Region Archives: Canada East

Hearings will begin Monday for three court challenges of the Ontario government’s contentious rewrite of environmental assessment rules. The Ford government passed the omnibus Bill 197 last July without public consultation, despite a warning from Ontario’s auditor general that doing so could be “not compliant” with the law. The suits, launched by a group of First Nations and two separate coalitions of environmentalists last summer, will be heard at the same time this week. …Bill 197, which the Ford government said was aimed at kick-starting Ontario’s economic recovery from COVID-19, tweaked 20 different pieces of legislation, including the changes to environmental assessments. Critics said the changes to environmental assessments amounted to a significant rollback of environmental protections. …The government posted notices on the registry, but did not hold consultations about Bill 197 before passing it, writing a clause into the legislation that would retroactively exempt it from the requirement.

Tree planting season is already underway and planters are set to put more than 80,0000 trees in the ground across Wellington County this season – a record high from previous years. The restoration project is a part of non-profit organization Forest’s Ontario’s 50 Million Tree Program (MTP) which began in 2008. Since the start of the program, more than one million trees have been planted in Wellington County, and more than 31 million trees province wide. This year, planting partners across the province are working to plant more than 2.8 million trees through the 50 MTP. … The most common species being planted in Wellington County this year are White Cedar, White Spruce and White Pine. According to… Forests Ontario, the aim of the program is to restore forests for the health and well-being of people … as well as the wildlife and the forests themselves.

Christine Leduc says it’s an exciting time to be a woman in forestry. Leduc, 32, is a woodlands operations supervisor at EACOM’s Timmins sawmill. She was recently appointed vice-president of Forests Ontario, a non-profit that Leduc describes as a “really great” organization. …It’s an exciting time to be a woman in forestry, Leduc says acknowledging the challenges the pioneer women in Ontario forestry had to overcome in a male-dominated field. “But today we see women represented in all departments at EACOM and holding leadership positions for first times,” she says. …Leduc says she wishes people were more aware of how forests are managed and she wants youth to know there are careers available in forestry. …Leduc has a lot of ambitions and proud moments to come. …“You don’t grow if you’re not uncomfortable. Even if the experiences scare you … you have to go for it”.

Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory’s Lands and Natural Resources Department is incorporating drone and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) technology to help manage forest inventory in the region. The community, located on the east end of Manitoulin Island, invested in the new technology using $155,280 from the federal government’s Indigenous Forestry Initiative, through Natural Resources Canada … John Manitowabi, Wiikwemkoong’s director of lands and natural resources, [said] in a news release. “This will enable the program to remain competitive in the forest resource inventory sector while providing detailed and accurate data to allow its clients to manage annual harvests and future silvicultural applications.”

THUNDER BAY – As temperatures continue to climb throughout the region, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the forest fire risk will continue to climb as well. On Wednesday, the MNRF said the forest fire hazard in the Northwest is listed as high and is expected to reach extreme levels in some parts of the region by Friday. There are currently no fire restrictions in place throughout the region but people are advised to exercise extreme caution with any outdoor burning. …Residents are advised to check with local fire departments regarding burning permits within municipal boundaries. There are currently four active forest fires in the region.

“Severe” defoliation is predicted for eastern Ontario’s forests this summer as, for the second year in a row, millions of gypsy moth caterpillars hatch and head to the treetops to feed. By the time they’re done in July, the very hungry caterpillars — an invasive species — can strip bare vast swaths of forests. “Our forests are suffering from cataclysmic insults these days,” said Eric Boysen, a trained forester and woodlot owner in Maberly in Lanark County. “This year it’s gypsy moths. And it was just a few years ago we were hit by the forest tent caterpillars. The trees have recovered somewhat from that, but there’s going to be longterm issues.” Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry estimates gypsy moth defoliation increased a staggering 1,200 per cent last year, from 47,203 hectares in 2019 to 586,385 hectares in 2020. Aerial surveys and ground searches for gypsy moth egg masses show this year’s infestation could be even worse.

A recently published study suggests that one of the world’s most common pesticides, previously found to harm bees, may be contributing to the decline of one of its most-loved butterflies. University of Guelph researcher Ryan Norris conducted one of the first real-world studies on monarch butterflies and so-called neonic pesticides. He says the chemicals seem to reduce the number of eggs that successfully hatch. “It’s the first field evidence that neonics can have a negative impact on larval survival of monarchs,” Norris said in an interview Wednesday. Monarchs undergo one of nature’s most remarkable migrations, fluttering all the way from Canada to Mexico and back. But their numbers have declined more that 80 per cent over the last two decades and scientists are trying to find out why.

Montreal – Robotic Research, LLC, a global leader in Automated Driving Systems (ADS), and FPInnovations, a Canadian private non-profit research and development center, announced today their collaboration to develop an off-road truck platooning system for the forest industry. This project will combine Robotic Research’s proven expertise as a global leader in self-driving technology with FPInnovations’ knowledge in forestry and transportation to adapt the truck platooning technology to off-highway environments. The multi-year project aims at accelerating the adoption of off-road automated-vehicle (AV) technology to improve safety and address an acute labour shortage, thereby improving the quality and viability of rural jobs where natural resources are located. Looking to the future, a successful project would not only benefit Canada’s forest industry, but other Canadian sectors such as mining resources and natural resources in Northern Canada.

