Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

A Final Farewell from the Canadian Women in Timber

By Sandy McKellar, Chair, CWIT
Canadian Women in Timber
November 16, 2022
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

It is with a heavy heart that I announce—after more than 30 years—the Canadian Women in Timber are dissolving our organization. Since 1989 we have enthusiastically championed the forestry and logging sectors in British Columbia. We’ve collectively touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of school children, parents, teachers and community members – fostering an interest and passion for the natural science of forestry, management and operations/harvesting. Our educational materials have been re-published many times (with support from our sponsors) and are part of classroom sets and family bookshelves around the province and across Canada.

We would like to thank our members – your contributions are so important and valued. We would also like to thank our supporters and friends: forestry companies; industry associations like the ILA, the TLA, the Vancouver Hoo-Hoo Club; all levels of government and forest ministers who have participated in our events and programs; all the post-secondary forestry programs; and all of the many schools around the province who have welcomed us into their classrooms. Our partnership with the Interior Logging Association and the Forest Education Van was a key part of our program… Thank you to Wayne Lintott who was always our champion!

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German occupation in Holland still weighs heavily on Brink

By Ted Clarke
The Prince George Citizen
November 8, 2022
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

John Brink

John Brink was four-and-a-half years old when Canadian troops liberated his part of Holland. Nearly eight decades later, Brink’s memories remain vivid of seeing those friendly faces arrive in the final days of Second World War. …The Canadians came on May 12, 1945, right after the ‘hunger winter’ that brought brutal cold and starvation to parts of the country where food and fuel supplies were blocked by the retreating German army. …For Brink and his family, the war brought ever-present anxiety, malnutrition and the misery of separation that divided them. As he writes in his autobiography, Against All Odds, “It was a life without luxuries, but it was bearable – after all, it was all I knew. What was infinitely more difficult was the worry generated by living under occupation.  

…The impact the Canadians made on Brink never left him. He wanted to immigrate to Canada as a 17-year-old but his parents denied permission. He was then drafted and served two years in the Dutch Air Force as part of the special forces military police before coming to Canada at age 24. Driven by his ambition to own his own sawmill, Brink arrived in Prince George in 1965 with $25.47 in his pocket and worked his way to the point where he could start his business. Ten years later he opened Brink Forest Products in Prince George and its finger-jointed lumber mill, which, with the addition of value-added mills in Vanderhoof and Houston, he’s turned into one of the largest forestry companies in the province. Brink, who celebrated his 82nd birthday Nov. 1, realizes the importance of Remembrance Day, especially to remind the younger generation of the sacrifices our soldiers made to preserve the freedoms we often take for granted. 

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Business & Politics

Transport Canada announces $75M in funding for export terminal at Port of Prince Rupert

By Michelle Gomez
CBC News
November 16, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The federal government is investing nearly $75 million to increase capacity at a coal export terminal at the Port of Prince Rupert, the transport minister announced Wednesday. The funding will go toward building a second berth at Trigon Pacific Terminals on B.C.’s northwest coast. With Trigon’s contribution, the total investment in the project would be $163.1 million. “The Port of Prince Rupert helps keep our economy connected to key global markets,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra at the Wednesday announcement. …CEO Rob Booker says the terminal may also be used to export wood pellets and mineral concentrates. He adds that while Trigon will continue to export metallurgical coal, diversifying to other forms of energy is an important step. “Accelerating that transition away from purely coal is an obvious thing given that the world is moving away from thermal coal,” said Booker. 

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Early Bird pricing ends tomorrow – TLA Convention is selling out fast!

BC Truck Loggers Association
November 17, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The forest industry, like its roots, is firmly planted in British Columbia’s economy and communities. Its membership and supporters, like its trees, are resilient and standing strong against its many challenges. A pillar of BC’s economy supporting small rural communities and its largest cities, forestry is here to stay. This year’s convention, themed “Firmly Planted. Standing Strong” brings the forestry sector together to delve into the issues and policies that will significantly impact its growth for generations to come. Delegates can register for individual events, but we recommend the popular All-Inclusive Pass for the best value and experience. Join us for three days of keynote and panel presentations all moderated by hard-hitting political columnist Vaughn Palmer. Palmer’s columns have seen him cover the feats and follies of British Columbia politics and business for almost 40 years. Don’t miss out – register today to save.

