The Yukon’s non-ruling political parties are wondering how a territory seemingly full of timber is coming up short on firewood to heat homes this winter.

For those who own a wood stove, it’s not news that firewood is hard to come by right now.

And when you do come by it, you don’t come by it cheap. The Yukon Wood Products Association (YWPA) told the Star a cord of wood is going for about $450-$550 these days, depending on your supplier.

To put that in perspective, Yukoners heading into the winter of 1981-82 could easily obtain a cord for just $45.

A month ago, the Yukon government tried to bring wood buyers some relief by offering a rebate of $50 for every cord Yukoners bought – with a 10-cord limit per person. 

It then announced last Wednesday that it will offer commercial timber businesses $10 for every cubic metre of wood harvested. So now, the territory is essentially subsidizing firewood on both ends of the retail chain.

Demand for firewood is high. Supply is low.

If you know only one thing about economic theory, you’ll understand why prices are up.

What might be more puzzling is why, in a territory that’s so sparsely populated by people, and seemingly overpopulated by trees, we find ourselves lacking firewood. 

Yukon Party MLA Scott Kent was certainly curious.

“The irony that the Yukon is facing a supply shortage of firewood when the territory is absolutely flush with harvestable timber is not lost on Yukoners,” Kent pointed out in question period last Thursday.

“What the minister has missed…is that the real problem won’t be solved by a subsidy. The real problem is a lack of supply and the red tape that is holding back commercial harvesters, so why does the minister think that he can subsidize his way out of this supply crisis?”

Energy, Mines and Resources Minister John Streicker told reporters afterward that his department is trying to keep harvesters in business through the new subsidy. 

“They’ve been hit by inflation too,” Streicker said. “It’s not going to add new trees, or new wood, but it is going to make sure that we’ve still got harvesters that are sustainable.” 

Peter Wright, the YWPA’s executive director, told the Star Friday the money will help with rising costs.

“Fuel prices are killing things up here right now,” he said in a phone interview.

The government reports 77,000 cubic metres of timber are currently permitted for cutting in the territory, but accessing, harvesting and distributing that wood costs money.

Some of the closest wood available to Whitehorse, said Wright, is coming from the Haines Junction area – a 200-300 km round trip.

Lots more comes from the Watson Lake region and northern B.C., he said, which becomes more like a 1,200-km haul.

While firewood is being harvested in northern B.C., Wright said the distance for distribution is comparable to other harvests in the territory.

That wood is also eligible to be subsidized, as a Yukon registered company is harvesting it.

Wright said the new subsidy is incredibly welcome given the current costs of distribution. Ten dollars per cubic metre works out to be about $36 a cord.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if your logging costs were, let’s say, 40 or 50 bucks, this is an incentive of somewhere in the range of 15 to 25 per cent offset to that, which is a huge help.”

Wright said he hopes the subsidies could help new harvesting companies get started, while also providing relief to existing businesses.

“It’s a very challenging industry for small businesses that enter without any sort of capacity. It’s tremendously labour-intensive,” he said.

“And so just trying to find them the avenues to get off the ground and to supply existing cutters as well. Because they’re running into maintenance issues, into equipment breakdowns.”

Sometimes, he said, there just aren’t enough staff to capitalize on large harvest permits.

There are other factors for supply shortages and delays.

Harvesters often have to wait for the ground to freeze to get equipment into rough areas without getting stuck, or doing damage to the land or vehicles.

Additionally, to prevent wildfires, harvesting is only permitted under the Forest Protection Act from Oct. 1 to March 31 each year, limiting the amount of wood that can be cut in a season.

NDP Leader Kate White asked Streicker if the government would consider extending the season when weather conditions lower the risk of wildfire.

White said the season should only be extended when conditions are safe, but it could help increase firewood supply.

Streicker noted the fire season could be extended for the new Quill Creek harvest area when a fire break is built around the site.

The fire break would create a barrier strip with no fuel for potential wildfires, thereby preventing their spread.

As it happened, the government signed a contract just after Thursday’s question period to have that fire break created.

It will allow the harvest season in Quill Creek to start Aug. 15, adding 45 days to the season so more firewood will be ready for the winter. 

“Allowing people to be harvesting in that area earlier will certainly help alleviate some of the (firewood) supply issues that we’re experiencing right now,” Michelle Sicotte, the Yukon’s director of forest management, told the Star.

The extended season in Quill Creek won’t make a difference until August 2023, though. The fire break is expected to be ready in March and the season won’t extend into the spring. 

Kate White told reporters Thursday she is happy the contract is finally in place, but she felt the government should have had the fire break ready this fall to get more firewood to Yukoners. The Quill Creek Timber Harvest Plan was approved in November 2021.

The YWPA is confident harvesters will start providing more wood to Yukoners soon this season though.

“I’m optimistic that with the ground hopefully freezing up now that a lot more volume will be coming in from Haines junction,” Peter Wright said.

“I know that quite a few cutters are just starting to spool up now and should hopefully help start distributing that to market.” 

Still, Wright said he cannot guarantee there will be enough wood to meet everyone’s needs this winter.

He said there should be enough to get everyone who relies on firewood through winter, though they might not get as much as they’re used to. 

He encourages Yukoners to tell their suppliers when they urgently need orders to heat their homes, and when they can wait for reserve supplies so wood can be distributed based on priority. 

“Be patient with the cutters; they’re doing their best. They’re trying to catch up with it,” he said.

“Recognize there’s a tremendous amount of costs involved for them right now with these fuel prices.” 

He also encouraged people to order wood well ahead of time going forward.

“The leaves turn colour, and then everybody wants their firewood within a two-month period,” he said.

“It’s in times of scarcity that people start really trying to grab on to resources. But looking at the larger community, recognizing what your needs are for this year – hopefully get that met – then pre-plan for next year.”

The government estimates that 15,000 cubic metres of firewood is harvested from public lands each season.

Assuming commercial harvesters cut all that wood, and all apply for the new subsidy, it would cost the territory $150,000.

If all permitted timber in the Yukon was cut and subsidized this winter, it would cost $770,000.