BC –

NEW ECONOMIC ANALYSIS REVEALS MORE THAN 4,700 JOBS and $1.2 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AT RISK IF 79 LICENCES NOT REISSUED

BC Salmon Farmers Association

The BC Salmon Farmers Association have released an independent economic analysis outlining the consequences to BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities if 79 salmon farming licenses are not reissued by the federal government by June 2022. The report by RIAS Inc. found BC would lose more than 4,700 jobs, $1.2 billion in economic activity annually, and $427 million in GDP if these licences aren’t renewed.

An additional $200 million in economic activity and 900 jobs would be lost outside of BC. Federal aquaculture licences at 79 BC salmon farms are due to expire on June 30, 2022. Eighty per cent of these salmon farms operate in agreement with the First Nations in whose territories they operate in. For these salmon farms to continue producing a sustainable alternative to declining wild salmon stocks, while working with First Nations, their licences must be reissued by the new Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister Joyce Murray.

In December 2020, former DFO Minister Bernadette Jordan failed to reissue licences for salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands, creating economic hardship and uncertainty for many of BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities. In making her decision, Minister Jordan ignored the scientific consensus that salmon farms do not pose more than minimal risk to wild Pacific salmon, as well as her own department’s advice.

The decision is currently before the courts in the form of a judicial review. If the 79 licences up for renewal are not reissued, Indigenous and non-Indigenous coastal communities will face even greater devastation. “Coastal communities in BC deserve better, especially during an ongoing pandemic that has already caused severe stress, mental health strain, and economic pressure on many families, households and communities,” says Ruth Salmon, Interim Executive Director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association.

“After years of instability and concern, these communities deserve a secure and prosperous future,” says Salmon. To minimize any further loss to coastal communities, BC Salmon Farmers need legitimate reissuance of all 79 licences. The reissuing of these licences would drive BC and Canada’s economic recovery, deliver on Indigenous reconciliation, support the restoration of wild salmon populations, safeguard Canada’s food security and sustainability, enhance Canada’s contribution to climate change mitigation, and align with the federal government’s Blue Economy agenda as outlined in the 2021 Speech from the Throne. “We invite Minister Murray to visit the affected rural, coastal communities to better understand the integral role salmon farming plays to the socio-economic wellness of these small towns,” says Salmon.

Find the full report here: https://bcsalmonfarmers.ca/licences/

Find the Impact Map on Coastal Communities here: https://map.bcsalmonfarmers.ca/

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: BC’s salmon farming sector is the provinces #1 seafood export, #1 agri-food export, and is designated an essential service by Federal and Provincial governments. BC Salmon Farmers hold agreements with 17 First Nations on B.C.’s coast. 79 (all remaining) federal finfish aquaculture licences will expire on June 30, 2022. More than 4,700 well-paid jobs are at risk in communities like Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, Port Hardy, Port McNeil, Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni. About the BC Salmon Farmers Association: Farm-raised salmon is B.C.’s highest valued seafood product, the province’s top agricultural export, and generates over $1.6 billion towards the B.C. economy, resulting in thousands of jobs. The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association represents over 60 businesses and organizations throughout the value chain of finfish aquaculture in B.C. Our members account for over 95% of the annual provincial harvest of farm-raised salmon in British Columbia.

Made-in-BC Semi-closed System Installed at Grieg Seafood BC Farms in Esperanza Inlet

After trialing a made-in-BC semi-closed technology solution at its farms off the Sunshine Coast region, Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. (Grieg) has announced it will be proceeding with the installation of these semi-closed system at all three of its farms in Esperanza Inlet, off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The new CO2L Flow system (pronounced Cool Flow) is a form of semi-closed containment, which allows for farmers to raise or lower custom designed farm enclosures – ensuring the farmed fish benefit from natural ocean conditions, while also providing protection for wild salmon. The system has been used successfully to rear several generations of fish at Grieg’s farms in the Sunshine Coast region. 

In all the trials, farmers noted better growth, lower mortality, better feed conversion rates (meaning the fish are more effective at converting feed into growth), and most significantly - a dramatic reduction in the need for sea lice treatments.

