Kim Haakstad
VANCOUVER, BC — For too many people across this province, the consequences of inaction for the struggling forestry sector are no longer theoretical — they are happening in real time. We have been sounding the alarm that the situation in BC is dire and today is further evidence that the sector needs an urgent response from our government. While softwood lumber duties and trade uncertainty add significant pressure, not everything can be blamed on the dispute. It is important to focus on the areas within our control, and those remain the core issues facing BC forestry: access to predictable, economic wood supply and the ability to operate in a competitive and efficient regulatory environment.
The solutions are well known and long overdue. The provincial government must urgently:
- Remove barriers to getting wood moving — by improving the efficiency and timeliness of cutting permits and road-building approvals, and fast-tracking improvements to BC Timber Sales
- Address operating costs — both at the harvest level and in manufacturing facilities
- Support First Nations with the capacity and tools to expedite referrals, co-develop land use plans, and increase revenue sharing—so that partnerships can move at the speed of opportunity
“We acknowledge the recent steps taken by the federal government. …But the most effective way to protect workers is to keep their workplaces open. Now the Province must act with urgency to stabilize wood supply, restore competitiveness, and reverse the steady loss of jobs and investment. Without swift, decisive action, BC will continue to see more closures. …COFI and our members are at the table, ready to work with government, First Nations, labour, and communities to find solutions that can stabilize the sector and rebuild confidence. But we need the province to step up now — not months from now, not after further losses. The time for urgent action was yesterday.”
OTTAWA, ON
US President Trump could decide next year to withdraw from the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA), Politico reported on Thursday, citing U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. “The president’s view is he only wants deals that are a good deal. The reason why we built a review period into CUSMA was in case we needed to revise it, review it or exit it,” Greer told Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns in a podcast episode that airs Friday. Greer also raised the idea of negotiating separately with Canada and Mexico and dividing the agreement into two parts in the podcast, adding that he spoke with Trump about that possibility just this week. …Trump on Wednesday said that the CUSMA agreement – which faces an upcoming review- will either be left to expire or another deal will be worked out. 
Montréal, Quebec – Domtar Wood Products announced today a curtailment in its lumber production. Due to challenging market conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty, Domtar will temporarily reduce its lumber production by 100 million board feet for the fourth quarter of 2025, including additional curtailments for the holiday season, at its facilities in Quebec, Ontario, and the United States. “Demand for lumber continues to stagnate in North America, exacerbating an already difficult market,” said Luc Thériault, President of Domtar Wood Products. Domtar will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly. [END]
The federal government has rejected an industry request for payouts to softwood producers in Canada on the hook for US duties, fearing that direct intervention would further irritate the US. Canadian softwood producers have paid more than $10-billion since 2017 in accumulated duties, which are cash deposits held in trust by the US that collect interest. The producers expect the US to refund a portion of the duties if and when the two countries resolve the trade dispute. In the meantime, the industry has suggested that the Canadian government make payouts to reflect the present value of anticipated refunds. The two sources said Ottawa would have received any future refunds in exchange for injecting much-needed liquidity into the struggling industry. Ottawa rejected the idea because of fears that such payouts would be viewed as subsidies and become a serious irritant during the wider US trade war, according to a senior government official. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]
VANCOUVER, BC
When it comes to what ultimately lies behind Crofton’s impending closure, previous BC Liberal and NDP governments past and present all have much to answer for. Both were at the helm as tumultuous changes rocked BC’s forestry sector. And both did little of consequence in response. The result is not only pain for workers and their families, but a big economic hit for local government. …The first change that governments ignored was the disintegration of what were once highly integrated forest companies. At one point, each of B.C.’s three remaining coastal pulp mills — Crofton, Harmac and Howe Sound — were part of a continuous production chain owned by the same company. In the case of Harmac and Crofton, that company was MacMillan Bloedel, while Howe Sound’s pulp mill was co-owned by Canfor. With integrated companies, all aspects of production from the tree standing in the forest to final products were linked.
Domtar’s announcement of its Crofton pulp and paper mill closure was a major and far-reaching loss for its workers, the North Cowichan community, and the broader forest-industry supply chain across the BC Coast. It is especially difficult knowing that this closure was preventable. Industry, labour and municipal governments have been warning the BC government about the risk of mill closures for many months. The government was given numerous recommendations, solutions, and opportunities that could have helped avoid this outcome, but has largely failed to act with the urgency that was required. …This closure underscores the many challenges facing BC’s coastal forest sector: ongoing constraints on access to economically viable fibre, an uncompetitive business cost structure, and regulatory uncertainty. For TLA members, these pressures threaten the stability of their operations and the forestry-dependent communities they support. The TLA remains committed to working with government and industry partners to stabilize the sector…
More than 100 unionized North Island forestry workers on strike rallied in Campbell River on Wednesday. They’ve been without a contract for more than six months. They warned their employer that they are united and will succeed in their demands… The United Steelworkers marched to the Campbell River offices of Western Forest Products… The company owns a controlling 55 per cent share of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry (LKSM). On Oct. 20, the union filed a common-employer application with the Labour Relations Board. “…we’re challenging the fact that LKSM is actually a separate company. …We believe our members deserve the same collective agreement that all WFP members have,” said Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 …“What this issue is really about is the union’s demand that it wants all contractors, new contractors, working for us, including First Nation contractors, to be mandatorily certified with the union,” said Greg DeMille, Operations Manager of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry.
