Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

B.C. is Burning – Wildfire Documentary Premieres in Kelowna June 24 and Vernon on June 26

By Murray Wilson
BC is Burning
June 13, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada West

New film reveals the roots of B.C.’s wildfire crisis—and what we must do to stop it. A powerful new documentary exploring the causes and consequences of British Columbia’s escalating wildfire crisis will premiere to the public at the Mary Irwin Theatre in Kelowna on Tuesday, June 24 at 7:00 pm and at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Thursday June 26 at 7:00 pm. Titled B.C. is Burning, the 45-minute film delivers a sobering but hopeful look at what’s fueling today’s megafires—and the science-based solutions that could protect our forests, our communities, and our future. B.C. is Burning was independently produced and funded through community support, with Homestead Foods generously contributing half of the total budget. We also gratefully acknowledge major support from Skyline Helicopters, Padoin Reforestation, and Kalesnikoff.

The film was produced and written by retired forester Murray Wilson and initiated by Associate Producer Rick Maddison, who played a key role in fundraising.

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Business & Politics

United Steelworkers members at Galloway Sawmill deprived of severance payments for closure

By Grant Farquhar, President USW Local 1-405
United Steelworkers
June 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Cranbrook, BC – United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-405 members at Galloway Sawmill have had enough and are going public with their frustration with Peak Renewables and Galloway Sawmill owner Brian Fehr and the violation of their collective agreement rights and severance owed to the 20 workers of the Galloway Sawmill. “Workers left at the Galloway Sawmill are entitled and deserve their severance from Peak Renewables and owner Brian Fehr at Galloway Sawmill. The company is reneging on a negotiated closure agreement and the workers are the only ones that get hurt,” said USW Local 1-405 President Grant Farquhar. “That site was closed officially by the employer in December of 2024. Five months later and two months after the commitment was made by the employer to pay the severance was made, the members still haven’t received it.” Brian Fehr, owner of Peak Renewables, bought the Galloway Sawmill from Bud Nelson in 2017. The mill hadn’t run since December of 2022. 

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Court fight continues years after fires destroy Surrey mill

By Tom Zytaruk
BC Local News in Peace Arch News
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

SURREY, BC — Mackenzie Sawmill is back in the courts, a little more than a decade after the sum of three fires ruined a large mill built in 1938. The first of three fires was on Nov. 12, 2010, followed by a second on Jan. 25, 2011 and the third on Oct. 31, 2014 essentially destroyed what was left of it. …Judge Rory Krentz, presided over a hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, where the defendants applied for a dismissal for want of prosecution. Mackenzie ceased operations in early 2011 after the second fire, with two groups of employees entitled to severance pay. The court heard Mackenzie told the union the company intended to build another mill on site, enabling the union employees to keep their jobs. …This was before the third fire, after which Mackenzie indicated it still planned to rebuild the mill. But the union alleges MacKenzie decided before the last fire happened that it wouldn’t rebuild.

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University of Norther BC recognizes distinguished Professors Emeriti

Education News Canada
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kathy Lewis & Kerry Reimer

The University of Northern British Columbia celebrated three distinguished Professors Emeriti at a Faculty Recognition Event. Dr. Kerry Reimer (Chemistry); Dr. Elie Korkmaz (Physics); and Dr. Kathy Lewis (Ecosystem Science and Management) were awarded the honorary title “Professor Emeritus/Emerita” during the special gathering and will join the platform party for the 2025 Convocation ceremony at UNBC’s Prince George Campus on May 30. …Dr. Kathy Lewis’ career is defined by her transformative leadership in forestry education. As the first faculty member hired in the Forestry Program, she was instrumental in building the program from the ground up, guiding it to become a nationally accredited program. …As Chair of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Dr. Lewis guided the department through periods of significant growth. Dr. Lewis’ expertise as a forest pathologist earned her national recognition, with her research on forest health, tree diseases and climate change.

