The Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, hopes that her reform of the forestry regime will allow “better agility” to the industry, which is impatiently waiting for Quebec to implement this modernization project.
Posted at 6:02 p.m.
Frédéric Lacroix-Couture
The Canadian Press
The Legault government is committed to reviewing the Sustainable Forest Development Act. Quebec held consultations in this regard which resulted in a summary report on the future of the forest published at the beginning of the summer.
The minister wants to better reconcile the protection of biodiversity and economic development with the revision of the law. It also aims to “improve the business environment” and offer “better agility” for businesses, while the forestry industry is facing a difficult economic context.
” The Sustainable Forest Development Actit is the heaviest law,” argued Mme Blanchette Vézina in the press scrum, Tuesday, on the sidelines of an event of the Council on International Relations of Montreal (CORIM).
Many things are little in regulations. Many things are in the law directly. So, it is very difficult to make certain changes when necessary, such as in a context where market prices fluctuate and fall. [Il y a] several things that can also be more difficult for agility in operations.
Maïté Blanchette Vézina, Minister of Natural Resources and Forests
The minister refused to comment further on the directions of her future bill, the submission of which is still awaited. She said she wanted to file it “as soon as possible”.
A forestry coalition, notably representing workers and businesses, is pressing the CAQ government to reform the current legislation. Since the beginning of the year, it has reported “dozens of companies employing thousands of workers [qui] ceased their activities due to a deficient forestry regime combined with an unfavorable lumber market.
Mme Blanchette Vézina says she sees “a recovery emerging” at the moment and that “the context should improve”, despite the various issues affecting the forestry sector, such as American countervailing duties on lumber, forest fires. , climate change and the protection of woodland caribou.
“The price of lumber was lower than the operating cost of several factories in Quebec recently. There, the price goes back up,” she indicated, adding that housing starts are experiencing an upward trend with the drop in interest rates.
“A context that will be more favorable. We see a certain lull,” said the minister.
Mme Blanchette Vézina was in front of CORIM to deliver a speech on the theme “the diplomacy of Quebec’s natural resources”. The elected official notably listed the actions carried out by her government in favor of mining and forestry development.
The minister immediately returned to the American presidential election. The return of Donald Trump to the White House could have an impact on the Quebec economy if he decided to impose new customs tariffs on imports.
She recalled that Prime Minister François Legault announced, last week, the creation of a “Quebec–United States working group”, comprising several ministers, including Ms.me Blanchette Vézina.
In terms of natural resources, the committee will follow the lumber issue “very closely” and will also try to seize favorable opportunities in terms of critical minerals, the minister explained to journalists on Tuesday.
