Contributions to Communities and Local Economies

Canfor and Canfor Pulp are active members of the communities where we operate. We provide jobs and other economic benefits, and we support events and organizations that reflect our business goals or provide broad local value.

In 2015, Canfor Pulp directly contributed more than $600 million to British Columbia’s economy through employee pay cheques, property taxes and goods and services purchased. This support is especially significant in Prince George, and extends far beyond city limits as our employees and our suppliers come from all over the region. Our property tax contributions support important local programs such as schools, parks, emergency services and health care.

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We make sure local businesses benefit from spending related to our woodlands operations. In our Prince George region in 2014-15, 98.8% of the funds we spent on forest operations and management went to contractors in the north central region. From 2008 to 2012, 89% of the dollars paid by Canfor Alberta went to local contract services.

Through our Corporate Sponsorship and Donation Program, Canfor and Canfor Pulp donated more than $580,000 for community activities in 2015. We support activities of all sizes – from the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Miracle Weekend and United Way to local sports events and fundraisers. In 2015, these included:

$9,000 to help East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, BC, move closer to becoming the region’s only fully equipped intensive care unit.
$50,000 worth of lumber to help the Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation build a Centre of Excellence in Richmond, BC.
$7,500 to help Ktunaxa Nation build a roundhouse and school near Cranbrook, BC.
Materials so Grade 6 and 7 students in Prince George could build and race go carts in a June derby.

Summer events which began in 2013 with our 75^th anniversary continued as Canfor’s way to express appreciation our operating communities. We held BBQs, pancake breakfasts and other events in British Columbia and Alberta, and held our annual general meeting in Fort St. John.

In Prince George, Canfor teamed up with Jim Pattison Broadcasting to put on a free BBQ for the community on July 18 to mark the city’s 100^th anniversary, followed by an outdoor movie. Canfor has been part of Prince George for more than 50 years.

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Canfor helped put on Party in Park to celebrate Prince George’s 100^th anniversary.

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Canfor donated $9,000 to East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, BC.

Since 1969, Canfor and its employees have raised $5.8 million for communities through the United Way -- $4.2 million of this from our operations in northern British Columbia. In 2015, employees in BC and Alberta raised more than $221,000 and a corporate donation increased this to $271,000. In the US South, employees at three of our operations – Darlington, Camden and Myrtle Beach – raised close to US$31,000 for the United Way. Corporate donations of $5,500 brought the total to $36,272.

Canfor employees in British Columbia were able to meet people who have benefited from our donations to the United Way at Seeing is Believing sessions in September. The United Way of Northern BC arranged the event arranged by the events involving Spinal Cord Injury BC and the Prince George Brain Injured Group.

During the holiday season in December, we donated $24,000 that was divided equally among 12 organizations in Canada and 12 in the southern United States, including local food banks, the Salvation Army and Christmas bureau societies. We also participated in the Prince George Festival of Lights to support health care in the north and Vancouver’s Festival of Trees to support BC Children’s Hospital.

Events we helped sponsor included the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, the McLeod Lake Indian Band general assembly, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce business excellence awards and the Fort St. James Caledonia Class Dog Sled Races.

Canfor recognized the excellent work of four forestry contractors at an event in Fort St. John in May, with awards for safety, quality and business leadership. Canfor CEO Don Kayne presented the safety award, saying employees, contractors and sub-contractors all work together to achieve leadership in safety.

We also sponsored one guest room at Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver, which offers accommodation to families whose seriously ill children are being treated at BC Children’s Hospital – and volunteers from Canfor served breakfast to 70 people at the house in December.

Together, Canfor, Canfor Pulp and our employees raised $20,245 for the BC Children’s Hospital Miracle Network. A team of 39 Canfor Crumb Catchers raised close to $50,000 to raise awareness and funds for men’s health as part of the annual Movember campaign.

Our Forest Management Group continued it tradition of handing out seedlings on Canada Day in Prince George, BC. Volunteers from across our operations in the region handed out 10,000 seedlings

In the United States, Canfor supported the Home Depot Foundation in its work to help veterans who are returning from active duty. We helped sponsor a housing complex for veteran single moms returning from the Middle East – and our employees also lent a hand to this great cause.