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Jim Girvan named new associate with Industrial Forestry Service Ltd.

Industrial Forestry Service Ltd.
November 16, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jim Girvan

Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. (IFS) is pleased to announce that Jim Girvan will be joining the company as an associate starting December 1st, 2022. As a recognized authority in fibre supply dynamics, forest economics and statistical analysis, Jim is returning to IFS after a 26-year absence. Jim’s career includes work in forestry consulting, pulp and paper fibre management, commercial banking to the forest sector, and as an industry advocate with the Truck Loggers Association. He has provided consulting advice to a broad spectrum of clients for many decades. Through his association with IFS and their staff of forestry, GIS, computing and analysis personnel, he will continue to support clients as the industry evolves. 

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New economic diversification fund launched for rural, forest-dependent B.C. communities

BC Local News
November 14, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Rural B.C. communities, First Nations and not-for-profits looking to strengthen and diversify their economies will have access to a new source of provincial funding over the next year. Announced Monday, the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program will provide up to $33 million to funding applicants, beginning Tuesday and stretching until the end of 2023. There will be three avenues to access the funding, depending on a community’s size and resource focus. …Forest-dependent communities committed to transitioning and diversifying their economies can apply for up to $500,000. This is intended to coincide with the province’s move away from logging old-growth forests. Funding will be approved in two rounds, with applications for the first round opening on Tuesday and for the second in spring 2023.

CBC News: Province announces $33M to help support the economies of rural and remote communities

Additional coverage from Government of BC press release

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Arrowsmith Search and Rescue signs access agreement with Mosaic Forest Management

BC Local News
November 14, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Arrowsmith Search and Rescue (ASAR) has signed an access agreement with Mosaic Forest Management for training exercises and data sharing opportunities. ASAR is one of many search and rescue organizations Mosaic Forest Management supports. The other groups that also signed access agreements include Alberni Valley Rescue Squad, Campbell River Search and Rescue, Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue, Ladysmith Search and Rescue, Nanaimo Search and Rescue, and Westcoast Inland Search and Rescue. …BC Search and Rescue organizations are run entirely by on-call volunteers. Year-round, they dedicate their time and expertise to the people of BC and those they rescue. …“We’re very proud to support the dedicated volunteers of these Search and Rescue organizations,” said Domenico Iannidinardo, Mosaic’s senior VP, forest and climate and chief forester.

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Tolko Industries named business of the year at Williams Lake chamber awards

By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Williams Lake Tribune
November 12, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jeff Green, Jason Favel, Ken Hunt, & Jason Ryll

Tolko Industries Ltd. was named Business of the Year at the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards gala held Saturday, Nov. 12. The award was sponsored by Community Futures and every nominee for all the categories was considered for the award. …Held at Thompson Rivers University, the gym was decorated for the Roaring 20s theme, which provided a perfect backdrop as most of the people in attendance wore outfits to match the era. “I think people are so glad to be attending this event after a couple of years,” Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Doerkson said of the fact the gala was cancelled during the pandemic.

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Castlegar businesses recognized at annual awards ceremony

By Betsy Kline
Castlegar News
November 8, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Krystle Seed

The Castlegar business community came out in full force on Saturday to celebrate their accomplishments at the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce annual business awards dinner.  More than 200 people attended the ticketed event, which also served as a fundraiser for the chamber.  In his last official duty as mayor, Kirk Duff opened the event and introduced Mayor-elect Maria McFaddin. The pair jointly presented the Lifetime Achievement award, which is sponsored by the City of Castlegar.  That award went to Kalesnikoff Lumber.  The award is reserved for companies with at least 25 years in business, excellent customer relations and a history of contributions to the community both economically and socially.  Kalesnikoff has been a family-owned lumber company since it first launched in 1939.  “This business has grown a legacy of trust and integrity,” said Duff.  “They steward relationships and resources by valuing people first and never compromising on integrity.”

