Region Archives: Canada East

Business & Politics

Georgia-Pacific Announces $191 Million CAD Capital Investment in Englehart OSB Mill

By Georgia-Pacific
Cision Newswire
July 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East, United States

ENGLEHART, Ontario — Georgia-Pacific announced a new capital project for the company’s Englehart OSB mill in Ontario. The approximately $191 million CAD investment will fund a new log processing system and include the expansion and construction of a new finished goods warehouse. This investment comes as Englehart OSB celebrates its fifteenth anniversary as a Georgia-Pacific facility. The first board was produced at the mill in 1983. David Neal, executive VP, building products, “This investment strengthens our operational capabilities and positions the Englehart mill for greater productivity in the years ahead.” …John Beers, president –structural panels, “These improvements will continue our focus on staying competitive and ensures Englehart is an environmentally conscious, 21st century mill.” Design and engineering work has started, and the project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2027.

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AV Terrace Bay pulp mill fined for air emissions breach

Government of Ontario
July 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TERRACE BAY, Ontario — AV Terrace Bay has been convicted on two charges: Failing to control the quality of discharged effluent to ensure that acute toxicity tests resulted in no more than a 50% mortality rate for the test organisms; and Failing to comply with an industry standard by discharging Total Reduced Sulphur compounds. …AV Terrace Bay was convicted of two violations under the Environmental Protection Act, fined $525,000 plus a victim fine surcharge of $131,250, and given 12 months to pay. …Due to financial constraints and market conditions, the mill has been in a warm idle state and has not been producing product or revenue since at least January 2024. The mill generates industrial effluent that undergoes primary and secondary treatment prior to discharging to Lake Superior via Blackbird Creek. …On May 1, 2023, 100% of the Rainbow Trout died during an acute lethality test performed on a grab sample of the mill’s final effluent.

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Northern Pulp’s decision to sell off assets a blow to N.S. forestry sector

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
July 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

For Todd Burgess and the rest of Nova Scotia’s forestry sector, word that Northern Pulp is abandoning the idea of a new multi-billion-dollar operation near Liverpool was not the news they were hoping for. “It’s devastating, really, for forestry in Nova Scotia,” said Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia. “It’s going to make it more difficult for woodlot owners to manage their woodlot properly, it’s going to be difficult for forestry contractors to succeed and be profitable.” …Marcus Zwicker, the company’s chief operating officer, said the sector has struggled to find a market for low-grade byproducts from lumber production and harvests since Northern Pulp shut down in 2020. …He and Burgess both said they also have concerns about the loss of the greenhouses Northern Pulp used to maintain, which would produce millions of seedlings a year for reforestation efforts. Rushton said officials in his department are looking at potential options to fill the gap.

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Newfoundland’s Richard Dewey takes on Corner Brook pulp mill over Deer Lake contamination

By Diane Crocker
The Telegram
July 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland — St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham is not sure how an investigation into the illegal burial of hazardous and contaminated materials in Deer Lake will take place, but he’s giving all the credit for it happening to one man. Buckingham represents Richard Dewey, a resident of Deer Lake who, for more than a decade, has worked to bring attention to three separate environmental issues in the town: the burial of the hazardous and contaminated materials, pollution of the town’s drinking water and property damage caused by seepage from the Humber Canal. …Dewey made a complaint to the provincial government claiming that creosote-contaminated soil was trucked from beneath the penstocks on the Humber Canal and buried near the town’s water supply, and that creosote-soaked penstocks were dumped at the closed town landfill.

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Fire flattens sawmill in New Ross, Nova Scotia

CBC News
July 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

A lumber mill in New Ross has been destroyed by fire. Four departments battled the blaze Thursday at L.E. Elliott Lumber on New Russell Road. …Peter Elliott, the owner of mill, says the business has been in his family for three generations. The original mill was built in 1933. …While the sawmill was a total loss, fire crews managed to save a planer mill, which was only about 25 metres away, Elliott said. “The planer mill was kind of in the line of the sparks and all the smoke and stuff. …” Elliott said he doesn’t know for sure how the fire started, but he guesses it might have been electrical. Elliott, who is 65, said it’s too early to decide what will come next for him or the business. He estimates it would cost about $1 million to rebuild the mill, and he did not have insurance, as the cost would have been prohibitive. 

