Source coverage: Tree Frog Forestry News (Kelly McCloskey, Editor)
The final day of the 2026 BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Convention in Vancouver served as a candid reckoning for a sector facing unprecedented structural change. If the first day was defined by the sobering reality of 15,000 lost jobs and 21 mill closures, Day 2 was about the specific, shared prescription for recovery. From the JW Marriott Parq floor, delegates heard from opposition leaders, global analysts, and the premier himself, all converging on a single necessity: restoring predictability to British Columbia’s forests.
A brink of collapse warning from the Official Opposition
Trevor Halford, interim leader of the Official Opposition, set a sharp tone for the morning session, framing the sector’s struggle as a direct consequence of domestic policy failures. While global factors like U.S. softwood lumber duties are significant, Halford argued that the “deeper structural domestic issues” have been neglected.
“The breakdown of one link in the supply chain affects the entire chain,” Halford told the crowd, noting that harvest levels have plummeted 40 per cent in just five years. He reframed the crisis as a provincial issue rather than a rural one, pointing out that one in four forestry jobs is based in the Lower Mainland. “Too many politicians in Victoria have forgotten that the Lower Mainland prospers because of the work done in the bush, in the mills, and on the coast.”
The Alberta contrast and competitive disadvantage
A data-heavy panel on the forest economy provided a stark comparison between B.C. and its neighbours. Hamir Patel, a forest products analyst at CIBC, noted that break-even costs for lumber in B.C. are roughly $100 higher than in Alberta. The panel highlighted a striking migration of capital; over a decade-long period, Western Canada saw 6.7 billion board feet of capacity closures, while the U.S. South added 9.5 billion board feet.
Jason Krips, CEO of the Alberta Forest Products Association, suggested that B.C. could learn from Alberta’s “Love Alberta Forests” campaign, which has bolstered public approval for the sector. “Capital follows returns and avoids uncertainty,” added analyst Claire Huxtable, echoing a sentiment felt throughout the convention.
Resilience in the value chain and workforce
The “Value Chain” panel explored the move toward regional clusters—models that bring together First Nations, communities, and manufacturers to share secure fibre supplies. Nick Arkle, CEO of Gorman Group, emphasized that this isn’t about subsidies but about “creating the conditions for success at a local level.”
However, technology and clusters only work with a workforce, and Todd Chamberlain of the Interior Logging Association warned of a looming demographic crisis. With some log truck operators working into their 70s, Chamberlain called for formal trades designations for equipment operators. “Logging contractors are inherently adaptable,” he said, but the pipeline of younger workers is simply not keeping pace.
Bridging science and Indigenous knowledge
One of the day’s most compelling sessions was a fireside chat between Dr. Jill Harvey, Canada Research Chair in Fire Ecology, and Leonard Joe, CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council. Harvey presented tree-ring data showing that prior to industrial-era fire suppression, B.C. forests thrived on a 15-to-25-year fire cycle managed by Indigenous knowledge.
“Fuel-laden landscapes contain fibre,” Harvey observed, suggesting that wildfire mitigation and fibre supply could be addressed simultaneously. Joe closed with a powerful reframe of the convention’s “Forestry is a Solution” theme: “If forestry is a solution, then forestry is a responsibility.”
Seeking predictability through the working forest model
A panel of chief foresters discussed the implementation of “triad” management—dividing forests into intensive, extensive, and protected zones. Christian Messier, a professor at the University of Quebec, warned that such models must be built from the bottom up to avoid the failures seen in other jurisdictions.
Cheryl Hodder of Canfor highlighted the disconnect between current harvest targets, noting a gap between the official Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) of 60 million cubic metres and the budget projection of 29 million. “Resolving that gap requires a long-term public policy commitment backed by political will,” she said.
Premier Eby and the path to 45
The convention concluded with a keynote from Premier David Eby, who committed to a “working forest” model—designated areas where economic development is certain. Eby addressed the friction surrounding the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), noting that while the Act is vital for reconciliation, recent court rulings had created “unworkable uncertainty” that the province is moving to stabilize.
Eby also challenged the federal government to prioritize the softwood lumber dispute in trade negotiations. “Forestry is bigger than steel and bigger than auto parts in terms of impact on Canadian GDP,” Eby told the delegates. He identified three metrics for his government’s success by next year: advancing the working forest model, progressing on trade diversification with India and China, and securing federal support on softwood lumber.
By the time the final gavel fell on Day 2, the message was clear: the trees are still there, but the industry’s survival depends on a fundamental shift in how B.C. manages its most iconic resource.
Ian Biana writes for the Resource Works Accelerate team and can be reached at [email protected]. Reporting with AI tools from the 2026 COFI Convention, JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, April 9–10, 2026. Source coverage: Tree Frog Forestry News (Kelly McCloskey, Editor).
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