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Western Forest Products shuts Port Alberni sawmill for six months

By Susie Quinn
BC Local News
November 7, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Western Forest Products has temporarily shut down APD Sawmill in Port Alberni for the next six months, putting more than 100 forestry employees out of work. Workers were told early last week that the mill would be closing, or curtailed, until the spring due to a lack of wood fibre. …Fifteen employees are still operating the planer until Nov. 17, then they will be looking for employment too, said Glen Cheetham, fourth vice-president for United Steelworkers Union Local 1-1937. …The union has signed an agreement with Western until the end of the year for maintenance workers to allow them to work in other mills. Cheetham said the union is hoping to sign a similar agreement for production workers. “There’s been a few people picked up by San Group. There’s other workers getting work at other Western mills down Island. 

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B.C. heading to Japan on lumber trade mission at time of sliding sales

By Derrick Penner
Vancouver Sun
November 6, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Katrine Conroy

Forest Minister Katrine Conroy is leading B.C. forest industry leaders on a trade mission to Japan, the first in-person sales trip since the COVID pandemic began. She hopes to bolster sales at a time when the province’s lumber exports have been falling and fears of a recession are rising. “Japan is a critically important export market for B.C.’s high-quality wood products,” Conroy said in a news release. It is typically the province’s third-largest market after the U.S. and China. B.C.’s 2022 exports to Japan, however, were down 25 per cent in volume through the end of September compared with the same period of 2021, and down 14 per cent to $623 million compared with $723 million from 2021, according to provincial trade figures. Overall, B.C.’s lumber exports to the end of September, the latest figures available, are down 10 per cent on volume and 15 per cent on value, $6.1 billion compared with $7.2 billion over the same months of 2021.

See BC Government press release here

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Finance & Economics

Conifex reports positive Q3, 2022 results

By Conifex Timber Inc.
Globe Newswire
November 8, 2022
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022.  EBITDA was $4.2 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of $3.3 million in the third quarter of 2021.  Net income was $0.9 million for the quarter versus net loss of $0.9 million or $0.02 per share in the year-earlier quarter. …”While our power plant was not operational during the current quarter, our net earnings realized the benefit of a recovery of softwood lumber duties. …Our Mackenzie power plant did not operate for most of the current quarter as a result of damage discovered to the plant’s turbine during the course of scheduled annual maintenance work in July 2022. …We expect the property damage and business interruption will be covered by our insurance, subject to applicable deductibles and limits.”

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Environmentally friendly ‘biofoam’ could address plastic pollution crisis

University of BC News
November 7, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new biodegradable packing foam developed at UBC not only potentially addresses the world’s plastic pollution crisis but also serves as an equal and true partnership example of working with First Nations. …Dr. Jiang, an assistant professor in the UBC faculty of forestry… started developing a “biofoam” many years ago both to find new uses for wood waste and reduce pollution from packaging foam. “Styrofoam waste fills up to 30 per cent of global landfills and can take more than 500 years to break down. Our biofoam breaks down in the soil in a couple of weeks,” says Dr. Jiang. He adds that the project also helps repurpose wood waste. …One year into the project, Dr. Jiang met Reg Ogen and Joe Wong… Two years of collaboration followed, with Yinka Dene Economic Development. …Biofoam development now completed, the team is putting together a business model, with plans to open a pilot plant in B.C.

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Climate Changed: How B.C. homebuilders and residents are adapting to a warming world

By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in Vancouver Sun
November 6, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The two-storey family home with a classic design and wooden cladding blends in with its neighbours, but its thick, insulated walls, airtightness, solar panels, heat pump and highly efficient windows make it a home built for a warming world. …The Net Zero home and others like it show that some consumers and builders are taking adaptation into their own hands with design and materials fit for a new climate, with the added benefit of boosting efficiency and cutting energy costs. But many existing properties, from single-family homes to condos in towering skyscrapers, will need upgrades to meet the challenge. A prolonged heat wave that sent temperature records tumbling across British Columbia in June 2021 underscored the importance of climate-resilient housing. …This year’s federal budget earmarked $150 million to develop a national green buildings strategy for both new and existing buildings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to the effects of climate change.

