Members of the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau from Canada, Europe, and the U.S. met at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, British Columbia, during the last week of June for the PLIB Annual Meeting and semi‑annual Board session. Before the meetings began, members toured the Mercer Mass Timber glulam facility in Okanagan Falls, gaining a firsthand look at this long‑established operation. During the business session, the membership elected the 2026–2027 Board of Directors and welcomed new directors Valentina Wolfrum (Rettenmeier) and Natalie Peace (Weyerhaeuser). Members also heard from Jackson Morrill, President of the American Wood Council (AWC), who provided an update on AWC initiatives on sustainability, building codes and regulations, and PLIB’s collaborative efforts. Outside the meeting room, attendees enjoyed time together in the Okanagan Valley—golfing, visiting the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, and touring Nk’Mip Cellars.
The Canadian lumber industry saw enormous price spikes during the pandemic years of 2020-2022, with costs close to triple what they are today for some products. … “We saw prices skyrocket during COVID, but so too did the cost to operate,” said Aspen Dudzic, the Alberta Forest Products Assocation’s communications director. “And interestingly, post-COVID, we saw the market prices for lumber go down, but the costs to operate have not come down in the same way.” Even though lumber costs have seen a huge drop in prices in a vacuum, why haven’t these cost savings been passed on to the consumer? …“The supply chain is really complex,” Dudzic said. “Nothing we do operates in a vacuum, so there’s a lot of other compounding costs that we have to look at, like inflationary pressures, upticks in fuel and energy prices. …Top of mind is the ongoing trade war with the US.
SURREY, British Columbia — The Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development) announced over $8 million in RTRI funding for four Surrey businesses to help them diversify exports, grow locally, and compete globally – building prosperity for British Columbians and all Canadians. These investments support the Government of Canada’s measures to help businesses in sectors affected by global trade disruptions – such as forestry, manufacturing, and steel and aluminum – boost productivity, reduce costs, build more resilient supply chains, and reach new markets. … More details about these 
British Columbia is expanding the BC Timber Sales Value-Added Manufacturing Program by creating a new dedicated category that will secure fibre for custom cutters and processors. BC’s action builds on Canada’s Forest Sector Transformation Task Force, which was commissioned in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new duties and tariffs on Canadian wood products. The task force recommends strong support for value-added operators so Canada can build high-quality products at home. “British Columbia’s path forward for forestry can’t just be providing dimensional lumber to Americans. We have to make more in B.C.,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …Custom cutters and processors are a group within the value-added wood-manufacturing sector without their own sawmilling facilities. …BC Wood Specialties Group Association’s chair, Kelly Marconi said “our custom cutting and processing members were part of the task force’s public consultation, so we are pleased to see this inclusive change.”
…As some resource roads across the province fall into disrepair … outdoor groups are working to save them. 
COLORADO — A pilot from Sooke on Vancouver Island was killed after the helicopter he was flying while battling wildfires in Colorado crashed into a reservoir. The aircraft reportedly went down in the Silver Jack Reservoir, shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday. The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office says a dive team recovered the body of 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, BC, from the submerged helicopter. The sheriff’s office says the helicopter was battling the 148-square-kilometre Gold Mountain wildfire when the crash occurred. It said the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are still investigating the incident. …The Associated Press reported that a procession of law enforcement vehicles carried Dale’s body to the city of Grand Junction, as residents turned out to express their gratitude to the fallen pilot and the thousands of firefighters still battling the blaze. …Dale was the fourth person killed in recent weeks while battling Colorado wildfires. 
Smoke from two major wildfires burning in British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon is leading to air quality warnings across parts of the province, with an emergency physician warning the health effects extend far beyond watery eyes and a scratchy throat. “It is considered to be one of the biggest public health threats that we face,” said Dr. Courtney Howard, who is also the president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association. … “The particulate matter in smoke that’s less than 2.5 microns can go all the way down into our lungs, and the ultrafine particles can actually cross over into our bloodstream,” she said. …Howard said scientists are only beginning to understand the long-term health effects of repeated wildfire smoke exposure because the research is still limited. “We don’t have good evidence on the long-term outcomes yet,” she said. But a small number of studies, according to Howard, have suggested possible links with high rates of brain cancer and lung cancer.