“As a company, we are always looking for ways to improve our operations, and this includes transitioning from standard farming equipment, to new, cutting-edge technology aimed at reducing potential impacts from our operations. This new system utilizes retractable barriers, which are capable of being lowered to 15 metres, fully encapsulating the sides of the farm. This has several benefits, including preventing the lateral interaction of wild and farmed salmon populations, providing protection for farmed populations from harmful algae, and allowing our farmers to better control water quality in the system using a unique aeration technology,” says Rocky Boschman, Managing Director for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd.

“As ocean-based farmers, one of the most common questions or concerns we hear is regarding sea lice, and the transfer of lice between wild and farmed populations. The CO2 L Flow system with its barrier protection has resulted in drastically reduced sea lice numbers on the farmed population, which in turn reduces the need for us to treat. During the trial period at our west coast site, we were able to keep sea lice levels so low that the fish did not require treatment for lice. Overall, we are pleased with the results and there is no denying that this new system represents a transition towards what in-ocean farms can one day become.”

What sets this system apart from others is the use of local knowledge, and on-the-ground learning to guide the development of a system which would work in partnership with nature to address challenges.

“I have been farming in these waters for over 30 years. In that time, I have learned that nature is the best engineer. If you want to find a solution, you need to work with the ocean and the natural conditions. So, when we started looking at how we could adapt semi-closed technology into our operations, we looked first and foremost to the oceans’ naturally occurring deep, clean water as a guide,“ says Dean Trethewey, Seawater Production, Certifications and Regulatory Director.

“The CO2L Flow Max system has taken some tried and true technology, such as sea lice curtains, and paired them with cutting edge aeration technology, to create a completely new system. During sensitive wild salmon migration periods or times when we know there is harmful algae in the region, we can lower the barriers on the farm, forming a barrier between the wild salmon and the farmed population, this prevents lateral interaction, and significantly reduces the transmission of sea lice between the populations. The barriers can be fully lifted outside of these periods, allowing the farmed fish to benefit from natural ocean conditions, temperatures, currents, and oxygen levels.”

To bring this technology to life, Grieg relied on the expertise, knowledge and successful collaboration with several Vancouver Island based technology and services companies – like CPI Equipment and Poseidon Ocean Systems. A leading international oxygen solution company, Oxzo Technologies, was also involved in the creation of some components for the system.

Although the system has shown amazing results in initial trials, Grieg continues to look for ways to improve the system to help further reduce any potential impacts from its operations.

“As a company, we will continue to look for ways in which we can innovate and continue to improve our operations. Currently, the new system already has tremendous benefits through the elimination of lateral interaction between wild and farmed populations and provides both welfare and performance benefits for our farmed salmon – but it doesn’t collect solid waste which is the next opportunity we want to address. We are continuing to look for solutions that will support the recovery of solid waste and ways in which it could be used for some type of value-add product like fertilizer or soil enrichment,” added Boschman. “We will continue to look to nature, local technology, and our farmers to help provide us with solutions as we continue to innovate, transition and improve.”

The system will be installed at all three farms in Esperanza Inlet (Lutes Creek farm, Steamer Point farm and the Esperanza farm) in time for the outmigration of juvenile wild salmon in early 2023.

CO2L Flow system quick facts and additional Information: 

• Grieg Seafood launched the first trial of the system in 2019

• Since then, three pilot cycles of fish have been raised in the system

• Overall, fish raised in the system see an average increase of 40 per cent in growth, a 19 per cent (19%) increase in survival, and a 13 per cent (13%) improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR)

• The system uses retractable barriers to ensure there is no lateral transmission between wild and farmed salmon populations – which is important during the critical in and out wild salmon migration periods

• During periods when the barriers are down, the system uses an innovative, cutting-edge oxygen technology, to address low-oxygen levels within the farm system - helping to ensure the welfare of the farmed population

• To date, Grieg Seafood BC has seen a dramatic reduction in the frequency or need to treat farmed populations within the system for sea lice

• The system is unique in that it can be adapted to fit existing Grieg Seafood farm sites

• The system is sourced and built locally, contributing to the local economy and supporting the development of innovation and technology on North Vancouver Island

• Moving forward, Grieg Seafood will continue to look for ways to collect solid waste for value added products such as fertilizer or enriched soils

