Region Archives: Canada East

Business & Politics

Ontario Investing $3.5 Million to Support Job Creators in Province’s Forestry Sector

By Natural Resources
Government of Ontario
September 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO – The Ontario government is investing over $3.5 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program to support Ontario’s forestry sector and bring more made-in-Ontario wood products to market. This funding will provide businesses with advanced manufacturing technology to launch new product lines for local and international markets, create jobs and boost productivity. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is helping forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of U.S. tariffs. …Ontario’s investment will enhance operations at two forest sector businesses: DSI Industries, an office furniture manufacturer, is receiving $2.5 million to install automated finishing equipment; and Diamond CNC, a kitchen cabinet manufacturer, is receiving over $1 million to install robotic systems which automate material handling. 

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Statement – A collective and united approach against Bill 97

By Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Cision Newswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

WENDAKE, QC – On September 16, 2025, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), its Chiefs Committee on Forestry, unions representing more than 20,000 forestry workers, environmental organizations, as well as the federations of ZECs and outfitters in Quebec supporting more than 5,000 jobs, came together for an unprecedented meeting. All share the same conclusion: Bill 97 is one of the most unifying pieces of legislation ever put forward—unifying in opposition. This joint declaration against it is proof of that. This convergence of voices reflects a deep concern with the current version of the bill and underscores that the forest must be regarded as a major societal issue. In this spirit, and as an act of collaboration, we call for Bill 97 not to be reintroduced in the new parliamentary session.

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Quebec MLA booted from cabinet quits party, says she has lost faith in leader Legault

The Canadian Press in Global News
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Maïté Blanchette Vézina

QUÉBEC – A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec recently booted from cabinet has resigned from the party and says she no longer has faith in Premier François Legault. Maïté Blanchette Vézina says she will sit as an Independent and says Legault should reconsider his future as leader of the CAQ, adding that his policies have neglected Quebec’s regions. Her departure is the latest controversy to hit Legault and his party, both of which are deeply unpopular with electors one year away from the provincial election. Blanchette Vézina was elected in 2022 in the riding of Rimouski and was the natural resources and forestry minister until eight days ago. She had struggled steering a bill to protect the forestry industry but which triggered blockades from Indigenous people who said the legislation threatened their way of life.

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‘A lot of moving parts’ to Northern Pulp cleanup, says environment minister

By Michael Gorman
The Globe and Mail
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Tim Halman

If Nova Scotia’s environment minister has information about the cleanup process for the property where the Northern Pulp mill once operated, including what it could cost and who might be responsible for the work, he wasn’t sharing the details with reporters on Thursday. “When the time is right, we’ll have more to say to Nova Scotians,” Tim Halman said. Northern Pulp is winding down its business, as the owner of the shuttered mill in Pictou County works through a multi-year creditor protection process. That process, which includes selling off assets, calls for the company to put $15 million toward a closure plan. Recent court filings, however, have raised questions about whether even that amount of money will be available, and there’s a suggestion that Northern Pulp could even file for bankruptcy. Halman could not say what that would mean for the cleanup of the property at Abercrombie Point, which also once included a chemical plant.

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Northern Ontario leaders plead for federal help to save Kap Paper Mill

By Lydia Chubak
CTV News
September 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is issuing a stark warning that the Kap Paper Mill in Kapuskasing faces imminent closure without urgent financial support from the federal government. In a direct appeal, FONOM has stated the mill could shutter within two weeks if funding is not secured. FONOM President Danny Whalen confirmed the anxious wait for a federal response. …Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde described the mill’s status over the past year as a “roller coaster ride. …We just need the federal government to ensure the 2500 jobs that would be affected in our area”. …Whalen pointed to punishing international tariffs as a core issue hindering the industry. …Plourde explained that the mill’s closure would trigger a catastrophic domino effect, crippling the entire local forestry sector as sawmills in the region rely on the Kap Paper Mill to consume their wood by-products, such as chips and sawdust.

