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Susan Mowbray

There is an uncertain outlook on Vancouver Island for forestry and aquaculture, but emerging opportunities in defence and an ocean economy… Susan Mowbray, partner in MNP’s Vancouver consulting practice, presented the 2026 State of the Island Economic Report at the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance on Oct. 21, giving the current state of the economy and the short-term outlook. “Forestry remains an important part of the Island economy, it’s a lot smaller than it was but it is still really important, particularly in the mid-north Island, but employment has been falling,” Mowbray said. Curtailments and closures, she explained, stem from a mix of fibre constraints, a slow-down in the U.S. housing market and higher U.S. tariffs. “There are signs, if you look at the data, that we did see a little bit of harvest volume increase in 2026 versus 2025, but that is because we’ve had better weather and labour disputes resolved, not because we’re seeing an increased lumber demand.”

Interim BC Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson is partly hanging his hopes on the province’s beleaguered forestry sector to carry his election platform’s economic growth forecasts, recalling that the sector had been a “ginormous contributor” to the province’s economy in the past. …when asked how he would achieve the growth predictions that his party says will bring in $2.6 billion in new revenue over three years, Doerkson said, “that infrastructure is there, it’s in place and we can absolutely get back to business in that sector almost immediately.” …[An] NDP background document said Doerkson could not change U.S. softwood tariffs, now close to 35 per cent, low prices or the exhaustion of the most profitable timber stands. B.C. Council of Forest Industries’ Kim Haakstad cautioned that expecting the sector to resume the role it had in B.C. in the 1960s or earlier was not realistic. But she said increasing the annual allowable cut backup to 45 million cubic metres … could generate about $600 million in additional revenue. 

The NDP platform promises to continue to support the forest industry by providing more cash for mills to upgrade their operations, spending $120 million to protect jobs at mills that are at risk of closing and focus on making sure mills get the fibre needed to keep operating. The party’s promises to protect B.C.’s forests are less robust. …The BC Conservatives are promising to do many of the same things the NDP has done but better, bigger and faster. Conservative forestry policies would double government revenue from stumpage fees by 2028-29. The 2026 provincial budget estimated total forestry-related revenues will increase 3.3 per cent per year through 2029. …The party promises to “resolve” the issue of old-growth deferrals by “protecting original old growth” and making the rest eligible for logging. …The Green platform proposes shifting B.C. forestry from a fibre-supply model to one that prioritizes ecosystem health, wildfire resilience, cultural values and healthy communities.

…In the weeks before Premier David Eby called a snap election, forestry stakeholders including the United Steelworkers, the BC Council of Forest Industries, the Truck Loggers Association and the BC First Nations Forestry Council told the provincial government the industry was at a breaking point. A month later, ahead of the provincial election on Saturday, B.C’s Conservative, Green and New Democratic parties have put forward their plans for the industry’s future. The United Steelworkers union … has welcomed the NDP’s plan as a positive step toward protecting jobs. Meanwhile Gary Bull, professor emeritus of forestry at the University of British Columbia, said that while both parties have made some steps toward sustaining the industry, neither the Conservatives nor the NDP offered a dramatic shift in the province’s approach to forest management. …Scott Lunny, United Steelworkers Western Canada director, said he welcomed the NDP plan, but it doesn’t go far enough to protect jobs. …Bull said both parties’ platforms were still missing details about how to finance better forest management.

More than 80 forestry workers gathered in the Port Alberni paper mill parking lot last Friday to raise awareness of forestry issues, and discuss the future of their industry. With Domtar dependent on a dwindling market of fall-down chips from sawmills, Unifor local 592 first vice-president Ted Haggard says workers are pressuring governments to act. “I’m not gonna lie, our future doesn’t look like sunshine rainbows right now, but we can change that with proper forest management,” he said. Haggard says the development of the First Nations led Alberni Valley Forestry Coalition has helped pressure governments to improve forest rules and regulations and lower logging costs.

