NANAIMO — BC’s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar didn’t mince words while addressing highly challenging times for the province’s forestry sector. Parmar toured Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island University on March 13, ,meeting with industry representatives and local reporters. Parmar said “unacceptable” United States-imposed tariffs and duties applied to B.C. forest products represent the most significant barrier impacting the sector. “It is very uncertain the path forward for forestry and for many it is very rocky as well as we deal with more closures and curtailments; it’s not just duties and tariffs, it is the impact of low lumber prices, it’s the complete collapse of the U.S. housing market.” …Parmar pointed to recent work done by the new Forestry Innovation Investment, a provincial Crown corporation chaired Rick Doman. …Alongside Parmar was Nanaimo-Gabriola MLA Sheila Malcolmson, minister of social development and poverty reduction. Malcolmson expanded on a $70.4 million dollar fund announced by the Federal government to assist tariff-impacted forestry workers in B.C.