Region Archives: Canada

Special Feature

Knowing the Fuel: How Modern Mapping Technology is Reshaping Community Wildfire Resilience in Canada

Forsite
May 5, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

In much of Canada, provincial and territorial fuel classification layers are built on vegetation inventory information that can be many years out of date. The inputs behind those layers are often unvalidated and the conditions they describe may not reflect current reality. …Forests change considerably over time. As an example, past harvest activity has restructured stands, and bark beetle infestations have converted millions of hectares of mature lodgepole pine into standing dead fuel. …Provincial layers typically describe fuel type classifications but say little about the structural attributes of those fuels, and nothing about their current seasonal condition. …In the WUI, the difference between a fuel-free buffer and a continuous shrub corridor can be measured in meters. Legacy maps cannot resolve these issues. The consequences of missing them are not abstract.

Forsite’s Fuel ID tool was built to address these gaps. Fuel ID encompasses a series of machine-learning approaches that use satellite imagery and, where available, LiDAR data to generate current, validated fuel information across the full canopy-to-surface profile. It is not a single product — it is a flexible system that generates resolution-appropriate outputs depending on available data inputs and the operational question being asked. 

Read More

Knowing the Fuel: How Modern Mapping Technology is Reshaping Community Wildfire Resilience in Canada

Forsite
May 5, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

In much of Canada, provincial and territorial fuel classification layers are built on vegetation inventory information that can be many years out of date. The inputs behind those layers are often unvalidated and the conditions they describe may not reflect current reality. …Forests change considerably over time. As an example, past harvest activity has restructured stands, and bark beetle infestations have converted millions of hectares of mature lodgepole pine into standing dead fuel. …Provincial layers typically describe fuel type classifications but say little about the structural attributes of those fuels, and nothing about their current seasonal condition. …In the WUI, the difference between a fuel-free buffer and a continuous shrub corridor can be measured in meters. Legacy maps cannot resolve these issues. The consequences of missing them are not abstract.

Forsite’s Fuel ID tool was built to address these gaps. Fuel ID encompasses a series of machine-learning approaches that use satellite imagery and, where available, LiDAR data to generate current, validated fuel information across the full canopy-to-surface profile. It is not a single product — it is a flexible system that generates resolution-appropriate outputs depending on available data inputs and the operational question being asked. 

Read More

Accelerating Wildfire Resilience in Canada Through Collaboration

Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada
May 5, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

Introducing the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC): Throughout Canada, people are doing inspiring work to improve our wildfire resilience – from FireSmart™ in communities, to efforts on the fire line, to stewardship of lands, to research across sectors, diverse groups of people are pitching in. You might be one of them! Though this inspiring work happens from coast-to-coast-to-coast, it can be challenging to know who is doing what, where it is happening, and how others can learn from it. The Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC) is a national non-profit that was established in 2025 to help empower people to work together to transform wildfire resilience in Canada. Based on strong foundational work by wildfire leaders in Canada, the WRCC is specifically designed to support Indigenous fire stewardship, enhance knowledge exchange opportunities, and accelerate wildfire technology and innovation.

To make our work place-based, the WRCC is establishing seven regional networks in Canada, each convened by a Regional Coordinator. In 2026, the Regional Coordinators will launch webpages to highlight regional success stories and share upcoming events. Visit our website to learn who your Regional Coordinator is, find updates on these offerings, and reach out to help direct our work.

Read More

Five Things We Learned About Wildfire — and What Federal Leaders Must Do Next

By Kate Lindsay, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer
Forest Products Association of Canada
May 1, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

Canada’s wildfire seasons are no longer episodic shocks. They are systemic and growing more costly with every passing year. Leading wildfire experts who are changing how we think about wildfire science, Indigenous fire stewardship, forest management, and emergency preparedness clearly underscored that new reality during a recent FPAC policy webinar.

What stood out from this event was the degree of alignment around one central truth: Canada already has strong provincial wildfire systems. The federal role is not to replicate them, but to enable them to work better, faster, and at scale. Five key lessons from the event point to a clear conclusion: policy must evolve from reacting to wildfire disasters to building long-term wildfire resilience.

