Region Archives: Canada East

NEW BRUNSWICK — Three timber firms will have a chance to convince the New Brunswick Court of Appeal that a lower-court decision should be struck in the Wolastoqey Nation’s big Aboriginal title case. On Friday, Justice Ivan Robichaud granted J.D. Irving, Limited, Acadian Timber and H.J. Crabbe and Sons leave to appeal. They all appeared last month seeking permission from the appeal court, New Brunswick’s highest, to re-examine Justice Kathryn Gregory’s decision on motions they had filed to remove them from the massive lawsuit. As is customary in such decisions, Robichaud did not offer any reasons for granting their request. The companies didn’t like Gregory’s lengthy ruling in the Court of King’s Bench last November because, although the judge agreed that the industrial defendants and everyday private property owners must be removed from the Wolastoqey lawsuit, their land was still part of the title claim.

QUEBEC — Steeve St-Gelais listened nervously on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump listed industries he might target for tariffs. …“Will he wake up tomorrow morning and want to say, ‘Well, we’re going to do something specifically for wood’,” he wondered. St-Gelais is the president of Boisaco, a forest products company based on Quebec’s north coast that employs about 600 people and relies on the U.S. market for about 10 per cent of its business. The company’s $200 million in annual revenue isn’t enough to dominate the Canadian landscape, but it’s an economic superpower in the Sacré-Cœur community of just 10,400 people. The reason St-Gelais is so nervous is that since Trump took office four weeks ago, he’s seen a drop of about 25% in orders from Canada and the United States. His customers are buying just enough to cover their short-term needs, waiting to see if the president will take on the industry. 

QUEBEC — Premier François Legault has emerged from meetings with high-ranking Donald Trump officials convinced more than ever that the American-Canadian trade relationship will have to change, and that means Quebecers need to get used to the idea that their economy will never be the same. Pledging to nevertheless protect Quebec workers despite the challenges ahead, Legault said the two days of meetings he and the other Canadian premiers held in Washington convinced him the Americans are looking for long-term reassurances they can have access to Canadian minerals and resources. And Quebec companies, including those producing aluminum, steel and softwood lumber, are going to have to make concessions and diversify to develop new markets to compete. …“There were some very frank moments across the table,” added British Columbia Premier David Eby. “They urged us to take the president at his word.” …Legault said he’s “prepared to make compromises on aeronautics, on forestry.”

Bill MacPherson

THUNDER BAY, Ontario — Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper , a northern bleached softwood kraft and northern bleached hardwood kraft pulp, paper, newsprint and directory producer, announced the appointment of K. William (Bill) MacPherson as Chief Executive Officer, effective February 10, 2025. …MacPherson brings more than 35 years of pulp and paper industry leadership experience to Thunder Bay, most recently serving as VP of Paperboard Manufacturing for Graphic Packaging International. Prior to Graphic, MacPherson was Managing Director at Mercer International, Canada, and Mill Manager for Domtar in Kingsport, Tennessee. …“As we begin our second century of operations, I look forward to working with Bill as we strengthen our operations and build our reputation in this new era as a steadfast driver of the local economy,” said Kent Ramsay, Thunder Bay President.

THUNDER BAY, Ontario — The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is “deeply concerned” about the proposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports and their potential to harm to the economic stability of Indigenous businesses in the oil and gas, forestry, mining, and electricity sectors. ABPA president Jason Rasevych, a member of Ginoogaming First Nation, said the business organization is urging the federal and provincial governments to work with treaty partners to ensure that Indigenous leaders are a part of the discussion to mitigate these impacts and support the resilience and prosperity of all Canadians. “Canada needs more than reactive tariffs or bailouts. We need a bold, forward-thinking strategy that makes us the obvious choice for global business,” Rasevych told The Chronicle-Journal. “That means reducing internal trade barriers and championing the strengths that set us apart.”

Ian Dunn

Cross-border quarrels between Canada and the U.S. over goods and supply are nothing new, having its roots in the pre-Confederation days of the Jay Treaty of 1794, said Ian Dunn. The president-CEO of the 51-member Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) calls the ongoing fight over exported Canadian lumber to the U.S. “probably the largest global trade dispute” since the close of the Second World War. “Tariffs are not a new thing for the lumber producers and our membership,” said Dunn. …About 97% of Ontario’s forest products exports annually – amounting to $7.7 billion of trade – heads to the U.S. in the form of lumber, pulp, newsprint and structural panels. Slap on a 25 per cent tariff and that’s close to $2 billion coming out of Ontario. …Should the combination of increased duties and Trump tariffs remain in place for an extended period of time, Ontario’s forest industry would be a shadow of its former self.

