MONTREAL — Unifor delegates from across Eastern Canada kicked off bargaining preparations for the forestry industry by selecting Domtar as the target company for the upcoming round of pattern bargaining. “This is a critical moment for our forestry sector and for the members we represent across Eastern Canada,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The industry is facing a number of serious challenges, but we have been through difficult times before and I have complete confidence in our local leaders to achieve fair collective agreements that make progress for workers.” …Key bargaining priorities were discussed at the conference including wage improvements, pension security, benefit coverage, Employment Insurance protections, and measures to support workforce stability and long-term sustainability of operations. …The pattern agreement reached with Domtar will serve as the template for negotiations with all other employers in the eastern forestry sector, including paper mills, sawmills, and forestry operations.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers said Thursday they’re maintaining a united front under the long shadow of the upcoming negotiations for the review of North America’s key free trade agreement. …Carney updated the premiers on Ottawa’s plans for the coming review and committed to monthly meetings to update the premiers once CUSMA review talks officially begin. But Carney was tight-lipped on trade strategy. …In the meantime, Trump’s sector-specific tariffs continue to damage key Canadian industries such as steel, aluminum and softwood lumber. New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said she wasn’t seeing a lot of US “movement or interest” in resolving the softwood lumber dispute, meaning a deal on duties outside of the CUSMA review process is unlikely. “We are constantly looking at ways to make it clear to the U.S. administration how the U.S. lumber producers are suffering under a low price,” Holt said.
Canada’s forest industry is being dismantled in plain sight. …For decades, Canada built its forest economy around a single export market and a narrow set of commodity products. That strategy has now been exposed as dangerously fragile. Our closest trading partner has proven unreliable, and the cost of over-dependence is being paid by rural workers and regions across the country. Canada does not have a forestry problem. We have a market diversification problem. Ironically, today’s global uncertainty has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity. …Capital is mobile, and companies are actively looking for stable jurisdictions in which to build new production facilities. Canada can and should be at the top of that list—but we need to build the foundational infrastructure to make this happen. …The federal government’s new Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force opens a critical window to address structural weaknesses in Canada’s forest economy. 
OTTAWA — Canada’s premiers are set for two days of huddling in the nation’s capital with the economy, affordability and trade expected to be high on the agenda. The premiers meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday, and will want to show a united “Team Canada” front as trade tensions rise again with Canada’s largest trading partner. The meetings come a year after U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office and hit Canada with blistering tariffs, and just ahead of negotiations to renew the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement, due for its first formal review this summer. Trump threatened Canada in recent days with 100% across-the-board tariffs on exports, which would land on top of the sectors already hit by steep U.S. tariffs, such as steel, softwood lumber and vehicles. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the premiers will show they stand united as the whole Canadian economy remains under attack.
Municipal leaders are on the front lines of BC’s economy, where the health of the forest sector directly impacts jobs, services, and long-term community stability. This timely panel brings together mayors from across the province for a practical, solutions-focused discussion on what a competitive and resilient forestry future means for families and local economies — and what’s needed to ensure forestry remains a cornerstone industry for generations to come. Featuring mayors Maria McFaddin (Castlegar), Brad West (Port Coquitlam), Leonard Krog (Nanaimo) and Gary Sulz (Revelstoke), the conversation will offer grounded municipal perspectives from communities both large and small. The session will be moderated by Karen Brandt, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Partnerships with Mosaic Forest Management. Expect candid insights, local realities, and a forward-looking discussion on strengthening forestry and the communities it supports.