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Construction work begins at Selkirk College new student housing project

The Boundary Sentinel
November 5, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Politicians, community members and members of the public officially launched the new on-campus housing project at the Castlegar Campus of Selkirk College Friday afternoon. The $31.1-million project will allow almost 150 Selkirk College students at the Castlegar and Nelson Silver King campuses to look forward to new on-campus housing with construction underway on the new student housing buildings. …Both student housing buildings will be constructed with mass timber and modular wood materials, aligning with B.C.’s Wood First Initiative. Space on the main floors of each building will have fully accessible communal areas that include study spaces, kitchens, dining spaces, living and game rooms, and laundry facilities. …Aligned with the Province’s CleanBC plan, the buildings will be constructed using natural products. …Government is investing $29.1 million toward this $31.1-million project, with the remaining funding being contributed by the college and Columbia Basin Trust.

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Forestry

‘Removing the evidence of our existence’: logging of culturally important trees rampant in B.C.

By Judith Lavoie
The Narwhal
November 16, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

…Culturally modified trees (CMTs) in B.C with marks showing they were used by Indigenous Peoples before 1846 are officially protected. But with little independent oversight, experts say these irreplaceable trees are regularly being cut down by the forestry industry. The steady loss of culturally modified trees means historical gaps, hiwus Calvin Craigan, Hereditary Chief of the shíshálh Nation, said. “… culturally modified trees are part of demonstrating that we have been here for thousands of years,” he said. …“The critical importance of this point is that … it is a physical marker of our territory. That we were there and we used it,” ‘Namgis First Nation elected Chief Councillor Don Svanvik said.  CMTs can help reclaim jurisdiction over territory, Svanvik added. “This is the way to get the evidence,” he said. “We still need to demonstrate that we were on this land.” But CMTs are frequently being logged, sources told The Narwhal. 

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Preserve first, log second, says West Kootenay rural watershed report

By Bill Metcalfe
Castlegar News
November 15, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In a B.C. Supreme Court hearing in 2019, a judge told a community group from Glade, a rural community near Nelson, that they have no inherent right to clean drinking water.  … The Glade Watershed Protection Society had taken the Interior Health Authority, ATKO Wood Products and Kalesnikoff Lumber to court on the grounds that the community’s right to clean water was threatened by clear cut logging in their watershed. The judge dismissed the society’s application and ordered it to pay the respondents’ court costs.  …So they decided on a different approach.  The society and another West Kootenay group, the Laird Creek Water Users Association, commissioned a scientific study that includes a series of maps of their watersheds showing the factors that would have to be considered if forest planning were done with water protection in mind.

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Save Old Growth leader pleads guilty to mischief

By Bob Mackin
Business in Vancouver
November 15, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Muhammad Zain Ul Haq

The student who leads a network of protest groups notorious for blocking B.C. highways and bridges pleaded guilty in Vancouver Provincial Court Tuesday to mischief under $5,000 and breach of a release order.  Muhammad Zain Ul Haq was scheduled to go on trial for his role in Extinction Rebellion’s March 27, 2021, protest against old growth logging that blocked the Cambie Bridge. He was also charged for failure to comply with bail conditions after Stop Fracking Around’s anti-pipeline protest blocked Cambie Bridge traffic on Aug. 15.  Judge Jennifer Oulton asked Haq if he was aware he was giving up his right to a trial. He agreed and answered “guilty” to both charges. …Haq’s appearance came, coincidentally, the day after a new survey released by the University of Pennsylvania that found non-violent roadblock and art vandalism protests backfired. 

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Group releases video advocating for conservation of Cowichan forests

By Robert Barron
The Cowichan Valley Citizen
November 16, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Icel Dobell

NORTH COWICHAN, BC — Round 2 of the public consultation process to determine how North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve will be managed is set to begin on Nov. 28, and the Where Do We Stand group (WDWSG) wants people to understand what is at stake if the MFR is not properly protected. Local forest activist and film maker Icel Dobell, who is a member of WDWSG, has released Part 4 in her video series The Sovereignty of the Six Mountains called The New Old Growth: Voice of Promise in time for people to view before the public consultations begin. …Dobell said the New Old Growth video is an “undocumentary”, a short story to reach the heart, to show what’s at stake in the public forests above the Cowichan Valley.

