Region Archives: Canada West

@NWT Fire

The N.W.T. government has developed new guidelines for managing wildfires in the territory, as it tries to reckon with the worsening impacts of climate change. The guidelines say they are the fruit of a “common mission”: improving “fire services and response … to protect the people we serve, the places they live, the critical infrastructure they rely on, and their social, cultural, and economic well-being.” They focus on wildland urban interfaces… In 2023, nearly two-thirds of the territory’s residents were forced to evacuate due to encroaching wildfires, including near Yellowknife. The evacuation forced a reckoning with emergency preparedness across the territory, as climate change makes forest fire seasons worse and harder to predict. The guidelines say the intended goal is to standardize training for local wildland firefighters, and establish standards around payment for services, deployment and management of resources, and techniques for use in the field.

Join the Pacific Salmon Foundation for a timely and thought-provoking online seminar exploring the future of Pacific salmon recovery in British Columbia. Despite record-high salmon abundances in parts of the Pacific Ocean, many salmon stocks — particularly in the southern regions of BC — continue to decline, threatening biodiversity, fisheries, and food security. This engaging presentation will examine how physical and management barriers are impacting salmon recovery, and highlight innovative, science-based solutions now being developed through collaborative research. Topics include “fish-friendlier” fisheries practices and improved passage infrastructure designed to help restore struggling salmon populations. The seminar features presenter Dr. Scott Hinch, Professor and Associate Dean of Students in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, with moderation by Jason Hwang, Chief Program Officer & Vice President of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
When: June 11, 2026 | 12 pm | Where: Online via Zoom | Cost: Free and open to everyone

“Lookouts are pretty simple,” says B.C. fire-watcher Bart Vanderlinde. “You have a guy looking for a forest fire 12 hours a day.” High atop Sinkut Mountain in northern B.C., Vanderlinde begins each summer day the same way — scanning the forest for smoke. “You get up, get out of bed … grab the binoculars and scan around,” he says. Vanderlinde is among the last fire-watchers in the province. Where more than 300 lookouts once formed an interconnected network, he now often finds himself keeping guard alone. The Last of the Lookouts is a portrait of a profession that will soon be obsolete. It follows Vanderlinde during what may be his last summer on the job. As of 2025, most of B.C.’s watchtowers had been decommissioned, replaced by new technology — including aerial detection — and improved public reporting. 

An award-winning documentary about B.C.’s wildfire crisis is now available for anyone to watch free on YouTube. B.C. Is Burning went public May 20, released online after more than a year of community screenings across the province. The film, produced and directed by retired forester and filmmaker Murray Wilson, and Kelowna entrepreneur Rick Maddison, examines how forest conditions, climate, fuel accumulation and land management practices are driving wildfire risk in British Columbia. “This film started as an attempt to better understand why wildfire seasons are becoming more destructive and what practical steps may help reduce future risk,” said Wilson. The documentary features foresters, wildfire researchers, emergency management professionals and Indigenous voices, and looks at the growing toll fire and smoke are taking on communities across western Canada. …“The response from communities across B.C. showed there is a real appetite for thoughtful, respectful discussion around forests, wildfire, and community safety,” Wilson said.

ALBERTA — West Fraser says its proposed Mount Tecumseh Harvest Plan would cover 474 hectares and is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the company stating the work is part of a broader approach to sustainable forest management and wildfire risk reduction near communities. In an emailed response to the Crowsnest Pass Herald, Joyce Wagenaar, director of communications for West Fraser, said harvest planning is a key part of the company’s work and allows it to source timber for renewable wood products used in home construction and other purposes. “Harvesting plans are a key component of our work at West Fraser enabling us to responsibly source timber to produce renewable wood products to support home construction and other uses,” Wagenaar said. She said West Fraser views sustainable forest management as an approach that balances environmental, social and economic values over multiple generations. …Wagenaar said questions specifically about the provincial program would be best answered by the Government of Alberta.

Robert Michell

Robert Michell is thinking in decades, not quarters. As elected Chief of the Stellat’en First Nation, he brings a rare mix of legal training and deep forestry experience to the role. The community sits between Vanderhoof and Burns Lake, near the geographic centre of British Columbia, in a region shaped by timber and now by transition. Michell is not new to the sector. After graduating from law school, he chose the North over Vancouver. “I’m a northern boy and I like the north,” he says. That decision led him into decades of work in the forest industry. It also shaped how he now approaches economic development for his community. The closures of major forestry operations have not hit Stellat’en as hard as some nearby towns. That is by design. The Nation has already begun to diversify, moving into areas like energy development.

The biggest comprehensive literature review to date has confirmed that Indigenous stewardship bolsters conservation goals. The literature review was published recently in People and Nature and found “a clear, positive relationship” between conservation and Indigenous stewardship, said lead author William Nikolakis, associate professor at the University of British Columbia faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship. “The evidence is clear that Indigenous Peoples’ lands do deliver conservation outcomes that are superior to, or at least equal to, state-run protected areas,” he told The Tyee. This is despite Indigenous lands largely not being protected by or formally recognized by their country, and Indigenous Peoples around the world largely not being paid for their stewardship by the state, Nikolakis said. In Canada, the federal government helps fund Indigenous Guardians who steward their traditional lands. Indigenous stewardship has a “value to humankind globally,” he said, and there’s an opportunity to boost it even further.

…forests absorb roughly 7.6 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every year—double what they emit. That number hides some worrying trends. In Canada, logging and wildfires flipped Canadian forests from a net carbon reservoir to a net source about 25 years ago, according to the federal government. British Columbia responded by launching one of the world’s first large-scale projects designed to generate revenue for local communities by not logging old-growth forests. The model, which began in the Great Bear Rainforest in 2009 … created market value by putting a price on carbon locked in and absorbed by trees. …Cheakamus Community Forest forest raised $600,000 in forest carbon offsets in a single sale to a mining company… But while Cheakamus celebrates rising demand and higher prices, Gary Bull, a professor emeritus of forestry at the University of British Columbia, said B.C.’s decision to regulate the carbon market has made it nearly impossible for others to take part.

Sooke residents are being urged to prepare for an elevated wildfire season as dry conditions, low snowpack and an early campfire ban raise concerns across Vancouver Island. A campfire ban was implemented May 7 across the Coastal Fire Centre region, prohibiting all open burning and campfires until Oct. 31 or conditions improve. Officials say human-caused fires remain the leading cause of wildfires in British Columbia. At the same time, forestry company Mosaic Forest Management says it is expanding wildfire detection and mitigation efforts across its Vancouver Island land base, including areas around Sooke. According to the company, Vancouver Island entered the 2026 wildfire season under “precarious conditions,” with snowpack levels at 44 per cent of normal and forecasts calling for warmer and drier weather through June. Mosaic also noted that there is a 62 per cent chance of a strong El Niño developing later this summer, increasing the likelihood of prolonged heat and drought.

Manitoba — Spring brings a sombre and painful reminder for Lac du Bonnet resident Riva Karklin. “Remember when it was a normal spring? When we were getting our seedlings and our tomato plants planted and taking them over to the neighbours’ house ?” she said. “This is what we were doing last year when it all happened.” …Firefighters were called to put out flames burning through the grass only kilometres east of her house at around 9:30 a.m. Crews arrived, and the blaze had already engulfed dozens of pine trees in dry ground. Winds were gusting to 70 km/h, fanning what became a raging wildfire that burned through at least 40 square kilometres and forced around 1,100 residents out of their homes, the municipality said. …Fire Chief Earl Simmons said the majority of the fire spread that first day. Crews spent a week keeping the flames from spreading and putting out hot spots. 

Think about a small chip in your car’s windshield. At first, it might seem minor and barely noticeable. But later conditions change, the temperature drops and you hit a bump in the road and that tiny chip suddenly spreads into a large crack. Lightning can work in a similar way. A strike may leave behind heat deep in tree roots, stumps or underground organic material without immediately creating visible flames or smoke, especially if the storm also brought rain. Then, days or weeks later, as conditions become hotter, drier and windier, that hidden heat can begin to spread and ignite nearby fuels, eventually becoming a visible wildfire. Areas with a higher Duff Moisture Code are more likely to sustain these holdover fires. So, how do we know where to watch? We use Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Lightning Detection Network (CLDN), for an instantaneous and constant feed of lightning data…

Two cutblocks proposed for Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson are prompting Wildsight Revelstoke to engage B.C.’s lumber licensee about minimizing logging in that forest. Following a commenting period last year, BC Timber Sales (BCTS) is putting the two cutblocks, No. 52065 and No. 52066, up for sale… Combined, they cover 19.4 hectares of old- and second-growth forest. BCTS is currently welcoming applications for timber sales licences to harvest forest in these lots, as well as applications for road permits… Wildsight Revelstoke will meet a local BCTS representative this month to discuss the two proposed cutblocks, part of a larger conversation about several logging operations pitched by industry for north of town. …Ahead of its meeting with BCTS, Wildsight has been visiting Cutblocks 52065 and 52066 to appraise the towering cedar-hemlock trees and moisture-rich riparian habitats there. Black Press Media visited one of them with Wildsight Revelstoke board members Arnoul Mateo and Fabien Stocco.

