Wednesday November 26, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted 9:55 pm | Updated 11:04 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“We’re very thankful for the federal government — for their announcement, said BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar today.
The federal government “participated in a forestry summit a couple of weeks ago“, said Parmar, where he said that federal ministers and others heard at that November 3 summit “very loudly from Premier Eby and myself the need for them to step up and provide more supports”.
Parmar was addressing national media on CTV about this, following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement about lumber sector supports that include a range of detailed and creative approaches to both protecting and boosting the forest sector and its workers.
“We’re very pleased that they have stepped up to provide more supports. This is a good start in stabilizing the sector,” said Minister Parmar today.
Parmar said that Premier Eby is taking leadership for the forest sector nationally, as well as in BC. “This announcement is a direct result of his leadership,” said Parmar who is an up and coming MLA in the BC Legislature — formerly coached in his legislative career by the late former premier John Horgan.
There is now a “substantive increase” in the loan guarantee program and supports for workers increasing as well in the form of EI supports.
[See details of the lumber sector supports which are supported by both the BC Council of Forest Industries and the BC Lumber Trade Council]
“But we are looking forward to the continued conversation with the federal government on the need to transform the forest sector to diversify to ensure we’re never put in this position ever again,” said Parmar.
The prime minister said that presently about 90 percent of Canada’s forest products are exported to the United States, and wants to see that change.
Parmar says that conversation with various forest sector companies are happening daily.
Federal BC Liberal input:
BC Liberal MPs have evidently provided strong leadership on the today’s announcement from the Prime Minister.
“It not only reflects the work of our BC Liberal Caucus but our Prime Minister’s strong commitment to the success of BC and its forestry industry!,” said Liberal MP Stephanie McLean (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke) in social media today.
“We will continue to work with the Province to ensure action is being taken at every level of government to support BCs forestry sector through these uncertain economic times,” said McLean.
Tomorrow’s federal announcement:
Tomorrow in Calgary, Prime Minister Carney will be announcing about a Memorandum of Understanding between the federal government and Alberta regarding a potential oil pipeline from Alberta across the north of British Columbia to tidewater.
===== RELATED:
- COFI: federal lumber support effectiveness will depend on speed & efficiency (November 26, 2025)
- Strengthening steel and lumber sectors during Canada’s economic transition (November 26, 2025)
- BC softwood lumber summit: provincial-federal cooperation & faster funds (November 3, 2025)
- Softwood lumber duties & tariffs now 45%; Eby calls for federal urgency to support the sector (October 14, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: 45th PARLIAMENT of CANADA | MAJOR NATIONAL PROJECTS | FORESTRY | TRADE DIVERSIFICATION | BC NDP