Region Archives: Canada

Business & Politics

16 Canadian firms backed U.S. politicians who voted to deny 2020 election results, finds report

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Sixteen of Canada’s largest companies—including some with major operations in BC—have US subsidiaries whose political action committees (PAC) donated directly to the campaigns of US Congress members after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 US presidential election, a new report has found. …In the days after the attack on the Capitol, a number of US companies said they would pause all PAC donations to members of Congress who failed to certify the results of the election. Five years later, that commitment appears not to have held for the US subsidiaries of some of Canada’s companies. … The report points to BC-linked gas and forestry companies. …Domtar spokesperson Seth Kursman said the list of Congress members that received donations from its PAC represent states and congressional districts where the company has facilities. …“Our PAC supports Members of Congress aligned with our industry priorities and more broadly the manufacturing sector.”

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US international trade court judge extends US administration’s tariff refunds deadline

By Jacqueline So
Canadian Lawyer Magazine
March 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Richard Eaton, senior judge on the US Court of International Trade, has extended the US administration’s deadline for refunding about US$166 billion in tariffs. Eaton had orginally ordered US Customs and Border Protection to begin the refunding process at the start of the month after the US Supreme Court struck down global tariffs set by president Trump. …The administration has been inundated with lawsuits from companies like Costco, FedEx, and Pandora Jewelry – all looking to get their money back since Eaton’s order meant that everyone who had paid tariffs was entitled to a refund. Barnes, Richardson & Colburn partner Larry Friedman said that the order was one he had hoped for, “but never expected to see.” A US Customs and Border Protection official indicated in a legal filing that its system could not handle the volume of work.

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Government of Canada announces significant investment to strengthen workforce development across key economic sectors

By Employment and Social Development Canada
Government of Canada
March 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario announced an investment of up to $94.5 million over five years through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP). This investment will produce consistent, foundational labour market information (LMI) across key sectors, providing the information needed to help better coordinate the supply and demand of skilled labour while supporting a stronger economy. Through this initiative, 14 organizations will develop a range of informational products and employer toolkits to help workers and businesses adapt to current labour market challenges. The investment will support organizations in key sectors, including construction, trucking, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, tourism, forestry, agriculture, mining, energy, information and communications technology, the environment, and the bio-economy. 

  • Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program 2026 Projects: The Forest Products Association of Canada will create a Talent Pipeline Management Pilot for Canada’s Forest Sector to develop industry-validated LMI on current and forecasted workforce supply and demand trends for key occupations to guide the forestry sector and develop HR tools to break down barriers for equity-seeking groups looking to gain entry into the forestry sector.

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U.S. starts annual duty reviews for key wood imports

The Lesprom Network
March 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States, International

The U.S. Department of Commerce will start annual administrative reviews of existing antidumping and countervailing duty measures on key wood imports on March 9, 2026, and it plans to issue final results by January 31, 2027, the department said in a notice. The reviews cover Canadian softwood lumber under the antidumping order A-122-857 and the countervailing duty order C-122-858 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. They also cover Chinese certain hardwood plywood products under antidumping order A-570-051 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, and Chinese wooden bedroom furniture under antidumping order A-570-890 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Commerce said it may limit the number of companies examined and then select respondents using U.S. import data or quantity-and-value questionnaires. It said it intends to place the data or questionnaires on the record within five days after publication of the initiation notice and make respondent selection decisions within 35 days after publication.

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U.S. Tariffs Aren’t B.C. Forestry’s Biggest Problem

By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist and Ken Peacock, consulting economist
Independent Contractors and Businesses Association
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Whenever questions arise about mill closures and job losses in B.C.’s forest products sector, NDP government representatives are quick to blame U.S. tariffs. But the numbers tell a different story. Softwood lumber exports to the U.S.— and other markets—have been falling more or less continuously since peaking in 2016. By 2024, before Donald Trump returned to office, B.C.’s southbound softwood lumber exports had already tumbled 42% compared to 2016. The Trump-driven expansion of softwood tariffs in 2025 contributed to a further 14% Y/Y reduction over the course of last year. …the downturn in lumber exports is also unique to B.C. Across Canada, softwood exports to the U.S. edged up 1.4% through 2024 before slipping under the weight of higher American tariffs and stalled U.S. homebuilding. …Pretending that mill closures, escalating job losses in the forest sector, and capital flight from the B.C. industry are due to U.S. tariffs that were hiked in 2025 obscures the real challenges confronting the B.C. industry. 

