Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, has released the following statement on the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM):

“This week, I met with federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers from across Canada to discuss shared priorities, challenges and emerging opportunities for Canada’s forestry sector.

“It’s an honour to take on the role of incoming chair of the CCFM for the upcoming year. I want to thank the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture for Newfoundland and Labrador, for her leadership over the past year.

“As British Columbia’s minister of forests, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of working together across jurisdictions to strengthen Canada’s forest sector in the face of persistent and new challenges. From global trade dynamics and U.S. tariffs, to ever-intensifying wildfire seasons and shifting labour markets, these challenges don’t stop at provincial or territorial boundaries, and neither can our solutions.

“My priority will always be to put people first. Whether it’s protecting their homes from wildfire, adding more local jobs or ensuring forestry continues to be a source of pride and prosperity for our rural, remote and First Nations communities, this work must be rooted in the well-being of people. Together with my colleagues across the country, I look forward to scaling up our wildfire response, including expanded aerial firefighting capacity, and accelerating reforestation efforts, like B.C.’s commitment to planting hundreds of millions of trees.

“The ongoing threat of U.S. softwood lumber tariffs continues to unfairly impact workers, families and communities in Canada. As the new chair, I’m committed to working with the federal government and my counterparts across Canada to push back against these unjust trade actions and advocate for a long-term deal that will ensure that B.C. and Canadian forestry businesses can compete on a level playing field. We will continue to expand our market access through trade diversification, opening new doors for Canadian wood products, advancing innovation in value-added wood manufacturing and strengthening our global competitiveness.

“I’m grateful to my provincial and territorial colleagues for their ongoing commitment to this work, and I look forward to building on the CCFM’s legacy of collaboration as we move forward, together.”