Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro has extended its interim power purchase agreement with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited for one year, which began on July 1, 2026, and ends on June 30, 2027. This agreement provides the Provincial Government an opportunity to review and consider Kruger’s proposed approach to diversification at Corner Brook Pulp and Paper. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro will buy up to 280,000 megawatt hours of power at $187 per megawatt hour. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro can use Corner Brook Pulp and Paper’s power supply when needed. This will not increase electricity rates for customers. Corner Brook Pulp and Paper is a long-standing employer in rural Newfoundland and Labrador and a key part of the forestry industry.
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario — The Ontario government is investing an additional $425,000 through the Forest Biomass Program to help Daiken North America accelerate production of its new laminated board. This investment will help get a first-of-its-kind wood panel product to market faster, boosting productivity and protecting good-paying local jobs. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is making strategic investments to help forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of U.S. tariffs. Today’s announcement builds on the government’s recent investment of 
BELLEVILLE, Ontario — The government is investing more than $3.3 million in 
Three years ago, the Ontario Building Code required that any developer taking on a mid-rise wood-frame building had to construct stairwells out of non-combustible material. That was expensive. It made construction challenging, and, according to the Canadian Wood Council, resulted in a lower adoption of wood-frame building. Since that requirement was removed in 2023, allowing full buildings to be constructed with wood, interest in mid-rise wood-frame building has increased considerably, especially for residential builds, said Hailey Quiquero, with the WoodWorks Ontario program, an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council. “Now, in our market, we’re sitting at around 50% of five- and six-storey buildings being built out of wood construction, so a great jump,” Quiquero said. “We’ve still got a long way to go. In BC, I think it’s greater than 80% of this market.” …Currently in Ontario, mid-rise wood-frame building is largely being used in residential projects, Quiquero said.
Three years ago, the Ontario Building Code required that any developer taking on a mid-rise wood-frame building had to construct stairwells out of non-combustible material. That was expensive. It made construction challenging, and, according to the 
Mississauga city staff are reviewing a proposal for a “wood recovery facility” and an associated office building near Winston Churchill Boulevard and Lakeshore Road near the Oakville border. Applications have been submitted to amend the official plan and zoning to permit the facility, which would recover wood material to be used as a fuel source, according to the city. …local councillor, Alvin Tedjo said the cement plant provides roughly a third of all the cement for the province but still uses coal, adding the proposed wood recovery plant would provide low-carbon fuels. “The idea is that this plant would then create and process the materials in order to be used in the cement process which would then significantly reduce the use of coal and actually is part of removing coal completely from the (cement) plant so that we can be fully coal-free in Mississauga,” Tedjo said in a June 4 interview.
NOVA SCOTIA — When Tricia Murray rebuilt her home after the devastating 2023 wildfires, she expected her insurance premiums to soar. …Instead, her premium dropped by 12%… because her new home uses modern, fire-resistant materials and incorporates a buffer zone. Murray’s experience highlights a shift in how insurance companies calculate risk. For decades, insurers relied purely on history, it was classified as low risk. ….Instead of grading entire neighbourhoods under one risk level, insurers are using advanced tools like satellite imagery and laser scanning to assess individual properties. This new approach looks at specific, real-time details: The proximity of trees and brush to a structure. The type of roofing and building materials used. Property maintenance, such as clearing dry leaves from decks and removing wood chips near walls. Amanda Dean, at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said those tools give homeowners the power to lower their own risks by following FireSmart Canada guidelines.
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A forestry group that was granted an interlocutory injunction halting a blockade by a family from Matachewan First Nation (MFN) so it could complete tree-harvesting work in northern Ontario will sit down in a listening circle with them later this month in a case that may see further court action. The Timiskaming Forest Alliance Inc. (TFAI) is a consortium of forestry companies and First Nations, including MFN. It has a licence from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to harvest 101 hectares, referred to as Cairo 173… The family involved includes Dorothy Larkman, who said she decided to take action after seeing machines tearing out blueberry bushes on Cairo 173, which is about 60 kilometres west of Kirkland Lake and south of the Ojibway First Nation. …Listening circles are rooted in Indigenous traditions. …Michael Swinwood, Larkman’s lawyer, said the MNR will also have representation at the listening circle. 
Funding for replanting harvested Crown forests in Ontario depends heavily on how much wood is cut, foresters say, creating challenges for renewal efforts during market downturns and reduced harvest levels. Back Roads Bill explores regreening efforts and issues surrounding it. …The forest sector has been a lifeline for communities across the country and an important pillar of Canada’s economy. In the face of unjust U.S. trade measures and climate goals, Canada’s forest industry is pivoting from traditional lumber toward a bioeconomy. It was on February 26 of this year that the federal government took decisive action with a massive $500-million transformation fund. This will support the forest sector, protect workers and their jobs, and give companies the stability they need to weather short-term shocks and retool for a stronger, more diversified future. …A couple of other things though. Our forests are well managed. And we need trees and therefore tree planting.
NEW BRUNSWICK — On the morning of May 26, a provincial air quality monitoring station on the west side of Saint John began registering unusual readings. …There was no special public notification about the west side spike, even though the environment department watched it develop and was concerned enough to launch an immediate investigation to determine the cause. …The department, in emails, said it believes operations and maintenance work at the Irving Pulp & Paper mill could have been a contributing factor. …“The cause appears to be a combination of unusual weather, which trapped pollutants at ground level rather than dispersing them upward, combined with higher than ordinary emissions during a cleaning/maintenance cycle at the mill.” J.D. Irving said there is “no concrete way to confirm” it caused the poor air quality readings but said adjustments in mill operations were made at the time to be on the safe side.
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Ontario Forest Fires said there were five new wildland fires confirmed in the northeast region in its latest update issued Sunday evening. The organization also said that efforts to contain one of the fires — Cochrane 32 — were hampered by a drone flying illegally in the area. “A drone flying over Cochrane 32 tonight has grounded all firefighting aircraft in the area and delayed suppression operations,” Ontario Forest Fires said in its update. Regulations prohibit “aircraft, including drones, from the airspace over an active forest fire within 5 nautical miles and up to an altitude of 3,000 feet.” …The five new fires include Cochrane 32, which measures 2.8 hectares and is located two kilometres northwest of Harty.
A massive fire near Gogama has doubled in size again overnight. This morning (June 4), the Ministry of Natural Resources mapping has the fire at 2,945 hectares. That’s more than double what it was last night, when it was reported as 1,100 hectares. Here’s what you need to know about the situation today: