Region Archives: Canada West

Aside from the visual shock left by looking at the charred landscape, there are concerns about what the impact on drinking water could be after heavy rain or next spring’s snow melt. UBC Okanagan assistant professor of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences Mathieu Bourbonnais says the impacts could be significant. …Bourbonnais believes there will be both long-term and short-term impacts because of the wildfire. In the short-term, West Kelowna could see more sediment in the reservoir’s water. …Looking longer term, Bourbonnais said it is not clear forests will regrow in the watershed due to the high severity of the burn and climate change. If there is a bright spot, Bourbonnais says the wildfire will also help regenerate growth of grasslands that serve as protection against major wildfires.

BRITISH COLUMBIA — The 2023 wildfire season is officially the most expensive and most destructive on record. According to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS), a total of 2,217 fires have been detected this year, burning almost 25,000 square kilometres of trees, bush and grassland. That makes it B.C.’s worst season by land burned, easily surpassing the previous record of 13,540 square kilometres in 2018. The cost of fighting those fires is also significantly up, to approximately $770 million so far this year, more than the $649 million spent in 2017. On Thursday, the B.C. government said higher-than-projected costs to fight wildfires had contributed an additional $2.5 billion to the province’s projected deficit for this fiscal year. The government is projecting the total spend for the 2023/24 fiscal year to be $966 million. The majority of this year’s fires — approximately 71 per cent — have been sparked by lightning, while 23 per cent are human-caused, the fire service says.

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has passed a resolution calling on the B.C. government to take strong steps to stop the spread of the invasive plant species Scotch Broom. Resolution NR51, ‘Control of Scotch Broom’ was sponsored by the Town of Qualicum Beach, where Broombusters Invasive Plant Society started in 2006, according to a news release by Broombusters. …Scotch Broom has been recognized as the invasive species doing the greatest harm to species at risk — the “top offender of biodiversity in B.C.” Broom spreads so quickly and densely that native species and young forest seedlings cannot compete. But the officials’ greatest concern relates to climate change and wildfires. “Scotch broom’s high flammability and its ability to spread quickly and form dense stands increases the fuel load, impeding fire management efforts, making fires more difficult to fight,” wrote Terry Peters, recently retired fire chief of Powell River.

A downpour of rain did not stop members of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) from rallying against the logging of old-growth forests in B.C. They gathered just off Highway 97 in front of the Peachland Mall on Thursday afteroon (Sep. 28). “It’s been three years since the provincial government launched the old growth strategy and nothing has been done,” said Alex Morrison, communications director of PWPA. “The deferral areas that they have are still being logged, so we’re just trying to keep this front and centre.” …“There are six areas of protected old-growth that the panel said you must protect and they’re right in the heart of the Glen Lake wildfire,” said Taryn Skalbania, PWPA co-founder. …Skalbania believes that the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), which governs activities on public lands during forest planning, road building, timber harvesting, and reforestation, is very one-sided.

Additional coverage in Global News, by Darrian Matassa-Fung: Old growth activists holding ‘day of action’ across B.C.

Kelowna Now, by Megan Trudeau: Flashmob pops up at Uptown Mall to advocate for old growth

Nanaimo Daily News, by Bailey Seymour: Protesters lament ‘soccer field’-size sections of forests being logged in B.C.

To Nathan Cullen, I am writing to you on the third anniversary of your government’s acceptance of all 14 recommendations within A New Future for Old Forests. That report called for urgency and profound change to accomplish the necessary paradigm shift to adequately respond to the climate emergency and the contribution of our forestry practices to it. The unfolding disaster of our burning forests has reminded us that nature is not listening to government’s inaction. …We have been converting our province, once described as super-natural, into an impoverished landscape, capable of creating only increased risk. …We need to return to a community-based economies that can use truly sustainable harvesting methods that do not degrade the ecologies within which they operate. To do that, you have to rebuild multi-stakeholder community committees as a permanent part of landscape planning. In the meantime, please stop BC Timber Sales and the forest industry from destroying the watersheds within which we live.

The court order that made it illegal to block logging activity in the forest near the Fairy Creek watershed on southwestern Vancouver Island has expired.  Teal Cedar first sought the injunction in spring 2021, after protesters opposed to the logging of old growth trees set up camp in Tree Farm License 46. When the temporary injunction expired, Teal Cedar applied to extend it. The most recent extension expired on Sept. 26 and, so far, the company has not applied for an extension. …”I was expecting in July to start hearing about the application, then nothing happened,” said Rani Earnhart, a legal administrator for the Rainforest Flying Squad group, which she said doesn’t really operate anymore, beyond court proceedings. Lawyers and individual protesters confirmed they’ve seen no application to extend. Teal Cedar did not respond to questions from CBC News about whether it was still planning to apply for a new injunction, or take other action.