Efforts to support forestry workers displaced by the closure of the Crofton pulp mill and the ongoing curtailment at the Chemainus sawmill are expanding, as local leaders press the federal government for clearer and more robust income supports. The District of North Cowichan says its Mill Closure Response Working Group met for the first time last week, bringing together municipal, provincial and federal representatives, along with labour, industry and impacted workers, to coordinate next steps. …“The stories we heard at the first working group meeting show how urgent this is,” North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said. “This is why we’re continuing to press the federal government to extend employment insurance supports for all impacted workers and to release the forestry industry support funding announced last summer. People need income security while they plan their next steps.” Updates and resources for affected workers and businesses are available at 
The national head of the union representing workers at the Crofton pulp mill is not in favour of efforts to have a special task force formed locally to investigate the reasons for the troubles in the forest industry. Geoff Dawe is the president of the Public and Private Workers of Canada which represents more than 400 workers at the Crofton pulp mill, which will soon close permanently. He spoke to North Cowichan’s council at its meeting on Jan. 21 about a proposed motion by Coun. Tek Manhas for the municipality to set up the special task force that, if approved, would undertake an investigation into the reasons for the closure of the Crofton mill and the ongoing curtailment of the Chemainus sawmill, impacting another approximately 150 workers. …Dawe said his concern is that a task force that is not working collaboratively with his union and its workers may get into some finger pointing at government…
COFI 2026 CEO Panel to Tackle the Forest Sector’s Future: The 
Cherie Whelan has been named the new chief executive officer of the B.C. Forest Safety Council. She takes over on April 1 from Rob Moonen, who announced his retirement in October. Whelan served as CEO of the Newfoundland & Labrador Construction Safety Association for two years and previously held the position of director of SAFE Companies at B.C. Forest Safety Council. The Nanaimo-based council delivers safety training and advisory services to British Columbia’s forest industry.
The Regional District of Nanaimo board will plead with fellow municipalities to pressure the B.C. and Canadian governments to prohibit raw log exports. At the Jan. 27 RDN board meeting, Paul Manly, City of Nanaimo director, proposed a resolution for the upcoming Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities conference, asking B.C. local governments to call on senior government to “ban the export of raw logs and lumber cants from B.C. to ensure that forests harvested [on] Crown land and private-managed forest lands are processed in B.C.…” The resolution passed and will be brought before AVICC. Should it pass there, it would be forwarded to the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Manly …pointed to recent mill closures on the Island, with a key factor being “lack of accessible and affordable fibre”. …Leanne Salter, Coombs area director, said she thought the resolution needed to be tweaked.
A federal task force announced earlier this month will attempt to save Canada’s stricken forest industry from further decline through product and market diversification. While the support will no doubt be welcomed by the industry, in BC the more immediate need is access to timber. Canada’s forestry sector has been pummeled by a one-two punch of low lumber prices, and US duties on softwood lumber. The situation is particularly dire in BC where an integrated industry of lumber, remanufacturing, pulp and pellet mills has been collapsing like a row of dominos. …The industry is in crisis, a number of speakers said at the 
VICTORIA — The president of the Tahltan Central Government, Kerry Carlick, said British Columbia shouldn’t change its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, just as the First Nation and the provincial government celebrate a landmark agreement based on the legislation. Carlick said it is not a “good idea to take anything away from DRIPA,” adding that “if anything, it should be strengthened.” Carlick was speaking at an event with deputy premier Niki Sharma where they co-signed an agreement to share mineral tax revenue from the Eskay Creek mine. The ceremony came after the provincial government issued an environmental assessment certificate to Eskay Creek Mining Ltd. to restart gold and silver mining after a first-of-its kind collaborative assessment process with the First Nation under DRIPA. The provincial government has said it plans to revise the act after a series of court rulings around Aboriginal title, responding specifically to those decisions.
Make an impact with our Forestry Program Management Consulting Team as a Consultant and program lead. Our diverse team of professionals deliver program administration for a large forestry grant funding organization. As a trusted advisor, you’ll collaborate with the team in the delivery of forestry-related projects within the funding programs. Our team is based in Edmonton and works in our downtown office, this is an in-person, on-site position. The forestry Consultant supports the delivery and administration of forestry funding programs, working with government, industry, Indigenous groups, academics, and other stakeholders. The role involves managing and assessing projects such as silviculture, habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, and forest health, including tracking activities, reviewing deliverables and expenses, and preparing reports. Responsibilities also include proposal review support, developing Requests for Proposals, limited GIS use, occasional field assessments, and providing advice to senior management and boards, while contributing to the growth of MNP’s forestry consulting practice.
