For Canada's forest industry, 2021 has been a year for the books, with ongoing record-high lumber prices and demand, changes in government policies and regulations, and new challenges and opportunities. From old-growth logging deferrals to more mass timber projects, a lot has happened.

To gain some insights about the big events and developments from the past year, including lumber market trends, new legislation and policies, CFI editor Ellen Cools spoke with Chris Duncan, national leader of forestry and forest products services at MNP.

One of the most consequential changes this past year was the B.C. government's announcement on Nov. 2 to defer the harvest of 2.6 million hectares of old-growth forest. The provincial government gave First Nations rights and title holders 30 days to respond to the deferrals.

According to Chris, this legislation is "bringing a sledgehammer to try to pound a nail. Many in the industry feel that there's been a lack of consultation with the different groups that are going to be impacted by this, including Indigenous communities and industry experts."

Listen to the episode to hear more from Chris about how the forest industry fared in 2021.

Special thanks to our sponsor, MNP, for making this episode of The CFI Podcast possible. MNP – wherever business takes you. Visit www.mnp.ca to learn more.

Each episode of The CFI Podcast is available for free on CFI's website and on Annex Business Media's SoundCloud and iTunes account.

Have an idea for a podcast episode? Email Ellen Cools at ecools@annexbusinessmedia.com