National

B.C. forests minister says Trump tariffs could be 'devastating' to sector

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Jan, 2025 04:03 PM

B.C.'s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says U.S. softwood lumber duties and president-elect Donald Trump's threatened tariffs could be "devastating" to the province's forestry sector.

He says the province needs to bring a "team B.C. and a team Canada" approach to fighting the duties.

Parmar, speaking in Prince George where the government announced $5.1 million in capital support for the forest sector, says the federal government needs to step up and help the industry get back on its feet in B.C.

Today, @Diana_Gibson_BC and I announced the Government of BC is investing $5.1M from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund towards seven forest-sector capital projects and five planning projects in communities throughout the province. pic.twitter.com/5dAd0P0mtB
— Ravi Parmar (@rparmar_BC) January 15, 2025

The funding announcement, through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, aims to support seven capital projects as well as five planning projects.

B.C.'s timber industry has suffered numerous mill closures in recent years, involving the loss of thousands of jobs.

Jobs Minister Diana Gibson says diversifying the economy is a way of fighting back against the threat of U.S. tariffs by making the province less reliant on north-south trade.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Review of B.C. refinery stench says cold snap triggered series of events

Parkland Corp. has released a review into an unplanned shutdown of its Burnaby, B.C., refinery in January that blanketed parts of Metro Vancouver with a foul stench. The review released last week says unusually cold weather triggered a series of events leading to the release of a noxious odour that generated more than 100 complaints from residents.

Review of B.C. refinery stench says cold snap triggered series of events

Man sentenced in child pornography

A New Westminster man has been sentenced to 10 months in jail after pleading guilty to possession child pornography. Police say 51-year-old Scott Harrison was originally arrested in April 2020 after officers begun investigating a case of child porn being uploaded onto the Internet.

Man sentenced in child pornography

VPD says one man dead, another's hand cut off, in stranger attacks

Vancouver police say a man has been arrested after a pair of "unprovoked stranger attacks" in the city's downtown that left one man dead and severed another victim's hand. Chief Constable Adam Palmer says police believe the early morning attacks near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre were "completely random," and that such incidents "shake our collective sense of comfort and safety."

VPD says one man dead, another's hand cut off, in stranger attacks

'The deal is done:' NDP Leader pulls out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has "ripped up" the supply and confidence deal with the Liberals that helped keep the minority government in power. In a video posted Wednesday afternoon, Singh said he notified Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the decision.

'The deal is done:' NDP Leader pulls out of supply and confidence deal with Liberals

Two men dead after small plane crashes at northern Alberta airport

Mounties say two men are dead after a small plane crashed at an airport in a northwestern Alberta. The plane went down Tuesday on the grounds of the Peace River Airport. RCMP say a 30-year-old man who had been living Manning, Alta., and a 27-year-old resident of Australia died at the scene.

Two men dead after small plane crashes at northern Alberta airport

Statistics Canada says country posted $684M merchandise trade surplus in July

Statistics Canada says the country posted a merchandise trade surplus of $684 million in July. The result compared with a revised deficit of $179 million in June. The initial reading for June had shown a surplus of $638 million.