Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters began in Williams Lake, British Columbia, on September 30, 2013. Established to honour Residential School Survivors, their families, and those who never returned home, it serves as a powerful reminder of the lasting impacts of the Residential School system. What began as a grassroots initiative has since evolved into a nationally recognized movement, with individuals, organizations, and communities across Canada participating in acts of remembrance, reflection, and reconciliation each year. The orange shirt symbolizes the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem that many Indigenous children experienced. This day reminds us that “Every Child Matters”. Public commemoration of this tragic chapter in Canada’s history, and its lasting effects, plays an essential role in advancing truth and reconciliation.
CALGARY — Canada’s lumber and steel industries are warning that expanding overseas sales cannot make up for losing access to the American market as tariffs threaten mills, jobs and manufacturing output. Industry representatives told the Senate national finance committee that Canada faces significant limits in shifting exports to other countries, Blacklock’s Reporter reported. Derek Nighbor, CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, said Canadian lumber and wood products sales to the US total about $14 billion annually. “It’s not a matter of just putting sticks on a boat and sending them somewhere else,” Nighbor testified. While producers see potential in Japan, China, South Korea and the European Union, Nighbor cautioned those markets cannot absorb enough Canadian products to replace American demand. … Further growth requires work on building codes, relationships with governments and local businesses, and training builders to use Canadian wood products.
BRUSSELS — The EU and Canada will use a landmark summit next month to announce an expansive new partnership, ranging from breaking down digital trade barriers to joint support for Ukraine and investing in fighting wildfires. “The world is rapidly changing with unprecedented geopolitical challenges as well as challenges across trade, energy, technology, climate, and resources,” reads a joint statement. …The EU and Canada have been seeking to shore up their strategic ties as they grapple with the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. …The two sides plan to say at their summit in Montreal that they want to speed up investment in critical mineral projects, strengthen supply chains, and improve supply security, including by stockpiling critical resources to mitigate “market fluctuations and geopolitical impacts.” …Ottawa and Brussels will also announce the joint purchase of 50 De Havilland water bombers, to be ready for use in Canada and Europe in 2030 to fight wildfires.
Plaintiffs led by the Canadian government will appeal the Court of International Trade’s July 27 ruling that upheld the Commerce Department’s use of a differential pricing analysis to detect masked dumping in a case challenging the 2021 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on Canadian softwood lumber, according to a Sept. 23 
President Trump’s ban on nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian goods went into effect Tuesday, marking the latest salvo in a trade war between the U.S. and its longtime ally to the north. The restrictions include Canadian dairy products, motor vehicles and many alcoholic beverages. Trump, in signing the executive orders to ban the goods, cited Canadian “discrimination” against the American equivalents. Jacob Jensen, as the American Action Forum, said the limits cover $967 million worth of Canadian imports, based on 2025 data. The president last month slapped 50 percent tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of Canadian products, levies that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government matched “dollar for dollar. …Carney, meanwhile, has used the trade dispute with Trump to shift his country’s cooperative focus elsewhere. 
The Supreme Court of Canada is set to hear an appeal involving CN Rail and Alberta Pacific Forest Industries that could clarify the courts’ authority to review decisions of the Canadian Transportation Agency. The case centres on whether factual findings by the agency can be challenged through judicial review, despite statutory limits on appeals.
The announcement that BC’s Howe Sound pulp and paper operation will remain open after securing government support has reignited questions about whether a similar intervention could have been pursued for Canfor’s Northwood pulp mill in Prince George. Domtar’s future has changed dramatically following discussions involving government officials, the company and union representatives. According to Unifor’s Gavin McGarrigle, government assistance played a critical role. …For critics of the provincial government’s response to the Northwood closure, the contrasting outcomes raise difficult questions. …McGarrigle argues the key difference lies in the willingness of the parties involved to engage. …Canfor disputes the notion that support for Northwood was not pursued. …“Canfor has been advocating for years to address the critical shortfall of economic fibre needed to sustain our manufacturing facilities. …With respect to our pulp operations in the region, we are intensely focused on ensuring a strong future for Intercon and Specialty Paper operations in Prince George.
In August, the U.S. trade deficit hit a seasonally adjusted $106 billion, the highest total since President Trump announced his sweeping tariff regime. Since those tariffs, the trade deficit has stayed around normal levels. …President Trump imposed the tariffs, in his own words, to close a trade deficit which he deemed a “national emergency.” …All of this was complete nonsense. …First, the nation does not lose money when it imports more goods and services than it exports. …Second, the nation isn’t even sending more dollars abroad than it receives when you zoom out beyond mere imports and exports. Foreigners typically want to do something more with the dollars they get. So virtually every dollar sent abroad returns to America in one form or another. Through our trade deficit, we receive many more tangible goods of value than we have to give up in return because the U.S. economy is exceptionally attractive.
