MONTREAL – Unifor members of Council 4000 and Local 100 at Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, with 96% of Local 100 members and 97% of Council 4000 members supporting the mandate, preparing to take action should an agreement not be reached by January 1, 2025. “This overwhelming vote sends a clear message to CN that our members are united and prepared to take action to achieve the fair treatment and respect they deserve,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Our members have had enough of concessions that erode their rights and livelihoods and they are standing strong to demand a contract that reflects their value and the critical role they play in CN’s success.” The decisive vote underscores the frustration and determination of CN workers who have been advocating for job security, fair compensation and improved working conditions.
NEW BRUNSWICK — Several of the province’s major forestry companies are appealing a major decision in the Indigenous title fight that had appeared to go their way. A judge ruled that several big industrial defendants and everyday private property owners must be removed from a lawsuit launched by the Wolastoqey Nation. But J.D. Irving, Acadian Timber and H.J. Crabbe and Sons have all now filed separate appeals to New Brunswick’s top court. The new appeal argues that while the court ruled that industrial defendants are no longer part of the lawsuit – as they were granted the land by the government and are a third party to the larger dispute – their land is still listed in the lawsuit. …J.D. Irving’s appeal states that the decision maintains a claim against JDI properties, while, at the same time “depriving them of their right to be heard and to make submissions regarding their fundamental property rights.”
QUÉBEC CITY — In the fall 2024 
MONTREAL – Yesterday morning an indefinite strike began at the Viau and Maisonneuve terminals, in accordance with the strike notice filed by CUPE Local 375, the longshore workers’ union. As a result, these two Termont-operated terminals are closed, and no rail, truck or ship services will be provided. With 40% of total container handling capacity paralyzed by this work stoppage, and ships and trains already obliged to choose other routes, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) expresses its deep concern about the negative repercussions of this work stoppage. All the other Port of Montreal terminals remain operational. …We are all aware of how crucial operations at the Port of Montreal are, and the vital role they play not only for Quebec, but also for the rest of Canada. The need to reach an agreement quickly is acute and cannot be ignored,” said Julie Gascon, CEO of the Port of Montreal.
ONTARIO — Housing starts over the next few years will likely weaken and the already-dire supply shortage could get even worse, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is warning. A 
MONTREAL, Quebec – Stella-Jones announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2024. Sales in the third quarter were $915 million, compared to sales of $949 million for the corresponding period last year. Excluding the positive effect of currency conversion, sales were down $44 million, or 5%. Net income for the third quarter was $80 million, compared to net income of $110 million in Q3, 2023. “Despite strong long-term demand tailwinds, we witnessed a slower pace of purchases by our utility customers. Though total sales were lower than anticipated, we delivered a solid quarter EBITDA margin of 17.7% and strong operating cashflows,” said Eric Vachon, President and CEO. …“Utilities continue to forecast meaningful increases in infrastructure investments, evidenced by the longer-term sales contracts secured from new and existing customers.”
Across the far reaches of northwestern Ontario and over the provincial border into southeastern Manitoba lies the enormous swath of forested, lake-speckled land that is Treaty 3 territory. At more than 142,000 square kilometres, it is larger than the entire country of Greece and home to 28 First Nations communities with a total population of about 25,000 – an indication of just how rich in natural resources this area is. These natural resources have long been a source of contention between the settlers looking to profit from them and the Indigenous Peoples caring for and protecting the land, but much has changed in the last 15 years. …Across Canada, the forestry industry is working to build more meaningful, equitable partnerships with Indigenous Peoples. Miitigoog Limited Partnership (LP), a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser, eight Treaty 3 First Nations and other industry stakeholders, offers a compelling blueprint.
