The first Monday in September has been an official holiday in Canada since 1894, and in the United States since 1892. But the origin of Labour Day came 20 years before that, when unions started holding parades and rallies in Toronto and Ottawa to celebrate the successful 1872 Toronto printers’ strike – that won the decriminalization of unions in Canada. …the origins of Labour Day come from the struggles of working people and the demand for fairness. In this case, it was the movement to establish a 9-hour work day (the standard was a 12-hour work day and a 6-day work week) and a strike by printers in Toronto in the spring of 1872 to get it. …In 1882, an American labour leader witnessed the annual May “labour day” festivities in Toronto which inspired him to organize the first American “labor day” on September 5 that same year. …In Canada, pressure had been mounting to declare a national labour holiday. On July 23, 1894 the government of Prime Minister John Thompson passed a law making Labour Day official.
Unions and labour activists from across Canada, Mexico and the United States are united in their demand that stronger protections for workers’ rights must be included in any new trade deal negotiated between the governments. Multinational corporations continue to pit workers against each other in a race to the bottom across the three countries. Pro-employer protection unions remain prevalent in Mexico, obstructing the ability of workers to organize and collectively improve their conditions. The rights of workers to freely form unions and negotiate with their employers continue to be routinely violated, despite the provisions of the Labour Chapter of the Canada-United States- Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). …On behalf of workers across Canada, Mexico and the United States, we call on our governments to ensure that trade in North America raises standards for employment and working conditions in all three countries.
One of the world’s closest trading relationships is about to break down at enormous cost to both countries — and for no intelligible reason. …Canadian Prime Minister Carney suggested the US made unacceptable last-minute demands, including measures that would “compromise Canada’s sovereignty or undermine our key industries.” US Trade Representative Greer said Canada inexplicably turned its back on improvements that would’ve made a good deal for both sides even better. That claim was hardly credible. This White House has shown no interest in mutual advantage. …American voters, on the other hand, may be unwilling to bear any burden merely to show Canada who’s boss. …US businesses are puzzled too. Many American companies have supply-chains tightly linking domestic and Canadian operations. …But it isn’t too late to step back. Washington should revert to the terms in play before the talks collapsed. …If the worst happens, who are Americans heading to the polls in November going to blame?
The complete index of American products subject to Canadian retaliatory tariffs on September 8 include more than 600 different entries. Searching for patterns can drive you to madness. Butterfly nets will be hit with a 50 percent tariff. So will eye make-up preparations and fish egg incubators. …When asked about the decision-making process, industry minister Mélanie Joly said some goods are meant to hurt Trump-supporting states, though she declined to say which. …States with Republican senators, such as Maine, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, and Texas, all have substantive trade relationships with Canada—and are considered possible battleground states. Some experts are calling the issue “a political trap for Republicans,” with Democrats already seizing on the matter as a talking point. Here’s a look at some of the red states vulnerable to Canada’s new round of tariffs and the industries that may feel the most hardship.
The more the United States undertakes comprehensive efforts to reduce its vulnerability to Chinese economic coercion, the more important it becomes for Canada and Mexico to align their own policies. Misaligned tariff rates across the three countries incentivize the transshipment of Chinese goods to U.S. consumers. …Fundamental differences among the three countries allow for specialization based on what workers and companies in each do best. …Trump’s 2025 and 2026 tariffs pursued too many contradictory objectives. Beijing’s economic coercion clarified the most important task: to quickly create new sources of supply outside China. The ongoing USMCA negotiations present a political opportunity to pursue that objective by better aligning the countries’ tariff policies along three dimensions. …Then, Canada and Mexico need to raise some of their tariffs on China. …The most immediate need is for the Trump administration to stop implementing policies and circulating rhetoric that undermine North American unity.
