Region Archives: Canada West

Business & Politics

Hunter Litigation Chambers wins Canadian Lawyer’s Top Boutique Ranking

Canadian Lawyer Magazine
November 30, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Bringing in external counsel is a big decision for in-house lawyers when their firm is embroiled in a legal dispute. It’s critical that lawyers brought in from outside work seamlessly with the in-house legal and non-legal teams. Typically, outside advice is sought when there is a case that is unique, or has high value and high risk potential, especially in cases where the in-house team might not have the specialized experience needed. The other reason for bringing in external lawyers to deal with litigation matters is when the firm’s internal capacity cannot keep pace. …This year’s list, as in past years, highlights litigation firms that are recognized as leaders among their peers, with stellar reputations. Congratulations to all our winners, including Hunter Litigation Chambers. The full list of winners can be found here.

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New Pulp Giant

By Delores Broten
The Watershed Sentinel
December 1, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Paper Excellence, now one of the largest forest companies in Canada, is a complex maze of interlinked corporate ownerships and spin-offs, according to a new report, Papering over Corporate Control: Paper Excellence’s relationship with Asia Pulp & Paper and the Sinar Mas Group. Produced by Greenpeace, the Environmental Paper Network, Rainforest Action Network, and Woods & Wayside International, it focuses on the complex structure of ownership – tracing a thread from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), notorious for logging rainforest in Indonesia, to the Sinar Mas Group owned by Indonesia’s Widjaja family, to the publicity-adverse founder of Paper Excellence – who is also the son of the head of APP. …Graham Kissack, Paper Excellence’s Vice President of Environment, Health & Safety, and Communications, replied to the report insisting that Paper Excellence was run as an independent company. Corporate structure aside, the amount of forest land now controlled by Paper Excellence in Canada should be of concern.

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How to spend a resource sector financial windfall

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
November 30, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

While many businesses’ profits have been eroded by extraordinary economic shocks … certain resource sector companies have prospered over the past two and a half years. And some have netted record-breaking profits. B.C. lumber producers that posted losses in 2019 recorded healthy profits in 2020 and, in some cases, unprecedented profits in 2021 thanks to high demand and record-high lumber prices. …Companies that used windfall profits to reward shareholders with share buybacks caught the attention of both the Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau governments, and both implemented new taxes on share buybacks. Ottawa’s new tax is intended to encourage companies to reinvest, rather than bolstering their stock ownership and rewarding shareholders. …Canadian forestry majors have increasingly sent capital outside the country, as producing regions like B.C. become increasingly more costly. …“Forestry firms have been buying back shares, investing for growth either organically or purchasing sawmills and paying down debt,” said Paul Quinn, forest sector analyst for RBC Dominion Securities.

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Western Forest Products Inc. Announces Temporary Production Curtailments in British Columbia

Western Forest Products
November 30, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Vancouver, British Columbia – Western Forest Products Inc. today announced plans to temporarily reduce its lumber production output for the remainder of 2022 by approximately 20 million board feet to manage inventory levels to current market conditions. This temporary reduction in lumber production will be spread across the Company’s British Columbia manufacturing platform throughout December. Remanufacturing and shipping operations will continue uninterrupted, with lumber production at impacted sites expected to resume in January 2023. The Company continues to evaluate market conditions on an ongoing basis to maintain a balance between production and demand.

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Canfor is rooted in deep value

By Michael McCullough
BC Business
November 29, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

…Morningstar went so far as to name Canfor Corp. one of the 10 cheapest stocks in Canada in October. As of Tuesday, it was still trading at $23.98, or 35 percent below the investment intelligence agency’s fair value estimate of $37. Rising interest rates have been a blight on lumber producers, whose revenues are closely tied to new home construction. Canfor’s sales of $1.67 billion in the third quarter were down both from Q2 and the same quarter last year, reflecting “steep declines in global lumber pricing,” president and CEO Don Kayne said in a release. The Vancouver-based company has been curtailing operations, especially in B.C., where log costs are highest. Still, it managed to eke out net income of $87.4 million or 71 cents a share in the quarter, demonstrating why the Bentley family’s firm, today 30-percent owned by The Jim Pattison Group, has been around in one form or another for 84 years.