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Eby says he had ‘frank discussion’ with U.S. ambassador on lumber dispute, tariffs

By Wolfgang Depner
Canadian Press in Victoria Times Colonist
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

David Eby

B.C. Premier David Eby says he had a “frank discussion” with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra about the cross-border softwood lumber dispute and tariffs. Eby says he and Hoekstra didn’t agree on everything at their meeting on Tuesday, but he says both expressed hopes for a “positive outcome to trade negotiations” between Canada and the United States. Hoekstra was peppered with questions as he walked away from the B.C. legislature after the meeting, leaving unanswered queries about the lumber dispute and B.C.’s ban on American-made liquor. …”The conversation included a frank discussion around what would be required to make progress on the softwood lumber dispute and tariffs,” Eby said. Various countervailing duties and tariffs on B.C.’s softwood lumber industry currently add up to 45 per cent. Eby said other topics included trade talks, B.C.’s ban on U.S. liquor, and co-operation on transnational crime and money laundering.

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How Is Ottawa’s Tariff Response Working for BC?

By Isaac Phan Nay
The Tyee
March 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jeff Bromley

Last Thursday, Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu headed to Victoria to announce $70.4 million over three years intended to help tariff-affected workers retrain, upskill and get new jobs. The funding is part of the federal government’s strategy to help workers respond to US President Trump’s trade war. Here in B.C., that’s largely workers in the forestry sector and steel. …But United Steelworkers Wood Council chair Jeff Bromley said Canada needs to bolster employment insurance even more to keep workers from falling through the cracks. He added that while the investment into skills training is welcome, it’s presently unclear exactly how the money will help United Steelworkers’ 14,000 members. …Bromley pointed to the workers at the sawmill in Chemainus, who were expecting to resume work this year until finding out in January that their mill would stay inactive. Many will start running out of employment insurance this week.

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Open letter calls for federal support for laid off workers in North Cowichan

By Justin Baumgardner
My Cowichan Valley Now
March 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The Municipality of North Cowichan is calling for urgent support to help laid off workers. In an open letter to the minister of jobs and families from the municipality, United Steelworkers Union, and Western Forest Products said workers continue to be impacted by layoffs. “These workers aren’t facing a short-term layoff,” said the letter. “They’ve been formally advised that there will be no return to work this year. Yet many are now being told their Employment Insurance (EI) benefits will soon expire.” Last year, Western Forest Products announced the curtailment of 120 workers at the Chemainus sawmill due to what they call weak market conditions and limited access to economically viable fire. It’s estimated 80 workers will be affected if changes aren’t done to protect their benefits that are scheduled to end in March, and all parties are asking the minister to treat workers equally.

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Government of Canada invests in strengthening the Prairies’ forest sector

By Natural Resources Canada
Cision Newswire
March 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

STURGEON COUNTY, AB — Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced a federal investment of over $4.4 million for ten projects that will strengthen the forest sector in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. These projects will advance manufacturing and processing, diversify Canada’s forest products and their export markets and support First Nation and Métis groups and forestry businesses. Among the projects funded, Western Archrib Enterprises Ltd. is receiving $2.3 million through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program to commission a 160,000-square-foot mass timber plant in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The facility represents a total capital investment of over $80 million and will transform Western Archrib’s operations to a fully automated manufacturing line, increasing production capacity from 12 million to 30–35 million board feet annually. This investment will strengthen Alberta’s supply chain for advanced wood-based building material, such as mass timber panels, which directly support the construction industry and housing supply.

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B.C. forestry workers, other sectors hurt by tariffs to get $70M in jobs training

By Wolfgang Depner
The Canadian Press in CTV News
March 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Pat Hajdu

Workers in BC’s softwood lumber industry and those in other sectors who have lost their jobs because of U.S. tariffs will benefit from almost $71 million in funding for retraining. Federal Jobs Minister Pat Hajdu and Sheila Malcolmson… made the joint funding announcement about the three year agreement. BC’s softwood lumber industry has been shedding hundreds of jobs as U.S. tariffs pile up along with the lack of fibre. “This new funding will help workers in B.C. build new skills, get back to work or take advantage of new opportunities in emerging in demand industries,” Hajdu said. “It also can help businesses retool their production.” …The federal government says 8,000 workers in BC will be eligible for the support if they have been laid off or if they are retraining to improve their job prospects. The new funding tops off existing agreements worth $400 million to support training  in BC for about 90,000.