Kris McNichol, President, CPI Equipment Inc., says, “CPI Equipment Inc. is proud to partner with Grieg Seafood BC on their full-scale CO2L Flow semi-closed system in 2022. Over the past two years, CPI has worked diligently with Grieg Seafood on trials to improve the efficiency of oxygen transfer to seawater in their sea pens by using CPI’s ODiN Aerations system in conjunction with Moleaer’s nanotechnology. By achieving a greater supply of water quality within the semi-closed environment, we have been able to support the creation of a new ocean-based system. Working with our customers for over 20 years and striving to develop better technology within the aquaculture market both locally and internationally is an important part of our company's success. The knowledge-sharing and teamwork between Grieg Seafood and CPI Equipment shows how people, ideas, and new technology can collaborate to meet the needs of aquaculture for the future.

Heather Clarke, Co-Founder, Poseidon Ocean Systems, says, “When we were first approached by Grieg Seafood to collaborate on the new semi-closed technology they were developing, we jumped at the opportunity as this project will not only provide solutions to global problems, but also addresses some of the biggest challenges faced by the industry in terms of sea lice, algae, and improved conditions within the farm system. Poseidon is a Campbell River based company, which was founded only six years ago. Because of the vision of industry leaders like Grieg Seafood who are committed to constant improvement, evolution and working head-on to address the concerns raised regarding salmon farming, we have been able to expand our business internationally to assist producers like Grieg Seafood and others meet their biggest challenges.”

Gonzalo Boehmwald, Commercial Assistant Manager Oxzo Technologies Canada, says, “This project – the CO2L Flow system - is demonstrating what is possible in salmon farming in terms of using innovation and new technology to improve operations, and Oxzo Technologies Canada is proud to be part of the team working on delivering these new systems for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. Oxzo has been helping farmers find unique solutions for more than a decade using innovative and cost-effective solutions of supplemental aeration and oxygenation. Our proven, patented technologies and Grieg Seafood’s drive for innovation and overall operational improvements are a perfect fit."

Seafood Section of McColl Magazine

B.C.’s Salmon Farmers Call for Reconsideration of Discovery Islands Decision: Feb. 23, 2021 - Based on the findings of an independent economic analysis released today, B.C.’s salmon farming community is calling on the federal government to set aside its decision to force the closure of farms in the Discovery Islands area and engage a new process.

What workers have to say about Community Benefits Agreements

Beard House Seafood Collaboration Dinner included Creative Organic Salmon

NEW YORK, NY - Chef Ned Bell celebrates sustainable seafood in all its forms. The Three Cheers for Seafood! dinner October 16 at The Beard House in New York, NY, was another fine example and for this meal, Creative Salmon Organic was on the menu.

Creative Salmon Organic is the first certified organic farm salmon producer in Canada and the only major farmer of Chinook – King – salmon in North America.

“This event was a celebration of National Seafood Month in the United States,” says British Columbia-based Chef Bell. “It was an opportunity to engage people in talking about and appreciating sustainable seafood.”

Chef Bell visited Creative Salmon Organic’s operation in Tofino, British Columbia, in 2017.

“Creative is organic. Creative is small scale. The focus is quality and it shows. Creative is a showcase for responsible salmon farming and it’s a pleasure to work with this product.”

Among the many spectacular menu items, the chefs prepared Slow-Roasted-and-Smoked Creative Salmon with Roasted Apples and Watercress, Black Pepper, and Brioche.

“It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with Chef Bell these past couple years. His passion for sustainability and environmental responsibility fits our company’s philosophy perfectly,” says Creative Salmon Organic General Manager, Tim Rundle.

B.C.’s Major Forestry and Harvesting Contractor Associations Request WorkSafeBC Pilot TEAAM

[Source: RoundUpDate, Volume 19, Issue 11 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION WFCA.CA]

British Columbia’s major harvesting and reforestation contractor associations have told B.C. Labour Minister Harry Bains that helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) like the Squamish-based Technical Emergency Advanced Aero Medical (TEAAM) should be the standard of emergency response care for forest and other resource sector workers on remote worksites across the province.

Stating their harvest and forestry members represent a sector comprising 25,000 employees the Truck Loggers Association, the Interior Logging Association and the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association have sent a joint letter asking that WorkSafeBC fully fund a TEAAM pilot and conduct a business case analysis of the costs and benefits of implementing a provincial HEMS program.

