The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2027 COFI Convention, taking place April 7–9, 2027, at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre. Under the theme “Forestry is a Solution,” the Convention will bring together leaders from industry, government, First Nations and communities to advance practical solutions to improve competitiveness and secure a strong, sustainable future for British Columbia’s forest sector. B.C.’s forest sector is at a critical turning point. Despite significant challenges, forestry has an important role to play in addressing some of the province’s biggest priorities: building homes, reducing wildfire risk, advancing reconciliation and strengthening the economy. With a new provincial government taking shape, the 2027 Convention presents a timely opportunity for industry leaders and decision-makers to come together and advance the actions needed to restore competitiveness, improve access to wood and attract investment. The event will help build the partnerships and momentum needed to turn shared priorities into meaningful action. Registration is now open, with an Early Bird Discount of $100 available for delegates.
We’ve had final investment decisions on LNG Canada Phase 2, the Pacific Link pipeline formally designated a project of national interest, and a snap provincial election. These big announcements have overshadowed some smaller good news stories over the past few weeks. …Domtar, it appears, has managed to secure some kind of fibre supply with the provincial government. Details are sketchy, however, because neither Domtar nor the Ministry of Forests bothered to put out press releases on the development. …Another bit of good news in forestry is that Gillfor Manufacturing, a B.C. wood products manufacturing and distribution company, will salvage what is left of Teal Jones, which includes three mills in Surrey and Tree Farm License 46. “The plan is to restart that shake and shingle mill eventually. The other two sawmills will continue to be operated on a two-shift basis, provided there is ample log supply. 
A provincial election in the heart of Canada’s lumber country is exposing the limits of using US President Donald Trump as a political foil, even in one of the places hardest hit by his tariffs. On Sep. 22, British Columbia Premier David Eby called an election two years early, after the collapse of US-Canada trade talks, seeking to win a stronger mandate by tapping into the defiant Canadian patriotism that’s erupted in the face of Trump’s threats. Eby’s speech that day invoked Trump’s name more than 20 times, hammering on his threat to the lumber industry, while not naming any rival Canadian politicians. [to access the full story a Bloomberg Politics subscription is required]
In an Oct. 19 announcement from Cowichan Valley candidate Bert Chen, the B.C. Conservative Party has cast doubt on Crofton residents’ future water quality and promised funding to fix it. In his announcement, Chen promised to secure up $10 million to help revitalize the Crofton Mill site and provide critical support for the community if a Conservative government is elected on Oct. 24. The Domtar mill in Crofton was permanently shuttered in 2025. “With the lost property tax revenues from the mill, the local Municipality of North Cowichan is unable to provide the funding to invest in an independent, municipally-owned water system for Crofton,” said Chen. …“This site is ideal for provincial support due to the adjacent BC Ferries terminal.”
B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said his party would speed up issuing harvest permits and reduce regulatory costs in an effort to increase “sustainable access” to timber in B.C.’s beleaguered forest industry. … To the province’s key industry group, the Conservative platform appears to get at more of the issues it has been asking for government to address than the NDP policy promises, which aim at industry transformation. “(However) overall, we continue to see a bit of a lack of urgency that’s needed to stem the tide of forest mill closures,” said Kim Haakstad, CEO of the Council of Forest Industries. …The NDP’s Ravi Parmar said much of the Conservative policy resembles measures the previous government was already working toward, such as establishment of a biomass strategy.” Parmar added that the NDP remains committed to reaching a 45 million cubic metres per year in annual timber harvest. [to access the full story a Vancouver Sun subscription is required]
Almost half of the Parks Canada employees trying to help Jasper, Alberta, recover from a devastating 2024 wildfire could be among about 500 full-time staff facing job cuts nationwide. This news comes after nearly 3,000 Parks Canada staff around the country were sent letters notifying them of the upcoming cuts, and giving them the chance to voluntarily retire ahead of job losses. Of the roughly 3,000 letters sent by Parks Canada, 208 went to members of the 422-person Jasper Field Unit. Nearly two years after wildfire tore through Jasper, forcing the evacuation of the town and nearby Jasper National Park, Parks Canada crews are still busy cleaning up according to the federal government’s recovery plan. …Deep cuts to Parks Canada staffing, says Chris Rider, national director of conservation with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, reflect the federal government’s treatment of nature as a whole.
Surfers are worried about an… application by the Pacheedaht Anderson Timber Holdings partnership for a Crown lease to build a breakwater and log-dumping area in a bay just east of the Jordan River campground. …The primary worry for surfers is how the breakwater could change the patterns of sedimentation that shape all of the surfable waves in the area. …Angus Hope, for Pacheedaht Andersen Holdings, said the proposal is in its very early stages. Any construction, pending approvals, could be “three to five years” away, he said in an interview. While the coastline near Jordan River is now dotted with oceanside cottages and provincial parks, it was once the heart of a booming logging industry that employed thousands. …Pacheedaht Andersen Timber Holdings — a 50-50 partnership between Pacheedaht First Nation and Andersen Timber — formed in 2010 when it purchased the Jordan River Timber Tree Farm Licence (TFL61) from Western Forest Products.
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In the last five years, B.C. has experienced multiple wildfire seasons that displaced thousands, a heat dome that killed more than 600 people and flooding and landslides that closed major highways for days and damaged thousands of homes. It would be hard to tell based on the election promises of B.C.’s political parties. The NDP and the Conservatives have made few campaign commitments relating to B.C.’s increasingly common natural disasters. Promises regarding the climate change that’s linked to many disasters have also been scarce. In last week’s 
