Region Archives: Canada East

The Quebec government’s decision to fence in another endangered caribou herd and to kill any wolves that approach the animals is worrying environmentalists, who say the province is again delaying a long-promised plan to re-establish the species.  After putting a fence around the habitat of the seven animals that remain in a herd in Val d’Or, Que., the government says herds in the Charlevoix and Gaspé regions will be next to live behind enclosures.  Quebec’s Wildlife Ministry confirmed that construction is underway to fence in the entire herd in Charlevoix, north of Quebec City, which is estimated at less than 20 animals.  In Gaspé, the whole herd will not be enclosed, but pregnant females will be captured and transported to fenced-in areas where they’ll give birth and raise their young for a few months before being released in the fall.

Forests Ontario and the Greenbelt Foundation are looking to see forest through the trees. The organizations have teamed up for a tree planting program that will increase natural forest cover on private land along the Greenbelt. Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario, said the project aims to enhance cover from Niagara-on-the-Lake to the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Tobermory, and from Sheffield in the west to Newtonville in the east. “The focus areas are where trees are needed most, along ravines and any kind of water system to better secure the shoreline and prevent erosion,” he said. “We’re going to look into working with landowners to see if they want trees planted.” Through the partnership, there will be additional savings for landowners to plant trees on their property in conjunction with Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program.

Wildfires that forced evacuations of a number of remote northwestern Ontario First Nations burned more hectares of land in the province in 2021 than in any other year in history, surpassing the record set 26 years ago. More than 3,000 people were temporarily displaced in summer-long evacuation efforts during the 2021 forest fire season in Ontario, particularly in the northwestern region of the province … Across Ontario, more than 793,000 hectares of land were burned … surpassing the previous record by 80,000 hectares that had been set in 1995. … Two fires … were responsible for a significant portion of the land area affected. The Kenora 51 fire topped 200,000 hectares, and alone exceeded the average annual amount of burned land in the entire province over the last decade. … Several First Nations … were either partially or fully evacuated either due to the threat of fire or because of thick smoke.

A section of forest in Nova Scotia’s Digby County that was the site of a blockade last fall has been clear cut, despite calls from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs to halt logging in the area. The area is considered by many to be important habitat for endangered mainland moose. Logging in the area is being done by WestFor Management, a forestry consortium that works with 13 lumber mills in Nova Scotia. The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables said protecting habitat for endangered species is considered when the province approves harvests on Crown land. Chief Sidney Peters from Glooscap First Nation wrote to the Department of Lands and Forestry in October 2020, demanding that logging operations cease until a moose habitat assessment can be done. At the time, protesters were camped out on a road southeast of Weymouth … The protest ended when nine people were arrested. 

A new policy for old forests is on the table, and the province wants to know what people think about it. Public consultation on a draft policy for the protection of old-growth forests is open now until Dec. 8. Alain Belliveau said he’ll be submitting his feedback. “It misses the mark in terms of actually supporting its top priority of protecting old-growth forests,” Belliveau said in an interview. A botanist by training and the curator of Acadia University’s E.C. Smith Herbarium, Belliveau said he started studying the biodiversity of Nova Scotia’s old-growth forests 15 years ago. Through that work he’s familiar with past versions of the old-growth forest policy, the first of which dates back to 1999. The last update was made in 2012. Belliveau said there are some good additions to the latest draft, including language about the indispensability of old-growth forests. Still, he said overall he thinks the policy falls short.

It’s been one week since the official end of Ontario’s forest fire season, and officials are reflecting on one of the busiest fire seasons on record. …Severe drought and dry weather conditions this summer led to 1,198 fires – including Kenora Fire #51 near Wabaseemoong Independent Nation – which was the largest fire in Ontario’s history since 1960. Kenora Fire #51 levelled out at just over 200,000 hectares burned, or just under one-quarter of all hectares burned in Ontario this season. To put that into perspective, the 10-year average for total hectares burned across all of Ontario in one season is 162,069 hectares. Overall, Scott says the MNRF is reporting that 793,325 hectares were burned in 2021 – surpassing the previous annual record of 713,914 hectares set in 1995. But this year’s 1,198 fires were well-shy of 1976’s record of 2,092 fires in a single season.