  1. Wildfire is a national resilience issue
  2. Suppression-first approaches have created today’s wildfire risk
  3. Prevention and mitigation deliver strong economic returns—but only if scaled
  4. Indigenous fire stewardship is essential to effective wildfire management
  5. Canada has the tools to act—the cap is the implementation

Read More

Wildfire Resilience Week: More Important Than Ever

By Sandy McKellar, Editor
The Tree Frog Forestry News
May 4, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

Tree Frog Forestry News is proud to once again partner with the Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee (WCSIC) to bring you Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week—now in its fourth year. When we launched this initiative in 2023, wildfire was already a growing concern. Today, it’s a defining reality. Seasons are longer, fires are more intense, and the impacts reach well beyond the burn zone—affecting communities, economies, and public health across the region. That’s why this week continues to matter.

All week long, Tree Frog Forestry News—together with our sponsors and contributors—will feature stories that explore wildfire mitigation, resilience, and adaptation. From on-the-ground practices to broader policy and research, these perspectives highlight what it means to live with fire in a changing landscape.

We encourage you to follow along, dig into the resources, and share these stories with your networks. Because when it comes to wildfire, awareness isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Read More

Getting Ahead of Fire: A Path to a More Resilient B.C.

By Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests
Government of British Columbia
May 4, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

Each year, Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week is a reminder of a reality we are all facing. Wildfires are no longer a distant or a seasonal threat. They are at our doorstep and part of our new normal, impacting communities throughout British Columbia. Since 2017, we have experienced some of the most destructive wildfire seasons in our province’s history. Entire communities have been changed. Through it all, we have seen the extraordinary courage of firefighters and first responders who step forward when others are told to leave. When others must evacuate, they risk their lives so communities can be saved. But we have also learned something very important. Preparation makes a huge difference. If we’re going to meet this moment, we cannot simply react to wildfire, we must get ahead of it. …

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with wildland and structural firefighters, community leaders, and people throughout this province who are already doing this important work. What I’ve seen gives me great confidence. When communities take action, when preparation is prioritized and when we all work together, we can reduce the risks and protect what matters most.

Read More

Seeing Wildfire Risk with FireSmart BC

FireSmart BC
May 6, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada West

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.

Read More

We Know What Needs to Be Done. Why Aren’t We Doing It?

By Murray Wilson, Retired forester, Vernon, B.C.
BC is Burning Documentary
May 6, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada West

At a screening of BC is Burning earlier this year, someone in the audience asked a question that has stayed with me: “If we already know what needs to be done, why aren’t we doing it?” It wasn’t asked as a challenge. It was asked out of frustration. That question defines the gap between knowledge and action when it comes to wildfire. It has come up again and again across more than 25 screenings of B.C. is Burning, in communities throughout the Interior and Vancouver Island, and at the B.C. Legislature. …Since 2017, more than 8 million hectares have burned across British Columbia. In some communities, weeks of smoke have become a regular part of summer. The pace and intensity of wildfire are now outstripping current approaches. Suppression alone cannot keep up under extreme conditions.

This is not just a climate story. It is also a forest conditions story. … Understanding the problem is the easy part. The conversation is shifting from whether we should manage forests to how, and how quickly it can be done at scale. …There is no single solution to wildfire. But we do know that actively managing forests at scale will reduce risk and impacts. There is a path forward, and people across the province can see it.

Read More

Vancouver Island Enters 2026 Wildfire Season at Elevated Risk as Mosaic Forest Management Expands Detection and Mitigation Efforts

Mosaic Forest Management
April 27, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada West

Vancouver Island is heading into the 2026 wildfire season under precarious conditions. Island snowpack is below normal, Environment Canada forecasts warmer and drier conditions through June, and there’s a 62 per cent chance of a strong El Niño by late summer — the weather pattern behind the prolonged heat and drought that intensifies wildfire risk. For Mosaic, which manages over 550,000 hectares of private forest land across Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast on behalf of two of Canada’s largest pension plans, wildfire preparedness is fundamental to responsible land management. This year, the company is further preparing by expanding its wildfire detection and mitigation capabilities. …This season, Mosaic is set to pilot an integrated detection system in the Nanaimo Lakes drainage, combining cameras, ground-level sensors and low-orbit satellite monitoring to identify ignitions faster and across a wider area. …“Our forests support local economies, local pensions and are cherished recreational spaces,” said Steve Mjaaland, Senior Manager of Forest Protection at Mosaic.

