The BC Liberals proudly talk about shipping more raw BC logs overseas. But what they don’t like to talk about is the jobs that cost BC workers.

Lawrence Watson knows that all too well.

A member of the Gitxsan Nation living in Terrace, Lawrence has spent more than 10 years working in the forestry industry.

“My father used to work at sawmills, his father used to work at sawmills, it’s been in my background forever,” he says. “It’s more or less in my blood.”

But those mills – and the workers that powered them – don’t exist anymore. According to Lawrence, one of Terrace’s two major mills has closed completely, its machinery dismantled and sold at auction to overseas companies. “Maybe six or eight people benefit from that,” says Lawrence. “And the government.”

Now, instead of working in the forestry industry at home, Lawrence has to travel long distances to find employment. It can take him away from his family for months at a time.

“I missed my son’s birthday for six years in a row,” says Lawrence.

Lawrence’s story is powerful. But it isn’t uncommon.

Thousands of workers are in similar situations. 30,000 direct jobs and countless indirect jobs have been lost in our forestry industry as a result of choices made by the BC Liberals and Christy Clark.

John Horgan’s BC NDP knows those workers deserve better. He’ll work hard to bring back sustainable jobs and fight for fair trade deals for our softwood lumber.

In our platform, released today, John Horgan makes it clear. He’ll expand markets for BC wood products by ensuring they’re used in infrastructure projects, and offer incentives to BC builders that start operations to do just that. He’ll partner with colleges and universities on training, and work with industry, local governments and First Nations to create new manufacturing jobs. To ensure we don’t exhaust this wonderful, versatile renewable resource, he’ll also expand investment in reforestation all across BC.

Lawrence is hopeful about what’s possible with a government led by John Horgan and the BC NDP.

“I like John Horgan. He’ll bring back the sawmills so people like myself don’t have to travel for work,” he says.

“The wood’s there. The labour is there. Right here in BC. We just have to bring the two together.”