Page 6 - Construction Association of Rural Manitoba (CARM)
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Shawn Wood, CARM Executive Director & Carolynn Cancade,
Brandon Chamber of Commerce General Manager Kendra Haigh, Planroom Facilitator
"The government has said that there's infrastructure and Canada's softwood lumber dispute with the
money coming. We're still waiting to see how that's United States inhibited lumber transportation
going to be dispersed and where, exactly, it's going." services, which contributed to price increases,
Wood says. Wood also notes that bringing workers according to Wood - all told a perfect storm for
back to construction projects has been a challenge. Manitoba construction project costs, and ultimately,
consumers.
"In Manitoba, we were considered essential from the
get-go but with the lack of jobs, and with work going "When our guys are putting out their bids, it
down, people were laid off. Also, with the CERB increases the price that the end-user is paying
payments, getting people back to work was a bit of to have the jobs done,” he says. That said, Wood
a struggle," Wood says. expects the lumber industry to meet its forecasting
targets by this coming December, which should
Additionally, a lumber shortage across Canada mitigate the industry's current slowdown in the
(partially due to the pandemic), CN Railway long-term.
layoffs, the 2019 spruce beetle infestation in BC
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