The Municipality of North Cowichan says it is preparing for the possibility of another mill closure in Chemainus, while hoping it can be avoided. Western Forest Products announced Friday it is extending curtailment at the Chemainus sawmill, affecting about 150 workers. Mayor Rob Douglas said the priority is protecting jobs and preparing for potential financial impacts. “We’re going to be looking at impacts on our tax base, especially with the municipality already seeing the effects of the Crofton mill closure this year,” Douglas said. “We’ll prepare for the potential closure of the Chemainus mill in 2027.” Douglas said a permanent closure in Chemainus would affect future finances, but not to the same extent as the Crofton mill shutdown. “Western Forest Products has three sites, and with two of them operating that will continue to provide a significant portion of our industrial tax revenue,” he said.
The curtailment of the Chemainus sawmill will continue through to at least the end of 2026, Western Forest Products announced on Jan. 23. WFP spokesperson Babita Khunkhun said the Chemainus mill, which has been curtailed since June, continues to face persistently weak market demand and ongoing log supply challenges that do not support the economic operation of the mill. She said these conditions are not expected to change in the near term at the mill, which employs approximately 150 workers when in operation. “We are also implementing short-term curtailments at our Saltair and Ladysmith sawmills,” Khunkhun said. …“Where possible, we will work with employees to facilitate employment opportunities at other locations,” she said. …“Beginning in February, the Ladysmith sawmill plans to take a minimum two-week operating curtailment and the Saltair sawmill plans to take a two-week operating curtailment. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions.
A wood chip facility primarily owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Nation on north Vancouver Island says it is permanently shutting down as a result of the recent mill closure in Crofton, BC. Atli Resources CEO Jonathan Lok says the Atli Chip LP directly employed nine people, but the closure will affect many more in the small community of Beaver Cove, near Port McNeill. …Lok says a contractor the company hired to bring wood fiber into the facility would be affected as well, along with the 10 to 15 positions it hires. …Lok says the company announced the closure on Jan. 20. He expects the facility to operate until the end of February. Atli Resources is majority owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Business Development Corporation. Its other two partners include Domtar. Lok says all of the materials from the facility were shipped to the Crofton pulp mill, which Domtar announced in December would permanently close by April.
It appears that some investors have been kicking the tires at the soon to be closed Crofton pulp mill. A statement from the Municipality of North Cowichan said Mayor Rob Douglas and senior staff have recently met with several investors interested in potentially acquiring the Crofton mill site for continued forestry-related operations, or alternative industrial uses. “The municipality is facilitating connections between interested parties, Domtar (the mill’s owner), and the provincial government where appropriate, and remains hopeful that any future use of the site will generate employment opportunities and a stable tax base for the community,” the statement said. …North Cowichan provided no further information on who is interested in taking over the mill site.
The head of the New Brunswick Forest Products Commission was in front of a legislative committee Thursday, answering MLA’s questions about the state of the industry. The commission is a liaison of sorts between the provincial government, saw and pulp mills and wood marketing boards. Tim Fox acknowledged the Commission has been working to try and help the industry through challenging times, but he said everyone has to work together. “There’s obviously our sawmills who are impacted by the tariff situation and that has spilled over into the private woodlot sector as well,” he said after the meeting. …Private producers have recently expressed frustration over how little support there’s been for woodlot owners to help them through the ongoing U.S. tariff situation. Countervailing and anti-dumping duties on softwood are almost a decade old, but U.S. President Donald Trump added another 10 per cent in the fall, bringing tariff totals to 45 per cent.
The unravelling of our trade relationship with the US compels us to act decisively. The chaotic diplomacy of the Trump Administration should encourage Canada to build up economic capacity where Canadians possess both agency and an existing industrial base to rely upon. This capacity‑building goal dovetails with the inherent purpose of the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan (SJAP). …Acting on these priorities, industry can direct its capital and follow its own strategic objectives, but it will do so in an environment that better reflects Canada’s long‑term economic goals. The SJAP can play a pivotal role. …One can look to the forestry sector. …Forestry faces an existential crisis from the 45% U.S. duties and tariffs imposed on Canadian lumber. …However, the sector also holds immense potential for manufacturing a variety of high value‑added products while also being a renewable resource key to decarbonizing construction.
