Earlier today, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, presented the federal government’s fall economic statement in the House of Commons.
In response, below is a statement from Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) President and CEO, Derek Nighbor:
“Two things are abundantly clear. First, real economic recovery cannot take place until we have a safe and effective vaccine deployed to Canadians. Second, to set the stage for that recovery, the federal government needs to continue to work closely with Canadian businesses and workers on a plan that supports job growth and meets the practical, everyday needs of working families – whether they are living in downtown Montreal or northern BC.
Tree planting is just the beginning of the important work in our sector. Managing Canada’s forests so they grow to be healthy and resilient is critical in our changing climate. Sustainable forest management helps us keep northern communities safer from fire, keeps our air and water clean, and produces wood products and wood-based bioproducts that create family-supporting jobs and lowers Canada’s carbon footprint.
Canada is home to among the most-sustainably managed forests in the world, global leading forestry innovation and product development, and a workforce that is 230,000 strong and committed to driving a green recovery that will lift rural and northern Canada up.
Today, our industry has 140 capital investment projects across the country that are ready-to-go – worth over $1.5 billion. These projects can safeguard and grow Canadian jobs, improve our ability to win on the global stage, and fast-track our move to a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. We look forward to working with the federal government to build a recovery that lasts and one that can chart a new and exciting path for our workforce and forestry communities across the country.”
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FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $73.6-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 12 per cent of Canada’s manufacturing GDP and is one of Canada’s largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.
For more information contact:
Kerry Patterson-Baker
Vice President, Communications
e : kpatterson-baker@fpac.ca
t : 613-563-1441 ext. 314
Follow us on Twitter: @FPAC_APFC
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