Region Archives: Canada East

Today’s Takeaway

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high

The Tree Frog Forestry News
May 21, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway
Region: Canada East

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high in 2024, just as EU delays anti-deforestation rules. In related news: the long shadow of of last summer’s Jasper wildfire; the downside of merging the US wildland firefighting agencies; and the wildfire evacuation order in Northwest Ontario is lifted. Meanwhile: BC Timber Sales pauses logging in caribou habitat; and Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forest companies.

In Business news: Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard; the US budget bill may cut funds for private forest owners; US single-family home size trends higher; the outlook for US housing and duties keep lumber prices volatile; and the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s Executive Director Mark Pearson is retiring.

Finally, both Swinerton  and Mercer celebrate mass timber building completion milestones.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Froggy Foibles

A ‘moving forest’ featuring 50 maple trees in shopping carts is coming to Toronto

By Devon Banfield
Toronto Now
May 15, 2025
Category: Froggy Foibles
Region: Canada East

An upcoming art installation in Toronto aims to spark city-wide engagement around greenery and draw attention to the way that trees impact physical and mental health in urban settings. Designed by architects from the Netherlands, the Moving Forest is a mobile project featuring 50 red, silver, sugar and Autumn Blaze maple trees planted in shopping carts travelling through the city for eight weeks, highlighting the importance of trees and shade. …“The project reminds us that as our cities continue to warm and densify, we must ensure that we are prioritizing green infrastructure along with grey,” the project website reads.

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Business & Politics

Provincial Government Announces Support for West Coast Truss Manufacturer

By Industry, Energy and Technology
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

An investment by the Provincial Government will support a Deer Lake-based company as it expands and upgrades its production of roof and floor trusses. The Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced a $240,000 loan from the Business Investment Program for Western Woodworks Incorporated. Western Woodworks Incorporated is a roof and floor truss manufacturing company that also sells engineered wood products and steel beams for residential, commercial, and agricultural projects of all sizes. The company is investing in new manufacturing equipment to expand and modernize its truss manufacturing production line in response to increased demand for its products. The loan will help the company leverage more than $1 million from other sources to complete the upgrades. The new equipment will increase efficiency, improve product quality, and reduce labor-intensive processes.

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Kruger Products inaugurates new tissue plant in Sherbrooke, Québec

Kruger Inc.
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

SHERBROOKE, Québec — Kruger Products inaugurated its new LDC (light dry crepe) tissue plant in Sherbrooke, constructed on a site adjacent to its TAD plant. The construction of this new facility was part of a large-scale $377.5-million expansion project that included the construction of a double-wide tissue machine featuring LDC technology, as well as the installation of two new converting lines: a facial tissue line in the new plant and a bathroom tissue line in the TAD plant. The project created 205 direct jobs, increasing the number of new jobs at the Sherbrooke Operational Centre to 378 since 2020. …All told, this major project represents a historic investment of nearly $1 billion in the region since 2018 to create a major tissue product manufacturing hub in North America. This expansion project was supported by Investissement Québec, agent for the Government of Québec, who provided $165 million in loans.

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Lumber producer Remabec cuts 1,000 jobs in Quebec, citing tariffs

By Mathieu Dion
Bloomberg News in the Financial Post
June 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

One of Canada’s lumber producers, Groupe Rémabec, will temporarily lay off most of its workers as the industry faces rising US duties and weakening demand. The manufacturing division, Arbec Forest Products, is shutting down indefinitely, leading to more than 1,000 immediate job cuts. The number may reach 1,400 in the coming weeks, according to a company statement that blamed “persistent imbalances in both access to the resource and international markets.” Groupe Rémabec employs about 2,000 people and is headquartered in La Tuque, Quebec, about 300 kilometers north of Montreal. President Trump’s administration is poised to more than double the duties on Canadian softwood lumber.  …Rémabec said, with Arbec’s deposits representing an “astronomical amount.” …Rémabec also said a “feeling of exasperation is widespread” in the Quebec forestry industry over regulations that have created “an increasingly unstable ecosystem, without predictability or coherence.” The Quebec government has been trying to modernize its forestry legislation.

