Region Archives: Canada West

As the challenges facing the West Kootenay’s forestry sector deepen, many have expressed concern over the potential for significant job losses. Tom Thomson, executive director of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce (NDCC), highlighted the potential ripple effects of the proposed 25 per cent tariffs from the U.S. “Forestry jobs are the backbone of Nelson,” said Thomson. “ If those jobs disappear the ripple effects are felt everywhere…It trickles down.” “It’s a bit too early to say for sure,” he added. “It could lead to huge layoffs in the forestry and manufacturing areas.”.. The provincial government has stated through a preliminary assessment that they project to lose $69 billion in economic growth between 2025 and 2028. They also proposed that the province’s gross domestic product (GDP) could decline by 0.6 per cent each year, with an estimated 124,000 job losses by 2028.

You can add the names of the three men who planted it to the long list of people opposed to the City of Victoria removing a giant sequoia to make way for a re-imagined Centennial Square. Tom Rose, Mike Leahy and Stu Montgomery, the three-man city horticulture crew that planted the tree on a late-winter day in the early 1980s, say they just don’t understand why it has to come down. “It’s a waste,” said Montgomery, 67, who retired in 2012 from the city after 37 years tending boulevards, sports fields and a stint overseeing Centennial Square. “It doesn’t make any sense.” The tree and the fountain would both be removed in a proposed $11.2-million redesign of the 60-year-old civic landmark.

Twenty-one students with the University of British Columbia’s Master of Sustainable Forest Management (MSFM) program visited the Sea to Sky in January to learn from Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) about economic and traditional elements of forestry. Between Jan. 20 and 24, the students worked with LFV on how to develop a landscape-level forest management plan that respects key conservation, fire management and cultural values. They were led by Ken Byrne, a UBC lecturer and registered professional forester (RPF) and lecturer at UBC. Byrne has been organizing these expeditions for some time, usually working to arrange the MSFM in partnership with a community forest or smaller tenure nearby or owned by a First Nation. …“We’re thrilled to partner with UBC on another project,” LFV general manager Klay Tindall said. “Our collaboration has allowed us to combine traditional forest science with Lil’wat cultural knowledge and values, leading to more informed management decisions.”

Kaslo, B.C. – As wildfires continue to increase in frequency and severity, the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) completed a wildfire risk reduction project, covering approximately 8 hectares of KDCFS’s tenure and 2 hectares of Crown land within the Wildland Urban Interface. With funding support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), the fuel reduction work focused on selectively removing trees to reduce the high fuel content and excess forest debris within a high-use recreation area that has an extensive bike trail network. This fuel reduction treatment will help protect the community from wildfires and serve to enhance both wildlife habitat and recreational values. “As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, projects like this are critical for reducing fuels in forests near communities,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “My thanks go to the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society for taking on this important community-driven work…”

A new University of British Columbia study has pinpointed strategies to help local forests adapt to climate change. …the eight-year study found ways forest ecosystems can be better prepared for the climate threat, with a focus on mitigating the loss of the Douglas fir tree. …professor and co-author of the study Suzanne Simard, said the project looked at the process of relocating Douglas firs that are already adapted to dry, hot weather, further north. …Opting for a two-pronged approach, researchers also explored how various routes of harvesting and regenerating forests would affect the migrated seedlings’ attempt to grow in the face of climate change. Researchers tried various avenues, from clear-cutting to retaining larger densities of the tallest Douglas fir trees, said Simard.

British Columbia-based environmental activist Zain Haq was aboard a plane in Toronto on Sunday afternoon, awaiting a nearly 14-hour flight to Pakistan. But Haq was not on the plane by choice. He was being deported following the expiry of a temporary residency permit and a failed bid by his Canadian wife to sponsor him to stay. …Haq initially came to Canada on a student visa from Pakistan. He co-founded the activist group Save Old Growth and pleaded guilty to mischief charges in 2023 over his role in environmental protests that blocked Metro Vancouver roadways. He was granted a temporary resident permit last spring, but it expired in October, and Haq’s challenge of his deportation in federal court was unsuccessful.

