National Hardwood Magazine - May 2022

ONTARIO Continued may be

ONTARIO Continued may be short as many as 29,000 workers by 2027. The pandemic has complicated the training and certification of new workers. The latest Registered Apprentice Information Systems data shows declines in new registrations of at least 20 percent in nearly every province. Such impacts are likely to reduce the near-term numbers of new certified workers. The report outlines how the construction industry remains focused on building a more diverse and inclusive MCDONOUGH BAND MILLS A n i n d u s t r y l e a d e r s i n c e 1 8 8 8 www.mcdonough-mfg.com (715) 834-7755 labor force. To that end, efforts are ongoing to enhance the recruitment of individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in the province’s construction labor force, such as women, Indigenous people, and newcomers to Canada. In 2021, there were approximately 190,000 women employed in Canada’s construction industry, of which 27 percent worked directly in on-site construction. However, of the 1 million tradespeople employed in the industry, women made up only five percent of the on-site construction workforce. Also underrepresented on construction sites is the Indigenous population. In 2021, approximately 63,700 Indigenous people were employed in Canada’s construction sector, or nine percent of all Indigenous people in the workforce. As the Indigenous population is the fastest growing in Canada and Indigenous workers seem predisposed to the pursuit of careers within the sector, the report suggests there may be scope to further increase the recruitment of Indigenous people into the construction workforce. The construction industry may also leverage new Canadians over the coming decade to meet anticipated labor market requirements. Canada is expected to welcome an average of more than 237,000 new international migrants each year between 2022 and 2027. This will make new Canadians a growing segment of the overall labor force. The national construction labor force is comprised of approximately 20 percent new Canadians, which is lower than the 26 percent overall share of new Canadians in the total labor force. n QUEBEC Continued from page 12 Ash demand continues to be strong on international and domestic markets. Supplies are hard to come by due to low inventories, and to the Emerald Ash Borer that decimated many tree stands of this species. Prices responded by rising slightly. Basswood production has remained rather low over the winter as the focus was on higher valued species, such as the regionally important Hard and Soft Maple. The Basswood supply is not where it should be as a result for most grades and thicknesses, commented contacts. Cherry markets are reported to be doing better than at the beginning of the year, due to improved Chinese markets. Some orders are taking up all of the on-hand supplies available for certain businesses. The cabinet, flooring and components manufacturers are also seeking more Cherry as their respective sectors are performing well. Hickory sales are also on the rise to a variety of markets. The U.S. residential flooring sector is seeking more of this species, as are cabinet and moulding and millwork operations. This has resulted in prices being firm for most grades and thicknesses of this species. Business for the regionally important Hard Maple is noted as brisk. Demand for Hard Maple continues to lead as the top selling species. Even though lower cost substitutes were used instead of Hard Maple earlier in the year, businesses reverted back to Hard Maple as other species weren’t sufficient to meet market demand. Prices are firm as a result. Soft Maple is also seeing strong activity and suppliers are struggling to keep up. Sawmills, kiln drying operations and wholesalers can’t get enough supplies to meet demand. The cabinet sector is the largest buyer for this species. Prices are responding in an upward trend. With strong housing markets on both sides of the border, some home projects have stalled due to the shortages of labor and building materials. Delays in supply chains are being felt in the building sector with finish dates being pushed back due to these delays. Oak purchases appear to have levelled off, especially to the flooring manufacturers. Truck trailer flooring companies appear to be quite busy and buying No. 2A and 3A Oak, while others are reining in their purchases of this species. Sawmills are not having any difficulty finding outlets for their developing production. The Chinese market for Red Oak is gaining momentum, especially for No. 1 Common and Better grade. Business is reported as good for this species. White Oak sales on exports markets are seeing competition from European Oak. Some contacts say competition should ease since the Ukraine is a major source of European Oak, but there is no evidence of this happening at the time of this writing. Demand for kiln-dried White Please turn the page Patrick Lumber Company Over 100 Years in Business Patrick Lumber Company is a secondary manufacturer and exporter of niche high-grade wood products sold to a network of worldwide distribution. Products: Doug Fir Western Red Cedar Southern Yellow Pine Western Hemlock Alaskan Yellow Cedar West Coast Softwoods West Coast Hardwoods Services: Remanufacturing Packaging & Transport Consultation Procurement 317 SW Alder Street, Suite 1050 Portland, OR 97204 503-222-9671 sales@patlbr.com patlbr.com 64 MAY 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE MAY 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 65 Est 1915 Follow us on Instagram @Patricklumber