Tory Rushton

SYDNEY — Implementing William Lahey’s report on ecological forestry practices is a gradual process that cannot be done at “a flick of the switch,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables Tory Rushton. The Minister spoke about the process of executing Lahey’s report and the Progressive Conservative government maintaining a 2023 timeline for its full implementation in its Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act. “…we stuck with the 2023 target, knowing full well that implementation has already started to take place,” said Rushton. …Rushton said the report will not be implemented all at once, but rather “over a period of time,” but that the management portion of the Lahey report will be implemented “as soon as possible.” …In the meantime, forest harvesting plans will continue under the previous framework, Rushton’s office is waiting for the review by Lahey on how the implementation has gone so far, including any recommendations on the process.

The Province is updating the policy that protects old-growth forests on Crown land and is seeking public feedback. The current policy has been in place since 2012. The revised draft policy incorporates advancements in technology and research over the past decade. “Old-growth forests are an important part of the province’s biodiversity and must be maintained and protected,” said Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton. “Crown land belongs to all of us. We’ve heard from stakeholder groups about the draft policy, and now we want to give the public the chance to provide their feedback as we look to change the way Crown land is managed in this province.”

Westwind Forest Stewardship received $18,671 from the Ontario government to conduct a market analysis on underused wood in the French-Severn Forest.   Westwind is a forest management firm and the sustainable forest license holder for the French-Severn Forest. …The market analysis will examine methods to improve wood supply use and create local forestry jobs. Westwind will work with Magnetawan First Nation, and other local First Nations, municipalities, and area industry partners to identify and assess potential economic opportunities.  Funding for the study was delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.  The French-Severn Forest management unit is a 1.3-million hectare piece of Crown forest of hardwood and softwood. …It takes in the communities of Parry Sound, Sundridge, Huntsville and Bracebridge.

The city’s parks and forestry staff will ask council next week to approve a plan that could add as many as 250,000 trees to Toronto’s canopy over the next 10 years. The idea is to halt the spread of invasive species and replace them with hardier native trees, like oak, maple and cherry, they say. “European Buckthorn is one of the most prolific species that we have in the city now … and it can take over a forest and stop the reproduction of other species like oaks, maples that support habitat for wildlife,” said Beth Mcewen, manager of forests and natural areas for the city. …And by establishing, through Forests Ontario, a bank of native species seeds, the city will always be able to plant the right tree in the right place, Mcewen says, adding she’s confident the program can help stem the tide of invasive species. 

Nova Scotia’s Tory government likes to claim it “walks the walk” – apparently a reference to keeping its word – but it’s taking Nova Scotians on an unexpected, long, slow stroll toward ecologically friendly, or friendlier, forestry. It’s been three years since Bill Lahey produced An Independent Review of Forest Practices, but the Tories want two more to implement “an ecological forestry approach for Crown lands.” …Advocates for living trees and the myriad life for which the forests are home, fear – know? – that the delay means there’ll be no slowdown in the mowing down of Crown land forests in the meantime. …Absent the full implementation of the Lahey report, the province could adopt the new forestry guide – Silvicultural Guide for the Ecological Matrix on all Crown Lands – that’s ready to go and effectively puts the principles of the triad model in place.

DRYDEN, Ontario — Prolonged drought conditions in Northwestern Ontario were a key factor in the 2021 wildfire season resulting in more forest burned in Ontario than in any previous year for which records exist. The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry reports that just shy of 793,000 hectares of forest was destroyed. This shatters the previous annual record of about 714,000 hectares, which was established in 1995. The biggest contributor to the devastation was a 200,000-hectare fire dubbed Kenora 51, near Wabaseemoong Independent Nation. It was one of the largest fires in Ontario’s history. …There were 1,198 fires across the province this year, 43 per cent more than the 10-year average of 839 fires. However, 1976 still holds the record for the most fires in a season – 2,092.

