Ottawa’s $6.5 billion commitment to forestry is being welcomed by B.C.’s forestry leaders, but they say more action is needed to make a considerable difference.
In a statement made on Thursday, Nov. 5, Kim Haakstad, President and CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI), says the funding announced in the federal Budget 2026 comes at a critical time for the workers, businesses, and communities dealing with the challenges the sector has been facing.
The federal investment will be delivered over a six year time period, beginning in 2027/2028. The feds say the funding is intended to help support operations, facility upgrades, and new forest product development and production.
“We look forward to working with the federal government on program details to ensure funding supports the capital investments needed to maintain existing operations, modernize facilities, and expand the development of innovative forest products,” Haakstad said in the statement.
However, she says the financial support alone is not enough to resolve, or make a dent in, the ability to stay competitive that the sector has been facing.
“A strong primary manufacturing sector is the foundation for innovation and diversification across the forest products value chain,” Haakstad says. “Keeping sawmills and pulp mills operating depends on reliable, economic access to wood. These operations provide the infrastructure, expertise, and industrial capacity needed for further processing and new investment, with sawmills playing a particularly important role in supplying the inputs that support secondary manufacturing.”
COFI is calling for Ottawa to come up with “a clear strategy” that has concrete actions and timelines that will get more wood moving, attract more investment from outside, and protect forestry jobs and the communities that rely on those as main sources of employment.
Haakstad said those actions should include: reducing regulatory duplication, streamlining permitting processes and improving coordination between federal and provincial governments.
She adds that those measures need to complement provincial efforts to improve access to affordable wood supply and restore competitiveness across BC’s forest sector.
Haakstad says Canada has the resources, expertise and innovation to become a global leader in sustainable forest products, but the right policy conditions will be needed to support forestry jobs, local communities and long-term economic growth.
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