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West Boundary Community Forest Wildfire Risk Reduction Projects

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
November 15, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Midway, B.C. – With the infusion of new grant funding of $1,137,375 from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC’s 2022-2023 Funding Program, the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF) has already started working toward proactively making the communities of Midway, Greenwood, Grand Forks, Rock Creek, and Westbridge safer from the threat of wildfires. …“Certain forested areas around many of our rural communities have been neglected over the years. This has allowed fuels in the forest …to build up and for Douglas-fir beetles to run rampant. Once our Community Forest tenure was established, we realized these areas need to be better managed in order to protect our communities from wildfires as well as protect our tenure from forest health concerns. Local employment in the phases of layout, fuels treatments, and harvesting will benefit from this funding and allow us to keep local contractors working,” explained Dan Macmaster, RPF, Forest Manager with WBCF.

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Provincial First Nations Forestry Forum – November 22-23, 2022

BC First Nations Forestry Council
November 14, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Snuneymuxw Territory (Nanaimo, B.C.) – We are hosting a First Nations Forestry Forum in Kamloops on November 22-23rd, 2022. The BC First Nations Forestry Council is working with BC’s Ministry of Forests to deliver this engagement opportunity for interested First Nations and Indigenous forestry businesses. The Forum is intended to complement, not replace, ongoing engagement between First Nations and BC on key forest sector policies by providing a space for technical discussions on a range of forestry and forest stewardship initiatives and issues of interest to Indigenous communities. Held on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc territory, this two-day Forum will include opportunities for First Nations and Indigenous forestry businesses to engage on key forest sector policies. Day 1 will be focused on Forest Sector Transformation, including the sessions on the New Fiscal Framework and forestry revenue sharing and tenure. Day 2 will focus on Forest Stewardship and include sessions on cultural and prescribed fire, forest landscape planning and the old growth strategic review.

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UBC Faculty of Forestry to host Future Forests Webinar

UBC Faculty of Forestry
November 15, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The forestry profession is in the midst of a major transition. New markets for high-value timber products and novel bioproducts are being explored. More people, companies and institutions are calling for greater protection of animal habitats, eco-tourism and biodiversity. Indigenous and local communities have a more prominent seat at the table. And a greater emphasis is being placed on how to tackle the global climate emergency through sustainable forest management than ever before. On December 1 from noon to 1pm our panel of industry experts, featuring UBC alumni, will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.  

Moderator:
Linda Coady – President & CEO, BC Council of Forest Industries

Panelists:
David Brand – CEO, New Forests
Domenico Iannidinardo – Senior VP – Forest & Climate and Chief Forester, Mosaic Forest Management 

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Fine hiked dramatically for man who ‘wantonly and flagrantly’ poached cedar from First Nation territory

By Bethany Lindsay
CBC News
November 12, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A man who illegally harvested cedar from an area of major cultural significance in B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest has seen his fine increased more than tenfold, in a decision the Wei Wai Kum First Nation’s elected chief called a “game changer.”  Timothy Holland will now have to pay $131,759 for cutting and removing timber outside his legal tenure in Wei Wai Kum territory, following a recent decision from the Forest Appeals Commission. His original administrative penalty had amounted to $12,000.  An appeals commission panel estimated that Holland, operating as Bigfoot Forest Productions, made at least $167,110 by “wantonly and flagrantly” ignoring the boundaries of his Forestry Licence to Cut (FLTC) between 2017 and 2020.  Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts told CBC he believes the increased fine will serve as a powerful deterrent for anyone thinking of doing the same thing within his nation’s territory.

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This Ontario startup is testing drones for tree planting in Alberta

By Kashmala Fida Mohatarem
CBC News
November 12, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

For the past two years, a number of burnt forest sites in northern Alberta — including Horse River, Fort McMurray and Wandering River — have been visited by a swarm of drones pelting the ground with seed pods roughly the size of a dime. Carrying around 1,600 tree seed pods each, the drones shoot out five pods per second, covering the designated area in a matter of minutes. The location where the seed pods are targeted isn’t random but rather mapped out by the drones using surveying software to detect areas to avoid, such as rivers, rocks, logs and piles of slash. The drones belong to Flash Forest, an automated reforestation startup based out of Ontario, which is using its technology to replant forests lost to wildfires in Alberta. The company, started in 2019, is working on its drone and seed pod technology after receiving $1.8 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta in 2021.