The Government of Canada announced an additional $2.4 million in funding to the Bruce Trail Conservancy through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. This is part of the Government of Canada’s largest conservation campaign in the country to meet its emissions reduction targets and protect 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030. This funding is in addition to a $5 million investment through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, awarded to the Bruce Trail Conservancy in 2022. The funding will be used to help advance conservation goals with urgent Niagara Escarpment land securement. This additional funding advances conservation of over 300 hectares of important habitat and contributes to capturing and storing greenhouse gas emissions by securing carbon-rich forest, wetland, and grassland ecosystems within the Niagara Escarpment. …It will also improve the connectivity of the iconic Bruce Trail and expand recreational opportunities across all seasons for activities such as nature appreciation, hiking, birdwatching, snowshoeing, and more.
People risk their lives battling forest fires, but Ontario’s government is treating them unfairly. That’s the message Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois and others brought to a news conference Wednesday at Queen’s Park. Wildland firefighters are not getting the “supports and respect” they deserve, said Vaugeois, who is the New Democrat critic for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). In particular, firefighter Noah Freedman said, recent legislation regarding WSIB coverage for workplace-related cancer “came with a glaring condition” requiring wildland firefighters to serve for 30 years before they could qualify. The law requires 15 years of service, but each annual fire season counts as only half a year, so a person battling forest blazes does not qualify until 30 fire seasons. Freedman, vice-president of OPSEU Local 703, said he and his colleagues are “risking our lives not only in the moment but forever” when they fight fires, because of airborne carcinogens.
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador — Natural Resources Canada announced funding of $295,000 under the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program for the Memorial University Botanical Garden to establish a tree nursery on its expansive botanical garden, which will support tree planting in the region. With this funding, the Memorial University Botanical Garden will: build a tree nursery producing 500 saplings per year to plant across Newfoundland and Labrador; support future tree-planting projects that increase tree cover and green spaces; act as a hub for outreach, community engagement and hands-on training for students, researchers, Indigenous youth and the public; and create jobs in nursery management, horticulture and arboriculture. Today’s announcement follows the release of an update on the progress of the Government of Canada’s commitment to plant two billion trees, alongside an investment of over $200 million in more than 30 new tree-planting projects that will result in over 160 million new trees across the country.
Barrie, Ontario – Since 2007, Forests Ontario has facilitated the planting of 46.5 million trees, enhancing 900,000 hectares of connected forest landscapes through over 8,000 restoration projects across 10 provinces. Now, Forests Ontario is becoming 
OTTAWA — Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah visits Canada with a delegation of the Finnish forestry and bioeconomy actors on 24–28 November. Minister Essayah will deliver the keynote speech at the Scaling Up Bioeconomy Conference. In addition, the Minister and the business delegation will visit the province of Quebec. …In Ottawa, Minister Essayah will meet with federal ministers of Canada, members of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources of the Parliament of Canada and management of the Natural Resources Canada (NRC). The main topics are the outlook of and cooperation in bioeconomy, sustainable forestry and forest management. …In the province of Quebec, Minister Essayah will meet the province’s management to discuss the opportunities in the bioeconomy sector. Finnish expertise in forest and bioeconomy will be showcased at Quebec Forest Industries Association and the local companies.
A new partnership could see seven public buildings heated with wood chips. The Chapleau District Heating Project brings together the Township of Chapleau with Commercial BioEnergy Inc., a northern Ontario biomass energy company dedicated to assisting communities in reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. The project will determine the feasibility of constructing a centralized biomass fuelled heating plant to deliver heating to seven public buildings within the community. This will involve converting existing heating sources from propane or electricity to biomass generated heat using locally sourced wood chips. It will be the first such project in North America of this scale, according to the project partners. …A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 90 per cent for all targeted buildings combined is anticipated.
ONTARIO — The Hawk Lake log chute is a preserved piece of Canada’s past in the Haliburton region. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of chutes like this across the country at the peak of the logging industry. They helped to open the country to resource extraction and settlement, which is why the Township of Algonquin Highlands has rebuilt and preserved this model from the 1860s. But could it, or perhaps, should it, stand for more than just a colonial victory over the natural world? In this episode, we’ll learn how these chutes transformed the lumber industry, but also led to major harms to both the natural world and Indigenous peoples. [