At the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM), Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) announced its strong support for the Ministers’ commitment to strengthen Canada’s forest sector through a renewed national vision.
The CCFM meeting is an annual gathering of Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers responsible for forestry. First established in 1985, the CCFM annual meeting provides a great opportunity for political leaders from across Canada to come together to discuss forest sector challenges and opportunities, as well as to talk about current and emerging forestry-related issues and trends across the country.
FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor, who presented to the CCFM delegation, was pleased with what he heard coming out of this week’s meetings.
“Any time you have political leaders from not only different parts of the country, but also from different political parties, come together and align on key priorities like accelerating innovation, improving sector competitiveness, supporting the expansion of trade, and doing more to keep our communities safe from fire, it is a great message to send to our forestry workers, our investors, and our forestry communities from coast to coast,” said Nighbor.
“Canada can be proud of our reputation of being among the best in the world in how carefully and responsibly we manage our forests, how we are leaders in supporting the move to a greener economy, and how we are sustaining and creating good-paying jobs that support hundreds of thousands of families across the country. This week’s CCFM meetings affirmed the potential of made-in-Canada forestry to be bigger and better, and the political will from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador to get more done,” he added.
Canada’s forest products sector, like other natural resource sectors in Canada, is subject to among the most stringent rules and regulations in the world. The quality of Canadian forest products and the responsible way in which we manage our forests in Canada are key advantages for our sector in many key markets around the world.
In order to realize our full potential in the cleaner and greener economy, and in order to increase the levels of strategic investment in Canadian forestry businesses and in our forestry workers, we need governments to create a business climate that provides greater certainty and predictability related to the legislation, regulations, and policies we work under – especially on issues where there is overlap between federal and provincial jurisdictions.
“Canada’s forest products sector has the potential to broaden our global reach of traditional forest products, and to be a world leader in the expanding bioeconomy. We also have the opportunity to do more to bring about greater social and economic opportunities for Indigenous communities and to families across rural and northern Canada,” said Nighbor. “We look forward to working with CCFM and governments across the country in the weeks and months ahead so we can unleash this potential and make some even greater things happen for our environment and our economy,” he concluded.