By David Graham and Derek Nighbor

September 16, 2024

Welcome to our Forest Products Association of Canada–Policy magazine special issue, offering a selection of fresh insight and intelligence from Canada’s forest sector.

Today, the future of the forest sector and its more than 200,000 workers depends on the success of our ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainable development in every area of our business.

As was tragically evident from the recent personal, physical and economic devastation in Jasper, Alberta, we must better work with our forests and forested communities to mitigate the risk of more catastrophic wildfire patterns.

Canada is among the best stewards in the world in how we sustainably manage our forests for multiple values; and the work of Canada’s foresters is constantly evolving as forest health and the safety of Canadians living in forested communities is challenged by a range of factors, from worsening pest and fire outbreaks to inadequate and outdated policy.

In this dedicated, special edition of Policy, we’ve assembled top experts in their fields for their views on what forestry can – and should – look like in Canada in the years ahead.

For this journey from the forest floor right into the future, Dr. Jen Beverly of the University of Alberta starts with how government needs to create conditions for more effective ways to anticipate and manage wildfire in the years ahead.

While the severity of the impact of wildfires remains uncertain, Bryce Jones and Angelique Ahlström of Flash Forest speak to the need for policy decisions on adopting technology to help this new era. John Desjarlais, executive director of Indigenous Resource Network, reminds us that unique and innovative solutions can be found in Indigenous-led forestry practices.

Dr. Jamie Stephen, managing director of Torchlight Bioresources, explains how trees can help meet climate goals while still growing our resource-dependent economy and meeting the energy needs of our global customers.

In Forestry in The Digital Age, forestry tech experts Tom Grabowski and Alex Bilyk of Silvacom Group warn decision makers that while technology is a game-changer, there’s still no substitute for experience.

This modern era of forestry needs permanent shifts to achieve social, environmental, and economic benefits. Steve Kozuki, Executive Director of the Forest Enhancement Society of British Columbia, shows how collaboration among an array of organizations and communities produced stronger and deeper partnerships for climate-smart forestry.

If the Eiffel Tower were built today, it would be made of wood. That was the message from the 2024 Paris Olympics, which served as a showcase for the boom in mass timber structures. Dr. Bentley Allan of Johns Hopkins University and Net Zero Policy Lab, and Dr. Derek Eaton, director of future economy for the Transition Accelerator, look at how Canada’s mass timber sector is scaling for a sustainable future.

Eric Miller, principal of the Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, lays out a path to affordable housing in Canada with harvested wood products and mass timber that also provide essential environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Are you an online shopper? 3M Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Dr. Gayle Schueller explains how her company is fostering a circular economy through sustainable materials that minimize packaging waste and environmental footprints, while reconciling consumer needs and environmental impacts.

In a time of accelerated change, JP Gladu highlights the value of including Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses in resource development plans. Founder and principal of the Indigenous bridge-building consultancy Mokwateh, Gladu writes about leadership and collaboration as the keys to creating a stronger Canadian economy.

Forest industry consultant and thought leader Dr. Alice Palmer brings us perspectives on the European Union Deforestation-free Regulation and how this well-intended initiative is creating frustration and confusion, not only in Canada but around the world.

Finally, Special Advisor to the Business Council of Canada and Senior Fellow and Director of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot writes about how the current national policy framework is challenging Canadian forestry’s ability to compete and grow.

Canada’s forest sector is poised to help reduce this country’s carbon emissions, support the conservation of biodiversity, mitigate the risks of more catastrophic wildfires, and grow a greener and more innovative economy.

Now more than ever, we need the federal government’s commitment to improving policy coherence so the sector and its workers can achieve our full potential.

David Graham is board chair of Forest Products Association of Canada and president of Weyerhaeuser Company Limited.

Derek Nighbor is president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada.