Region Archives: Canada East

Scott Robinson

A group of volunteers has been working to save a rare stand of centuries-old eastern hemlock trees from a potentially devastating invasive insect. The massive conifer trees are located on the central island of Sporting Lake within the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, and they’re at risk of being infested by the hemlock woolly adelgid. To give the trees a fighting chance, Nova Scotia’s Environment Department issued a permit to the group, allowing them to inject the trees with an insecticide that’s often used to treat fleas on pets. The adelgid has been wreaking havoc on hemlocks in eastern North America — including Nova Scotia — for years. …Scott Robinson, the group’s operations chief said the trees are part of one of the last intact old-growth forests in the Maritimes, and the volunteers are desperate to save the lush, mossy landscape canopied by the towering hemlocks.

GUYSBOROUGH – The Forestry Innovation Transition Trust (FITT) – a $50 million fund focused on accelerating new opportunities within the Nova Scotia Forestry Sector to enhance environmental, social and economic values and adoption of new ecological forestry practices – announced last week the approval of two projects valued at more than $12 million. The Family Forest Network will receive more than $9.8 million for a multi-year project that will assist private woodlot owners in adopting and maintaining sustainable resource management practices through outreach, demonstration and research. The project will include a large-scale pilot of ecologically sensitive forest treatments in a wide range of woodlands across the province, with a special emphasis on restoring degraded stands to their natural diversity and productivity.

The provincial trust fund for forestry innovation is betting big on a project that aims to prove the economic viability of a more sustainable approach to managing Nova Scotia’s woods. The Family Forest Network is getting $9.8 million for a five-year pilot project that will involve ecologically sensitive forest treatments on about 200 small private woodlots. Andy Kekacs said… a big part of the work will be exposing contractors to an approach promoted in the Lahey review of forestry practices, which called for a major reduction of clear cutting on Crown land. The funding will help contractors become more comfortable with the costs of the work, said Kekacs. …Friday’s announcement also included $2.6 million for the industry-led Forestry Economic Task Force… they’ll spend the next two years building a plan for the sector that considers new and different economic opportunities.

J.D. Irving… presented to the Standing Committee examining glyphosate use in our forest on the final day of public hearings late last month. The company presented on Sept. 21 …following a letter from co-CEO Jim Irving to the committee chair saying he was “very disappointed” the company hadn’t been invited to the June meetings. At committee, Irving said that a ban on glyphosate in the Crown forest “would be disastrous” for his company. Andrew Willet, J.D. Irving’s director of research and development, likened the 76 per cent of New Brunswickers who want a ban on glyphosate spraying in the woods to the pejorative ‘Karen’ stereotype, telling the committee, “We can’t make public policy and we can’t make public investments on something Karen from Facebook said or something we read on Google.” 

Check out Project Learning Tree Canada @PLT_Canada‘s new Green Job video series! The first features Jennifer Tallman, @EACOMTimberCo Chief Forester & first female chief forester in Ontario. She’s responsible for creating, implementing and overseeing a 10 year forest management plan! Jennifer Tallman is the Chief Forester for EACOM Timber and the first female chief forester in Ontario. Her job is the ultimate balancing act—she’s responsible for creating, implementing and overseeing a 10-year forest management plan! In this episode, Lacey (a registered professional forester and host of PLT Canada’s Green Jobs) learns how a 10-year forest management plan is created, goes ice fishing with Jenny, and even tries operating a huge tree processor!  

OTTAWA, ON – Not-for-profit charity Forests Ontario facilitated the planting of 2.8 million trees through its 50 Million Tree Program (50 MTP) this planting season. These efforts created approximately 1,400 ha of new forest, contributing to the total 17,100 ha planted since 2008 –an area nearly twice the size of Barrie, ON. In total, Forests Ontario has rooted more than 34 million trees through the 50 MTP. The province-wide 50 MTP makes tree planting easier and more affordable by providing technical and financial assistance. “Once eligible landowners apply to the program, we connect them to a local planting partner to create and carry out a site plan that suits their property and objectives,” said Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario. …A study by Natural Resources Canada found that 83 per cent of the total hectares planted through the 50 MTP are thriving on the landscape.

Residents, landowners and cottage owners in the township of Fort Erie are advised not to move hemlock materials or any kind of firewood to prevent the further spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid … an insect that measures less than one millimetre as an adult —  kills trees by attaching itself to the base of hemlock needles and feeding on sugars, starving the tree of nutrients. While feeding, they produce a woolly-looking substance visible on the underside of the needles. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the detection of the tiny bugs in Fort Erie is outside of currently regulated areas for hemlock woolly adelgid in Ontario… The agency said a ministerial order will be established to restrict the movement of all hemlock material such as nursery stock, roots, bulbs, seeds and other plant parts along with logs, branches and wood chips, and all species of firewood.

