JAIL ’N BAIL PAGE A3
NAPOLEON THE PONY PAGE A15
THUNDER ROLLS PAGE A18
OBSERVER QUESNEL - CARIBOO
SINCE 1908
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
VOL. 99 NO. 3
www.quesnelobserver.com
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Toy Run Motorcyclists gathered at Sylvia’s Cafe for a beautiful sun-lit day for the annual Toy Run to LeBourdais Park. All toys gathered are donated to Good Cheer. Autumn MacDonald photo
Lumber prices rise with demand Man alive thanks to Baron AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter Lumber prices saw an increase of 35 per cent from the same time last year. Wood Resources International released lumber digits this week, crediting increased demand for lumber in the U.S. and higher exports from Canada to China for lumber prices being about 35 per cent higher in August of 2012 as compared to August of 2011. The release also says markets are shifting from a primarily buyers market (since the financial crisis in 2008) to a sellers market with the increase in demand for lumber in the U.S. In May, lumber consumption in the U.S. was 13 per cent higher than in May of 2011. The May 2012 consumption level was actu-
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ally the highest seen for the month of May since 2008. Wood Resources predicts lumber prices to continue their climb in the second half of this year and into 2013 as housing starts continue to slowly improve. According to WWPA, American and Canadian sawmilling sectors are currently running at 80 per cent capacity, thus adding hours and shifts to meet increasing lumber demand. The Canadian sawmilling industry has ramped up production the first six months of 2012 as compared to the same period in 2011. All provinces, with the exception of Ontario, have produced more lumber this year than last year. The provinces of Alberta and Quebec have seen
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the biggest increases thanks to higher demand for lumber in the U.S. housing sector. West coast sawmills have also been shipping more lumber to China this year, with exports during the first quarter being up three per cent as compared to the first quarter last year. The improved markets for lumber have put upward pressure on lumber prices. During the past 12 months, southern yellow pine (SYP) prices have gone up almost 37 per cent, while sprucepine-fir (SPF) prices in Canada have increased by about 35 per cent. The North American Wood Fiber Review recently released price trends for saw logs, noting the costs, which can account for more than 70 per cent of production costs for a sawmill, were higher in the Interior.
AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter An RCMP dog and his handler are being credited for helping save a Quesnel man’s life. RCMP Police Services dog Baron and his handler Cpl. Collin Warwick’s search skills resulted in quickly locating a male who had been ejected from a vehicle during a single vehicle crash, Saturday. Around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 8, Quesnel RCMP received a report of a single vehicle crash on Highway 97, south of Dunkley, after a passing motorist observed a small white vehicle upside down in the ditch. When police and emergency personnel arrived, the vehicle was unoccupied and the whereabouts of the driver unknown. Initial responders searched the immediate vicinity but were unable to locate the driver. Warwick and his police dog, Baron, were on scene within minutes and quickly located the driver laying in an inconspicuous location in a bushed
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area appproximately 20 meters away from the vehicle. The driver was in shock and suffering serious, life threatening injuries. The 24-year-old male was transported to Quesnel’s GR Baker Hospital and later transferred to Prince George where he underwent surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery. Medical staff credit the quick response of emergency personnel on scene – particularly Warwick and Baron – for making the difference in saving the driver’s life. “Had it not been for the search abilities of the RCMP police services dog and his handler, the driver may not have been located for many more minutes which could have placed the driver’s life in further jeopardy,” Quesnel media spokesperson, Krista Vrolyk said. “Warwick and Baron’s quick response and skill were critical in allowing BC Ambulance Services Paramedics to provide timely first aid which proved life saving in this case.” The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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