Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

Ladysmith ‘snark’ leads international forestry workers’ club

By Duck Paterson
The Nanaimo News Bulletin
January 25, 2024
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

Paul Beltgens

A Ladysmith man heads a worldwide forestry organization, meaning he has earned the lofty title of ‘snark of the universe.’ Paul Beltgens is assuming leadership of the Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo for 2024. The organization, founded in 1892 and based in Gurdon, Arkansas, has nearly 10,000 members in 23 countries. Hoo-Hoo came to the Cowichan Valley in the 1960s when Herb and Gordie Doman decided to initiate a chapter in the area. Today Hoo-Hoo No. 229 Cowichan has more than 65 members who are all involved, one way or another, in the forestry industry. Beltgens is owner of Jemico Enterprises and Paulcan Enterprises and has been a member of the Cowichan Valley’s Hoo-Hoo club since 1983. “The spirit of Hoo-Hoo is expressed in nine fundamental values which encourage members to be fraternal, helpful, grateful, friendly, tolerant, progressive, industrious, ethical and loyal and those are all important to me,” Beltgens said.

His company Paulcan provides customized mill work to global markets, manufacturing any size of wood product, building material, and kiln-dried lumber for domestic and international customers. The Jemico mill produces products such as hardwoods for furniture, doors, mouldings and frames, and Beltgens said it’s the largest producer of alder and maple – and at times cottonwood – products in all of B.C. …Part of the snark position involves visiting Hoo-Hoo clubs in various locations. So far Beltgens has visited Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston and Gurdon headquarters, and has plans to visit other clubs in the U.S., Australia and Asia. He pays for his own travel, but said he’s “looked after incredibly” in the places he visits. …Aside from leading to business connections, Hoo-Hoo also has an impact in communities, donating to post-secondary institutions and forestry museums, and providing wood products for school woodworking courses, for example.

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Business & Politics

Tolko Lavington mill back to full operations

By Roger Knox
The Vernon Morning Star
January 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Thirty days into a new year, and things are back to normal at last at Tolko’s Lavington mill. Eight weeks after an energy transformer issue knocked out power to the mill, a replacement has been sourced, installed and energized. As of Monday, Jan. 29, the site returned safely to full operations. “The journey to get the mill back up has truly been a team effort and I’m thankful for all of the support from our functional and operational partners,” said Troy Connolly, Tolko VP, solid wood. …While temporary power was restored fairly quickly after the outage, the lack of full power across the site resulted in some unplanned downtime. By thinking creatively, Tolko’s team used the opportunity to advance a series of maintenance projects that not only kept people working but has the mill looking better than ever.

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British Columbia Renews Commitment in Successful Japan Trade Mission

By Victoria Hayes, Director, Corporate Relations at Forestry Innovation Investment
Canada Wood Group
January 23, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West, International

Led by B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston, a delegation of over 40 delegates representing industry, government and First Nations, visited Tokyo, Japan, December 10-14, 2023. The mission focused on reaffirming B.C.’s commitment to the market and Japanese customers and communicating B.C.’s leadership in sustainable forest management. It also explored new opportunities to advance wood use across emerging applications, including non-residential, mid-rise, and mass timber construction. To kick off the mission program, the delegation participated in a Japan program strategy review session, allowing B.C. delegates to learn about market dynamics and opportunities in Japan’s building sector and to provide Canada Wood Japan with feedback on the market development program to ensure alignment with B.C. forest sector priorities. The 2023 mission included significant First Nations representation, led by Chief Lynda Price, Board Director with the B.C. Assembly of First Nations and Chief with the Ulkatcho First Nation.

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B.C. supports growth in local wood manufacturing

By Ministry of Forests
The Province of BC
January 29, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province will help made-in-B.C. manufactured wood products access new market opportunities with $250,000 to promote B.C.’s competitive and sustainable wood products suppliers. …The funding, provided through the Ministry of Forests, is for BC Wood to market the province’s wood manufacturing sector in global markets. “Showcasing and marketing B.C. wood products on the global stage is important work that spotlights the innovation our sector is known for,” said Brian Hawrysh, CEO, BC Wood. …To further support local wood manufacturers, the Province has a Value-Added Manufacturing Program, run by BC Timber Sales, which provides a dedicated, open-market supply of fibre for small and medium-sized manufacturers. …This is going to help us access the fibre we need to make the high-value products Silva Timber Products manufactures, and create jobs here at home,” said Richard Kaufmann, CEO, Silva Timber Products.