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Uncertain future for 400 employees of Domtar’s Kénogami and Dolbeau plants

By David-Alexandre Vincent
TVA Nouvelles
September 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

QUEBEC — Just over 400 Domtar workers in Kénogami and Dolbeau, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, are uncertain about the future of their plants. Unifor is scheduled to meet with senior management shortly to provide an update on the situation. “This year, production shutdowns have been more significant and longer than usual,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier. The decline in demand for newsprint is forcing the company to adjust and review its business model. According to him, Domtar is managing the decline, but this strategy does not position the regional facilities for the long term. The union wants to discuss alternative solutions to ensure future prospects. …”It’s not necessarily about reassurance, we want the truth,” says Gilles Vaillancourt, of the Kénogami Pulp and Paper Workers Union. …Domtar assures it “continues to operate its various mills responsibly in order to address market trends,” while maintaining dialogue with the unions. [original article in French, translation by Google Translate]

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Sask. government paid $100M too much for new firefighting planes, B.C.-based manufacturer says

By Geoff Leo
CBC News
September 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Coulson Aircrane says the Saskatchewan government has agreed to pay more than twice what it should have for four firefighting aircraft — a decision the B.C.-based company says will cost Saskatchewan taxpayers an extra $100 million. Coulson, one of the leading companies in the world for retrofitting planes for firefighting, made the claim last month in an application to the Court of King’s Bench. “We are concerned the government of Saskatchewan has awarded a very large (over $187,000,000) contract for forest fire airplanes, without affording any reasonable opportunity to Coulson or any other competitor to bid on the contract,” says an affidavit filed by company president Britt Coulson. Coulson is asking the court to quash the sale and order a fair, transparent competition. …He says the government failed to hold a proper, competitive tendering process, resulting in Conair making “an immense profit.” …Conair has declined to comment, as the matter is before the courts.

 

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Province extends agreement between Newfoundland Hydro and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper

By Abby Cole
CBC News
September 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The provincial government, through Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, is extending its agreement with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper to buy electricity. The initial agreement was made in March, 2024 for Hydro to buy electricity from Deer Lake Power, which energizes the paper-making machines at the Corner Brook mill for 27.5 cents per kilowatt hour. The deal has now been extended until March 31, 2026. Hydro will continue to purchase excess green energy from Deer Lake Power, while the mill continues work to identify new revenue sources through viable wood-based projects “to unlock Newfoundland and Labrador’s high forest potential while further stabilizing the mill’s sustainability and future,” wrote the province’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture in a news release on Wednesday. The department said the agreement will not impact rate payers. The announcement comes after the mill was forced to pause operations due to a number of wildfires.

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Nova Scotia government weighing whether to bid on Northern Pulp assets

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
September 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Tory Rushton

Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton says government officials are “actively monitoring” the process for the sell-off of Northern Pulp’s assets, but no decisions have been made about whether the province will get in on the bidding. Regardless, Rushton said he thinks the timberlands on the auction block have been “active forestry lands for the sector for many years and they should continue to be” used as such. …The primary assets are timberlands owned by the company, as well as a nursery. There is precedent for the province buying such land. In 2012, the NDP government bought land in western Nova Scotia from Bowater before the Queens County-based mill eventually shut down. …One of the reasons Rushton is taking a way-and-see approach to how any future leases look is because he expects there will continue to be demand for the wood.

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Firefighters contain large industrial fire at Englehart, Ontario Mill

By Dan Bertrand
CTV News
September 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — A significant fire at the Georgia Pacific mill in Englehart, Ontario, required a multi-department response early Sunday morning, with crews working for more than ten hours to contain the blaze and protect surrounding assets. …The fire involved a large pile of waste Oriented Strand Board in the mill’s yard. …The department responded with 18 firefighters, two pumper trucks and a tanker. Due to the fire’s remote location within the yard and the long distance to the nearest fire hydrants, local fire officials called for assistance. …As the threat diminished, mutual aid units were suspended around 11:45 a.m. The Ministry of Natural Resources was also called in by mill managers and arrived early Sunday afternoon to assist with further exposure protection for the surrounding wooded area. …“We do not anticipate any impact on operations since the fire was contained outside,” said Rick Kimble, for Georgia Pacific.