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Paper Excellence donates $50,000 to Take a Hike Foundation

Paper Excellence Canada
November 29, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

On Giving Tuesday, we are very pleased to announce a $50,000 donation to Take a Hike Foundation! Take a Hike empowers youth in British Columbia who experience vulnerability to change the trajectory of their lives with a full-time mental health and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Take a Hike engages youth with intentional, continuous clinical counselling, outdoor experiential learning, and community. We are very pleased to make this donation to support local youth in British Columbia!

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Gord Chipman has deep roots in Cariboo forestry

By Ruth Lloyd
Williams Lake Tribune
November 24, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Gord Chipman

For twelve years, Gord Chipman worked hard to work himself out of a job. He is now ready to step into a new one as the general manager for the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations. Chipman passed the torch of forest manager at Alkali Resource Management Ltd. (AMR) earlier this year to Francis Johnson Jr. ARM was established in 2001 to manage forest licences for Esk’etemc (Alkali Lake) and when Chipman started the job in 2010, he knew the plan. The goal had been clearly stated when he was hired: to build capacity within the community so community members could take over and run the organization. …Chipman is being transitioned into the role by Brian McNaughton, who has been in the position for 21 years. With the general manager being the one point of contact with the 843 woodlots in the province, he has a lot to get up to speed on.

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Louisiana-Pacfic approved to extend plant, install equipment

By Shailynn Foster
Energetic City
November 24, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Louisiana-Pacific’s request for an extension of its OSB plant in Fort St. John and the installation of new equipment was approved by the Environmental Assessment Office. Louisiana-Pacific OSB Limited Partnership requested the amendment on August 2nd. The project, located to the southeast of Fort St. John on Swanson Lumber Road, has been approved to construct a prefabricated building extension to house the briquetter system, which was also approved. Additionally, the Environmental Assessment Office approved the installation of a sander, wood dust collection cycling, a baghouse, and a wood dust storage bin. The initial certificate was granted to Slocan-LP OSB Corp in 2002 before being transferred in 2005 to Canfor-LP OSB Limited Partnership, now known as Louisiana-Pacific OSB Limited Partnership. [END]

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Beyond transparency, light, and thoughtful programmatic distribution, timber is the true star of this government building by Thinkspace

Global Design News
December 1, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Williams Lake First Nation Government Administration Building is a dynamic two-storey hybrid mass timber facility located in the central interior of British Columbia designed by Thinkspace Architecture Planning Interior Design. The building is the new administrative home for the T’exelcemc, or Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN). For its sustainable design, has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. …The design challenge was to represent past values and placemaking, while simultaneously creating a warm and modern feel that embodies contemporary WLFN values and identity. Selecting an exposed mass timber structure and choosing to use wood extensively throughout the space makes that vision come to life. The wood landscape inside and outside the building acts as an armature, providing ready-made framing for artwork and cultural objects. 

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Saskatchewan company finds new uses for province’s old grain elevators

By Dayne Patterson
CBC News
November 27, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Entering one of the three grain elevators that stand like giants over Kenaston, Sask., is like walking into a museum. Old-growth wood houses machinery from another era and rickety lifts with a dusty rope lead to the top of the 30-metre-tall tower. Rural landmarks like this one are on track to be nearly wiped from Saskatchewan’s map. They fall into disrepair — and subsequently fall victim to fire — or become more expensive to maintain than they’re worth, leading owners to topple them. But Alvin Herman looks at each weathered board as having potential beyond the landfill… [and] wasn’t willing to give up the thousands of feet of lumber that made up the elevator. That idea ballooned into ABMT Wood Solutions: a team on a mission to deconstruct grain elevators and repurpose their wood into construction materials and affordable housing.