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Snuneymuxw First Nation adding 80 hectares to its reserve

By Carla Wilson
Victoria Times Colonist
January 28, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Snuneymuxw First Nation reserve is expanding by 80 hectares under a new interim land-reconciliation agreement with the federal government. The land is made up of several parcels, some in the Nanaimo and Cedar area and more on Gabriola Island. It will add to the existing 266 hectares already held as reserve lands by the nation. The land is designated for a wide range of uses, including on-reserve housing, economic development, infrastructure upgrades and sustainable forestry projects. …The parcels have been “used by Western Forest Products, the Department of National Defence, and as the location of the horrific Nanaimo Indian Hospital,” a joint Snuneymuxw and federal statement said. …Negotiations around the nation’s traditional territories, called Camp Nanaimo Lands on Te’tuxwtun, started in 2003, culminating in this historic agreement, he said. …The nation fought for an agreement that reflected the legal authority of the Snuneymuxw Saarlequun Treaty, a trade and commerce agreement of 1854, he said.

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B.C. NDP quietly consult on sweeping changes to managing public lands

By Vaughn Palmer
Vancouver Sun
January 26, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA — The New Democrats have quietly launched public consultation on their plan to begin co-management of government-owned land with B.C.’s 204 First Nations. “The province wants to know your thoughts on sharing public land-use decision making,” says the call for submissions on the government website. “The government hopes to be able to negotiate agreements with Indigenous governments and begin sharing decision-making on public land use in the late spring of 2024″. The overseer Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship posted the call for submissions at Engage B.C. (engage.gov.bc.ca) earlier this month. The ministry did not publicize the invitation with a news release, suggesting the government is not all that keen to attract attention to the exercise. …The tight time frame, like the minimal publicity for the consultations, suggests the New Democrats have already made up their minds on how to proceed.

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Progress continues, no opening for Tolko High Prairie mill set

By Chris Clegg
The South Peace News
January 28, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

HIGH PRAIRIE, Alberta — Tolko Industries has not yet set a date for the reopening of its High Prairie mill eight kms west of town after the May 20, 2022 fire. “Tolko’s High Prairie team continues to make excellent progress on the rebuilding project at the mill, and we hope to be able to share more information soon about restarting production,” says Chris Downey, Tolko’s communications advisor on Jan. 4. It was about 20 months ago on May 20, 2022 when a fire devastated the interior of the mill. Damage to the press and press building was significant, and much of the equipment was a total loss, said Downey at the time. “Work on assembling the new continuous press is progressing well, and the mill is aiming to be up and running by the end of the year,” said Downey in a June 14, 2023 story. 

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Quesnel’s Jess Ketchum, co-founder of Save Our Streets (SOS) Coalition

By Frank Peebles
Quesnel Cariboo Observer
January 26, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jess Ketchum

Jess Ketchum once helped save the streets of Quesnel. Now he’s helping to save the streets of the entire province. …Ketchum has been a central figure in many key organizations around the area. …Local MLA and cabinet minister Alex Fraser convinced Ketchum to become his Legislative advisor. He was hired by Jimmy Pattison to be a communications leader for Expo 86. One of his clients is the vaunted Council of Forest Industries. He helped found the Rocky Mountaineer rail tourism company. But his first and friendliest client was a little forestry firm called West Fraser Timber, operated by Hank Ketcham of Quesnel. …A provincial response is needed, said Ketchum, which is why the Save Our Streets Coalition is catching on with members all over B.C. who aren’t strong enough of voice, by themselves, but as a group they have clout. 

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Navigating challenges: Truck Loggers Association Convention addresses sector’s struggles

By Jennifer Ellson
Canadian Forest Industries
January 29, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

At the 79th Truck Loggers Association Convention, attendees emphasized key challenges faced by the forestry sector in British Columbia. These include a shortage in fiber supply, a global decline in prices for wood products, and uncertainties surrounding the province’s policies on old-growth and biodiversity protection. The message to government officials was clear: urgent attention is needed to address these issues. Tracey Russell, vice-president of Inland Truck and Equipment, conveyed the industry’s sentiments on Day 2, stating, “we’re in dire straits right now,” as he introduced B.C. Premier David Eby on stage, seizing the opportunity to communicate the sector’s concerns directly to the premier. Russell shared real-world struggles, highlighting job losses and the dire situation the industry currently faces. …“The future of forestry is a strong one. Currently it’s a challenging one and I want you to know that I know that,” Eby said.