For Mission businesses enduring the trade war with the United States, uncertainty is the real killer. …A spokesperson for Gill Timbers International, a local timber and lumber exporter, said the trade war is devastating for businesses on both sides of the border. “Businesses can only thrive on certainties,” the spokesperson said. Gill Timbers International estimates that about 90 per cent of its business has been lost during the “ongoing back and forth” between Canada and the United States. Before Trump was elected, the business had a presence inside the U.S. but has needed to scale back and diversify since. … Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Miriam Bozman said “Mission’s economy is very closely tied to cross-border trade through forestry and wood products, manufacturing, logistics, construction, agriculture. Increased costs, supply chain disruptions, and market uncertainty significantly affect business planning and growth across our community,” Bozman said.
CHAPLEAU — The Ontario government is building a strong and self-reliant economy by investing over $17.3 million in four projects that will modernize forest sector manufacturing, enhance the industry’s competitive advantage and strengthen forestry supply chains by using more mill by‑products and underused wood known as forest biomass. …This funding is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario forestry workers in the face of recent U.S. tariff attacks by building a more resilient, innovative and diversified forest sector, ready to compete in global markets. …The Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program and Forest Biomass Program investments will support four projects advancing the 
A new chapter in the effort to better manage water around Western Forest Products’ Saltair sawmill is taking shape. The company is creating a new runoff filtering system designed to collect and control surface water from the mill and surrounding area before it can make its way beyond the site into Ladysmith Harbour. The rainwater and stormwater runoff interacting with fine woody materials and galvanized mill infrastructure will shortly all be directed into an almost natural setting. “We want to make sure all the rainwater runoff from our site is filtered and it’s going into the ocean clean,” said Tyler Fraser, production superintendent at the mill. “Prior to this project all the surface water went into the storm drains, which would then lead to an oil-water separator before the harbour.” …“We have an established constructed wetland up at Beaver Cove in Telegraph Cove that has worked perfectly,” said Ben Matthews, mill environmental regulatory manager for WFP.
Prince George city council voted to send a letter to the federal jobs minister asking her to extend temporary employment insurance program for forestry workers in response to the impending closure of Northwood Pulp Mill at its Monday, Aug. 31 meeting. A report written by intergovernmental relations senior advisor Annie Doran and submitted by Coun. Garth Frizzell in his role as chair of the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs said that in the wake of the ongoing U.S.-Canada trade war, the federal government instituted several temporary measures, including: Waiving the waiting period for all new claims; Suspending the allocation of separation earnings like vacation pay, severance pay and more; and Increasing the number of weeks that long-tenured workers can received benefits to a maximum of 20. These benefits were implemented on March 30, 2025 and are expected to end on Oct. 10, 2026.
Nanaimo is bracing for the impacts the implementation of the 50% tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian goods that came into effect on Aug. 22 will have on the local business community. Julie Sperber, the new CEO of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce said… it’s clear that many of the region’s forest companies are going to take a big hit. …“Companies like the Harmac Pacific pulp mill won’t be affected as much because much of their products go to Asia, but Coastland Wood Industries are feeling the impacts of US tariffs for the first time.” Secondary-wood products like veneer sheets have been explicitly targeted for the first time. Doug Pauze, president of Coastland, said the company has scaled back production. …Sperber said officials from Western Forest Products and Mosaic Forest Management have planned meetings with government members in Victoria to discuss strategies to deal with the tariffs.
The Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford is calling on the federal government to explore how it could potentially use the Crofton mill. MP Jeff Kibble is floating the idea of it being used by the Department of National Defense. …On Friday, crews were loading logs onto a ship at its deep sea port. It’s one of the key assets of the property that has the region’s MP calling on Ottawa to consider the property’s purchase. “What I recommended is that the government immediately conduct a feasibility study to see if this is an opportunity to expand the base at Esquimalt. We know that the opportunity to have a deep water industrial site is rare and we also know that the navy is expanding rapidly,” said Kibble. Kibble served in the Royal Canadian Navy for 28 years. …When asked about Kibble’s proposal, Domtar said it’s “exploring a variety of possibilities for the future of the site”.
