Region Archives: Canada East

THUNDER BAY, ON – Indigenous peoples are at the forefront of the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. Across the country, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis are on the ground managing land, water, and helping communities thrive while safeguarding the natural spaces we all depend on for current and future generations. Jaimee Gaunce, Executive Director of the First Nations National Guardians Network, joined Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and others to announce the investment of up to $27.6 million to support 80 First Nations Guardians initiatives. This investment will support 18 new and 62 existing initiatives to safeguard the land, water, and wildlife within First Nation territories while also creating meaningful employment opportunities in remote areas. …The Indigenous Guardians initiative is an important pathway for Indigenous peoples to continue to exercise their rights and responsibilities in stewardship of their traditional lands…

ONTARIO — On September 10, 2024 approximately 600 liters of concentrated glyphosate chemical herbicides were spilled near the Temagami First Nation due to a forestry tanker truck accident. This event has intensified an already heated debate surrounding the use of chemical herbicides by Ontario’s forestry sector, highlighting their potential dangers to ecosystems, wildlife, and public health. The financial motivations for their use ignore the long-term repercussions on human health, wildlife populations, and ecological stability. The real costs, such as rising cancer rates, declining moose populations, and environmental degradation, are completely externalized, falling on taxpayers rather than the companies profiting from these practices. …As the Ontario legislature prepares to address this issue, the hope is that this disaster will prompt a reassessment of current practices. The spill serves as a critical reminder of the environmental and social injustices associated with chemical herbicides.

OTTAWA, ON– BMO and Tree Canada are partnering for the third consecutive year to help Canadians improve the health of their communities in celebration of National Tree Day. On September 25 and 28, more than 3,000 registered volunteers – co-workers, friends and families – will gather in parks and greenspaces across Canada to plant trees, remove invasive plant species, and increase local biodiversity. This is the largest National Tree Day to date, with 21 planting events happening in 18 communities during National Forest Week. Planting sites vary, with the largest events taking place in Mississauga and Markham, Ontario, with over 400 volunteers, and smaller plantings in Saint John, New Brunswick and Quebec City, Quebec, where large caliper trees will be planted. …BMO donated $200,000 in support of National Tree Day 2024, in addition to $350,000 over the previous two years. 

QUEBEC — Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has invited his Quebec counterpart to the negotiating table to reach an agreement on caribou before Christmas. …In his letter, Guilbeault reiterated that his government is ready to implement “a collaborative approach, including federal funding” to protect the caribou. “The government can make up to $77.8 million in contributions for boreal caribou available. …Guilbeault also said that he would like to negotiate an agreement on biodiversity, “for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is prepared to make an additional contribution of $100 million.” …The minister also explained that “$68 million from the $2 billion tree program could also be made available to support a possible collaborative agreement to support tree planting for habitat restoration.” In total, the federal government could contribute “up to $465.8 million to support Quebec’s efforts to achieve our shared conservation goals.

Join us in celebrating National Forest Week from September 22 to 28. Show your appreciation for Mississauga’s trees and forests and learn about the importance of Mississauga’s urban forest and natural areas and how you can aid in the protection, restoration, expansion and enhancement of the city’s natural spaces. From Friday, September 20 to Saturday, September 21, you can watch the Ontario Tree Climbing Championships at RK McMillan Park. You’ll be able to watch arborists showcase their skills, visit a tradeshow with vendors and try out tree climbing at the “Fun Climb” station under the guidance of a professional arborist. …To learn more about National Forest Week or register for events, visit mississauga.ca/national-forest-week.

As northern Ontario gets ready to welcome autumn this weekend, it’s still feeling a lot like summer as provincial forest fire crews continue to battle blazes. “With no forecasted precipitation until the weekend, this does mean that we can expect to see a continuation of that high forest fire hazard reading that we’ve been seeing across much of the region,” said Amy Peltonen, fire information officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources. The province said as of Thursday afternoon, there are 21 active wildland fires in the northeast region. …According to the province’s forest fire info map, most of northeastern Ontario is under a high forest fire rating. Ontario’s woodland fire season comes to an official end on Oct. 31. Until then most of the northeast region remains under a high forest fire rating with some areas considered extreme. 

Blake Moynes

ONTARIO — Blake Moynes, a television personality and passionate wildlife conservationist, has teamed up with the David Suzuki Foundation to address the alarming habitat loss impacting caribou populations in northern Ontario. …Through this partnership, Moynes is focused on bringing attention to the dire state of northern Ontario’s caribou, stressing the urgent need for action to preserve their shrinking habitat. “To keep it as simple as possible? Caribou populations are significantly declining right now due to habitat destruction, due to forestry, mining, and the exploitation of resources that’s essentially been mismanaged here in Canada. So caribou are declining, fading away here in Ontario, but in other places in Canada as well,” Moynes added. Moynes and the David Suzuki Foundation point to habitat destruction and the creation of logging roads as major contributors to the decline in caribou numbers, which have disrupted natural predator-prey dynamics. 