Read More

Business & Politics

U.S. Lumber Coalition Commends Actions to Combat Evasion of U.S. Trade Remedy Laws Involving Lumber Imports from Canada

By US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
May 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US Lumber Coalition applauds the U.S. Customs and Border Protection announcement of its determination that Coastal Forest Products (based in Bow, NH) has evaded the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on softwood lumber imports from Canada. In reaching its determination, CBP rejected Coastal Forest Products’ argument that the Canadian-origin merchandise “underwent ‘substantial transformation’ in New Zealand.” …As a result of CBP’s determination, Coastal Forest Products will be responsible for unpaid duties and will be required to post cash deposits on future entries of the covered merchandise. …CBP launched its investigation based on an allegation filed by the US Lumber Coalition. ….”The message to Canada is clear: transshipment of lumber into the United States via a third country to evade antidumping and countervailing duties is not tolerated, nor possible,” added van Heyningen.

Read More

Government of Canada announces a $1.5 billion support program for tariff-impacted industries

By Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Government of Canada
May 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mélanie Joly

Evan Solomon

Canadian ministers Mélanie Joly and Evan Solomon announced $1.5 billion to support several of Canada’s tariffed industries. This includes the creation of a new $1 billion Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) program available to industries that manufacture and export products containing steel, aluminum or copper. …The BDC program will provide financing at favourable terms to enable businesses to address immediate pressures. This new program aligns with the government’s priority to provide rapid liquidity to viable businesses facing significant economic challenges. In addition, the government is providing an additional $500 million through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) to support tariff-impacted businesses in all sectors of our economy. This funding, delivered by Canada’s regional development agencies (RDA), will help ensure that Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have access to the financing they need to enable strategic pivots through investments in market diversification and enhanced productivity that strengthen their competitiveness.

Read More

Tla’amin acquisition of forest operation receives qathet Regional District support

By Paul Galinski
Powell River Peak
May 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

qathet Regional District directors have voted to approve a letter of support in principle for the agreement between Tla’amin Nation and Western Forest Products on the transfer of tree farm licence (TFL) 39 to Tla’amin. At the April 29 regional board meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said the last paragraph of the letter of support stated: “qathet Regional District has carefully evaluated the potential impacts of this transfer. We offer our support in principle, provided the Province of British Columbia conducts a comprehensive public interest evaluation and ensures that all existing third-party interests within the TFL remain fully protected.” Gisborne said there is a lot of interest in the community and a lot of recreation going on in the tree farm licence area.

Read More

B.C. premier pushes back after softwood lumber left off list for tariff relief

By Emily Fagan
CBC News
May 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ottawa’s decision not to include softwood lumber among the industries that will benefit from $1 billion in tariff relief funding sparked frustration from BC Premier David Eby, who said softwood lumber in the province has been “decimated” by U.S. tariffs. “I don’t know what it’s going to take, really, to get the bureaucrats and the ministers in Ottawa to recognize that softwood lumber employs more people in Canada than steel and auto parts combined,” Eby said. …”I really feel like BC’s projects are not getting the attention they deserve.” …Eby said he does not know why the industry would have been overlooked, though he hopes a separate funding announcement just for softwood lumber is in the works. …Jeff Bromley, wood council chair with the United Steelworkers, said 150,000 workers across Canada make their living off forestry. “I wish they would have included a broader program that would have helped our forestry industry,” he said.

Read More

Plenty of interest in buying Crofton mill

By Robert Barron
The Cowichan Valley Citizen
May 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CROFTON, BC — Numerous companies and investors have expressed an interest in purchasing the Domtar pulp mill site in Crofton since the facility shut down operations earlier this year. Domtar said in a statement that it is exploring a variety of possibilities for the future of the waterfront site, and North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said a number of interested parties have contacted the municipality directly looking to buy the site for a range of potential uses, including manufacturing, energy production, and other industrial purposes. …“Domtar has retained BMO Capital Markets to evaluate potential purchase proposals and expects to make a decision regarding the site’s future in the coming months.” Douglas said that as decisions about the site’s future use will ultimately rest with Domtar or a prospective new owner, and not the municipality, he is encouraging interested parties to contact Domtar directly.

Read More

Carney stakes out position on Cowichan case after months on the sideline

By Rob Shaw
Business in Vancouver
May 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mark Carney

After months of silence, Prime Minister Mark Carney has finally waded into the landmark Cowichan Nation title case currently gripping British Columbia politics. Carney surprised many last week when he answered a question from Richmond East—Steveston MP Parm Bains in question period. “Can the prime minister outline the government’s position and explain how the government is working collaboratively to uphold reconciliation while protecting private property rights for residents and businesses?” asked Bains. “Private property rights are fundamental, and this government, indeed, this house, will always protect them,” replied Carney. “This government fundamentally disagrees with the B.C. Supreme Court’s decision on Cowichan. We immediately appealed that decision, alongside the government of B.C., the City of Richmond and other Indigenous First Nations. …Carney has now basically adopted the position of Premier David Eby, who has warned the decision cannot stand because it imperils private property rights.