The associations said that the current emergency response model, which often involves long distances and delays in getting injured workers to medical care, is no longer acceptable.

They pointed out that the helicopter TEAAM model can deliver emergency medicine to stabilize injured workers on site, extract them from often difficult access locations, then fly them directly to hospital. That level of effectiveness can reduce workers’ suffering and prevent injury complications leading to disablement or worse.

As reported in the RoundUpDate TEAAM has now performed four missions involving logging and planting workers since they began operating in spring 2018.

They are currently just funded by a volunteer patronage program available to employers working on Vancouver Island and up to the mid-Coast including as well the South West Interior and Chilcotin. https://www.teaam.ca

Background

Technical Evacuation Advanced Aero Medical (TEAAM) reports their helicopter emergency medicine service has flown another workplace emergency mission involving a seriously injured tree planter. This recent incident occurred at a remote site in the Chilcotin in July.

It follows a few weeks after TEAAM air-lifted an injured planter from a difficult access location near Squamish in early June as reported previously in the RoundUpDate.

TEAAM estimates their part in flying to the Chilcotin and later to the appropriate hospital saved approximately four hours of patient travel time by land. It also reduced the chances of the incident leading to a disabling injury.

The WFCA is lobbying WorkSafeBC to support this advanced helicopter emergency medicine service for injured resource workers by funding TEAAM on a pilot basis.

The purpose would be to determine the effectiveness and benefits of the service for workers and employers, although the WFCA and others think that value is already evident.

One of the company owners involved in the Squamish rescue said that “Our investment in the TEAAM patron program was the best safety investment of our career.” It now remains to convince WorkSafeBC of the same.

B.C.’s major forestry and harvesting contractor associations request WorkSafeBC Pilot TEAAM

. . . and study of Provincial Helicopter Emergency Medical Service model for all Remote Resource Workers

British Columbia’s major harvesting and reforestation contractor associations have told B.C. Labour Minister Harry Bains that helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) like the Squamish-based Technical Emergency Advanced Aero Medical (TEAAM) should be the standard of emergency response care for forest and other resource sector workers on remote worksites across the province.

Stating their harvest and forestry members represent a sector comprising 25,000 employees the Truck Loggers Association, the Interior Logging Association and the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association have sent a joint letter asking that WorkSafeBC fully fund a TEAAM pilot and conduct a business case analysis of the costs and benefits of implementing a provincial HEMS program.

The associations said that the current emergency response model, which often involves long distances and delays in getting injured workers to medical care, is no longer acceptable.

They pointed out that the helicopter TEAAM model can deliver emergency medicine to stabilize injured workers on site, extract them from often difficult access locations, then fly them directly to hospital. That level of effectiveness can reduce workers’ suffering and prevent injury complications leading to disablement or worse.

As reported in the WFCA RoundUp Date TEAAM has now performed four missions involving logging and planting workers since they began operating in spring 2018.

They are currently just funded by a volunteer patronage program available to employers working on Vancouver Island and up to the mid-Coast including as well the South West Interior and Chilcotin. https://www.teaam.ca

Background

Technical Evacuation Advanced Aero Medical (TEAAM) reports their helicopter emergency medicine service has flown another workplace emergency mission involving a seriously injured tree planter. This recent incident occurred at a remote site in the Chilcotin in July.

It follows a few weeks after TEAAM air-lifted an injured planter from a difficult access location near Squamish in early June as reported previously in the RoundUpDate. TEAAM estimates their part in flying to the Chilcotin and later to the appropriate hospital saved approximately four hours of patient travel time by land. It also reduced the chances of the incident leading to a disabling injury.

The WFCA is lobbying WorkSafeBC to support this advanced helicopter emergency medicine service for injured resource workers by funding TEAAM on a pilot basis.

The purpose would be to determine the effectiveness and benefits of the service for workers and employers, although the WFCA and others think that value is already evident.

One of the company owners involved in the Squamish rescue said that “Our investment in the TEAAM patron program was the best safety investment of our career.” It now remains to convince WorkSafeBC of the same.

