I think what's really important in the programs that you mentioned is the renewal of funding for Canada Wood Group and the Canadian Wood Council, which do international and domestic market development for the industry. They're partnered with industry because they're programs that are built by industry for industry, to make sure we're doing the right thing. It's really key to getting that funding going.
The other programs that are in that allocation that was in the budget are sort of programs, as you say, to help retool facilities to meet the needs of the future of the industry. Think about taking something that today primarily makes dimensional lumber to make mass timber in order to build tall timber towers. Sometimes companies do need support in order to retool for the future market needs.
Right now it is challenging to get predictable access to economic fibre in order to actually make the products we need. In order to invest in innovation, you have to have certainty. Government programs rightly fund a portion of what you're doing, not all of what you're doing. It's a principle I believe in as a Canadian, but that means it doesn't allow you to invest unless there are good conditions to invest in. We need a softwood lumber deal, and we need to make sure that we're looking at ways to reduce costs in Canada so that companies can be competitive with international markets and not have international products coming into Canada instead of using our own wood products.
