It’s National Forest Week. Some communities are holding events. If we aren’t, I hope it isn’t because we’ve decided forestry is a sunset industry.

Forest and Range Minister Pat Bell hasn’t. He says the week’s theme “Strong Roots, Green Shoots: Innovation in Forestry” fits what B.C. is doing. He says innovation is the key to generating more wealth from our forests.

He cites four priorities: improving utilization of waste and debris through manufacturing and bioenergy, becoming a world leader in growing trees, increasing exports to China, and implementing B.C.’s Wood First policy

Oddly enough the press release didn’t mention any other forest values (i.e. ecosystem, carbon sequestration). Maybe Mr. Bell just sees himself as the tree minister.

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I can’t remember a male politician ever using the word “excited.” Mayor Cook is frequently excited over programs and projects and I see MLA Barnett is too.

What’s the matter, guys? Don’t you find politics exciting?

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I’d believe the recession was over if the people saying it weren’t the same ones who didn’t see it coming.

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U.S. President Barack Obama is getting an alarming number of death threats every day in what is being called an “environment of hate.” There are frightening similarities to the early 1960s when the John Birch Society, the Minutemen and similar groups carried out hate campaigns against President John Kennedy. It ended in Mr. Kennedy’s assassination.

Canadian political parties don’t like each other much either but we don’t threaten to kill our leaders. Instead we have right-wing Bill Vander Zalm and leftie Carole James cozying up to fight the HST and the Conservatives in Ottawa accepting support from the socialist NDP.

I prefer our way.