Ottawa's federal budget, tabled Thursday by Finance Minister Champagne, contains a range of measures for British Columbia, with new premier Lorne Doerkson welcoming the package as pro-investment. The budget is framed around the uncertainty created by U.S. tariffs and the wider global economy, and it is aimed at encouraging business investment across the country.
Doerkson pointed to support for critical minerals, forestry, ports, liquefied natural gas and mining projects as the most significant elements for the province. Two named infrastructure projects are Roberts Bank Terminal 2 in the Lower Mainland and LNG Canada Phase 2, while the extension of the Red Chris Mine in northwestern B.C. was also named as a supported project.
The largest single commitment for the province is in forestry, where the federal government has allocated $6.5 billion over six years to modernize the sector. Funding is scheduled to begin in 2027–28, a timeline that industry representatives have described as urgent given the pressures companies are already facing. Within that framework, a $65 million loan guarantee was announced for a tree farm project led by the Tla'amin Nation, which recently acquired Western Forest Products' Stillwater operation.
On critical minerals, the budget sets aside $2.3 billion for the federal strategy. The mining sector has criticized the document for omitting an expanded Canadian Exploration Expense, a tax measure that industry groups say would help companies fund exploration.
The budget also addresses natural hazards. It establishes an earthquake insurance facility that could provide up to $50 billion in emergency financing, a measure tied to the identified major earthquake risk in southwestern B.C. In addition, $20 million has been committed to flood mitigation in the province this fiscal year.
Wildfire response is another area of federal spending. The budget includes up to $2.5 billion in financing for the production of De Havilland waterbombers, following Doerkson's earlier pledge to add more Crown-owned waterbombers to the province's firefighting fleet.
Agriculture also receives support. The Wine Sector Support Program has been renewed with $176.9 million over three years. Wineries in the Okanagan have been hit by rising costs, labour shortages, tariffs and recent wildfires, and the renewed program is intended to ease those pressures.
The budget includes $113 million for recovery in Tumbler Ridge following the mass shooting in February, along with an additional $10 million a year for the community over four years. Separately, the federal government's previously announced $3 billion for replacing the George Massey tunnel remains in place, although the B.C. Conservatives have said they plan to scrap that plan in favour of a 10-lane bridge. The Build Communities Strong Fund is also supporting several projects in Vancouver, Delta and Surrey.
Political reaction has been divided. B.C. NDP MLA Whiteside credited the work of the former NDP government in building relationships with Ottawa that she said helped secure these outcomes. B.C. Greens Leader Lowan, by contrast, called the budget corporate welfare and characterized the oil and gas measures as handouts.
Whether the forestry aid will arrive in time to meet companies' most immediate pressures remains an open question, since the first federal funding is not scheduled until 2027–28.
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