Region Archives: Canada East

ONTARIO — Environmental groups are raising concerns about newly tabled Ontario legislation that they say will be “catastrophic” for wildlife and weaken government protections for “species that are the rarest” in the province. Ecojustice Canada said Bill 5…  would repeal Ontario’s existing Endangered Species Act passed in 2007, and replace it with a significantly watered down version of the original act called the Species Conservation Act. The legislation has passed first reading. …Ecojustice Canada said the legislation would gut environmental assessment processes, speed mining and infrastructure development and take a “register-first, ask-questions-later” approach that would allow developers to begin projects before their environmental implications are fully known. …Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks denied that the bill would weaken species protection. …”These changes will be supported by an enhanced Species Conservation Program, which will see funding more than quadrupled to $20 million each year,” Catherwood continued.

With an eye on growing Guelph’s tree canopy, next month city officials are set to give away 1,200 free native trees. Registration for the annual Community Tree Giveaway runs through May 6 or when stock runs out. Residents can claim up to two trees each. “Trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to Guelph residents,” states a post on the city’s website. “If you claim a free tree, you’re responsible for planting and caring for the tree, including getting utility clearance before digging.” When registering, people will have an opportunity to select the type of native tree or trees they’d like through the add-on options. There are a wide variety of trees available.

The Manitoba government says it plans to expropriate a privately-owned parcel of land in south Winnipeg at risk of being deforested by a developer, and turn it into a provincial park. Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement about the Lemay Forest at an unrelated news conference at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Monday… John Wintrup, a planner working with the developer, said he was shocked and disappointed to hear Kinew’s announcement. “Nobody from any government official has ever reached out to us on that. We reached out to them multiple times,” Wintrup said in an interview, adding he thinks the expropriation process will be “costly, lengthy,” and “punishing” for the taxpayers of Manitoba. “And I don’t believe the land owner is just simply going to roll over and give his land up.”

Lacey Rose

WHITE WATER REGION TWP. — Renfrew County Forester Lacey Rose presented to members of Whitewater Region council. She gave an overview of her role as part of the two-person team which manages the 6,500 hectares of county-owned forests scattered far and wide throughout the largest county in Ontario. …Most of the properties were purchased in the 1960s through what was known as the Agreement Forest Program, a provincial government grant that covered up to 75 percent of the purchase price. “If a private property was wanting to be sold by the landowner, someone would evaluate it,” Rose explained. “If it was better suited for reforestation purposes, meaning there were farm fields there that weren’t very productive, then the county could apply to that program to help fund the purchase price and then plant trees and convert that failed farm field back to forest.” …The forests are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified.

Ontario residents are being urged to avoid pruning oak trees during the no-pruning season, which runs from now until November. Pruning or damaging oak trees during this period makes them more susceptible to oak wilt disease, an invasive condition caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. Oak wilt disrupts the movement of water and nutrients through oak trees, causing their leaves to wilt, turn brown, and fall prematurely. Over time, the tree may lose all of its leaves. While all oak trees are at risk, red oaks are especially vulnerable, often dying within 2 to 6 weeks after infection. Oak trees are an important part of Ontario’s environment, economy, and communities. They enhance property values, reduce energy costs, help prevent soil erosion, and provide critical habitat for wildlife.

Quebec tree growth rings dating back as more than 200 years show Gaspé snow cover has significantly diminished over past decades, suggest Concordia University researchers in a study that may shed new light on the decline both of caribou herds and hydroelectric forecasts. The tree ring study has given researchers information as far back as 1822, extending the more than 100 years of data kept by local weather stations and hydrographs. And it underlines how climate change has already reshaped the region. “This reconstruction may prove useful for wildlife, fisheries and hydroelectric reservoir management,” reads the study published in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. By studying tree growth rings in the Ste-Anne River basin, researchers say they observed a reduction beginning in 1937 in extreme spring river flows and snow levels, which they attribute to climate change.

Julia and David MacMillan own 1,000 acres of woodland in West Tatamagouche, N.S. They currently grow around a million trees annually, consisting of around 35 to 37 commercial tree species, including spruce, maple, hemlock, ironwood, and balsam fir… The MacMillan family sells their product to roughly 15 companies. Some of the big ones include Irving, Ledwidge Lumber, Elmsdale Lumber and a paper mill in Port Hawkesbury, N.S. “If the sawmills and other mills in Nova Scotia that use the product, the other materials that we use from the woodlot, if those mills have to slow down or shut down as a result of the tariffs, then ultimately there is no market for the product that we make,” says David. The woodlot employs six full-time staff and 20 seasonal workers. Julia and David’s biggest fear when it comes to tariffs is the impact on their workers and their families.

In the wake of the recent ice storm in parts of Ontario and Southwestern Quebec, home and landowners should assess and care for damaged trees on their property. A loss of branches and foliage, split trunks, and even uprooted trees may need immediate attention to minimize any long-term impacts the damage may cause. Damage from ice storms can impact the ability of a tree to grow and make trees more susceptible to insects, disease, and additional damage in the event of future storms. Recovery depends largely on the initial health of the tree and the extent of damage incurred. Healthy trees with minimal crown loss (upper branches) should recover, and over time, the crown may even appear normal.

There is still plenty of snow around, but today, April 1, marks the first day of the fire season. That means Ontario’s Outdoor Burning Regulations are now in effect for the Northeast Fire Region. There are currently no active wildland fires in the Northeast Region. If you live in Northwestern, Northeastern or North-Central Ontario, you must follow certain rules to have an outdoor fire. Also, check with your local municipality for any rules it may have. By law, you need a fire permit to burn wood, brush, leaves and grass outside during the fire season of April 1 – October 31.

