Christine Gelowitz
It stings a little every time I read an article or comment online that mischaracterizes forest management in BC or the role of forest professionals. I imagine many forest professionals likely feel a similar way, because a career in forest management is not just a job; what we feel for the forest is both personal and professional. …years spent working in forestry only deepens our connection on both a personal and professional level. No wonder most forest professionals feel a deep sense of responsibility to defend and speak out about forests.
As a result of this passion, the hundreds of comments submitted in the recent registrant survey came as no surprise to me… Many expressed a desire to see FPBC combat misinformation and provide unbiased information on areas of public concern. Registrants also suggested public education campaigns about the state of the forest, forest management practices, and the role of forest professionals; and they suggested looking for ways for forest professionals to be engaged in respectful, informed debate about forest management policies and practices.
I couldn’t agree more. FPBC is working on these things, just not at the scale I believe many desire. There are clear limitations about how and what FPBC can advocate for, and there are practical limitations based on our staff size and budget; however, we will continue to have a voice in forests and there are ways we can work together to amplify it. …Code Standard 8, Professionalism, encourages forest professionals to promote public knowledge with truthful, accurate information on forestry matters. I urge all practising forest professionals to use their expertise and voice to help combat misinformation about forests and forest professionals today.
As many Canadian businesses are looking anxiously to what a Donald Trump presidency — and his promise of increased tariffs on imported goods — could mean for their bottom line, those working in B.C.’s lumber industry already have a sense of the impact: lost jobs, devastated towns and an uncertain future. …Canadian softwood lumber sold in America is already hit by duties that doubled under Biden’s presidency and are forecast to double again in 2025. Meanwhile, production in the United States has increased, bringing with it new jobs and investment — sometimes funded by the same companies that are closing up shop in Canada. …Also top of mind are protectionist measures taken by the United States making it more difficult for softwood produced in Canada to be sold across the border. …Both Canfor and West Fraser … now operate more mills in the United States than in Canada as they shut down or curtail operations at home.
Business groups say the work stoppage at BC ports is the latest in a run of supply chain disruptions affecting Canadian companies and the country’s economy. Employers at most of the province’s ports locked out their workers November 4 in a dispute involving roughly 700 unionized foremen. The workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 have been without a contract since March 2023. “It’s been absolutely brutal. I mean, the timing of this is just really challenging,” said Pascal Chan, senior director of transportation, infrastructure and construction at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. …Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Bridgitte Anderson said the shutdown will disrupt $800 million in goods every day, warning it could put upward pressure on inflation. …Despite the importance of Canada’s ports, Fraser Johnson, a professor at the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario said the rail disruption posed a more imminent threat.
A second-term David Eby BC NDP government is “marginally better” than the alternative that appeared to be in the cards on election night, business leaders said last week. …In an open letter to the new government, seven business associations… urged the new government to take B.C.’s flagging economic health seriously, and get its fiscal house in order. …At last week’s Global Wood Summit, Rob Schuetz, president of Industrial Forestry Services, said 16 sawmills, three pulp mills and four paper mills have been shut down in B.C. since 2020. He gave a laundry list of NDP government policies that have reduced access to timber and increased costs and bureaucracy. …Don McGregor, VP for Western Forest Products, summed up a sentiment that may be shared by the wider resource business community. “If it sticks, the NDP have a majority and they don’t need the Green Party,” he said. “I would take that as a positive.”
VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. EBITDA was negative $3.9 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of negative $7.1 million in the second quarter of 2024 and negative $6.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Net loss was $3.8 million for the quarter versus net loss of $9.7 million in the previous quarter and negative $8.0 million for the year-earlier quarter. …Shipments of Conifex-produced lumber totaled 29.3 million board feet in the third quarter of 2024, representing a decrease of 24% from the 38.5 million board feet shipped in the previous quarter. …Looking ahead to the final quarter of 2024, our average mill net selling price through the first six weeks of the quarter was 17.5% higher.