Two weeks until the 23rd Annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler! At a time when trade barriers, transportation constraints, and rising operating costs are influencing how businesses plan and source, strong supplier–buyer relationships matter more than ever. GBM brings B.C.’s value-added wood manufacturers together with pre-qualified international buyers, distributors, and specifiers. From targeted B2B meetings and conversations on the tradeshow floor to networking receptions including the Women’s Networking Event, WoodTALKS seminars, and a few memorable Whistler moments along the way, GBM is designed to create connections that last well beyond the event. See you in Whistler, September 10-12!
Osoyoos, British Columbia — September 21–22, 2026 Every industry has its acronyms. Few, however, land quite like the one the Independent Lumber Manufacturers’ Association (ILMA) has chosen for its 2026 Annual Convention: WTF — Where’s The Fibre? It’s a cheeky title for a serious question. Fibre availability — the raw material that keeps sawmills running, communities employed, and Canada’s forest sector competitive — has become one of the defining challenges facing the industry. ILMA’s answer is to lean into the tension rather than tiptoe around it, gathering the people who can actually do something about the problem for two days of conversation, deal-making, and, yes, a little golf. The ILMA Annual Convention has built a reputation as one of Canada’s premier forestry networking events, and this year’s edition returns to Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, located on the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The ILMA’s convention is intentionally curated — bringing together company owners and senior executives from across the sector alongside government representatives, First Nations leaders, suppliers, consultants, and forestry professionals.
BOISE, Idaho — Tensions between the US and its second-largest trade partner — and Idaho’s top partner — boiled over last month when President Trump lashed out at Canada with a slew of new tariffs. …Canadian officials said last week that they were “targeting” products that would affect certain states as they responded with tariffs of their own. …Idaho exports more goods to its northern neighbor than it does to its next six largest markets — Taiwan, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, China and Malaysia. Agricultural and food products are the state’s top exported goods, and Canada is the biggest market for them. …Wood, paper, pulp and printing products are also on the list of items facing 50% tariffs from both sides. …Idaho imports wood and paper products from Canada more than twice the amount it exports. …Trump’s new round of tariffs is another way to target Canadian wood, which this time affects different types of plywood.
OTTAWA — Canada’s trade surplus narrowed sharply in July as exports of energy and metal products shrank while imports rose, just weeks before Washington’s new 50% tariffs begin to show up in statistics. The trade surplus was C$769 million (US$557 million), compared with a four-year high surplus of C$4.2 billion posted a month ago, Statistics Canada said. Exports dropped 2.3%, while imports increased 2.2%. Amid an escalating trade dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Canada has been seeking to reduce its dependence on its neighbour and largest trading partner. The U.S. accounted for 66.35% of Canada’s total exports in July, down from 69.39% in June and 72.64% a year ago. However, Canada’s import dependence on the U.S. has only narrowed to 59% in the last 12 months compared with 62% in 2024. However, Washington’s latest duties, imposed last month, will provide a tougher test for exporters in the coming months.
Boosting trade with a more diverse array of international partners would only plug part of the hole in Canada’s economy if the U.S. were to withdraw from the North American trade pact, says a new Deloitte Canada report. So Canada must look at measures beyond trade diversification to help make up the difference, such as removing interprovincial trade barriers and fostering new industries, wrote the authors of “
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says inflation risk is on the rise, with higher energy costs topping Canada’s incoming dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. goods as the biggest potential driver of rising prices for consumers and businesses. Macklem’s remarks on Wednesday came after Canada’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.25 per cent, as widely expected by economists. The central bank lowered its policy rate to its current level in October of last year. This latest announcement marks seven consecutive times it has left its trend-setting policy rate unchanged. “The counter-tariffs, and indeed the U.S. tariffs … will add costs for some businesses,” Macklem told reporters in Ottawa. “These tariffs are very steep, but they are applied to a relatively narrow base.”The bigger issue, he said, is the war in the Middle East.
