As wildfires in Canada grow larger, faster and more unpredictable, the challenge facing emergency responders is no longer just putting water on flames, it is understanding what the fire is doing, where it is heading, and how quickly conditions are changing —drones are a critical tool in meeting that challenge.
Strategic began using drone technology years ago as part of its forestry, environmental monitoring and natural-resource management work. As wildfire seasons intensify, those same unmanned aircraft systems were quickly adapted for emergency response. Today, drones are embedded in Strategic’s wildfire operations, providing real-time intelligence to support firefighters and incident commanders. …Safety is a central benefit. Drone reconnaissance allows Strategic teams to assess hazards, scout access routes, and monitor fire behaviour without putting personnel directly in harm’s way. …In addition to drone-based fire suppression and monitoring systems, Strategic trains and supports resource professionals who are passionate about fire suppression.
Wildfire activity is not simply a disruption to forestry work in British Columbia–it has the potential to be a significant occupational hazard. Wildfire smoke and ash can cause respiratory problems, trees impacted by fire can fall unexpectedly and crews could become entrapped by fast moving flame fronts. In recent years, BC has experienced some of the most severe wildfire seasons in Canada. One season alone saw approximately 2.8 million hectares burned, which was more than double previous records and caused widespread evacuations, area closures, and heavy smoke. BC’s forestry sector was significantly impacted, particularly in remote locations that were dangerously exposed to rapidly changing fire conditions.
Students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have completed the first year of Canada’s first university-level diploma in wildfire studies, marking a key milestone in a program designed to meet the growing and evolving demands of the wildfire sector.
After more than three decades working in forestry and wildfire risk in British Columbia, I have come to see our wildfire challenge less as a failure of knowledge and more as a question of how we choose to invest wildfire mitigation funding. …much of the risk we face is well understood and well documented. We know where our most vulnerable forests are in relation to values at risk. We know which communities are exposed and we have a growing body of evidence showing what kinds of interventions can change fire behaviour on the ground. What is less clear is whether our investment patterns reflect that understanding in a meaningful way. …Over the past two decades, spending on fire suppression has consistently outpaced investment in prevention and mitigation.
Wildfire is no longer a distant or hypothetical concern for communities in British Columbia. Over the past several years, North Cowichan has taken meaningful steps to better understand and reduce its wildfire risk—investing in planning, expertise, and long‑term resilience. …Ours is a classic wildland–urban interface (WUI) community. …North Cowichan has recognized that wildfire must be addressed as an ongoing operational and planning consideration rather than a seasonal concern. A key step in advancing this work was the creation of a dedicated wildfire specialist role. This position reflects an understanding that effective wildfire preparedness and response require focused expertise, long‑range planning, and coordination across multiple municipal functions.
Wildfire has become an increasingly visible part of life across Western Canada. Our climate is changing, and wildfire seasons are becoming longer and drier. The best way to tackle wildfire preparedness, prevention, and mitigation is to work together. FireSmart BC is a provincial program dedicated to helping British Columbians understand and reduce their wildfire risk. We serve as the go-to resource for individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities looking to protect themselves and their properties. 
…Built on decades of research, FireSmart BC focuses on how wildfire behaves around structures and how changes on and around a property can influence outcomes during a wildfire. …Wildfire mitigation is a shared responsibility. When renters, landlords, homeowners, businesses, and all levels of government work together, we can collectively reduce the risk and impact of wildfires across British Columbia. …FireSmart BC offers a wide range of resources to support both individuals and organizations.
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A union representing lumber workers in Canada warned that the federal government needs to help “stabilize” the forestry sector as the trade war with the United States drags on and impacts productivity, leading to sawmill closures. The sentiment emerged at a Tuesday meeting of the House natural resources committee as it continued its study into Canadian energy exports, where Unifor national president Lana Payne told MPs that the industry continues to struggle. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly had unveiled a $1.5-billion aid package for the steel, aluminum and copper sectors on Monday, with the bulk of this amount offered through three-year loans under a program that will be created by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). At the time, Joly stressed that Ottawa is still working to offer “similar terms” through BDC to the softwood lumber and forestry industries.
NEW YORK — Mercer reported first quarter 2026 Operating EBITDA of $7.8 million, a decrease from $47.1 million in the same quarter of 2025 and an increase from negative $20.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. In the first quarter of 2026, net loss was $52.0 million compared to $22.3 million in the same quarter of 2025 and $308.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, CEO, stated: “Our pulp sales realizations showed resilience this quarter as softwood pulp markets held steady, while hardwood pulp performance trended upward on favorable demand-supply dynamics. However, elevated fiber costs across our supply chain and a slower-than-anticipated recovery in prices continued to weigh on our results. …Mass timber momentum continues to build, backed by an order book and commitments of $171 million that support a multi-year production plan. …European softwood pulp prices increased compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 due to supply constraints, although these gains were offset by higher discounts.
VANCOUVER, BC — Western Forest Products reported a net loss was $19.9 million in the first quarter of 2026, compared to net income of $13.8 million in the first quarter of 2025 and net loss of $17.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. …The company reported Adjusted EBITDA of negative $13.6 million in the first quarter of 2026. In comparison, the Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $3.5 million in the first quarter of 2025 and Adjusted EBITDA of negative $6.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. Other highlights include: Lumber production of 118 million board feet (versus 154 million board feet in Q1 2025), Lumber shipments of 113 million board feet (versus 156 million board feet in Q1 2025), Cedar lumber shipments of 25 million board feet (versus 31 million board feet in Q1 2025), Average lumber selling price of $1,422 per mfbm (versus $1,348 per mfbm in Q1 2025), and Average BC log sales price of $193 per m3 (versus $134 per m3 in Q1 2025).
