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COFI Announces . . .
The Council of Forest Industries (COFI), out of Vancouver, BC, is pleased to announce the dates for Western Canada’s premier forest sector convention – April 2 & 3, 2014 in Kelowna, BC. This annual convention traditionally attracts over 400 delegates representing senior industry, government and customer representatives as well as elected officials from, local, provincial…
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Lumber Market Outlook 2014
Players not directly involved in forest products jumped for joy this week on seeing US housing starts solidly at more than 1 million annualized for 2013. It is now apparent to all that building in America has absolutely recovered from the terrible crash of 2006-2010. Forest industry players have known the outlook is positive since…
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Steelworkers Ratify
United Steelworkers members employed by Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA) member companies in the BC southern interior have ratified a five-year collective agreement, affecting Ainsworth, Tolko, and Weyerhaeuser, among others. The BC Interior Bargaining Committee will bring the pattern deal to the northern interior when they continue negotiations in the new year with West…
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BC Lumber Exports Jan – Oct 2013 Break Records
The value of BC’s softwood lumber exports for the first 10 months of 2013 have broken a new record, Forests Minister Steve Thomson announced December 13. To the end of October 2013, the value of total softwood lumber exports to China reached $1.17 billion — exceeding the previous record set in 2011 when softwood lumber…
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US Housing Starts and Home Sales, November
Builders broke ground on more homes in November than at any time in over five years as growing demand helped the industry overcome rising US mortgage rates. Housing starts jumped 22.7 per cent to a 1.09 million annualized rate, the most since February 2008, data from the Commerce Department showed Wednesday. Permits for future projects…