In recent years, the B.C. forestry sector has been characterized by mill closures, permitting delays, and job losses. …Last week, I met with forests minister Ravi Parmar to bring my concerns to his attention. Though the main focus of our conversation was the forest industry, many of the permitting issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship as well. We discussed the unpredictability of fibre supply and the burning of cull piles, which I am adamantly opposed to. …B.C. mills will only survive if the fibre approval process is streamlined and access to fibre is expedited. Why wouldn’t we want to simultaneously support mill operations in B.C. and reduce waste?  We must simplify regulations to allow fire-damaged timber and residual fibre to be used efficiently. …A review of BCTS is great but…. time is for sure of the essence! Our industry can’t wait any longer!!

Willow Ellsworth

Willow Ellsworth’s love for the outdoors inspired her to pursue a career in forestry… From BC Timber Sales she later joined the Ministry of Forests in the Authorizations department, working on road permits, cruising, and log scaling. In 2022, she obtained her Registered Forest Technologist designation and Interior Log Scaling license. Ellsworth started working with NorthPac in 2021 as a Forest Technologist and within a year transitioned to the role of Shipping Coordinator and finally Log Yard and Waste Supervisor. …“I am primarily involved in the Coast Tsimshian Resources LP and NorthPac’s fibre utilization project,” Willow noted. “Initially, we were shipping sawlogs via log cars to Dunkley, and the program has since expanded to introducing a chipper on site and shipping chips to Canfor in Prince George. FESBC funding has enabled NorthPac to haul pulp logs and small tops that are usually left to burn in the bush.”

Calgary, AB – The Indigenous Resource Network (IRN) is cautioning British Columbia Premier David Eby and BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to consider how forest policy changes could potentially harm Indigenous forestry workers and operators as the new government has committed to reviewing provincial forestry policies. The BC NDP signed an agreement-in-principle with the BC Greens to create a stable provincial government. The IRN is particularly concerned that the agreement commits the government to undertake yet another BC forests policy review as the province is facing expected softwood lumber duties and U.S. tariffs on February 1. We invite the premier and minister to meet with the Indigenous Resource Network to discuss how the province can balance Indigenous forestry resource management with environmental stewardship. We also invite them to view our documentary project Stewards of the Forest: Indigenous Leadership in Forestry to witness how Indigenous forestry operators are balancing resource development with responsible stewardship.

Creating these fuel-free zones around communities and neighbourhoods stops a fire in its tracks because there is little or nothing to accelerate their rapid and enormous growth. In 2024, a delegation of professional foresters from B.C. toured Finland to see what we could learn from how others manage their forests. …Over the last 10 years, Finland has lost an annual average of 323 hectares of land to wildfires. Over the same period, B.C. has lost an annual average of 407,000 hectares. Why this vast difference? Finland has practised intensive forestry for decades. Foresters regularly enter stands to remove weak or damaged trees. …This fibre is then directed to nearby pulp and paper mills or community bio-energy plants. No fibre is wasted. …Another Finnish practice is to maintain logging roads, which are broken down and “put to bed” here after harvesting in an area is complete.

City of Powell River councillors will direct staff to proceed with the city’s wildfire hazard development permit designation to address areas susceptible to wildfire risk. At the January 21 committee of the whole meeting …director of planning services Jason Gow …presented information regarding the wildfire development permit area project. He said in the summer of 2024, Frontera Forest Solutions was retained by the city to lead implementation of a wildfire hazard development permit area. …this project will include the identification of areas susceptible to wildfire risk, and the development of accompanying guidelines and mapping products. …Gow said a wildfire buffer is measured as the distance extending outward from areas near burnable fuels, which are vegetated areas with potential to carry wildfire. …The committee voted unanimously to direct staff to proceed with using a 100-metre wildfire buffer as the basis for the city’s wildfire hazard development permit area designation.