The ten largest softwood lumber import markets imported 16.6 million m3 in April-June 2026. Canada increased its share of U.S. softwood lumber imports by 6 pp, while Germany lost 3 pp of U.S. softwood lumber imports, according to Lesprom Analytics. The ten largest suppliers shipped 15.0 million m3 and held 90% of imports across the ten largest import markets. Canada gained 2 pp of Chinese softwood lumber imports. In the United Kingdom, Germany gained 4 pp and Finland lost 3 pp of U.K. softwood lumber imports. Russia shipped 474 thousand m3 less across the ten largest import markets, followed by Germany at 428 thousand m3 less and Austria at 370 thousand m3 less. In the first half of 2026, the ten largest import markets imported 34.7 million m3. Canada shipped 1.8 million m3 less and Russia shipped 1.2 million m3 less than in the first half of 2025.
Canadian home resales have been on a winning streak since April, inventory has levelled off, and prices appear to be stabilizing or at least falling more slowly. We see room for further gradual progress ahead as improved affordability and brightening job prospects shore up confidence, increasingly unlocking pent-up demand and slowly draining piled up inventory. But, the path is unlikely to be smooth or uniform across the country. The prolonged market correction in Ontario and BC will take time to heal. And, more resilient regions have little upside left amid stable or rising interest rates and stagnant population growth. …We project home resales and the benchmark price index to fall -3.6% to 453,200 units and -2.3% to $794,200, respectively, this year mainly reflecting weakness this winter and early spring. Recovery will become more visible by 2027 when we forecast transactions to grow 6.7% to 483,600 units, and the benchmark value edges higher by 0.8% to $800,700.
The Bank of Canada is likely to hold borrowing costs steady, as an escalation in the trade war with the U.S. threatens the economic recovery while adding to inflation risks. Economists and markets expect policymakers led by Governor Tiff Macklem to keep the policy rate at 2.25% on Wednesday. It would be the seventh straight hold — but the mood surrounding the country’s relationship with its top trading partner has changed dramatically since the last one, in July. …“Heightened growth risks from new U.S. tariffs and inflation risks from high oil prices likely created more discomfort for the Bank of Canada since their last meeting in July, but not enough to push them off the sidelines,” Nathan Janzen and Claire Fan, economists at Royal Bank of Canada, wrote. Tariffs will add to inflation while weighing on growth, reviving a dilemma Macklem and his governing council have highlighted throughout the trade war.
As the dust settles in this tit-for-tat tariff row, what will be affected most on both sides of the border? …Construction materials such as steel, aluminium as well as lumber wood have had tariffs in place before the latest escalation, though Canada has now matched US rates on the metals at 50%. Carney has also imposed import taxes on several US wood products, such as plywood, and even screws used to fix timber together. That means building firms that import such materials will face higher costs and may choose to pass those on through higher prices – pushing up the cost of homes, for example. The Forest Products Association of Canada says tariffs would “raise costs on both sides of the border”, while on the US side, Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) urged Trump to make building materials exempt from his tariff agenda due to an “ongoing housing affordability crisis”.
If global emissions continue unchecked, rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could amplify tree pests and diseases across more than 80 per cent of North American forests within decades, jeopardizing critical carbon sinks, air quality and the forestry economy. This is the key finding of a new UBC-led study published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The researchers found that insects pose the more immediate threat, with more than 60 per cent of the areas examined projected to experience 30 per cent more insect pressure by mid-century. Species like the spongy moth, already wreaking havoc in Canadian forests, could expand significantly in eastern North America by mid-century. “The forests that exist today aren’t going to be ones existing in 2040,” said senior author Dr. Jonathan Davies. “The process is happening already. I think we’ve got to put everything on the table because the status quo is no longer tenable.”
National survey seeks input from farmers and private woodlot owners to improve forestry policy, rural economic development, and environmental stewardship across Canada. Private forests are a familiar part of many Canadian farms, providing firewood, timber, wildlife habitat, clean water, and environmental benefits that extend far beyond property lines. Yet despite their importance, very little current information exists about the people who own and manage them. Now, Canadian Forest Owners (CFO), in partnership with researchers at McGill University, has launched the first national survey of private forest owners in more than two decades, seeking input from farmers and woodlot owners across the country. The initiative is designed to create an updated picture of Canada’s private forest sector and help governments make more informed decisions on forestry, climate, biodiversity, and rural economic development. …Many Canadian farms include woodlots that generate income, supply wood products, protect watercourses, enhance biodiversity, and contribute to carbon storage.