Related coverage in the Globe & Mail: Groupe Rémabec scales back operation

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‘We reject your bill:’ First Nations heads urge Quebec to scrap forestry reform bill

By Morgan Lowrie
Canadian Press
June 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

QUÉBEC – Representatives of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador urged a provincial legislature committee on Tuesday to abandon a forestry reform bill that would reserve large swaths of the province’s forests for logging.  AFNQL Chief Francis Verreault-Paul and three other leaders called on the government to work with them to develop a new bill from scratch because they say Bill 97 does not respect First Nations’ ancestral rights. The proposed legislation would divide the province’s public forest land into three zones: conservation zones, multi-purpose zones and forest development zones where the forestry industry is prioritized. …The bill tabled this spring by Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina specifies that activities that “restrict the carrying out of forest development activities” would be prohibited in the development zones, as would the implementation of conservation measures.

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Ontario PCS Protect Jobs and Drive Innovation in the Forest Sector

Ontario PC Party
May 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

The Ontario PC government is protecting good-paying jobs and building a stronger, more competitive forest sector by investing $11.3 million in innovation, clean energy, and modernization initiatives in northeastern Ontario. This strategic investment will boost efficiency, unlock new revenue streams, and create jobs—while helping ensure Ontario remains a leader in sustainable forestry. Funding will support the following organizations and projects: Hornepayne Power Inc. – $7.5 million to upgrade power generation equipment and expand into on-site green hydrogen production; GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. – Nearly $3 million, plus an additional $130,000, to modernize its biomass cogeneration plant and scale up production of torrefied pellets, a clean, renewable alternative to coal; Circular Carbon Canada Inc. – $500,000 to study the viability of using sawmills to host biochar-producing pyrolysis plants; and Wikwemikong Development Commission – $200,000 to advance the development of a new wood pellet and bio-coal production facility.

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Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard

By Katie Pyzyk
Packaging Dive
May 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Domtar appears close to making a final decision about whether to convert its newsprint mill in Gatineau, Quebec, to a containerboard mill. …Last week, Unifor concluded labor negotiations with Domtar regarding the Gatineau site, and the final contract will likely be published by month’s end, said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec director. As part of the labor arrangement, agreed not to bargain, lock out or strike for eight years — on the condition that Domtar would move forward with the mill conversion, Cloutier said. Domtar agreed to proceed with the mill conversion investment, Cloutier said, although the company has not issued a final decision. Unifor anticipates that should come by autumn, if not earlier. …”one thing that could help them to make that decision was the guarantee that they will have no conflicts at [the] Gatineau plant while they proceed with the construction of the new facility,” he said.

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Forest Products Association of Canada expands scientific team with addition of Dr. Darren Sleep

Forest Products Association of Canada
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Darren Sleep

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Darren Sleep as our Chief Scientist, Forest Ecology and Conservation. Dr. Sleep has extensive experience working with the forest sector across North America… Prior to joining FPAC, he served as the Lead Scientist with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) based in Ottawa and as the Principal Scientist with National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) in Montreal. …At FPAC, Dr. Sleep will emphasize the ecological, environmental, and socioeconomic advantages of sustainable forest management, guided by robust ecological science and knowledge. He is committed to the role of sound science to inform decision-making and passionately advocates for sustainable forest management as a solution to global challenges. “Dr. Sleep’s expertise in sustainable forest management is vital as we address policy challenges like housing affordability, rural development, employment, emissions reductions, and wildfire resilience,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC President and CEO.

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Truck Loggers Association Statement on New Provincial Forest Advisory Council May 15, 2025

The Truck Loggers Association
May 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

For 82 years, the TLA’s long history of supporting the forward movement of BC’s forest sector with the core objective of ensuring the ongoing prosperity of the contracting community and the people working in it, has been to the overall benefit of our forests. BC’s forest sector is wrestling with difficult and challenging conditions caused by many factors including changes in government policies, increasing complexity, conflicting mandates, and ever-increasing cost structures. We are overdue for a comprehensive overhaul of the current environment we deal with and the need to return to a dedicated vision towards renewed prosperity. However, today’s announcement of the new Provincial Forest Advisory Council (PFAC), yet another committee to review BC’s forest sector and provide recommendations to the Minister of Forests, is of concern. Notably, the advisory council does not include representation from boots-on-the-ground, independent contractors who can provide a valuable perspective on the impacts of potential changes.

