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. 

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.”