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Western Forest Products begins loading first kiln at Chemainus value-added facility

By Western Forest Products
LinkedIn
February 23, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CHEMAINUS, BC — The first batches of lumber are now being loaded into one of two continuous dry kilns scheduled for installation at our Value-Added Division in Chemainus. This milestone is another step in our ongoing commitment to our customers: consistent quality, dependable lead times and long-term supply reliability. The additional capacity will support increased volumes of kiln-dried products, including lumber used to produce glued laminated timber for mass timber applications. Investment in this long-term project is part of our ongoing focus on higher value products and reflects Western’s significant investments in our B.C. Coastal manufacturing operations — modernizing primary facilities, increasing kiln drying and planing capacity and expanding our engineered wood products and remanufacturing capabilities. A second continuous dry kiln will be installed later in 2026, further reinforcing these improvements. We look forward to sharing more details soon.

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Ottawa spending $229M to help tariff-hit Ontario workers obtain new skills

By Craig Lord
The Canadian Press in CBC News
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Patty Hajdu

The federal government will spend $228.8 million over the next three years to help Ontario workers in industries hit hard by US tariffs acquire new skills and adapt to the trade war disruption. The new Canada-Ontario Workforce Tariff Response will support workers and job seekers in the province’s softwood lumber, steel and automotive industries — areas still facing steep sectoral tariffs from the United States. The federal government says in a news release that workers in sectors affected indirectly by tariffs can also access the training and employment services on offer. Ottawa estimates 27,000 workers in Ontario will get training or other supports through the program. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu announced the funding on Tuesday alongside her Ontario counterpart David Piccini on Parliament Hill. On Monday, Hajdu also announced $94.5 million in spending over five years to improve data sharing on job opportunities in key sectors.

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Ont. government and Canada investing more than $228M to try and protect workers and key industries

By Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
The Government of Ontario
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

David Piccini

OTTAWA — The Ontario government announced that it is expanding training and employment supports for those impacted by tariffs and global trade disruptions. Through a $228.8 million investment from the Government of Canada over the next three years, Ontario will deliver the Canada-Ontario Workforce Tariff Response, reportedly helping up to 27,000 workers across the province retrain, upgrade their skills and stay competitive in key sectors of the economy, including softwood lumber, steel and automotive manufacturing. “Ontario’s workers are at the forefront of our economy, and our government will never shy away from helping them when it’s needed,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. As part of this initiative, Ontario will reportedly deliver targeted programs through Skills Advance Ontario (SAO), which aims to help workers stay employed, upgrade their skills and move into more in-demand jobs, while trying to help employers retain experienced staff during periods of economic uncertainty.

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Finance & Economics

Canada’s housing supply made strides in 2025 amid weak demand, condo struggles

by Sammy Hudes
The Canadian Press in Richmond News
March 11, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Canada’s housing agency says the country made “meaningful” supply gains last year thanks to record rental construction and more “missing middle” type housing, however short-term imbalances remain for several markets. Housing construction rose 6% year-over-year in 2025 to 259,000 units, with activity exceeding the 10-year average across most major markets, according to CMHC’s spring housing supply report. …Rentals drove overall new housing supply in Canada last year, with the number of rental units under construction nearly doubling the 10-year average. …The trend led to increased vacancy rates and slower rent price rises compared with recent years. The report also highlighted the growth of “missing middle” housing — a term referring to gentle-to-medium density types such as accessory suites, multiplexes, row homes, stacked townhouses and low-rise apartments, which have often been under-represented in new supply. …Despite some encouraging trends, particularly for the rental market, housing construction for the home ownership market weakened overall.

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Canfor Pulp announces Special Meeting results.

Canfor Pulp Products Inc.
March 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Pulp Products announced that at the special meeting of the holders of common shares in the capital of the Company held earlier, the Shareholders voted in favour of approving the special resolution authorizing the previously announced arrangement whereby Canfor Corporation will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares that it and its affiliates do not already own by way of a statutory plan of arrangement. …The Arrangement was approved by 96.02% of the Shareholders and 84.42% of the Shareholders excluding any votes of the Purchaser and its affiliates and any other Shareholders whose votes were required to be excluded. …Assuming that all remaining approvals are obtained and all other remaining conditions precedent to the completion of the Arrangement are satisfied or waived, the Company anticipates that the Arrangement will be completed on or about March 17, 2026.