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Northern forestry, economic projects land $3.5M

Northern Ontario Business
September 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The federal government is investing more than $3.5 million in 10 projects to boost forestry and economic resilience in the North. Funds announced Sept. 8 flow through a number of funding programs, including Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP), Regional Economic Growth through Innovation initiative (REGI), and the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative for Northern Ontario (RHII). Of the funds, the biggest chunk — a non-repayable FedNor investment of $1,701,000 — goes to the Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio-economy (CRIBE) in Thunder Bay, which will be used in multiple projects. CRIBE will develop, support and scale up regional innovation clusters and investment hubs in Northern Ontario, and build up and market the forest bioeconomy industry to build biorefinement capacity in the northwest. …The funding was announced alongside a suite of new measures under the Build Canada Strong initiative the federal government said would help businesses affected by tariffs and trade disruptions.

Backgrounder: Government of Canada invests over $3.5 million in forestry industry and economic resilience in Northern Ontario

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Forest Regime: Call for the complete withdrawal of Bill 97

By Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Cision Newswire
September 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

WENDAKE, QC – After months of discussions and good-faith exchanges, the Chiefs’ Committee on Forests of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) has concluded that there is no guarantee that the proposals of the First Nations would be integrated into a significantly amended version of Bill 97, An Act mainly to modernize the forest regime. …it has become impossible to continue the work without a genuine assurance that the essential elements put forward by the First Nations would be fully incorporated into the legislation. …Therefore, the AFNQL is calling for the complete withdrawal of Bill 97. “…Only through the full withdrawal of Bill 97 and by returning together to the drawing board can we begin a true co-construction legislative process and envision a balanced future for our forests, while reducing the tensions currently observed on the ground”, said the Chief of the AFNQL, Francis Verreault-Paul.

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Kruger to Restart Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Mill

VOCM News Now
September 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

CORNER BROOK, Newfoundland — Kruger is going to resume operations in Corner Brook on Monday. The pulp mill shut down after the province instituted a province-wide fire ban in light of the wildfires and a high forest fire index. Their forestry operations resumed about ten days ago. In preparation for the restart, the company is actively rebuilding its wood inventory. The Deer Lake hydro plant will gradually resume operations starting today, gradually increasing until Tuesday. That will result in higher water flows and rising water levels in Deer Lake and the Humber River, both of which are currently at low levels. Kruger also noted that it is still waiting on a formal response to its diversification plan on the long-term sustainability of the operation. That proposal calls for financial involvement from the provincial government. 

Related coverage in BayFM: Corner Brook Pulp and Paper back in full swing after a forest fire shutdown

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The Ontario Woodlot Association Announces Appointment of New Executive Director, Glen Prevost

Ontario Woodlot Association
September 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Glen Prevost

KEMPTVILLE, ON — The Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Glen Prevost, R.P.F. as Executive Director, effective September 8, 2025. “The Executive Committee is proud to appoint Glen as Executive Director after four years of outstanding contributions to the OWA and private land forestry,” says Colleen Drew- Baehre, President of the OWA. “Since joining the organization in 2021 Glen has increased the certified lands in the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) forest certification program by 25%.” Prevost brings nine years of experience in the forestry sector, including leading the EOMF forest certification program and advising forest operations and wood products at FPInnovations. …Prevost has a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto and a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from McMaster University. Prevost will guide the OWA in advancing active forest management, supporting landowners, and generating sustainable economic opportunities.

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Domtar to suspend operations at Maniwaki, Quebec sawmill in October

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

MANIWAKI, Quebec — The Domtar sawmill in Maniwaki, Quebec, will temporarily close again next month. The company, which acquired the mill when it bought Resolute Forest Products in 2023, confirmed Wednesday to Radio-Canada that the indefinite closure will begin Oct. 10. It cited difficult market conditions and US softwood lumber duties, which rose to more than 35 per cent last month. About 120 workers at the mill lost their jobs in a previous closure that started in December 2024. The mill reopened for about 50 hours a week at the start of June. About 3,800 people lived in the western Quebec community as of the 2021 census. [END]

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Finance & Economics

Ontario housing construction collapse ‘should alarm policymakers,’ report warns

By John MacFarlane
Yahoo! Finance
September 23, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Housing starts and pre-sales in much of Southern Ontario have earned failing grades and are on track to get even worse, a new study warns — a situation that “should alarm policymakers across all three orders of government.” The report from University of Ottawa’s Missing Middle Initiative compares housing starts and sales in 34 municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area and neighbouring Southern Ontario cities for the first six months of 2025 with the same period from 2021–2024. It found starts are down 40% relative to that four-year average, with pre-construction condo sales plunging 89 per cent and other homes 70 per cent. The reduction in starts has direct employment implications, and the collapse in pre-construction sales, the study says, is “a clear indication that Ontario’s housing situation will get worse before it gets better, and that market weakness is not isolated to the condo market.” …The study paints a similarly bleak picture for the first half of 2025.