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Finance & Economics

Ontario government will spend more—for less housing

By Jake Fuss and Austin Thompson
The Fraser Institute
May 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

To state the obvious, in Ontario homebuilding is not keeping pace with population growth. This imbalance is driving sky-high home prices and rents, not only in the GTA but many other Ontario cities. What’s to be done? In the Ford government’s recent budget, “housing” appears not as a central theme but as one of several areas to receive “support” in light of Trump’s tariffs, mainly in the form of more money for local infrastructure. …And as part of this “housing” spending spree, the Ford government will continue to spend millions on the Community Infrastructure Fund—which targets smaller communities—and programs to encourage skilled trades, which could support housing development. … The Ontario government has already spent billions on its housing strategy, yet has not moved the needle on housing supply. Even Ford’s new budget with its massive housing “support” includes an abysmal forecast for new home construction.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Limberlost Place: Inside Canada’s First Institutional Mass Timber Tower

By Julian Mirabelli
Urban Toronto
May 28, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

George Brown College’s Limberlost Place is almost ready for occupancy. The innovative 10-storey mass timber tower is a collection of firsts for the college, the city, and even the country. …the building is loaded with sustainable design moves and boasts net-zero carbon emissions, a LEED Gold certification, and compliance with the Toronto Green Standard Tier 4. Most notably, it sets an important precedent as the first institutional mass timber tower in Canada. …The most striking aspect of the building is the quantity of exposed wood that is visible throughout. There was apparently no limit to the amount of timber that is left exposed as it is all typically treated with fire-retardant products, so the design team opted for roughly 50% of the structure to be exposed. This is complemented by wood wall and ceiling finishes, and accents throughout. There is no mistaking that this building is a showcase for the versatility of wood construction.

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La Pêche Town Hall to become first Passive House-certified institutional building in Quebec

Canadian Architect
May 27, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

The new La Pêche Town Hall, built on a promontory facing Route Principale, is a mass timber, highly energy-efficient building that will soon become the first Passive House-certified institutional building in Quebec. Rectangular in shape and located on an east-west axis, the building, by BGLA architecture + urban design, features a long façade which faces directly south onto the main road. This façade offers views of the hills of Gatineau Park from the inside, while also using natural solar gain to serve as the building’s primary heating source. The presence of wood is felt inside and outside the project. Eastern cedar cladding envelops all the façades, while the glulam and cross-laminated timber structure is exposed and highlighted in each of the interior spaces.

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CLT superstructure ready to rise on former parking lot in Kensington Market

By Don Procter
The Daily Commercial News
May 26, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

This summer a superstructure for a four-storey housing complex will rise on a former public parking lot in Toronto’s Kensington Market. What is novel about the 78-unit affordable housing project is that, other than a concrete foundation, it will be constructed of cross-laminated timber (CLT), including the elevator core. Design firm Montgomery Sisam Architects chose a CLT superstructure (floors, roof, exterior walls) partly because it can be erected by a single trade in six to eight weeks, rather than the months required for conventional concrete construction, says Daniel Ling, a principal of Montgomery Sisam. The complex, which is being built under the City of Toronto’s Rapid Housing Initiative phase three, also earns sustainability credentials. The embodied carbon intensity targeted for the CLT exceeds the “extra-low emission requirements” under the Toronto Green Standard.

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Province invests millions in new uses for forestry by-products

The Timmons Press
May 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

The adage that one person’s waste is another’s treasure was proved true on Wednesday, May 21, when the province announced millions in investments in forestry biomass. Forestry biomass refers to forestry by-products that are not used in traditional wood-processing industries like sawing, veneering and pulp and paper. Examples include: crowns, branches, bark, sawdust, wood shavings, and wood chips. It is used in everything from food additives to building materials. It also has many emerging uses, including renewable natural gas, bioplastics and hydrogen, considered to be responsible alternatives to carbon-intensive products. The government says their aim is to protect workers and jobs in the forestry sector… The program has invested up to $20 million each year in projects to increase wood harvest, create forest sector opportunity and find new uses for wood in collaboration with stakeholders, industry and Indigenous communities. Find the press release here.

