Region Archives: Canada West

Janet Parkins

Eli Pivnick

Successive B.C. governments have failed to seriously overhaul forestry policy. …A good example is the March 7 letter to Castanet by Brian LaPointe. LaPointe has worked in the forest industry continuously since 1973. His letter expresses many of the myths propagated by the forest industry. The industry has always said, echoed by Lapointe, that clear cuts mimic insect and disease infestations and wildfires. However, that is true only when a forest is regarded as a supply of timber. But forests are much more than that. …If clearcuts are so harmful, why are they the dominant form of logging? In a word, profit. Clear cutting means faster and bigger machinery can be used. So it is more efficient and cheaper. The downside is on jobs, tourism, wildlife, fires, floods, scenery, landslides, biodiversity and the climate. …In 20 years, clearcut logging will be recognized for the barbaric and destructive practice it is…

West Kelowna, B.C. – …Ntityix Resources LP (Ntityix), owned by Westbank First Nation (WFN) has undertaken extensive wildfire risk reduction work . They have achieved significant milestones in their ongoing efforts with support from the Ministry of Forests and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). …“Our government has all hands on deck to protect people, communities and forests, but we cannot do it alone. That’s why the work done by organizations like Ntityix is critical, especially in the Thompson Okanagan region where the wildfire risk is high. I thank them for doing their part in the fight against climate change and wildfires,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …Ntityix has been at the forefront of wildfire risk reduction initiatives in the Thompson Okanagan region, leveraging cultural practices and traditional knowledge to enhance fuel modification zones and significantly contribute to long-term wildfire mitigation strategies.

Air quality in Courtenay is improving while pollution caused by wood stove smoke has been steadily decreasing over the past five years, according to a recent report presented to the City of Courtenay council. Wood is a common fuel source that is used to heat homes in the Comox Valley because it is relatively affordable, reliable and available. But wood stove smoke has also become the most significant source of air pollution in the region. According to the CVRD, a growing body of evidence gathered since 2008 shows that air quality in the area is concerning. There are high levels of fine particulate matter — a pollutant that can cause serious health problems — in the air and much of it is due to smoke.

As spring approaches flowers will bloom, leaves will come back to trees and hungry bears will be digging through your dumpsters. Angelika Langen the executive director and co-founder of Northern Lights Wildife Sanctuary says the best way to avoid bears at home is to make sure anything that might attract them, like dumpsters, are locked up because wherever they wander and wherever they roam, they’ll be looking for food. “They’re coming out of hibernation and they’re hungry, they will be looking for anything that provides them with as much calories as possible,” she said. Getting bear-proof garbage containers, avoiding leaving pet food outside and keeping gates to your property closed are ways to keep bears from being uninvited guests looking for a meal at your home.

Nearly half the landslides that rocked southwest British Columbia during devastating 2021 floods started in areas that were logged or burned by wildfire, researchers have found. The study, published in the journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, analyzed more than 1,300 debris flows and landslides across 70,000 square kilometres of mountainous area flooded when a powerful atmospheric river slammed into B.C. in November 2021. …Carie-Ann Hancock, who co-authored the study as a senior geoscientist at BGC Engineering Inc., said she began collecting data for the study four years ago when she flew in some initial helicopter surveys. …When they finally published their study, the results showed landslides occurred more frequently downstream of logging roads and areas burned by wildfire. Freed from the roots of trees, hillsides collapsed, allowing sediment to pour into rivers.

Re: James Steidle: ‘Sawmill turncoats’ handing industry over to the U.S. James Steidle challenged me to critique his latest column. Let’s begin with his contention from Google’s AI, “a truly competitive economy would likely not produce billionaires.” My response … a computer program will give you anything you ask it for. … Hi-tech operations like Dunkley, Carrier, Lakeland are not small, they are the kind of modern mill needed. So why is Canfor leaving? After going to all the trouble and expense of buying up those mills, amounting to what James calls a monopoly, why abandon it all? Monopolies are a way to make bigger profits. Why not keep the mills running here as well as in the US? …Both federal Liberals and BC NDP want 30 per cent of BC conserved. They impose ever-increasing taxes and regulations, ever more bureaucracy over resource extraction, more hoops to jump through, more restrictions, more red tape. After a while it just isn’t worth the hassle.