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Ontario Launches Plan to Secure Energy for Generations

By Ministry of Energy and Mines
Government of Ontario
June 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

TORONTO – The Ontario government released Energy for Generations, the province’s first-ever integrated energy plan – a comprehensive roadmap to meet future energy needs, support new housing and power the most competitive economy in the G7. This plan is an important part of the government’s work to protect Ontario by bringing together electricity, natural gas, hydrogen and other energy sources under a single coordinated strategy to ensure the province has affordable, secure, reliable and clean energy. …”Ontario’s forest biomass resource is an entirely domestic source of secure, dispatchable. low-carbon heating and electrical energy. Over 80% of bioenergy expenditures remain within a region, providing an essential avenue for northern, rural, and Indigenous communities to participate in Ontario’s energy transformation. Ontario is on a path to become a more globally competitive forest product jurisdiction, and the Ontario Forest Industries Association commends Minister Lecce and Premier Doug Ford for today’s announcement.”

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Curtailment at Chemainus sawmill set to start next week; 150 workers to be laid off

By Darron Kloster
The Times Colonist
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Western Forest Products says it will curtail all operations at its Chemainus sawmill next week, sidelining 150 employees for an indefinite period. The company said the curtailment, set to start June 18, is due to market challenges that include weaker lumber demand and higher US softwood lumber duties, as well as a lack of available viable log supplies. The company also blamed market conditions and a lack of log supplies for a similar shutdown in the spring of last year. Western Forest Products’ other mills at Duke Point, Ladysmith, Saltair and Cowichan Bay, and a value-added remanufacturing plant in Chemainus, will continue to operate, said Babita Khunkhun, senior director of communications for Western Forest Products. She said there is no end date for the curtailment at the Chemainus mill at this point, as the company monitors conditions. The mayor of North Cowichan said he was initially told 55 workers were facing layoffs.

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Asia trade mission opens opportunities for B.C. products, businesses

BC Government
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

David Eby

The Premier’s trade mission to Asia is bringing back new opportunities to grow a stronger, more diversified economy and create good jobs throughout the province. The 10-day economic tour promoted British Columbia’s strengths as a reliable trade partner that has what the world needs — from critical minerals and clean energy, to forestry and agriculture products, and the ports to deliver them. “This mission was about supporting B.C. jobs and building a British Columbia that will be the economic engine of a more independent Canada,” said Premier David Eby. “Our trade relationships with the Indo-Pacific are exceptionally important right now, as we work to diversify our markets and become less reliant on the United States. B.C. has a lot of advantages – our proximity to Asia, our abundance of natural resources, our talented and diverse workforce. These are all things that the world needs, and it was a great opportunity to showcase that to key trade partners.”

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Deal to sell San Group’s Port Alberni mills, value-added plant awaits court approval

By Andrew Duffy
The Times Colonist
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The major assets of the beleaguered San Group are under contract to be sold, awaiting only court approval. The monitor overseeing the credit-protection process has applied to the courts for approval of the sale. A court date is set for this week. …The largest creditors support the sales, despite the fact “they will suffer a significant shortfall on their debt.” The main properties in question are the Coulson manufacturing sawmills and San Group’s value-added facility in Port Alberni. There is also a mill in Langley and an adjacent agricultural parcel. The Surrey-based Fraserview Cedar has agreed to buy the Coulson facility in Port Alberni. The group has said it expects to have the mill up and running this year if the deal closes. A numbered BC company has entered into an agreement to buy the value-added facility. The buyers will lease the site to Ucluelet-based IGV Housing, which specializes in manufacturing scalable housing that combines pre-fab and on-site processes.

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B.C. hires ex-minister and former union head to advise on labour negotiations

By Mark Page
Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

George Heyman

With collective bargaining underway on 182 labour agreements in B.C.’s public sector, the province has hired George Heyman, the former head of the B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) and the former environment and climate change minister, to advise the government on negotiating the core public service agreement. …There are 452,000 unionized public sector employees in B.C. … Most of these unions are working under expiring agreements this year, with the Public Service Agency’s collective agreement with the BCGEU up for renegotiation first. This includes wildland firefighters… Heyman is hired on with a contract that ends on July 31. He is set to make a maximum of $58,000. The hiring of consultants to advise premiers on labour negotiations is not unprecedented. Paul Faoro, the former president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees – B.C., advised John Horgan and Lee Doney, the former Western Forest Products board chair and a former deputy minister, advised Christy Clark.