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Fraser Lake Sawmill to close, 140 workers set to lose jobs

United Steelworkers
January 25, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jeff Bromley

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. has announced the permanent closure of its Fraser Lake Sawmill in British Columbia, affecting the employment of 140 members of the United Steelworkers union (USW). Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair, expressed concern over the closure, emphasizing the ongoing struggles faced by USW members and the local community since the 2015 shutdown of the Endako Moly Mine. …Bromley called on the government to ensure stability for B.C.’s Forest Industry, which supports 10,000 USW members and thousands of others in communities across the province. He highlighted the need for access to a sustainable working forest to preserve these jobs. “The thousands of high-paying, rural community-supporting jobs are disappearing right before our eyes. It’s time for our province to decide if it wants to have a vibrant forest industry that supports good-paying jobs, Indigenous people and local economies,” said Bromley.

Also in MyPGnow: Stellat’en Chief says long-term sustainable resource projects needed

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B.C. First Nations upset after closure of Fraser Lake sawmill

Bh Hanna Petersen
The Prince George Citizen
January 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Two B.C. First Nations are left reeling after the closure of the Fraser Lake Sawmill, which was announced by West Fraser Timber. …Stellat’en First Nation and Nadleh Whut’en chiefs and councils are expressing deep sympathy to those who have lost their jobs. The sawmill was not only the economic engine of Fraser Lake but also of the villages of Stellaquo and Nadleh, and the surrounding region. …Nadleh and Stellat’en said they have been working with the province to attempt to secure fibre for the mill and West Fraser’s decision to close the Fraser Lake Sawmill came despite this continued effort. “We have been trying to make a difference in the forest industry,” said Chief Martin Louie of Nadleh Whut’en. “If West Fraser is not interested in supporting the regional economy, then we need to ensure that the forest resources that they continue to control — the licenses themselves — are transferred to local interests.”

Related news release by the United Steelworkers: Fraser Lake Sawmill to Close, 140 Workers Set to Lose Jobs

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Paper Excellence says equipment failure led to discharges, $25,000 fine

By Robert Barron
The Parksville Qualicum Beach News
January 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Paper Excellence, which owns Crofton’s Catalyst mill, acknowledged that equipment failure at the mill led to the discharge of more than one million litres of waste water into the ocean in two instances in 2021. But in a statement, Paper Excellence said that while the mill, which is one of the Municipality of North Cowichan’s biggest taxpayers, has a good environmental record, from time to time unforeseeable equipment problems occur. …In the first incident, Catalyst discharged up to one million litres of effluent, storm water and seawater into the ocean. Paper Excellence said an expansion joint failed without warning, resulting in untreated effluent discharging first into a foreshore pond system, and then overflowing into the Salish Sea. In the second incident, Catalyst discharged another approximately 6,000 litres of effluent into the ocean. Paper Excellence said the cause of that discharge was the failure of a four-year-old leachate/storm water pump…

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Amid challenges, West Fraser says Thank You, Quesnel: A Look Back at 2023

By Keith Carter, Senior VP, West Fraser Timber
The Quesnel Cariboo Observer
January 23, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Keith Carter

As we look back on 2023, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our 1,300 Quesnel employees as well as our many local suppliers, small business partners and the community. 2023 brought its challenges, including sluggish demand for building products. Another record wildfire year, combined with new government policy initiatives, continued to put pressure on timber supply in the province. …Last fall we made the difficult decision to sell Quesnel River Pulp (QRP) to Atlas Holdings, who are expected to take ownership under the Millar Western banner early this year. Our Quesnel Sawmill will continue to furnish wood chips to QRP. …We are proud to be part of the Quesnel community and to invest in people and projects that support community well-being. We give back through employee-driven fundraising, volunteering and corporate giving.

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‘Devastating’: Mayor of Fraser Lake on impending closure of West Fraser Timber sawmill

By Adams Bell
CKPG Today
January 23, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

FRASER LAKE — Forestry in Northern B.C. has been dealt another major blow, with the announcement on Monday that West Fraser Timber will permanently close its sawmill in Fraser Lake, BC, 155km west of Prince George. The community has been centered around forestry ever since the closure of the Endako Mines in 2015. For Mayor Sarrah Storey and the community, the news was gut-wrenching. “It was devastating. I think there was actually some tears shed.” The closure of the mill will impact approximately 175 employees and the Mayor said that the Village is in discussions with government and the private sector to hopefully bring some opportunities for workers. The mill is set to shut down after an orderly wind down in May 2024. “This is a difficult announcement for West Fraser as we have worked hard for many years to keep this mill in operation,” said Keith Carter, Senior VP.