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Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association demands action on softwood lumber tariffs

By Tim Davidson
CKDR 92.7 FM Dryden
June 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is worried about the impact of new tariffs on the softwood lumber industry by the US. Starting next month, the U.S. Department of Commerce is proposing a preliminary combined countervailing and anti-dumping duty rate of 34.45 percent on Canadian softwood lumber. That’s more than double the current rate. NOMA has written an open letter to Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney asking them to take action. It’s also asking that the governments of Ontario and Canada public acknowledge the urgency of the issue. …NOMA, which represents 37 municipalities in the region says any further erosion of our access to U.S. markets will have immediate and long-lasting impacts on families, First Nations, and municipalities throughout Northwestern Ontario.

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Judge signals that New Brunswick private property is off the table in big title claim

By John Chilibeck
The Telegraph-Journal
June 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

NEW BRUNSWICK — Justice Ernest Drapeau is one of three judges hearing an appeal launched by three timber firms that fear the Wolastoqey will get a toehold on their vast woodlands where they do business. The case before New Brunswick’s Court of Appeal centres around a lower-court ruling in which the judge agreed to remove the big private owners from the claim but left their land in the lawsuit, opening the door, they fear, to future expropriation by the provincial government. …Drapeau wanted to know how a court could direct a provincial government to take away property from private owners, who both sides agree are “innocents” in the claim because they had nothing to do with awarding land grants. …The justice said he couldn’t imagine a court would order what the provincial government should do with its land because it is not allowed to do so per the Crown Lands and Forests Act.

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Wolastoqey say as they fight to keep New Brunswick forestry parcels in claim

CBC News
June 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Wolastoqey Nation’s title claim over more than half of New Brunswick has been the subject of two days of arguments about whether land privately owned by forestry companies should be excluded from the litigation. The Wolastoqey say exclusion would amount to putting the property interests of private industry over the constitutional rights of the First Nation. The matter is before the New Brunswick Court of Appeal this week after a judgment last year that removed the industrial defendants from the lawsuit. …Renée Pelletier, lawyer for the Wolastoqey, says just because the companies were removed from the lawsuit doesn’t mean their land can’t be touched. “If the effect is that once the Crown gives the land away it can never be returned to the First Nation, there’s an injustice there,” Pelletier said. The Wolastoqey seek the return of the land owned by the industrial defendants — mainly the forestry companies.

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Finance & Economics

Goodfellow Reports Its Results for the Second Quarter Ended May 31, 2025

By Goodfellow Inc.
Globe Newswire
July 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

DELSON, Quebec — Goodfellow Inc. announced today its financial results for the second quarter ended May 31, 2025. For the three months ended May 31, 2025, the Company reported net earnings of $2.5 million or $0.29 per share compared to net earnings of $5.3 million or $0.62 per share a year ago. Consolidated sales were $152.9 million compared to $140.3 million last year. For the six months ended May 31, 2025, the Company reported net earnings of $0.2 million or $0.02 per share compared to net earnings of $5.2 million or $0.61 per share a year ago, while consolidated sales were $264.1 million compared to $245.7 million last year. At the midpoint of fiscal 2025, Goodfellow’s performance can be characterized as evolving due to challenging market dynamics and inflationary pressures on operational costs. During the second quarter, the Company saw a notable shift in consumer preference toward Canadian-sourced wood products, driven mainly by growing concerns around evolving U.S. trade policy. This shift contributed to modest domestic demand and price stability across several product categories.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Government Promotes Wood for Construction, Heating

The Government of Nova Scotia
July 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

The Province is making wood construction and heating a priority in public buildings. All departments have been directed to look for every opportunity to use mass timber, wood pellets, biomass, biofuels and other products made with wood that is leftover from sustainable harvesting and sawmilling. “Government is leading by example and using more wood products in our own buildings. It’s one of many steps our government is taking to make Nova Scotia more self-reliant and energy secure and to grow our economy and create jobs through innovation in our forestry sector,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. Departments will prioritize wood products in new construction, renovations and conversions from oil heat. They will also make it a priority where applicable in projects that are partially or completely funded by the government. This focus aligns with the Nova Scotia Loyal program, reduces reliance on imports and enhances export markets.

