Our 2021 Sustainability report was released on July 27, 2022. It outlines our environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance for the past year. Sustainability has been a central principle at West Fraser since our company was founded more than 65 years ago. Over the years, our approach has continued to evolve to reflect who we are and what we value as an organization. “In 2021, we took important steps toward becoming a sustainability leader, and today we are sharing our progress with the release of our 2021 Sustainability Report,” said Ray Ferris, West Fraser’s President & CEO. “We understand the importance, and necessity, of doing the right thing for the environment, our communities and our employees while sustainably and profitably growing our business. We are proud of our past, but even more excited about our future.” We welcome you to view the report and the progress we’ve made toward our goal of becoming a leader in sustainability.
Our 2021 Sustainability Report tells the story of a pivotal year of growth for West Fraser. We worked to embed a shared culture of sustainability and credible elevation of environmental and social considerations in our business decisions across a newly formed organization. It was a year in which we learned from new colleagues, established new goals, and developed and implemented strategies to achieve our sustainability ambitions. Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on climate action, our people, our communities, safety performance, meaningful Indigenous relations and sustainable forest management.
BC has received a report on successorship when timber harvesting rights are transferred. The Province will also engage with First Nations rights and title holders involved in forestry, as well as seek input from unions and employers in the forest sector. No decisions have been made on implementing any of the report’s recommendations. Successorship rules provide stability for workers during the sale, lease or transfer of a business. The rules require the new employer to honour the existing collective agreement so workers’ jobs and negotiated benefits, and the employers’ obligations are preserved, despite the change in ownership. However, those same protections do not currently apply to situations where timber harvesting rights are transferred and there is no sale or transfer of a business. …The IIC report provides recommendations to extend union rights, or successorship, where forest tenure is transferred from one entity to another and harvesting rights continue within a five-year period.
A new reconciliation agreement between Stz’uminus First Nation and British Columbia establishes commitments to work together on community priorities and future land transfers, provides support for economic development, and establishes funding for future environmental remediation activities in Ladysmith Harbour. “There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into the negotiation of this agreement,” said Stz’uminus Chief Roxanne Harris. “Stz’uminus looks forward to next steps in the implementation.” The signing of the reconciliation agreement is an incremental step toward the parties’ together identifying potential provincial Crown land for transfer, and a commitment to land transfer agreements as much as $28.5 million. Implementing the agreement will be an immense undertaking over several years. However, by working together, the parties are creating a win-win situation.
Don’t miss WoodTALKS™ at the Global Buyers Mission – a Manufacturer & Specifier Collaboration Series featuring an expansion site tour of BC Passive House. Join us by charter bus for a scenic drive from Whistler to Pemberton to tour BC Passive House – a full-service prefabrication company specializing in the design and construction of high-performance panelized building systems, specialized structural panels (including CLT, DLT & NLT), heavy timber packages and a range of hybrid systems. Their recent facility expansion has added an additional 22,000 sq/ft reaching a total facility size of 38,000 sq/ft. This site tour will provide specifiers an opportunity to see highly automated tools used to facilitate fast and efficient production of buildings. This includes BCPH’s Hundegger K2i CNC machine which is fully linked to the companies in-house drafting software. This machine promotes cutting accuracy and offers new features that speed up both light frame panelization and heavy timber carpentry.
A company that transforms trees damaged by mountain pine beetles and other elements into value-added engineered wood products is expanding, thanks to a boost from the Province. The Province has provided Deadwood Innovations, a joint venture with the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation, $200,000 over the past two years to support the creation of jobs in rural communities, and to accelerate Indigenous participation in the forest sector. …Deadwood Innovations has used the funding to assess, engineer, procure and build a pilot-scale manufacturing plant at the site of the former Tl’Oh Forest Products mill in Fort St. James. …The plant design is scheduled to start in September 2022. Deadwood Innovation’s facility will process low-quality, damaged and underutilized fibre into value-added engineered wood products. Its technology is creating new market opportunities by producing engineered wood products that can be customized to meet specifications for industrial wood products and solid biomass fuels.
A cruel sense of déjà vu hit the town of Lytton as the latest wildfire grew just northwest of the town. …To help understand and learn from the catastrophic events that occurred in the province last year, First Onsite conducted a survey of 200 B.C. residents that found 85 per cent were worried about wildfires.B.C. wildfires happen in cycles. Canada’s boreal forests have burned naturally since at least the last ice age. The ecosystem depends upon such recurring natural disturbance. …Discussions and action have taken place to protect, prepare and build communities to be more resilient to fires. Several strategies are being deployed. Modern building materials and techniques are much more resilient to fire damage, while also being sustainable. Many of these choices, such as cementitious siding in place of wood, metal roofing in place of shingles, and fire-smart landscaping can be the difference.
VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board has released its 2021-22 annual report, which provides a summary of the board’s work in each of its program areas. The annual report also highlights strategic accomplishments, including work on Indigenous engagement and reconciliation, and the introduction of changes to the Forest and Range Practices Act, a number of which reflect past board recommendations. The annual report details the past year’s achievements, including: 12 reports published; three audits; seven published complaint investigations; two special reports; and seven new recommendations were made in two reports. An update on the board’s special projects is also featured in the annual report, highlighting special reports on water, and recreation. Included in each summary are the opportunities for improvement recommended by the board, based on that project. In addition, the upcoming special report Landscape Fire Management, is also featured as the board look toward future special projects.
It’s been 20 days since the last significant rainfall in the capital region and the millions of trees around our homes, streets and parks are starting to feel some of the stresses of drought. “Trees like a cycle of moisture and dryness,” said aborist Dan Sharp of Davey Tree Experts — typically, they regulate the uptake of water and nutrients to ensure their own health. But during extended dry periods, the movement of nutrients can slow and even stop. The tree can suffer and temperatures in its canopy can rise… Sharp recommends a good soaking for larger trees about every 10 days to two weeks …The Western red cedar — B.C.’s provincial tree — struggles in dry conditions, showing signs of “flagging,” or browning of its foliage. Over the years, large stands have died off on the east coast of the Island, although it does much better on the Island’s west coast.
Temperatures in the Okanagan are rising, which means the risk of the increased fire activity is too. The Kamloops Fire Centre says conditions don’t fully meet the criteria for a campfire ban yet, however, it could be implemented very soon if hot and dry conditions persist. “One of the indices that we look at when implementing bans and restrictions is the build-up index. That’s the amount of fuel available to burn and the dryness of those fuels. It does consider the fuel moisture content that could affect the fire’s intensity. With that being said, we have not met the threshold yet to implement that restriction,” said BC Wildfire Information Officer Karley Desrosiers. …Over the last week, 67 new fires sparked across the province, 47 being lightning-caused and 13 attributed to human activity. …by the end of the week, Category 2 and 3 open fires are expected to be banned right across BC.
British Columbia – In a report released today, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has published information on the stunning outcomes of the Province’s $150 million investment under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund (LCELF), showcasing the tremendous progress made through this fund toward the Government of Canada’s targets under the Paris Agreement. In 2017, the Provincial government deployed $150 million of its $250 million in funding from the federal government to FESBC, as a part of the federal government’s made-in-Canada climate plan. …Through the LCELF funding, FESBC provided grants to 134 projects throughout the province to create 1,300+ full time-equivalent jobs, plant 66 million trees, and sequester approximately 4.2 million tonnes of CO2e by 2050… Through these projects, FESBC met the target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the forest sector and increase the capture of carbon through the restoration of forests damaged by disease, insects, and wildfire, under B.C.’s Climate Leadership Plan.
The Province of BC provided $149,500 over the past three years to Atli Resources Limited Partnership, which is the forestry arm of the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation, to support the acquisition of a northern Vancouver Island chipping facility: Atli Chip, located in Beaver Cove on the territory of the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation. Funding was awarded through FP Innovations, a delivery agent for the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program and the Indigenous Forestry Program. …The provincial funding was used to complete a business assessment and develop a plan to lay the foundation for the acquisition of Atli Chip Plant. The funding also supported a study on improving the use of lower-quality timber and an engineering project to design a commercial-scale facility for the extraction of tannins from waste hemlock fibre. Tannins are biochemicals used in leather tanning and other applications.
In wood pellet plants, there is a risk of combustible dust deflagration propagation through interconnected equipment due to presence of ignition sources and dusty conditions. Deflagration isolation is technique for interrupting pressure and flames between connected equipment. This webinar from the Wood Pellet Association of Canada hosted by Kayleigh Rayner Brown is an overview presentation of the “Analysis of Deflagration Isolation in Wood Pellet Production for Safer Operation” report meant to enhance the ability of management and decision makers to effectively consider key areas of focus for deflagration isolation in wood pellet manufacturing. To view the webinar – 
A large wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C., is smaller than was previously believed, but still remains a threat amid a new heat wave. The BC Wildfire Service says new mapping has found the Nohomin Creek fire, burning about 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, is just under 2,200 hectares in size. The fire, which remains classified as ‘out of control,’ had previously been estimated as more than 2,223 hectares in size. “A warming and drying trend will continue to bring hot and dry conditions this week which could cause an increase in fire behavior,” the wildfire service said in a Monday morning update. Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for much of the province, including the Fraser Canyon area, due to a ridge of high pressure expected to stay in place for about a week.
The Southeast Fire Centre is now the most active in the province. Between Thursday and Saturday, more than 