The co-chair of a federal task force on Canada's forest industry is calling for urgent action to ensure a bright future for the sector, as British Columbia's lumber exports continue to decline sharply.
Task force recommendations
Ken Kalesnikoff, who co-led the task force with Quebec industry veteran Frederic Verreault, emphasized that the industry faces significant challenges. The task force's recommendations, released Wednesday by Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson at a meeting of provincial forest ministers in Langford on Vancouver Island, include pushing provinces to reform regulations and transition to land-area based licensing.
“It’s a really tough place to be doing business, Canada is right now,” Kalesnikoff said. “And we’ve got to really correct that. People aren’t going to invest in an industry that doesn’t have a secure, cost competitive fibre supply.”
B.C.'s export decline
The urgency of the situation is underscored by recent trade figures. The value of B.C.'s lumber exports between January and March dropped by 40 per cent to just $742 million, compared with $1.2 billion for the same period a year ago. By volume, shipments were down 21 per cent over the same period.
“So, as far as things go right now, short term, (there’s) pain, and I’m really concerned,” Kalesnikoff said.
Industry pressure for reforms
Over the past year, leaders in B.C.'s forest industry have pushed Forest Minister Ravi Parmar to move faster on promised reforms. In April, the Council of Forest Industry warned that the industry faces another round of mill closures. Kalesnikoff acknowledged that the ministry is moving in the right direction, but noted internal government disagreements complicate progress.
“But it’s not easy and inside government you have different opinions on what we should be doing and not doing,” he added.
Provincial differences
Kalesnikoff highlighted that each province faces unique challenges. He pointed to New Brunswick as a model, where intensive management produces twice the amount of timber per hectare available for harvest compared to B.C., while also addressing conservation and biodiversity needs.
“They just seem to have their act a little more together,” Kalesnikoff said.
Path forward
Despite the challenges, Kalesnikoff expressed optimism that the compromises needed to make Canada's timber more competitive are achievable. The task force's recommendations are broken into short-term measures to stabilize the industry to 2030 and longer-term transformations by 2050.
“We’re truly trying to do the right thing and we have some fantastic foresters out there and forestry people that are really trying to accommodate (conservation),” Kalesnikoff said.