Premier Celebrates Wild Salmon Day by Supporting Conservation

VICTORIA, B.C. -  - As part of government’s work to protect salmon habitat and restore wild fish stocks in B.C., the Province is investing $5 million in the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) to continue its wild salmon conservation work.

“In B.C., wild salmon are part who we are. Coastal communities, First Nations, ecosystems and local economies depend on healthy wild salmon stocks,” said Premier John Horgan. “Together with organizations like the Pacific Salmon Foundation, we are working to restore habitats that support wild salmon stocks in our province.”

The announcement was made as part of the first B.C. Wild Salmon Day, a collaborative effort by PSF and the B.C. government to raise awareness of the need to conserve this important species for First Nations and all British Columbians.

“The important cultural and ecological role that wild salmon play in our province cannot be overstated,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture. “It’s critical that we do everything that we can to protect this species for generations to come.”

The investment will help PSF, a non-profit organization, restore wild salmon stocks through its conservation, science and habitat restoration projects, as well as connect the foundation with Indigenous communities and organizations to further reconciliation and conservation initiatives.

“The Pacific Salmon Foundation is grateful to the provincial government for this investment in our work and for making wild salmon restoration a provincial priority,” said Michael Meneer, PSF president and CEO. “PSF is a collaborative organization. We intend to strategically leverage these funds through proactive partnerships developed during the past 32 years.”

The funding aligns with key recommendations from the Wild Salmon Advisory Council’s report, released in March 2019, which called on government to focus on near-term actions that could address the immediate needs of wild salmon and their habitats. It also delivers on the Province’s commitment to revitalize and protect wild salmon, which will provide greater economic certainty for B.C.’s coastal communities.

The Wild Salmon Advisory Council consists of 14 British Columbians, including co-chairs Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, and Chief Marilyn Slett of the Heiltsuk First Nation. Restoration and protection of wild salmon is a shared priority with the BC Green Party caucus — Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, also participated on the Premier’s advisory council.

The event included students and teachers visiting the grounds of the Parliament Buildings and meeting with representatives of the PSF and community stream-keepers to learn about salmon conservation projects and how everyone can help protect B.C.’s vulnerable wild salmon populations in their communities.

Learning opportunities about salmon science, habitat conservation and restoration were paired with art activities such as the Stream of Dreams’ Fish on Fences project, where students were able to paint wooden salmon, personalizing their learning experience at the B.C. Parliament Buildings.

Quick Facts:

On March 15, 2019, the Province of British Columbia announced an investment of $42.9 million over five years to support the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund in partnership with the Government of Canada, for a total investment of $142.85 million over 5 years.

During the International Year of the Salmon, the B.C. government provided $75,000 to support a comprehensive study of the stock abundance, composition and condition of Pacific salmon in the Gulf of Alaska.

The B.C. government was part of a historic government-to-government process with First Nations to protect wild salmon in the Broughton Archipelago.

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is a not-for-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting, conserving and restoring wild Pacific salmon populations in B.C.

Learn More:

Pacific Salmon Foundation: https://www.psf.ca/
Stream of Dreams: https://www.streamofdreams.org/
Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/initiatives/fish-fund-bc-fonds-peche-cb/index-eng.html
For more information on the study in the Gulf of Alaska, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019AGRI0015-000243
For more information on the Broughton Archipelago agreement, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0151-002412
For more information on fisheries and aquaculture in the province, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/fisheries-and-aquaculture/minister-of-agriculture-s-advisory-council-on-finfish-aquaculture
For more information on the final recommendations made by the Wild Salmon Advisory Group, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/426/2019/03/Wild-Salmon-Advisory-Council-Report.pdf

A short sermon on the mechanics and benefits of better training

One unit of mechanical horsepower is equal to lifting 550 lbs (250 kg) one foot (30 cm) in one second. A horse is capable of around 15 horsepower at peak capacity. An average human might be capable of producing 1.2 horsepower as a peak: extraordinary humans—like some tree planting forestry workers—might be two to three times that, says WFCA

But the real consideration, when it comes to the work day, is sustainable horsepower. Most humans are capable .01 horsepower of sustained effort: athletes twice that. This would mean the whole available human horsepower for B.C.’s tree planting sector is around 300 to 400 horsepower.