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Forestry

Retired wildlife biologist on impact of clear-cutting in Cape Breton Highlands

By Bob Bancroft
The Halifax Examiner
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The nature of the Cape Breton Highland forests with harsh, stormy winter conditions and deep snows made the sites appropriate for deep-rooted hardwood trees that could better withstand heavy winds and summer droughts. Conifers, on the other hand, are shallow-rooted and more susceptible to drought, insects, and wind. …According to science regarding their history, disturbances in Nova Scotia forests tended to result from hurricanes and insect infestations. Forest fires were rare. …Forests were not as vulnerable to fire until land clearing by humans began roughly 300 years ago. The interval between natural disturbances before Europeans arrived is estimated at 800-1,000 years. Humans are now harvesting and removing trees from many sites every 40 years. …Moose need to move through mature forests with small openings containing younger, diverse tree species for food, with aquatic vegetation available in waterways.

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Acadian Timber Announces $2.5M Investment in University of New Brunswick’s Digital Forestry Program

By Acadian Timber Corp.
GlobeNewswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick — Acadian Timber, together with its largest shareholder Macer Forest Holdings, is investing $2.5 million over 5 years in the University of New Brunswick to drive innovation in digital forestry. …The investment will support the creation of a new digital stream within UNB’s master of forestry program and fund infrastructure upgrades to enhance education and research capabilities. “This collaboration reflects Acadian’s commitment to advancing sustainable forestry through innovation,” said Adam Sheparski, CEO of Acadian. “By investing in UNB’s digital forestry program, we’re not only supporting the next generation of forestry professionals – we’re also accelerating the integration of cutting-edge technologies into our own operations and across the industry.” Spearheaded through a partnership with UNB’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management and the McKenna Institute, this initiative will accelerate the use of AI, remote sensing, and digital modeling in sustainable forest management. 

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What fish in northwestern Ontario reveal about the impact of climate change, forestry

By Rajpreet Sahota
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Researchers from Trent University are immersing themselves in forests and streams in northwestern Ontario to understand how forestry practices and climate change affect brook trout populations and freshwater ecosystems. The team is working in the Walkinshaw and Wolf watersheds, northeast of Thunder Bay. They are focusing on headwater streams, which are small rivers that feed larger waterways across the Great Lakes. “Northern freshwater ecosystems are currently experiencing major disturbances, two of which are forest harvest and climate change. One of the effects of climate change is an increase in water temperatures. And the consequences of these predicted increased temperatures on the stream ecosystem are still unclear,” said PhD student Celeste Milli, who is leading the fieldwork. …Milli said the research could help inform science-based policy decisions in Canada’s northern forests, ensuring that both forest ecosystems and freshwater resources remain resilient in a changing climate.

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Port Hawkesbury Paper suspends logging in Cape Breton Highlands amid Mi’kmaw blockade

By Sis’moqon
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — A company responsible for logging in an area on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia has temporarily suspended its operations after a group of Mi’kmaq blocked the road into the forest. …Now discussions between the province and Mi’kmaw organizations are taking place over how to address concerns over forestry management of the Cape Breton Highlands. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs said in a statement Friday that it met with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, provincial ministers and Port Hawkesbury Paper to discuss the concerns. ….Despite the ongoing talks, organizers say that they don’t plan on stopping the blockade. …Port Hawkesbury Paper mill co-manager Bevan Lock said “We are proud of the ongoing dialogue we’ve had with Mi’kmaw organizations and the assembly over the years, and we want to help the broader community better understand what we do and how important the forests are to us, too.” 

