Ravi Parmar

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar announced on Thursday that the federal government is pitching in $21 million to support retraining and retooling forestry workers and operations in the province. The money comes as part of Ottawa’s more than $2 billion commitment to support the sector as it faces tariff tradewinds, stiff foreign competition and a lack of easy access to economically viable timber. It is funded through a $70.4 million workforce support fund announced in March. Parmar says that if a combined rate of tariffs and duties stays as high as it has been, roughly 45 per cent, the industry in B.C. will need billions of dollars more in aid.