By comparison, a dirt bike averages 30 horsepower (and we know how useful they are—picture ten of them doing donuts all day in a landing as equal to a day’s provincial planting effort.)

So, the question is how do we plant an average 250 million seedlings each year while seeming so under powered?

Part of the answer is our Cro-Magnon heritage which includes a primitive capacity for physical endurance. Another is our ability to fashion tools, like other clever primates, giving us some mechanical advantage. What a happy evolutionary coincidence then that humans are so well suited to planting trees.

Nevertheless, running the business end of a first-class lever (shovel) all day requires more than brute strength and instinct. And this is the point of this missive: skill requires experience and training. We may be capable of many things, but like all complicated species we do need to learn, mostly through example and instruction. As Jonathan “Scooter” Clark provided ample evidence at this year’s annual WFCA conference.

Tree planters, like other clever primates, do better when they are properly taught. In Scooter’s case his efforts to train rookies have shown workers lasting longer while doubling and tripling their seasonal productivity compared to days when less effort was invested in new recruits. (For the full story click here) [https://jonathan-scooter-clark.blogspot.com/2018/03/step-by-step.html]

The point then is, as the forestry sector finds itself competing for talent with the rest of the economy, making the best of our available candidates is critical. The old Darwinian days of letting recruits learn on their own, with the resulting thinning of the ranks, is a human resource profligacy we can no longer afford.

Carpenter Skills Ingrained from 30 Years Building Experience

BURWASH LANDING -- This part of the Yukon Territory is home to about 120 people, "Not large," says Chief Bob Dickson, "Our Kluane First Nation is about 250 members." Burwash Landing holds a good share of Kluane's people, "Burwash Landing is on land set aside for the Kluane First Nation as part of a Yukon First Nation Final Agreement," with Kluane's agreement established in 2003.

The community lies about 300 km west of the capital, Whitehorse, "We are busy in the summer. The Kluane First Nation is the big employer in Burwash Landing. We have a relationship with a mining company, Nickel Creek Platinum."

The mine is located 25 km from Burwash Landing within traditional territory in Kluane First Nation. "The Nickel Shäw project (named with the local Southern Tuchone word Shäw, meaning Big, by Kluane First Nation Elders) is host to over 2 billion pounds of nickel and other valuable minerals, and aspires towards becoming a world-class nickel sulphide mine." (Kluane Community Development Corporation LP http://kluanekcdc.ca/nickel-shaw/)

"At one point 40 of our people were working up there on the mining project, and we are hoping it comes back to that level of activity." Dickson says Kluane Community Development Corporation LP has agreements in place with Nickel Creek Platinum involving tasks like catering, maintenance, equipment leasing, and, of course, other jobs in mining.

"It's in the developmental stage and the project has not been determined as to which way they're going to go, open pit or underground, but they have been working for the past 10 years on a site which has been around since the 1950s. There was a mill operating in the 1970s and it went dormant, and was torn down."

Nickel Creek Platinum is working with Kluane First Nation, "in coming to some kind of comprehensive agreement before they go ahead." The Kluane are doing hands-on groundwork, "We want training for technical and management and executive positions," and Kluane wants business opportunities, "We are a small First Nation but we want to know what the impact is going to be on the land and we want to bring benefits to the community from the mine."

Kluane people are not going anywhere, "For us it's about building capacity." Which brings us to the matter of the capacity Chief Dickson has built for himself, for he is a Red Seal carpenter, "I started in construction back in the days when I got out of school, but first I went into heavy equipment operator training, then I saw a program called Skookum Jim R-2000 for First Nations to enter the trades."

Dickson says, "Skookum Jim R-2000 was designed for First Nations to participate in building and renovating at a time when funding came through for houses, renovations, and construction of a friendship centre in Whitehorse. There was other infrastructure being built around the Yukon, and we worked in many communities around the Territory. I ultimately zeroed in on carpentry."

Dickson worked with a lot of people he describes as well intentioned, but, "The problem with the apprenticeship of the building trades is that we had so many skilled people working on a crew and nobody getting credit for the hours. In a First Nation community without anybody with a Red Seal qualification, people are missing credit for knowing their trades, and they don't get valuable certification."