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Roman Building Materials reports Q4, 2025 net earnings of $11 million

Doman Building Materials Group Ltd.
March 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

VANCOUVER, BC — Doman Building Materials Group announced its fourth quarter and full year 2025 financial results. For the year ended December 31, 2025, consolidated revenues increased to $3.1 billion, compared to $2.7… EBITDA amounted to $256.4 million, compared to EBITDA of $192.2 million. …For the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, revenues amounted to $644.2 million when compared to $707.8 million in the same period in 2024. The decrease was mainly due to declines in construction materials pricing in the US during the quarter, as well as lower average year-over-year pricing. …EBITDA amounted to $44.3 million, compared to EBITDA of $51.0 million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $51.9 million in 2024. Net earnings for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, were $11.0 million versus $8.3 million.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Advancing mass timber projects

By Cheryl Mah
The REMI Network – Real Estate Management Industry Network
March 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

As mass timber construction continues to build momentum, critical lessons learned on jobsites are emerging to ensure successful project outcomes. The aesthetics and many benefits of mass timber are well known, but bringing these projects to life involves significant technical and logistical challenges. Common issues that need careful consideration include moisture management, lack of experience, site logistics, safety and more. “The single most important time in any mass timber project – and where most mistakes are made – is early involvement,” said Scott Comfort, president of Seagate Mass Timber who was a speaker at Buildex Vancouver. “You can never talk about mass timber too early in your project. Always have an engineer lifting and bracing plan in place – absolutely critical for the safety of the job and for it to do well.” …To help the industry with moisture management, best practices are being explored by the Canadian Wood Council and FPInnovations.

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Municipal Procurement holds the power to help Buy Canadian

Forest Products Association of Canada Blog
March 6, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Leveraging locally made forest products supports local jobs, efficient builds, and community resilience. …Forestry is more than just an industry; it is the lifeblood of some 300 Canadian communities. In the face of trade and market headwinds, some forest-dependent communities across the country are experiencing a worrying trend: the hollowing out of their economic base. Recent trade and market impacts on forestry have reduced production or closed mills, eliminated jobs, and reduced municipal revenues. With new challenges bring new opportunity – to take action on what we control. To streamline regulations to make our industries more competitive, diversify export markets, and do more here at home with Canadian grown and made products. Municipalities across the country can be part of the solution to help improve prospects for the forestry sector and its employees. Municipalities have the power to choose Canadian wood and wood fibre-based products in local projects.

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Forestry

Conservation groups worry Carney’s new nature strategy won’t come with funding

By David Thurton
CBC News
March 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The Carney government’s strategy to protect nature is expected to be released in the coming weeks — and some nature advocacy groups worry it won’t come with any new funding. Billions of federal dollars earmarked for conservation are set to expire at the end of March. If they aren’t renewed, the groups say Canada will not meet its 2030 targets. …national nature groups have been sounding the alarm that previous investments in biodiversity projects are in jeopardy, [saying] they haven’t received any assurances that long-term funding would be extended. …Funding for projects meant to halt and reverse species loss is set to soon expire. The enhanced nature legacy program earmarked $2.3 billion over five years, ending March 31. As The Hill Times reported, there was no mention of renewing the fund in the November federal budget and the main estimates tabled in February showed a drop in conservation funding — from $953 million in 2025-26 to $366 million in 2026-27.

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‘You have a voice’: women in forestry urged to share their talents

By Lindsay Kelly
Northern Ontario Business
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

When Diane Cave graduated from Dalhousie University, many of her classmates made a beeline to the Alberta, [to work] in the oil fields. But Cave, a chemical engineer by training, chose to go a different route. Today, she works in a very niche part of the forestry sector as the eastern lead with Element6 Solutions, engineering dust collection systems to ensure safe and productive workplaces. …“No matter what you do, you spend a lot of time at work, you spend a lot of time in the field, and if you don’t enjoy it, then you’re not going to excel at it,” said Cave, during an online Women in Forestry summit. …Svetlana Kayumova, who has a background in marketing, hadn’t considered a career in forestry until she got a job as an executive assistant at Interfor. That role gave her insight into the company, leading to a deeper curiosity about the forestry sector. 