Read More

B.C., Treaty 8 First Nations build new partnerships to advance restoration

By Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions
Government of British Columbia
May 1, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The Province and seven Treaty 8 First Nations have taken a next step toward creating a thriving and community-centered local economy in northeastern British Columbia. Restoration agreements will restore and protect the environment, provide predictability and stability to existing industries, as well as establish new business opportunities in the region, while ensuring historic Treaty Rights are upheld. “The restoration agreements will build on the strong partnership that we have with the Treaty 8 First Nations, which is a First Nations led approach,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “This work is guided by the belief that healing the land and healing the people are inseparable. …This partnership approach to land and resource management will help to uphold constitutionally protected Treaty Rights, while supporting a vibrant economy.”

Read More

Supreme Court set to weigh in on huge New Brunswick title claim

By John Chilibeck
The Telegraph-Journal
May 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The clock began ticking April 7 on one of the most important Supreme Court of Canada cases in New Brunswick’s history. That’s the date the country’s top court told law firms involved in the Wolastoqey Nation’s landmark title claim it would determine if it would allow “leave for appeal.” …On one side are logging firms and other private property owners who say they’re caught in the middle of a three centuries-old fight that had nothing to do with them. The Indigenous nation wants the Supreme Court to overturn a Court of Appeal decision last December. That ruling found the nation would have no chance of success in its lawsuit proving that it has Aboriginal title over privately held lands. …By that measure, the Wolastoqey Nation could sue governments but would have no means to take back control of most of their old territory. …If the appeal goes ahead, the Supreme Court could hear the case as early as this fall.

Read More

There’s still hope for Terrace Bay mill, Holland says

By Mike Stimpson
Northern Ontario Business
May 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

THUNDER BAY — Two years after shutdown, the AV Terrace Bay pulp mill is still looking for a buyer. Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay–Atikokan and associate minister of forestry, says he’d like to see that change. …“We want to see the Terrace Bay mill start up again, but any conversations with regard to restarting that mill or a purchase of it are between the existing owner and the prospective buyer. There is a point where (when) there’s an agreement in place, if there’s any involvement for our government, we require the submission of a long-term viable plan for the mill,” he said. But he added that “to date, we haven’t received any viable plan for the mill looking forward.” …Lise Vaugeois, the NDP MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North, said “an established, respected industrial developer” presented a business plan to purchase the mill but the Progressive Conservative government has taken no action.

Read More

Finance & Economics

Canfor reports Q1, 2026 net loss of $72.1 million

Canfor Corporation
May 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation reported its first quarter of 2026 results. …The Company reported an operating loss of $72.5 million for the current quarter, compared to an operating loss of $415.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. After taking into consideration a $20.0 million reversal of a previously recognized inventory write-down, the Company’s adjusted operating loss was $92.5 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared to an adjusted operating loss of $145.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. These results largely reflected improved performance in both the lumber segment and, to a lesser extent, the pulp and paper segment. Canfor’s President and CEO, Susan Yurkovich, said, “While we saw an improvement in results, largely due to a supply-driven uptick in North American lumber pricing and higher production levels, demand remained relatively subdued. …Global pulp markets continued to face significant headwinds during the first quarter, with pulp producer inventories remaining elevated.”

Read More

Falling consumer confidence and a softer housing outlook signal weaker lumber demand, but tight supply should keep prices firm

By Kevin Mason, Managing Director
ERA Forest Products Research
May 4, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Kevin Mason

As the US–Iran conflict rumbles into a third month and the global economy faces myriad challenges (rising energy prices, slowing growth, swelling inflation, geopolitical fragmentation, etc.), it comes as little surprise that US consumer sentiment is also in freefall. The latest University of Michigan survey showed consumer sentiment plummeting toward record-low levels in April: down 3.5 points to 49.8. …Closer to our forest products universe, the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), a metric that tracks homebuilder confidence in the single-family housing market, declined by 4 points to a reading of just 34 in April. Builder confidence had shown signs of recovery through the second half of 2025; however, with this latest sharp decline, the index is nudging back toward record lows. 