Jackie Hamilton

Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) is proud to continue supporting private land forestry research by offering the 3rd Peter deMarsh Memorial Bursary to Jackie Hamilton, who is in the final stage of her PhD candidacy in the Natural Resource Sciences Department at McGill University. Her doctoral thesis focuses on the relationships between trees and people in southern Quebec’s Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Region. Hamilton is a student member of the Ontario Woodlot Association. “Jackie’s research aims to help us further our collective knowledge about the benefits of rural trees and the contributions people make,” states CEO Andrew de Vries, CFO. “Her goal to highlight the significant contribution of tree managers in producing valuable private and public benefits will have an impact on CFO woodlot owners and will hopefully provide a clearer story of the state of working landscapes across Canada.”

Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) is proud to announce it has awarded its third annual Christopher Lee Memorial Scholarship to Lakehead University Bachelor of Science student Sarah Plourde for her outstanding achievement in forestry studies. She is now completing the final year of her BSc in Forestry in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Sarah stands out amongst her peers for her genuine interest in the sustainability of Canada’s forest land, which grew as she gained invaluable work experience in sustainably managed working forests, her aptitude in sports, including Timber Sports, as well as her strong academic performance.

Michael Wulder

Michael Wulder is a visionary senior research scientist at the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada. He earned his BES in Geography from the University of Calgary, followed by an MES (1996) and a PhD in Geography at the University of Waterloo in 1998. Under the guidance of the esteemed Dr. Ellsworth LeDrew, Michael developed and validated statistical algorithms for remote sensing techniques in Forestry. …With over 400 peer-reviewed publications garnering over 50,000 citations and accolades such as the Canadian Remote Sensing Society’s Gold Medal and induction into the Order of Canada, Michael’s impact resonates globally. …Today, Michael is reshaping how we perceive, manage, and protect our natural landscapes. His groundbreaking use of LiDAR and satellite imagery has revolutionized our understanding of forest dynamics, enabling precise assessments of ecological health and sustainable resource management practices.

THUNDER BAY — A locally developed and manufactured logging trailer promises to make it more efficient to get timber from the forest to the mill. LBC Contracting, owned by brothers Derrick and Paul Legros, holds the patent for a five-axle hinged trailer that can carry an average of five to seven more metric tons of logs than other models. A prototype was tested at the former Abitibi paper mill on the Mission River, and was also evaluated long-term in real-world conditions by a forest products company. Derrick Legros, president of LBC, said government inspectors spent four days putting the trailer “through all of the testing for turning and for stress on the load cables, and the design of the chassis and all that stuff. It passed everything with flying colours.” …Existing four-axle trailers have a capacity of 36 to 38 metric tons, but LBC’s model can carry a payload of 42 metric tons.

Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper has changed names many times over the last 100 years, but the innovation, reliance, and stability of the mill remain the same… Recognized as one of the largest pulp and paper mills in the world, Thunder Bay’s mill still generating acres of product year after year, expanding into new markets, despite new technology advances threatening to collapse the industry… Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products Kevin Holland acknowledged the success story as an economic powerhouse in the region… “The forest industry has deep roots in our history and Thunder Bay pulp and paper has been at the heart of it all contributing to the prosperity of the countless families, supporting local businesses and fuelling the progress for the entire region.”

THUNDER BAY — A locally-developed and manufactured logging trailer promises to make it more efficient to get timber from the forest to the mill. LBC Contracting, owned by brothers Derrick and Paul Legros, holds the patent for a five-axle hinged trailer that can carry an average of five to seven more metric tons of logs than other models.
A prototype was tested at the former Abitibi paper mill on the Mission River, and was also evaluated long-term in real-world conditions by a forest products company. Derrick Legros, president of LBC, said government inspectors spent four days putting the trailer “through all of the testing for turning and for stress on the load cables, and the design of the chassis and all that stuff. It passed everything with flying colours.” …The average selling price for the trailer will be about $150,000.

Just 30 per cent of timber harvests within Huron County use good forestry practices, a county report says… Under the county’s forest conservation bylaw, the county allows for either “diameter limit” or “good forestry practice” harvests of woodlots and woodlands. But according to a report outlining current forestry practices in Huron County, diameter limit harvests can “lead to over-harvesting, loss of biodiversity and loss of long-term profitability from woodlands.” … While speaking about the reasons for fewer than half of the notices of intent being submitted adhering to good forestry practices, forestry conservation officer David Pullen said practices aren’t often sustainable due to operations looking to remove dead ash trees.

