We are proud of our history
In 1967, concerned about the perceptions of the public, and teachers in particular, a logger named Bill Moore took action and formed an organization dedicated to telling the truth about forestry in British Columbia.
Moore, a young logger from Winter Harbour on northern Vancouver Island recognized the critical need for urban teachers to understand B.C.'s forest management practices. In 1967, he pulled together a group of dedicated individuals from industry, unions, education and governments to create the Festival of Forestry – a non-profit educational society. Today the B.C. Festival of Forestry continues to thrive, providing quality educational experiences for teachers. By 2015 they had hosted over 2,000 teachers on their forest tours.
I had the pleasure recently of gathering together with about a hundred friends to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Festival of Forestry program. Time goes by so quickly in this jet age and it was fun and a certain amount of satisfaction for all of us, gathered together, to recall some of the events in that 10 year history.
Festival of Forestry was born with one purpose in mind. It still retains that purpose. Simply put, it was meant to inform people of an industry that too often in the past had an ostrich style of living. What is a logger – and what exactly does he do? What does one look like? Is it true that they go around desecrating the forest?
Moore’s involvement in forestry started while he was still in high school. At the age of 21 he took over the helm of a 50 man logging camp where he began a career that would keep him in caulk boots for 55 years. And yet, this rugged woodsman was also an eloquent spokesman and poet.
The year he started up the Festival of Forestry Moore had just completed a two-year term as President of the Truck Loggers Association (1964-65). He was also president of the Pacific Logging Congress, and a director of Forest Industrial Relations. Who better to sing the praises of an industry in need of some good public relations work?
November 24, 2000 the forest sector mourned the loss of this influential man; but his spirit lives on and is fostered through the TLA’s Bill Moore Legacy Fund, a sponsorship program set up to support the Festival of Forestry teacher tours initiated by Moore so many years ago. Looking back at Moore’s achievements, it is no surprise that he should take on the role of spokesperson for the sector.