…Based on the resilience shown in the US housing market last month, we are maintaining our full year 2026 U.S. housing start forecast of 1.325MM units. With our revised forecast for 2026 and given expectations for lumber demand from R&R to be flat (at best) this year, we now anticipate that overall North American lumber demand will decline by 350MMbf y/y in 2026 (we had previously forecast flat demand versus 2025). However, despite this deterioration, we believe North American markets will remain well balanced, and that overall lumber prices will stay quite strong this year relative to historical averages given declining supply in several regions (note that profitability for Canadian mills will be challenged by ongoing, elevated duties and tariffs).

Read More

GreenFirst Forest Products reports Q1, 2026 net loss of $20.7 million

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc.
May 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — GreenFirst Forest Products announced results for the first quarter ended March 28, 2026. Highlights include: Q1 2026 net loss from continuing operations was $20.7 million, compared to net loss of $32.8 million in Q4 2025. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations for Q1 2026 was negative $15.1 million compared to negative $21.7 million in Q4 2025. Benchmark prices saw increases during the quarter which resulted in an average realized lumber prices of $666/mfbm for Q1 2026 which was higher than the $654/mfbm pricing realized in Q4 2025. On January 21, 2026, the Company entered into a $30 million term loan under the Softwood Lumber Program announced by the Government of Canada. 

Read More

Stella-Jones reports Q1, 2026 net income of $60 million

By Stella-Jones Inc.
Globe Newswire
May 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

MONTREAL — Stella-Jones announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Sales for the first quarter reached $791 million, versus sales of $773 million in the corresponding period last year. Excluding the impact of 2025 acquisitions of $42 million and the unfavourable currency conversion effect of $30 million, pressure-treated wood sales increased by $10 million, or 1%, largely driven by an increase in wood utility poles volumes. …Eric Vachon, President and CEO said “Our performance continues to be supported by disciplined operations. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are advancing targeted initiatives across the business, with a current focus on optimizing our Railway Ties production network, enhancing efficiency and supporting future growth. We are also progressing our strategic growth priorities, notably with the finalization of the site selection for our new U.S. steel lattice manufacturing facility.”

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

BCIT opens Zero-Carbon, Tall Timber Student Housing

The Canadian Architect
May 6, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has completed a new student housing development at its Burnaby campus, the first in more than 30 years. Perkins&Will, the 12-storey mass timber building adds 469 new beds, and is the first campus building to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification. It also stands as Burnaby’s tallest mass timber structure.Structural innovation includes cross-laminated timber (CLT) floors supported on slender steel hollow structural section (HSS) columns, a solution developed to maximize usable space. Mass timber was central to the project’s construction strategy, using locally sourced CLT panels and a design-for-manufacture-and-assembly (DfMA) approach to optimize prefabrication and modularity. Ideal for student housing delivery, this method minimized waste, ensured cost efficiency, and accelerated construction, with one floor being completed approximately every two weeks. 

Read More

Building skills for sawmill success: BCIT Industrial Wood Processing program

By Linh Tran
BCIT School of Construction and the Environment
April 22, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Since its launch in 2018, the Associate Certificate in Industrial Wood Processing (IWP) has grown into a leading workforce development program in the forestry sector. Developed by the School of Construction and the Environment (SoCE) at BCIT in partnership with four leading North American lumber companies, the program was designed to meet a clear industry need: practical, flexible technical training that fits the realities of mill operations. Designed for employees working directly in wood products manufacturing, IWP focuses on the fundamentals that matter on the mill floor: helping new hires, experienced operators, and emerging supervisors build a strong understanding of how sawmills operate and how production decisions impact quality, efficiency, and safety. The IWP Program was shaped by industry input. Program development was led by Canfor, Tolko, West Fraser and Interfor, and has since grown to have over 34 companies sponsor employees, using it as part of onboarding, upskilling, and succession planning.

Read More

Quebec set to get its tallest wooden building

Construction Canada
May 4, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

©jcbConstructionCanada

A 12-storey multi-residential mass timber rental project has broken ground, developed by JCB Construction Canada. It is led by the investment fund firm Fonds de solidarité FTQ and its real estate subsidiary, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ. Located on Boulevard Lucille-Teasdale in Terrebonne, Que., the project involves the construction of 164 rental units. Ultimately, the development could expand to more than 400 residential units, delivered across two high-rise mass timber buildings of 12 and 18 storeys on the same site, potentially becoming the tallest wooden building in the province. In addition to its potential height, the project stands out for integrating Quebec’s Upbrella technology, a sheltered construction system who allows an entire high-rise project to be conducted in optimal conditions without the need for a crane, marking a North American first for a high-rise residential mass timber building.