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Tall order: Prefabricated mass-timber buildings could save time, money — and carbon emissions

By Howard Akler
Toronto Star
May 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Toronto is a city of cranes and construction sites, so there’s nothing remarkable about the fact that a nine-storey housing project is being erected at the corner of Royal York Road and Drummond Street. It’s what’s inside that counts. The floors, walls, roof and envelope of this Etobicoke midrise will all be made of wood. Each piece of mass timber is being manufactured in Delta, B.C., then shipped and assembled here within the span of three months. The 58-unit structure, which is expected to be move-in ready by the end of year, will be the GTA’s tallest mass- timber residential building. (That is, until the title is claimed by future projects currently in development.) “We need housing urgently, and prefabricated mass timber is the way to scale up construction,” says Oliver Lang, co-founder of Intelligent City, which uses AI-powered proprietary software and advanced robotics to design and manufacture its building components. [This story may require a subscription for full access]

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This mass timber office by Moriyama Teshima impresses with flexible design and tons of natural light

By Nathaniel Bahadursingh
Archinect News
May 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Moriyama Teshima Architects, in collaboration with Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning, has completed the new headquarters for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in Toronto. Within a state-of-the-art mass timber structure, the relocation and revitalization of the organization’s central office is united with new commercial tenancy opportunities. The three-story, 124,000-square-foot building reflects a close connection to natural elements, prioritizing health, wellness, and sustainability through natural light, flexibility of use, and innovative technology. The 40,000-square-foot workplace interior by Kasian was driven by a strong focus on the human experience, while also blending functionality with a timeless aesthetic. The new offices are located on the north side of the building and span four floors. …The building’s infrastructure is concealed beneath elegant finishes, leaving the wooden ceiling exposed. Its raised floor system allows all services to run beneath the floor, eliminating overhead ducts and conduits.

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In Canada’s housing crisis, are modular homes a cheaper and faster solution?

By Sharif Hassan
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — Advocates and experts say while there is no single solution to the homelessness crisis… prefabricated homes could play a significant role in addressing the shortage of affordable and supportive housing. “The modular definitely helps because the faster construction is, the least expensive it is,” Andrea Adams, the executive director of the non-profit developer St. Clare’s said. …Ontario’s housing crisis has been an ongoing issue for years, and some experts say modular housing could play a crucial role in addressing the problem. …Prime Minister Carney promised a housing plan that would yield 500,000 new homes annually and provide $25 billion in loans for companies that make factory-built homes. Carney said he aims to create an “entirely new Canadian housing industry” around modular housing, using Canadian lumber, skilled workers and technology. Ontario Premier Ford also promised $50 million to support modular housing technology.

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Forestry

Cree Nation Government Affirms Paix Des Braves Prevails over Bill 97

By Nadia Saganash, Director of Quebec and Indigenous Relations
Cree Nation Government in Nation Talk
June 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Nemaska, Eeyou Istchee – The Cree Nation Government confirms that the Adapted Forestry Regime, as established under Chapter 3 of the Agreement. Concerning New Relationship between le Gouvernement du Québec and the Crees of Québec (Paix des Braves) and the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement (JBNQA) takes legal precedence over the provisions introduced in Bill 97 – An Act mainly to modernize the forestry regime and the governance of forests in Québec. This precedence is explicitly affirmed in the bill itself under section 8.2, which states: “The provisions of Chapter 3 of the Agreement Concerning a New Relationship between le Gouvernement du Québec and the Crees of Québec, entered into on 7 February 2002 and approved by Order in Council 289-2002 dated 20 March 2002 (French only), as well as any amendment to that chapter approved by the Government, prevail over the provisions of this Act […].”

