As a result of BC’s worst wildfire season which began in July, it’s no surprise the lumber industry has experienced a shortage of labour and production.
The crisis has forced manufacturers and distributors to nearly double its prices on certain materials.
Prince George Rona Store Manager Al Jones says plywood in particular has gone up exponentially.
“This isn’t from a lack of decking or anything at a lot of these Mills. There’s no logging going on, and that means they’re not producing in its highest demand season. So a lot of the distributors, mostly out of the Lower Mainland, have caused the prices across the province to rise drastically.”
Jones believes a big factor has also been the recent fall in the supply-and-demand chain.
“They produce based on expectation of sales of buildings, and this crisis is going to take them months to catch up. So, until they’re actually caught up and able to start stockpiling, nothing is going to correct itself.”
He predicts prices to return to normal, or at least a slight reduction, by early winter once the fire die down.
Most plywood companies are urging the public to not panic, overstock or pay for more than what you need.
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