Lumber futures fell toward $530 per thousand board feet, down nearly 10% from November’s peak, as the market contends with pronounced oversupply and lingering weak demand. Mills and distributors continue to carry elevated inventories, a hangover from early 2025 when buyers front-loaded purchases in anticipation of tariffs, leaving the market with a persistent supply overhang. At the same time, US housing starts and building permits remain below last year’s levels, reflecting a prolonged construction slowdown as easing borrowing costs have yet to materialize in higher new building activity and limit near-term consumption of framing lumber. Demand from renovation and new homebuilding also remains subdued, with housing-related wood products consumption estimated to have declined in 2024 and only a modest recovery expected in 2025. 
Vancouver, BC – Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products Inc. announced today that they have entered into an arrangement agreement pursuant to which Canfor Corp will acquire all of Canfor Pulp’s issued and outstanding common shares not already owned by Canfor Corp and its affiliates pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, the shareholders of Canfor Pulp, other than Canfor Corp and its affiliates, will have the option to receive, for each Canfor Pulp Share held: 0.0425 of a common share of Canfor Corp, or $0.50 in cash. ….Canfor Corp currently owns approximately 54.8% of the issued and outstanding Canfor Pulp Shares. The $0.50 per Canfor Pulp Share represents a premium of 25% to Canfor Pulp’s closing share price on December 2, 2025, on the Toronto Stock Exchange and a premium of 38% based on the 10-day volume-weighted average share price of Canfor Pulp as of December 2, 2025, on the TSX.
TORONTO — The Ontario government has launched a new working group to guide the implementation of the 
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The B.C. Ministry of Forests is encouraged that the Government of Canada has taken a huge step to amp up aerial firefighting capacity. Anthony Housefather, parliamentary secretary to Eleanor Olszewski, federal minister of emergency management and community resilience and minister responsible for Prairies economic development, recently highlighted a new multi-million-dollar investment of over $257.6 million for four years to Natural Resources Canada. The funds will be used to lease firefighting aircrafts, which can include waterbombers or other aircrafts to deliver water or fire retardant drops in hard-to-reach areas. …The Ministry of Forests will be hosting a 
Joshua Wright says a yellow cedar tree he photographed last year was the largest he’d ever seen in a decade of hiking around Vancouver Island. …Wright measured the cedar’s diameter at 2.79 metres, a size that should have ensured protection for the tree, along with a one-hectare buffer under provincial law. But when he returned to the area south of Gold River in June, Wright says the tree had been felled as part of a logging operation approved by the province. …the area where Wright documented the yellow cedar overlaps significantly with a category of old-growth representing the largest trees left standing. …Yet the deferrals required support from First Nations to go ahead, and at the time, there was no significant funding to help communities offset foregone revenues. …the yellow cedar was felled in an area where Matchlee Ltd. Partnership, majority owned by Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, holds a non-renewable forest licence.
A BC Resource Sector Coalition says current federal and provincial policymaking has become unpredictable enough to justify an immediate pause on all implementation and action under Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). …“We write to you on behalf of thousands of British Columbians whose livelihoods, communities, and futures are tied to the natural resource sector. Today, those livelihoods are at risk,” the letter begins. “A series of federal and provincial policy decisions have destabilized the industries that sustain our province and are eroding the economic foundations of British Columbia.” …The coalition is composed of a cross-industry membership spanning land and marine activity: BCCA, Geoduck Underwater Harvesters Association, ICBA, Deep Sea Trawlers Association of BC, Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia, Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association, North West Loggers Association, and the Council of Marine Carriers.
The Province has released the 2025 Climate Change Accountability Report, reaffirming its commitment to climate action and affordability while highlighting progress in cutting emissions and advancing clean energy throughout B.C. The report shows that CleanBC is working. British Columbia is making progress in many areas… In spring 2025, the 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report indicated that B.C. was not on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets. The recently released CleanBC review provides independent advice to strengthen the climate plan and keep delivering results. Government is reviewing the recommendations to guide the next phase of action, with a focus on expanding clean energy, supporting cleaner industry and making low-carbon choices more accessible for people and communities.