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UBC Future Forests Fellowship Program 2023

Empowerment Opportunities
November 11, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) offers the Future Forests Fellowship, a research grant to a forestry student to enroll in their PhD program. UBC offers C$70 thousand annually for up to four years. The fellowship is intended to cover all expenses incurred in the preparation and conduct of research. Both domestic and international students are eligible to apply. The UBC Faculty of Forestry’s Future Forests Fellowship aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies. Applicants must intend to undertake doctoral research in one of the following areas of excellence for the Faculty of Forestry. The research must be conducted, at least in part, in British Columbia, and should result in an outcome that has practical application in BC.

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B.C. hasn’t taken $50 million federal offer for old-growth forest protections

By Sarah Cox
The Narwhal
November 9, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In August, as Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault prepared to visit an old-growth forest, his office drafted a news release. It was never sent out. The federal government had committed up to $50 million to permanently protect B.C.’s old-growth forests and was “awaiting the matching commitment from the province,” said the draft release. In the lead up to the UN biodiversity conference Canada will host in December, the federal government is eager to see permanent protections announced for B.C.’s old-growth forests as part of Ottawa’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of the country’s land and waters by 2030. But with less than a month before the conference, the B.C. government has yet to accept Ottawa’s offer. That leaves environmental groups and the B.C. Green Party questioning the sincerity of the B.C. government. …When pushed… the Ministry of Forests said: “The $50 million pledge is a welcome first step.”

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BC Community Forests Take Action to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
November 8, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Snetsinger, Anderson & Conroy

In the past few years, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has funded various project partners throughout the province with the primary objective to reduce wildfire risk. 25 of these partners have been community forests. This partnership has accounted for 53 projects valued at over $18 million of which $12.3 million was for wildfire risk reduction and $5.9 million for projects to reduce greenhouse gases, which have included enhanced fibre utilization and rehabilitating damaged forest stands. “The Forest Enhancement Society of BC is a proven partner in delivering projects on the ground that protect people from wildfire risks and reduce emissions from slash pile burning,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. “Along with investments to transform the BC Wildfire Service into a year-round service and double funding for proactive wildfire prevention, the critical work of FESBC is helping build communities that are safer and more resilient to climate change.”

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Highway 8 reopens to public in British Columbia

By Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Government of British Columbia
November 9, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge is now open to all vehicle traffic, restoring connectivity to residents, Indigenous communities and the local forestry and mining industries. …Some sections of the highway have reduced speed limits and differing surface materials, including sections of gravel road, making the highway unsuitable for motorcycles. Ongoing construction will lead to delays and intermittent closures. Since Highway 8 is still a construction zone, it would not be a suitable detour option should the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) or Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) be closed. In either event, access to the highway would be limited to residents.

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Fire suppression efforts create potential wildfire situations near communities: FESBC

By Timothy Schafer
The Nelson Daily
November 10, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The last 100 years of fire suppression efforts in the province have resulted in some forests near communities becoming over mature and very dense, making them susceptible to wildfire, according to the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. “Many times, these types of stands have less value to wildlife and are less desirable for recreation activities,” read a new report released by the FESBC. However, FESBC-funded projects in community forests — such as Naksup, Kaslo and Slocan Valley — have not only reduced the wildfire risk to communities, but also “improved wildlife habitat, created local employment opportunities, and increased recreation values like camping, hiking, and biking.” In Kaslo, the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) reducing wildfire risk in the forest created additional wildlife benefits that some people didn’t expect.

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COFI Annual Photo Contest to Showcase Great Ideas that are Shaping the Future of Forestry

Council of Forest Industries
November 9, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Vancouver, BC – The BC Council of Forest Industries and partner Canadian Forest Industries Magazine, announce the return of the annual photo contest. This year’s theme is ‘New Ideas. Great Forestry. BC’s Story’ and calls for submissions that bring to life the province’s forestry story, and the new ideas that are contributing to a more sustainable sector. “We encourage contestants to highlight some of the new ideas that are shaping the future of the forest sector. Whether it’s through the adoption of new technologies to help us do things better and more sustainably, partnerships with Indigenous Peoples, or new uses of forest products, we are excited to see the entrants of this year’s contest. BC’s forest sector has a great story to tell and we are pleased to once again showcase those who are passionate about making it great.” says Linda Coady, President and CEO, COFI.