Read More

Forestry

SFI 2026 Conference Kicks Off in Montreal with Growth Theme and Call to Action

Kelly McCloskey, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
May 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Kathy Abusow

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative opened its 2026 annual conference in Montréal —titled The Next Ring of Growth—featuring a traditional welcome from Chief Stephen Angus McComber, Ratsénhaienhs of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, followed by opening remarks from CEO Kathy Abusow, who reviewed three decades of organizational milestones including growth in certified forest area, Indigenous partnership, and youth education programs. SFI Board Chair and Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe spoke to the theme of legacy in the sector, while Catherine Grenier, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and SFI board member, outlined concrete pathways — including Other Effective Conservation Measures, carbon revenue models, and spatial data tools — for the forestry sector to gain formal recognition and financial return for conservation outcomes already being delivered on certified lands.

Read More

SFI Panel: Challenging Times and New Opportunities in Forest Sector Markets

Kelly McCloskey, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
May 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The opening panel at the 2026 SFI Annual Conference in Montréal brought three senior executives to the stage under the moderation of outgoing SFI CEO Kathy Abusow. The conversation covered trade policy and tariffs, forest sector transformation, investment, and the role of certification in a period of structural change. Derek Nighbor is President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada. Pete Madden is President and CEO of the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities. Lenny Joe is CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council. Abusow opened by noting that sector decline predates the current trade dispute, placing the scale of the problem on the table before the first question: 43 pulp and paper mill closures in the US — a figure she attributed to Madden — with 20 more expected, and 27 mill closures in Canada alongside 22 permanent sawmill shutdowns.

Abusow then turned to tariffs, asking Joe how trade policy and softwood lumber disputes uniquely affect First Nations. Joe said most First Nations operate as market loggers, with fibre moving through relationships with major licensees — meaning tariff-driven slowdowns hit rural communities, where most First Nations are located, directly and quickly. Nighbor noted that Canadian lumber volumes to the US dropped roughly 12% in 2025, with about eight percentage points of that loss being filled by European supply. He said he did not think it needed to be this way, and that the opportunity lies in growing the pie for the continent. Madden pointed to unintended consequences in rural communities, where mills trying to reinvest in their own infrastructure are finding imported machinery too expensive under the new tariff environment, causing capital projects to stall.

Read More

Arbor Day Foundation receives 2026 SFI CEO Award for outstanding partnership and leadership in forestry

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
May 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Dan Lambe and Kathy Abusow

Montréal, QC — Kathy Abusow, CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), recently announced the Arbor Day Foundation as the recipient of the 2026 SFI CEO Award. Arbor Day Foundation CEO Dan Lambe accepted the award on behalf of the organization during the 2026 Annual SFI Conference. The SFI CEO Award is presented annually to individuals or organizations demonstrating outstanding partnership and leadership in forestry. The Arbor Day Foundation has strengthened corporate engagement in sustainable forestry and large-scale reforestation by helping businesses and brands create positive, measurable impact through trees. Additionally, the Foundation has championed SFI’s urban forestry, nature-based education, and Indigenous lands initiatives.

Read More

More than 5,800 people raised $1.46 million at WWF-Canada’s CN Tower Climb for Nature

By World Wildlife Fund Canada
PR Newswire
May 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

TORONTO – This weekend, 5,805 people took on the CN Tower’s 1,776 stairs for World Wildlife Fund Canada’s Climb for Nature fundraiser. Supported by nearly 23,033 donors and volunteers, they raised $1.46 million (and climbing) for conservation efforts across Canada. “It’s been an awesome weekend for wildlife in Canada.” says Megan Leslie, president and CEO of WWF-Canada. “From protecting areas of the Arctic for walrus, beluga, polar bears and caribou to doing salmon habitat restoration in B.C., arm in arm with First Nations, every step taken and every dollar raised was in support of nature and wildlife across Canada.” …The 2026WWF Climb for Nature is not over. Canadians can step up for wildlife from anywhere (and anytime) or conquer the stadium steps of BC Place in Vancouver this fall.

Read More

The effects of overstory mortality on snow accumulation and ablation

Government of British Columbia
May 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Mountain pine beetles have killed a large percentage of mature lodgepole pine trees over an area of more than 14 million hectares in the B.C. Interior. Research has shown that this can increase the magnitude of spring runoff. Forest licensees are also permitted to log beetle-attacked pine stands at an accelerated rate. The net effect is that most of B.C.’s mature pine stands will be changing rapidly over the next decades due to deterioration of the overstory, natural regeneration, clearcut harvesting, and managed reforestation. This project documents differences in structure between pine stands at different stages of growth and deterioration, changes within stands over time, and the effects of those differences on snow hydrology at the stand level. This will help watershed modellers predict possible changes in stream flow due to pine beetles and forest management. The map shows the locations of five study areas where this work is being done.