Canada is having an important conversation about the future of its forest sector. Fibre supply is tightening. Mills and communities face growing uncertainty. Wildfires, insects, conservation pressures, changing forest conditions and intensifying trade tensions are reshaping the economics of forestry. At the same time, governments are looking for ways to attract investment, improve productivity and strengthen rural economies. In that conversation, one of Canada’s significant forest resources has too often remained in the background: privately owned working forests. That is beginning to change. When Mark Carney announced the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force in November 2025, Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) saw an opportunity to challenge the traditional boundaries of Canada’s forest policy. When we presented to the Task Force in February and submitted recommendations in March, our message was straightforward: Canada cannot build a stronger, more competitive and resilient forest sector while leaving private forests and forest owners at the margins.
Hundreds of trees have been found embedded with metal spikes in Vancouver Island’s upper Walbran Valley, according to a court ruling that extends an injunction against a logging blockade there until early 2028. The BC Supreme Court court ruling says the blockade activity has included vandalism of logging equipment and tree-spiking incidents, in which two fallers had their chainsaws damaged beyond repair when they struck spikes on Aug. 18. Last Friday’s ruling says the loggers weren’t injured, but tree spikes carry “significant risk of injury or death”. Investigations found several hundred trees in Tsawak‑Qin Forestry’s cutblocks had been embedded with spikes, many with their heads cut off and bark placed over the top. …Tsawak‑Qin Forestry’s activities in the upper Walbran Valley have been disrupted by protesters opposed to old-growth logging since August 2025. Justice H. William Veenstra’s ruling says “the new evidence establishes that there continues to be irreparable harm suffered by Tsawak-Qin”.
Campfire prohibitions will be lifted across the Coastal Fire Centre starting Thursday (Sept. 3), as wildfire danger continues to decline following recent rainfall and cooler temperatures. Effective at noon, Category 1 open-fire prohibitions, which include campfires, will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre – which encompasses the Island and B.C.’s South Coast. Fire no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide, used for recreational or ceremonial purposes, will be allowed. At the same time, Category 2 and Category 3 open-fire prohibitions will also be lifted in the Haida Gwaii Forest District. Category 2 fires include backyard burning, while Category 3 fires include larger industrial burning activities. However, Category 2 and Category 3 fires will remain prohibited throughout the rest of the Coastal Fire Centre. Some activities and equipment also remain prohibited, including binary exploding targets, fireworks, burn barrels or burn cages, controlled air incinerators, air curtain burners, and carbonizers.
Patrick Tom has been helping a crew plant trees in his community of Wekweètì, N.W.T., since late August. His job is to ferry personnel and supplies to an area on the south shore of Snare Lake, which is being replanted after a wildfire. A crew of roughly 45 people flew into the Tłįchǫ community — approximately 300 kilometres northeast of Behchokǫ̀ — to plant 425,000 black and white spruce trees over the span of two weeks. It’s part of the Tlicho government’s plan to plant 13 million trees across its lands by 2030, with the help of federal funding. The initiative aims to restore ecosystems and boreal caribou habitat, while also creating local jobs. Tom worked for the Ekati diamond mine for the last 27 years. When it went into receivership in July, Tom said he was able to retire and he now has a pension.
Canada’s last wild spotted owl was known as Skalula. …No official announcement was made when Skalula disappeared in 2023, the year after her mate died. …To this day, neither the provincial nor the federal government has publicly acknowledged the disheartening truth: the northern spotted owl, which nests only in old-growth forests, has gone extinct in Canada’s wild. …How did we so miserably fail the spotted owl? …B.C. is Canada’s most biodiverse province, meaning that it has the greatest variety of life. But the number of species at risk of extinction in the province — a key measure of biodiversity loss — is steadily climbing. …Chris Johnson, the chair-elect of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, says that the only way to help many struggling wildlife species is for the B.C. government to enact endangered species legislation. …Today, almost 500 species in B.C. are endangered, meaning they could soon be lost if nothing is done.