Dickson, now in his mid-50s, intended to follow through on Red Seal carpenter certification in the early 1990s. "I signed up to a 6-week course to challenge the Red Seal exam at Yukon Advanced Education in Whitehorse. But I got elected chief of Kluane First Nation in the 1990s and I was occupied with the business of politics."

A few years later, "I saw an ad in the paper called a Red Seal Challenge (provided by Richard Dickenson's Integrated Carpentry Tutorials), so I called Jeff Sloychuk representing the BC Regional Council of Carpenters/United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Yukon, Local 2499, Whitehorse. They were sponsoring the course in Whitehorse. I wanted to sign up, and I was told, 'Whoever comes in with money gets signed up,' and Sloychuk at the carpenters union assured me there would be space."

After driving three hours from Burwash Landing to Whitehorse, he arrived to find there wasn't space in the course. Dickson perservered, "I persisted with Jeff Sloychuk with daily phone calls and finally I got my chance because Jeff made room and I paid for the course, but because of the distance and other challenges, I missed the first couple of classes, still, I went to Whitehorse every weekend and played catch-up with tutorials from Richard Dickenson." Dickson is grateful to the union for making the effort to get him there and for hosting Dickenson's ICT Red Seal Course.

He says, "Dickenson knew that a lot of carpentry skill was ingrained from 30 years of building experience, plus I was always reading and playing on my strengths." Dickson having been in construction as a builder and contractor over the years had taken various courses in plumbing, heating, electrical, courses related to building trades.

It has been a long road of experience. "The main thing in the Yukon is we don't build skyscrapers, we build houses, we work with permafrost, and we use materials like Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) pads, a lot of cribbing and blocking. The construction is practically all carpentry, and here in the Yukon it's expensive to build, more than $220 per sq. ft.."

Having had kept his eye on the ball all those years and put Dickenson's training to practical use, "I think the Red Seal is high value. I was always reading a lot, always trying to find the mechanism to get the Red Seal certification done, but I wasn't ready to go to Yukon College where they want you to start from square one.

"When it first appeared to me in the 90s I missed the opportunity, but I finally got connected and dropped everything and went straight to Whitehorse. Dickenson prepares you for the challenge, which is an exam lasting 4 hours to answer 100 questions. It's about two minutes per question, you have to deal with math questions and not defeat yourself. I was good at math, but you must be prepared. If you're prepared, put it this way, I wrote the test once."

Dickenson, the teacher, notes that Bob Dickson is in the top rung of scorers on the Red Seal exam (and Dickenson has taught the course right across the country).

Dickson says, "In the building trades I worked with a lot of good people." He has had two stints as Chief of Kluane First Nation. The first was a long 14 year stretch, then he was out of politics for a while and recently he re-entered politics. "I am not currently apprenticing anyone since I went back to the chief's office, but I got my daughter started in the carpentry trade." Alanna Dickson is a registered carpenter's apprentice. "In fact she worked for me for a number of years doing jobs in siding, house building, and renovations."

A lot of work in housing in the Yukon is maintenance and renovation. "Alanna is also an Emergency Medical Technician and currently she is working as an EMT for an organization on road projects." There are, however, building opportunities on the horizon because Burwash Landing has obtained badly needed funding for housing. Dickson's goal in apprenticing carpenters is straight forward, "Part of what I do is teach people to do things the right way from the start."

Dickson says, "I spent a lot years working with people who really took the time to do it right. I am passing this on to the next generation. We've had meetings with Yukon College to get skilled people recognized, and get them into apprenticeship with the goal of Red Seal certification. Outside contractors come in and we will have people working, training and having hours recognized and recorded. There are fewer toss aways." A lot of good people work hard and deserve the recognition.

Burwash Landing is a community that stays busy on a year-round basis, but is remote, "We have Kluane National Park next door, there are fishing, guiding, and outfitting companies, we have big game hunting. We sell a hunting permit on a Dall sheep. The proceeds go toward conservation. We plan the hunt, scout it, my cousin guides on it, and we do it in July before the rest of the Territory's hunting season begins in August."

Most of the hunting in the area is for moose and cariboo, "Mostly it's subsistance, and we have a bison and elk specialty draw. We get a bison permit every year for Woodland Buffalo, which is a bigger bison than those of the prairies, 2000 lbs."