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Forestry

Old growth B.C. flash mob: ‘Stop in the name of love, before you cut those trees’

By Hollie Ferguson
BC Local News
December 1, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA, BC — Holiday shoppers were taken by surprise by flash-mob performances advocating for the protection of old-growth trees. Elders for Ancient Trees staged flash mobs on Dec. 1, starting at the Bay Centre before hitting the Mayfair and Hillside shopping centres. At the Bay Centre, participants moved to a rendition of Stop! In The Name of Love, that included the new lyrics “stop, in the name of love, before you cut the trees.” Following the dance, a chorus of O Christmas Tree rang through the centre, with lyrics of “oh mother tree, oh mother tree, we honour you this season.” …The performances were led by Amalia Schelhorn, who danced for the National Ballet of Canada, as well as Garry Relyea and Ann Relyea, performers with the Canadian Opera Company.

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Caring, Believing, and Doing with JP Gladu

By Alberta Forest Products Association
You Tube
November 29, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Our second podcast episode is here! Thanks, JP Gladu for taking the time last month to share insight on how our industry can enhance Indigenous voices, and build long-lasting relationships with communities. The intersection between natural resource development and partnerships with Indigenous communities is a matter of personal interest for JP Gladu, Founder and Principal of Mokwateh Consultancy. In this podcast interview, amongst touching personal anecdotes about family, JP highlights the importance of shared values, notes opportunities for stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities, and emphasizes the key takeaway that is Caring, Believing, and Doing.

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LP Building Solutions Partners with Vancouver Island University

By LP Building Solutions
Cision Newswire
December 2, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

NASHVILLE, Tenn — The LP Foundation, LP Building Solutions’ non-profit giving division, has partnered with Vancouver Island University to support training for Indigenous people and women in manufacturing.  LP will provide $10,000 per year over the next three years to support the Indigenous Peoples in Trades Training (IPTT) and Women in Trades Training (WITT) programs, which provides funding and support toward tuition, books, tools, personal protection equipment (PPE), industry safety certificates, and more; VIU will have the ultimate say on how the money can make the largest impact for students in these programs. …LP will not only provide monetary support to these programs at VIU for at least the next three years; in addition to the financial aid, LP plans to provide products for students to work with and LP employees will conduct demonstrations and skill-building courses with VIU students to provide tangible, hands-on experience working with LP’s industry-leading products.  

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Kenpesq’t Community Forest Memorandum of Understanding

Kenpesq’t Community Forest
November 30, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A Historic Moment for the Shuswap Band, Town of Golden and Area A, Columbia Shuswap Regional District was celebrated on November 21, 2022 at the Shuswap Band office near Invermere. These three local governments through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, reaffirmed their desire to come together and better understand one another while working towards the acquisition of the ‘Kenpesq’t Community Forest’ within the Golden Timber Supply Area. The ceremony hosted by the Shuswap Band was opened with a prayer followed by the Shuswap Band Drumming Ceremony, then moved to the the signing of the MOU. (left to right in photo) Shuswap Band Councilor Mark Thomas, Golden Mayor Ron Oszust, Area A Director Karen Cathcart, and Shuswap Band Chief Barb Cote.  Everyone left the ceremony, feeling positive and very thankful for the opportunity to share with one another. [END]

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“On The Brink” interview with Jim Girvan

John A. Brink
November 30, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jim Girvan is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) who has dedicated over four decades of his life to the British Columbia forest industry. Jim’s name is synonymous across North America in respect to fibre supply forecasting and the varied lobby efforts on the part of independent timber harvesting contractors, consultants, forest licensees, and investors. In this podcast, John Brink interviews Girvan to learn more about his life and work. 

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Industry, government, First Nations leaders coming to Prince George

By Arthur Williams
Prince George Citizen
November 30, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

When the BC Natural Resources Forum returns as a live event in Prince George this January, it will include a lineup of top industry, government and First Nations leaders on the program. The 20th edition of the annual industry forum takes place at the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19. In the previous two years, the conference was held as a “virtual event” because of public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program for the 2023 conference includes keynote addresses by BC Hydro president and CEO Chris O’Riley, BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee and CN Rail president and CEO Tracy Robinson. B.C. Minister of Forests Katrine Conroy, BC Minister of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Josie Osborne and BC Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Initiatives Bruce Ralston will hold a breakfast panel discussion on Jan. 19. 

