Ron Paull has spent decades around Quesnel’s civic life. He brings that long view to forestry, often blending institutional memory with practical concerns.
A brief background helps frame that perspective. Paull was elected mayor in 2022, leading a council in a city long tied to forestry. Quesnel remains home to major West Fraser operations, including sawmills, a pulp mill, a plywood mill and an MDF plant. That industrial base informs much of Paull’s outlook.
A forestry town that still believes
“I started working at town hall in 1972 and I’m still there.”
Despite his long history with the forest sector, Paull doesn’t speak about forestry with nostalgia. He’s very aware it’s a present-tense industry, with present-tense issues. His longevity shapes his claim that Quesnel still carries unusual industrial depth for a small city and that Forestry remains foundational.
“We still have two pulp mills, and we have a plywood plant … and we have sawmills. So we’re still very much alive on the forestry front.”
And that forestry life is linked directly to community stability, municipal resilience and economic health for the entire region.
“Our tax base is paid for primarily by industry, and so that is critically important to us.”
The land base needs attention
Paull is also very aware that the forest itself urgently needs our focus and thoughtful consideration. From mills to silviculture, regeneration and fibre use, he is adamant that “our most valuable asset is our forestry land base.”
He’s seen how public debate often overlooks what happens after harvest, fire or beetle damage and has concerns about underinvestment in renewal.
“We should be spending more on silviculture and tree planting and getting that land base regenerating for future generations.”
That moves the discussion beyond jobs, placing stewardship inside the economic argument.
Beyond logs and lumber
Paull also looks past conventional forestry, pointing to potential in mass timber, modular housing and advanced manufacturing. He ties that to surplus industrial land, skilled workers and local training through College of New Caledonia and University of Northern British Columbia.
“I think that is the way of the future.”
He also links forestry’s future to transportation. Rail service, tourism and the long-sought Quesnel bypass all fit that wider economic picture.
There is a broader theme here about the evolution of the industry and within communities.
“I don’t think that Quesnel … can do this on their own.”
For Paull, forestry is still the foundation. But the next chapter may be built through innovation, infrastructure and collaboration.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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