The Bulkley Valley Research Centre is seeking a dynamic Knowledge Exchange Specialist to help bridge the gap between forestry research and on-the-ground practice in British Columbia. Based in Smithers — with remote work options across BC — the full-time, two-year position will support projects funded through the Silviculture Innovation Program and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. The successful candidate will work closely with researchers, practitioners and grant recipients to turn complex forestry science into accessible, practical tools and stories for diverse audiences. Responsibilities range from field tours, workshops and webinars to technical writing, multimedia storytelling and extension materials focused on innovative forestry practices, ecosystem health and managing for multiple forest values. Ideal applicants will combine strong forestry knowledge with excellent communication skills and a passion for translating ideas into action. Applications remain open until May 31, 2026, or until a suitable candidate is found.

Promises that Peachland’s watershed won’t become a massive clearcut reassured some members of council, but didn’t fully alleviate their concerns on Tuesday. “We need to protect our water. Hearing this gives us a little bit of hope,” said Mayor Patrick Van Minsel, pointing out that “if any more sediment comes down into our streams, into our water treatment plant, it will cost us money.” Representatives from Gorman Bros. and BC Timber Sales presented to council and a full house of observers from the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance. … The Peachland watershed is about 12,000 hectares … BCTS has rights to log about 11% of that, or 1,370 hectares. Gorman Brothers logs about five per cent. Gorman representatives Matt Scott and Jason Carmichael outlined logging techniques used to avoid clearcutting and leave a healthy number of trees standing — or “retention” as the loggers called it. 

©BCWildfireService

The BC Wildfire Service has once again positioned its crews across the Northwest in readiness for summer firefighting. Crews within the region are based in Burns Lake, Houston, Telkwa, Hazelton and Smithers – ready to respond throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. The BC Wildfire Service is divided into six regions with the Northwest Fire Centre running from the Yukon border in the north to Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in the south, and from the west coast to just west of Endako. The regional office is in Smithers. The Northwest will have the same number of crews as it did last year, said Morgan Blois, Northwest Fire Centre communications officer. There will be one unit crew and five initial attack crews divided between Burns Lake and Houston, two unit crews and four initial attack crews divided between Telkwa and Hazelton and one unit crew and four initial attack crews in Terrace.

MERRITT – BC Timber Sales generally complied with forestry and wildfire requirements in the Cascades Natural Resource District, but some decisions to declare reforestation obligations complete were based on outdated information or made despite forest-health concerns, according to a Forest Practices Board audit. The audit examined BC Timber Sales operations in the Merritt Field Unit between July 1, 2024, and July 25, 2025. It found two non-compliances and two unsound practices related to free-growing declarations. BC Timber Sales makes a free-growing declaration to indicate a harvested area has been reforested and to relieve itself of any further obligations. “Free-growing declarations need to be based on current and accurate information,” said Gerry Grant, vicechair, Forest Practices Board. “That is especially important when there are known forest-health concerns that could affect the growth and survival of the young trees over time.” …After the audit, BC Timber Sales amended its stocking standards and subsequently met the minimum free-growing requirements for that cutblock.

…In 2009, the Lil’wat and Squamish nations entered into a formal 25-year agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler to create the Cheakamus Community Forest—a more than 33,000-hectare patchwork of forested Crown land… Today, the group has protected nearly half of the forest from logging… [While it] prioritizes the forest ecosystem’s overall health over timber volume alone, said Heather Beresford, executive director of Cheakamus Community Forest. …It’s a path several B.C. community forests have turned to as they attempt to balance … logging, conservation, tourism and protection from wildfire. …B.C. allows emitters to cover up to 30 per cent of their bill by purchasing offsets from the BC Carbon Registry. …The system has proven to be a windfall for the Cheakamus Community Forest. …“What Saudi Arabia is to oil, B.C. is to carbon,” said Beresford, noting the province’s potential. “I still don’t understand why we are the only community forest in B.C. doing it.”