Premier David Eby Directs $50 Million to Expand Value-Added Wood Manufacturing and Mass Timber Mills

VICTORIA, BC — Premier David Eby and the Ministry of Forests announced a $50 million funding deployment through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Program (BCMJP), delivering direct capital equipment grants to 22 domestic value-added timber processing and prefabricated modular building manufacturing plants.

Transitioning Forestry from High Volume to High Value

The funding packages provide up to $5 million per facility to purchase automated robotic finger-jointing lines, computerized cross-laminated timber (CLT) presses, and precision mass-timber joinery CNC routers across Prince George, Williams Lake, and Campbell River. The state-backed investments secure over 1,800 high-paying union forestry manufacturing jobs while maximizing economic yield per harvested tree.

Premier Eby stated that British Columbia’s forestry sector is transitioning toward high-value advanced manufacturing, ensuring every cubic meter of harvested wood supports local workers and builds sustainable homes.

Forest Sector and First Nations Joint Ventures

The BC Value-Added Wood Coalition praised the capital grants for helping domestic manufacturers compete with European mass-timber imports.

Nine of the approved projects are joint-venture partnerships with First Nations forestry corporations, securing long-term economic reconciliation.

Equipment Commissioning Timeline

Advanced manufacturing machinery installation will commence across all 22 facilities by November 2026.