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Newfoundland and Labrador Government Monitoring Detections of Japanese Beetle

By Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
June 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and industry stakeholders to respond to increased detections of Japanese beetle in the St. John’s area. Japanese beetle, an invasive species in Canada, is regulated under the Plant Protection Act by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Pest Surveillance Program. The agency has detected isolated and sporadic occurrences of Japanese beetle in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2014. In 2024, Japanese beetles were detected in the environment in St. John’s, indicating potential overwintering since there is no evidence linking the detections to imported plant material, as in previous occurrences. …Japanese beetles can spread quickly, especially via wind, or through transportation of soil and plants. If not controlled, this insect poses a serious threat to agriculture, horticulture, landscaping and forestry industries…

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Why Quebec’s forestry reform is facing backlash from Indigenous groups, conservationists

By Cassandra Yanez-Leyton
CBC News
June 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Quebec’s sweeping reform of how forests are managed is causing concerns among Indigenous leaders, conservation groups and unions, who warn the changes prioritize logging over long-term health of the ecosystem. Bill 97, tabled this spring by Minister of Natural Resources and Forests Maïté Blanchette Vézina, proposes to divide the forest into three zones: one that prioritizes conservation, one focused on timber production and a third zone for multiple uses. At least 30 per cent of Quebec’s forests will fall into that second category, Blanchette Vézina said. Speaking at the legislative hearing on Bill 97, Lac-Simon Anishnabe Nation Chief Lucien Wabanonik says he wants to see it scrapped and rewritten from scratch in collaboration with First Nations people. “They call it triade in French, meaning 30 per cent of the territory will be specifically used by the industry in exclusion of other users,” he said. “It’s very negative on our rights as First Nations.”

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2025 International Model Forest Network Global Forum

Ontario Woodlot Association
May 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) and the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) are honoured to be organizing the 2025 International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Global Forum to take place from May 26-30th, 2025 in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada at the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre. The event will attract up to 200 delegates representing over 60 Model Forests from over 30 countries around the world. The IMFN Global Forum is a business, technical, and networking meeting in which members share knowledge, review their accomplishments, address challenges, and agree on Networkwide and other strategic plans and initiatives for the threeyear period following the Global Forum. …The 2025 IMFN Global Forum will include a series of parallel regional annual governance meetings, a multi-day IMFN Global Forum / IMFN Assembly, an IMFN Climate knowledge consolidation workshop, as well as several one-day field tour options within the host Model Forest to learn from local experiences and landscape governance processes.

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“Fire is not inherently bad” says Fire Archeologist

By Lauren Ella Burke
CBC News
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Joanne Miles

Chief Joanne Miles of the Flat Bay Band says people in her community have practiced low-intensity controlled burning for as long as she can remember. When done correctly, she says this can prevent devastating wildfires. The knowledge of how this is done has been passed down through generations. …Several factors are considered before starting a low-intensity controlled burn, Miles said. Elders in her area have learned the seasonal patterns, the moisture levels of the ground and plants, and how to recognize wind changes. Miles said this practice is the reason the Flat Bay area has hardly seen any major forest fires. …Some tribal nations have retained knowledge of the burning connection they had with the Earth, Renick said. The knowledge of others was decimated through colonization, she said.

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Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forestry companies

Canadian Press in Citynews Montreal
May 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Two Indigenous organizations have issued eviction notices to a number of Quebec forestry companies in the province’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie and Côte-Nord regions. The Mamo alliance and the Association des Gardiens du territoire Nehirowisiw Aski sent the notices to 11 companies. The notices ordered the companies to immediately remove their workers and equipment from unceded Indigenous territory. The letters are a response to the Quebec government’s proposed forestry reform, which has drawn opposition from environmentalists and First Nations. The reform would include creating so-called “priority forest management zones” set aside for the logging industry.

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Wildfire response training should be made available to more civilians, experts say

By Britnei Bilhete
CBC News
May 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

As wildfire season begins in Ontario, some experts say more civilians in northern and remote regions should be given training and opportunities to become wildfires response volunteers, despite liability concerns. The province saw over 475 fires last year that scorched 90,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. …Fighting wildfires is usually done by firefighters hired or contracted by Ontario or other provincial governments — and in worse cases the Canadian Armed Forces help out. But giving residents the capacity to respond as well is something that could reduce the impact of wildfires, says Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s school of environment. …The problem is that responders and municipalities have issued advice against it because of the liability concerns, he said.