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Prefabricated Timber Structure Advances at Hälsa on Royal York

By Anthony Teles
Urban Toronto
July 9, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Toronto development is currently defined by concrete-and-steel high-rise construction, but Hälsa at 230 Royal York Road stands out as a rare and sustainable alternative. A 9-storey purpose-built residential rental project rising in Mimico, Hälsa is being built using a prefabricated mass timber system. Designed by LWPAC Architects for Leader Lane Developments in partnership with Windmill Development Group, the mid-rise building is being assembled from robotically manufactured panels that are craned into place onsite. The project targets LEED Platinum certification and Tier 2 of the Toronto Green Standard. Located on the northwest corner at Drummond Street, the development just south of the Mimico GO station is part of Leader Lane’s Mimico Collection, a trio of mass timber infill buildings that seek to address Toronto’s housing crisis through more accessible and sustainable construction. …Once complete, Hälsa will rise 31.79m, delivering 60 new rental homes to South Etobicoke.

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Ontario Launches Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan

By Ministry of Natural Resources
The Government of Ontario
June 26, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Kevin Holland

KITCHENER — The Ontario government has released the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan to increase the manufacturing and use of high-quality made-in-Ontario wood building products. To support the government’s plan to protect Ontario, the use of prefabricated and modular wood-based building materials, known as advanced wood construction, will help build more homes faster and create a more resilient forestry sector in response to U.S. tariffs by attracting investment, increasing revenues and providing economic opportunities that create and sustain local jobs. “As our government delivers on its plan to protect and build Ontario, this action plan will help promote and prioritize wood-based building with made-in-Ontario wood construction products,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. …Releasing the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan advances Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy commitments to increase wood use, grow markets and encourage forest sector innovation.

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Canada Green Building Council showcases mass timber marvel Limberlost Place

By Warren Frey
Journal of Commerce
June 25, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — A mass timber showcase on Toronto’s George Brown campus is also a study in collaboration and innovation. George Brown College’s Nerys Rau, Moriyama Teshima Architects partner Philip Silverstein and PCL’s Mike Love all explained the process behind building Limberlost Place at a session titled Exploring Limberlost Place: at the Canada Green Building Council’s Building Lasting Change conference held recently in downtown Vancouver. Limberlost Place is a 10-storey mass-timber net-zero building that achieved occupancy in January. …Silverstein said the building is rated at Tier 4 of the Toronto Green Standard, adding no other building in the city has reached that metric. “It’s like LEED Platinum on steroids,” Silverstein said. Love said the number one question was “what if the wood gets wet?” “It’s OK for wood to get wet. Just remove any ponding water and let it dry. It wants to breathe,” he said.

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Forestry

What Nova Scotians are on the hook for as Northern Pulp winds down

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
July 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

With the announcement that there won’t be a new kraft pulp mill being built in Liverpool, the long and expensive Northern Pulp saga begins winding down. Here’s the little we know about what Northern Pulp and its associated companies are worth, who’s likely to get paid and what the taxpayer might be on the hook for. When it filed for creditor protection in 2020, Northern Pulp estimated it had $254 million in assets and $311,019,464 in liabilities. But half of those assets – what it estimated as $130 million worth of equipment and land associated with a cold-idled pulp mill at Abercrombie Point – comes with a large and undetermined liability for whoever gets stuck with the cleanup costs. How much the taxpayer ends up on the hook both for unpaid loans to Northern Pulp and cleanup of the mill site will rely on how much gets paid for the companies’ assets.