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‘It is a clear-cut operation’: Trees cleared out for lumber at provincial park hit by summer storm

By Jonathan Migneault
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Northeastern Ontario’s Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park has transformed into a temporary logging operation due to a storm that knocked down thousands of trees in June. “It is a clear-cut operation,” said Bill Steer, general manager of the Canadian Ecology Centre, which is located inside the park that is just west of Mattawa. On June 21, powerful winds from a downburst hit the park. It downed thousands of trees, which destroyed some trailers and vehicles in the park. Gary Wheeler, a spokesperson with Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, said the ministry has been working with the Algonquin Forestry Authority on cleanup and salvage operations in the park. The forestry authority has hired local contractors to process the fallen trees. Wheeler said some have been turned into hydro poles and others will be assessed for lumber.

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Province Supports Work to Save Hemlock Trees From Invasive Species

By Environment and Climate Change
The Government of Nova Scotia
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The government is supporting two projects to help save Nova Scotia’s hemlock trees from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that attacks and kills the trees. Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced funding for: Acadia University’s hemlock woolly adelgid biocontrol facility; $356,214, including $156,214 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund and $200,000 from the federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund; and the Town of Bridgewater’s hemlock preservation project; $255,500 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund. “The hemlock is one of Nova Scotia’s most special and beautiful trees,” said Minister Halman. “Across the province, Nova Scotians, community groups, the Mi’kmaq and all three levels of government are working together with fierce determination to save hemlock trees and forests. This funding will support that vital work.” Hemlock trees are one of Nova Scotia’s largest and longest-living tree species and are an important part of old-growth forests. 

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Glyphosate: The hidden fuel in Nova Scotia’s forest fire crisis

By Geoffrey Hurley, retired fisheries and environmental consultant
PNI Atlantic News
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

As Nova Scotia grapples with one of its most severe wildfire seasons, a controversial decision by the provincial government has flown under the radar: the approval of aerial glyphosate spraying on 3,577 acres of drought-stricken, fire-prone forest. This move not only risks human health and ecosystems but also exacerbates the very wildfires it claims to mitigate. …Glyphosate-based herbicides are used in forestry to kill deciduous plants and shrubs that compete with commercial softwood species. However, this practice replaces diverse, resilient forests with flammable monocultures. By inhibiting plant growth and causing vegetation to wilt and die, glyphosate leaves behind dry, combustible biomass — effectively turning forests into tinderboxes. In a province already parched by drought and under travel bans due to fire risks, adding fuel to the fire is nothing short of reckless.

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Officials insist there’s no evidence timber practices worsen wildfires

By John Chilibeck
The Telegraph-Journal
September 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Michelle Conroy says she appreciates all the work the province’s firefighters have put into protecting Miramichi, as wildfires raged out of control. But the Progressive Conservative MLA for Miramichi East also wonders if their employer, the Department of Natural Resources, might have unintentionally made conditions in the forests worse by encouraging herbicide spraying so that New Brunswick’s powerful timber industry could have softwood plantations. …The idea that the ecosystem could had been thrown “out of balance,” was addressed by Deputy Minister Cade Libby. “Your comment is one we’ve heard quite a few times,” Libby said. “Yes, herbicides target broad-leafed plants. …But a working forest is a great way to mitigate forest fire risk.” The deputy minister said timber cutters use forestry roads that act as fire breaks and that they work on forests of various types and age classes that have less fuel load than virgin, old-growth forests do.

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Mi’kmaq continue blockade of forestry in Cape Breton Highlands

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
September 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

A Mi’kmaq blockade of harvesting for Port Hawkesbury Paper in the Cape Breton Highlands continued Tuesday. The blockade had been temporarily lifted Sunday, after forestry crews and law enforcement removed a barrier of spruce logs built on Hunters Mountain Road. The logs had been seized from a logging truck by Mi’kmaq led by Ashton Bernard. Trucks were allowed through the line set up by the Mi’kmaq through Monday morning until Madonna Bernard stood in front of two trucks during the afternoon. A significant RCMP presence was on scene but did not interfere in the blockade. “They’re clear-cutting our land and we’re trying to save it,” said Madonna Bernard, who also goes by her Mi’kmaq name, Kuku’wes, as she stood in front of the logging truck.