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Union members on strike at mid, north Island forestry operations

By Darron Kloster
Victoria Times Colonist
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

About 100 unionized forestry workers are on the picket line at operations on the mid and north Island, claiming their employer wants to contract out their work. United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 went on strike June 6, citing “significant concessions” demanded by La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership (LKSM Forestry). LKSM Forestry is the former Western Forest Products Mid-Island Forest operation now jointly owned by four First Nations of the Nanwakolas Council — the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks First Nations — as well as Western Forest Products, which still owns the majority of the company. The Steelworkers union said one of the main concessions LKSM is demanding is the use of non-union contractors to do work currently done by union members on sites. That includes jobs performed by union members working for contractors on sites. …The union said it remains open to talks with the company that focus on resolving the outstanding issues.

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Workers strike at LKSM Forestry LP on Vancouver Island

By Adam Chan
Chek News
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

About 100 unionized workers on Vancouver Island have started a strike against their employer, La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership (LKSM Forestry). The union representing the workers, United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1-1937, says the workers went on strike on Friday, June 6, because of “significant concessions” being demanded by the company. One of the main concessions that the company is asking for is the ability to bring in non-union contractor workers to perform work currently handled by USW members, according to the union. The union says the strike comes after 93 per cent of unionized workers voted in favour of strike action in late March. …La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership is owned partly by four local First Nations, the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks First Nations, which are all members of the Nanwakolas Council, and Western Forest Products.

Related release by the United Steelworkers: Strike commences at LKSM Forestry LP on Vancouver Island

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Fifty-five workers to be laid off at Chemainus Sawmill

By Justin Baumgardner
My Cowichan Valley Now
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CHEMAINUS, BC — Fifty-five workers are scheduled to be laid off after a shortage of viable logs has forced production at the Chemainus Sawmill starting this month. According to North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas, Western Forest Products has informed the municipality they intend to start curtailment of the jobs on Jun. 18. “The company has indicated the reason for the shutdown is due to their inability to find a viable supply of fiber,” Douglas says. “We don’t have a date as to when Western Forest Products is going to resume operations at the Chemainus Mill, but we hope it’s very short term.” …“I have reached out to the forest minister (Ravi Parmar),” he says. …Delays in permits and cutting fiber is a long-standing issue in BC, which has led to shutdowns and impacting production, but Douglas says he has been reassured by Parmar that the province is addressing the issue.

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West Fraser celebrates 50 years in Slave Lake, Alberta

The Lakeside Leader
June 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

SLAVE LAKE, Alberta — On Saturday, May 24, West Fraser’s Slave Lake Veneer plant celebrated its 50th anniversary with the community of Slave Lake. Several hundred community members, elected officials, Indigenous leaders, employees and retirees joined the company for a day of festivities, including lunch, bouncy castles, face painting and an opportunity to learn more about the history of Slave Lake Veneer’s operations. These directly employ 150 local residents, mostly in the mill, but also in the woodlands department, as well hundreds of more with contractors that supply the operation. …West Fraser acquired Slave Lake Veneer in 1999, as part of its acquisition of Zeidler Forest Products. At the time, the mill operated as both a veneer plant and a stud mill. In 2016, all lumber production was transferred to the newly-acquired sawmill in High Prairie. Today, veneer output is almost 13 times higher than when the plant opened in 1973.

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Finance & Economics

West Fraser Declares Dividend

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
June 11, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. has declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.32 per share on the Common shares and Class B Common shares in the capital of the Company, payable on July 14, 2025 to shareholders of record on June 26, 2025. Dividends are designated to be eligible dividends pursuant to subsection 89(14) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and any applicable provincial legislation pertaining to eligible dividends.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

UBC innovators unveil novel wood leather soccer ball at Expo 2025

By Poppy Philbrook
Capital Current
June 10, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

OSAKA, Japan – The buzz surrounding Vancouver’s role as one of 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was at the centre of British Columbia Week in recent days at the Expo 2025 Canada Pavilion. …While preparations for the world-class sporting event accelerate, designers from the University of British Columbia’s Bioproducts Institute are concerned with the sustainability of soccer itself, unveiling a first-of-its-kind wood leather ball to an attentive crowd in the heart of the pavilion on June 4. …Created in the official size for junior soccer games, the wood leather ball not only closely aligns with Expo 2025’s overarching theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” but also highlights the value of one of BC’s largest and growing exports: wood products. …Although the ball is yet to be tested in play, Takagi considers the wood leather material far more durable than its bio-based counterparts.