LIVERPOOL, Nova Scotia — Domtar is nearing the final stages of its feasibility study for a potential new pulp mill in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. The company expects to make a public announcement in the first quarter of 2025, ahead of a court hearing in March. The decision to proceed with the project is contingent upon meeting a 14% return on investment over 20 years, as outlined in the May 2024 court-approved settlement agreement with the province. …Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton emphasized the potential economic impact of the project. The project would also provide a market for low-quality wood and chips. …Domtar’s subsidiary company, Paper Excellence, entered into a settlement with the provincial government following the closure of the Northern Pulp mill in 2020. As part of the settlement, which resolved a $450-million lawsuit filed by Paper Excellence against the government over closure, Domtar agreed to explore the viability of opening a new mill in Liverpool.

NOVA SCOTIA — Forest products that are grown, harvested, crafted or manufactured in Nova Scotia will soon be marketed through the Nova Scotia Loyal program. The program, which launched last July, gives Nova Scotians more points on their existing loyalty rewards program for buying local goods. The Nova Scotia government says forest product producers can enrol in the program and will be automatically approved. “We want to make buying local easy and clear when it comes to our forest products,” said Minister of Natural Resources Tory Rushton. Products under the Nova Scotia Loyal program are labelled to help consumers easily identify them. …“Nova Scotia Loyal is a great opportunity to showcase these wonderful products and help people support our businesses across the province,” said Todd Burgess, executive director with Forest Nova Scotia.

NEW BRUNSWICK — The Wolastoqey Nation’s title claim for more than half of New Brunswick was in court again Friday, this time because three timber firms are upset about a lower court ruling that did not explicitly state their land won’t be taken from them someday. J.D. Irving, H.J. Crabbe and Sons, and Acadian Timber each presented separate motions before the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick , asking it to revisit a decision by Justice Kathryn Gregory. Although Gregory agreed that the industrial defendants must be removed from the lawsuit, their land is still part of the title claim. She also wrote in her judgment that in the future it’s possible the Crown could expropriate their property and give it to First Nations communities. …”This is the most important case of our lifetime,” Hugh Cameron, lawyer for Acadian Timber, told Justice Ivan Robichaud. …Robichaud reserved his decision on the leave to appeal.

Ian Dunn

THUNDER BAY — Anxiety about tariffs still looms over the forest industry, despite the Canada-U.S. trade war being delayed 30 days. “There’s a great deal of concern. The 30-day reprieve is welcome, but effectively, it means nothing until it’s been resolved,” said Ian Dunn, chief executive officer of Ontario Forest Industries Association. …“Tariffs have – and duties are already having an impact. Sawmills in the area have had a reduction of shifts. There have been layoffs. In other regions of the province, there have been closures in the sawmilling industry. There’s also been the idling of very important anchor mills in Terrace Bay and Espanola,” Dunn said. “I think in a lot of respects the damage has already been done. If you’re a multinational company looking to invest, you’re going to sense a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace right now. You would lose a lot of confidence in the Canadian-U.S. relationship,” he added.

Related coverage in CBC: Ontario’s forestry sector can’t withstand more tariffs, says industry association

Representatives for two large exporters in Nova Scotia say they’re ready for U.S. import tariffs, even though they were delayed on Monday just before they were to be implemented. Mike Hartery, co-manager of the Port Hawkesbury Paper mill, said the company had been waiting Monday afternoon to find out if the promised 25 per cent import tariff would kick in on Tuesday. …Hartery said tariffs would drive up paper prices for American customers and could force those buyers to scale back their orders from Canada. He said the mill is scrutinizing its costs, which could mean buying less wood from suppliers in Nova Scotia forests. …The company will press ahead with a $400-million investment in a stand-alone wind power project to supply the mill with electricity, but that does not mean the company expects tariffs, if implemented, to be temporary.

Additional coverage in CTV by Emma Convey: Atlantic Canadian forestry sector concerned with impact of tariffs

Audra Denny

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Wood Manufacturing Council announced the appointment of Audra Denny to the role of president. Denny, who most recently served as executive director of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada, will be responsible for the effective and efficient management of the WMC, ensuring the execution of the board’s strategic direction and policies to achieve desired outcomes. …Denny succeeds Lynn MacKinlay, who returned to Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, as the coordinator of Carpentry and Renovation Techniques, and Cabinetmaking Techniques. The WMC is a non-profit corporation that works to bring together stakeholders in advanced wood processing to help collectively address human resource and skills development issues in the sector.

While a 30-day postponement of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods has paused an escalating trade war, there is still concern in Northwestern Ontario. Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland said the proposed 25 per cent tariffs could have a devastating effect on the Canadian forestry industry. “I’m concerned,” Holland said. “We’re at almost 15 per cent tariffs on softwood lumber and by example, there’s talk that in the Quarter Three of 2025, the U.S. is looking at doubling that. Then put another 25 per cent on and we’re going to have 55 per cent tariffs on softwood lumber.” …“They need Canadian lumber and we need to make sure that we’re communicating the importance of the partnership [and its value] for both countries.” “A 25 per cent across-the-board tariff will result in significant economic effects,” Economist Di Matteo said. “In Northern Ontario, the resource sector will particularly be affected — forestry and mining.”