Region Archives: Canada West

Kevin Falcon

Public Land makes up 95 percent of our province. It belongs to all British Columbians. Whether it’s for recreational access like hiking, camping, fishing, sledding, or hunting, for dock permits, or activities related to mining, forestry, agriculture or ranching, decisions about Public Land impact all five million of us — First Nations and non-First Nations alike. When the NDP introduced UNDRIP legislation in 2019, it promised the Legislature 17 times that it would not amount to a veto. Instead, they said it would align with the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that, while government has a duty to consult and — where required — accommodate First Nations, our Constitution does not provide First Nations with veto power over Public Land. …We want to be clear: the blame for all of this lies with David Eby and the NDP, not First Nations who are simply doing the important work of acting in the best interests of their communities.

Nathan Cullen

B.C.’s Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen has accused critics of pending First Nations-related legislation governing about 95 per cent of provincial land of fear-mongering. Cullen said these critics hope to turn back the clock to 1950s, adding that resource industry leaders themselves are asking for the kind of certainty in resource dealings with First Nations that the legislation is intended to provide. “My worry is that for some of the political actors here on the right, this is an element of dog-whistle politics,” Cullen said, adding that deliberate misinformation around the issue is hurting B.C.’s reputation. …Critics are accusing the government of not only downplaying the consultation process to avoid attention, but have also raised concerns that government is planning to give First Nations veto power over land decisions. Perhaps the important document making that point is a commentary from Vancouver-based law firm McMillan LLP.

Doig River and Fort Nelson First Nations have added their voice to several First Nations seeking a new federal tax policy on resource projects. The optional First Nations Resource Charge (FNRC) would see tax revenues collected from indigenous lands go directly to stakeholder nations. Under the Indian Act, tax revenue generated by resource projects is collected by the federal government and then dispersed from Ottawa back to First Nations. The proposal was formally announced in Vancouver last week, and endorsed by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, which he says would speed up negotiations and project approvals, dubbing it a First Nation-led solution to a made-in-Ottawa problem. The proposed charge would allow First Nations to directly collect 50 per cent of the federal taxes paid by industrial activities on their land, with industry getting a tax credit in exchange. The charge would not preclude communities from using other arrangements like impact benefit agreements.

In an open letter to the provincial government, the President of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA), Chief Randy Schroeder has expressed concern over a lack of cohesive wildfire preparedness strategy for the province. According to Chief Schroeder, combatting last year’s wildfire season in Alberta brought forth considerable challenges, highlighting the critical need for a comprehensive and proactive approach to wildfire management. “The AFCA has met with key Ministries presenting specific asks including additional resources, increased training capacity, equipment, and aerials and requesting the establishment of a Provincial Fire Services Advisory Committee to assist in developing a dedicated provincial strategy to better manage and mitigate the risks associated with wildfire seasons.” …He added that that is part of what the AFCA is asking, for ministries to work more cohesively, while also establishing a Provincial Fire Services Advisory Committee.

Jamie Jeffreys & Kevin Horsnell

Congratulations to Canfor’s Kevin Horsnell, MBA, RPF, SVP Canadian Operations, on receiving the Forest Professionals BC’s Distinguished Forest Professional Award, the Association’s highest honour, at recent conference in Kelowna. Through his 30 years as a Registered Professional Forester, Kevin has demonstrated his remarkable penchant for relationships, his dedication to professional excellence, and his advocacy for high standards, safety and innovation in all elements of sustainably caring for BC’s forests. “Over the course of his career, Kevin has made a tremendous positive impact on professional forestry and Canfor. He leads with integrity every day and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo. Kevin is a vocal champion of BC’s forests, Professional Foresters and the sector. I value his honest advice and the meaningful contributions he has made to our company and the industry,” Don Kayne, President & CEO, Canfor. So proud to have Kevin leading the way at Canfor!

Mosaic Forest Management is pleased to be recognized as one of British Columbia’s Top Employers for the third consecutive year. Award recipients were announced in a special magazine published today and featured in the Vancouver Sun and BC’s Top Employer website. “Earning BC’s Top 100 Employers once again is a great honour for Mosaic Forest Management,” said Rob Gough, Mosaic Forest Management’s President and CEO. “Our focus is building a workplace culture centred on safety and sustainability, ensuring our employees and contractors feel they belong and where team members can contribute their authentic selves.” Many factors contributed to Mosaic securing the third straight BC’s Top Employers award, including its dedication to working alongside and supporting local First Nations, its focus on employee professional development with generous tuition subsidies, student programs and enabling careers in forestry for recent graduates, and its ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

David Beleznay

Congratulations to Mosaic’s David Beleznay, Director of Climate & Watershed, on receiving the Forest Professionals British Columbia Climate Change Innovator Award for his exemplary leadership, knowledge and experience advancing climate change action in and through forestry. “Surrounded by an amazing team and truly humbled by the nomination and award…forests are not inherited from our parents, they are borrowed from our children. There is so much opportunity in our forests to adapt and mitigate for climate change. Look forward to continuing to learn and innovate in this important time,” said Beleznay in a LinkedIn post. 

The Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Wildfire Taskforce has begun preparing for the 2024 wildfire season. Cliff Buettner, director of forestry and protective services has worked with PAGC for the past 25 years and previous to that spent several years “with the government of Saskatchewan as a conservation officer,” giving him 42 years’ experience with wildfires in the province. The Taskforce was established in 2017 in response to fires in Pelican Narrows. In part the resolution calls for increased First Nation response to wildfires “that affect the traditional livelihoods of First Nations and their traditional land,” Buettner said. First Nation people “want to participate in suppression of fires” that affect their communities,” he said. Buettner said PAGC is looking at the response to firefighting in the north and want to move to a process used in the past to fight fires where fires were fought early in the morning and in the evening.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation says it has not accounted for thousands of trees cut down in Stanley Park. A Feb. 9 letter from freedom of information manager Kevin Tuerlings said “our office has confirmed with Park Board staff that there are no records responsive to your request for an inventory of trees designated for removal.” On Nov. 29, the park board announced that 160,000 trees would be chopped because of the Hemlock looper moth infestation and fears of a wildfire. In September, it hired forestry consultancy B.A. Blackwell and Associates on an emergency, no-bid contract. …A reporter applied Nov. 22 for the tree inventory, tree removal plan and arborist’s report, but the city sent a $450 invoice almost a month later… Tuerlings notified a reporter by email that the Blackwell report had been published on the city’s website, titled “Stanley Park Hemlock Looper Impact and Wildfire Risk Assessment”.

Much-needed snow is falling across the B.C. South Coast and Southern Interior mountains Sunday. The snowfall comes after the province reported the snowpack is at 61 per cent of normal with the South Coast mountains recording only 30 to 47 per cent of seasonal averages. This well-below-normal snowpack is raising concerns about drought heading into the spring and summer months. Ten to 20 centimetres of snow is expected in the mountains Sunday through Monday morning. …A snowfall warning is in effect for Whistler, Central and Northern Okanagan, South Thompson, West Columbia and East Kootenay regions.

Top bureaucrats inside Vancouver city hall secretly approved spending $2.1 million last summer to remove tens of thousands of Stanley Park trees due to the Hemlock looper moth outbreak. Deputy city manager Karen Levitt rubber stamped the emergency request on Aug. 8 from Colin Knight in the finance department… Knight estimated $2.02 million for euphemistic “operational treatments” between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 on 39 hectares around the Stanley Park Causeway and Stanley Park Railway. During the same time period, “prescriptions” on 55 hectares around the railway, Prospect Point, Brockton Point, Vancouver Aquarium and the steep area above the seawall, for $55,000. …“It is the goal of this project to maximize the number of removals as part of this initial phase of a multi-year program to reduce the risk to public safety and potential for forest fires,” it said. “Any changes to the project phases, timelines and deliverables may be amended with prior Park Board approval.”

Lisa Wood

Prof. Lisa Wood and her team at the University of Northern British Columbia have been awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance grant worth more than $1.5 million, with partner in-kind contributions for a five-year project, to study the effects of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) residues on ecosystem health. The grant is a first for UNBC and only awarded to projects addressing significant societal challenges. “This knowledge is urgently needed, given the large-scale use and persistence of GBH in the natural systems humans and wildlife rely on for high quality ecosystems services, like air and water quality, climate moderation and food sources,” said Wood. …“Canadians will benefit from the research conducted by better understanding the extent of the impact of GBH on forest systems,” said Wood. “Our partner organizations will use this information to support their mandates and advocate for updates to policy, where warranted.”

VANCOUVER, BC – A remarkably powerful and timely innovation in urban forestry – the mighty Mini-Forest will be planted outside the Globe Forum at the Vancouver Convention Centre this week. Densely planted these native-species of trees and shrubs, grow faster, acting as urban oases and carbon sponges. Canadian Geographic and the Network of Nature partners are advocating for the establishment of these tiny forests in demonstration plots in communities across Canada. In its second year, the Network of Nature’s Mini-Forest initiative, after undertaking a series of pilot Mini-Forest plantings in 2023, developing training resources and communities of practice and experimenting with monitoring technologies, has attracted champions in communities from across the country who, with the required financial support, are prepared to help advance a national network of Mini-Forests.