KENORA — Ontario New Democrats and union leaders say government should find ways to keep mills in Ear Falls, Ignace and elsewhere open, but with more worker involvement. “The bottom line is that when things are run on the corporate bottom lines only, communities get left behind, workers lose jobs, profits go out and the problems stay in the community,” said Luke Hildebrand, president of the NDP’s Kenora–Rainy River constituency association. “So the only long-term solution is workers having a stake in the future and not just a paycheque.” Hildebrand noted a petition calling on governments to “take immediate action to reopen the Ear Falls sawmill and stop the shutdown of Ignace sawmill” has gathered about 300 signatures. It also calls for establishment of a “forestry job protection task force,” development of “a unified provincial–federal strategy to ensure that Canadian lumber is used in Canadian homes” and support for worker equity in mills.
VIETNAM — The United States has decided to postpone the tariff increase on certain finished wood products, including upholstered chairs, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom cabinets, from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027. The postponement of the tax increase on some finished wood products helps Vietnamese businesses temporarily avoid the policy shock at the beginning of 2026. However, this is not a sign of loosening, but rather a tactical retreat, requiring the wood industry to be more proactive and cautious in policy planning and restructuring the overall development strategy of the entire industry. …Mr. Ngo Sy Hoai, Vice President of the Vietnam Wood and Forest Products Association (VIFOREST), commented that if postponing the tariff increase is considered an “opportunity,” then extreme caution is needed. In reality, tariff pressure has spread throughout the entire supply chain, from domestic manufacturers to importers and retail systems in the US.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Layoffs are expected at the beginning of April for Roseburg Forest Products Co.’s Riddle Plywood facility, according to a WARN notice filed this week. The notice, filed Feb. 4, says the company expects to permanently lay off 146 team members at the Riddle By-Pass Road location, though the facility will remain open. These layoffs are expected to take place after a 60-day WARN period. The company said April 5 “will be the last day of work for a majority of the affected team members before the layoff and that the remaining affected team members, if any, will be within 14 days of that date.” Impacted positions span a number of job titles, though the majority consist of Layup WAT Operators, Finish End WAT Operators, and Common Laborers.
Montana’s forestry industry is entering this year with more questions than answers, from low lumber prices to high housing costs for workers to questions about tariffs, but there is room for strategic adaptation. That’s according to an economist who gave an update on the sector in the 2026 Montana Economic Report, put out by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana. …Scott said the number of people employed in the private sector in forestry in Montana statewide has dropped in 2025. …His main points are that while timber harvests are down, the federal government is making a push to increase harvests. …He said the Trump administration’s tariff policy remains another wildcard. “A combination of lumber and trade-related tariffs has been implemented to bolster domestic demand, by raising the cost of Canadian lumber… it is still too early to tell whether these measures will meaningfully shift trade flows.”
Duties on Canadian imports are driving up domestic sales at some Maine lumber companies. …Protection from historically lower Canadian lumber prices has given Pleasant River Lumber the confidence to add an additional manufacturing shift in Enfield, according to co-owner Jason Brochu. Photo by Katherine Emery. …Historically Canadian companies have both outbid them for timber harvested in Maine and undercut American lumber prices when they export the finished lumber product back across the border. …An industry analyst and two other mill leaders said that inflation and a sputtering housing market make it unclear whether the tariffs will have a positive or negative effect on business in the long run. The effects of the tariffs will also vary based on the different products sawmills make. …Sawmills rely on certainty, said Alden Robbins, of Robbins Lumber, and neither the markets nor foreign trade relationships have been stable recently.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
Australia’s forestry industry says cheap imported timber products are flooding the local market and taking up increased space in local homes and buildings. South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) chief executive Nathan Paine said international trade conditions, fuelled by US tariffs, were responsible for imports reaching Australia at about half the price of local timber. This timber includes laminated veneer lumber (LVL) — a construction product that competes with locally grown radiata pine. …Analysis from Forest and Wood Products Australia showed LVL imports had increased 63% in 2025 compared to a year earlier. …Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the state government could stand behind its past support for the timber industry. Housing Industry Australia chief executive of industry and policy Simon Croft said the pandemic’s trade disruptions had caused a spike in construction costs.