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Vanishing lichens a sign rare B.C. rainforest is approaching ecological collapse

By Sarah Cox
The Narwhal
November 30, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia’s rare inland temperate rainforest will suffer ecological collapse in as few as eight years if industrial logging continues, scientists and conservation groups are warning as new clear-cutting plans surface. “The crisis we are predicting in terms of loss of species and collapse of the ecosystem is probably that much closer,” said Darwyn Coxson, a professor in the ecosystem science at the University of Northern B.C. …Following decades of industrial logging, less than five per cent of B.C.’s inland temperate rainforest is still standing. The forest, scattered in moist valleys stretching from the Cariboo Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, is one of the most imperilled temperate rainforests on the planet. It’s home to giant cedar trees more than 1,000 years old and many species at risk of extinction… An inland temperate rainforest is found only in two other places in the world, in Russia’s far east and in southern Siberia.

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llegal timber harvest shows need for expanding Indigenous Guardian programs

By Chris Roberts, chief, Wei Wai Kum First Nation & Dallas Smith, president, Nanwakolas Council.
The Province
November 29, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As First Nations across B.C. work to regain control over the unceded territories they’ve occupied and protected for millennia, a recent Forest Appeals Commission ruling about illegal logging in the Great Bear Rainforest raises serious concerns about the province’s ability to monitor timber harvesting as well as its commitment to Indigenous reconciliation. At the same time, it illustrates the greater role First Nations can play in helping the province improve regulatory compliance and environmental protection across B.C.   …Between 2016 and 2020, Bigfoot Forest Products illegally harvested timber valued at $226,000 from outside its authorized licence area, in the traditional territory of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation.  …Thankfully, the illegal harvesting was reported by a Wei Wai Kum Guardian ….Around the province, Indigenous Guardians are the eyes and ears of our Nations. …Unfortunately, there are too few Indigenous Guardian programs province wide. 

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Discussion Guide ignores ‘imperilled’ coastal Douglas-fir forest, plays down clearcutting impacts

Letter by Larry Pynn, Maple Bay
Cowichan Valley Citizen
November 29, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

North Cowichan has released a Discussion Guide designed to better inform citizens participating in round two of the public engagement on future management of the 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve. While the document, prepared by Lees & Associates, provides some useful information on potential management scenarios, it is also noteworthy for what it does not contain. …there is only one reference to clearcutting, based on the results of the first round of public consultation: “Many community members expressed concern about harvesting practices, particularly the impact of clearcutting. Some respondents feel that cut blocks negatively impact views on the mountains, recreational experiences, and the ecological health of the forest.” …There’s also no mention of a report — deep-sixed by the municipality — that estimates 141 species at risk. Habitat loss including from logging and development are largely to blame. Perhaps most incredible of all is the absence of any reference to our coastal Douglas-fir forest…

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North Cowichan seeks feedback on future of municipal forests

By Andrew Garland
CTV News Vancouver Island
November 29, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC — A public engagement process is underway to determine what route North Cowichan, B.C., should take when it comes to managing its Municipal Forest Reserve (MFR). There are four different scenarios the public can voice their opinion on. The scenarios are: i) Keep the status quo and continue harvesting at rate of 17,500 cubic metres per year. ii) Reduce harvesting per year by 35 to 50 per cent. iii) Active conservation which will drastically limit the amount of harvesting per year. iv) Passive conservation which will move entirely away from harvesting. For years, harvesting has brought in a revenue source for the municipality to lower taxes and fund certain projects. However, if a more conservative scenario is chosen, carbon credit offsets could be a revenue source instead. People can voice their opinion during a series of public engagement processes taking place during December.