In  the Prince George Citizen: Fraser Lake leaders hold emergency meeting to deal with sawmill closure

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Prince George doctor’s support for Ukraine turning wood into weapons

By Ted Clarke
The Prince George Citizen
January 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Laurie Cook wants to help Ukrainians win their war with Russia. In March 2022, he started exchanging wood products he makes at his home in Prince George for donations that are sent directly to Ukraine to fund the war effort. The 74-year-old Prince George family physician uses his basement workshop to make dining room tables, benches, cutting boards, coffee tables, charcuterie serving boards and bed frames, which are then all sold by donation. The money is then sent to the Ukrainian government’s United 24 fundraising website. “ …The website gives donors the choice of providing humanitarian, reconstruction or military aid. Since going live on May 5, 2022, the site has raised more than US$528 million. …“All the stuff I’m making is branded ‘Slava Ukraini’ – glory to Ukraine,” said Cook.

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Forestry

NDP has done a great job destroying forestry

By Brian J. Northup
The Prince George Citizen
January 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

I wanted to congratulate our NDP government. You are well on the way to achieving one of your major goals, destroying an industry that has provided prosperity to BC for many years. Fraser Lake Sawmill will be closing due to not having enough timber. …Why are we in this position? The NDP government in the 90s totally mismanaged the pine beetle infestation. They ignored the many presentations asking for action. BC Liberals, you didn’t do much better. Oh yes, we will have wonderful old growth, decaying protected areas (not carbon consuming new forests). A few of us might enjoy these protected areas if we can afford to. …I worked in the forest industry since 1965. Since retiring ten years ago I enjoy a very good forest industry pension. Unfortunately, unless there are major policy changes, future generations will not be as fortunate.

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West Fraser wins, Fraser Lake loses

By James Steidle, Stop the Spray
The Prince George Citizen
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

West Fraser earned $9.5 billion in gross profits from 2021-2023. Yet the moment they couldn’t squeeze any more profit out of Fraser Lake, they kicked the town to the ground. It’s happened time and time again in this province. From the late 90s, we’ve lost nearly half our forestry workforce. …I think the vast majority of the public agrees that when a mill no longer exists those associated timber harvesting rights should revert back to the public’s hands. After all, every last cent of “improvements” to the tenure – the roads, the treeplanting, the spraying, all of that was paid for by the public. …Sadly, the NDP and the BC United, cut from the same corporate-captured cloth. …If our forest industry is to have any future, it won’t be in the corrupt, anti-community, neoliberal model we currently have.

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The need to stop clearcutting is ‘urgent’ to protect B.C. forests from flooding: UBC study

By Tiffany Crawford
The Vancouver Sun
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

B.C. must protect its forests to manage flood risk, and shift to more sustainable forestry practices, say researchers in UBC’s Faculty of Forestry. That means government needs to end the practice of clearcutting, according to a recent study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. The need to stop this practice is “urgent,” said Younes Alila, a hydrologist and professor in the Faculty of Forestry, because of the mounting problems caused by human-caused climate change such as drought, flooding and wildfires. …“When you replant with monoculture it grows very dense, and it’s not diverse forest. It’s not fire resistant. It actually spreads fire quicker than you think. The trees grow very slow. And now with drought these trees are going to have more difficulty growing,” he said Tuesday.

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BC First Nations Forestry Conference 2024

BC First Nations Forestry Council
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Save the date! The 2024 BC First Nations Forestry Conference will be held in Penticton May 29-30, 2024. The BC First Nations Forestry Conference brings together First Nations, industry, and Government to share and collaborate on the many changes occurring in the forest sector. The Conference is a uniquely First Nations experience to provide meaningful networking, informative engagement, purposeful collaboration, and support Indigenous businesses. Early bird registration will open on February 19th. 

