B.C. Premier David Eby says he is frustrated that help for the province’s softwood lumber industry was not included in the federal government’s $1.5-billion relief package for tariff-hit industries.
On Monday, the federal government rolled out a series of fresh relief measures worth $1.5 billion for Canada’s tariff-hit steel, aluminum and copper tariffs, ministers Melanie Joly and Evan Solomon said.
The U.S. currently imposes a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, along with a 50 per cent tariff on certain copper products from Canada.
Eby told reporters on Monday that he tried to find the information on softwood lumber, but discovered it was once again left off the list as a tariff-affected industry.
“I don’t know what it’s going to take really to get the bureaucrats and the ministers in Ottawa to recognize that softwood lumber employs more people in Canada than steel and auto parts combined,” Eby added.
“It is a massive industry. In British Columbia, it is being decimated by completely unfair tariffs out of the United States, which includes tariffs on value-added products.”
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Eby said in November that he was confident that the federal government understands the importance of the logging industry to communities both large and small across the province.
He said on Monday that he is going to continue to push to raise the federal government’s awareness around softwood lumber and its crucial role in Canada’s economy.
“My sincere hope is that softwood is so important that they’re preparing a fully separate, comprehensively funded announcement, but my sneaking suspicion is that yet again a core industry for Canadians has been left off the list and I struggle to understand why,” Eby added.
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Joly said that because the tariffs are different and they affect industries differently, the relief packages also have to be different.
But Eby said he still struggles to understand why softwood gets treated so differently from those other industries.
“It has been the case that the softwood tariffs have been around for a long time and the industry has struggled with the Americans on this for many decades now, and there may be a sense of complacency about that as a result in Ottawa,” Eby said.
“We have worse access right now to the U.S. market than Europe, than Russia. And as a result, those two markets are sending more wood into the United States than Canada is right now. It makes absolutely no sense.”
Eby said he wants to see the federal government priortize discussions of softwood lumber in the trade negotiations and to recognize how much of an impact the tariffs are having.
You can’t complain about softwood lumber industry and block the pipeline from going thru…enough of the GREEN rant…we are a country going downward very quickly, we need to be selling ALL of our resources not just lumber. Get a deal DONE already and make life for the “common joe” (or jane) more affordable on both sides of the border
I wonder if BC’s Premier being a stickler on pipelines. Seriously, if the premier was serious then he would not be the roadblock to oil pipelines. Let’s be serious people. You can’t have your cake and eat it. BC’s Premier understandably wants to see lumber part of a deal, but if he’s really serious about jobs as he States then he shouldn’t be blocking oil pipeline jobs and perhaps the government represent BC’s lumber industry.
Maybe the softwood lumber is not included because they have by choice not processed the logs but rather just clear-cut which they’ve done for as long as I’ve been on this piece of Canadian Earth. Why don’t you start processing more and perhaps then you would be part of that list but even more importantly right now why don’t you just let the US beg for your Lumber. I’m sure it’ll work out. You’re also intertwined in your corporate structure that to be subsidized would be like cutting a check to Trump
BC’s softwood is not on Ottawa’s tariff relief list because Ottawa doesn’t give a **** about western provinces.
Ottawa disburses less money per capita to Alberta than every other province. 2nd-lowest province is BC. It’s not just a coincidence that Ottawa neglects the 2 westernmost provinces more than every other province.
Prime example of why Alberta has a referendum coming up on Oct 19.
It’s because the primer of British Columbia won’t play ball with Danielle Smith and The prime minister over Alberta oil though bc
If Eby cannot understand softwood and DRIPA. He really has no business being premier. Maybe he should take cap in hand to the Co-premier and ask Teegee for some financial assistance for dealing with the chugs lumber
Raise hell i would
Because Eby is a pencil necked soy boy and Carney lost his elbows
Because Eby is a pencil necked soy boy and Carney lost his elbow
Nice blame game Eby. The tariffs were just the last straw. With all these different groups demanding government facilitated consultation, concessions and consent, the private industry began packing its bags ten years ago. For the NDP to start pointing its finger at the Feds now is just cringe worthy.
