Press Release: B.C.’s Failing Forestry Promise Exposed

For immediate release  

Victoria, B.C. (April 8, 2025) – Shocking drone footage showing a massive cargo ship loaded with raw log exports off the coast of Vancouver Island has gone viral—reigniting debate over the future of British Columbia’s (B.C.) forests and forestry jobs. Despite government promises to build a value-added forest sector, Premier David Eby continues to ship millions of cubic metres of unprocessed logs overseas—and the jobs with them.

A report from the Ministry of Forests shows B.C. exported approximately 2.75 million cubic metres of raw logs in 2024—an 8.7% increase over 2023. This comes as mills across B.C. have shuttered, with industry citing a lack of fibre—a shortage worsened by the very logs leaving the province.

And now, B.C.’s struggling forest industry could soon face another blow: the U.S. announced plans to double the current softwood lumber duty to 34.45%. Eby called the move “an attack on forest workers and all British Columbians,” and met with Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday.

“This is a wake-up call,” says Pacific Wild co-founder Ian McAllister. “B.C. is exporting its forests, its jobs, and its future. This crisis is a chance for Premier Eby to finally reform our failing forestry system, reduce dependence on the U.S., and secure a future for both communities and forests.”

Starting in the early 2000s, B.C. intensified raw log exports—eventually stripping jobs and investment from local communities while benefiting large corporations. In 2017,  the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that B.C. was exporting an unprecedented average of 6.5 million cubic metres of raw logs annually over the previous four years. The analysis estimated that processing those logs locally could have created 3,650 jobs in lumber, pulp, and paper manufacturing.

Logs from old-growth forests were also part of the export stream, but in recent years, the government has deferred logging in some old-growth areas and amended lumber regulations to require mills in the Interior of B.C. to fully manufacture cedar and cypress before export.

“It’s not enough,” says Karen McAllister, Executive Director of Pacific Wild. “Deferrals and small regulatory tweaks won’t save what little remains of our ancient forests. Banning raw log exports and investing in value-added wood manufacturing is the obvious step—not just for protecting forests but for rebuilding a future for forest-dependent communities. The government must rise to the moment—B.C.’s forests and people are depending on it.”