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Environmentalists raise concerns spraying forests with glyphosate makes them more vulnerable to wildfires

By Jonathan Migneault
CBC News
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Amid calls from some First Nations and municipalities in northeastern Ontario to stop glyphosate spraying on Crown land, environmental groups are raising concerns over the herbicide’s effect on biodiversity. …Wildland fire ecologist Bob Gray said leafy deciduous trees, like aspen, are more resilient to wildfires than softwood conifers like pine and spruce. “Softwoods are highly resinous,” he said. “The foliage and bark is highly flammable. When you’ve got large contiguous areas of conifer forest, you can have large continuous forest fires.” If a timber company’s goal is to promote the growth of softwoods for harvest, at the expense of hardwoods, it can make that area more prone to wildfires. …Jocelyne Laflamme is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of British Columbia found that aspen becomes more flammable in the fall, when they lose their leaves. …In August, forest company Interfor cancelled plans to spray herbicides on trees along the north shore of Lake Huron.

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Forestry blockade heats up on Cape Breton’s Hunters Mountain

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — Mikmaq have begun blocking logging trucks from leaving Hunters Mountain. Madonna Bernard began the blockade on Monday afternoon when she stood in front of two logging trucks. She was then joined by other Mi’kmaq seeking to stop harvesting from the Cape Breton Highlands. …“This is not a protest, this is a protection. We’re willing to stay as long as it takes.” A large RCMP presence has gathered and more Mi’kmaq supporters are arriving. …Port Hawkesbury Paper mill manager Bevan Lock said that the supercalendered paper relies on wood coming from the highlands for a significant part of its woods fibre. He said some 70 people work for forestry and logging contractors operating in the area. “The province and RCMP have taken steps to remove the blockade and allow travel on a public road,” said Lock.

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Record New Brunswick wildfires alter forest ecosystems, creating winners and losers among birds

By Hope Edmond
CBC News
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

As wildfires tear through New Brunswick’s forests at record rates this year, researchers say the resulting damage is reshaping bird habitats — displacing some species while creating new opportunities for others. “With every disturbance in a forest, you have winners and losers,” says Joe Nocera, a forestry and environmental management professor at the University of New Brunswick. In this case, the winners will be woodpeckers. Wildfires, while destructive, are a natural part of forest ecosystems, said Amy-Lee Kouwenberg, an associate director at Birds Canada explained. They clear out underbrush and create habitats that support a wider range of species, boosting biodiversity in the long run. Woodpeckers thrive in burned areas, and the resulting tree cavities they leave behind are used as nesting sites that other birds rely on. …Species like the Canada warbler, wood thrush and Bicknell’s thrush — all of which depend on dense, mature or shrubby forests — are particularly vulnerable . 

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A wildfire in southern Ontario burns differently. Here’s why

By Rebecca Gao
The Narwhal
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Air quality warnings are becoming a feature of Ontario summers, but for most, the source has felt far away. As southern Ontarians stayed indoors … under air quality warnings this summer, fires closer to home ignited. In July and August, the province experienced a number of wildfires in places including the Kawarthas, a couple hours northeast of Toronto, and near the town of Huntsville, in the cottage country region of Muskoka. Farther north, First Nations communities like the Pikangikum First Nation and North Spirit Lake First Nation were evacuated due to wildfires and smoke… How do wildfires in southern Ontario stack up to the massive fires farther north, and what can be done? Here’s what you need to know. …fires in southern Ontario are different for two main reasons: the forest type and the many, many people here.

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Activists question why Nova Scotia no longer disclosing glyphosate spray locations

By Luke Ettinger
CBC News
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Activists are pushing for more information about where aerial spraying of glyphosate is happening after the Nova Scotia government has stopped releasing the locations for spraying of the herbicide by forestry companies. However the forestry sector says the use of the herbicide gets unfair attention, and identifying the locations draws protesters who block access to woodlots.  Glyphosate is used by some woodlot owners to …reduce competition for more profitable softwood species… Previously, the provincial government provided premises identification (PID) numbers for where aerial sprays were approved. That didn’t happen when four approvals for spraying were issued in August. “We don’t have to tell everyone where these PIDs are, because it attracts people who don’t know the full story about forest management to show up roadblock your private woodlot, and prevent you from managing it as you see fit,” said Todd Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia. 