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Logging in Ontario’s boreal forest is ‘far in excess of what’s sustainable,’ study finds

By Fatima Syed
The Narwhal
July 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

A new peer-reviewed scientific study [Emulation or Degradation? Evaluating Forest Management Outcomes in Boreal Northeastern Ontario, by Jay Malcolm (University of Toronto), Julee Boan (Natural Resources Defense Council) & Justina Ray (Wildlife Conservation Society Canada)] suggests logging practices in Ontario are unsustainable and out of line with the province’s own strategy for sustainably managing forests. David Flood, a registered professional forester, has long thought Ontario was permitting too many trees to be cut down. Flood is from Matachewan First Nation in northeastern Ontario, home to much of the province’s boreal forest. Flood’s community has watched as forests became smaller and more sparse over time, threatening the natural habitat for caribou and martens. Flood is the general manager for Wahkohtowin Development, a decade-old social enterprise held by three First Nations — Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree and Brunswick House — to strengthen Indigenous participation in forest and land management across their territories. 

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Hydro-Québec using AI to reduce power outages caused by trees

By Charlotte Lepage
CBC News
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Montreal’s tree-lined streets are one of the city’s greatest assets — they clean the air, add bursts of green to the scenery and help push the concrete background. But when storms hit, those trees clash with the urban landscape and are a major cause of power outages. That’s why Hydro-Québec is now using new technologies to find a way for trees to coexist with its power lines. “We’re trying to make a digital twin of the network to see if there are interactions between the tree and the network,” said Étienne Langdeau, director of vegetation management for Hydro-Québec. Artificial intelligence then measures the trees before and after a weather event, like a windstorm, to see which branches broke. The algorithm uses this information to get better at predicting which branches are most likely to snap. In turn, technicians can preemptively cut these branches before they become a problem.

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‘It weighs on you’: Ontario wildland firefighters being overworked due to lack of resources, union says

CBC News
July 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The union representing Ontario’s wildland firefighters says they’re working long hours that are contributing to “fatigue,” and is calling for a funding increase to address a lack of resources. “Historically Ontario’s had about 180 four-person fire crews,” said Noah Freedman, a wildfire crew leader in northwestern Ontario and vice-president of Local 703 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). …”While we should be looking to staff more firefighters, and have more water bombers and pilots and all of our incredible support staff that we need more of, we’re just going the other direction at the moment.” Freedman said the union has been unable to confirm the exact number of crews currently operating; last year, there were 143. …The province is also short water bomber pilots.

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With classroom temperatures soaring, schoolyards need more trees

By Peter Kutenbrouwer
The Globe and Mail
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The other day, in the midst of a heat wave that suffocated central Canada, this newspaper brought us the story of a five-year-old at a public school in Ottawa, sent to hospital for heat exhaustion. The accompanying photo shows the child and his mother seated on a picnic table in the schoolyard, surrounded by grass and pavement – and one tree. As a forester, I volunteer with a program of Forests Canada called Forestry in the Classroom, whose goal is to connect ”the next generation of forest stewards with forestry and environmental professionals.” This spring I visited a school in north Toronto to take a class of Grade 5 students to a nearby forested ravine, to help them identify trees and to evaluate tree health. On my arrival at the school, I was shocked to find the playground a barren wasteland. 

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Province-wide Fire Ban Lifted; Caution Urged when Lighting Outdoor Fires

Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture Press Release
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The province-wide outdoor fire ban that prohibited the setting of fires on forest land or within 300 metres of forest land in Newfoundland and Labrador has been lifted. The ban was authorized under the authority of section 99 of the Forestry Act. A Permit to Burn is required to burn brush and other materials during Forest Fire Season, which is in effect in the province until September 30. Permits are free and available at provincial Forest Management District Offices. A Permit to Burn is not required for backyard fires, recreational campfires, or boil-ups located on or within 300 metres of forest land if the fire is prepared in accordance with Provincial Forest Fire Regulations. Anyone planning a fire should check Public Reminders for Forest Fire Season and the current Fire Hazard Rating for guidance.

