During a brief annual general meeting of Comfor Management Services Ltd. (CMSL) on April 9, 2013 the 2011-2012 annual report was submitted, and the 2013 board of directors named.
The board of directors for CMSL will see the return of previous directors Susan Schienbein and Roseanne Murray. Jeff Brown will also return as Office of the Wet’suwet’en representative, as will Wesley Sam of the Burns Lake Band. Robert Dennis is a new appointee representing the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. He will join Francois Lake resident, Jim McCormack as first-time appointees to the CMSL board of directors.
Burns Lake Band Chief Albert Gerow, Frank Varga, David DeWitt, and Wet’suwet’en Chief Karen Ogen were named as alternate directors.
It was a busy year for CMSL. The management company, established to provide management of the Burns Lake Community Forest (BLCF), not only had to deal with the loss of its main log buyer when the Babine Forest Products sawmill was destroyed in an explosion on Jan. 21, 2012, but CMSL also found itself in the midst of a major restructuring effort which still continues.
A major part of the restructuring was the sale of the Sheraton mill - a money loser for BLCF - and all of its assets, to Tahtsa Timber in September. The sale of the mill to Tahtsa Timber meant that a long-established and successful local logging company was able to make capital investments to bring the mill up to new WorkSafe BC mill safety standards.
Considerable turmoil surrounded unanticipated dismissals of long-time CMSL staff, Michael Ris-Christianson and Dawn Stronstad, in June, 2012. An interim management board continues to manage the day-to-day activities of CMSL.
“It has been a tumultuous year full of change at the Comfor group,” said CMSL vice president Wesley Sam. “We strongly believe we have turned a corner financially and have restructured the organization so that it will remain healthy in good and in lean years.”