The Carney government says it wants housing starts in Canada to double to 500,000 per year within the next several years. …At first glance, it’s an odd goal for the government to embrace. More than four-fifths of the existing residential housing stock in Canada consists of “market housing” — units constructed by developers and homebuilders guided by market-based signals. These signals include housing demand and business objectives such as making a profit, keeping the firm’s workers employed, etc. Ottawa’s direct role in building the country’s housing stock has been minor. …If markets operate well, the supply of housing will adjust in the face of trends in demand. Unfortunately, the homebuilding industry is subject to a heavy dose of regulation — mainly by municipalities and the provinces — and must grapple with a plethora of taxes and fees that drive up construction costs. 
Lumber futures fell to $527 per thousand board feet, reaching their lowest level in two years, as rising borrowing costs weighed on housing demand. Growing concerns over inflationary pressures and government debt have strengthened expectations of higher-for-longer interest rates and fueled a broader sell-off in the bond market, pushing sovereign yields to their highest levels in over two decades. As a result, mortgage rates climbed to 7.3%, their highest level in three years, further straining an already weak housing market. Although lacking any particular economic significance, economists refer to the 7% threshold as a psychological ceiling.
Time after time, week after week, there is yet another story lamenting Canada’s continued reliance on its resource economy. Wood, minerals, oil, gas and more are written or spoken of as antiquated, crumbling foundations of an economy that must supposedly grow up and embrace the world of tech and renewable energy. In June 2026, Canadian merchandise exports reached a record $78 billion, while imports totalled $73.8 billion, producing a $4.2-billion trade surplus. Why? Because Canada’s natural resource economy has proven once again that it can generate enough export earnings to offset deficits elsewhere in merchandise trade, supporting national income and domestic production. According to Statistics Canada’s merchandise data, five resource and resource-based product categories stand out. …Combined, they accounted for $46.2 billion in exports, while accounting for just $18.9 billion in imports, for a surplus of around $27.4 billion. Compare that with every other merchandise category in Canada, which ran a combined deficit of roughly $23.2 billion.
Much of the current discussion about BC exports understandably focuses on tariffs and the evolving trade relationship with the US. …A complete picture of what the province sells to earn its way in the world must include services. They generate roughly 40% of the province’s international export earnings. …The shift toward services has been underway for decades, supported by steady growth in gateway transportation and the rapid expansion in technology and professional services. …BC’s export mix has become more diversified partly because services have performed well, but also because merchandise exports have struggled. …The largest contributor to the decline in BC’s real merchandise exports is softwood lumber and other forestry-related exports, which have plunged since 2017. That decline reflects a shrinking timber harvest mainly attributable to provincial policy changes, a dwindling fibre supply, rising costs and other pressures that have reduced the competitiveness of the B.C. forest sector.
The University of British Columbia’s new MacIsaac Health Building is the first project on the Vancouver campus to achieve Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building—Design Standard v2 certification. Designed by Perkins&Will in partnership with Danish partner Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the approximately 25,000 m2 facility brings together nursing, kinesiology, student health and well-being, clinical teaching, research, and academic space. Carbon reduction informed the project’s design and construction strategies. The building also achieved LEED Gold certification. A high-performance envelope is intended to reduce energy demand, while natural-ventilation strategies and heat-recovery systems support operational performance. The project team also completed a whole-building life-cycle assessment to identify opportunities to reduce embodied carbon. Material selection also played a major role. Mass timber forms a key part of the structure and provides exposed timber finishes throughout the building. According to the project team, the material selection helps reduce embodied carbon while referencing Pacific Northwest building traditions.
Northwestern Ontario has an abundance of hardwood. That’s what the hosts of an inbound Scandinavian trade mission are promoting in Thunder Bay this week in an attempt to attract offshore investment and new manufacturing to the region’s forest sector. The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre will be the venue for the trade mission, Oct. 5-7, that is drawing select companies from Canada and the Nordic countries. The innovation centre, the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) are funding and orchestrating this gathering, which will feature a predominant Swedish contingent from as many as seven companies. …CRIBE CEO Scott Jackson said they won’t be shy about drawing attention to underutilized poplar and white birch in the northwest. CRIBE laid out the opportunity and value proposition 
The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — the first major overhaul of housing legislation in more than 30 years — is good news. But the policy, which aims to accelerate housing production across the country, also sets in motion surging demand for one of the oldest and most consequential building materials on Earth: wood. …As cities grapple with the need to increase housing production and decarbonize the built environment, they must take seriously the ecological impact of these material demands. …Since the 1990s, many North American timber operations have received certifications from forestry-standard groups, signaling to eco-conscious developers, architects, and investors that their wood products were responsibly produced. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) cover the majority of operations in North America. …But SFI policies around clearing primary forests are vague, while the FSC Mix label allows a product to include a majority of wood from non-certified logging operations. 
