Premier David Eby has released the following statement after meeting with Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada.

“I had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Carney where we discussed shared priorities for British Columbia and the federal government. Our conversation focused on solutions for many of the issues facing the people we serve: from U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s attacks on our softwood lumber industry, to a national transportation corridor for goods and services, to expediting major projects and affordable housing. It is clear B.C.’s interests support Canada as a whole.  

“The prime minister and I spoke about building more housing with B.C. mass timber. At a time when Canadian forestry exports are facing an escalation in an ongoing trade war, we welcome an opportunity to meet the growing domestic and international demand for value-added wood products.

“The American president’s renewed assault on our forestry sector needs the same Team Canada response as the manufacturing and auto industry jobs in Ontario and Quebec. The prime minister confirmed his understanding of the seriousness of the softwood issue and his commitment to work with us to address it proactively. The Team Canada approach is one B.C. supports, and it is our expectation other provinces will support us, too.

“No matter the result of the federal election, we need a federal government that is ready to help address bottlenecks in our transportation corridor to get our goods to market, as well as expand training to build a highly skilled workforce. Any successful trade diversification strategy for Canada hinges on our success as a province. I feel the prime minister is fully engaged on these critical issues.

“We live in the best province in the best country in the world. By working together, we can meet any challenge that comes our way.”