Business View Magazine | July 2022

22 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 A significant concern for all lumber and timber industry parties is how they can access forest resources and transport them efficiently to the next step in the supply chain. “One of the biggest challenges is that we were constrained when it comes to being able to move raw wood materials during the spring season,” says Young. This season usually last 8-10 weeks. Another challenge facing the forestry industry in Canada is a shortage of skilled labor, which has more to do with social changes than it has to do with economic changes. Young explains, “Like most traditional industries, our industry’s workforce is aging. In the past few years, we’ve seen more of the older generation decide to step away, leaving a fairly significant gap in knowledge and skilled workforce, especially in the more skilled manual jobs like trucking and heavy equipment operators.” The labor gap has created opportunities for Full service aerial applications company. Serving both agricultural and forestry needs. (519) 227-4091 Spray Application • Fertilizers • Aerial Seeding Another pandemic effect is the significant rise in lumber prices, occasioned by high demand and limited supplies. Although this has negatively affected downstream industries like furniture and timber, Young says it has been a boon for the lumber industry because there is more demand for harvesting and renewal services. Through its affiliate members, DFMC works with larger sawmills and pulp mills like Weyerhaeuser in Kenora, the Domtar pulp mill in Dryden, and Resolute Forest Products sawmill in Ignace, among others. According to Young, “These represent our main purchasing partners who buy from our local contractors.” In addition to lumber and pulp supplies, other company shareholders are in reforestation, while smaller ones deal in small-scale or specialty lumber production.