In a place surrounded by breathtaking forests and rugged mountains, wildfire preparedness is more than just a precaution—it’s a community effort.  With climate change bringing longer, drier seasons, Squamish residents are coming together to protect their homes and neighbourhoods through the FireSmart program. Squamish faces heightened wildfire vulnerability due to a combination of topography, weather, and fuel accumulation. Squamish’s growing tourism and development also impact wildfire risks. Reflecting on lessons from the current and recent wildfires in California and beyond, Emily Wood, FireSmart co-ordinator, stressed preparation. “FireSmart is the best way to protect your home, and small steps like clearing debris or removing flammable vegetation can make a huge difference.” Wood also pointed to bylaws prohibiting highly flammable plants like cedar and juniper near structures. “These regulations are critical, but enforcement can be challenging,” she acknowledged.

Ken Kalesnikoff

What is the impact of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products being sold to the U.S.? Let’s look at forestry. Regionally there are local companies employing local people with good jobs, and supporting local contractors and spin- offs to dozens or hundreds of small businesses. The B.C. lumber industry is watching closely. Locally, members of the Interior Lumber Manufacturers such as Kalesnikoff, Atco Wood Products and Porcupine say it is obviously top of mind. Ken Kalesnikoff says there has not been much certainty in the forestry sector for many years, and the uncertainty of lumber tariffs is yet another challenge for the local forestry companies. As much as they don’t know the exact impact yet, it is a huge concern.

The B.C. government has tasked new Forest Minister Ravi Parmar with reviewing its lead timber agency, B.C. Timber Sales. The Jan. 15 news release announcing the review, and Premier David Eby’s mandate letter to Parmar, both downplay the environment in favour of the business side of forestry… There is no mention of watersheds, biodiversity, wildlife, and climate change in either the news release announcing the review or in the mandate letter, which mentions old growth once in passing. Asked why it is not mentioned in the above six reasons for the BCTS review, or in Eby’s mandate letter, Parmar said, “I’m fully committed to fulfilling my obligations on the old growth action plan. … Biodiversity, taking care of our lands, being good stewards of our land, is critical to me, and it’s going to be a huge part of this review.”

In a mandate letter to Ravi Parmar, B.C.’s new minister of Forests, Premier David Eby directs Parmar to somehow come up with “a sustainable land base” that will ensure an annual harvest of 45 million cubic metres of timber to help support a floundering forest industry. That could be a tough order to fill, given the caveat attached to Parmar’s mandate that he do this “while fulfilling our commitment to protect old growth.” Old growth, after all, has been estimated to make up about one quarter of B.C.’s annual allowable cut (AAC) overall, and 50 per cent of the coastal AAC… The single biggest uncertainty is dwindling access to raw timber. In its letter to political leaders, the society asks for a working forest protected through legislation.

PEACE RIVER, Alberta – Mercer Peace River Pulp and Woodland Cree First Nation have signed a historic agreement extending their co-ownership relationship of Peace River Logging. The renewed partnership extends their positive working relationship and reinforces their commitment to responsible forestry practices. …Mercer and Woodland Cree have co-owned Peace River Logging since 2004, and this new agreement ensures the long-term sustainability of the joint venture and secures the jobs of more than 80 local people. “Mercer Peace River is committed to working with Indigenous communities and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Woodland Cree First Nation,” said Roger Ashfield, Managing Director of Mercer Peace River.”

Southern mountain caribou are disappearing in British Columbia and the federal government has been dragging its feet for more than a decade on protecting the endangered herds, conservation groups say in a letter to the environment minister Steven Guilbeault. The letter sent on behalf of the Wilderness Committee, Wildsight (see their press release here) and Stand.earth said three populations of the caribou are in particularly steep decline as logging and other industrial development cuts through their habitat in eastern B.C. Wildsight’s Eddie Petryshen said successive federal governments and environment ministers have “kicked the can further down the road,” and that trend continues today. …Environment and Climate Change Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. …Predator reduction may be part of a comprehensive recovery strategy for endangered caribou, Petryshen said, but it doesn’t address the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat, which is the driving force behind their decline.

