Western Forest Products

Today, we mark the International Day of Forests, recognizing the vital role forests play in supporting communities, economies and healthy ecosystems. At Western, we balance responsible forest management with long-term community and environmental values. This means building strong partnerships, including with Indigenous groups, and taking a forward-looking approach to caring for forests. Here are a few ways we’re contributing: • Employing a team of professionals for careful stewardship of 1.62 million hectares of coastal BC forest • Collaboratively planning with Indigenous groups • Growing nearly 4 million seedlings each year from 15 million seeds, including cedar, fir, hemlock and spruce • Supporting 2,500 direct and contractor jobs in coastal communities • Procuring a significant portion of our wood supply from Indigenous or Indigenous-affiliated suppliers • Planning for healthy ecosystems and forest values 250 years into the future

For the first time, our team will be on site at the iconic @cottagelife Spring Show, talking all things cottage and outdoor living with this year’s attendees. Join us from March 26th to the 28th at the International Centre in Mississauga, to learn about our yellow cedar and western red cedar decking, along with a sneak peek at our upcoming 2026 product line. Visit us at Booth #1530 and come celebrate the place where memories are made.

At Western, our glulam capabilities extend well beyond traditional arches. We manufacture custom arches in Douglas fir and Alaska yellow cedar, engineered for both performance and architectural impact. From constant curves to complex geometries, S-Curves, Parabolic, Oxbow, Tudor, Peak, and Cambered, we bring precision manufacturing to every profile. To learn more about Western's glulam capabilities and specifications, contact your rep today.

There's nothing like seeing firsthand how small beginnings become thriving forests and specialty wood products. Thank you to @dwdistribution and their clients at Legacy Building Supply and Eastside Lumber for joining us for our latest Partner Training Program tour. Exploring our Saanich Forestry Centre and manufacturing facilities, our Duke Point and Cowichan Bay sawmills and our Value-Added Division in Chemainus, they were able to view from seed to structure how Western nurtures forests and manufactures high-value products.

March in British Columbia may still feel like winter, but at our Saanich Forestry Centre, it's starting to look like spring. Our skilled nursery team is busy sowing the seeds for the next generation of forests. Each seed is carefully selected for our coastal forests and nurtured into a seedling before planting, helping renew ecosystems and supporting wildlife, clean water, recreation and renewable wood products. To learn more about how we're building a better world through best-in-class forest management, please see our website: westernforest.com/company/sustai…

From forest operations and planning to manufacturing and corporate teams across British Columbia and Washington, women at Western lead with expertise and impact, helping us deliver customer value while advancing responsible forestry. To celebrate International Women's Day, we wanted to hear directly from them on their experiences in the industry, their roles and their perspectives on mentorship. Here are a few of the insights they shared. 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘥𝘦𝘯 - 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝐎𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: “I’ve had many mentors, including my mom and dad who both worked in the industry. Others include retired Westerners Marion McDiarmid, Maureen Boersen and Donna Lycett.” 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘨 - 𝘎𝘐𝘚 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝐎𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: “I have a Geology degree, specializing in Environmental Geoscience. I’ve always been fascinated by mapping and spatial analysis, especially how soil, rock and groundwater are distributed across the landscape and how those patterns influence everything from land stability to water availability and environmental planning. I never had the chance to study GIS, so I went back to gain the skills I felt I was missing for my career.” 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘭 - 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝐎𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: “I joined Western after having worked through a challenging environmental assessment process on a major capital project that had a lot of attention from the public and media. At the time, I thought forestry would be a quieter and less-in-the-spotlight sector to explore but was quickly proven wrong! Forestry is complex, challenging and deeply woven into the fabric of coastal British Columbia.” 𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘙𝘢𝘮𝘴𝘢𝘺 - 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝐎𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is helping keep the mill running smoothly. When I do my job well, the parts we need are already on the shelf if a breakdown occurs, allowing repairs to happen quickly and minimizing downtime. Knowing I play a part in that success is very rewarding—and at times, it truly feels like being the hero.”

On Employee Appreciation Day, we celebrate the incredible dedication of our team and one story that exemplifies that steadfast commitment at Western is that of Ken Kernachan, whose 50-year career is a shining example of skill, safety and leadership across decades. Ken began his logging career in January of 1976 at our Holberg Forest Operation, and has worked across multiple roles—from high-ball chokerman to hydraulic loader operator—always with skill, pride and an unwavering focus on safety. Over 50 injury-free years, Ken has become a benchmark for conscientious work and safety leadership. We’d like to thank Ken for his continued service, as well as our entire team for your commitment to safety, excellence and earning our customers’ trust.

Local traditions are at the heart of the communities that Western operates in, and we’re honoured to support their continued practice. As part of this commitment, we're proud to collaborate with the Stz’uminus Nation to carefully select three logs for a new project by local master carver John Marston. This project will celebrate and aid in preserving Stz’uminus heritage for generations to come.

At our Saanich Forestry Centre, the first signs of spring mean one thing: pollen season is starting. Pollination is one of the most important stages in the forest life cycle. The Western team actively monitors early bud development and pollen activity at our orchard to achieve the healthy pollination that supports stronger trees, wildlife habitats, biodiversity and long-term forest resilience. Through continued investments in our seed orchard, nursery and forest research, Western helps to ensure the forests today are renewed for tomorrow.

