VANCOUVER, BC – A new study confirms that wood pellets in BC are sourced entirely from sawmill and harvest residuals or from low-quality logs and bush grind rejected by other industries. The study was commissioned by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. Respected forest experts Professor Gary Bull, Dr. Jeremy Williams, Dr. Jim Thrower and Mr. Brad Bennett. …“We reviewed the data for virtually every truckload of fibre for each pellet mill in the province and were able to source forest-based residuals down to the forest harvesting block for each mill,” said Bull.
“The findings were clear: 85% of the fibre for pellets comes from the by-products of the sawmills and allied industries, and the remaining 15% comes from bush grind and low-quality logs where the only other option is to burn the low-grade logs and brush piles on site in order to reduce fire risk.” In addition, almost all the pellets produced in B.C. are certified under the international recognized Sustainable Biomass Program and the fibre is from sustainably managed forests in B.C. certified under the Canadian Standards Association, the Forest Stewardship Council or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative “The notion of harvesting whole stands of timber or displacing higher value forest products for the purpose of producing wood pellets is counter to the overall economic and environmental objectives of using wood pellets,” added Thrower.
High Prairie, AB — Tolko’s High Prairie team is continuing to work hard on the clean-up effort following the serious press fire that occurred at the mill on May 20, 2022. The damage to the press and press building was significant, and much of the equipment was a total loss. The good news is that Tolko will be rebuilding the site and replacing the existing press line. The project is still in the preliminary engineering phase, so timelines may shift, but the early estimate is that the mill will see the first new board before the end of Q4 2023. “I’m incredibly proud of the team at High Prairie and I’m happy that we’ve been able to keep everyone fully employed,” says Fred Chinn, Tolko’s VP, Strand Based Business. “We’ll do everything we can to keep employees active during the rebuilding, and I’m so impressed with the heart and commitment that I’ve seen from everyone.”
TAYLOR, B.C. — Canfor says it doesn’t expect to consider restarting its Taylor pulp mill until next spring. Michelle Ward, a spokesperson for Canfor, says, based on ongoing discussions with the company’s transportation partners, the supply chain backlog is not expected to significantly improve before the end of the year. She adds that winter is generally a more challenging time for rail transportation. “We have therefore been preparing to winterize the facility in anticipation that it will likely be next spring before we could consider restarting Taylor Pulp,” she said in an email. This follows 
VANCOUVER, BC – The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority today released 2022 mid-year statistics for goods moving through the Port of Vancouver. Overall cargo declined 11% to 68.3 million from 76.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) compared to the same period last year, reflecting impacts of a poor Canadian grain harvest, congestion caused by 2021 flooding in B.C., and global and national supply-chain challenges. …Breakbulk cargo decreased 3% to 9.6 MMT. Log and wood pulp volumes decreased 7% and 8% respectively, while basic metals increased 18% compared to 2020. …Although some near-term supply-chain challenges [continue], Canada’s west coast container trade remains on a long-term growth trajectory, averaging 5% growth annually for the past decade, and west coast terminals are projected to reach capacity by the mid- to late-2020s. To meet Canada’s coming capacity needs for containerized trade, the port authority is leading the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project. The project is in the final stages of a federal environmental assessment process.
Vancouver, BC — Canfor Corporation is announcing a temporary reduction in production in British Columbia (BC) due to challenging market conditions. The production capacity will be reduced through a two-week curtailment beginning September 26, 2022 at the majority of solid wood facilities in BC and will be followed by the resumption of reduced operating schedules until the end of 2022. This is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 200 million board feet of production capacity. “We are temporarily curtailing production in BC due to reduced market demand. We will leverage our global operating platform to prioritize the requirements of our customers,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. To limit the impact on employees, they will have the opportunity to work during the downtime to complete maintenance projects and other site activities.
If lumber was an early indicator of where prices are headed, then the central bankers who are now trying to beat back the hottest inflation since the 1980s may take heart in recent signals coming from the lumber market. A growing number of Canada’s largest producers, including Canfor and West Fraser Timber recently announced plans to scale back production in BC, citing softening demand among other factors. Both announcements tie into a multi-year trend in which B.C. lumber companies have been reinvesting their profits in new operations in the southern US. …As West Fraser said in August, “access to available timber is an increasing challenge in BC and ongoing transportation constraints have impaired the company’s ability to reliably access markets.” Canfor’s statement about softening lumber demand may signal that rising interest rates are beginning to have the desired effect of cooling demand. …Paul Quinn, RBC analyst, predicted Canfor’s announcement of curtailed production would “definitely raise prices.”