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Ontario offers $3 per hour pay increase, new title for forest firefighters

Global News TV
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

For years, forest firefighters in Ontario have been calling on the provincial government to reclassify their jobs to recognize them as an emergency service in a bid to stem recruitment and retention issues. It’s a change the Ford government promised it would take on after sustained pressure from front-line staff and union officials. The province now says work to reclassify forest firefighters — officially called resource technicians — has been “completed,” and is blaming the Ontario Public Service Employees Union for a delay in announcing the move. Whether the terms the government has put forward address the substantive changes called for by forest firefighters is contested. Draft information seen by Global News shows the reclassification involves renaming positions within the existing union structure — and moving people one category further up the grid, for a raise of roughly $3 per hour.

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Ducks Unlimited Canada Conserves Essential Wetland Within Ontario’s Georgian Bay UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

By Ducks Unlimited Canada
Cision Newswire
June 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

MIDLAND, ON – Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is proud to announce the acquisition of a 34.4-hectare (85.15-acre) property within Ontario’s Georgian Bay UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The newly conserved Honey Harbour Wetland near Midland, Ontario, includes 13.2 hectares (32.68 acres) of provincially significant wetlands, a crucial migratory stopover for waterfowl, and forested areas. With increasing development pressures from its proximity to Highway 400 and urban centers, Ducks Unlimited Canada supported the landowner to acquire the property to secure its vital ecological value, conserve wildlife habitat and enhance local recreation opportunities. …As wetland loss in southern Ontario continues to threaten biodiversity and the many benefits wetlands provide—such as flood mitigation, carbon storage and water filtration—this acquisition represents an essential step in conserving these vital near-urban habitats for future generations.

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Volatus Aerospace Supports J.D. Irving’s Vision for Drone-Powered Tree Planting in New Brunswick

GlobeNewswire
June 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Volatus Aerospace Corp. is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with J.D. Irving, Limited to advance Spring 2025 tree planting operations in New Brunswick. This initiative supports JDI’s leadership in managing working forests by integrating advanced heavy-lift drone technology to enhance their efficiency, scalability and environmental impact. As part of the project, Volatus will provide a heavy-lift Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) capable of transporting seedlings and supplies to planting crews operating in remote and difficult-to-access terrain. All flight operations will be coordinated by Volatus’ centralized Operations Control Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, enabling real-time mission oversight and reduced environmental footprint compared to traditional ground logistics. “Forestry is a critical pillar of Canada’s economy and environmental stewardship,” said Glen Lynch, CEO of Volatus Aerospace. “We are honoured to support JDI’s long-standing commitment to well-managed working forests by contributing innovative drone logistics, training, and regulatory guidance to their Spring 2025 reforestation operations.”

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Water bomber pilot shortage grounds some aircraft in Ontario

CBC News
June 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Several aircraft used to fight forest fires in Ontario are sitting in airport hangars and on tarmacs due to a pilot shortage. JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), said the province is now short three water bomber pilots and six helicopter pilots due to low pay and poor working conditions. “The Ontario pilots are the lowest paid in the country, and what the government has put on the table would bring them up to a whopping second lowest paid position across the country,” Hornick said. That pilot shortage has meant one of Ontario’s nine Canadair CL-415 water bombers has been grounded. Three of the province’s eight helicopters used for firefighting have also been grounded. Hornick said two of the five bush planes used by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) have also been grounded because only three pilots are available to fly them.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Big New Brunswick emitters polluted less in 2023, but fell further behind targets

By Jacques Poitras
CBC News
July 15, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

New Brunswick’s biggest industrial carbon emitters pumped out lower amounts of greenhouse gases in 2023, but the reductions were not enough to keep pace with tightening emissions standards. The gap between the total emissions by the province’s 15 biggest industrial polluters and their regulated emissions limits grew larger, according to numbers from the provincial government. That left them paying more under the province’s credit-trading carbon pricing system. Even so, that system is gaining traction, with more of those credits changing hands. …New Brunswick’s industrial carbon price is based on a credit trading system, a financial incentive for the 15 largest industrial emitters to stay below their emissions standards. If they do, they earn what are called performance credits they can sell for a profit. Plants that go above their standards must buy credits, adding to their cost. …The 15 big emitters collectively bought $21.1 million worth of fund credits in 2023, up from $12.6 million in 2022.