Trevor Hancock

As far back as 1964, Paul Sears, an eminent American ecologist and former chair of the graduate program in Conservation at Yale University, described ecology as “a subversive subject” and asked “if taken seriously as an instrument for the long-run welfare of mankind, would it endanger the assumptions and practices accepted by modern societies, whatever their doctrinal commitments.” …It seems something is afoot in the body ­politic and the halls of government, something that might ­challenge those core beliefs and subvert the ­assumptions and practices accepted by modern ­societies: ecology. …The draft framework is commendably clear: If it’s adopted, the B.C. government would commit “to the conservation and management of ecosystem health and biodiversity as an overarching priority and will ­formalize this priority through legislation and other enabling tools that apply to … all sectors.”

The Town of Okotoks’ has received a response to their request for a logging moratorium. In November, town council received a letter and presentation from the Calgary Climate Hub (CCH) requesting support in calling for a moratorium on logging in Southern Alberta, specifically due to an approved project from Spray Lake Sawmills in Kananaskis Country’s Upper Highwood drainage. The CCH presented five reasons why a moratorium should be put in place, including effects on native species, the Highwood watershed, and harm to the region. Mayor Tanya Thorn signed a letter of support for a moratorium addressed to Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz, specifically pointing to increased water absorption rates amid Alberta’s drought conditions. At today’s (Feb. 12) meeting, council will review a response letter from Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen.

David Eby

There is a very serious legal change being contemplated in BC that will greatly affect people living in that province and potentially in the rest of Canada. This change pertains to BC’s adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). …It basically states that indigenous people have the rights to the lands and resources on those lands where they live. There has been much confusion over exactly what this means. …Although a number of estimates of how much of the province will be affected have been discussed, it is generally agreed that most of the territory of BC will be involved. This is expected to give indigenous groups an effective veto over most if not all future resource, agricultural, forestry, communications and other such projects in the province. …Continuing with this legislative plan will damage the BC economy very seriously, and will be extremely difficult to reverse.

FORT ST. JOHN — The Premier of British Columbia says he is worried about the on-going drought in Northeast BC. Premier David Eby says BC is seeing “some of the most dramatic drought conditions that have been seen in our lifetime, especially in Northeast BC.” The provincial snowpack has remained extremely low since the beginning of February, according to B.C.’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. Across the Peace Region, snow levels are 22 per cent below normal. Across BC, snow levels are 39 per cent below normal, drastically worse than this time last year, when levels were still 19 per cent below normal, according to a B.C. River Forecast Centre report released Thursday. …“We need to keep trees on land, that buffers the snow melt and makes the snow pack last longer,” Aaron Hill, executive director of Watershed Watch Salmon Society said.

Additional coverage in the National Observer, by Rochelle Baker: ‘Here we are talking about drought in February’

A forestry expert says it’s time to take a holistic approach to wildfire management as British Columbia gears up for another season. British Columbia Institute of Technology instructor Justin Perry recently addressed a TedX Abbotsford conference with a presentation titled Holistic Wildfire Management: Seeing Fire Through Multiple Lenses which calls for a balanced strategy when attempting to control wildfires. …“Holistic wildfire management is just about assessing where we can make improvements to the way we’re currently doing things. It’s about trying to mitigate this crisis we’re facing.” Perry said historically when fire emerged it was immediately dealt with on an ad-hoc basis but that has resulted in unanticipated knock-on effects. He added BC Wildfire has adopted a modified fire response where the fire is monitored and “they try to let it burn for ecological benefit.” …You can watch Perry’s Tedx talk here.

The beginning of a new year brings with it the persistent and eternal optimism in all of us working and involved in our forest sector. …Let’s start with managing for less wildfire risk. Frankly, our loggers are the best in the world so when it comes down to adopting innovative harvesting techniques. …For carbon sequestration, active management and harvesting of the forest resource is the pathway to maximizing carbon capture of the forests. …There is a need for a whole lot of housing and wood is the core material to deliver. …The real question is whether the leadership is in place to capitalize on this forest of opportunities. …The ingredients needed are not that complex: a pragmatic and scientific approach to the future versus dogmatic alarmist rhetoric; a clear and consistent framework of policy and legislation; an invigorated investment climate; a renewed globally competitive sector; and a collective vision endorsed and supported by all involved. 

Wildfire fuel mitigation work will kick off next week in Prince George. The work will take place at Broddy Road between the Vanway Firehall and the Vanway transfer station starting from Monday, Feb 12. The project is expected to be completed by the end of August and there may be the need for short road closures (of a few hours) of Broddy Road over the coming weeks. Wildfire fuel removal activities reduce the amount of combustible material that can be used as fuel for a fire. This might include thinning trees, pruning branches and removing dead wood, reducing the amount of litter and debris on the ground, or creating buffer zones between homes and wildlands.

