As the B.C. and federal governments prepare relief for laid-off forest industry workers, the industry is looking past shrinking log supplies and idle sawmills to following EuropeB次元官网网址檚 path to a value-added future.
B.C. Forests Minister Doug Donaldson and Labour Minister Harry Bains are announcing assistance for laid-off forest workers Tuesday in Prince George. Mill closures, curtailments and logging shutdowns have affected 6,000 workers across B.C., after two record fire seasons, extensive beetle damage and the return of U.S. import duties.
The B.C. Council of Forest Industries has issued a report called B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址� that notes the 50-per-cent drop in annual harvest ahead for the B.C. Interior, protected areas that cover half of the land base on the coast, and rising competition in Chile, Russia and Europe.
Here's a look at the challenge for , from 's latest report
B次元官网网址� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)
Many places produce low-cost lumber, pulp and paper, the report says. It calls for lessons to be learned from Europe, and building on the success of engineered wood that has moved well past the demonstration stage in Europe as it catches on in North America.
Don Kayne is the new chair of COFI and CEO of Canfor Corp., which has extensive operations in the U.S. and recently invested in SwedenB次元官网网址檚 largest private sawmill group. Kayne said B.C. is in a similar position today to European producers 15 years ago, and Premier John HorganB次元官网网址檚 commitment to feature wood in public construction is an important step.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e seeing some brands get involved in our industry that never would have considered it before,B次元官网网址� Kayne said in an interview with Black Press. B次元官网网址淢icrosoft, Google, Sidewalk Labs, Facebook, companies that in the past would probably not have looked at lumber as a product for their training centres.B次元官网网址�
B.C. has a long history of exports to Japan, and the future looks bright in one of the more advanced markets for wood construction. A big focus there is senior housing, and hybrid steel-concrete-wood buildings. COFI also faces trade barriers, in the form of Japanese government subsidies to domestic producers.
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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really moved past two-by-four housing, especially with the demographic challenges theyB次元官网网址檙e facing, to much more diverse applications,B次元官网网址� Kayne said.
Abundant beetle-killed lumber got B.C. into the China market, used for concrete forms and seismic infill walls. Now China is a growing market for modern wood construction, with many suppliers competing.
B次元官网网址淭here are lots of opportunities, but weB次元官网网址檝e got lots of people competing for the same customers that we want to pursue in both Japan and China,B次元官网网址� said COFI president Susan Yurkovich. B次元官网网址淲e have to be a jurisdiction that can compete, and that means making sure that we have access to fibre at a reasonable cost.B次元官网网址�
Their report notes that more than half of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 forest land base is now subject to some kind of restriction, and calls for the establishment of a permanent B次元官网网址渨orking forestB次元官网网址� designation to promote long-term investment.
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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