It seems there is local support for an interactive website to link buyers and sellers of forest products throughout the province.
A community meeting about the proposed website (titled Bridges) was held last Sunday and a small group came out to learn more.
Those in attendance included Sunshine Coast Regional District board chair Garry Nohr, Sechelt Mayor Darren Inkster, Independent Wood Products Association president Russ Cameron and Len Pakulak of the Sunshine Coast Community Forest.
"There is good support for this project here," said Community Forest operations manager and Bridges project management team member Kevin Davie. "The mayor supports it and Garry Nohr supports it, which is good because we want to have support from local government. Everybody can see there's a need for this type of a website."
The Bridges team is holding similar community meetings throughout B.C. during the next three weeks to gauge the response to the proposed website. The meetings are also meant to gather information about what the various communities would like to see included in the website. Once the community consultation is complete the Bridges project management team will get to work creating the interactive website that is hoped to be launched this September at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting.
The website will provide quick and easy access to market information, linking buyers and sellers of wood products throughout B.C.
"As B.C.'s forest sector emerges from the economic doldrums, there will be new and expanded business opportunities," said Brian McNaughton, general manager of the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations in a press release about the new website. "It will be extremely useful to have a website where log and wood sellers such as woodlot licensees, can make contact with log and wood buyers. We hope to see many mutually beneficial, long-term business relationships as a result."
Davie expects the website to boost wood sales in the province and he notes it will also provide information on value-added operations and non-timber forest products that are available.