WATERLOO — The black spruce trees in the world’s biggest forest are in trouble as warmer temperatures cause more intense wildfires, says a Wilfrid Laurier University ecologist. An international research team headed by Jennifer Baltzer, a biology professor who studies the boreal forest, scrutinized data from 1,500 fires in the northern boreal forest from Alaska to Quebec. While post-fire regeneration never failed in forests dominated by black pine and broad-leaved tree species, forests dominated by black spruce failed to regenerate 18 per cent of the time. That’s alarming, because black spruce has been the dominant species in the globe-girdling ecosystem that holds 30-40 per cent of all the earth’s carbon, said Baltzer. “The cumulative effects of a drier, warming climate plus increased fire activity is pushing black spruce to the point that it’s not able to maintain dominance on the landscape,” she said.

Around 50 Grade 9 students from Beaver Brae Secondary School had the opportunity last week to learn firsthand about forestry practices. This experience was made possible by BBSS teacher Mr. Lynch, Weyerhaeuser, Miisun, and Outland’s Ontario Youth Employment Program. The student’s classroom for the day was an active logging operation just south of Kenora that is on a Forest Resource License held by Miisun Integrated Resource Management Co. On hand to educate kids of the forestry industry was Matt Wilkie, Purchase Fibre and Systems Leader for the Kenora Weyerhaeuser. …The Outland Youth Employment Program is a national network of land-based education, training, and work opportunities for high school-aged Indigenous youth.

Barrie, ON  – Forests Ontario and the Greenbelt Foundation are working together to increase natural forest cover on private land throughout the Greenbelt. Tree planting will support several Foundation goals, including to enhance Greenbelt systems and biodiversity, build climate resilience across the region, and to support jobs and working landscapes. Through the partnership, there will be additional savings for Greenbelt landowners to plant trees on their property in conjunction with Forests Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program. Landowners who live within the Greenbelt and have space for at least 500 trees may be eligible to apply. The initiative will engage many regional and community planting partners including conservation authorities, First Nations, and local stewardship groups. “Our forests provide many benefits, including clean air and water, increased biodiversity, sequestering carbon to help mitigate climate change, and improving the well-being of our communities,” said Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario.

Among the hot topics around the city’s new official plan, there was one topic that stood out. Trees. …On Wednesday, city council will contemplate the final form of its new official plan, the first since 2003, as Ottawa faces expanding to 1.4 million people over the next 25 years. The city has acknowledged that greenspace cools the air, reduces stress, helps reduce chronic diseases and promotes mental health and exercise. …the city says maintaining and increasing the urban canopy “is critical for making Ottawa the most livable mid-sized city in North America.” The official plan must recognize that urban forest is infrastructure and a valued asset and give it the same consideration as other infrastructure, Five Big Ideas says. But there is disagreement about how to achieve that.

TORONTO — If you’ve ever wondered about the health of your local river or lake, seven million open data points are now at your fingertips. Information ranging from lake temperatures to levels of nitrates in the water is available on Great Lakes DataStream, a new online platform for sharing water quality data from across Ontario and Quebec. …Because DataStream is open access, anyone, including scientists and policymakers, can explore the data while being confident in its integrity thanks to blockchain technology. Just last year, data accessed on DataStream helped fill gaps in the WWF Watershed Reports. …With Great Lakes DataStream joining existing data hubs in the Mackenzie River Basin, Atlantic Canada, and the Lake Winnipeg Basin, DataStream is Canada’s largest independent water data platform – with data from 12 of Canada’sprovinces and territories.

After nearly 20 years of chomping through ash trees throughout Ontario, the Emerald Ash Borer has shown signs of retreat within Aurora. This is the finding of a report that will be before Council next week recommending the Town of Aurora continue its program of treating ash trees on municipal land with the chemical TreeAzin to combat the invasive species of beetle (EAB). The Town has been exclusively using TreeAzin to treat ash trees since 2017. As of this year, all candidate ash trees in municipal parks have received eight treatments over nine years, according to Parks Manager Sara Tienkamp. …Staff recommend the Town continue treating trees on a biennial basis now that the EAB population has declined, skipping treatments in 2022 and using the year ahead to focus on “corrective pruning, continuing with removals as they arise and replanting programs.”