In 1955 three Quesnel brothers put together their resources to start what would become the highest producer of timber in North America. West Fraser grew from just a 12-person team working on Two Mile Flat to the massive company spanning two continents that it is today.
West Fraser employs around 1,000 people at its locations in Quesnel and it indirectly stimulates another 2,300 jobs for people in the region.
Jeff Mycock is West Fraser's chief forester for Canadian operations. He said the company is focused on sustainability.
"Our whole business depends on a biological resource and if that resource isn't managed sustainably, then we don't have a business. It's as simple as that," Mycock told The Observer. "If we're going to harvest trees from the forest, we need to do it in a way that maintains balance with other values such as wildlife habitats, water, recreation, aesthetics."
He explained that a large part of his role is meeting with different groups including governments and First Nations to ensure the company is reflecting their views, values and perspectives in the way it operates.
"In western Canada alone we have engagement with over 100 different Indigenous communities that have territory and rights that overlap our areas of operation," he said.
"This week is an opportunity to celebrate forestry in Canada and we embrace that," he said, adding that the company is working with school programs to educate people about the importance of sustainability in forestry. "We give back as much, or more, than we take so that it is there tomorrow."
The company's sustainability report says it replants more than 60 million seedlings annually in Canada. The report also states that over 2 billion trees have been planted by the company since it started operations in 1955. The seedlings planted are chosen from strong parent trees and re-planters work from mid-May to July each year planting those seedlings in spaces where they can thrive.
West Fraser is also funding research into seedlings to find ways to make trees it replants more resilient and able to withstand the impacts of what has become an annual forest-fire season in B.C. They also work to reduce dead-wood and dense undergrowth in forests which can prevent wildland fires from becoming more intense and causing more damage.
They have also scrapped their use of herbicides in B.C. since 2019, instead using non-chemical management in reforested areas.
Janelle Hale is the B.C. forest stewardship and policy superintendent at West Fraser. She works to support the company's B.C. operations in whatever is needed.
"Sustainable forestry is something that can look different in different regions, just due to the diversity of our forests in British Columbia. It's about managing our land base for the future," Hale said. She said to see what sustainability looks like the company assesses how logging can affect watershed values, animal habitats and future timber. "That's important to ensure that we're maintaining (West Fraser's) values in perpetuity."
Hale said as B.C. is a resource-based province, shining a light on on how forestry and natural-resource work is important to communities across the province.
"At West Fraser we work continually to improve our practices to support sustainable forest management and to support our local communities," she said. Hale added that one of the reasons West Fraser values sustainability in the industry and working closely with communities is because West Fraser workers are directly impacted by the way the company interacts with communities.