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BC is Burning – Nanaimo Film Screening

By the Truck Loggers Association
BC is Burning
March 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Join us in Nanaimo, March 25 at the Shaw Auditorium, for an exclusive screening of this urgent and impactful documentary, exploring the roots of British Columbia’s wildfire crisis and what we must do to protect our forests, communities, and future. This powerful documentary addresses British Columbia’s escalating wildfire crisis and the urgent need for solutions. … But within this crisis lies opportunity. The film explores how proactive forest management and policy reforms can reduce fire risk. A fact-finding journey to California highlights innovative strategies from its Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. BC is Burning is more than a documentary—it’s a call to action to rethink how we manage our forests, protect our communities, and secure a sustainable future for British Columbia.
The documentary will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Murray Wilson.
Watch the trailer here.
Admission: $15. Get your tickets here.

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Naturalists, AWARE spotlight Rainbow Wildlife Corridor and Jane Lakes as key habitats for Whistler’s future

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Whistler’s forests are home to one of the region’s most elusive birds of prey: the northern goshawk. Bob Brett, a local biologist and co-founder of the Whistler Naturalists, says Whistler is almost uniquely positioned among southern B.C. communities to support the at-risk forest hawk because of the remaining old-growth forests scattered along the valley’s lower slopes. “[Goshawks] hunt inside the forest, so they need wide-spaced trees, they need big branches to nest on and they need access to the forest floor for hunting,” Brett said. “They’re in big trouble on the coast of British Columbia because of all the logging and the lack of old-growth suitable habitat,” he added. “…And our challenge is to make sure that Whistler continues to have habitat for them.” Brett said that challenge extends to the protection of connected ecosystems—particularly the Rainbow Wildlife Corridor, identified as the 21-Mile Creek corridor.

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Taan Forest becomes Canada’s first Forest Stewardship Council Verified Impact forest

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
March 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Taan Forest, the forest management enterprise owned by the Council of the Haïda Nation, is leading the way under the Forest Stewardship Council Verified Impact program. This milestone marks the first Verified Impact project in Canada and one of the first globally to be verified for enhancing Indigenous cultural values, showcasing how FSC certification can credibly demonstrate positive outcomes for biodiversity, cultural heritage, and community-led stewardship. Taan manages two forest licences spanning more than 190,000 hectares on Haida Gwaii, the ancestral homelands of the Haïda Nation. Prior to Taan, the forest was managed under high-intensity industrial logging practices. Following the Haida Gwaii Land Use Objectives Order (2010) and Taan’s FSC certification in 2011, management shifted toward a values-based stewardship model. Verified ecosystem services impacts now provide thirdparty confirmation, under the FSC’s framework, that Taan’s management approach is delivering measurable ecological and cultural benefits. …verified outcomes include more than 44,000 hectares of conservation area and improved habitat conditions for species such as Taan Haida Gwaii Black Bear, Ts’allang.nga  Marbled Murrelet, and Stads K’un  Northern Goshawk. 

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Registration is Open for BC Community Forest Association’s 2026 Conference & AGM

BC Community Forest Association
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Registration is now open for our 2026 Conference & AGM with Early Bird pricing. The event will take place from June 3-5 in Vernon, BC, where community forest leaders, partners, and supporters will gather to connect, collaborate, and inspire action. The field trip will be hosted by Monashee Community Forest, a partnership of the Splatsin First Nation and the Village of Lumby. 

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Quesnel City Council encourages public to sign petition supporting the forest industry

By George Henderson
My Cariboo Now
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Quesnel City Council has endorsed the “Forestry is a Solution” campaign. Erin Robinson, Forestry Initiatives Manager at the City, talked about the “Forestry is a Solution” campaign at the most recent Council meeting. “It was launched in January at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George.  The “Forestry is a Solution” campaign is led by a coalition of forest sector organizations, community leaders, workers, and industry advocates to demonstrate strong public support for British Columbia’s forest sector. The initiative highlights forestry’s role in: supporting affordable housing, reducing wildfire risk through active forest management, sustaining family-supporting jobs, generating public revenues, and contributing to lower carbon construction.” Robinson said it is in line with Council’s concerns over the current state of the industry.