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15 Fairy Creek land defenders sued for $10M by Teal-Jones

By Robyn Bell
The Capital Daily
January 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Things have been quiet lately in the Fairy Creek watershed. Logging in the area has been deferred until 2025 and the injunction that prevented protesters from blocking the area expired months ago. But for those who were on the frontlines of the biggest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, the fight rages on—this time, in the courts. Logging company Teal-Jones Group, has ramped up its lawsuit against Fairy Creek blockaders, with 15 individuals and one company, Atleo River Air Service, named in their suit against the group, nicknamed the Rainforest Flying Squad (RFS). …The suit claims that the protesters “conspired to use unlawful means to conduct the blockades,” with their primary aim of protesting being to injure Teal-Jones. …Blockaders are also taking action in court against Teal-Jones—they’ve sued the logging company for towing cars that weren’t blocking roads.

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BC Community Forest Association Newsletter

BC Community Forest Association
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The January newsletter has these stories and more:

  • New Draft BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework Comment Deadline: January 31. 
  • UBC launches Centre for Wildfire Coexistence. Congratulations to Dr. Lori Daniels, the new Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence at UBC. 
  • West Boundary Community Forest and the Osoyoos Indian Band to Partner on a Project with UBC. Students in the Master’s of Sustainable Forest Management program will engage in addressing emerging resiliency issues such as planning for management of old growth, fire, and riparian areas. 
  • Phoenix Connect from DR Systems – Use the Phoenix Connect’s new module to build relationships and engage with your community.  Track project tasks and communications with all interested parties for your planned development (FSP, FOM, etc.) with ease. 

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Valuable timber left to waste in wake of B.C. wildfires

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
January 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

If harvested quickly enough, the removal of timber left behind after a wildfire can reduce the risk of future fires and provide much-needed fibre supply to an industry facing a long-term decline. But in B.C., a lot of this timber goes to waste. …At a forestry panel discussion at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, some innovative ideas were proposed. …Rick Jeffery, of the Canadian Wood Council, suggested creating a larger domestic market for lumber and other wood products. Jeffery said the B.C. government has lobbied for changes to Canada’s National Building Code that would raise the limit on tall wood buildings from 12 to 18 storeys. …Bruce Blackwell, of Blackwell and Associates said… If loggers can get in quickly enough after a fire, some timber can be salvaged to feed sawmills and pulp and pellet mills. Blackwell said wildfire salvaging could generate as much as five million cubic metres of fibre each year.

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B.C. overcounting old-growth forests in breach of federal guidelines, report claims

By Stefan Labbé
The Prince George Citizen
January 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Felling Short), from the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), found 29 per cent of the area contained in legally protected Old Growth Management Areas (OGMA) actually have old-growth forests on them. Active cutblocks, meanwhile, were found to overlap on more than 27,000 hectares of land designated as an OGMA, an area more than double that of the City of Vancouver. …As the B.C. government moves to protect 30 per cent of its land base by 2030, the latest findings suggests it is overestimating how much is really protected, according CPAWS’s conservation research and policy coordinator Meg Bjordal. …Bjordal said the B.C. government agreed to meet with CPAWS after it shared a copy of the report. 

Related coverage in the Narwhal: BC counts poorly protected old-growth forests toward conservation targets

Prince George Daily News: Less than one-third of Old Growth Management Areas in B.C. are actually old growth – Report

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Saving Interior B.C. primary forests: Choosing ecosystem over economics

By Barry Gerding
Vernon Morning Star
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A grassroots campaign to preserve what is left of primary mature forests in B.C. is taking shape in the southern Interior. Their fundraising target is $218,000, which will be used to cover the expenses associated with meeting with other groups across the province and drawing support to the campaign, initiated by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society (BFWS). Speaking at a Zoom information meeting co-hosted by the Interior Watershed Task Force and the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance, BFWS co-founder Jennifer Houghton sees the campaign as a 12 to 14-month project to galvanize support and stand up to opposing pressure from the forestry industrial lobby. …Michelle Connolly, who runs the Conservation North, also spoke in the meeting, reinforcing the importance of legislation to protect the ecosystem in our remaining primary forests. …Both Connolly and Houghton said their volunteer groups include experts who have valid contributions to make to any debate on preserving primary forests.

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New study in Kananaskis Country’s Highwood clearcutting shows presence of bull trout

By Howard May
The Rocky Mountain Outlook
January 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

KANANASKIS COUNTRY – A new field study commissioned by an environmental group outlines at-risk bull trout are present in the Highwood River area where logging is set to take place this winter. The study, commissioned by Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), found bull trout were in the Loomis Creek area where Spray Lakes Sawmills (SLS) – now owned by West Fraser Timber Company Limited – plans to clearcut 1,100 hectares of forest in the Upper Highwood area, including 26 kilometres along the river, and near Loomis and McPhail creeks. In the past, anecdotal information had bull trout in the area, but the study confirmed they are present and spawning in a much larger area than previously assumed. …Critics have called for a review of existing legislation covering forestry activities in Alberta. CPAWS has requested interviews with Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen. …SLS has agreed to meet with CPAWS in early February.