Of course we have a bunch of ignorant Conservatives blaming the Liberal government and First Nations because they’re too stupid to understand how insignificant BC’s soft lumber industry is to the big picture. And of course a bunch of racist clowns are going to blame First Nations because they need some sort of minority to blame to boost their own pathetic insecurity issues. Also it’s so funny to watch these Conservative in BC instantly cross the floor and support Eby when he says something that they agree with. Further proof that Conservatives in BC are just a bunch of spineless goofs. Driven by ignorance and racism. Nothing more nothing less
because BC does not matter to the central east
Here’s something for Eby to understand. Directly and indirectly Forestry and Logging employed 36,393 people in Canada in 2025. Mining, Quarrying and OIL & Gas employed 218,386. Oil pipelines and oil production is good for Canada Eby. Get your mind around that. Look at the bigger picture Eby.
Bc was the first province to get funding support a year ago, but has its hand out again!!
There is a lot here we all don’t understand anymore with this NDP government. They have lost complete control of governing this province.
Given I agree with the vast majority of the comments below I guess there is not much else to add.
Hopefully in the near future all this virtue signalling ends and the next government actually decides to represent the will of the people for once. Enough of this pandering to the FNs. What can be voted in can be voted out. ( In this case even the FN and Eby are afraid to bring DRIPA to a vote because they know 90% of the MLAs want to amend, suspend, or outright repeal it.)
well that’s what happens when you continually elect environmental to run your province.
The bc government is what killed the industry. What good would a tax funded handout do anyways.
Softwood isnt getting any handout because the problem is almost entirely the provinces fault. Sure tarrifs are having an effect but BC shot itself in the foot years ago. Now they want the feds to pay for BCs inept handling of the resource. Sounds like the fns are rubbing off on the province. Get another whitey to pay.
Eby can’t understand much period .
You help the tree huggers destroy that industry over years, dont want to let pipe lines being built no new ports on coast now you want help from feds, maybe ask the Indians for help…..bunch of dopes
Quit being such a wimp Eby and deal with Carney on his terms.
You know,”Elbows Up”. Pull his shirt over his head and go full Kangaroo on him.
Don’t worry David Eby, Carney flip flops faster than you.
Because the NDP has diminished the BC forest industry to almost nothing. Why would the federal government care about our forest industry,.when the provincial government doesn’t?
Perhaps because the raw log export quota has been substantially increased for 2026?
Simple. The Liberals only concern themselves about Ontario and Quebec. It does not bother them that other industries and businesses are suffering from tariffs. As long as their voter base is given our money…
Carney is trying his best, like Trudeau, to break up Canada. It is so sad because he just might do it.
It’s because we are from the west
He can’t understand? No surprise eh?.
That’s because even if there were no tariffs, no business or investor in their rights wants to deal with all BAS consultation or wants to bribe the FN chiefs for their “consent”.
Should be obvious by now.
Why would they. Thanks to DRIPA he has given control to the “F” N
The forest industry’s problems are squarely on the back of the BCNDP… yet they will still steal the forest industry workers hard earned union dues….
Because handouts are for buying votes. Ontario amd Quebec have been enough to keep libs in power since 2015 so the money goes there.
Also BC starting to give a more blue impression lately so he’s buying east coast instead and hoping lumber can take a hit to save supply management for Quebec seats.
F U global propaganda network…You could write a book about the things Eby doesn’t understand…stop posting state sponsored lies so quickly
It’s sad that the only time we the taxpayers and voters have a chance to see the disastrous, true state of ndp/liberal incompetence, corruption, and infighting is when they are at cross purposes with one another.
Hey Eby, DRIPA says its not YOUR WOOD. So whats the problem. Get rid of DRIPA might be a solution so long as your co-premier agrees