…But urgent action is needed to stop the deepening crisis in BC’s forest sector. Since 2022, more than 15,000 forestry jobs have been lost, and over 20 mills have closed or curtailed. The damage doesn’t stop at the mill gate. Every closure puts contractors, suppliers, secondary manufacturers, local small businesses and communities at risk. …As British Columbians prepare to vote for the next provincial government, COFI has outlined key policy priorities. The comparison sets out COFI’s recommended actions alongside the commitments put forward by the BC NDP and Conservative Party of BC. …This election is an opportunity to put forestry back at the centre of BC’s economic priorities. We encourage forestry workers, businesses and communities to engage with local candidates, share what is at stake, and ask how their parties will support a competitive and sustainable forest sector. View the full 2026 Provincial Forestry Platform Comparison on these issues: Stabilize BC Forestry; Secure an affordable and predictable wood supply; Protect and Invest in BC Jobs and Mills; Build Homes with BC Wood; Stand Up for BC Forestry in Ottawa and Washington, DC; and Other Forestry-related Commitments.

British Columbia’s forest sector is at a turning point. Communities are feeling the effects of sawmill and pulp mill closures, catastrophic wildfires, changing markets, and general uncertainty about the future. British Columbians are also asking how forests can support healthy ecosystems, sustainable local economies, reconciliation, public safety, recreation, and other community priorities. We believe community forestry offers a tested and proven way forward and should be on the minds of British Columbians and on the platforms of those running for office in the provincial election. We are asking political parties, candidates, and the next government to make two clear commitments. These practical actions would strengthen local economies, support First Nations leadership and partnerships, reduce wildfire risk, and help build a more resilient forest sector: Expand the Community Forest Program and protect the policies and operating conditions that make community forests viable; and Provide stable, long-term funding for proactive wildfire management, planning, and risk reduction in and around community forests.

Leader of the BC Conservative Party Lorne Doerkson made a campaign stop at a shake and shingle mill in Maple Ridge on Monday, Oct. 19, to announce new supports for forestry jobs in the province if his party is elected to office. Doerkson shook hands with workers at Waldun Forest Products in east Maple Ridge, in the riding of BC Conservative incumbent candidate Lawrence Mok, where he said he will give the sector more predictable access to fibre, speed up the permit process, and eliminate unnecessary permitting costs in the sector. …He set a goal of 45 million cubic metres, minimum, for the annual cut. …He also pledged his government would review and eliminate unnecessary permitting costs and encourage Indigenous participation in the forestry industry by investing in skills training and ensuring First Nations will benefit from any federal funding to support the industry. He also vowed to create competitive tax conditions.

Kim Haakstad

We are spending a lot of time talking about major projects these days. …But somewhere along the way, we seem to have decided that they are the only answer to our economic ­challenges. There’s a catch with that approach: For most major ­projects, the biggest boost ­happens during construction. …We can build major ­projects while strengthening the ­industries that already provide jobs, investment and economic activity in communities across British Columbia. Forestry is one of those industries. Forestry literally and figuratively built British Columbia. …Unlike a construction project, forestry’s economic contribution doesn’t end when the assembly is complete. Forestry supports jobs on Vancouver Island, in the North, the Central Interior, the ­Southern Interior and throughout the Lower Mainland… It offers established networks, skilled workers and global customers ready to generate revenue right now. Yet instead of leveraging this advantage, we seem to have accepted managing the ­industry’s decline. …British Columbia needs major projects. We should pursue them with ambition. And we must bring that same ambition and urgency to forestry.

EDMONTON, AB — After nearly seven years at the helm of the Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA), President and CEO Jason Krips will step down from his role at the end of the calendar year to join the executive team at the University of Alberta.mKrips will remain with AFPA through the end of 2026 and support the organization as the Board Executive undertakes the recruitment process for AFPA’s next President and CEO. During his tenure, Krips led the association through a period of significant change for both AFPA and Alberta’s forest sector — from the COVID-19 pandemic and organizational restructuring to a record-breaking wildfire season and, most recently, significant trade challenges with the United States. Throughout it all, Krips has been a steadfast champion for Alberta’s forest sector and the communities that depend on it.