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Island’s snowpack particularly low; could signal bad fire season (and Northern BC faces drought)

By Roxanne Egan-Elliott
Victoria Times Colonist
January 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A particularly low snowpack on Vancouver Island and across the province could mean B.C. is in for another difficult fire season. A lack of snow means fuels will likely dry out earlier, which typically leads to fires earlier in the year, said Armel Castellan, meteorologist for Environment Canada. The provincial snowpack is “extremely low,” averaging just 56 per cent of normal as of the start of the year. Vancouver Island had 39 per cent of normal snowpack as of Jan. 1, raising the risk that the province could see another fire season like last summer’s, which kicked off with “extremely warm” weather in May and an unrelenting fire season “with very little precedent,” Castellan said. A bad fire season is not a guarantee. In 2019, after one of the warmest and driest springs on record, officials worried the province was on the brink of large-scale fires, but rain in July quashed those fears.

Additional BC fire coverage in Energetic City, by Tom Summer: Northern B.C. preparing wildfire resilience plans in face of severe drought

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Is it time for a rethink of B.C.’s forest practices and policies?

By Adam Berls
CKPG Today
January 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Younes Alila

PRINCE GEORGE — It’s time to rethink forestry practices and policy, according to researchers at UBC. They looked at past hydrology studies and found that many severely and consistently underestimated the impact of forest cover on flood risk, therefore leading to poorly informed forest management policies and practices. Dr. Younes Alila, a professor in the faculty of forestry at UBC found that clear-cut logging is causing major problems for people and ecosystems, and will continue to do so, unless practices are changed. …..“In B.C. alone, the flood risk is escalating as we continue to lose forest cover due to ongoing large-scale logging and wildfires. … Regenerative practices such as selective logging, small patch cutting, and other alternatives to clear-cutting are an important way forward.”

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Firesmart activities come to more Columbia Basin communities

East Kootenay News Weekly e-KNOW
January 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

From educating residents on how to lower the risk of wildfire, to reducing the amount of vegetation that could fuel a fire, there are many ways a community can act to keep the threat of wildfire at bay. Now, 10 communities in the Columbia Basin are undertaking such projects with support of nearly $1.8 million provided through a partnership between the Province of British Columbia and Columbia Basin Trust. Tailored specifically to the Basin, this program is one aspect of the Province of BC’s Community Resiliency Investment Program. Partners include the Ministry of Forests, BC Wildfire Service and Columbia Basin Trust, which is administering the funding. …The program supports a range of projects. For example, actions may include hiring a FireSmart coordinator, developing plans to treat wildfire fuels, carrying out innovative fuel management activities or providing training on how to do FireSmart assessments. In the program’s first intake in winter 2023, 20 projects received $2.5 million.

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Homalco First Nation and Mosaic Forest Management Finalize Historic Land Acquisition

Mosaic Forest Management
January 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Homalco First Nation and Mosaic Forest Management are celebrating a land sale to the Homalco First Nation. The acquisition will expand upon the size of the Nation’s lands in Campbell River, providing exciting opportunities for community development and community togetherness. “We are celebrating more than the acquisition of land for the Homalco people. The land deal has been decades in the making, and it lays the foundation for a future filled with promise and prosperity,” said Homalco Chief Darren Blaney. “…I want to thank Mosaic Forest Management for supporting this vision and making the sale a reality.” The property is in south Campbell River and has frontage along Highway 10 and Jubilee Parkway. The acquired lands formerly owned by Mosaic and managed by its real estate arm, Couverdon, surround the current Homalco lands. The sale was celebrated at a special event hosted by Homalco on January 19.

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‘Always a bright side’: Squamish forester highlighted by Indigenous network

By Jennifer Thuncher
The Squamish Chief
January 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

While protest action involving First Nations peoples blocking industry projects often make headlines and are sensationalized images on our screens, there is a quiet majority of Indigenous workers proudly making tracks in resource industries, says the head of the Indigenous Resource Network (IRN). …IRN reps were recently in Squamish to create content with local Indigenous forestry workers to highlight the importance of First Nations involvement in that industry. “We want to … give voice to what good looks like in resource development, and really profile Indigenous success and go a little deeper than just [resource development] providing the jobs,” said IRN executive director John Desjarlais. …Squamish’s Roger Lewis is one of those people working in the resource sector. …Lewis is the superintendent of special projects with Sqomish Forestry LP,part of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). …Desjarlais said that in the media, Indigenous folks are often portrayed as blocking projects, but that isn’t the whole story.