Edmonton, Alberta – The Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC) is pleased to announce the 2026 National Award recipients. Recipients have earned distinction through demonstration of exceptional achievements in the field of forestry. The Awards were presented at the Annual National Awards Ceremony and Banquet on September 28 in Edmonton, Alberta. The Institute would like to extend our congratulations to all the award recipients for 2026!
The Mark Carney government has been open-handed this year when it comes to funding major projects in BC that it deems to be in the national interest. The government promised $3.9 billion for the North Coast Transmission Line… It invested $500 million to expand the Red Chris gold and copper mine and pledged financial support for the $10-billion Roberts Bank port expansion. …A Canadian scientist and a University of BC professor say the federal government’s funds and perks are subsidizing the destruction of nature, contravening Canada’s global biodiversity commitments “Biodiversity again loses out,” Justina Ray, president and senior scientist for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, said. Ray and Jessica Dempsey, a University of BC professor who studies the political economy of biodiversity loss, both said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s investment summit in Toronto last week underscores that the government’s priority is to facilitate resource extraction, despite the toll on nature.
The community of Smithers has been relatively untouched by wildfires… However, drought has significantly impacted the area and the threat of wildfire has become ever present… Our local community wildfire suppression group, the Woodmere Emergency Services Society … visited a recent BC Timber Sales block that was harvested and sold to Hampton Lumber in Burns Lake. …In the spring of 2026 we had a field visit with Hampton to look at the slash/fuel left behind on this block. While Hampton had no legal obligation to do any further clean up, we were impressed that the company recognized the issue and agreed to clean up the block. …at the end of September 2026, we saw that Hampton has gone above and beyond our expectations and has done an exceptional job at their own expense. …Companies like Hampton are what give forestry a good name in British Columbia.
Forest soils store an estimated 40% of the world’s terrestrial carbon, but estimates suggest that around 15–30% of that soil carbon is lost when a forest is harvested. Tracking such losses can be tricky: wildfires, insects, disease and past forest management can all affect forest soil carbon stores, and tree type, climate and harvesting method can all affect how much carbon is lost. The BC Long-Term Soil Productivity (BC-LTSP) study is a long-term forest experiment that researchers used to examine how organic matter removal and soil compaction have affected soil carbon over the past 20 years, how soil carbon and the forest floor recover after heavy harvesting, and how latitude and climate affect soil carbon. The research is published in the 
As we move into fall, this is a time share the important role community forests play across BC. September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a time to reflect on our shared history, to listen and learn, and to recognize that reconciliation is ongoing work. Across BC, community forests are contributing to that work by building relationships with First Nations …and learning from the knowledge and values that First Nations bring to caring for the land. …With a provincial election underway, the BCCFA will be working throughout the campaign to bring our priorities forward and help candidates understand what community forests are delivering for BC and what is needed to strengthen the community forest program. In this edition of our newsletter, you’ll find information on:
NEW BRUNSWICK — Ken Thomas has been harvesting lumber from forests in Stanley for over 32 years. …But these days, he’s consumed with the thought of what to do next, when he pulls these 20-foot logs out of the forest and looks for a buyer, now that his longtime purchaser is pulling out of the game — at least temporarily. Earlier this month, the AV Nackawic mill announced it will temporarily shut down at the end of October. The mill owner, AV Group, had already stopped purchasing wood in August. …If the Nackawic mill closes permanently, there will be about 257,000 hectares of Crown land licensed to AV Group that will be up for grabs. …In the meantime, while the province decides the next steps for the licence, Herron has allowed the mixed hardwood cut and grown for the Nackawic mill to be exempt from regulations keeping it in the province.
It’s a big win for Yukon’s wildland firefighters. The Yukon government tabled a bill on Tuesday that would amend the territory’s Workers’ Safety and Compensation Act to include wildland firefighters under presumptive cancer coverage. Currently, only full-time and part-time structural firefighters are covered under the act for 19 types of cancer. Wildland firefighters are not included. Laura Lang, Yukon’s minister responsible for the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board, said wildland firefighters are there to support and protect communities in times of need, so it’s time to reciprocate that support. “Under the proposed change, when a wildland forest fighter is diagnosed with a listed cancer and meets the legislated eligibility requirements, their cancer would be presumed to be work-related,” she said. “For those who qualify, that means less red tape and a lot more straightforward, predictable claims processes.”
