Sawmill rallies persist in Merritt with timber permits yet to be approved

MERRITT, B.C. — Three months have passed by and Aspen Planers has yet to receive an approved cutting permit from the B.C. government. Numerous employees have been thrown out of work as a result. The employees, along with community members stood together at a rally Friday morning (Mar. 17) in Merritt to voice their concerns.

“We just wanna go to work,” Mill Manager of Aspen Planers Surinder Momrath told CFJC Today. “Government should do what they need to do. Figure it out and issue the permits so we can go to work.”

Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz was also in attendance. Reminding everyone how the potential closure of the mill can impact the entire community.

“It affects certain things such as fuel, tires and groceries because people are looking after their families,” Goetz said. “When this kind of thing starts to happen, everybody pulls back and holds on.”

Aspen Planers has 150 employees working on a normal day. However within the last three months, that number has trickled down to half, leaving the other half laid off as a result.

“They have bills to pay just like I do,” Momrath said. “It’s not fair for them to be sitting at home when they could be working if the permits were issued.”

B.C. Liberal Forestry Critic Mike Bernier says there’s a number of things he would change if he was in charge of the ministry.

““One of the things I’d be doing first, of all, is answering the phone,” said Bernier. “These companies have been trying to get the attention of the government for quite a few years now. And what they’re telling me is that the government is not answering and that this could’ve been avoided.”

CFJC News reached out to Forest Minister Bruce Ralston and responded via email with a statement of the following:

“Government is actively working with local First Nations and Aspen Planers on the issuing of permits. We’re determined to address community concerns and find the best way forward with these cutting permits. As that work happens, Aspen Planers continues to receive logs from local sources and is initiating harvesting on a Timber Sale License. Other permits in the region have been issued through the partnership processes between government and the First Nations, and we’re hopeful that we will see issuance of permits in this case soon as well.”