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The Xwulqw’selu/Koksilah Watershed: too important to fail

By Alison Nicholson, electoral area director, CVRD
The Ladysmith – Chemainus Chronicle
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Alison Nicholson

2026 was intended to be the final year of the joint effort by the province and Cowichan Tribes to heal the Xwulqw’selu/Koksilah watershed — bringing back summer river flows, restoring fish habitat, and reducing damaging winter floods. …it is clear we need more time. …Research shows that industrial forestry practices — specifically clearcutting — increase the frequency and severity of winter floods, which directly degrades instream habitat and worsens summer droughts. This tells us that while reducing water extraction in the lower watershed is necessary, it isn’t enough. …we cannot have a healthy river without addressing how the land is treated. …On Feb. 25, Mosaic Forest Management …announced a pilot to test new watershed stewardship approaches in the Koksilah Watershed. While welcome, it must be more than a private initiative. To succeed, the community needs assurance that it will be integrated into the planning process, with public access to data, independent review, and clear timelines.

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Delegation outlines forestry agreement for Powell River Council

By Paul Galinski
The Powell River Peak
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

City of Powell River councillors were provided an overview on March 5 of Tla’amin Nation’s negotiations to repatriate access to forest lands currently held by Western Forest Products (WFP). Adam Culos, general manager of Thichum Forest Products, said that Tla’amin had announced a milestone agreement, where Thichum Forest Products, through Tla’amin, is working on an agreement with WFP to acquire Tree Farm Licence 39 block one. Seanna McConnell, Western Forest Products vice-president, Indigenous partnerships, said Qwoqwnes Forestry Holdings Limited Partnership, wholly owned by Tla’amin, will be purchasing 100 per cent ownership of WFP’s Stillwater forest operation for $80 million. …Culos said the acquisition … supports Thichum’s long-term success through investment in their business and the future of the community, [adding] that almost all the wood supplies domestic mills, so there are three fibre supply agreements. One will be WFP, supporting the company’s five coastal mills, along with Mosaic Forest Management and Domtar.

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Two Cliff Gilker Park bridge replacements promised in 2026

By Connie Jordison
Sunshine Coast Reporter
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Reconstruction of Cliff Gilker Park’s Waterfall and Gorge bridges is to commence shortly and complete “well before the end of the year,” according to Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) staff, thanks to an agreement with the Sunshine Coast Community Forest (SCCF). A contract award to SCCF to do that work was endorsed by the SCRD board at its Feb. 26 meeting. Completing those two replacements as a cooperative project, using wood rather than metal for bridge structures, will save the SCRD time and $578,930, according to a staff report. Rather than spending over $1.2 million as budgeted to reopen the two bridges, which were closed due to damage sustained during the November 2021 atmospheric rivers, the new project cost is $619,920. That price also covers trail resiliency work in the park.

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Uninvited guests: Invasive pests, diseases and the fate of our forests

By Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
University of British Columbia
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Webinar: March 24, 2026 | Invasive species are an unintended consequence of globalization and one that is wreaking havoc on forest ecosystems. From the blister rust fungus that decimated BC’s white pines to more recent invasions of Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer beetle, invasive pests and pathogens are a real and present danger that are reshaping forest and urban ecosystems in lasting ways. Join Dr. Richard Hamelin, a forest pathologist specializing in forest health and the application of genomics to disease management, for a timely and engaging look at the scope of the problem and the scientific tools being used to respond, including the application of genomics and tree breeding. Increasingly, citizen scientists play a critical role in detecting emerging threats, helping enable early intervention and improved forest protection.

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Petition asks province to reject logging proposal in rural B.C.

By Dillon White
The Vernon Morning Star
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A petition to reject a logging project in the Hatzic Valley has collected over 650 signatures. The proposed project would feature cut blocks between Kussman Road and Eng Road east of Mission, along with a new logging road. According to the province’s Forestry Operations Map, the project in question — FOM 2801 — is expected to be in operation from 2026 to 2030. In a statement to the Mission Record on Friday (March 6), the Ministry of Forests said it hasn’t received an application for a proposed road permit or a cutting permit at this time. “The licensee is welcome to submit an application for review by the Ministry of Forests,” the ministry said. The petition notes the history of landslides, flooding and debris flows in the area. It states that approving a new logging road construction would ignore decades of evidence and repeat past mistakes.