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Eye On BC’s Forests – Winter 2022/23

By Bruce Larson, Acting Chair
BC Forest Practices Board
November 29, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

We are recruiting a new Chair for our Board and hope to have someone in place early in 2023. In the meantime, we continue to carry out our work auditing and investigating forest and range practices, and identifying opportunities for improvement to legislation and practices. …the Board embarked on a new strategic planning process this fall. We are proceeding with background preparation work and will involve the new Chair in plan development in early 2023. …So far this year we received five complaints and there are currently seven ongoing complaint investigations. …The Board has approved a new special project that will examine forestry activities in the wildland urban interface to determine if this work is helping or hindering ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire around communities. In this issue: Audit Program UpdateComplaint Investigation Program UpdateNew Special ProjectAppeals Program UpdateRecommendations; FPB in the News; and People

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Local tree planters help rescue Whitebark Pine

By Laura Keil
The Rocky Mountain Goat
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Tristan Kimmel

VALEMOUNT, BC — A team of local tree planters is at the forefront of an effort to rescue the whitebark pine tree from extinction and they are replanting a forest fire burn while doing so. Whitebark pine is known as a keystone species and is the primary source of food for the Clark’s Nutcracker. It’s also an important fat source for grizzly bears, especially in years when other foods are slim, and it regulates snowpack melt in watersheds and reduces erosion with its root system. But threats such as climate change and a fungus called white pine blister rust have been decimating the tree population. This is a problem for the entire ecosystem, says Randy Moody, founder of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada. Moody says the Foundation is halfway through a five-year project to restore the endangered whitebark pine to ecosystems around the Columbia Basin, including in Valemount.

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Guyishton Woodlot celebrated for innovative forest management

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Cliff Manning of Guyishton Woodlot Ltd. is being recognized by the Province of B.C. with a Minister’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Woodlot Management for the North Area. “Woodlot licensees make an important contribution to advancing forest management practices around our province,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Congratulations to the Guyishton Woodlot for its achievement as we celebrate the importance of innovation in promoting the full value of our forests.” …Manning, the operator of Guyishton Woodlot Licence, has exceeded wildfire-prevention obligations in the management of his woodlot. To mitigate wildfire risk, Manning took on several projects, including using an excavator to rake up debris for removal, working toward a modified stocking standard to reduce spacing between new trees, and increasing the number of deciduous trees in the woodlot.

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C&H Forest Products celebrated for exemplary forestry practices

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Carter family of C&H Forest Products is being recognized by the Province of B.C. with a Minister’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Woodlot Management for the Coast Area. C&H is also the recipient of the provincewide award. “Woodlot licensees make an important contribution to advancing forest management practices around our province,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Congratulations to C&H Forest Products for its achievement as we celebrate the importance of innovation in promoting the full value of our forests.” …Cal Carter and family, the operators of C&H Forest Products Woodlot Licence, have been awarded $5,000 for their family-run operation that is recognized by their peers as a textbook example of how a woodlot should be managed. Acquired by Herb Carter in 1987, the daily operations are now managed by Herb’s son, Cal, and Cal’s son, Lee. Their commitment to managing their woodlot for future generations is commendable.

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Projects underway in British Columbia will reduce community wildfire risk, enhance forest health

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Work is underway to enhance forest resilience to protect against the effects of wildfire and climate change in the Cariboo, Northeastern BC, South Coast, Thompson Okanagan and Kootenay-Boundary region. The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is investing in 12 new wildfire risk reduction projects, including three in the Cariboo Region, one in northeastern BC, two in the South Coast region, three in the Thompson-Okanagan region, and three in the Kootenay-Boundary region. The FESBC has approved a total of 34 new wildfire risk reduction projects to be completed by March 2024. These projects are reducing wildfire risk, while enhancing wildlife habitat, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from slash pile burning, and supporting forest recreation and ecological resiliency. …FESBC has approved 263 projects over the past five years throughout B.C. Sixty-three of the projects have been led by First Nations and another 23 have significant First Nations’ involvement. FESBC projects have reduced wildfire risk in 120 communities and have created more than 2,100 full-time jobs.

