Leonard Krog has seen forestry from nearly every angle. He knows it as a worker, as a family story and as a policymaker.
A lawyer and politician, Krog served 18 years as an NDP MLA before becoming Mayor of Nanaimo in 2018. Born in Nanaimo and raised in Coombs, he has long been a prominent voice in B.C. public life. That background shaped the force of his argument: forestry remains central to the province’s future.
Krog’s perspective is rooted in history, but his focus is firmly on what comes next.
A foundation that still holds
Krog places forestry at the heart of Nanaimo’s economic identity, even as the city has diversified.
“Historically, Nanaimo was founded as a coal town, and forestry came second and replaced coal without question in terms of its natural industry.”
He points to legacy employers and modern wood products and manufacturers alike. His perspective is grounded in economics, not nostalgia. Forestry still supports ports, supply chains and family incomes.
“Forestry is incredibly important in Nanaimo still… they are good family supporting jobs.”
He also roots that view in personal experience.
“I myself worked at the Somass sawmill and at the pulp mill in Port Alberni. So let’s just say I’m familiar with forestry.”
That familiarity gives weight to a broader point. Forestry is not a relic. It’s a thread that continues to weave through the modern local economy, connecting industries that often escape the notice of urban residents.
The case against myth
Krog’s sharpest comments target public misunderstanding.
“I really wish people who live outside of forest communities… understood not just the economic importance, but that the reality is not what is portrayed often in the internet and in the ether.”
His critique is aimed less at disagreement than at what he sees as misinformation. He argues debate has been distorted by caricature.
“There is just far too much myth and mythology and misinformation out there.”
He quickly shifts his focus to the long-term viability of the land. From there, he makes a wider sustainability argument.
“Forestry decade after decade after decade can continue to employ people.”
That view rests on replanting, long-term management and regulatory consistency. In Krog’s telling, sustainability is not the opposite of forestry. It is part of what makes forestry viable.
Policy, prosperity and the long view
Krog’s strongest warning concerns policy instability.
“A successful future includes a recognition that government policy has to be consistent.”
He ties that to a broader argument about prosperity. Resource sectors, he says, help pay for the social programs British Columbians value.
He also sees forestry as part of a larger resource strategy, alongside mining, fisheries and emerging opportunities tied to electrification.
His closing appeal is political, but also civic. Debate, he argues, needs less rhetoric and more evidence.
“Be swayed by the voices of reason, and listen to the facts.”
It is a familiar message in resource debates. Yet Krog delivers it with unusual bluntness.
Ultimately, Krog believes the future of B.C. forestry is secure—provided that policy-makers have the confidence to back it.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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