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New Brunswick Power’s plan to burn wood pellets under fire

By John Chilibeck
The Telegraph-Journal
July 13, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

NB Power’s estimated $300-million plan to convert its biggest plant in northern New Brunswick from burning coal to wood pellets would be environmentally damaging and waste a lot of energy, warns a new report. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, an environmental organization looked at the plan. …They came up with findings that are at odds with NB Power’s rosy view. Running the plant full time on wood pellets, the critics said, would need more offcuts, forcing NB Power to import fuel from Europe. Furthermore, they warn that sourcing as much wood as possible locally would hurt the forest ecology. And lastly, they argue that burning pellets to create electricity is hugely inefficient and would drive up greenhouse gas emissions. …Energy Minister René Legacy told Brunswick News his department would take a close look at the report. But he alluded to the more than 100 jobs NB Power has created.

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Funding announced for several biomass projects

By Gerald Tracey
The Eganville Leader
July 9, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

Five Eastern Ontario companies – three of them in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke – will receive just over $9.1 in government funding under the Forest Biomass Program to create new products and expand markets for existing products produced from low quality forest products. The announcement was made Monday morning by MPP Kevin Holland, the Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products at one of two Killaloe Wood Products sites in Bonnechere Valley Township, south of Eganville, where landscaping mulch and other biomass products are processed… “These investments support good paying jobs, drive local growth and encourage innovation,” he said. “But today isn’t just about numbers on a page. Behind every dollar are businesses right here in Eganville and in Whitney that form the backbone of our local economy. The forestry sector is the cornerstone of the economic ecosystem that supports every corner of the riding.”

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Ontario Protecting Forest Sector Jobs and Workers

By Natural Resources
Government of Ontario
July 7, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada East

EGANVILLE, Ontario — The Government of Ontario is protecting workers and jobs in the forest sector by investing over $9.1 million in five research, innovation and modernization projects in Eastern Ontario. The investments from the Forest Biomass Program will help boost Ontario’s forest sector’s competitive advantage by creating new jobs, increasing productivity and opening up opportunities for revenue streams in new markets. …The government’s investment is supporting projects related to underused wood and mill by-products, known as forest biomass. …These projects will help create good-paying local jobs while supporting the delivery of high-quality, made-in-Ontario products to market at a lower cost. In addition, they will strengthen Eastern Ontario’s economy by creating added demand for the harvesting, hauling and trucking industries, and develop new opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in the growing forestry industry.

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Health & Safety

‘Worrisome’ conditions due to wildfire smoke and heat force camps, daycares to adjust

By Natasha Baldin and Vanessa Tiberio
Canadian Press in City News Everywhere
July 16, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

Summer camps and daycares are being forced to shift their plans amid stifling heat and poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke drifting across Central Canada, the Prairies and other parts of the country. Special air quality statements or warnings were in effect Tuesday for a second day across several provinces and territories, combined with heat warnings that stretched from Ontario to Prince Edward Island. Smoky air in the Toronto area prompted many camps to field calls from concerned parents and make last-minute changes, especially on Monday, when the city was under a warning due to the Air Quality Health Index reaching the “very high risk” rating of over 10. Adib Razavi, director of Toronto Athletic Camps, said they received hundreds of calls on Monday morning from parents who wanted to know how their kids’ activities were being adjusted.

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Air quality statement continues as forest fire smoke lingers

The Bay Today
July 15, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

Environment Canada has once again issued a special air quality statement for the North Bay area. …Environment Canada says smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. “Smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario is causing poor air quality that may persist throughout the day for some areas,” EC stated. “As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events. …EC suggests when indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. “Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles.

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Air quality advisories issued as wildfire smoke blankets northern Ont.