Terrace, B.C. – ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School received a boost to its educational initiatives with a $2000 contribution from the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), Skeena Bioenergy and the Prince Rupert Port Authority. The contribution recognizes the power of partnerships that exists between the Kitsumkalum Economic Development Group of Companies, Skeena Bioenergy and the Port of Prince Rupert. “The Kitsumkalum Peoples are a major part of the success of the entire wood pellet sector,” said Gordon Murray, Executive Director, Wood Pellet Association of Canada. “By supporting the education goals of the community members, we are supporting everyone’s success.” …The ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School provides a holistic education program that enables students to reach their academic, cultural, and personal potential within a challenging, nurturing and caring environment. It supports all learners from a variety of communities and diverse cultures.
B.C. is a lucky province. Not only are we blessed with a wide variety of natural resources, from coal to gold, but we also have two renewable resources in abundance: hydro power and forests. That is if we don’t squander them. …our forests have the potential to feed our provincial economy for centuries if they are managed properly. …The two keywords in that last statement are “managed” and “properly,” which are both hard to pull off. After all, for decades the path to profit in the forest has been to extract as much fibre as possible at the lowest cost. Luckily, the old model is changing and forest companies are recognizing that long-term profits come with preserving and enhancing the forest for the future. …There is a lot of research going into what makes a healthy forest, which also bodes well for the future…
Officials in British Columbia’s Forests Ministry understood that a regulation introduced in 2020 to protect big trees on public lands would have little impact. They designed it that way. Internal records released to The Tyee in response to a Freedom of Information request confirm critics’ suspicions that the Special Tree Protection Regulation was meant to sound good to the public while continuing to protect the interests of the logging industry. “Timber supply and economic impacts associated with the use of the proposed specifications are predicted to be insignificant when viewed on a provincial scale,” said a Forests Ministry memo dated Jan. 14, 2020 — some eight months before the government enacted the regulation. The regulations apply to a dozen tree species on Crown and private lands managed under the Forest Act. Trees above set diameters are protected from logging. A hectare of forest surrounding each of those trees is also protected as a buffer.
ALERT BAY, BC – The Government of Canada is joining the ‘Namgis First Nation in celebrating the successful expansion of operations of the Beaver Cove Chip Plant, now operating as Atli Chip LP. This expansion opens up forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance within ‘Namgis traditional territories and other communities in the region. The Government of Canada invests in projects to help equip communities with the tools to build greener businesses, create sustainable jobs, and promote further economic opportunities within the sector. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, announced over $1.4 million in funding to Atli Chip LP through the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) program which provides financial support to Indigenous-led economic development projects in Canada’s forest sector. Indigenous Services Canada also supported this project through the Strategic Partnerships Initiative.
People within the Thompson-Okanagan region will have greater protection from wildfires through a provincial investment in a series of community-led projects. The BC Community Forest Association co-ordinated with 15 community forests on 48 Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction projects, including 11 within the Kamloops Fire Centre Region. These projects are part of the ongoing work to adapt and better prepare for climate change. “Managed by local communities and First Nations for the benefit of the entire community, community forests are key partners in our work to reduce wildfire risks across the province,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests. …“Community forests are important partners in managing forested land near communities,” said Jennifer Gunter, executive director, BC Community Forest Association. “By partnering with the BC Wildfire Service, community forests are demonstrating an effective and efficient path forward to address wildfire risk while also supporting local employment opportunities.”
MANITOBA — The provincial government announced that it has signed memorandums of understanding on forestry revenue-sharing with two more Northern Manitoba First Nations. One of the agreements is with Norway House Cree Nation and the other is with Chemawawin Cree Nation. The new MOUs commit the province to sharing 45 per cent of timber harvesting dues from areas in proximity to NHCN and CCN with the First Nations. The two-year pilot projects are retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year. …A memorandum of agreement was signed by the province and NHCN on Aug. 2, with the government committing to creating a tree-planting program to train and employ youth and community members. …Timber will also be provided for NHCN’s sawmills to support the goal of building approximately 500 homes in the community. …The province previously signed similar MOUs with Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Mosakahiken Cree Nation in August.
