About Us

A man climbs into a harvesting machine in the forest.

A skilled forestry workforce

Sustainable, diverse and growing

The Forestry Sector Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing a skilled and professional workforce for the forestry industry in Nova Scotia. We collaborate with partners to identify and solve labour challenges, advance innovation in human resources, and build capacity in our sector.

We are one of 14 provincial sector councils and a member of the Association of Industry Sector Councils.

Our strategic priorities:

  • Human Resources Planning

  • Talent Attraction and Retention

  • Skill Development

Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA)

The Forestry Sector Council is committed to creating an environment where people feel valued for their differences – because of them, not in spite of them.

  • We believe in building diverse and inclusive forestry workforces and engaging leaders in our industry who have a variety of differences, backgrounds, skills, and views. The more diverse and inclusive we are, the better we will be.
  • We promote safety, harmony, equity, inclusion, and teamwork.
  • We commit to cultivating a workforce like our forests – sustainable, diverse, and growing.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy a purposeful and rewarding career in forestry!

VISION

Cultivating a workforce like our forests – sustainable, diverse and growing.

MISSION

Through attraction and retention, training, and building on human resource capacity, we will create the workforce of the future for Nova Scotia’s forestry sector.

VALUES

Collaboration
Sustainability
Diversity

2024-25 Board of Directors

Andrew Fedora

Andrew Fedora

CHAIR

Cassie Turple

Cassie Turple

VICE CHAIR

Jocelyn Taylor

Jocelyn Taylor Archibald

SECRETARY TREASURER

Adam Scott

Adam Scott

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER

Heidi MacInnis

Heidi MacInnis

DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Jessome

Elizabeth Jessome

DIRECTOR

Jason Casey

Jason Casey

DIRECTOR

Daniel Freeman

DIRECTOR

Dennis Bedford

DIRECTOR

Team

Heather Boyd, Executive Director, FORSEC

Heather Boyd

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Image of Roberta Rose, Operations Manager at Forestry Sector Council

Roberta Rose

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Becky Loughead, Administrative Coordinator, FORSEC

Becky Loughead

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Zoe Croke, Training Coordinator, FORSEC

Zoe Croke

TRAINING COORDINATOR

Megan MacInnis, Continuous Improvement Specialist, FORSEC

Megan MacInnis

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Chris Garcelon, Continuous Improvement Specialist, FORSEC

Chris Garcelon

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST

Spencer Coulstring, Continuous Improvement Specialist & Forestry Liaison

Spencer Coulstring

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST & FORESTRY LIAISON

Our Indigenous Roots

Land Acknowledgement

The Forestry Sector Council is headquartered in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) People first signed with the British Crown in 1726.

The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations. We acknowledge them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

At the Forestry Sector Council, we understand that forests are important to the livelihood of Indigenous Peoples. The sustainable use of forests within their traditional territories is essential to Indigenous communities’ economic and cultural health.

We believe that encouraging increased Indigenous involvement in the forestry sector creates significant contributions to Canada’s forest-based economy and sustainable forest management.

Partners

Canada Green Corps logo
NS government logo