Derek Nighbor

New US tariffs on Canadian wood and paper products are pushing forestry companies into mill closures and cost-cutting, but health and safety will not be where the industry cuts corners, says Derek Nighbor, CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Wood Council (CWC). …”British Columbia for sure is a region that has been hit really, really hard by mill closures, and that takes a toll on mental health and how people are feeling in the industry,” he said. “It takes a toll on the ability to recruit and retain people in the industry as they’re seeing nothing but bad news.” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced a $7.5-billion relief package on August 25. Nighbor said roughly $3.5 billion of that is aimed at measures to keep workers connected to their employers, shorter Employment Insurance (EI) waits for those who lose their jobs, and retraining funds.