Alberta’s forestry minister says the province plans to field more firefighters and volunteers as it braces for what it expects will be another busy wildfire season. And Todd Loewen says it looks like more of the same in the future as Alberta’s climate gets drier and warmer. He says communities will have to become more fire smart and forestry companies may have to adjust their harvesting practices. Loewen says the government will be “a little more aggressive” in declaring fire bans. The government has already said fire crews will be in place earlier this year. There are 57 wildfires burning in Alberta already, 54 of which are carry-over fires from last season that have sprung into flame after smouldering underground over the winter. 

PRINCE GEORGE — A mayor of a community deeply impacted by recent changes in the forestry industry says… the province needs to take strong action to protect jobs and communities. It was less than a month ago when the Province announced… funding through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, but the North was mainly absent from the announcement. Minister of Jobs Brenda Bailey said that the Fund was designed to help communities. However, Joan Atkinson, the mayor of Mackenzie, a community that has been hit hard by mill closures, says that communities like hers needs action, not promises. It is hard to understate just how much Mackenzie has been impacted… after Canfor shut the sawmill down … “My message to government is stop these make work projects to make it appear that you’re actually doing something because you’re not doing a thing that matters to the people who are dependent on resource communities.” 

Nathan Cullen

VICTORIA — While the New Democrats launched their consultation on changes to the Land Act without letting the public in on the secret, they did alert some corporations, industry associations and other interest groups. The government released a list. The names included some of the biggest corporations in the province: Telus, Rogers, Bell, Fortis and B.C. Hydro…[and] many of the industry associations: B.C. Business Council, Council of Forest Industries, Clean Energy B.C. …Adventure Tourism Coalition, Guide Outfitters. However, the provincial government provoked suspicions when it did not announce its intentions by news release or any other broadly public process. …This week the minister has been promoting the consultations, albeit mostly with the same groups that were invited to join in the first place. …For members of the public who did not get an invitation, the main option for feedback remains the Engage B.C. website.

The persistent lack of snow across much of B.C. is setting the stage for a possible repeat of the record-breaking provincewide drought experienced last summer, watershed experts worry. Despite a short blast of arctic weather in January, unseasonably warm temperatures coupled with rain have been melting already stressed snowpacks, particularly in parts of southern B.C. and Vancouver Island, said Coree Tull, of the BC Watershed Security Coalition. …This year, drought concerns are surfacing even earlier than last, Tull said… “But the unprecedented unpredictable weather we’ve seen continues to contribute to really this persistent risk of severe drought.” And the northeast region of the province is still caught up in the serious drought from last summer. …Prioritizing the preservation of natural solutions like mature forests, wetlands and beaver dams that store or retain water on the landscape and reduce the risk of wildfires, drought and floods is also key, Aaron Hill said.

Working the forests of the future will need machinery of the future. Quesnel is a city unequivocally centred in the B.C. forest and centred on the B.C. forest industry. One of the effects of the biennial Future of Forestry Think Tank held in Quesnel is a set of companies, agencies, and government departments conversing about how Quesnel might well be positioned as a training hub for the latest in sustainable forestry practices. That dialogue took a step forward this past week when a high-tech piece of forestry equipment was set up right inside City Hall. This industrial machine is not a diesel-spewing roaring dinosaur of the bush, though. It is more like a video game console that only plays titles like Forwarder and Single-Grip Harvester – two of the logging machines emerging as international favourites for careful and nimble 21st century lumberjacking.

Port McNeill: The World’s Largest Burl is on the move, with the Town of Port McNeill creating a new public space closer to the main business and tourist areas to showcase its iconic attraction. The town and local volunteers aim to complete the project prior to the 2024 summer tourism season through an investment with Island Coastal Trust. “We feel that salmon and the burl are what put Port McNeill on the map,” says Lorraine Landry, a 30-year local resident and volunteer “Moving it to a new location will bring life back into this piece of Port McNeill’s history.” The burl has always been a source of great community pride, connecting the community with its deep roots in the forestry industry. …When a recent fire caused damage to this site, the Town Council voted to move the burl to a new permanent space at the gateway of downtown.

Additional coverage in the Victoria Times Colonist: Port McNeill moving beloved burl to new, more visible location

An Alberta government document suggests the province has made little progress in protecting its 15 threatened caribou herds, despite having signed an agreement with Ottawa that promised it would. That document, released three years late on Jan. 19, is the first report into the so-called Section 11 agreement between the province and Environment Canada. The 2020 agreement was made under threat of the federal government stepping in to protect critical habitat for the herds, which are in many cases almost entirely disturbed by resource development. The report considers the deal’s first two years. But even that limited time frame suggests a long list of problems, from the slow cleanup of seismic lines to the ongoing growth of industrial footprint to the lack of range planning that would let the species survive in some of Canada’s busiest landscapes.