Statement from FPAC on the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Recommendations to Government
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomes the release of the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson’s announcements to strengthen Canada’s forest sector and prospects for forest sector employees across the country.
Minister Hodgson’s messages today were clear about moving from ‘advice to action’ and the need for a coordinated federal-provincial approach to bring stability, improve competitiveness, and attract more investment to Canadian forestry. On a priority basis, this means working to restore fibre predictability through regulatory modernization and creating the conditions for companies to modernize mill operations for the future.
The timing of the release of the Task Force report, concurrent to federal government efforts to get major projects built and improve Canada’s transportation supply chains, presents a unique opportunity to address the structural barriers that have been hurting families and communities depending on forestry and sustainable resource development across the country.
"The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force has provided federal and provincial decision-makers with a thoughtful playbook. The 200,000 employees in our sector want to see that the federal government has their backs and is committed to real change to protect and grow jobs and investments into Canada’s forest industry. Today’s announcement has been well received,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC. "This is the most robust federal government response we’ve seen in years to the core issues holding our industry back. We appreciate the leadership of Minister Hodgson and Parliamentary Secretary Corey Hogan and their commitment to deliver results for the long-term,” Nighbor added.
FPAC also welcomed improvements to the BDC loan guarantee program and other programming to provide stability to the sector and its people during this challenging time.
FPAC looks forward to what comes out of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) meetings in Victoria this week as we build a national plan to move Canada’s forest sector from decline to growth.
Read more:
• We Grow to Build Canada: A Forest Sector Action Plan for Canada’s Government
About FPAC
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry, we contributed $19.9B in real GDP in 2025.
Canada's forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers—providing nearly 200,000 direct jobs and operating in hundreds of communities across the country. Our members are committed to collaborating with Indigenous leaders, government bodies, and other key stakeholders to develop across-Canada action plan aimed at advancing forest health, while supporting workers, communities and our environment for the long term.
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