We were delighted to recently host Capital Lumber Company and their client, US LBM, at our Saanich Forestry Centre and local mills, providing them with a closer look at the work our teams do every day. These visits give our customers a first-hand look at how the care and expertise of our teams span from growing seedlings in our seed orchard and tree nursery all the way through to manufacturing the high-quality wood products designed to meet their needs. Thank you to Capital Lumber and US LBM for taking the time to connect with our teams and experience the care behind every stage of our work.

At Western, our commitment to delivering high-quality specialty wood products starts with the people behind the scenes who ensure every product meets the standards our customers expect. Now in his 11th year with us at Western, Kyle Larsen has become well known among his team members for his positive attitude, commitment to always giving his all and supporting those around him. Starting his career with us in the glue room, he worked in both grading and finishing before finding his calling in quality control. His drive towards wanting to do more has helped him excel in our engineered wood products group and continues to propel his career forward. James Hash, Quality Control Superintendent, shared this about Kyle's dedication: "Kyle's commitment to quality is second to none. He is extremely knowledgeable in glue-laminated lumber and his hands-on, proactive approach to the processes and product is greatly appreciated. We are truly fortunate to have an employee who exemplifies Western's values.”

The first batches of lumber are now being loaded into one of two continuous dry kilns scheduled for installation at our Value-Added Division in Chemainus. This milestone is another step in our ongoing commitment to our customers: consistent quality, dependable lead times and long-term supply reliability. The additional capacity will support increased volumes of kiln-dried products, including lumber used to produce glued laminated timber for mass timber applications. Investment in this long-term project is part of our ongoing focus on higher value products and reflects Western’s significant investments in our B.C. Coastal manufacturing operations — modernizing primary facilities, increasing kiln drying and planing capacity and expanding our engineered wood products and remanufacturing capabilities. A second continuous dry kiln will be installed later in 2026, further reinforcing these improvements. We look forward to sharing more details soon.

Today, Western and @TlaaminNation are excited to announce a milestone agreement for the purchase and sale of Western’s Stillwater Forest Operation. This is a significant agreement that reflects the Nation’s desire to lead stewardship and resource management in their traditional territory and Western’s priority to partner with Nations to bring more certainty. Western President and CEO, Steven Hofer, shared the following in response to today’s milestone announcement: “This announcement represents another significant step forward in Western’s commitment to forging mutually beneficial business relationships that align our business needs with the stewardship and economic development aspirations of Indigenous communities. The transaction will support executing our strategy and continued focus on accelerating the transition to higher value products manufacturing while maintaining a strong balance sheet through challenging operating conditions. ” View today’s news release here: globenewswire.com/news-release/2…

Hidden Creek Community Center has become a social cornerstone in @CityofHillsboro, Oregon. The timber interior adds warmth to the space, balancing modern design with an inviting atmosphere for all ages. Built with architectural appearance Douglas fir glulams, this multi-generational civic center marked the first mass timber community center in the United States. Western Forest Products was proud to supply the glulam billets for a project that reflects the kind of community spaces we aim to support. A special thank you to the team at Timberlab for choosing Western, alongside the talented build team. --- Architect: Opsis Architecture Structural Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers General Contractor: @swinerton Fabricator: @timberlabinc #Glulam #MassTimber (Photo by Christian Columbres)

This week, we're coming to you live from @IntlBldrsShow in Orlando, Florida. Mitch Stoochnoff and the rest of the team will be sharing an early look at some of our highly anticipated 2026 product line that you won't want to miss. Join us at Booth 6843 in the West Hall to say hello and to hear about what new products Western has in store for you this year. #IBS2026

Join us at @IntlBldrsShow in Orlando, Florida, for a sneak peek at some of our newest products for 2026. Featuring our brand new thermally modified hem-fir product line, a collection of our Western Red Cedar engineered wood products and more, we're looking forward to connecting with suppliers and builders from around the world. Visit us at booth W6843 to learn more. #IBS2026

In coastal B.C. forestry communities, stories like Matthew's aren't uncommon. For many of us, working in the industry is part of our family history. This Family Day, we’re proud to recognize the generations who’ve helped shape our industry and the communities we call home. Happy Family Day from all of us at Western.

Our Partner Training Program is designed to immerse our customers in the care and precision that contribute to healthy and resilient forests and manufacturing high-value products. This week, we welcomed the Weekes Forest Products team and their clients at Brunsell Lumber and Mayer Lumber to sites across Vancouver Island, including our Saanich Forestry Centre, Cowichan Bay and Duke Point Sawmills and Value Added Division in Chemainus. Visits like these are one way we share the care behind our work and earn our customers’ trust as a strategic partner. We'd like to thank Weekes Forest Products for participating and taking such keen interest in the processes we use to manufacture beautiful wood products that go on to be a part of award-winning buildings around the world.

We’re proud to share that Western has been included in this year’s list of BC’s Top Employers. Recognizing exceptional workplaces in British Columbia that combine employee-focused initiatives with giving back to the community, we’re excited to be included alongside some of Canada’s leading organizations. Learn more about how we're building a better tomorrow together: westernforest.com/company/

Congratulations to Alexandra and Isabelle on officially receiving their Registered Professional Forester (RPF) designation during last week's Annual @ABCFP Conference. As valued members of the talented team of forest professionals and biologists at Western and our Limited Partnership, Tsawak-qin Forestry, they help guide planning and practices across British Columbia’s coastal forests. Their achievements reflect both their commitment to professional excellence and the strength of mentorship within our organizations. Thank you to Carolina Silva (Western) for mentoring Isabelle, and Brian Marcus (Tsawak-qin Forestry) for mentoring Alexandra. We’re proud to support this next generation of forest leaders.