On September 16, 2021, Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) hosted the kickoff meeting for their second cohort of the Green Leaders Program. The Green Leaders Program involves mentorship, skill development, and community action. “PLT Canada is committed to supporting young Indigenous people along their green career pathways,” said Paul Robitaille, Sr. Director of Indigenous and Youth Relations at PLT Canada. “…the Green Leaders Program can help youth achieve employment success and build a diverse and resilient Green Jobs workforce.” PLT Canada’s Green Leaders Program is funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry and will be delivered in partnership with Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP). …During the seven-month program, 17 Indigenous youth in Ontario will be matched with mentors in the forest and conservation sector. They will also attend skill-building workshops, and deliver a community action project.

Larry Bolduc has been a truck driver for more than 25 years and is now the head of the family business Transport Raoul Bolduc in Girardville, Que., in the Saguenay/Lac-St-Jean region. He also launched another business in parallel, called Électrocamion. The business plan is to convert forestry or mining trucks into hybrid diesel-electric vehicles, whether they are new or existing. He explains that an all-electric engine was not an option for very heavy off-road transport. On the other hand, backing up an electric motor with a diesel engine could make the latter consume less fuel when a power surge is required, such as when climbing a hill. …Assistance has come from Kenworth Quebec, researchers Jan Michaelsen and Dave Waknin of FPInnovations, LTS Marine, and the St-Félicien Diesel workshop for practical mechanical questions.

Some residents in Colchester County, N.S., are worried about the effects of the herbicide glyphosate being sprayed on land near waterways, and new research out of McGill University suggests there is cause for concern.  Glyphosate is used in the forestry industry to kill deciduous trees, allowing the softwoods sought by harvesters to grow unhampered.  …An area near Stewiacke, N.S., has been targeted for spraying this year, much to the ire of community members and environmental activists.  …Two new studies out of McGill University in Montreal found glyphosate puts freshwater ecosystems at risk even when its application meets approved guidelines. “We did this big outdoor experiment where we had 100 experimental ponds filled with natural lake water with natural bacteria, natural algae and natural water fleas,” Marie-Pier Hébert, who co-authored the studies, told CBC’s Information Morning on Thursday.

Tristan Flood

When Tristan Flood is out on the land, he feels at home.  Flood, 22, is in his final year studying the forest management program at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.   He recently won the Skills Awards for Indigenous Youth presented by the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM).  During this past summer, he worked as a woodlands summer student with EACOM Timber Corporation in Timmins.  A Matachewan First Nation member, Flood said he is very excited to be recognized for his accomplishments.  “I put in good work this summer. I’ve done a lot of stuff over the past couple of years in school,” he said explaining he had a good overall performance in school last year and he learned “quite a bit” despite the pandemic and some challenges studying online.

Greg Rickford

The Ontario government and Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford are taking a closer look at the state of Ontario’s forests and the forestry sector, and they’re seeing promising returns. The province released its State of Ontario’s Natural Resources – Forests 2021 report last week, which is required to be reported on at least once every five years. Notably, the forestry sector generated over $17.6 billion in 2019, and supported 143,000 jobs in 2020. “Sustainable forest management is the foundation of our government’s forest sector strategy,” said Rickford, who also serves as the Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry and Indigenous Affairs. “We’re creating jobs and supporting economic growth while protecting our natural resources for future generations,” Rickford adds.

Jim Irving

New Brunswick’s largest forestry company and its wealthy owners have urged members of the provincial legislature to not give in to what they call “misinformation” about the herbicide glyphosate. J.D. Irving co-CEO Jim Irving told a committee of MLAs that a ban on the product would curtail the company’s ability to maximize the output of its logging leases on Crown land. …Company officials told the MLAs that only 0.5 per cent of the forest sees tree planting and the spraying of herbicides in a given year. That makes those areas four times as productive for logging, which in turns makes it easier to set aside conservation areas. …But Irving faced tough questions from some members of the standing committee. Green Leader David Coon [said]… “You’ve done very well in New Brunswick,” suggesting that a wealthy company could afford the highest cost of growing and harvesting wood without herbicides.

MIDHURST, Ontario – As we kick off #NationalForestWeek in Canada, running September 19-25, the County of Simcoe is pleased to announce that it has received national honours by being recognized as the Forest Capital of Canada for 2022 by the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF). The County is the first ever two-time winner of this prestigious national award, which acknowledges leadership in forestry and environmental stewardship. Representatives from the CIF’s National Executive, Richard Dominy, President, Brad Epp, Vice President and Doug Reid, 2nd Vice President, joined Warden George Cornell, Deputy Warden Lynn Dollin and County of Simcoe Forestry staff to receive the official Forest Capital of Canada Plaque which will be on display at the Simcoe County Museum and the Red Pine House Forestry Interpretive Building throughout 2022.