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Enhanced wildland firefighter recruitment underway

By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
January 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province is opening the door for more wildland firefighters with in-depth knowledge of local terrain to join the service. Aligned with feedback from the Premier’s expert task force on emergencies, the improvements to the BC Wildfire Service’s hiring process have resulted in more than 1,000 firefighter applicants, with another three months of hiring to go. …Aligned with the work of the Premier’s expert task force on emergencies, a series of enhancements have been made to strengthen pathways for participation in wildfire response, specifically for applicants in rural and remote communities. This work includes expanding First Nations bootcamps… A dedicated training and recruitment model for First Nations communities is being expanded. …Learnings from First Nations bootcamps will be adopted into the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) core curriculum and serve as a model for other First Nations interested in augmenting their response capacity. Additionally, the use of Indigenous initial-response crews is being expanded.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun: B.C. Wildfire Service recruiting more locals to fight wildfires

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Debris wood put to good use across local forests

By Ron Seymour
Penticton Herald
January 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Wood leftover from Okanagan forestry operations that would once have been burned is now being put to productive use, the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. says. Sixty-six innovative projects undertaken around the province in the past year at a cost of almost $50 million have generated an environmental benefit equal to one million fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, the society said Wednesday. And debris wood that would have filled more than 68,000 logging trucks has been used instead for the making of wood pellets and other products, the society says. “With the help of 66 projects funded in 2023, B.C. is taking necessary steps in battling climate change and becoming more resilient in the face of worsening wildfire seasons,” Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston said in a release.

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What we aren’t told about forest degradation and how to fix it

By David Suzuki
The Boundary Sentinel
January 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Canada is regarded as a country of spectacular nature, with magnificent forests. …Listening to government, you could be forgiven for thinking that our forest management practices are beyond reproach. They aren’t. New research confirms what some have known for decades: industrial logging isn’t ecologically sustainable. … A study from Griffith University in Australia [funded by the Natural Resources Defense Council] … found, “The Canadian Government claims that its forests have been managed according to the principles of sustainable forest management for many years, yet this notion of sustainability is tied mainly to maximizing wood production and ensuring the regeneration of commercially desirable tree species following logging.” …In response to the glaring omissions and gaps in the annual “State of Canada’s Forests” report, a coalition of national and regional conservation organizations, including the David Suzuki Foundation, responded with, “The State of the Forest in Canada: Seeing Through the Spin.” 

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Researchers advocate for sustainable logging to safeguard against global flood risks

By University of British Columbia
Phys.Org
January 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s time to recognize the power of healthy forests in managing global growing flood risk, and to shift towards more sustainable forestry practices and policy. This call is emphasized by UBC researchers in an article in the journal Science of the Total Environment. Dr. Younes Alila, a professor in the faculty of forestry, and his graduate student Henry Pham synthesized decades of hydrology studies and found that many “severely and consistently underestimated” the impact of forest cover on flood risk. As a consequence, it led to forest management practices that were either unsound or poorly informed. …Dr. Alila says the probabilistic framework is designed to understand and predict, for instance, how much of the 2021 Fraser Valley floods could be attributed to climate change, land use change or logging. The approach also can be extended to investigate the causes of flood risk in other cities.

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Fungal infections affect pine trees’ ability to ward off mountain pine beetle

By Bev Betkowski
Folio – University of Alberta
January 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Rashaduz Zaman

University of Alberta research provides new insight into how harmful fungal infections could affect the ability of lodgepole pines to defend themselves from deadly mountain pine beetle attacks. Using five different pathogens, the study revealed that the fungal infections had varied effects on the trees’ defence chemistry, suggesting that they could either be more resilient or more susceptible to subsequent attacks by the insect. The findings could lead to new ways to protect mature lodgepole pine trees — important to forest ecology and the forest industry — from disease and insect infestation, says Rashaduz Zaman, who led the study, from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences. One of the most widespread coniferous trees in western North America, lodgepole pines make up about 35 per cent of the forested land in Alberta and British Columbia, and are becoming more vulnerable to pests as global temperatures grow warmer, he notes.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Big Business Is Gunning for BC’s Climate Plan