VANCOUVER – Western Forest Products reported a net loss of $19.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, as compared to a net loss of $17.4 million in the third quarter of 2023, and a net loss of $5.7 million in the second quarter of 2024. Other highlights include: Lumber production of 127 million board feet (versus 126 million board feet in Q3 2023); Lumber shipments of 138 million board feet (versus 130 million board feet in Q3 2023); Average lumber selling price of $1,378 per mfbm (versus $1,388 per mfbm in Q3 2023), primarily due to a slightly weaker sales mix of specialty lumber products; and Average BC log sales price of $113 per m3 (versus $118 per m3 in Q3 2023). …As previously announced, we plan to reduce lumber production in our BC sawmills by approximately 30 million board feet in Q4 2024, following reductions of approximately 30 million board feet in Q3 2024.
Explore the latest in sustainable construction at the Wood Solutions Conference 2024, Edmonton’s premier event for wood and construction innovation. The Wood Solutions Conference Edmonton 2024 is an event that brings together architects, engineers, and designers to discuss advancements and sustainability in construction. Focused on biophilic design principles and wood product innovations, this conference is a must-attend for professionals looking to enhance their expertise and certifications in sustainable building. You can expect insightful and educational seminars, networking opportunities and access to a comprehensive trade show featuring the latest innovation in wood design. The event takes place at the Westin Edmonton, on December 3, 2025. 
With the growing scale of wildfires, many First Nations are demanding a stronger role in wildfire response. Disproportionate impacts on Indigenous communities in Canada are motivating these demands: although approximately 5 % of the population identifies as Indigenous, about 42 % of wildfire evacuation events occur communities that are more than half Indigenous. In BC, new pathways for cooperative wildfire response between First Nations and provincial agencies are emerging. …Our research highlights the diverse existing capacities, priority opportunities, and processes required to enhance cooperative pathways. Within First Nations communities, existing capacities include local knowledge, firefighting experience, equipment, funding, relationships, and leadership – an overlooked but fundamental capacity. Priority opportunities include ways to build capacity within and beyond wildfire response, such as fully equipped response crews, full-time year-round wildfire management crews, Emergency Management Coordinators, First Nations Liaisons, and cross-trained wildland and structural crews. 
The Truck Loggers Association of BC celebrates 80 years in January at their annual convention. Early bird pricing ends tomorrow! This year’s event offers TLA members and non-members an all-inclusive registration pass, granting access to all sessions and events throughout the convention. Tickets to Suppliers Night and Lunch on the Trade Show Floor can be purchased on an individual basis.
The City of Nelson is piloting a new remote-controlled technology to reduce wildfire fuels west of Gyro Park. The area, which has been identified as a high-risk location for fuel mitigation, has a steep slope and is challenging to access. The pilot project is necessary because it would be unfeasible and inefficient to use larger conventional chipping equipment on the complex terrain at Gyro Park. Conventional pile-and-burn techniques were also deemed inappropriate in the majority of the area due to the potential for smoke generation in close proximity to Kootenay Lake Hospital. The small-scale forestry machine the city is piloting is capable of accessing steep terrain, chipping woody materials in place and transporting the chips out of the treatment area for disposal off site.
A recent wood pellet conference held in B.C. promoted biomass pellets as a green and climate-friendly energy solution. However, this rapidly expanding industry is not the climate saviour it has been made out to be. …These markets promise a climate solution by replacing coal, and so are incentivized globally by billions of dollars in subsidies. ..The story is that biomass pellets are made from wood waste, but in truth, a significant volume comes from whole trees, often from primary forests. …And while industry proponents claim that biomass is carbon-neutral, this only holds true if the trees are left to regrow fully — a process that can take centuries. In the meantime, burning of biomass accelerates carbon emissions at a time when we need immediate reductions. …B.C. should ban the export of wood pellets. International subsidies increase pressure on B.C.s forests and stand contrary to developing a real value-added industry here in B.C.