See additional press releases on the FESBC website:  Projects underway in Cariboo, Northeastern BC, South Coast, Thompson Okanagan, and Kootenay-Boundary will reduce community wildfire risk, enhance forest health

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Professional logging truck driver training will benefit Indigenous people, youth

By Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
Government of British Columbia
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Eight eligible British Columbians will receive skills training to prepare them for employment as professional logging truck drivers in the North Okanagan and Shuswap area. The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s Community and Employer Partnerships project focuses on providing occupational training and work experience for Indigenous people and youth. “This project is empowering Indigenous people and youth by giving them new job opportunities in the professional logging sector,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Participants who graduate from the program will receive the skills they need to find rewarding careers as professional logging truck drivers in the North Okanagan and Shuswap area.” The Province is providing more than $350,000 to Okanagan College in Vernon to deliver its professional industry driver training program.

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Giant trees still fall amid old-growth funding lag for B.C. First Nations

By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in National Post
November 27, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia has asked First Nations if they want old-growth forests set aside from logging, allowing time for long-term planning of conservation and sustainable development, but it has yet to fund the process on a large scale, advocates say.  In the meantime, some of the biggest and oldest trees are being cut down.  …At the same time, the province asked 204 First Nations to decide whether they supported the deferral of logging in those areas for an initial two-year period, allowing time for the province to develop “a new approach to sustainable forest management that prioritizes ecosystem health and community resiliency.”  However, it has yet to announce significant funding to support the complex process for nations to consider how to preserve old growth while developing alternative sources of revenue and economic opportunities aligned with stewardship goals.

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Fairy Creek RCMP whistleblower matches pattern of questionable police enforcement at industry protests

By Rochelle Baker
The National Observer
November 28, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Concerns over questionable RCMP tactics raised by an officer involved in the crackdown at the Fairy Creek old-growth blockades in the summer of 2021 are not surprising, says… Karen Mirsky, president of the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). …The officer, with 13 years of experience, remains on the force but resigned from the RCMP’s controversial Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG). …Allegations police smashed car windows, improperly seized personal property, fraternized with industry and private security workers, and wore controversial thin blue line patches were detailed in the officer’s report to the RCMP’s professional standards unit, obtained through a freedom-of-information (FOI) request. …On Thursday, BC Federation of Labour delegates at the union’s annual convention unanimously passed a resolution urging the B.C. and federal governments to disband the C-IRG. …The federation also urged mandating on-site Indigenous civilian oversight of all RCMP operations on Indigenous lands. [to access the full story a National Observer subscription is required]

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BC Timber Sales plans to log old-growth rainforest, home to endangered caribou herd

By Susan Cox
The Narwhal
November 25, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The laundry list of ways the B.C. government has stepped in to protect the imperilled Columbia North caribou herd reads like something from a James Bond script: helicopters, tranquilizers, high-powered rifles and high-stakes captures. …But even with these costly and elaborate recovery efforts underway, the B.C. Ministry of Forests continues to consider and approve industrial logging proposals in the Columbia North herd’s critical habitat — habitat the federal government deems necessary for the endangered herd’s recovery and survival. …The conservation group Wildsight is once again sounding the alarm about potential clear-cutting and road-building in critical habitat for the Columbia North herd. …Fernando Cocciolo, a forest manager for Pacific Woodtech Canada, said the company has deferred logging of “planned old forest blocks in our portion of Upper Seymour until [the] government’s old-growth review process is completed.” 

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United front needed for watershed protection

Letter by Tom Prior
Nelson Star
November 24, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The 170-page scientific watershed report: Preliminary Nature-directed Stewardship Plans, commissioned for Glade and Laird creek residents worried about industrial logging by Interior Health, ATCO and Kalesnikoff in their source of drinking water, was a make-work project for worthy local consultants.  In the last 30-plus years there have been at least four or five such watershed reports. There have also been a number of failed legal challenges by local watershed societies in the West and East Kootenays.  It has been made abundantly clear in B.C. courts that your government and timber corporation’s right to road and extract timber trump citizens rights to protect their source of drinking water, period. …Local watershed groups have not been able to organize a common front to protect their water.