The end of wildfire season is beginning to fizzle as the B.C. Wildfire Service is nudging open the gates a little bit and allowing category one fires today. The combination of current and future forecasts, recent precipitation and improved overnight recoveries has reduced the need to prohibit campfires in the Southeast Fire Centre region. “The B.C. Wildfire Service takes several factors into account before rescinding prohibitions,” noted the BCWS in a statement. “This includes balancing the needs of the public with the need to mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires.” As of noon, category one campfires will be permitted throughout the Southeast Fire Centre — which includes the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and the Selkirk Natural Resource District — and all non-municipal land across the Regional District of Central Kootenay. However, there are rules involved. A category one campfire must be set in accordance with section 20 of the Wildfire Regulation…
Forestry critic and B.C. Conservative MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson Ward Stamer wants to see the province salvage more wildfire-burned wood faster. He said that only about 5% of burned wood is logged on average in B.C. following a wildfire — a number he’s prefer to see rise to 25%. The former logger said he also wants to see cutting license issued faster, noting most burned trees are useless if not harvested within two years. …Stamer said once a trees dies, it begins deteriorating and each species does so at different rates. He said most burned trees that aren’t harvested within two years may only be good for low value chips, as opposed to other products such as plywood, veneer and saw logs. …Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar said the salvage rate is closer to eight to 10%. Parmar said the province is always trying to increase its salvage rate.
Canadians will have to prepare for a future that’s 5 C hotter, according to a new report summarizing the latest science on climate change. The second edition of 
Donald Trump’s trade war is accelerating Canada’s retreat from climate policy. When trade talks between Canada and the United States broke down on August 22 and Trump imposed tariffs of 50 per cent on almost $30 billion of Canadian goods, Canada had to respond. And it is responding. Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up to Trump. I admire him for that. Canada cannot allow an American president to threaten our economy every time he doesn’t get what he wants. We need new markets, new trading partners and far less dependence on the United States. But something else is happening in the rush to protect ourselves. Climate policy is getting trounced. The oil-and-gas emissions cap has been abandoned. The Clean Electricity Regulations and other climate measures have been weakened. The federal government has moved toward expedited approvals for energy infrastructure.
Mark Carney government is arguing in court that the signature piece of Justin Trudeau’s climate action plan — the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act — is unenforceable. Also, that it’s not the job of the courts to rule on federal climate policy. That may come as a shock to Canadians who remember the Trudeau government crowing when the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Trudeau’s carbon pricing law was constitutional, after it was challenged by Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan as an intrusion into provincial authority. But that was then, and this is now.
For generations, Nova Scotia’s forests have been a foundation of the province’s economy. But the traditional business model built around sawmills, pulpwood and large-scale paper production has been under growing pressure. The closure of the Northern Pulp mill in Pictou County in 2020 exposed just how vulnerable the sector had become. …Now, industry leaders are looking toward an emerging opportunity: turning branches, bark and other low-grade fibre into energy. …Nova Sustainable Fuels is planning a multibillion-dollar renewable-energy project that would use biomass from Nova Scotia’s forestry and forest-based industries to produce sustainable aviation fuel, providing an alternative to conventional petroleum-based aviation fuel. For an industry struggling to find markets for its fibre, projects such as that could represent an important new customer. Stuart said a biomass market could also complement efforts to improve the health of Nova Scotia’s forests. [A Chronicle Herald subscription may be required for full access]
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation provides that, except as otherwise determined by WorkSafeBC, an employer must ensure no worker is exposed to a substance exceeding the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) prescribed by the 
The fire that is burning out of control in Port Hope Simpson has more than tripled in size, as Day 2 of efforts to fight the blaze near the southeastern Labrador community comes to a close. The fire that began at an estimated two hectares in size when it was mapped as a possible threat to the community on Wednesday reached five hectares by mid-Thursday morning. As of about 7 p.m., the latest update, it’s seven hectares, according to provincial forestry. However, any spread has not been into the town, thanks to activities through the day. “Today, aerial suppression efforts were supported by three water bombers and two bucketing helicopters, which were effective in preventing the spread of the wildfire,” states the update.