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Forestry

More than 80,000 seedlings to be planted for Downton Lake wildfire recovery

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
June 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In 2023, a wildfire ripped through the Downton Lake area of the Upper Bridge River Valley (BRV), destroying more than 40 homes, threatening some 270 properties and consuming an area of about 9,600 hectares before being put out. Now, a partnership between the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), Cariboo Carbon Solutions (CCS) and Tree Canada is looking to plant 80,000 seedlings on private lands in Electoral Area A in 2026 at no cost to participating landowners. …The replanting initiative is part of a broader recovery effort led by the Land-Based Recovery Table, which ensures local representation as ecological restoration in the BRV moves forward. The group includes community leaders, Indigenous partners, the SLRD, provincial ministries, industry partners like CCS and local organizations including the Gun Lake Ratepayers Association. …The seedlings, currently being cultivated at Arbutus Grove Nursery, are a mix of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, hybrid spruce and western larch.

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B.C. is Burning: Wildfire documentary screenings in Kelowna, Vernon

By Cindy White
Castanet
June 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A wildfire documentary funded in part by community donations and Okanagan businesses will be screened in Kelowna and Vernon later this month. B.C. is Burning is a 45-minute film that explores the causes and consequences of the megafires that have devastated communities in the province in recent years. It also looks at science-based solutions that could protect communities, forests and B.C.’s future. The documentary was produced and written by retired forester Murray Wilson, initiated by association producer Rick Maddison and directed/edited with production support from Ryan Tebbutt of Edge Digital Media in Kelowna. It combines expert interviews, government data, and powerful footage from both British Columbia and California. …We know how to stop this,” says Wilson. “B.C. can lead — if we stop solely reacting and start managing our forests to protect lives, cut emissions, and reduce wildfire risk.”

 

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Fire danger alert issued for North Saanich, residents urged to be cautious

Victoria News
June 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

With dry conditions persisting, the Fire Danger Rating in North Saanich remains at ‘high’ since it was first raised on June 10, prompting fire and emergency services to urge residents to prioritize fire safety. “Forest fuels are extremely dry and the fire risk is serious,” the district warns. “Fires can start easily, spread quickly and be difficult to control. Use extreme caution in forested areas and during outdoor activities.” “We’re hoping the rating will encourage residents to take a proactive approach to keep their homes and properties safe in the event of a fire,” Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Kary emphasized. The fire department is offering residents valuable tools to enhance their preparedness. Wildfire automated sprinkler systems protection kits are available for purchase through the department, offering an easy-to-install solution for home protection. …While the forecast offers a glimmer of hope with potential rain … the rating will “remain high until significant precipitation occurs.”

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New housing starts, for coastal bears

By Connie Jordison
The Coast Reporter
June 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Along with a tight housing market for humans, the lower Sunshine Coast is also experiencing a crunch in denning sites for bears. According to the website of Duncan based Artemis Wildlife Consultants, “the large, old trees that black bears need to survive the wet, cool conditions in coastal BC are often lost during forest harvest operations, sometimes because field staff cannot easily tell which trees are dens”. Helen Davis, a registered professional biologist with that firm visited our area in late May and working with Elphinstone Logging Focus (ELF) restored four potential denning sites in two days. In addition, she guided an ELF team of six through the process of taking legacy old-growth stumps and making a few alterations to hopefully provide a safe, dry den for mainly female black bears to hibernate within. …The full report on the project can be viewed online.

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Wildfires burn through 40 years of timber harvest in Saskatchewan

By Jacob Bamhour
News Talk 650 CKOM
June 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As wildfires continue to sweep across northern Saskatchewan, the toll is mounting. Not just in evacuations and lost homes, but long-term damage to the province’s forest industry. Carl Neggers, CEO of Forest Saskatchewan, says two of the largest fires, the Shoe Fire and the Ditch, have scorched 900,000 hectares of forest, an area roughly 40 times the size of Saskatoon. According to Neggers, “Saskatchewan’s forestry sector harvest around 23,000 hectares per year. That means this years wildfires have destroyed nearly 40 years of commercial timber.” “We support 12,000 jobs in this province through forestry” Neggers said in a June 9 interview on the Evan Bray Show. “If it impedes allocation or limits access to alternative timber zones, that puts our workforce and mills at risk.” The damage, he says, extends well beyond the logging industry. Forest in the commercial zone are also critical for recreation, traditional land use and Indigenous communities.