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BC Community Forest Association November Newsletter

The BC Community Forest Association
November 24, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Community Forest Association has released their fall newsletter is out. Here are some of the headlines:

  • Announcing the BCCFA 2022-2023 Board of Directors
  • Conference Reporting – session summaries and photos
  • Presenting our 20th Anniversary Video
  • Local media reports on the 2022 Nakusp Conference 
  • 2022 Community Forest Indicators Report 
  • BCCFA member communities news
  • Important Announcements and Meeting Notes

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Retired Forester Blasts Professional Association in Resignation Letter

By Amanda Follett Hosgood
The Tyee
November 25, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Herb Hammond

Herb Hammond, a retired forester … is leaving the industry’s professional organization, citing an array of issues from lack of environmental stewardship to its cozy relationship with industry. He resigned from the Association of BC Forest Professionals in a 2,000-word letter, saying he could no longer remain silent on the “degradation and frequent destruction of natural forest[s]” as a result of forestry activities. …In the letter, posted on The Evergreen Alliance website, Hammond outlined in detail the ways he believes the organization has contributed to the “many endemic problems that plague the profession.” …In an email statement, ABCFP CEO Christine Gelowitz, RPF, said Hammond’s letter “demonstrates a misunderstanding” of ABCFP’s mandate, misconstruing it with the role of government. …But Hammond made it clear he doesn’t believe the organization is acting in the public interest. …He criticized the association’s refusal to allow retired forest professionals to advise on industry practices.

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Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is hiring, notes from the field & dendrochronology art

White Bark Pine Ecosystem Foundation
November 23, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Since the launch of the Fall Membership Drive, over 15% of our membership base has either joined or renewed during that time. We are truly thankful for a growing number of new members and donors who are joining our annual supporters. It is inspiring how this grassroots organization rallies together to advocate for and support the restoration of whitebark pine and other high-five pine ecosystems. Our community also contributes so much in time to raise awareness of these conservation issues by giving talks, leading hikes and sharing the latest news. Highlights of our newsletter include:

  • Whitebark Pine Restoration Underway at Brundage Mountain Resort
  • Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Forestry Highlighted by The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Hornet’s Nest Test Plantation on the Flathead National Forest
  • Aerial Surveys of Whitebark Pine in British Columbia
  • Dendrochronology Art by Tree Ring Works
  • Webinar: Working Together to Recover Whitebark and Limber Pine in the Canadian Rockies

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Watershed security ‘what we heard’ report available online

By Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship
Government of British Columbia
November 23, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbians’ feedback about the watershed security strategy and fund being developed in partnership between the Province and Indigenous Peoples is now available. In January 2022, British Columbians were asked to comment on a discussion paper about the strategy and that feedback is online in a “what we heard” report. This report is the latest step in the ongoing development of the strategy, which will help guide enhanced management and protection of B.C.’s water resources and watersheds through collaboration with First Nations, local communities and individual British Columbians. Maintaining healthy watersheds is vital to ensure that good-quality water is available to support ecosystems, economies, cultures and communities throughout British Columbia. Healthy watersheds are also important for reducing the risks and effects of floods, droughts and wildfires, and for increasing protection against such events in a changing climate. …The next steps include the release of an intentions paper,  informed by the public…

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Climate Change Coalition announced

By Greg Descantes
Business Council of British Columbia
November 28, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

(Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territories/Vancouver, B.C.) – Today, the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC), First Nations Climate Initiative (FNCI) and the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC) announce a growing Coalition that supports action to urgently address climate change and achieve a just and prosperous economy for British Columbia. The Coalition is a committed and growing group of Indigenous and business leaders, Nations, companies, organizations, and communities that possess the expertise and capacity to invest and build necessary infrastructure and export B.C.’s bounty of low carbon natural resources, food, and energy products. These are products the world needs and wants to buy from our province. “On the heels of COP 27, …the Coalition is calling for increased urgency in making substantive progress on the transition to a lower carbon economy,” said Chief Sharleen Gale, Chair of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition. 