Premier David Eby’s plummeting approval numbers aren’t the only figures the NDP government needs to worry about when it comes to the backlash over Indigenous reconciliation and private property rights. Many B.C. businesses are reporting they plan to scale back operations due to the conflict as well. Almost 74 per cent of B.C. businesses plan to decrease investment due to uncertainty over the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, according to a new survey of senior executives Wednesday by the Business Council of B.C. The majority cite increased time, cost, complexity or uncertainty in permitting caused by the court rulings, policy flips and changing landscape around the NDP’s DRIPA. As many as one-third said they plan to reduce hiring. “The desire to work with Indigenous communities to create prosperity for all remains strong but the message from business leaders is clear: DRIPA isn’t working,” said BCBC president Laura Jones.
BROMONT, QC
A panel at the 2026 SFI Annual Conference — Leveraging SFI Certification for Global Reporting Frameworks and Market Assurances — took on one of the more pressing questions facing the forest sector: as global disclosure frameworks multiply and investors demand quantifiable outcomes, does forest certification still do the job? Shenandoah Johns, Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer at West Fraser, walked through five major disclosure frameworks that have arrived in the last five years and identified the gap between what certification was designed to demonstrate and what regulators are now asking for. Paige Goff, VP Sustainability at Domtar, made the case for not overcomplicating what is already working. Kirsten Vice, Senior VP Sustainability and Canadian Operations at NCASI, framed 2026 as a year of influence — with key nature-related frameworks being finalized — and called on the sector to shape its own targets before others do it for them. Jason Metnick, President of SFI, moderated.
With support from the B.C. government, a Vancouver business is conducting a field trial of its technology to assess whether it can reduce the frequency of wildfires ignited by lightning. Through the Province’s Integrated Marketplace program, delivered by Innovate BC, Vancouver-based Skyward Wildfire Technologies is receiving as much as $1 million to assess the effectiveness of its lightning-caused wildfire prediction and reduction technology in reducing wildfires ignited by lightning. Lightning is the leading cause of wildfires in B.C. In 2024, lightning was responsible for 70% of wildfire ignitions and 97% of all area burned in BC. …Skyward’s technology uses proprietary AI-enabled forecasting to identify areas of elevated lightning-caused wildfire risk and a targeted intervention designed to reduce cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. This technology has the potential to support wildfire-prevention efforts in fire-prone regions in BC.
In a public alert, the Village of Sayward — located just over 300 kilometres north of Victoria, B.C. — issued a warning to its residents after the grizzly was spotted within the village on May 4. Residents had been seeing the bear in the area around the village in the days leading up to it officially entering the village’s boundary. …While it’s the first sighting of a grizzly on the Island for the year, sightings are becoming more common. …Historically, the Island has not been considered a year-round habitat for grizzlies, says Nick Scapillati, executive director with the Grizzly Bear Foundation. But sightings of the mom and her cubs goes back to 2024 and Scapillati says that due to the small size of the cubs, they wouldn’t have been able to swim over. He believes it could be evidence of the first ever grizzly cubs to be born on Vancouver Island — a sign that grizzlies could be wintering on the Island. 
Parks Canada is scrambling to overhaul its wildfire prevention strategy after internal and federal records tied massive fuel loads of dead timber to the devastation that tore through Jasper in 2024. Appearing before the Senate national finance committee, interim CEO Andrew Campbell said the agency is now shifting toward more aggressive fire mitigation, including controlled burns and clearing dead trees near vulnerable communities. Blacklock’s Reporter said the move comes after widespread criticism that previous management allowed dangerous conditions to persist inside Jasper National Park. …The Canadian Forest Service report, titled Jasper Wildfire Complex 2024 Fire Behaviour Documentation, Reconstruction And Analysis, linked the conditions to a severe mountain pine beetle infestation that peaked years before the blaze. Researchers found the widespread deadwood significantly altered forest conditions, increasing sunlight and wind exposure at ground level, which accelerated drying and made fuels more combustible.
A new UBC study has found that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples consistently protect forests, biodiversity and carbon stores at levels equal to or greater than government-designated protected areas—yet most of these lands remain inadequately recognized or resourced. The paper analyzed 111 peer-reviewed papers… Three-quarters of those studies found a positive relationship between Indigenous lands and conservation. …The study also highlights a major gap in the research itself: only seven per cent of the 111 papers included Indigenous authors. “This is a significant disconnect,” said Garry Merkel, co-author and director of UBC’s Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship and a member of Tahltan Nation. “Scientists often find it difficult to accept Indigenous science as legitimate, resulting in academic research that does not fully reflect Indigenous knowledge systems or perspectives. This work will help future research to be more inclusive and respectful in its acknowledgement of Indigenous communities.”
New Brunswick’s wildfire season has begun with more forests burned than at this time last year, according to the government’s wildfire dashboard. As of Wednesday afternoon, the dashboard reported there has been 178 fires so far this season, which have burned 343 hectares of forest. At the same date in 2025, there had been 100 fires burning 87.7 hectares of forest. The 10-year average for the period up to May 6 is 84 fires burning 105 hectares. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, there were no out-of-control fires in the province, compared with six Tuesday night. …New Brunswick’s wildfire season begins in early April and continues through the summer. Last year, several fires resulted in restrictions on forest trail use. In Moncton, municipal fire departments joined with provincial firefighters. …“Record-low precipitation, minimal snowpack, and prolonged drought have pushed fire risks higher than normal,” the Department of Natural Resources said.
