Category Archives: Special Feature

Former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber opened the conference’s second day with a call for systemic change in how western jurisdictions respond to the interconnected crises of wildfires, community risk, and forest health. Speaking from decades of experience, Kitzhaber urged British Columbia to move beyond reactive firefighting and fragmented policy to create a landscape-level, cross-boundary strategy rooted in collaboration. “We need to reframe the problem,” he said. “We have a land management crisis masquerading as a wildfire crisis.” …Following Kitzhaber’s address, the panel tackled the challenge of bringing those high-level ideas into local practice. COFI Vice President Zara Rabinovitch moderated the conversation, which featured MLA Ward Stamer, wildfire researcher James Whitehead, and Klay Tindall of Lil’wat Forestry Ventures.

The COFI panel on conservation, consultation, certification, and careers brought together diverse voices from across the forest sector to explore how BC’s working forest can evolve to meet social, economic, and ecological expectations. Moderated by Jason Fisher, Executive Director of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the discussion featured Lennard Joe, CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council; Michael Reid, BC Program Director with Nature United; Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative; and Aspen Dudzic, Director of Communications at the Alberta Forest Products Association and lead for the Forestry Together campaign. Opening the session, Fisher framed the discussion as a turning point for the sector. …Lennard Joe answered with a call to action. …Michael Reid echoed the theme of co-development. …Kathy Abusow brought a national and North American perspective. …Aspen Dudzic described their Forestry Together campaign.

The COFI panel on growing Canadian markets for BC wood brought together a mix of voices from architecture, Indigenous forestry, and sustainable design to explore how to unlock domestic demand for BC’s wood products. Moderated by Shawn Keyes, Executive Director of WoodWorks BC, the discussion featured Chris Hill, President of BCollective; Robert Manuel, Strategic Advisor with the BC First Nations Forestry Council; and architect Shelley Craig, Principal at Urban Arts Architecture. Keyes said there is enormous untapped potential within Canada itself. …Chris Hill offered an Indigenous business perspective, speaking about the importance of anchoring markets in reconciliation and sustainability. …Robert Manuel emphasized the link between Indigenous forest tenure and economic opportunity. …Shelley Craig described the ways wood is transforming urban architecture and public infrastructure.

BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad closed out Day 1 of the COFI conference with a direct, politically charged address that called for a full-scale rethinking of provincial forest policy. Speaking in his dual role as Opposition Leader and longtime MLA for Nechako Lakes, Rustad framed his remarks around a central theme: the need to reassert forestry as a cornerstone of the BC economy. …”We need to re-establish a viable, harvestable working forest. Period,” he said. …On wildfire, Rustad argued that current policy places too much emphasis on response and not enough on proactive management. …On Indigenous relations, Rustad struck a tone that blended support for increased economic participation. …He also voiced concerns that forest planning is becoming disconnected from local communities. …”This is a moment of choice,” he said. “We either rebuild our forest sector, or we let it continue to decline.”

The 2025 COFI Convention spotlighted the theme of innovation in forestry with a session focused on new technologies and opportunities for wood-based construction. Kylie Williams, BC Regional Director for Foresight Canada, introduced the session, emphasizing the critical role of innovation in the face of industry challenges such as fibre supply issues and market uncertainty. …Tim Caldecott, Senior Director of Sustainable Construction and Carbon & Market Economics at FPInnovations, followed with a discussion on the opportunities for wood-based buildings. He acknowledged the growing interest in wood as a building material but pointed out that the market share of wood-based non-residential buildings remains small. …Todd Sayers, Chief Operating Officer at the BC Centre for Innovation in Clean Energy, closed the session by focusing on diversification and the development of new technologies. He discussed the Centre’s work in biofuels and wildfire mitigation technologies.

The third panel of the 2025 COFI Convention focused on navigating global markets and maintaining competitiveness in the face of challenges. Russ Taylor, President of Russ Taylor Global, opened the session by addressing the disruptions in global markets, particularly with the US trade relationship under President Donald Trump. …Mark Cameron, Fellow & Lead of Canada-US Relations Strategy at the Public Policy Forum, addressed the current state of US-Canada trade relations and the threat of tariffs on Canadian lumber. …Kate Lindsay, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at the Forest Products Association of Canada, followed by discussing the European Union’s new regulation—the EUDR—that will be implemented in December 2025. …Sean Lawler, Managing Director of Canada Wood Japan, provided insights into the state of the Japanese market, focusing on the challenges and opportunities for BC’s forest products in the region.

Kurt Niquidet, Vice President and Chief Economist at COFI, opened the panel by discussing timber supply in BC. He explained that the annual allowable cut (AAC) has been trending down, now sitting at approximately 60 million cubic meters. This decline, attributed to factors like the mountain pine beetle outbreak and wildfires, is contributing to a growing gap between the AAC and actual harvests. …He also pointed out the challenges in meeting timber targets, especially with BC Timber Sales (BCTS) falling short of its targets, further stressing the supply crunch. …Glenn O’Kelly of O’Kelly Acumen, who shared findings from a benchmarking report comparing BC’s forestry sector performance with other global jurisdictions. “In the last 10 years, BC’s forestry sector has seen a 3.6% decline in GDP, the lowest of the peer group,” O’Kelly noted. …Despite the challenges, O’Kelly noted that BC had experienced a positive development in terms of productivity.