By Don Bertrand
CTV News
July 13, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

An air quality warning is in effect for much of northwestern Ontario, with officials cautioning that while conditions may temporarily improve, pollution levels could rise again by evening. A special air quality statement was also issued for most of northeastern Ontario, where westerly winds are carrying smoke from active wildfires. “Westerly winds will bring smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario to the area, causing the air quality to deteriorate,” the statement read. “The poor air quality will persist through tonight and possibly Monday before improving.” Health officials warned that vulnerable groups – including seniors, pregnant individuals, young children, people with chronic illnesses, and outdoor workers – should avoid strenuous activities outside. Common symptoms from smoke exposure include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and mild coughs, while more severe reactions may involve wheezing, chest pain, or difficulty breathing. Residents are urged to seek medical help if symptoms worsen.

Related coverage:

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Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Ontario reaches tentative agreement to end labour disruption

WSIB Ontario
July 5, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO – The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced a tentative agreement has been reached with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU). The organization looks forward to welcoming back its full team within 24 hours of a successful ratification vote. …As normal service resumes, people can continue to log in to the WSIB’s website anytime, 24/7 to: Report an injury or illness; Submit documents for an existing claim; See claim, payment, and health benefit information in real time; Register a new business; and Access clearances. “We thank Ontarians for the patience they’ve shown us during the labour disruption,” said Jeff Lang, President and CEO. …The WSIB provides workplace injury and illness insurance to more than 5.3 million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. 

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SafetyCo Partners Launches New Division to Serve Northern Ontario’s Evolving Safety Needs

By SafetyCo Partners
Cision Newswire
July 7, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

TORONTO – SafetyCo Partners, Canada’s fastest-growing provider of integrated safety solutions, continues to expand with the launch of SafetyCo North, following the acquisition of Norpro’s Health & Safety Division. Headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and female-led, SafetyCo North brings unprecedented access to safety training, consulting, staffing, rescue, and compliance services for industries across Northern Ontario. “As Canada prioritizes domestic resource independence, the Northern Ontario is fast emerging as an industrial hub with rising demand for comprehensive, scalable safety services,” said Mark Ferrier, Co-Founder and President of SafetyCo Partners. “SafetyCo North is uniquely positioned to meet this need.” SafetyCo North will serve organizations across Northern Ontario, including Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Sudbury, and Timmins. The new division will be led by locally-based safety professionals Jessica Amadio and Shannan Boston, who bring experience in heavy industrial industry, construction, and sectors including mining, energy, and forestry.

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Halifax spent more than $160,000 on the wrong kind of wildfire protective gear for firefighters

By Haley Ryan
CBC News
July 2, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

Halifax spent more than $160,000 on the wrong type of wildfire protective gear, and the union for municipal firefighters says the mix-up is just one example that the department is not properly preparing for wildfires. In the aftermath of the Upper Tantallon wildfire in 2023, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency ordered a second set of wildland firefighting coveralls for most of its members. But about two years later, it was discovered in April that the new coveralls were intended for use in industrial settings where firefighters typically encounter short flashes of fire. They look almost identical to the correct ones but do not meet wildfire standards for working in sustained heat. …Wearing the wrong gear in a wildfire setting presents a greater risk of heat exhaustion, Meagher said. …Although Meagher said … this is why all new equipment orders are supposed to go through their health and safety committee to ensure things aren’t missed.

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Forest Fires

‘Horrendous’ air quality as wildfire smoke blankets several provinces

By Rianna Lim and Vanessa Tiberio
Prince George Citizen
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms. The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds brought in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario. The weather agency also issued air quality warnings in central Saskatchewan and a special statement for much of Manitoba, noting that air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and vary from hour to hour.

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Five new wildfires confirmed in Northwestern Ontario as 52 remain active

By Evan Taylor
KenoraOnline
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Fire crews in Northwestern Ontario are monitoring 52 active wildfires across the region after five new blazes were confirmed by Sunday evening. Among the latest is Red Lake 99, burning near Grist Lake, which is the largest of the new fires at 394 hectares and not under control. Red Lake 101 has also drawn attention after crossing into Ontario from Manitoba. That fire is currently 227.5 hectares and continues to burn within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Other new fires include Red Lake 98 near Hornby Lake, Red Lake 100 west of Poplar Hill First Nation, and Red Lake 102 northwest of Nechigona Lake. Of those, only Red Lake 100 is under control. Fire officials continue to urge people to respect emergency orders and stay out of restricted zones to support safety and firefighting operations.

