Maureen Pinkney has spent a lifetime in 100 Mile House, and forestry has always been part of that story.
Born and raised in the community, she comes from a family tied to the industry. Her grandfathers built mills across British Columbia. Her father worked on electrical systems still used today.
“100 Mile House is a forest-dependent community. We were built on forestry,” Pinkney said.
Pinkney has long been active in the community, earning South Cariboo Citizen of the Year in 2000. She served in regional and municipal roles before being elected mayor by acclamation in 2022. Her focus remains on forestry, health care and housing, especially after the loss of two mills in recent years.
That history shapes how she sees the present. Forestry is the foundation of the town’s identity.
When mills close, everything changes
The closure of local mills has hit the community hard.
“Between the two mills, that was over 600 jobs, but that correlates to more like 3,000 jobs in the community,” Pinkney said.
The impact reaches far beyond workers. Truckers, retailers and service providers all feel the loss. Families leave. Schools shrink.
“There is really no one that isn’t affected from a mill closure,”
For a small community, the effects are immediate and visible. Pinkney points to declining graduation classes as one measure. Fewer jobs mean fewer young families staying.
The loss also strains local services. 100 Mile House has fewer than 2,000 residents, but supports a much larger surrounding population. Without industrial tax revenue, that balance becomes harder to maintain.
Forestry as a renewable future
Pinkney believes forestry still offers a path forward, if managed well.
“Forestry just keeps on growing… it will carry on for generations,”
She argues the sector once balanced harvesting and renewal more effectively. Companies managed forests from cutting to replanting.
Today, she sees a system slowed by regulation and missed opportunities, especially in value-added uses like oriented strand board and pellets.
The result is a disconnect. Communities lose mills, while usable wood is left behind. Logs are hauled elsewhere, instead of supporting local jobs.
For Pinkney, the solution is not less forestry, but better forestry. That means predictable access, streamlined approvals and a stronger role for local input.
A call for practical change
Pinkney’s message to decision-makers is direct.
“You need to have a far more streamlined process… without all the roadblocks,”
She wants policies that reflect on-the-ground realities. Communities, she argues, need stability to rebuild their economies.
That includes recognizing forestry’s wider role. It supports not just jobs, but public services and economic resilience across the province.
Pinkney also links forestry capacity to wildfire response. Fewer workers and less equipment mean reduced ability to manage risk.
For her, the stakes are clear: a stronger forestry sector means stronger communities. Without it, places like 100 Mile House face an uncertain future.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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