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Forestry council career fair at NVIT

By Marius Auer
Merritt Herald
November 9, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

With B.C. facing an unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, a number that has climbed steadily since the beginning of the pandemic, a number of organizations and businesses are actively working to recruit and employ a new workforce. The BC First Nations Forestry Council (BCFNFC) recently hosted a series of career fairs, including a stop at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s (NVIT) Merritt campus.  The BCFNFC is an advocacy organization that looks to increase First Nations participation in the forestry sector, and supports them in their efforts to increase First Nation’s role in the governance and stewardship of forest, lands, and natural resources.  …Attendees of the fair had access to a number of employment resources, educational programming and speakers, as well as a number of booths set up by prospective employers and organizations in the forestry industry.

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Finding the Kootenays’ biggest trees: Biologist mapping the region’s forest giants

By Bill Metcalfe
The Boundary Creek Times
November 9, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

BRITISH COLUMBIA — One of Rosie Wejenberg’s many contracts as a biologist is to measure and verify big trees in the Kootenays for the UBC Big Tree Registry. …The list has about 600 trees on it, most them in the southwestern part of the province. The largest tree in the registry is known as the Cheewhat Giant, a western red cedar on the west coast of Vancouver Island. There are three trees in the immediate Nelson area on the list. …Inclusion on the UBC list does not come with any form of protection from logging. …Ira Sutherland, who runs the program at UBC and is chair of its Big Tree Committee, says it’s about public information and conservation. …When a tree is accepted into the ministry list of protected big trees, a one-hectare buffer must be left around the tree. …There are now 218 trees on the province’s protected list.

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New employment opportunities support forestry workers

By Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation
Government of British Columbia
November 6, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

More employment opportunities are underway for contractors and forestry workers throughout rural B.C. under the Province’s Forest Employment Program (FEP). “We know that changes and downturns can be hard on communities that rely on the forestry sector, and our government is there for them,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “That’s why we’re funding important local projects in collaboration with rural communities and First Nations to help forestry workers seeking new opportunities in their local community.” From January until March 2022, the Government of B.C. provided $2 million for 41 FEP projects that are now complete or nearing completion. Projects included grading, brushing and improving forest service roads, including improving accessibility; environmental damage repairs; improving and building recreation sites and trails; and capacity-building projects.  

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Alberta says funding boost cuts industrial emissions

Red Deer News Now
November 14, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jason Krips

Provincial government officials say the Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund is helping Alberta’s industrial sector reduce emissions and stay competitive. …According to the province, it has been a critical part of Alberta’s emissions reduction leadership showcase at COP27 in Egypt. …The government is said to be making up to $50 million from the TIER fund available for the new Industrial Transformation Challenge. …The government says applicants may receive up to $10 million per project, with a minimum request of $250,000. Funding is available across Alberta’s industrial sectors in both new and existing industries, such as petrochemical, agriculture, forest products, manufacturing, and energy. “Sustainability is foundational to Alberta’s forest industry, and continuous improvement of our operations and processes is a big part of that. This funding opportunity is an important step that will enable our sector to continue to advance technology and drive innovation,” shares Jason Krips, CEO, Alberta Forest Products Association.

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Climate Smart Forestry

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
November 10, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

While B.C. Forests Minister Katrine Conroy was in Japan this week to reaffirm forestry trade relations with Japanese buyers, Canadian forestry representatives and environmentalists were at the COP27 in Egypt to talk – mostly at odds — about forestry and climate change. Stand.earth planned presentations… on biomass as a “false climate solution.” The Forest Products Association of Canada planned to screen a new documentary, Capturing Carbon, that explains both the risks climate change poses to Canadian forests … and the net climate benefits of sustainable forestry. …550 scientists and academics from around the world sent a letter to the European Commission president to underscore the benefits of “climate smart forest management,” including the use of bioenergy from wood waste. …As long as intensive silviculture is practised in forest management, the carbon sequestration of younger working forests can be more productive than mature forests as a carbon sink, Gary Bull, a University of BC Forestry professor said.

