Lorne Doerkson serves as the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, a vast and resource-driven region in British Columbia.
A riding built on resources
A former small business owner with two decades in the newspaper industry, Doerkson now represents one of the province’s most resource-dependent areas. His riding spans forestry towns, mining operations, and ranching communities.
He describes it with pride and urgency. The region includes Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, and smaller centres like Savona. Forestry anchors much of the local economy, supported by mining and cattle production.
It is, as he puts it, “a real mix in Cariboo-Chilcotin.”
But that mix is under pressure.
When one mill closes, the whole town feels it
The closure of the West Fraser mill in 100 Mile House has become a defining moment.
For a town of about 1,900 people, the loss of 160 jobs ripples through every part of the community.
“You really get hit twice,” Doerkson says.
“It’s the loss of that job, the loss of that family… and then the loss of another resource that you really hadn’t even anticipated.”
Those are the hidden impacts he sees. A laid-off worker might leave town. Their partner, perhaps a nurse, leaves too. The result is both economic and social strain.
Food banks see immediate demand. Small businesses lose customers. Municipal revenues shrink.
“It’s affecting everything in 100 Mile House,” he says.
In small communities, industry is the foundation of daily life.
A permitting system under strain
For Doerkson, there is a deeper issue that lies beyond any single closure.
“My frustration is around permits,”
Delays in approvals have persisted for years. Projects that could create jobs and investment often stall in the system.
He points to a constituent who waited more than two years for a small mining permit. Once approved, activity surged immediately. Equipment was purchased. Workers were hired. Money began flowing.
“That has to get solved,” Doerkson says. “It has to get solved.”
The concern is not limited to large companies, either. Smaller operators face the same barriers, in communities where even a handful of jobs matters, delays carry real consequences.
Across his riding, uncertainty is growing.
“There’s nobody in Williams Lake right now that isn’t afraid.”
A provincial challenge, not a rural one
External pressures are also mounting as U.S. tariffs continue to affect the lumber sector.
Doerkson acknowledges their impact but insists they are only part of the story.
“There are things that we should be doing in our province that we’re not.”
He rejects the idea that these challenges are confined to rural British Columbia. The benefits of resource industries flow far beyond the communities where extraction happens.
From the Fraser River corridor to the Lower Mainland, he sees a direct connection. Materials produced in rural regions support construction, jobs, and public services across the province.
“This is a problem that is affecting all of us.”
He also points to a striking gap. The province harvests only about half of its allowable annual cut, despite it being deemed sustainable.
That shortfall raises a basic question. Why is capacity going unused while communities struggle?
A call for action and unity
Looking ahead, Doerkson’s priority is clear.
He wants the province to cut its backlog of permits in half.
“I think that the government needs to commit to doing that,” he says.
Faster approvals would unlock investment, increase employment, and strengthen public finances. It could also help stabilize communities facing ongoing uncertainty.
For local leaders, his advice is more immediate. Stay united and make the case clearly.
“I say stick together.” That’s the overall message he carries from Cariboo-Chilcotin. Resource industries remain central to British Columbia’s prosperity. When they falter, the effects are felt everywhere.
And when they work, they build more than economies. They build communities.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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