By Marc Lee
The Tyee
January 24, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s taken 16 years of incremental policy change in B.C., but you might have noticed that climate policies are starting to take hold. Electric and hybrid vehicles are widespread, new building standards with much higher energy efficiency are being introduced and heat pump sales have surged as people replace home heating equipment. Nonetheless, the long knives are out for the CleanBC climate action plan and the modest gains we’ve made in reducing emissions. …Case in point: the Business Council of BC, representing big business interests, has raised the alarm that CleanBC will slow the province’s economic growth rate, according to modelling done for the government. However, these modelling exercises should be taken with a grain of salt. …The consequences of inaction are becoming painfully clear, globally and locally. We estimated economic costs of $10.6 billion to $17.1 billion from B.C.’s 2021 extreme weather trilogy of heat dome, wildfires and floods/landslides.

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Health & Safety

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s Continued Commitment to Safety Reflected in 2024 WPAC Safety Committee Workplan

By Julie Griffiths, Safety Committee Chair
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
January 29, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC) places the highest priority on the health & safety of employees and treating forest workers fairly. It’s in our sustainability statement and in our 2024 Safety Committee Workplan. It is also reflected in our common understanding that the best way to achieve our safety goals is through a focus on strategic initiatives, effective communications, and sharing new developments and learnings in our industry for both continuous improvement and overcoming challenges. Since 2014, WPAC’s Safety Committee has set out an annual workplan to undertake strategic initiatives that reflect the needs of members and emerging trends. This workplan is responsive, as well as proactive, to enhance the safety of the sector and continue to foster a strong safety culture. Last year was an outstanding year for the pellet sector and advancing safety, made possible through collaboration and partnerships. …WPAC’s safety committee works in close cooperation with WorkSafeBC and the BC Forest Safety Council. 

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Kelowna home building company fails to comply with WorkSafe orders

By Brittany Webster
Kelowna Capital News
January 29, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

A modular home building company in Kelowna that recently made headlines for undermining the union representing its employees, is also being investigated for workplace safety. SRI Kelowna failed to meet a deadline for compliance set out by WorkSafeBC. …WorkSafeBC inspected the SRI Kelowna facility following a report of mould on the lumber being received for construction. A workplace inspection report dated Dec. 11, 2023, confirmed the presence of black mould of varying amounts on incoming lumber. The employer told the inspector that lumber with slight discolouration from the mould could be treated with chemicals, however, it was found handling the chemical required training and protective gear which had not been provided to staff. Upon receiving the report, SRI Kelowna was given a number of orders and a deadline of Dec. 31, 2023, to comply. …As of Jan. 8, SRI Kelowna had yet to comply with the orders in place.

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BC Forest Safety Council provides safety information for BC’s forest industry

By Michele Fry, BC Forest Safety Council
Forest Enhancement Society of BC
January 26, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Michele Fry

The BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is pleased to collaborate with the Forest Enhancement Society of BC to provide safety information for workers and employers in B.C.’s forest industry. For 20 years, the BCFSC has been the dedicated Health and Safety Association for B.C.’s forestry industry. Our vision is to see every forestry worker goes home safe – every day. We are committed to helping reduce the potential for forestry worker injuries and fatalities in B.C. and ensure safety remains a top priority in all forestry workplaces. We work closely with subject-matter experts and industry advisory committees to help keep workers safe and assist companies in fostering a strong safety culture. …We also develop and provide resources, safety planning tools, information, education, and training for forest harvesting, sawmills, and wood pellet manufacturing throughout B.C. …Our customized programs are tailored to the specific needs of B.C. forestry workers.

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Activity-related soft tissue disorders of the limbs

By Policy, Regulation and Research Department
WorkSafeBC
January 26, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department (PRRD) is proposing amendments to policy concerning activity-related soft tissue disorders (ASTDs) of the limbs. The proposed amendments are intended to address two ASTD projects in the PRRD’s current workplan: ASTDs — CPR Recommendations #36–37 and Establishing Work Causation for ASTDs of the Limbs. The proposed amendments clarify policy on the issue of whether an ASTD is due to the nature of the worker’s employment, and are informed by recommendations from two external reviews. The discussion paper and information on how to provide feedback can be found here: Proposed amendments to policy on activity-related soft tissue disorders of the limbs

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