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312-acre land transfer in Cowichan to two First Nations complete

By Robert Barron
Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
June 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The transfer of a 312-hectare property neat Skutz Falls to the Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes has been completed. The land, valued at approximately $8.6 million, was privately owned by Mosiac Forest Management and recently bought by the province. The land transfer, called the Incremental Treaty Agreement, which is a legally binding pre-treaty agreement negotiated by the province and the First Nations, is considered a key reconciliation milestone between the two Quw’utsun Nation communities and the province. The agreement was celebrated in a signing ceremony, attended by B.C. Premier David Eby, on the property in May, 2024. …”The acquisition of this parcel of land could not have been made possible without the commitment of British Columbia, our kinship ties with Cowichan Tribes and willing seller Mosaic,” said Hereditary Chief Laxele’wuts’aat Chief Shana Thomas of Lyackson First Nation.

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State of Idaho lending fire crews to B.C., western Canada

By Steve Berard
Energetic City
June 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West, US West

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Teams of firefighters from Idaho are joining the BC Wildfire Service’s (BCWS) efforts to combat the growing number of wildfires across the province. The Idaho Department of Lands — a government agency that oversees forestry practices and provides fire protection on state land in Idaho — announced on June 2nd that it’s sending fire crews to Canada. The news comes during a particularly intense period of B.C.’s wildfire season… According to a social media post that includes the announcement, the state of Idaho and the province of B.C. are both members of a group of regional governments called the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact. Members of the compact have agreed to pool together their firefighting resources in times of need.  Other members in Canada include Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, other American members of the compact include Alaska, Oregon and Hawaii, the newest member.

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From Optimism to Action: What Two Forestry Events Revealed About the Industry’s Future

By Norm Adams, President, PivotLeader Inc.
The Prince George Daily News
June 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

At the 2025 Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Convention in Prince George, the message coming from the stage was clear and consistent: British Columbia’s forestry sector, though challenged, was on the cusp of transformation. Words like resilience, partnership, and innovation echoed across the sessions. COFI’s President and CEO, Kim Haakstad, struck a hopeful tone in her remarks: “The forest sector is facing unprecedented challenges—but with collaboration and innovation, there is a path forward.” …Seven weeks later, I attended the Canada North Resources Expo, in Prince George. The contrast couldn’t have been more striking. This show, which typically draws the biggest names in logging and roadbuilding equipment, felt subdued. Gone were the sprawling displays from Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi, Volvo, John Deere, and XCMG. These are big players – their absence was impossible to miss. …At COFI, we heard big ideas. At the Resource Expo, we saw who’s showing up—and who isn’t.

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Gibsons aims to plant 2,200 trees by 2045 as part of urban forest plan

By Jordan Copp
The Sunshine Coast Reporter
June 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Town of Gibsons has endorsed an ambitious urban forest plan to protect and expand tree canopy coverage across the municipality by 2045. The plan, developed by Diamond Head Consulting, was presented to council during the June 3 regular meeting, following community engagement and technical analysis. The urban forest plan establishes canopy cover targets of 31 per cent for urban areas and 39 per cent for greenfield development sites by 2045. Currently, Gibsons maintains 38 per cent overall canopy coverage, representing 160 hectares of tree canopy within the town’s 430-hectare(4.3km²) boundary. The plan notes that while greenfield areas will see reduced canopy due to expected development, strategic planting and protection measures can still achieve meaningful coverage.

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DR Systems Showcases Phoenix Connect at BC Community Forest Assn Conference: A Celebration of Community Forestry and Innovation

DR Systems Inc.
June 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nanaimo, BC – DR Systems Inc. was proud to join the vibrant community of forestry leaders, land managers, and Indigenous partners at this year’s BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) Conference. Held in the heart of British Columbia, the event was a powerful celebration of local leadership, resilient communities, and collaborative forest stewardship. At our booth, the team connected with community forest representatives from across the province to showcase Phoenix Connect, our flagship SaaS platform designed for managing forest operations, spatial data, and regulatory reporting. With live demonstrations and one-on-one conversations, we heard firsthand how important it is to have software that’s as adaptable, user-focused, and community-minded as the people who use it. “The conversations we had reinforced why we do what we do – building tools that support sustainable forestry, strengthen partnerships, and make complex reporting more manageable,” said Heidi Walsh, Co-owner at DR Systems.

