Ep. 622: Forestry’s path to recovery
Guest: Ken Kalesnikoff (Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force)
“Canada’s forest sector is at an inflection point. Despite stewarding nearly 9% of the world’s forests and delivering over 199,000 direct jobs in 300 forest-reliant communities, and $23.5 billion in GDP, the sector is no longer globally competitive nor an attractive destination for large-scale investment,” states the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force.
The Task Force report goes on to state, “Over the past two decades, Canada has experienced declining production, capital flight, prolonged mill closures, and weakened investor and workforce confidence – trends not observed in peer forest nations such as Finland.”
The report acknowledges sustained U.S. softwood lumber duties, global market shifts, insect outbreaks, and wildland fire have exacerbated industry challenges. The Task Force’s conclusion is unequivocal: “The most significant barriers to competitiveness are homegrown. Absent immediate, coordinated, and decisive action, the forest sector faces an existential risk.”
We invited Ken Kalesnikoff, Co-Chair of the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a path to recovery in the forestry sector.
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