The North Coast favorable to investments in lumber

The investments announced by the federal government in the timber sector make players of the North Shore react. Many believe that they will lend a hand to the forest sector, while others point out that uncertainty linked to the trade war with the United States will continue, despite the federal aid.

The president of the Boisaco group, Steeve St-Gelais, is satisfied with the measures announced by Mark Carney to help the forest sector, despite the work that remains to be done.

It is interesting to note that the federal government recognizes the importance of the forest sector through the initiatives that have been announced. Loan guarantees will allow the industry to keep access to the US marketspecifies the president of Boisaco.

The lumber sector is very important for our forest communities, for workers working in the sector, but also across Canada.

Steeve St-Gelais still insists that solutions will have to be brought in the long term to the challenges faced by its industry.

Persistent concerns

The forest sector is experiencing the difficulties that the mayor of Port-Cartier, Alain Thibault, explains by several factors. There are customs tariffs, relations with First Nations and forest reform, all that put together, it comes to complicate thingshe lists.

[L’aide d’Ottawa] Go be like a dressing on a boho. It will not settle everything overnight.

The mayor of Port-Cartier is optimistic that it will lend a hand to companies in the forest sector, in particular to the Arbec sawmill in Port-Cartier, closed since June. He wants investments to reopen the factory and return to work of its 178 employees.

According to the president of the North Coast MRC assembly, Marcel Furlong, the most affected region is that of the North High Côte, since most forestry companies are there.

Mr. Furlong, believes that investments are sufficient in the short term, but that other amounts will have to be invested soon. Maybe we will have to put more money in the future, but for the moment we think it’s enough.

For her part, the deputy of Côte-Nord-Kawawachikamach-Nitassinan, Marilène Gill, finds that the investments announced on August 2, have arrived late, given the precarious situation in the forest sector. There will be loan guarantees, but the industry is already in debt. There will be more measuresshe insists.