Economic impact report on forestry grim

Apr 8, 2026 | 4:02 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “Every day I get a phone call from an employer, and the first thing that comes to my mind is, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose another operation.’ And right now we’re probably down to about half the membership we were, a number of years ago.”

That’s the sentiment of the president of the United Steelworkers – the union representing forestry workers in northern and central B.C, Brian O’Rourke. And the numbers are startling.

Comparing data compiled from 2024 to 2026, the amount of money invested in forestry in British Columbia dropped from $15.8 billion to $14.4 billion, while the number of people employed in the sector dropped by 5,000. First Nations are acutely impacted, with 4,800 directly employed in forestry leading up to 2024. That dropped to 2,600. Meanwhile, the amount of money the industry generates for the provincial coffers dropped dramatically from $17.4 billion to just $12.8 billion.

“I’ll give you one comparison and it’s a stark one,” says o’Rourke. “We did have 13 Canfor mills within our local boundaries, and that was prior to us merging back with Williams Lake. So in the in the Prince George North area, we had 13 Canfor Mills. We now have one sawmill functioning. The Prince George sawmill here in town, as well as a nursery.”

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But the Council of Forest Industries is infinitely optimistic because – in the words of Kim Haakstad – everyone uses forestry is some fashion.

“Forest products are a climate-friendly building solution and a truly renewable resource. We know that forestry provides essential forest products that we all need in our daily lives. Builds our homes, makes toilet paper, cardboard, furniture we can’t live without, essential forest products.”

The report comes on the eve of the Council of Forest Industry convention, which include visits from the usual suspects: Premier David Eby and Forests Minister Ravi Parmar, as well as industry.

by Cheryl Jahn

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Economic impact report on forestry grim

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