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Biomass facility receives go-ahead in Fruitvale, Canada

Bioenergy Insight
November 25, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

REN Energy has received approval from the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary in British Columbia, Canada for the development of its Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility in Fruitvale. “We are grateful for the incredible support of Ali Grieve at the Regional District, Steve Morissette, mayor of Fruitvale and MLA, Katrine Conroy,” said Phil Viggiani, CEO of REN Energy. “We look forward to breaking ground in early spring of 2023.” REN Energy will be building a production facility that will create RNG produced from wood waste. This innovative project features a unique combination of existing technology being used for the first time in North America and will reduce emissions from British Columbia’s expansive forestry sector.

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Annual climate report shows progress made in key areas

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Government of British Columbia
November 23, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia has led the way in the uptake of zero-emission vehicles in North America, increased the number of public charging stations in the province by 50% in one year, and eliminated the largest fossil fuel subsidy in the province – just three key areas where progress has been made on climate action, demonstrated in the 2022 Climate Change Accountability Report. …The report provides progress updates on a wide range of CleanBC programs to reduce emissions, build a cleaner economy and prepare for the impacts of climate change over the 2021-22 fiscal period. It confirms that, despite some technical changes from the federal government’s national emissions inventory and modelling updates, B.C. is largely projected to meet its 2030 target. The accountability report provides new data on progress made across sectors like transportation, industry, buildings and communities, and the public service.

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Health & Safety

Bodies recovered from last week’s float plane crash north of Port Hardy

By Jeff Bell
Victoria Times Colonist
November 29, 2022
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Patrick Lehman

The bodies of the pilot and two passengers who died in a float-plane crash last week north of Port Hardy have been recovered by Port Hardy RCMP and the RCMP Dive Team. The plane went down Nov. 23 while pilot Patrick Lehman was flying two people from a logging camp to Port Hardy. An online fundraising page for the partner and daughter of one of the passengers, who has not been named, says it’s raising money to help the two with their rent, food and other monthly bills. …B.C. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Alex Berube said divers worked through challenging weather conditions to find the bodies, which have been turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service. The downed plane is owned by the Air Cab float plane company, whose president Joel Eilertsen described Lehman as “a very qualified pilot, a very good person.” …The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed it is looking into the crash but said it can’t comment further while the investigation is underway. 

The online fundraiser is at gofundme.com/f/support-alison-lily-in-a-tragic-loss 

 

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BC Forest Safety Council Winter Newsletter

BC Forest Safety Council
November 30, 2022
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Welcome to the Winter edition of Forest Safety News, covering news about safety topics in forestry. This is YOUR safety newsletter. Read about Rebuilding in the Aftermath of an Atmospheric River and the harrowing story of how SkinnyChicken Enterprises Ltd. — the Prime Contractor appointed by Teal Jones to construct resource roads and bridges in the East Anderson area — experienced the storm first hand. Explore changes to the employment standards in BC that better protect young people. 

What’s Inside:

  • Industry News
  • Work-Related Deaths & Injuries
  • SAFE Companies
  • Training
  • Transportation Safety
  • Manufacturing Safety
  • Falling
  • Health & Wellness
  • Kid’s Corner

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3 missing after floatplane crashes into ocean off B.C. coast

CBC News
November 24, 2022
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Three people are missing after a floatplane crashed into the ocean in a remote area off British Columbia’s Central Coast on Wednesday.  RCMP said the small Cessna went down in Strachan Bay, around 50 kilometres north of Port Hardy, B.C., around 1:20 p.m. PT. Three people were on board: the pilot and two passengers flying back to Port Hardy from a logging camp.  The Canadian Coast Guard sent boats and a helicopter to search the area, but a statement said “no survivors have been located and the plane has been presumed to have sunk.”  The RCMP’s West Coast Marine and Dive Team is still searching.   …”The weather is going to pose a challenge for any rescue efforts. However, we are still going to put all our efforts and available resources that we have available [into it],” RCMP Cpl. Alex Berube said in an interview.

 

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