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City of Mission sees significant profit from timber sales last year

City of Mission
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Mission, BC – Despite the continuing uncertainty around tariffs on softwood lumber, the City of Mission’s forestry operation saw a net profit of over $1.1 million last year from timber sales. By taking advantage of temporary market upticks throughout the year, the Forestry Department released three timber sales culminated in a net profit of $1,138,769 after fee and fund transfers in 2025. The original forecast for the year was a net profit of $459,133. The revenue from timber sales fuels the City of Mission’s Forestry Legacy Reserve. This unique reserve is used by Council to allocate funding for projects and initiatives that benefit the community now and into the future. Recent examples of this reserve in action include the new Emiry Park in Cedar Valley and the covered lacrosse box at Centennial Park – both of these projects were made possible in part by funding from the Forestry Legacy Reserve, funds that would otherwise need to be raised through taxation. 

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Mosaic launching Koksilah watershed pilot

By Robert Barron
The Ladysmith – Chemainus Chronicle
March 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Mosaic Forest Management is testing a new approach to forest management in the Koksilah watershed. The forest company is launching a multi-year pilot program on its private lands in the watershed to demonstrate how working forests can deliver both economic performance and environmental resilience by integrating watershed services, carbon programs, renewable energy, recreation and real estate activities alongside timber production. The Koksilah River has been experiencing persistent problems in recent years, including extreme water fluctuations and severely low flows in the summer months, which led to Cowichan Tribes and the province signing B.C.’s first water sustainability plan for the watershed in 2023, to find solutions. …“This pilot is about figuring out what works by combining sustainable forestry with watershed stewardship and other land solutions,” said Duncan Davies, president and CEO of Mosaic. “We’re committed to building the business model that makes this approach viable and scalable where the right conditions exist.”

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City of Powell River councillors endorse forestry campaign

By Paul Galinski
The Powell River Peak
March 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

City of Powell River Council has officially endorsed the Forestry is a Solution campaign led by a broad coalition of community leaders, workers and forest industry advocates. At the March 6 city council meeting, councillors reviewed correspondence from Kim Haakstad, CEO of BC Council of Forest Industries, which has the goal to demonstrate deep public support for BC’s forest sector and ensure it remains a strategic asset for the future. The request had three components. The first was to officially endorse the Forestry is a Solution campaign. Secondly, encourage community members to visit the forestryisasolution.com website to sign a petition and send a letter to their MLA, the minister of forests, the premier and the official opposition forest critic… and share information about the campaign. Mayor Ron Woznow said he had worked with 22 other mayors regarding the importance of forestry… especially in terms of the significant debt the province is facing.

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Ontario Professional Foresters to Gather in Ottawa Valley

Ontario Professional Foresters Association
March 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The Ontario Professional Foresters Association will host its 2026 Annual Conference and AGM in Pembroke, Ontario, April 21–23, bringing together forestry professionals, government representatives and industry leaders under the theme “Professional Forestry in Action: Diverse Roles, Shared Impact.” The conference opens with an optional field tour through the Ottawa Valley, where participants will visit forest management sites and hear directly from field practitioners about harvesting, regeneration and forest renewal practices. The program also features a series of technical sessions and plenaries examining key issues facing the profession. Among the highlights is a presentation by Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, who will discuss how evolving Canada–US relations are affecting the forestry sector and what may lie ahead. The three-day event also includes networking opportunities and the Association’s Annual General Meeting, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available.

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Canadian Forestry Today: Reality, Resilience, and the Road Ahead

By The Canadian Woodlands Forum
LinkedIn
March 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The Canadian Woodlands Forum will host its Spring Meeting in Moncton, featuring a presentation by Anthony Robinson, owner, publisher and CEO of Forestnet Media, the company behind Logging & Sawmilling Journal and TimberWest Magazine. Robinson’s talk — “Canadian Forestry Today: Reality, Resilience, and the Road Ahead” — will draw on more than a decade covering the forest sector across North America, from logging operations and sawmills to industry events and conversations with sector leaders. His presentation will examine intensifying competition among equipment manufacturers, consolidation among mill technology and engineering firms, and the widening gap between industry realities and government and advocacy structures. Robinson will also explore why some companies continue to invest despite challenging market cycles, and highlight emerging trends in innovation, people-first leadership, and the growing importance of effective industry storytelling.

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From vandalism to fires, is a ‘social crisis’ growing in the heart of Quebec’s logging industry?

