B.C. forestry workers, other sectors hurt by tariffs to get $70M in jobs training

VICTORIA — Workers in B.C.’s softwood lumber industry and other sectors who are out of work because of U.S. tariffs will benefit from almost $71 million in funding for retraining.

Federal Jobs Minister Pat Hajdu and Sheila Malcolmson, the minister of social development and poverty reduction, made the joint funding announcement about the three year agreement on Thursday at the provincial legislature.

B.C.’s softwood lumber industry has been shedding hundreds of jobs as U.S. tariffs pile up along with the lack of fibre, but Hajdu says “no worker will be left behind” as global trade evolves.

She says the funding will also help workers in other industries facing tariffs, including the steel sector.

A statement from the federal government says 8,000 workers in B.C. will be eligible for the support, if they have been laid off or if they are retraining to improve their job prospects.

The provincial government will deliver the money through its network of WorkBC centres, and Malcolmson, says the investment will help people build skills and move into new opportunities quickly.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press