What does the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) stand for? Healthy, productive woodlots, sustainable management of Ontario’s forests, and a united provincial voice for woodland owners. This grassroots organization brings together people who appreciate the value of our forests and the opportunity to learn and share ideas about good forestry. May 8 to 15 is Woodlands Appreciation Week; an excellent opportunity to get out and explore our woodlands, while keeping current covid safety regulations in mind. The OWA encourages families to savour the experience of the forest and to celebrate good stewardship of this essential natural resource. The OWA has an active network of 20 regional chapters spanning rural and urban communities. Members have access to expertise, research on forest health, and best management practices. Chapter events can include sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat, conservation, foraging, recreation, forest product industry, environmental stewardship, and woodlot activities for kids.

During this year’s Ontario Woodlands Appreciation Week (OWAW), from May 8th – 15th 2021, we are encouraging all Ontarians to get out in the woods and experience them using their five senses. We have put together three fun activities each day, for five days, to help you delve into a “sense of the day.”  We encourage you to share your gratitude for your Woodlands with the wider Ontario Community. On social media you can use the #OWAW and #Woodlanders hashtags to inspire others to join you. A full list of activities and informational links will be emailed to you this weekend, as well as posted to our website event page and in social media. As you partake this week, please document any bird sightings. Birds Canada has set up a portal on their website where OWA members can register and report findings of stick and cavity nests. This important citizen science data will help Birds Canada compile comprehensive information on different species that inhabit the interior of our forests.

John Pineau

This pandemic has changed the way we all do business, and the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) is no exception to this. The OWA held its AGM and Conference virtually this past week and featured a variety of presentations by woodlands experts. There were 380 people who attended the conference which John Pineau, Executive Director, said received rave reviews. …The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, John Yakabuski, offered congratulations to OWA on their conference and the 100th issue of the OWA publication, the Woodlander. OWA President, Paul Robertson, said he was impressed and proud of the range and depth on issues that were offered in this year’s conference. …“Our Association has remained steady and strong during the pandemic, and we have in fact grown and strengthened in some respects, despite so many challenges,” said Paul Robertson.

YARMOUTH, NS – Canada’s forest sector is a vital source of revenue and employment across the country for Indigenous communities. The Government of Canada is investing in projects to equip them with the tools needed to promote further economic opportunity in the forest sector and within their communities. Natural Resources Canada announced $48,000 in funding for Acadia First Nation to: Create a standing timber inventory to track present and future sales of hardwoods, softwoods and value-added products, including silviculture recommendations; Purchase a firewood processor to increase the safety and efficiency of the community’s production of firewood. This project will help the Acadia First Nation build capacity and support the transfer of knowledge through their forest management plan and understanding of potential sales of timber in their woodlot.

GUELPH, Ontario — With precautionary protocols in place, tree-planting efforts have returned throughout the area courtesy of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), which is helping landowners spruce up their properties … with a variety of species. “GRCA is really excited about getting trees in the ground this spring,” said Meghan Clay, GRCA forestry specialist, in a news release. “Landowners are keen to get their trees; they want to see trees in the ground.” After being put on pause for a year, plantings are actively taking place throughout the watershed, including in Guelph and Wellington County. They began April 9 and are expected to continue through the Victoria Day long weekend. …The GRCA recently partnered with Forests Ontario and is helping that organization reach its goal of planting 50 million trees throughout the province. For its part, the GRCA plans to contribute 20,000 to the total.

YARMOUTH, NS – Canada’s forest sector is a vital source of revenue and employment … for Indigenous communities. The Government of Canada is investing in projects to equip them with the tools needed to promote further economic opportunity in the forest sector and within their communities … [and] today announced $48,000 in funding for Acadia First Nation to: Create a standing timber inventory to track present and future sales of hardwoods, softwoods and value-added products, including silviculture recommendations; Purchase a firewood processor to increase the safety and efficiency of the community’s production of firewood. This project will help the Acadia First Nation build capacity and support the transfer of knowledge through their forest management plan and understanding of potential sales of timber in their woodlot. It will further benefit the diversification of wood products available in Nova Scotia’s forest sector. Funding … is provided through the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) program.

Environment and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers is concerned about the state of forests on Prince Edward Island. …Myers said the province will soon have the results of the 2020 aerial imaging survey, something P.E.I undertakes once a decade. He is not expecting good news. “I’m not sure if enough focus has been put on our forestry sector in the last 10 years here on Prince Edward Island. I suspect that the pictures are going to show that we’ve drastically reduced the amount of forest here in Prince Edward Island,” he said. “It’s not good news, considering what our carbon targets are here in Prince Edward Island and how much we need forests to sequester carbon.” The province is already making plans to double the amount of tree planting on the Island, said Myers.

Opposition is growing against plans to develop a large portion of one of the last remaining forests in Pointe-Claire. A group called “Save Fairview Forest” submitted a petition to the city last week with more than 2,000 signatures. “It’s got 22 acres of trees that are well over 100 years old,” said Geneviève Lussier, a Pointe-Claire resident and part of the Save Fairview Forest group. Lussier says the green space also acts as a sound and wind buffer for people who live around it. …The owner of the land, Cadillac Fairview, is planning to expand and turn the area into what they’re billing as the downtown of the West Island. That includes transforming 50 hectares of land into high-rise housing, office tower and a boutique hotel, among other things. …Fairview Cadillac says it is planning to preserve 10 acres of the forest, which will include walking and bike trails. But for activists, that’s not enough.