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Charter challenge on Nova Scotia’s woods ban set for next year

By Blair Rhodes
CBC News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

It will be early next year before the province’s decision to impose a sweeping travel ban in Nova Scotia woodlands gets tested in court. Lawyers for the Canadian Constitution Foundation were in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Tuesday to set dates for its challenge to the ban. The first available dates are Feb. 2-3, 2026. The foundation will be joined in their challenge by Jeff Evely, a Nova Scotian who deliberately violated the ban and was fined $28,000 as a result. …Last week, the government removed the ban in Cape Breton and the eastern part of the Nova Scotia mainland because recent rainfall had reduced the fire risk. …On its website, the Canadian Constitution Foundation describes itself as “a national and non-partisan charity” whose objective is ensuring “government power does not infringe on the rights and freedoms of Canadians.”

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Soil performing balancing act

By Emily Dontsos
The Chronicle Journal
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Amanda Diochon

Amanda Diochon is digging into the relationship between soils and sustainability, and her findings hold the potential to change the way forests and agriculture are managed for a healthier future. An associate professor in Lakehead University’s department of geology, co-ordinator of the water resource science program, and assistant dean of the faculty of science and environmental studies, Diochon says soil science is critical in a changing climate. “Soils are the largest reservoir of organic carbon, and they emit 10 times the amount of carbon dioxide that humans do,” she says. “So knowing how they respond to changes in the climate and understanding how to better manage them is important not just in Canada, but globally.” With a focus on the carbon cycle, or how carbon moves between the Earth, living things, and the atmosphere, Diochon’s research examines changes to soil’s ability to store carbon and how agricultural and forest-management practices influence sustainability.

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Restrictions on New Brunswick Crown land end at midnight, provincewide burn ban remains

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

John Herron

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says most restrictions on Crown land will be removed at midnight Monday night, but the province’s burn ban will remain in place to decrease the risk of wildfires. Speaking to reporters Monday, Holt said cooler weather and efforts by firefighters have made it possible to ease restrictions. Restrictions remain on timber harvesting, which will only be allowed from 6 p.m. to noon and will be reassessed on a daily basis, according to a news release from the province. …Natural Resources Minister John Herron said people should also stay away from any areas where firefighters are still actively fighting fires. All Crown land has been closed to industrial and recreational activities since Aug. 10 because of wildfires that required the province to request outside help. Herron said the decision to reopen may be changed again if multiple fires are ignited.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Lakehead University researchers lead $1.67M global effort to help forests adapt to climate change

By Desmond Brown
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

Brigitte Leblon

Amid a stark increase in forest fires in recent years, a global project led by Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., aims to determine how woodland areas can adapt to climate change. Natural resource management experts at Lakehead are leading the $1.67-million global research project, which includes other Canadian universities and one in Germany. The multi-year research is being funded by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in that western European country. “The forest is made of wood, and the first thing wood is doing is burning,” lead researcher Brigitte Leblon of Lakehead told CBC News. “Fires become more and more intense and huge because of climate change. More drought means more intense fires, and when the fire is more intense, automatically, large areas are burned.” …They’ll be examining tree genetics, ecosystems, policy and land-use planning, as well as how biological, ecological and social systems interact to shape forest health in a changing climate.

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Forest Fires

Crews fighting large forest fire in North Dundas

CBC News
September 22, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

North Dundas, Ont., has declared a state of emergency as crews battle a 40-hectare bog and forest fire that broke out Sunday night. The township said Monday the fire is in the Alvin Runnalls Forest near Morewood, south of Russell. So far, the fire has been successfully contained to the forest, the township said, though firefighting efforts have been complicated by the remote nature of the fire and limited access to the forest. The fire appeared to have started in a bog and spread, according to North Dundas Mayor Tony Fraser. “Peat fires travel underground,” Fraser said. “It’s grown quite a bit since last night.” …Further rain is forecast on Monday night, with officials hoping to assess its impact on Tuesday morning. …”But bog fires, they can last for months, they can go over winter and crop back up in spring, they’re underground and feed themselves.”