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Manitoba fire spreads into Northwestern Ontario

Northwest Ontario Newswatch
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

DRYDEN — Ten new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario over the weekend brought the total number of active fires in the region to 52. The Ministry of Natural Resources reports that one of the new outbreaks is an extension of a wildfire burning in Manitoba. That province’s EA061 fire has burned 278,000 hectares there, and 228 hectares in Ontario, as of Sunday evening. It’s located about 10 kilometres west of Bulging Lake in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Among other new fires of note in the Northwest, a 394-hectare blaze is burning four kilometres northwest of Grist Lake in the MNR’s Red Lake sector. The ministry reports the wildland fire hazard is low to moderate in most of the region, except for along the Ontario-Manitoba border from the Rainy River area to Opasquia Provincial Park, 250 kilometres north of Red Lake, where the hazard is mainly high. 

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Four new forest fires reported in the Northern Ontario region Monday

By Darren MacDonald
CTV News
July 7, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario Forest Fires says there are now six forest fires in the northeast region after four new ones were discovered Monday. One of the fires is under control while the other five are being held, the group said in its daily update on the area’s forest fire situation. “The fire hazard is low across the central and southern section of the region and moderate to high with a few pockets of extreme values across the northern section of the northeast region,” the update said. Wildland fires can affect communities when they occur in or near neighbourhoods near forested areas. The FireSmart program offers tangible tips on how to mitigate the risk of wildland fires spreading to your home, cottage, or community. “Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services would like to remind the public to use caution when performing any outdoor burning,” the update said.

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Ontario’s largest forest fire is now being held

By Gary Rinne
NWOnewswatch.com
July 7, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The province’s biggest-ever forest fire is now considered unlikely to spread beyond its existing boundaries. The 196,000-hectare Red Lake 12 was declared “being held” by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Sunday. The MNR described it as “a significant milestone” for the fire that prompted the evacuation of both Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations. Eighteen firefighting crews supported by seven helicopters are still assigned the task of bringing the fire under complete control, but some other equipment has now been demobilized. Logistic support staff will be shipping firefighting apparatus out of Deer Lake and Sandy Lake over the next few days. 

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After weeks of escalation, rainfall has reduced wildfire hazards across northwestern Ontario

By Sarah Law
CBC News
June 25, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Recent rainfall has reduced the wildfire hazard across northwestern Ontario, though the region’s largest wildfire is now more than 194,000 hectares large. Red Lake 12 — the fire that has forced community evacuations in Deer Lake First Nation and Sandy Lake First Nation — remains not under control. However, precipitation and cooler temperatures have given FireRangers more breathing room over the past few days and have also reduced smoke levels. However, thunderstorms this past weekend have created the potential for holdover fires caused by lightning, which crews will be monitoring over the next week. Red Lake 12 has 23 firefighting crews assigned to three divisions on the fire’s south and eastern perimeters, supported by 18 helicopters, including four heavy helicopters with increased bucketing capacity, Ontario Forest Fires said in its latest update.

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Some residents allowed to return after forest fire in Halifax area prompts evacuation

The Canadian Press in City News
June 22, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

MUSQUODOBOIT HARBOUR — Halifax officials say some people who had to flee a forest fire on Sunday afternoon were being allowed back home, with provincial officials noting rain was falling and the blaze was being held. RCMP began helping evacuate people earlier in the day after issuing a statement about a forest fire in Musquodoboit Harbour, about 45 kilometres east of downtown Halifax, and police also asked other residents to avoid the area. Later, the Halifax Regional Municipality said some of the evacuees would be permitted to return home, while an evacuation centre would be opening for those not being allowed back. Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources department posted to social media late Sunday that the fire was being held at about 30 hectares in size and that rain was falling.

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