Here are 20 questions that Harderblog will be watching this year, in search of answers:

1. 1. Will billionaire Jimmy Pattison succeed in taking Canfor private before his 92nd birthday on October 1, 2020?
   2. Will volumes of reduced fibre made available to sawmills from BC woodlands be outstripped by fibre consumed in Shredded Wheat?
   3. In this age of emerging technology, will tech gadgets surface that invite even lumber traders to investigate their perceived practical value?
   4. Will the US standoff with North Korea find resolution before the Softwood Lumber Dispute between Canada and the US?
   5. Will the financial bull markets of the last decade continue to roar in 2020?
   6. Will economic disparity between the haves and the have-nots show signs of narrowing?
   7. Will a recovery in lumber prices postpone more production curtailments and permanent sawmill closures in BC?
   8. Seedlings for forest revitalization in BC are forecast to rise from 270 million seedlings in 2019 to a record 310 million in 2020. How many trees will be planted?
   9. As the market for sustainable mass timber construction grows, how many more cross-laminated timber (CLT) plants will open in North America this year?
   10. Will shipment volumes of European lumber flood the Northeast US market as some analysts project?
   11. Is integrity still considered to be the core quality in evaluating services delivered by lumber wholesalers?
   12. Will the Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman later this year reprise its Tony winning best musical of 1957, when it enjoyed a run of 1375 performances?
   13. Will Home Depot succeed in reducing the rise in millions of dollars worth of goods stolen from the chain by organized criminals?
   14. In overtaking Toronto as the most expensive city in Canada, will Vancouver maintain that position in 2020?
   15. Will an old growth protection strategy be established in BC?
   16. Will there be significant evidence of steps being taken to counter negatives impacting climate change?
   17. Will there be a cooling in the ideological struggle that exploded in Hong Kong in 2019 between Hong Kong rule of law and Beijing rule of law?
   18. Will clues of democracy giving way to authoritarian governments become more pronounced in 2020?
   19. Will John Bolton publish a book that contains information deemed to include “explosive, new revelations”?
   20. Is Donald J. Trump still president at the end of 2020?