Joe Karthein

Re: Kalesnikoff presents new pro-forest industry group to Nelson council, March 6 The Save What’s Left Conservation Society acknowledges Ken Kalesnikoff’s call for BC Timber Sales (BCTS) policy changes to prioritize smaller independent companies. We also recognize his efforts to add value to B.C.’s forest products over the years. However, this is where our applause ends. Despite claims that “Forestry Works for BC’s goal is education, not policy change,” this is yet another forest industry group lobbying to protect the status quo. Their primary messaging promotes increasing the annual allowable cut, even suggesting that more old-growth logging will be necessary to sustain higher harvest levels. Their website’s article, “New Forestry Advocate Society Presses for Working Forest Legislation,” makes this clear. Framing Forestry Works for BC’s agenda as “education” is an insult to British Columbians.

…Mosaic is a forest stewardship business, which in part means it manages “private timberlands and public forest tenures in Coastal British Columbia.” Since 2018, it’s managed forestry assets on behalf of TimberWest and Island Timberlands, Mosaic explained in an email. …Across Vancouver Island, calls are growing for fewer restrictions to the backcountry, especially from recreational motorized groups. It’s also fueling tensions within some communities. …Opening up access raises challenges around complicated ownership of backcountry areas, and concerns for the safety of land and people accessing it. …As outdoor enthusiasts debate access to the beloved Vancouver Island backcountry, a larger question of addressing Indigenous title and rights in the same privatized areas. …Some conservationists are also raising ecological concerns about the little remaining Island wilderness — and worry that increasing motorized vehicle access for recreationists could hurt ecosystems.

A research project looking into the effects wood chippings have on wildfires is expected to start this spring. “There is a plan with BC wildfire to go in and burn it this spring, and then we can see the results of it,” said Rider Ventures Owner, Craig Moore. The controlled burn is being orchestrated by three agencies that fall under The Ministry of Forests. The research project is occurring in the Harvey Lake area near Lumby. Moore said the area is known as a high-danger zone for wildfires. …The project involves the removal of branches and sticks on the bottom 10 to 12 feet of a tree, getting rid of any excess that is touching the ground. The pieces are then made into 12 to 14-inch wood chips, which are spread around the forest floor. The area will then go through a controlled burn to see how the wood chips affect the fire.

The Winter 2025 edition is now available. This issue offers a comprehensive look at the dynamic world of woodlot management – blending practical advice, community stories, and a focus on building resilience in the face of a changing climate.

In this Issue:

• Minister’s Message
• Executive Director Report
• Why WRR is Crucial
• 2025 Woodlots BC Bursary
• Meet a Woodlotter Profiles
• Resilient Ecosystems Committee
• Mixed Retention

© City of Nelson

The City of Nelson is undertaking a wilfire mitigation project this spring on 3.4 hectares of forested land near the Selkirk College Silver King campus.   The work is part of the City’s ongoing wildfire risk reduction efforts and will be funded fully through the provincial Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) program.  The city says wildfire mitigation projects like this help reduce the potential for intense wildfires, while making it safer and more efficient for suppression crews to respond to any fires that do start… “A treated forest is much safer to fight a wildfire in. Fire crews can work more effectively, suppression efforts are quicker, and the risk to surrounding homes is greatly reduced,” said Fire Chief Jeff Hebert.   “Ultimately, this helps protect nearby homes, infrastructure, and the community as a whole.”

Ktunaxa First Nation has launched three major projects in East Kootenay to help protect the land from wildfire and restore ecosystem diversity. Ktunaxa Nation Council and the communities of ʔaq̓am and ʔakisq̓nuk are undertaking prescribed burns to help protect against wildfire. Two burns are planned for the ʔaq̓am area in 2026 on the community’s Kootenay IR#1 lands, near the Canadian Rockies International Airport and on Crown land to the north of Cranbrook. The community is partnering with the City of Cranbrook and B.C Wildfire Service to thin dense sections of forest to create new habitat, and remove dense woodland material on the forest floor that serves as fuel for rapidly spreading fires… The forest is going to be thinned to help protect nearby communities and culturally and archaeologically important sites from wildfire and help special wildlife and plant species like Rocky Mountain big horn sheep and woodland strawberry, thrive.

