Bourgouin urges the government to adopt a “buy it here, build it here” strategy to support the lumber industry

MUSHKEGOWUK – JAMES BAY – NDP MPP Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Forestry Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk – James Bay) is calling for a strategy to support the lumber industry in response to Trump’s tariffs threatening the sector:

“The lumber industry is vital to Ontario’s economy,” said Bourgouin. “The anti-dumping tariffs imposed by Trump will devastate our lumber industry. Condemning Trump’s actions isn’t enough. We saw it with the auto sector, with steel, and now with lumber — the Premier’s ‘wait and see’ approach is leaving thousands of workers vulnerable to layoffs. What Ontario needs is a real plan from this government to protect the lumber industry and the good jobs that come with it. Instead, Doug Ford and his Conservatives continue to treat the northern economy as an afterthought.”

Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP have been calling for a “buy it here, build it here” approach and are urging both the federal and provincial governments to support Ontario’s forestry sector, including a plan to build more homes and buildings using Ontario wood.

During Stiles’ recent visit to Thunder Bay’s Domtar lumber plant, workers highlighted the facility’s capacity to supply enough lumber to build 85,000 homes annually. Stiles and the Ontario NDP urged governments to seize this opportunity to tackle multiple challenges at once by investing in local production, protecting good jobs, and addressing the housing crisis through made-in-Ontario solutions.