Smart Future: A Path Forward for B.C.’s Forest Products Industry
Susan Yurkovich
British Columbia is a world leader in sustainable forestry, and our forest sector is one of the most significant economic drivers, supporting 140,000 jobs in 140 communities around the province.
Today, however, there is no question that the forest sector is an industry in transition in B.C.
An array of market and operating challenges, along with a structural shift in the availability and cost of the forestry resource, are creating significant headwinds and forcing difficult decisions which are impacting workers and communities.
There has been a lot of public discussion on how to address these challenges … including a protest by a convoy of 240 logging trucks that travelled thousands of miles to downtown Vancouver to loudly raise awareness of the troubling times faced by the forest industry.
The questions people are asking are: What is causing this crisis? What can be done about it? And, what does the future look like for forestry in B.C.?
Susan Yurkovich, President & CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries, will address these questions and set out a path forward on choices we can collectively make today to ensure a bright future for the forest industry in B.C. – a future that secures jobs, delivers value, and sustains economic benefits for communities across the province.
About the Speaker
Susan Yurkovich is President and CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) - the voice of the British Columbia forest industry and member companies across the province. She also serves as President of the BC Lumber Trade Council, representing the interests of the BC forest industry on trade matters, including the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement. Born and raised in BC, Ms. Yurkovich has spent 25+ years working in the natural resource sector. She holds both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia and a Diploma in International Business from Erasmus University, Netherlands. She currently serves as a Director of Centerra Gold, Governor of the Business Council of BC, Director of Vancouver College, and a member of the Faculty Advisory Board at UBC's Sauder School of Business.
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