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Mission forestry turns profit to start 2025 with tariff, wildfire threat looming

By Dillon White
The Mission City Record
June 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Mission’s forestry department reported a net profit of $181,474 to begin 2025. Forestry director Chris Gruenwald presented the department’s quarterly report to council on June 2, with the department expected to remain profitable for the year. A net profit of $1,082,492 was forecasted for the quarter, per the report. “The results for the quarter were due to the lower volumes harvested compared to budget, as the department did not release the first timber sale of the year until late-January, as there was market uncertainty at the end of 2024/start of 2025,” the report reads. The department released a 24,000 m3 Hemlock/Cedar timber sale at the end of January, expected to generate $1.9 million in revenue. However,  Gruenwald notes that “uncertainty exists in the timber market these days” amid threats of new tariffs from the United States. Potential tariffs on softwood lumber increase the risk of market downturns, in addition to a previously expected increase in July.

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City of Powell River Council approves UBCM resolutions

By Paul Galinski
The Powell River Peak
June 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ron Woznow

City of Powell River councillors have adopted a resolution for the Union of British Columbia Municipalities’ (UBCM) convention in September regarding forest harvesting. Councillor Cindy Elliott and mayor Ron Woznow put this resolution together. Woznow said it was an issue that came from meetings at a previous UBCM convention with the Truck Loggers Association. “Very simply put, the City of Powell River has probably lost about $7 million in revenues,” said Woznow. “That is the estimate of the reduction in revenue that Western Forest Products and other companies have experienced. …“The thing about the forest industry is that it actually creates wealth, as opposed to simply distributing wealth.” …The resolution states that UBCM call upon the provincial government and the minister of forests to take immediate steps to create regulatory certainty for planning and permitting the harvest of the full existing licensed annual allowable cut. The motion passed unanimously.

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New partnership will help detect, monitor wildfires in B.C.

By The Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
June 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ravi Parmar

A camera network that gives first responders information to support wildfire response, emergency management and public awareness is being expanded through a partnership between the Province and the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus (UBCO). “With this technology, we’re making strides in protecting communities from wildfires by predicting them before they happen. And better predicting them means keeping more families safe,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “I’m proud to work with UBCO and use its research to protect our communities from the threat of wildfire.” After a successful trial in 2024, the Province is investing $200,000 to expand the camera network throughout British Columbia. Early detection of wildfire plays a crucial role in reducing risks, lowering suppression costs and protecting communities. Using 5G technology, the cameras detect smoke from wildfires and provide real-time data to support evacuation planning, resource deployment and wildfire behaviour predictions.

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This wildfire season is going to be intense. Here’s what to expect

By Lou Bosshart
The University of British Columbia
June 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Canada’s wildfire season has had an early and intense start, with states of emergency declared in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and forecasts warning of severe conditions across central and eastern Canada. Wildfire smoke is already crossing borders, affecting millions. In this Q&A, wildfire experts Dr. Lori Daniels and Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, co-directors of the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, explain what’s driving early activity and how communities can prepare. Air quality expert Dr. Christopher Carlsten weighs in on health precautions. …”Many still believe wildfire “can’t happen here” but our climate and forests have changed. Spring starts earlier, forests dry out faster and they stay flammable longer. And because northern latitudes are warming faster than the global average, Canada is being impacted by extreme fires. Since 2017, over 7.3 million hectares have burned in B.C., more than twice the size of Vancouver Island”, said Lori Daniels.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

The Carbon Tax’s Last Stand – and What Comes After

By Stuart Muir
Resource Works
June 12, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

For years, Canada’s political class sold us on the idea that carbon taxes were clever policy. Not just a tool to cut emissions, but a fair one – tax the polluters, then cycle the money back to regular folks, especially those with thinner wallets. It wasn’t a perfect system. The focus-group-tested line embraced for years by the Trudeau Liberals made no sense at all: we’re taxing you so we can put more money back in your pocketbooks. …That whole model has been thrown overboard, by the very parties had long defended it. …The betrayal is worse in BC …Instead of returning the money, the provincial government slowly transformed the tax into a $2 billion annual cash cow. But here’s the thing: maybe the carbon tax model deserved a rethink. Maybe it’s time for a grown-up look at what actually works. With B.C. now reviewing its CleanBC policies: what’s working, and what’s not?