Innovative research into the effectiveness of aerial firefighting is helping the Ministry of Natural Resources and its research partners prepare for an anticipated growing threat from wildfires in years to come… Tests conducted in the Dryden area saw over 100 water drops made both over open areas and forested stands to compare how much water reaches the ground and to determine the ‘drop footprint’, which is the area where the water is actually dispersed. Every aircraft has a distinct drop footprint… Data gathered in these experiments will directly influence how wildfires are managed, including decisions on which aircraft to deploy,  how long they will need to be assigned to particular fires, [and will] inform Ontario’s long-term strategic planning for the procurement of the next set of airtankers.

One of the aspects of environmentalism is preserving natural habitat, including forests, and the biodiversity it brings with it. It has also been found that forests are natural carbon sinks of immense value, even as the oceans are. It is in this context that the investigative report of Western news agency, Reuters, about ‘sustainable logging’ in the forest area of Ontario in Canada, brings to the fore that there is a nexus between the timber industry and non-profit watchdogs which issue certification of safe logging.  The Reuters report shows that old forests which are more than 100 years old are being cleared by the timber companies, and they are doing so under the certification provided by the watchdog. 

The federal government estimates that an emergency decree to protect Quebec’s dwindling population of woodland caribou could cost the province’s economy between $670 million and $895 million over 10 years. According to a report by Radio-Canada, Ottawa expects the decree to affect the operations of 53 companies and put 1,400 forestry jobs at risk. It would also affect 28 forest-dependent communities. Those numbers are in an impact analysis report from last month that was produced by Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada, according to Radio-Canada sources. That analysis is preliminary as the details of the potential decree are subject to consultations until Sept. 15. The brunt of those losses would come from companies’ reduced abilities to exploit forest resources — an estimated drop of about four per cent in potential operations, according to Ottawa, which mirrors findings at the provincial level.

Kemptville, Ontario – The Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) is pleased to announce the release of a short promotional video, now available for viewing on its YouTube channel. The video is part of a greater membership drive for the Association, which has invited its members, partners, and other like-minded organizations to share the new video widely, to personal and professional forest sector networks across Ontario. The OWA has a number of additional initiatives planned in the coming months including providing free access to the fall issue of its popular members’ magazine, The Ontario Woodlander. The issue’s theme focuses on forest restoration and resilience and tells the story of the OWA’s successful 2024 Annual Woodlot Tour and Conference, hosted this past April in its Huronia Chapter. The OWA will release a second longer video in December focusing on programs and projects, and the value and relevance that they provide to private forest owners across Ontario.

The Superior Court of Justice of Ontario dismissed a $5-million claim brought against the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and ordered the plaintiff to pay the Crown $35,000 in costs. This case involved forestry operations performed by the MNRF’s subcontractor in July 2009 in the Lac Seul Forest in Echo Township, Ontario. …The subcontractor trespassed on the plaintiff’s property, which pushed debris and small trees onto his land. …A handwritten but unsigned document dated Aug. 6, 2009 proposed a settlement including restoration work by the subcontractor. …In November 2009, the plaintiff and others formed the Eco Bio-Regional Wilderness Council, which aimed to influence the management of forests in Echo Township. The plaintiff made claims on the council’s behalf. In 2016, the court determined that the plaintiff lacked the standing to bring these claims on the council’s behalf, including any public interest claims against the MNRF.

Ron Cousins

NOVA SCOTIA — A resident of Kentville, N.S., who was concerned that the town’s plans for a future connector road to support the construction of new housing would result in the destruction of old-growth forest on his property is hopeful that the road can be rerouted… Last year, the Town of Kentville told Kentville resident, Ron Cousins it required nearly half a hectare of the land on that edge of his property to expand an existing service road into a connector road for new development — and that it would expropriate the land if necessary. After months of campaigning by Cousins and his advocates — attending council meetings, contacting politicians, and launching petitions — the town is considering other routes, a change Cousins hopes will mean permanent protection for the forest.

Forestry is woven into the tapestry of the Ottawa Valley. For hundreds of years forests have provided a livelihood in an industry that is one of the largest drivers of Renfrew County’s economy. Not surprisingly, the Forestry Technician program is the longest standing full-time program offered at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus, having started in 1968… Since those early days, the Pembroke Campus has been among a small group of post-secondary schools in Ontario that have produced thousands of Forestry graduates. Recently, the class of 2024 completed its program of study and celebrated the occasion by receiving their silver rings from the Canadian Institute of Forestry. …During their silver ring ceremony, the students were reminded of the opportunity that has been presented to them to make a difference in their careers. …The ring comes with a commitment to live by a code of ethics for forestry professionals.