The Government of Canada is committing over $9 million to wood and forestry-related projects under the Regional Tariff Response Initiative in British Columbia’s Southern Interior, Pacific Economic Development Canada announced.
Kalesnikoff in Castlegar will receive a repayable investment of $5.5 million to buy equipment to make prefabricated housing components used in multi-family housing, schools, daycares, and commercial buildings. The company produces engineered mass timber building materials and will use the equipment to increase manufacturing capacity and improve productivity.
Axis Forestry Inc. in Kamloops will receive $590 thousand to adapt a steel-based large timber harvester to process smaller timber and promote the product in new international markets. Porcupine Wood Products in Salmo will receive $583 thousand to buy equipment to make short-length components more efficiently.
Sector-wide forestry projects include $973 thousand for the Forest Products Association of Canada to develop a digital intelligence platform that provides real-time insight into how forest products move by rail across Western Canada to British Columbia ports. The Independent Lumber Manufacturers Association in Castlegar will receive $862 thousand to run an AI and digital modernization program for member mills, including readiness assessments, adoption roadmaps, pilot projects, and staff training.
Heartland Economics (2006) Ltd. will receive $644 thousand for a Westbank First Nation-owned forestry business that manages and harvests forests and is moving into production of custom-cut wood products. The funding will be used to buy equipment for the new products and expand the customer base.
The release says forestry accounted for approximately 10% of total revenues in the Southern Interior in 2022, and wood product manufacturing generated 24% of manufacturing revenues in 2022.
Other projects in the ten-project package include $730 thousand for Command Industries Inc., $827 thousand for Rapid-Span Structures Limited Partnership, $1.55 million for Simolo Customs Ltd., and $761 thousand for SKYTRAC, and the release says the ten projects total over $13 million.