In British Columbia, wood remains the primary framing material, remarks Anthony Marks, who constructs fire resistant modular homes, but the fire resistant modular homes his company constructs are framed with steel. They also use wood sheathing coated with a fire retardant and fibrous cement board products for exterior cladding. …Anabela Bonada, manager and research associate at the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation says there are solutions at hand to reduce the risk of fire to homes — Canada just hasn’t demanded they be taken yet. …Canada’s National Building Code is geared toward protecting buildings and homes in cities and doesn’t refer to wildfires. …Most Canadian communities are lagging in responding to wildfire threats, Bonada said. …Referring to the National Research Council of Canada’s guide for wildland-urban interface fires, she said programs like FireSmart have made simpler guides available.

Lori Daniels

Marina Melanidis

UBC Forestry wishes to congratulate Dr. Lori Daniels and Marina Melanidis on being awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal! The Medal, administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall, commemorates individuals who have “made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada”. As the inaugural Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence, and with her award-winning teaching, leading-edge research, and dedication to knowledge mobilization, Lori has worked tirelessly to keep our forests healthy and our communities safe. Marina Melanidis launched two very successful youth-led NGOs (Youth4Nature and Climate Guides) focusing on nature-based solutions and climate action, and is currently enrolled in a PhD program at Cambridge.

Legislative loopholes have been discovered that enable extensive logging in southern mountain caribou habitat, claim local environmental groups. The Wilderness Committee and Wildsight are calling on the province to stop approving roads and cutblocks in no-harvest zones and to fully protect all federally-identified core caribou habitat. …“According to our new map analyses, more than 78 hectares of no harvest zones (NHZ) — set aside for caribou in the Revelstoke area — have been logged or approved to be logged since then,” noted a press release on the matter. …Over the past two decades, only 10 of the 18 sub-populations (herds) remain on the landscape in southern and central B.C. …New research from the University of British Columbia confirms this dependency on hair lichen, warning that abundant hair lichen can only grow in advanced aged old-growth forests, and that restoring such lichen is virtually impossible in young forests.

Steven Kozuki

Forestry businesses are writing to the provincial government and opposition to “champion” better practices to protect the industry. Forestry Works of BC, a collection of businesses, details different ways the governments could implement greener practices within the industry. It asks the governments to take “specific and divisive action” to support and grow the sector. “The feeling in the industry right now, it’s financially and economically as bad as it’s ever been,” says Steve Kozuki, Executive Director of Forestry Works BC. “We’ve been under trade tariffs for quite some time, and the feeling is it would be nice to have our leaders in the province stand up for forestry.” Kozuki detailed several “key programs” the province could make a pivot within the industry and other resource sectors. Using lumbered and engineered wood that are eco-friendly for construction materials that would store and cleanse carbon dioxide.

Colorado wildlife officials say the capture of 15 grey wolves in British Columbia and their release in the U.S. state is complete, an operation they say led to unspecified threats against staff. The operation that began in B.C. on Jan. 10 and wrapped up on Saturday follows Colorado voters’ approval of a 2020 ballot initiative to reintroduce grey wolves to the state, where the animals are listed as endangered. But the program has stirred opposition, and a statement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Sunday says its staff have been threatened over the relocations. It says its officers were “watched” and were targeted by threatening phone calls and social media posts. The department says it did not share details while the wolf release was underway due to the “safety risk and security needs of our staff and the animals.” It adds that two of the 10 wolves reintroduced in Colorado in 2023 have been illegally shot.

The provincial government is injecting cash into early-stage planning for a potential forestry project by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and its economic development arm, Nch’Kay Development Corporation, it was announced last week. With $50,000 from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, the Nation will conduct pre-construction engineering and site assessments to determine the potential for a future capital project… Though details of the project haven’t been finalized, it represents a larger push in the forestry sector to use resources more efficiently, shift away from old-growth timber reliance, and invest in high-value manufacturing. The BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund is partnering with forestry companies throughout the province to grow and stabilize their operations and get the most out of our fibre supply, while producing more made-in-B.C. engineered wood products.