Dr. Kirk Hillier

At first glance, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) – a tiny, aphid-like insect barely bigger than a millimetre – hardly seems threatening. Beaded among leaves like garland, the insect’s fluffy white bodies could be mistaken for the world’s smallest cotton balls. You might even say they look cute. But those who understand the invasive critter and the devastation it can cause know better than to coo over evidence of HWA among nearby trees. Nova Scotia’s old-growth hemlock forests, the meal of choice for this insect, are now under significant threat if nothing is done – and the effects of these forests being wiped out would be catastrophic… “It’s not just a change in the landscape that’s at risk – but cascading ecological and economic destruction when entire tree species are lost,” said Dr. Hillier.

Pontiac, Quebec — The federal government is investing over $250,000 in five forestry-related projects across western Quebec, including initiatives in the Outaouais region, as part of a larger $13.3 million funding package aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of Quebec’s forest sector. Announced on March 20 by Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, the funding includes support from the Indigenous Forestry Initiative, which focuses on fostering Indigenous leadership in forest management and encouraging economic opportunities rooted in environmental stewardship. In the Outaouais, the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community in Maniwaki will receive $50,000 to enhance its ability to participate in forestry consultations. The project aims to equip the community with the tools and expertise needed to conduct in-depth analyses of proposed forest plans, ensuring that responses reflect community values and long-term impacts. Further north in Kebaowek, two projects are receiving federal support.

The Province of Ontario says it’s prepared for the fast-approaching 2025 wildland fire season. The new season starts on April 1, and preparations have included filling more than 100 new, permanent positions to help support forest fire fighting operations, said Chris Marchand, fire information officer with Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES). …Exactly how busy this season will be remains unknown, Marchand said, as it’s very difficult to predict how intense a fire season will be. …Marchand said the previous winter saw “somewhat normal” snowfall patterns across Ontario. …Marchand noted, however, that the 2024 fire season was slower than usual — 480 fires were reported, down from the 10-year, seasonal average of 700 fires. The Province of Ontario said it partnered with the federal government last year to invest $64 million in the provincial wil

Dark streetlights, four-way stop rules in effect, trees lying across well-travelled roads, cold inside the homes and trees pop and crack signalling more destruction above. An ice storm the likes of which this area hasn’t seen in a decade has decimated the power grids, retail and business industries and yes, social media and the internet. Seemingly closed off to the rest of Ontario, areas from Newmarket and farther north to Huntsville and beyond can only watch as more trees fall, more power lines pop off from their tethers and relatives, too, remain in the dark without our social media lifelines. …In Muskoka, a State of Emergency has been called. Residents are urged to staff home and off the roads. …As of Monday morning, at 7:15 a.m., there are still almost 400,000 Hydro One customers affected by the power outages.

A weekend ice storm hit hard in regions of southern Ontario with hundreds of thousands left in the dark, and significant damage across several communities. 

Ontario is ready to respond to this year’s wildland fire season, which lasts from April 1 until October 31. This year, the government has filled nearly 100 additional permanent positions to support the 2025 fire season and help ensure people and resources are in place to protect communities. “We are ready to protect people, communities and properties across Ontario from wildland fires,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. “When wildland fires hit, our brave and dedicated FireRangers, pilots and support staff are prepared to battle these fires and protect Ontarians.” Last year, the province partnered with the federal government to invest a total of $64 million in the wildland fire program. This investment has allowed Ontario to enhance its firefighting capacity for the 2025 fire season and includes funding for forest fire suppression equipment and technology, such as fuel systems, trucks and emergency management software.

THUNDER BAY — Three First Nations organizations in Northwestern Ontario are getting significant new funding to support the training of wildland firefighters. Some of the training will take place in Thunder bay. Keewaytinook Okimakanak, which represents six remote First Nations, will use $329,000 to to help train 25 youth in wildfire prevention and mitigation to build up local fire management practices and enhance community resiliency to forest fires. In Sioux Lookout, the Independent First Nations Alliance, which includes five First Nations, is getting $2 million to train 50 participants and increase the capacity for managing fires at the local level. The Whitefeather Community Resource Management Authority will use an allocation of just under $1.6 million for firefighter training for 144 community members on the Pikangikum First Nation.

Jennifer Baltzer

WATERLOO – A study from Wilfrid Laurier University offers a rare “good news story” in relation to forest fires. Jennifer Baltzer, the Canada Research Chair in Forests and Global Change, published field data on overwintering fires – known as “zombie” fires – that smoulder throughout the winter and reignite the following spring. Despite fears that zombie fires would increase carbon release and hinder forest regrowth, Baltzer’s data suggests that they are less destructive than anticipated. Between 2022 and 2023, Baltzer and colleagues collected samples at overwintering fire sites. They visited 20 locations in the boreal forests of Alaska and the Northwest Territories that had originally burned in 2009 or 2014. …Baltzer’s research shows that more often than not, overwintering fires are actually happening in “upland” locations – productive forests on higher ground with good drainage and thinner layers of organic, carbon-rich soil. “…smouldering is happening in the roots and trunks of trees, as opposed to deep organic soils,” says Baltzer.

After a two-year effort, a commission established to make recommendations aimed at preserving the province’s forests has highlighted the need to boost funding for programs aimed at assisting private woodlot owners. In its final report, the P.E.I. Forestry Commission, a 13-member advisory group chaired by Jean-Paul Arsenault, said successive P.E.I. governments have been “neglecting” the implementation of existing forestry policies since 2006. “The Forestry Program is a long-term victim of status quo budgeting, also called zero-based budgeting, an approach focused on maintaining expenditures at previous levels,” wrote the commissioners. …The report, which was completed last October, was not made public until March 19 by the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. …The commission’s report notes that P.E.I. faces a unique challenge in forestry preservation, given that 85 per cent of the province’s forests are owned by private landowners.