Read More

It’s time to see the forests beyond the trees

By Sheila Harrington, founding executive director, Land Trust Alliance of B.C.
Victoria Times Colonist
May 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Sheila Harrington

The B.C. government, under Premier David Eby, is putting the future health and well-being of all British Columbians at risk. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar and the NDP government have approved logging of two old-growth areas on Vancouver Island, and are planning yet a third. On the Sunshine Coast, where recreation and tourism bring in more than logging, they are auctioning off another 100 areas. Despite receiving thousands of letters and submissions protesting the logging, one of these approvals was given to Teal Jones to log millennia-old yellow cedars near the ridge of Fairy Creek … on southern Vancouver Island. …If we are short-sighted and do not protect nature, we risk huge economic burdens and ecological consequences: The destruction of watersheds and clean water, erosion of land and roads, fires, loss of a tourism and recreational economy, and many lives. We must act now to protect B.C.’s forests, which are the foundation of our economy.

Read More

Coastal Fire Centre enacting Open Fire Prohibitions

BC Wildfire Service
May 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

PARKSVILLE – Effective at 12:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, May 7, 2026, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with exceptions for Haida Gwaii. This prohibition is being enacted to help reduce human-caused wildfires and for public safety. Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, with the exception that only Category 2 and Category 3 fires will be prohibited in the Haida Gwaii Forest District (Category 1 campfires will be permitted). This prohibition will be in place until October 31, 2026, or until the order is rescinded.

Read More

Province’s new wildfire co-operation plan already put to test in Sandy Beach

By Steven Sandor
The Edmonton Journal
May 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Todd Loewen

On Friday, Alberta issued an advisory that it would on Monday be releasing details of its new wildfire firefighting strategy. The event was slated for Villeneuve Airport, where some of the aerial firefighting equipment would be shown off. …But, over the weekend, a wildfire struck the summer village of Sandy Beach, located 64 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, and just 30 kilometres from Villeneuve airport. Three homes were destroyed and another was damaged. So, the news conference ended up happening just a short drive from where the first regional wildfire event of the season flared up. And, that new firefighting plan was already in effect over the weekend, as Sturgeon County and the village could access $125,000 in provincial funds to fight the fire. …The province will expand the role of wildland urban interface teams, and special wildfire training. And, the province has struck a $400 million deal for five new water bombers, manufactured in Alberta…

Additional coverage in CFWE Radio, by Jackson Fontaine: Alberta Gearing Up for 2026 Wildfire Season

Read More

BC Community Forest Association hosts 2026 Conference & AGM in partnership with Monashee Community Forest

The BC Community Forest Association
May 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Jennifer Gunter

Vernon, BC – The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) will hold its 2026 Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Vernon, BC, from June 3-5, 2026. The event brings community forest leaders, partners, and supporters from across the province to connect, collaborate, and explore the challenges and opportunities for community forests in the years ahead. This year, attendees will also tour the Monashee Community Forest, a partnership of the Splatsin First Nation and the Village of Lumby. “We are looking forward to welcoming all delegates to this event, held for the first time in Vernon,” said Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director, BCCFA. …Key themes for the 2026 Conference and AGM will include wildfire risk reduction, stewardship, community forestry, and the future of forestry, including a keynote session with Helene Marcoux, Director of the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, focused on strengthening public understanding of forestry.

Read More

Vancouver park board staff recommend easing tree maintenance policy

By Joanne Lee-Young
Vancouver Sun
May 1, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Vancouver park board staff want to inspect the health of city trees less often, partly because they can’t keep up with new demands related to maintaining the city’s 150,000 street trees and 38,000 park trees. But an expert in tree risk assessment warns that while a proposal to change the manner and frequency of tree inspections could be cost-efficient, it might not be cost-effective as it could result in dangerous trees being missed. “It comes down to money, but you’ll miss defects in trees that cause tree parts to fail,” said Norman Oberson, a provincially certified tree risk assessor, owner of Arbutus Tree Service, and a board member of the Trees of Vancouver Society. Instead of conducting detailed inspections and pruning every seven years, park board staff are proposing doing this every 10 years for the city’s street and park trees.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Strength in Numbers: The Value of Wood Pellet Association of Canada Membership