Forestry Works for BC is a group of forest-based organizations and companies, representing businesses engaged in all aspects of British Columbia’s forestry sector. …We ask you, the leaders of British Columbia, to take specific and decisive actions to support forestry. Become champions of forestry. Proclaim your intent to grow the forest bio economy in British Columbia. Create a legislatively protected working forest to ensure the forest sector can continue to create the social, economic, and environmental benefits for generations of British Columbians. Publicly and vocally recognize good forest management that reduces greenhouse gases, reduces wildfire smoke in the air, improves wildlife habitat, reduces wildfire risk and flooding, and provides family and community supporting jobs.

The Vancouver Park Board has unlocked another $3 million to the contractor currently cutting down dead trees in Stanley Park destroyed by a hemlock looper moth infestation. The bid committee for the board and city decided in mid-December on behalf of the elected park board and city council to approve a “change order” of $3 million to fund the next phase of “immediate work required to mitigate safety risks.” …A staff report that goes before commissioners Jan. 20 said “weather events” in October and November 2024 resulted in “tree failures.” That triggered urban forestry staff to get an independent assessment of the impacted areas of the park. …Typically, looper moth outbreaks occur on a 15-year cycle and last for up to two years before collapsing from cold winters and natural predators. The outbreak in Stanley Park is in its fifth year, with a park board document attributing its longevity to warmer winter and spring conditions.

Lori Daniels

Metro Vancouver isn’t immune to widespread wildfires like the ones devastating southern California. …Lori Daniels is a professor at the University of British Columbia and the faculty’s Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence. She researches forest and wildfire dynamics and says the Lower Mainland has the potential for a disastrous conflagration given the right conditions.  “It’s already happened in Canada. We have seen wildland fires spread through communities where the ember or the flames ignited homes and then the fire becomes contagious from home to home,” she said. Wildfires have partially or fully destroyed several towns and cities across the province. While several factors contribute to fires, rising temperatures increase their likelihood dramatically. …”Could you imagine if the recent Dunbar fire had been on a windy day during the 2021 heat dome? It would have consumed multiple structures throughout the neighbourhood and perhaps created a conflagration in Pacific Spirit Park,” Daniels remarks.

Rhonda Millikin, an award-winning ecologist who has questioned Whistler’s approach to wildfire mitigation, was issued a cease-and-desist letter last month from Forest Professionals British Columbia (FPBC), which said she is not certified to offer forestry advice. The FPBC said in its Dec. 14 letter that Millikin was unlawfully engaged in the reserved practice of professional forestry by providing advice and recommendations to the RMOW to limit or cease forest fuel-thinning efforts. “On principle, we don’t have an issue with people, whether a member of the public or someone from a different profession, researching or holding opinions or even talking about those opinions,” explained Casey Macaulay, the FPBC’s registrar and director of act compliance, who authored the cease-and-desist letter. “Where it’s an issue is when they start to advocate for a particular practice, and in this case, where that practice is so out of sync with the current science and the current practice of protecting communities from wildfires.”

A Maple Ridge company was one of the beneficiaries of the provincial government’s recent announcement of support for forest sector manufacturers. Cedarland Forest Products, based on 256th Street, will receive as much as $1.3 million to buy and install new high-temperature kilns and a moulder, allowing the company to diversify its wood fibre sources to include underutilized species, and reduce its reliance on old-growth cedar. Cedarland produces lumber and profiled cedar products including siding, decking and panelling. The new initiative will enable Cedarland to produce new thermally modified wood products, access new markets, and create 23 new forestry jobs. “Support from the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund will help Cedarland install new advanced equipment, keeping us on the leading edge of re-manufacturing,” said Jeremy Hamm, general manager. “We will now be able to produce high-end finished products from a variety of B.C. species, while adding value every step of the way.”