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How a Truckload of BC Logs Became a “Green Energy Scandal” in the UK

By Alice Palmer
Subscribe to Sustainable Forests, Resilient Industry
November 2, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Alice Palmer

In October, the BBC documentary program Panorama released “The Green Energy Scandal Exposed,” a 30-minute exposé of UK power generator Drax’s BC wood pellet operations. Reporters travelled from the UK to a Drax-owned pellet mill near Quesnel, BC. After tracking a load of logs from large clearcut to the mill, they concluded Drax was decimating old growth forests in BC to feed a power plant in the UK. The shallowness and inaccuracy of the reporters’ claims were shocking, but even more surprising was the fact that the BBC bothered to cover the topic in the first place. …The debate over whether wood biomass is carbon neutral is worthy of discussion, as is the eco-friendliness of BC’s wood pellet industry. However, I suspect neither issue would have attracted the interest of the UK media had Drax not been receiving substantial subsidies for renewable energy production.

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New B.C. premier must take bold action to tackle the climate emergency

By Alan Andrews, Climate Director, Ecojustice Canada
Victoria Times Colonist
November 7, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Alan Andrews

…After a hotly contested race to pick a new leader, the NDP disqualified Anjali Appadurai, who posed a significant challenge to the front runner candidate David Eby, who will succeed John Horgan as premier. …Eby has made more decisive action on climate a key plank of his 100-days plan, has said that he wants climate activists who supported Appadurai to stay in the party, and has promised to redirect fossil fuel subsidies to clean energy projects. But Eby faces an uphill battle to re-establish the NDP’s climate credibility, after Appadurai’s campaign drew unwelcome attention to myriad failures of leadership under his predecessor’s watch. At a minimum, he should ensure B.C. complies with its own climate law. …Eby must also commit to strengthening B.C.’s climate laws. In this respect, the government already has a head start with existing and workable climate legislation, unlike many other provinces in Canada.

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Canadian banks readying for carbon offsets to go big, even as doubts remain

Canadian Press in BC Local News
November 6, 2022
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Banks know a growth market when they see it, and they’re increasingly seeing one in the buying, selling and generating of carbon offsets. …many companies rely on offsets to deliver on their net-zero promise. And while there’s still tremendous skepticism about their effectiveness, banks are positioning themselves as ready brokers. …But projects …have come under scrutiny. A British Columbia auditor-general report was highly critical of NCC’s Darkwoods project, finding that the forest would have been protected without the carbon offset payments. A key component of offsets is that only though money paid in would the carbon be trapped. It’s a widespread problem in forestry-based projects, trying to guess what might have otherwise been cut. There’s also the problem of trying to figure out once a forest is protected, whether a logging company just cut the same amount of wood elsewhere. 

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Health & Safety

Consultation on proposed B.C. Exposure Limits based on the new or revised 2019 and 2020 ACGIH TLVs for selected chemical substances

WorkSafeBC
November 15, 2022
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Each year, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is an airborne concentration of a chemical substance where it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. TLVs may be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL), or ceiling limit. Before adopting new or revised TLVs published by the ACGIH, WorkSafeBC reviews relevant data on health effects and the availability of validated sampling methods. WorkSafeBC also consults with stakeholders on potential implementation issues. WorkSafeBC’s existing B.C. Exposure Limits (ELs) continue to be in effect until the Board of Directors makes a decidsion on which new or revised ACGIH TLVs to adopt as B.C. ELs. We are requesting stakeholder feedback on the proposed B.C. ELs for 22 substances.

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Mosaic Signs Access Agreements With Seven Search and Rescue Organizations

Mosaic Forest Management
November 8, 2022
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nanaimo, BC — Mosaic Forest Management is pleased to announce the signing of seven access agreements with Search and Rescue organizations on Vancouver Island. The agreements provide important access for training exercises, data-sharing opportunities, and overall support for these organizations dedicated to public safety. The agreements follow Mosaic’s landmark signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Arrowsmith Search and Rescue in 2021. …Mosaic’s new access agreements are with the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad, Arrowsmith Search and Rescue, Campbell River Search and Rescue, Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue, Ladysmith Search and Rescue, Nanaimo Search and Rescue, and Westcoast Inland Search and Rescue. “We’re proud to support the dedicated volunteers of these Search and Rescue organizations,” said Domenico Iannidinardo, Mosaic’s Senior Vice President and Chief Forester. “They play a critical role in public safety, providing a vital lifeline to those who are lost or injured in the Vancouver Island wilderness.”

Additional coverage in the Victoria Times Colonist, by Andrew Duffy: Mosaic Forest Management opens land to search and rescue training

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