By Michelle Lalonde
The Montreal Gazette
March 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The president of a logging company says anti-logging activists are fuelling a “social crisis” in the Mauricie region by sabotaging his company’s legal and government-authorized forestry projects and he called on the Quebec government to take action to protect workers and restore order. Antoine Langlois, president and founder of Forex Langlois Inc., contacted The Gazette this week to denounce what he and police believe was an intentionally set fire in Lac-aux-Sables last month that destroyed two machines owned by his company. …Sgt. Valérie Beauchamp of the Sûreté du Québec said police believe the fire was set intentionally sometime during the previous night…. Anonymous activists did take responsibility for sabotaging a forest in the same region on Jan. 26. In a statement posted on the Instagram account of a collective called Soulèvements du fleuve, an “anonymous group” said they had inserted metal spikes in trees in the Mékinac forest north of Ste-Thècle.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Washington State Joins Forces with California and Quebec in Landmark Carbon Market Agreement

News USA Today
March 5, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, United States

OLMYPIA, Washington – Washington state is poised to significantly expand its efforts to combat climate change with a proposed agreement to link its carbon market with those of California and Quebec. The move, announced Tuesday by the Washington Department of Ecology, aims to stabilize and reduce the costs associated with decarbonizing the state’s economy. The draft linkage agreement is now open for public comment until May 1, 2026, with the shared market potentially launching as early as 2027. This collaboration represents a major step forward in regional climate action, building upon Washington’s 2021 Climate Commitment Act. …The linkage would allow businesses in all three jurisdictions to participate in joint auctions and trade carbon allowances freely. This expanded market is expected to stabilize Washington’s relatively new and more expensive carbon market, as California and Quebec have been operating linked markets since 2014. While aligning with California and Quebec, Washington maintains distinct climate goals.

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Golden seeks bold ideas to Power the Future of Forestry

By Mel Myers
The Golden Star
March 6, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West

Thanks to the support from the Province of British Columbia through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program, the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce is calling on innovators, researchers, and experts to help shape the next chapter of Golden’s forest economy. In February, the Chamber released a Request for Proposals seeking qualified proponents to undertake a major feasibility study titled “Feasibility of Adopting New Technologies for Biomass and Timber Utilization and to Optimize Log Merchandising of High and Low  Quality Logs or Biomass.” …Forestry has long been a cornerstone of the regional economy. In recent years, organizations such as FPInnovations, the Columbia Woodlot Association, the Golden & Area Community Forest Initiative, and the Columbia Valley Economic Development Commission have studied local biomass volumes, timber recovery costs, and forest management practices. Now, the Chamber is looking to turn that research into action.   

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Health & Safety

WorkSafeBC’s surplus is depleted and small business will pay the price

By Jordan Bateman, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association
Business in Vancouver
March 10, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

One of the most persistent myths in BC business circles is that WorkSafeBC is sitting on a massive surplus—a piggy bank that should be cracked open and handed back to employers. Manitoba did it, Ontario did it. …So why not BC? Because the surplus is depleted. It didn’t disappear overnight. It was frittered away, year by year, policy by policy, under an NDP government. …And now, BC’s small business owners are staring down the consequences. …According to WorkSafeBC’s own financial statements, in 2019 the system was funded at 153%—a full 23 points above the 130% floor set by policy and insurance best practices. That cushion, billions built up over decades, was a rainy day fund. It was never meant to finance an ever-expanding bureaucratic empire. …In 2019, WorkSafeBC’s rate of $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll was among the lowest in Canada—only three provinces were cheaper. By 2024, that same $1.55 is higher than every province except two.

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Understanding WorkSafeBC’s surplus back to employers

Mark Heywood & Chris Back, WorkSafeBC
Business in Vancouver
March 9, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

When it comes to WorkSafeBC, one of the most misunderstood issues we hear about from business groups is the surplus. Specifically, many small-business associations have been calling on WorkSafeBC to rebate the surplus back to employers since our funding level is above target. For background, the funding level is simply a ratio of assets over liabilities on a funding basis. …What is also not well understood is that WorkSafeBC has been returning significant amounts of surplus funds to employers annually to keep rates both stable and below the actual costs of the system. …The reality is that if WorkSafeBC refunded the entire surplus to employers we would no longer be able to price premiums below system costs, meaning rates would have to be raised in subsequent years. …Rate stability for employers is a priority for WorkSafeBC. Some sectors benefiting from rate reductions in 2026 include sawmills (down 40%), framing and residential forming (down 40%).

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