Forestry there was never as big as O&G and agriculture.
LP had an OSB mill there when I was there. No idea if it is still there.
Used to be sawmill then OSB in Fort Nelson. Last I heard it's closed down in part due to shipping costs of finished product and fiber losses from recent years fires.
Fort St. John had a large sawmill - now closed down. Shipping costs used to be an issue and they have also had some serious fiber losses in recent years. They were also pre-fires dealing with a reduction in fiber due to cumulative impacts from Oil and Gas Development that was recognized in the Blueberry Nation court decision.
Dawson Creek still has the LP OSB mill. Some wood coming to that mill from Alberta private lands and I believe they just picked up another tenure nearby in Alberta
Mackenzie and Chetwynd are up and down depending on the year and have also struggled with high shipping costs/fiber losses.
Unfortunately the forest industry has drastically changed from what our parents (or for what some of us remember).
A chainsaw faller cuts about under 100 m3/day. That's about two log trucks worth in volume.
A feller buncher is about 75 m3/hr...or one buncher cuts about 12 chainsaw men's worth of timber a day.
A couple of grapple skidders are way more efficient than old cable skidders.
Trucks that used haul 20m3 per load are now up to 60m3....
End result significantly few folks involved to generate the same amount of raw timber.
Then add in the sawmill. Used to be a trained man at the debarker, then a skilled guy at the head rig. Maybe someone dealing with the slabs from the head rig. Then someone mid point watching the lumber move from the second rig (cutting the cant into dimensional lumber) to where graders would handle each board. Then more folks stacking bins. To have bins moved to kiln. More folks involved with the wrapping of dried lumber and dealing with the sawdust.
Now...control room by head rig. Auto alignment of each log (no skill needed) and sorted to most efficient production line. no more slabs...its' all hew saws to create chips and generate more useable product. One person walking the line...automatic scanners for lumber graders...and stackers. One person to move the stacks into the kiln. Automatic wrappers. A couple of folks are doing what used to be dozens.
Same deal with shipping finished products. Larger trucks with more product on each load means fewer drivers needed.
And then compound it further with fewer companies involved so less bidding for prices when wood is auctioned off (rare but happens) or less options for employees to argue for wages.
No surprise forestry is not the driver it was in the 50's, 60's, 70's...and started to tail off fast in the 80's with mechanization coming on stream big time.
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