By Gordon Murray
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
May 4, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Canada’s wood pellet sector is recognized around the world for its quality, sustainability and reliability. This position is no accident. It is supported by coordinated industry efforts through the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), the sector’s national voice. We are a member‑driven organization and the unified voice of Canada’s world‑leading pellet industry. We represent more than 50 producers and industry participants from coast to coast. Our role is to support the competitiveness of Canadian pellets, advance safety leadership and build long‑term market confidence—work that no single company can do as effectively on its own. At a time of evolving global markets, tightening sustainability requirements and growing scrutiny of bioenergy, working together matters more than ever. Becoming a WPAC member is about contributing to our shared strength, credibility and long‑term resilience as a sector.

Read More

Forest Fires

Out-of-control wildfire burning on Vancouver Island raises alarm

By Megan Yamoah
CTV News
May 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A small but concerning wildfire burning on Vancouver Island is drawing attention from provincial wildfire officials. The British Columbia Wildfire Service says the fire, located east of Nanaimo near Fourth Lake, is currently classified as out of control, meaning it’s expected to continue spreading under current conditions. Discovered on Tuesday, the blaze is estimated at about 0.7 hectares in size. While relatively small, officials say its behaviour and location are enough to warrant a full response. Two initial attack crews, along with two officers and a water tender, have been deployed to the scene. Early indications suggest the fire may be human caused. The wildfire service reports 28 active fires across the province, with two currently out of control, and approximately 124 firefighters engaged in suppression efforts.

Read More

Heat records fall across Vancouver Island as wildfire risks climb

By Hannah Link
Victoria Times Colonist
May 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

Warm weather across British Columbia broke daily temperature records in at least nine Vancouver Island locations this past weekend. Victoria’s Gonzlaes station got to 26.9 C, breaking the record of 25 C for May 3 set in 1898, while the Victoria International Airport recorded a high of 25.1 C, breaking the previous record of 25.0 C set in 1944.  …The B.C. Wildfire service said it’s expecting above-seasonal temperatures into this week and warns that could increase the likelihood of new wildfire starts. There are about 31 active wildfires in B.C., with roughly 10 new fires recorded Sunday — including two on Vancouver Island. …The B.C. Wildfire Service said one blaze deemed under control was discovered just west of Coombs near Highway 4 early Sunday afternoon. …Another fire was discovered near Tyee Creek, east of Ladysmith.

Related BC wildfire news by Amy Judd in Global News: B.C. wildfire burning near Cultus Lake as hot weather continues

Read More

Many small wildfires spring up across New Brunswick Tuesday afternoon

Sam Farley
CBC News
May 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

…Around 7 p.m., spokesperson Nick Brown forwarded a social media post from the department on social media that staff are on scene responding to “active wildfires” near Rogersville, Doaktown and Blissfield. “At this time, there is no imminent risk to public safety,” the post said. …which are listed as out of control. …The fires listed as out of control as of 8 p.m. were near Doaktown, Renous, Nelson Junction, located south of Miramichi, and Rogersville. Another fire south of Rogersville is listed as contained, one near Canterbury is under control, and then additional fires near Hainesville, Tracy, Cap-Pelé, Elsipogtog First Nation, Rexton, Caraquet and Miramichi are listed as being patrolled, which means the fires are contained. …This year, there have been 171 fires so far, while last year up to this point there were 99.

Read More

Forest History & Archives

The First Contract: Cones, Rifles, and a New Start

By Don Pigott
Tree Frog Forestry News
May 6, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada West

The Board Room – Don Pigott

In the Spring of 1982, after nearly 13 years with MacMillan Bloedel, I found myself increasingly dissatisfied following a reorganization that brought strict hierarchy, countless meetings, and little room for innovation. When “Black Friday” layoffs came, I was ready—I handed over my business card as I was terminated and set out to start my own seed collection and tree improvement consulting company.

Work was scarce at first, but a late-summer call from the Forest Service changed everything: my first contract to collect Douglas fir cones from 150 parent trees across the BC Interior. With Gerhard Gerke and JP Apperson, a couple of rifles, and some questionable maps, we set off. The bushy Interior trees, branches hung up overhead, and plenty of trial and error made for a challenging start, but we soon worked out a system—clearing the lower branches first to bring the cones down.

From roadside trees and ferry crossings to local guides, motel stays, and the occasional well-placed shot, the job was equal parts frustration and fun. It marked the real beginning—rough, uncertain, and exactly what I had hoped for.

Read More