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Work Progressing on Atlantic Wildfire Centre as Forest Fire Season Comes into Effect in Labrador

By Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
May 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Forest fire season begins in Labrador today, May 15. Fire season on the Island of Newfoundland began April 24 and is now in effect throughout the entire province until September 30. A burn permit is required to burn vegetation, wood and paper products during forest fire season. …Trained and dedicated wildland firefighters and aerial resources including water bombers and helicopters are strategically located throughout the province and ready to respond to wildfires. …Budget 2025 allocates $4.2 million towards the Atlantic Wildfire Centre, with a total federal-provincial commitment of $32 million until 2030 to increase resources, enhance training and strengthen the province’s ability to tackle wildfires at home and away. Work on the Atlantic Wildfire Centre is well underway. …More than 60 wildfires have been recorded on the Island of Newfoundland so far this season. One fire has been reported in Labrador to date. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Digging deep: Fieldwork helping Canada prepare for a hotter, drier future

By Andrea Lawson
McMaster University
May 26, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

A love of the outdoors and a deep desire to make a meaningful impact on communities affected by climate change keeps Greg Verkaik going back to Western Canada. The PhD student studies peatlands and their role in wildfires. Climate change isn’t an abstract concept in his research, it’s something he’s been seeing and experiencing in the landscapes he’s visited since 2018 as part of this work. The 2025 wildfire season is already shaping up to be another intense year for Canada. Early signs point to another active and dangerous season, particularly in Western Canada. As peatlands dry and fire seasons lengthen, the risk of deep-burning, smouldering fires – the kind that can persist underground and reignite months later, continues to grow. This only strengthens Verkaik’s commitment to his research, which aims to better understand how peatlands influence wildfire behaviour and how they might be managed to reduce risk.

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Province investing more than $11M in forestry projects

Sudbury.com
May 23, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

The province is doling out more than $11 million to support projects that innovate and modernize forestry operations in northeastern Ontario. On May 21, the province announced $11.3 million for five projects through its Forest Biomass Program, which it says will create jobs, increase productivity, and identify new revenue streams. Hornepayne Power Inc. will receive the largest chunk, $7.5 million, which will be used to upgrade power generation equipment at its plant and support research into on-site green hydrogen production. GreenFirst Forest Products Inc., is receiving nearly $3 million to upgrade its biomass cogeneration plant, and an additional $130,000, which will be used to research the use of mill byproducts for torrefied pellets. Circular Carbon Canada Inc. is receiving $500,000 to study northeast sawmills as potential sites for pyrolysis plants, which use forest biomass to produce biochar, which is a substance used in power generation, soil amendment and water filtration.

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Inauguration of Carbonity, Canada’s first industrial-scale Biochar Plant: A Concrete Solution to Regenerate Soils and Sequester Carbon

By Carbonity
Cision Newswire
May 22, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

PORT-CARTIER, QC – Airex Energy, an innovative leader in the development of world-class decarbonization solutions, Groupe Rémabec, a cornerstone of Quebec’s forest industry committed to responsible transformation and decarbonization, and SUEZ, a global leader in circular solutions for water and waste, are inaugurating Carbonity today—the first industrial-scale biochar plant in Canada, located in Port-Cartier. Born from a partnership between the three companies, the plant begins with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes of biochar, which is expected to triple by 2026, making it the largest facility of its kind in North America—and one of the most important globally. Biochar is recognized by the IPCC as one of the most effective technologies to combat climate change due to its long-term carbon sequestration capacity. In addition, its many benefits enhance agricultural resilience, drive sustainable innovation in construction and urban development, and support the decarbonization of heavy industries.

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Forest Fires

More than 1,400 evacuated by military as fires rip through northern Ontario

By Isaac Callan
Global News
June 10, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

More than 1,400 people have been evacuated from a remote community in northern Ontario using massive military transport planes as out-of-control wildfires spread across the province. On Sunday, Ontario asked the federal government to dispatch military personnel to help evacuate the community of Sandy Lake after a nearby fire expanded, doubling in size toward the edge of town in a few hours. Defence personnel said they had evacuated more than 1,400 people by 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. The evacuations mark the latest twist in an already busy fire season in the province, one critics argue the Ontario government failed to prepare for. Data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre shows that the area of Ontario burned so far this year is already 38 times higher than it was last year.