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2 schools closed as crews fight Lethbridge, Newfoundland wildfire

CBC News
September 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The local service district of Lethbridge, N.L., is partially evacuated after a wildfire started in a bark pile and its adjacent forest outside Sexton Lumber late Sunday afternoon. The evacuation zone includes the areas of Oldford’s Hill to Southwest Bridge and Bayside Drive and Forest Drive, where the saw mill is located. Anthony Paddon Elementary in Musgravetown has been converted into a reception centre for impacted residents. In a social media post, the school announced that it will be closed to students on Monday, as it supports the efforts of emergency responders. The elementary school in Lethbridge, Hertiage Collegiate, is closed as well. In a social media post the school says more updates will be provided at 10:30 a.m. N.T. Route 233 remains impassible in both directions to all traffic. As of Sunday, three water bombers and ground crews were working the fire, and crews remained on the scene overnight to monitor conditions.

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Long Lake wildfire remains out of control at 8,465 hectares

By Jennifer Heudes
CTV News Saskatoon
September 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

©Govt of Nova Scotia

The Long Lake wildfire that started August 13 has destroyed 20 homes in Nova Scotia is still out of control, but its size has not changed in the last day. On Monday, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the Long Lake fire is estimated to be 8,465 hectares in size. “The southern end of the fire is the most active area and fire intensity increased with wind today. Helicopters are dropping water on this area so ground crews can safely enter to continue tying up the perimeter and advance inward on the fire,” said DNR in an update on social media. The department said Manitoba’s CL415 planes are being released and will be replaced by two black hawk helicopters which they say are more effective for current needs. …As of Monday, DNR said there have been no new reports of damage.

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20 homes destroyed in Annapolis County wildfire

By Anjuli Patil
CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The Nova Scotia government has confirmed 20 homes were destroyed last weekend in the Annapolis County wildfire, which remains out of control and is estimated at 8,234 hectares — or more than 82 square kilometres. According to a news release on Thursday, the residences were destroyed Sunday on West Dalhousie and Thorne roads. Not all of the residences were primary structures. “Our hearts are broken for residents in the West Dalhousie community who’ve lost their homes,” Premier Tim Houston said in a news release. “It’s overwhelming to get that news, it will be a long road to recovery, and I know residents will find comfort through this strong, tight-knit community. The wildfire in the West Dalhousie area of Nova Scotia is still burning out of control and has destroyed 20 homes. The Long Lake fire, which started on Aug. 13, is estimated to be 8,234 hectares in size (or more than 82 square kilometres), as of 11:30 a.m.

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9 active wildfires burn in New Brunswick, 2 out of control

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
August 27, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Nine wildfires are burning in New Brunswick as of Wednesday evening, two of them out of control. Three fires are contained and four are being patrolled, according to the province. The total number is down from the 17 wildfires burning on Tuesday and the 39 burning 10 days ago. The Beaver Lake Stream fire in Northumberland County, near the Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, is still out of control. The fire was 338 hectares on Tuesday and is now 456 hectares… The Rocky Brook fire is also out of control about 40 kilometres south of Dalhousie and is 175 hectares, down from 204 hectares in the previous report. …Natural Resources Minister John Herron said earlier this week that the wildfire situation is moving in the right direction, especially now that the province is no longer seeing temperatures “flirting with 40 C.” On Monday, he said the wildfire season could run to the end of September and possibly into October.

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Firefighting force on Long Lake wildfire grows to more than 170, plus 17 aircraft and 70 dozers

By Ian Fairclough
The Chronicle Herald
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

©Province of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia — A replacement incident management team from Ontario is in Nova Scotia and taking over at the helm of the Long Lake wildfire for a bit. That will give the team from the Department of Natural Resources a break and time for rest before they return to dealing with the fire, which is now estimated at 8,234 hectares. The handover is a common occurrence in dealing with wildfires in Canada. …Crews are working the entire perimeter of the fire today while continuing to focus on the east side of Paradise Lake, where the closest threatened populated areas are Trout Lake and Albany on Highway 10. Those areas were evacuated Sunday after the fire more than doubled in size and high winds pushed it across West Dalhousie Road. …Evacuations have put more than 1,000 people out of their homes since the fire started.

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