Alberta’s forest industry booming during the pandemic
Posted Feb 20, 2021 9:00 am.
Last Updated Feb 22, 2021 9:14 am.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – You might want to check out jobs in the forest industry if you’re looking for work in Alberta.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in demand for lumber and pulp products.
Lumber prices hit record highs this week as Western SPF (spruce, pine, fir) reached $1,000 US per thousand board feet (MBF).
Rising demand is being driven by a stronger than expected home building sector and people investing in renovations while many are working from home.
Brock Mulligan is the vice-president of the Alberta Forest Products Association.
He said pulp mills are also chugging along.
“We create a lot of products that are used for hygienic tissues, they’re used for surgical drapes and laboratory filters. These types of products have been really, really important in society’s response to COVID.”
Companies are hiring and not just for mill workers as Mulligan said they need off-staff too.
It’s not all rosy, though as transportation constraints are an ongoing concern, especially pandemic-related backlogs on railways and at ports.