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Forest fire near Deer Lake now simply huge

By Mark Stimpson
NWOnewswatch.com
June 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The forest fire west of Wabaseemoong is no longer the largest in Northwestern Ontario now that a blaze farther north has grown to more than 65,000 hectares. The Red Lake 12 fire that caused the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation last week was blanketing 65,186 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. That’s more than 3.5 times the size estimated on Monday. Smoke from fires to the west hurt the ministry’s ability “to monitor the growth of Red Lake 12 consistently throughout the operational window,” MNR fire information officer Allison Lake told Newswatch in an email. “After several days of reduced visibility, conditions improved, allowing for high-level infrared scanning of wildland fire Red Lake 12. “As a result of the scanning, the fire has now been remapped at 65,186 hectares, which accounts for growth that has occurred over the past few days.”

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Wildfires prompt air quality statements across northwestern Ontario as evacuations continue

By Sarah Law
CBC News
June 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

A number of special air quality statements are in effect across northwestern Ontario, as wildfire activity remains rampant throughout the region. Statements were issued early Monday morning for well over a dozen communities, including several First Nations… “Wildfire smoke is expected to move into the area early this morning and may remain in place for the next several days for some areas,” the statements say. “As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors.” Evacuations are continuing in Deer Lake First Nation and Webequie First Nation. Meanwhile, members of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations have been under an evacuation order since mid-May. Webequie First Nation first declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Chief Cornelius Wabasse said high demands for aircraft in other communities affected by wildfires delayed his community’s evacuation. “There is a shortage of planes and also other resources,” Wabasse said on Monday morning.

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Wildfire activity persists in northern Ontario

By Dan Bertrand
CTV News
June 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) continues to monitor wildfires across the province, with varying conditions in the northeast and northwest regions. While some fires have been brought under control, others remain active, prompting ongoing suppression efforts and precautionary measures. The northeast region reports two active wildfires, with one recently contained. Sudbury 13, a 0.5-hectare fire near Wikwemikong that was identified on Saturday, was declared out Sunday morning. Cochrane 2, an 8-hectare fire northwest of Attawapiskat, is now under control. Cochrane 3, burning 48 kilometres west of Attawapiskat, remains not under control at 150 hectares. Though the MNR confirms no immediate threats to communities or infrastructure at this time. The northwest region remains a focal point, with 15 active fires and persistent high-risk conditions.

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Nova Scotia wildfire season off to a slow start after cool, wet spring

By Danielle Edwards
CBC News
May 31, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

The wildfire season in Nova Scotia has been off to a “slow” start, according to the manager of forest protection with the province’s natural resources department. Scott Tingely told CBC News that so far, the number of fires and the amount of hectares burned are both below average at this point. “We had a pretty cool, wet spring so far, so that has certainly helped kind of mitigate the conditions and the risk,” Tingley said. As of Thursday, 39 fires have burned about 35 hectares across the province so far. …The wildfire situation in Nova Scotia has changed rapidly over the last week, according to data from Natural Resources Canada. On Tuesday, the department listed the fire danger across most of the province as low. And as of Thursday, that classification was raised to high for the bulk of the mainland and Cape Breton.

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Massive expansion of restricted fire zone

By Matt Prokopchuk
The Thunder Bay News Watch
May 29, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

THUNDER BAY — A huge additional swath of Northwestern Ontario, including the city of Thunder Bay and surrounding areas, will be under a fire ban as of midnight. The Ministry of Natural Resources announced Thursday it is extending its restricted fire zone in the region at the end of the day. In a related move, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue said it is also implementing a fire ban for the city. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the fire ban will extend from its initial boundaries in the west to as far north as to include Wabakimi Provincial Park. …Chris Marchand, a regional fire information officer with the MNR’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Dryden said the region is exceedingly dry.