The community gets a lot of hunted carcasses donated, "Usually the outfitters bring them to the community and we prepare the meat for lunches and distribution to Elders and others who are non-hunters. Outfitters in the territory bring meat because usually hunters are here for the horns."

The northern winter is dark for long hours, "We have tough winters but a lot can happen in the winter with renovation. It always depends on funding and the funding comes late in the fall. When we get our funding, we start, and we always have houses that need the work done."

Freelance Writing by Mack McColl

A Landscape Ecologist, a Mayor and a Sociologist Walk Into a Forestry Conference

WFCA Conference panelists, Landscape Ecologist Dr. Paul Hessburg, Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson and Psychologist Dr. Robin Cox characterized the kinds of dimensions and scales of collaboration we will need to enlist to adapt to climate change as citizens and forestry practitioners.

It’s been an animated year so far for B.C. forestry conferences. The TLA annual convention was well attended again. The 2019 ABCFP conference was sold out weeks in advance. And the WFCA event at the end of January had our largest attendance ever. For those of us who organize these things we like to think it’s our programs that are so attractive. But there’s likely something else drawing people together lately in such strength.

It might be in part the shared feeling of pending change—a collective, Are you seeing this too? The sense of being on the cusp of something significant seems shared across a range of dimensions and scales from business relationships to the policy around climate change and its consequences.

Our WFCA conference panel that put an ecologist, a mayor and a sociologist on the stage to discuss forestry and its role in our adaption to climate change may well have caught that zeitgeist.

We need to plan and act at a landscape level. We need to understand the dynamics gaining momentum across forest ecosystems and work with them.

And we need to give our communities and citizens a sense of agency lest they become demoralized in the face of coming events. Given what history is just beginning to ask of forestry in aiding society to live with wildfire and other natural disasters it may be something for which only a collective response can answer.

It’s right and timely then that these conferences are attracting good crowds and the thinking and sharing that goes with them. We will need more of this kind of collaboration heading into the future by the looks of it.

Working with First Nations to increase worker safety

Lisa Houle gave a presentation on behalf of WorksafeBC at the First Nations Safety Conference Oct, 22, 2018, at the Nanaimo Convention Centre. WorksafeBC is the injury insurance program for employers and employees on worksites in all industries across the province. "We work at the industry-level with partnerships in collaboration with the employers and the workforce," says Houle.

In the past few years, "We have developed a history of visiting First Nations schools to provide education resources to non-graduated students. We've been working together with First Nations to create greater awareness of safety on the job," no matter where the work is found, in the commercial fisheries, Indigenous agriculture, First Nations forestry, these are a few examples.

Houle describes a few of the many WorksafeBC initiatives and provides links to the WorksafeBC website for further information: "We have a Young Worker Campaign because work can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to the job or don’t have a lot of experience in the industry. You want to make a good first impression by showing your co-workers and your boss that you know what you’re doing.

"That’s why, while talking about safety at work, asking for training, or bringing up concerns can be hard, it’s important. Employers are responsible for providing adequate training before you start work. Proper training and orientation helps to ensure that everyone stays safe on the job.

"If you get a gut feeling that something isn’t safe, or you don’t know how to do your job safely, listen to your instincts and talk to your manager about it. It could save your life or the life of your co-worker." https://worksafebclistentoyourgut.com/

Houle says WorksafeBC runs a First Responders Mental Health Committee that provides an effective website interface for initiating contact and services like Self-Assessment "Sometimes it’s helpful to take a personal mental health check, to see how you’re managing with the stress and pressure of work (and life!)."

The website supplies a contact reference on "Ways To Help": "Is someone you work with struggling with their mental health? Do they seem stressed? Are they acting differently—or is there something a little “off” in the way they’re behaving? Here are things you can do to offer support." Learn more about valuable mental health resources http://BCFirstrespondersmentalhealth.com

Houle explains, "At WorksafeBC we have 3000-plus resources with an industry-related focus covering the entire spectrum of job-related safety." She rolled a film about one of the higher-risk careers in B.C., the commercial fishery, "There have been 26 work-related deaths from 2007 to 2017 in the commercial fishery." The injuries come every year and FishSafeBC was an organization launched in order to reduce the risk associated with employment in this valuable workplace sector.

lisa.houle@worksafebc.com