The opening keynote of the 2025 COFI Convention was delivered by Regional Chief Terry Teegee of the BC Assembly of First Nations. …Teegee underscored the significant role First Nations play in the forestry industry, both as stewards of the land and as active participants in the economic fabric of the sector. …Turning to economic challenges facing the sector, Chief Teegee addressed the threat of tariffs on Canadian lumber products. “These tariffs are more than just a policy issue; they’re creating real-world impacts,” he said, noting the strain on forestry businesses, especially those owned or operated by First Nations. “The uncertainty hits us hard. The social impacts are significant,” he added. He also spoke about the need to build resilience in the sector, stating, “Forestry is a renewable industry…we’re going into second pass and it will always be there.” …Chief Teegee’s address set the tone for the convention, emphasizing the need for partnerships, sustainable practices, and the central role of Indigenous leadership in shaping the future of BC’s forest industry.

The 2025 COFI Convention kicked off at the Prince George Civic Centre with an official welcome that set the stage for the two-day event. Greg Stewart, President of Sinclar Group Forest Products and Chair of the COFI Board of Directors, welcomed attendees to the conference, emphasized the significance of the gathering and acknowledged the unceded ancestral lands of the Klaytli Tenei Nation. Chief Dolleen Logan of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation provided an Indigenous welcome, sharing her pride in the relationship between her people and the forestry industry. …Mayor Simon Yu of Prince George followed with a heartfelt address, acknowledging the region’s dependence on the forestry industry and emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to ensure its competitiveness. …Kiel Giddens, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie stressed the need for bold action to navigate the current economic uncertainty and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the forest sector. …Kim Haakstad, the new President and CEO of COFI, closed the welcoming segment by expressing her enthusiasm for the convention and the work ahead. She acknowledged the leadership of former CEO Linda Cody and introduced her vision for the future of COFI and the forest sector.

Don Wright

In 1973 Joe Frazier, the world heavyweight boxing champion at the time, fought George Foreman. Foreman was younger, taller and had a fearsome reputation for knocking out his opponents quickly. Frazier immediately began trading punches with Foreman in the centre of the ring. Foreman knocked Frazier down six times in the first two rounds before the referee called a halt to the fight. In 1974 Muhammad Ali, hoping to recover the title stripped from him in 1967, fought Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Going into the match, Foreman was a 4-1 favourite to beat Ali. And yet, Ali won. How?! Rather than engage in trying to match Foreman blow-for-blow in the centre of the ring, Ali leaned back on the ropes in a defensive position for much of the early rounds and let Foreman tire himself out trying to punch through, a strategy Ali called “rope-a-dope.” As Foreman tired, he let down his guard and Ali was able to knock him out in the eighth round.

My major point, however, is that we should make like Muhammed Ali – practise some rope-a-dope and let Trump punch himself out. He is furiously swinging in multiple directions right now – at China, Europe, Ukraine, the domestic culture war, and everything else. Rather than one boxing match, he has taken on many simultaneously.  There is evidence that the U.S. economy may be stalling. Trump’s actions are damaging business confidence in the U.S., and if the tariffs remain in place American households and businesses will see higher costs. This has already begun to cost him politically. And the cost will grow the longer his tariffs remain in place.

This is an instructive metaphor for Canada’s response to Donald Trump’s tariff threats.  We should be fighting like Ali, but we are fighting like Frazier.

VANCOUVER — The Forest Innovation & Bioeconomy Conference (FIBC 2025) returns May 6-8, 2025, at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, bringing together industry, researchers, policymakers, investors, and First Nations leaders to explore the future of forest sector innovation. Hosted by the B.C. Ministry of Forests, the University of British Columbia’s BioProducts Institute, and Foresight Canada, this international event will focus on forest product innovation, diversification, and the commercialization of high value bioproducts. Early Bird Registration – Save by registering early by March 31, 2025.

Key Highlights

• Lab-to-Market: The Pathway to Commercialization
• Horizon Europe & Canada Collaboration
• Europe Bioeconomy Cluster Development
• B.C.’s Forest Bioeconomy & Sector Diversification .
• Business to Business Matchmaking

The U.S. Commerce Department today announced new preliminary anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber imports of 20%. …The duties won’t become final until August, when final determinations are expected to be made. …The new preliminary duties is just the first shot across the bow in what is expected to be a nasty trade war, with additional tariffs that may be layered on top of duties. …Anti-dumping and countervailing duties have been in place on Canadian softwood lumber at varying levels since 2017, following the expiration of the last softwood lumber agreement in 2015. The duties on Canadian softwood lumber have been effective in shrinking Canada’s market share… from about 35% in 2016, to about 24% as of the end of 2024.

…Duties are held by the U.S. Treasury, pending appeals through trade tribunals like the World Trade Organization. In total, Canadian forestry companies have paid a total of $10 billion in duties since 2017. Canada is currently appealing the duties through the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA). Tariffs, on the other hand, are border taxes. In principle, it’s the buyer – the importer – who has to pay the tax, which means American buyers will have to pay more for Canadian lumber. …In practice, however, exporters may have to eat some of those taxes in order to preserve market share. “They’re going to be able to pass on two-thirds of the tariff because supply and demand is going to be tight,” said Russ Taylor. “I think individual companies are going to do their own thing. I think some may actually go off the market, and wait and see what happens to the price. There’s always going to be some company out there that’s will to cut the price to get an order today and keep running.”

• Canadian Press, Ashley Joannou: U.S. plans to nearly triple anti-dumping duty on Canadian softwood as tariffs loom