Sean Bujtas does not romanticize Terrace. He speaks plainly about what built it and what has been lost.
Born and raised in Terrace, Bujtas has managed Chances Terrace since 1997 and served two terms on council after his 2014 election before being acclaimed mayor in 2022. A persistent advocate for the region, he regularly presses decision-makers in Victoria and Ottawa on housing, mental health, addictions and resource revenue sharing, and co-chairs the Northwest BC Resource Benefits Alliance.
“Terrace exists because of forestry.”
That foundation still shapes the city today. Terrace remains a central hub in northwest British Columbia. It supports nearby communities such as Kitimat, Prince Rupert and Smithers. The region serves mining, ports, LNG and forestry.
But the forestry story has shifted. Mills that once anchored the local economy are gone. The impact still lingers.
“Unfortunately, the forestry in Terrace has changed a lot over the decades,” Bujtas says. “We had two big mills running in Terrace, and neither one of those mills are running anymore.”
He calls the loss demoralizing. The community had long carried its share of the provincial economy. When industry disappears, the consequences reach beyond jobs.
A personal connection to resource work
Bujtas speaks about industry with a sense of familiarity. His perspective comes from lived experience.
“My father worked in a pulp mill his entire career,” he says. “I smell that smell of pulp, and it’s nostalgic to me now.”
For him, resource work is about identity, more than policy. It is how communities like Terrace sustain themselves.
“We’ve revolved around industry communities,” he says. “We’re there to make revenue for the province and the country.”
That framing matters. Thatresource townsare central to how British Columbia functions.
A disconnect with urban perspectives
Bujtas believes many outside resource regions misunderstand forestry. He points to a growing divide between urban and rural perspectives.
“There’s a lot of confusion and understanding,” he says. “Everybody thinks every tree out there is this big, giant Douglas fir, and you can’t cut it down.”
He argues that this perception has harmed the sector. That forestry has been “beat up so much and unjustly.”
The consequences are not limited to one industry. They affect the broader economy.
“If you live in the Lower Mainland and you want SkyTrain, hospitals and bridges built, industry is what’s going to pay for that,” he says.
Resource development funds public infrastructure. Limiting one limits the other. It’s a direct link.
A call for policy change
Looking ahead, Bujtas focuses on competitiveness. He says British Columbia must become more attractive for investment.
“Consistency,” he says, when asked what a strong forestry future looks like. “Making sure that the market is attractive for people.”
He points to permitting as a major barrier. Delays and uncertainty discourage investment and slow projects.
“We have to make sure that it’s not just there,” he says of permitting. “People can harvest the product, get it to market and sell it for fair value.”
His message to policymakers is blunt.
“You want your bridges, your hospitals, your schools,” he says. “We’ll generate the revenue, but you need to let us generate the revenue.” Resource communities are ready to contribute but need the space to do so.
For Bujtas, the path forward is about restoring balance, rebuilding confidence and allowing communities like Terrace to do what they have always done—help build British Columbia.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected].
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