As forestry practices evolve, the intersection of conservation, Indigenous consultation, third-party certification, and workforce development is central to the future of the industry. The “Breaking New Ground” panel at the 2025 COFI Convention will explore how innovative partnerships and collaborative approaches can balance ecological stewardship with economic opportunity. Panelists will share insights on advancing reconciliation through meaningful consultation, supporting the next generation of forestry professionals, and ensuring sustainable practices through conservation financing and certification. Panelists: Lennard Joe, CEO, BC First Nations Forestry Council; Michael Reid, BC Program Director, Nature United; Kathy Abusow, President & CEO, Sustainable Forestry Initiative; and Aspen Dudzic, Director of Communications, Alberta Forest Products Association & “Forestry Together” Initiative. Moderator: Jason Fisher, Executive Director, Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). Join us for a forward-looking discussion that brings together diverse perspectives on how BC’s working forests can thrive while meeting environmental and social responsibilities.

Garry Merkel

The new Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship is a groundbreaking undergraduate program that emphasizes the vital integration of Indigenous science into land stewardship. By fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable and respectful resource management, the program is helping pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future for both Indigenous communities and the global landscape. Dr. Garry Merkel (nadi’ denezā), a Tahltan professional forester and the director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC Forestry, discusses his background, his work, and the vision for this innovative program. …The Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship program is dedicated to exploring how earth-based or Indigenous communities translate their deeply held land ethic into practical and effective land management systems. …One of the most significant challenges in promoting Indigenous land stewardship is overcoming the pervasive perception that Indigenous approaches are mere “fairy tale folklore” rather than legitimate, evidence-based science. 

Taryn Skalbania

Re: Okanagan producers of a documentary focused on wildfires ask for funds to finish their project (Feb. 24) Would we support (cigarette brand) Marlboro as leaders in the search for a cancer cure? Would we trust (oil company) Exxon to champion climate change? …So, why would B.C. trust “big forestry” to mitigate wildfires and save communities? This is what forester, Murray Wilson, and (Kelowna entrepreneur) Rick Maddison, are proposing. B.C.’S forestry sector is in the business of cutting down trees—period. …Also called strip and ship, or cut and run, logging, it’s all about profits and it contributes to floods, biodiversity loss, ghost towns, missing salmon and wildfires. The only mandate followed by logging cartels is dividends to shareholders. …How did the B.C. public get seduced by this ‘’loggers-as-wildfire-heroes’’ narrative? …a year ago, Linda Coady, CEO of B.C.’s Council of Forest Industries hired a market research firm to focus on how the sector could return to higher levels of harvest and gain long-lost social license.

Funding for a forestry project near Vernon is a positive step towards reducing wildfire risk, according to local MLA Harwinder Sandhu. “This innovative project led by the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) not only helped salvage a wildfire-affected area for safe replanting of trees but also reduced the carbon footprint of the cleanup,” said Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby. …The OKIB received $89,795 for a fibre recovery project that supported the removal of burned fibre from the first approved Wildfire Salvage Opportunity Agreement in B.C. …Fibre recovery is the process of extracting as much valuable fibre as possible from logs, branches, and other residual materials to ensure sustainable and economical use of forest resources. The project is one of 14 from the provincial government in the Thompson-Okanagan region, where $6.5 million was invested from the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC).

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Resource Works is announcing the official launch of the Innovation Forum video series, an exciting new platform dedicated to showcasing the transformative power of innovation for the benefit of Canada’s natural resource and cleantech sectors. …The program will showcase the stories of innovation leaders and industry experts who are changing the face of resource development and clean technology. …The first season includes over 25 exclusive interviews filmed at premier industry events in early 2025, the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George and AME Roundup in Vancouver, with guests sharing insights on energy transition, environmental stewardship, and technological advancements. Interviewees include: Derek Nighbor (Forest Products Association of Canada); Nancy Norris (BC Ministry for Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation); Suzanne Gill (Genome BC); Chamirai Nyabeze (Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation); Jean-Philippe Paiement (VRIFY); Lisa Mueller (Nation2Nation); and Gavin Dew (Member of the BC Legislative Assembly).

VALEMOUNT, BC — “Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate now,” warned Alberta emergency officials. On July 22, 2024, 30-kilometre-an-hour winds had swept two small fires into flames up to 50 metres high. Unable to contain the blaze, firefighters pulled back, and soon, thousands of people were sent fleeing. …But Jasper is not the only town suffering from the disaster’s fallout. As the fire approached, many fled west into the neighbouring province of British Columbia. Within hours, the Village of Valemount — BC’s northernmost resort town — ballooned with more than 20,000 people, more than 20 times its normal population. Locals opened their homes and restaurants. The municipal government set up public facilities for evacuees needing a place to sleep and bathe. …“We basically had 20,000 people. Then we had no people,” said Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson. …By the time most of the displaced had left, Valemount’s August high season had passed.