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Health & Safety

Water at Rose Valley reservoir harder to treat due to damage from 2023 wildfire

By Wayne Moore
Castanet
June 12, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

The 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire caused serious damage to the Rose Valley reservoir, which provides source water to more than half of West Kelowna residents through the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. During a presentation to city council this week, Interior Health medical health officer Dr. Fatameh Sabet said that damage makes it harder to treat water coming from the reservoir. “We know the land surrounding the Rose Valley reservoir has been contaminated because of the wildfire in 2023 and it means the contaminated source of water can be harder to treat because of the sediment, nutrients, metals and organic matter as a result of burned material,” said Dr. Sabet. “Fortunately, the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant was not damaged from the fire and it has been very helpful to compensate for damage to the watershed.” The plant ensures water is safe by not only controlling levels of manganese and disinfection byproduct, but other perspectives as well.

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People urged to prepare as warming temperatures increase wildfire, drought risk

By Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Government of British Columbia
June 9, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

With warmer, drier conditions expected to increase across B.C., people are advised to stay prepared for climate-related emergencies. …People are encouraged to prepare grab-and-go bags, create an emergency and evacuation plan, create an Emergency Support Services profile through their B.C. Services Card app and ensure they have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance for their property. …Warm and dry conditions are expected throughout the province this month, and with that comes an elevated risk of wildfire. Northeastern B.C. is continuing to experience prolonged drought and is expected to remain at high risk for wildfire this summer. …In addition to wildfire risk, the Province is also closely monitoring key indicators of drought risk, including snowpack. 

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Forest Fires

Wildfire near Squamish being held, no longer burning out of control

The Canadian Press in CTV News
June 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Officials say a wildfire near Squamish, B.C., which forced the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park and triggered a local state of emergency earlier this week, is now classified as being held after help from cool, cloudy weather. The BC Wildfire Service announced the fire was being held, meaning the fire is expected to remain within its current perimeter based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, on Saturday afternoon. The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. The district says 65 B.C. wildland firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment are on scene to work alongside Squamish Fire Rescue staff to contain the fire. Although weather conditions seem favourable for firefighting efforts, the district says a state of local emergency remains in place.

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High winds fan Squamish wildfire

By Tiffany Crawford and Cheryl Chan
The Vancouver Sun
June 11, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

High winds fanned a wildfire threatening Squamish as some residents remained on evacuation alert and under a heavy blanket of smoke. On Wednesday evening, the B.C. Wildfire Service had mapped the Dryden Creek fire at about 54 hectares, or about a half-square kilometre, up from five hectares two days ago. The District of Squamish said daytime winds have contributed to the fire’s size, pushing it further north away from properties. “Existing containment lines on the southern flank are not currently threatened,” said the district in an update Wednesday evening. Aaron Foote, chief of Squamish Fire Rescue, said the fire is within 40 metres of some homes as debris from burning trees falls near properties, but added that the properties were not at risk. He said debris has been rolling down steep hillsides as local firefighters battle the blaze that’s looming over the community, next to the Sea to Sky Highway.

Related coverage from Lauren Vanderdeen at CBC News: District of Squamish declares state of local emergency due to wildfire

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Squamish wildfire grows to 14.4 hectares

By Alanna Kelly
The Squamish Chief
June 10, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The District of Squamish has declared a state of emergency as the Dryden Creek wildfire continues to burn out of control, prompting expanded evacuation alerts and a full campfire ban. The Squamish wildfire has reached 14.4 hectares. It still remains out of control. The District says that the increase in size reflects growth away from the community along a west-facing cliff. Tonight, there are 28 firefighters on the scene who are “working towards containment on the west and south flanks of the fire to prevent further spread, with good success.” Air tankers and helicopters continue to attack the blaze. The helicopters are going back and forth to Alice Lake to bucket water to the fire.