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Highway reopened as fire burns near Churchill Falls

By Maddie Ryan
CBC News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Emergency crews are dealing with a fire in the woods east of Churchill Falls — an area of central Labrador currently under an extreme fire risk warning. The provincial government confirmed the fire is moving east, away from the town. It said crews and two water bombers were deployed. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary closed part of the Trans-Labrador Highway between the company town and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, 300 kilometres east along the isolated road, for a stint Wednesday night. It has since reopened. N.L. Hydro said helicopters fought the fire from the air. The fire knocked out the power in Labrador City and Wabush for nearly three hours. N.L. Hydro restored electricity to all customers shortly after 9 p.m.

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Huge forest fire northwest of Kenora has grown

By Mike Stimpson
Northwest Ontario News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

KENORA, Ontario – The wildfire north of Wabaseemoong Independent Nations is “being held” while the giant blaze west of the community is still a growing concern, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. An evacuation order for the area, including Wabaseemoong, remains in place. The ministry changed the status of Kenora 14, a 1,600-hectare fire north of Wabaseemoong, last week to “being held.” The status means Kenora 14 is not likely to spread beyond existing boundaries under current weather conditions. …MNR fire information officer Alison Bezubiak said Kenora 20, on the other hand, has grown a little to more than 32,000 hectares – 29,729 hectares in Ontario, the remainder in Manitoba. The northeast end of the wildfire is within two kilometres of the community, she said. “Fire Ranger crews have completed values protection with sprinklers on all structures within the community and helicopter bucketing is ongoing on hot spots nearest to the community,” she added.

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Northwest Region Wildfire Update: 12 Active Fires, Hazard Remains Extreme as Crews Battle New Starts

News Net Ledger
May 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Thunder Bay – The Northwest Fire Region continues to face escalating wildfire activity, with 12 active fires currently being managed across the region. According to Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services, 4 of the fires are not under control, 3 are being held, and 5 are under control. As of Tuesday evening, five new wildland fires were confirmed: THUNDER BAY 13: Located at the south end of Dog Lake in Silver Falls Provincial Park, this 0.1-hectare fire is not under control. NIPIGON 3: Located 2 km west of Longlac, along the north end of Long Lake, this 0.1-hectare fire remains uncontrolled. RED LAKE 9: Found on the east side of Pikangikum First Nation beside Pikangikum Lake, this 0.1-hectare fire is now out. …The wildland fire hazard is high to extreme across most of the Northwest Region, driven by persistent dry conditions and strong winds.

Related coverage in Kenora Online: Poor air quality expected in Fort Frances, Kenora areas due to forest fires

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Evacuation alert lifted in district

By Doug Diaczuk
The Chronicle Journal
May 20, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A drop in temperatures and some precipitation has reduced the fire hazard in the region, prompting an evacuation alert in the Northwest to be lifted. On Sunday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) lifted an evacuation alert issued last week for the Fort Frances District. The alert was implemented due to a 3,500-hectare fire burning south of Atikokan. There has been no growth observed in that fire for several days and precipitation and cooler weather has reduced fire behaviour. An evacuation order remains in effect for an area northwest of Kenora near the Ontario and Manitoba border due to the wildfire designated Kenora 20. It is a 400-square-kilometre fire burning south of Wabaseemoong First Nation that is not considered under control. The community of Wabaseemoong First Nation was evacuated late last week and structural protection efforts remain ongoing.

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Wildfires in Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout, Ont., districts force evacuation alert, travel restrictions

By Olivia Levesque
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Evacuation and travel alerts have been issued in the Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout districts in northwestern Ontario as wildfires grow in both areas. As of Thursday morning, 10 forest fires are burning in the northwest region, and half of them aren’t under control. In the Sioux Lookout district, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) issued an implementation order Wednesday evening. It includes the area around the fire known as Sioux Lookout 3, which was first reported on Tuesday afternoon. The fire is burning north of Savant Lake, covering over 2,000 hectares of land. Ontario Provincial Police have closed Highway 599 and travel is restricted on Highway 516 east of Houghton Lake. Further south, the Fort Frances 4 wildfire is covering over 3,200 hectares. The MNR issued an evacuation alert Wednesday afternoon, encouraging people to prepare to evacuate on short notice. Fort Frances 4 is burning just north of Crystal Lake and is not under control.

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