BC Government Hopes to Expand Value-Added Wood Manufacturing Through Collaboration

The British Columbia Provincial Government recently announced that in partnership with the BC First Nations Forestry Council, the BC Value-Added Wood Coalition, and the Council of Forest Industries, it will be hosting accelerator tables to bring together First nations, value-added manufacturers, and forest licensees to develop joint solutions to sustain, grow, and diversify BC’s value-added sector.

The focus of the meetings is to increase the flow of fiber that manufacturers rely on and find ways to expand local production of high-value wood products for BC and international markets.

The Province says expanding local production of higher-value wood products creates family-supporting jobs, supports thriving local economies, and ensures BC gets the most value from harvested trees. A strong value-added manufacturing industry diversifies the forestry sector, buffering against global market challenges.

Accelerator tables will continue to meet through winter 2024 to focus on solutions for key themes identified in the initial sessions and will conclude with a series of recommendations to support expanding the value-added manufacturing sector.

The value-added accelerators are the next step in a series of programs the Province has introduced to support the growth of value-added manufacturing in BC. In January, the Ministry of Forests introduced a new Value-Added Manufacturing Program, run by BC Timber Sales, to establish a dedicated fiber supply for small and medium-sized manufacturers.

To support the upgrading and retrofitting of mills to produce more value-added products, the Province introduced the BC Jobs Manufacturing Fund, with a $180 million investment.