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B.C.’s major wildfires remain out of control, despite calmer day of wind

By Lauren Vanderdeen
CBC News
June 10, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Pocket Knife Creek

Crews fighting large B.C. wildfires may get a reprieve from harsh winds and temperatures Tuesday, but the major fires in the northeast of the province continue to grow out of control, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). Fire information officer Kelly Desrosiers says much lower temperatures, higher humidity and the lack of wind are all expected to result in significantly less fire behaviour for the Kiskatinaw River wildfire Tuesday. The Kiskatinaw River fire, located nearly 60 kilometres southeast of Dawson Creek, has grown to more than 216 square kilometres. It has been designated as a wildfire of note, meaning the fire is highly visible or poses a potential threat to public safety. As of Monday afternoon, as many as seven buildings and mobile homes had been destroyed by the fire in the small community of Kelly Lake, B.C., home to about 70 people.

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Fire southwest of Sproat Lake doubles overnight

By Susie Quinn
The Alberni Valley News
June 10, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Fire crews with B.C. Wildfire Service have made progress on a fire burning in central Vancouver Island despite the fire doubling in size overnight. The fire at the base of Nahmint Mountain, southwest of Sproat Lake, was initially estimated to be 10 hectares after it was discovered Sunday, June 8, 2025 and reported by a pilot with Vancouver Island Soaring Centre. The fire is listed on the B.C. Wildfire map as being on Beverly Main and it has grown to 23.5 hectares. “With support from helicopter bucketing, fallers and heavy equipment, ground crews are continuing to work on containing the fire between drainages on the northeast and southwest flanks,” a BCWS spokesperson noted. The fire is still considered out of control.

Additional coverage in Nanaimo News Now: Nahmint Mountain fire near Port Alberni, BC grows

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Squamish wildfire at five hectares

By Jennifer Thuncher
The Squamish Chief
June 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

In response to the Dryden Creek fire, as this wildfire is called, Squamish Fire Rescue said in a post late Monday night that the District’s emergency response team is working out of the Emergency Operations Centre, located at Fire Hall 1 in Valleycliffe. The out of control fire is located above the eastern end of Depot Road, in the north end of Squamish. It said the BC Wildfire Service has “actively and aggressively” attacked the wildfire thus far by air and with ground crews and would continue to late into the night, and will begin again early this morning. Aerial attack will also resume early Tuesday morning, the post said. Late last night the District of Squamish issued evacuation alerts to those living in properties at the east end of Depot Road, east of Highway 99 including the campground Mountain Fun Basecamp and at the end of Tantalus Road.

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Wildfire updates: Evacuation order issued for Blueberry Mountain area | Six Alberta forest areas in ‘extreme wildfire risk’

By Mackenzie Rhode and Ricky Leong
The Calgary Herald
June 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Smoke from wildfires in northern Alberta and northeastern B.C. reached Calgary this weekend, resulting in poor air quality in the city through the weekend and into Monday morning. Fire bans remain in effect for a large part of Alberta, including in all of Rocky View County, as six of the province’s forest areas are considered to be at extreme wildfire risk. An evacuation order for parts of the County of Grande Prairie was expanded again late Saturday after the Kiskatinaw River wildfire in B.C. crossed into Alberta Friday afternoon. …As of Monday night, there were 60 fires burning in the province, with 23 of them classified as out of control. More than 615,000 hectares have burned in Alberta so far in 2025. Fire personnel and aircraft from British Columbia, Yukon, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Washington State, Oregon and Idaho have arrived in Alberta to assist with battling out-of-control blazes.

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Forest History & Archives

The Iceberg Aircraft Carrier That Almost Was: Alberta’s Forgotten Wartime Wonder

By Nerissa McNaughton
The Cochrane Eagle
June 10, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Wikipedia by Craig Talbert

Under Jasper’s Patricia Lake lies the remains of one of history’s most peculiar wartime experiments. Project Habakkuk was an audacious idea born during World War II, as a solution for Allied forces battling German U-boats. Though it never came to fruition, its legacy remains a chapter in Alberta’s history. Project Habakkuk was a secret Allied experiment launched in the early 1940s under the guidance of British inventor Geoffrey Pyke to build an aircraft carrier unlike any other—not from metal or wood, but from ice. Specifically, it would utilize pykrete, a blend of 85% water and 15% wood pulp. This strange new material was stronger than concrete, resistant to bullets and torpedoes, and melted significantly slower than traditional ice. …The final vessel would need 300,000 tons of wood pulp, 35,000 tons of insulation, and a staggering amount of steel for reinforcement. These challenges … led to the project’s cancellation in late 1943.

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