Other recipients of recent funding: 
Kelowna company receiving government funding as part of forestry project boost

Lil’wat Lands and Resources is set to undertake a top-to-bottom update on its land-use plan—and it’s looking for help from Nation members. Since its passage in 2006, the Lil’wat Land Use Plan (LLUP) has provided a high-level vision for the Nation’s traditional territory that respects and recognizes Lil’wat principles. The policy addresses water security, fishing grounds, wildlife protection (for food and culture), diversity of vegetation and heritage preservation. The forestry section of the LLUP was updated in 2024 with funding from the province to address old-growth forest management. The addendum was spurred by a shift in management over Lil’wat Forests; Lil’wat Forestry now oversees a majority (76 per cent) of forested space in the traditional territory.

PRINCE GEORGE, BC — The BC Natural Resources Forum had various government representatives, First Nations, as well as industry and business leaders discuss challenges and futures pertaining to natural resources. The three-day event concluded Thursday in Prince George. C3 Alliance CEO, Sarah Weber said those include economic challenges, curtailments in forestry, and cumulative impacts on the land. …Weber says the forum is also another way for the north and southern parts of the province to have better understandings on issues and challenges presented. …“There’s so many things going on between forestry, mining, energy, and the conversations around those.” The BC Natural Resources Forum will return to Prince George for its 23rd annual event next year from January 20th to the 22nd.

The Coast Silviculture Committee is an ad hoc organization of forest professionals whose prime objective is to disseminate current technical forest management and silvicultural information to all forest practitioners and the public in coastal British Columbia. Its membership includes corporate, government, and self-employed professional foresters and forest technologist, forestry educators, forest land owners, researchers, and tenure managers. Every year the CSC holds two meetings; a short, one or two day, information meeting in winter, and a slightly longer field based technical workshop in early to mid- June; summer meetings are held in a different part of the coast each year. All of the surplus funds from workshops go towards supporting development of silvicultural expertise in students at the post-secondary level through providing of awards. The Winter 2025 workshop is scheduled for February 19 at Vancouver Island University. 

If anyone can get things done, it’s Terris Billyboy.  As the new general manager of Yunesit’in’s Leading Edge Wood Products, Billyboy’s vision is to ramp up production and get the business name circulating.  Based out of Horsefly, just east of Williams Lake, Leading Edge provides high quality wood productsfrom flooring and siding to glulam beams and rough-cut lumber. The business also offers lumber drying services and custom timber preparation and promotes a sustainable approach to the industry. “When I started it was so overwhelming,” Billyboy told the Tribune. She stepped into the role in May of 2024 after working as a labourer with West Fraser for eight years. Her career was essentially set at the plywood plant in Williams Lake; she was among the third generation of her family to work for West Fraser and was in her second year of a millwright apprenticeship.

Details of a Wildfire Studies Diploma program at Thompson Rivers University have been unveiled. Following a 30-day public feedback process, TRU says the university’s Senate and Board of Governors approved five certificates and one diploma program at the Centre for Wildfire Research, Education, Training and Innovation (TRU Wildfire). In a news release issued Tuesday (Jan. 14), TRU says three of the certificates that are expected to start in September 2025 are each a semester in length and equal to nine credits. They include Wildfire Science (Faculty of Science), Sociocultural Dynamics of Wildfire (Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism) and Wildfire Communications and Media (Faculty of Arts)… While training is expected to begin in existing facilities, a state-of-the-art training facility and building on the TRU campus is also in the works.

The District of Elkford will send Canfor the bill after the District’s fire department responded to some unattended burn piles north of the community. “We understand that Canfor has registered these piles with the BC Wildfire Service as required,” said Elkford officials. “However, these piles are being lit and burned without consultation or advisement to the District of Elkford.” Director of Elkford’s Fire and Emergency Services Enzo Calla says the company also broke Category 3 Open Burn regulations with the November fires. “This was in contravention to the burning index that was issued for that time. We had a cold front inversion,” said Calla. “It kept the smoke at a low level within the municipal district for several days.”