Additional coverage in the Victoria Times Colonist by Roxanne Egan-Elliott: Court injunction against Fairy Creek protest quietly expires

Thousands of hectares of Canadian forest are sprayed every year with glyphosate, a weed-killing agent, for the sole purpose of killing off grasses, shrubs, and deciduous trees. Yes, really. It sounds unbelievable, but in the eyes of Canada’s forest industry, maples, alders, aspens, birch, ferns, fireweed, bluejoint grass, every kind of local berry, and other native species are considered weeds or pests. So they are removed, sometimes through a manual process called brushing, but more often by helicopters spraying large quantities of glyphosate. …In British Columbia, for example, the Forest and Range Practices Act requires logged areas to be replanted with seedlings that must grow within a certain time into a free growing stand. The pressure to create a viable crop of trees is real. BC’s forestry companies can be financially penalized if their replanted stands don’t achieve free growing status within the mandated period.

Vanderhoof, B.C.: The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is proud to announce over $8 million in funding for 168 fish and wildlife conservation projects across B.C. this year, with over $300,000 allocated to projects in the Omineca region, and over $1M in the northeast. … With support from the HCTF, a wide range of nonprofit organizations, First Nations and Indigenous communities, Provincial ministries, and community groups implement projects that protect B.C.’s wildlife, freshwater fish, and their habitats. Since 1981, the HCTF has funded over 3,550 projects representing an investment of over $215 million for conservation in B.C. …Among this year’s projects in Omineca is a multi-year project to study the impacts of landscape changes on moose health. Currently in its first of three years (though building on a previous project) and led by the University of Northern B.C., the project will identify variables in moose habitat that are associated with their health and survival.

Burns Lake, B.C.: The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is proud to announce over $8 million in funding for 168 fish and wildlife conservation projects across B.C. this year, with over $800,000 allocated to projects in the Skeena region. …Among this year’s projects in the Skeena is a multi-year project to study the impacts of partial logging on the habitats of important small wildlife predator species. Currently in its second of five years and led by the University of B.C., the project will examine predator habitat use and selection in forests harvested using partial logging practices compared to traditional logging and unlogged forests. “Partial logging has benefits for fire management and timber supply and may be more favourable for wildlife, but these benefits have not been thoroughly documented,” says project lead Dr. Karen Hodges. … The project is focused on marten and the red-listed fisher, as both are focal management species and sensitive to forest loss.

The British Columbia Wildfire Service says the fire danger rating across most of the province has dropped to low or very low as cool, damp fall weather arrives. The wildfire service says there have been no new fires in the last 24 hours, and of the 384 active fires burning in B.C., roughly three-quarters are ranked as under control or “being held,” meaning they are not likely to spread. …Cooler conditions mean all open fire prohibitions, including a ban on campfires, lifts on Wednesday in the Coastal Fire Centre, while the Kamloops Fire Centre removes its campfire ban on Thursday. The wildfire service says there have been just over 2,200 wildfires across B.C. since the season began on April 1, charring almost 25,000 square kilometres of trees, bush and grassland, making it B.C.’s worst-ever wildfire season, easily surpassing the previous record of 13,540 square kilometres burned in 2018.

BC is renowned for its beauty and gargantuan trees that can be found in abundance on Vancouver Island. These trees are often part of old-growth groves, meaning the trees are between 250 and over 1,000-years-old. The BC government has promised to vastly expand the protection of old-growth groves, but some activist groups don’t think they are doing enough. This Thursday, September 28th, the Sierra Club is organizing a widespread protest to demand BC Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) stick to their word and expand old-growth protection. This action will not be one that disrupts traffic, as old-growth protests have come to be known for in Victoria, but rather protesters will be encouraged to show up at their MLA’s office. September 28th was chosen because it marks the three year anniversary of the BC NDP’s announcement that they would commit to implement all of the 14 recommendations from the Old Growth Strategic Review.

Last week’s WFCA Annual Business and Market Summit in Kamloops drew more participants than ever, largely due to the collective need to make sense of this difficult 2023 reforestation season. Drought, heat, wildfire, smoke, snow that evaporated straight into the air barely softening the hardened ground, floods, washouts, delays, inflation, a cold storage facility fire, cancelled projects, rising injury rates, and the list still goes on as crews now wait on the final fall plant on the west coast. One contractor put it bluntly, “This season has been a complete disaster.” By a licensee forester’s account, the seedlings may not be doing well either given the province’s drought. …As difficult a season as this year has been we will have planted 307 million seedlings by this fall according to Ministry of Forests data presented at the Kamloops market summit last week. 

The Quesnel & Surrounding Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan has been in operation since 2018 and is working hard to address wildfire risks through fire mitigation. With many forests devastated by the mountain pine beetle and the warming climate, wildfires will only continue to increase without action. Quesnel’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) has completed 260 hectares of fuel management. Robinson said another 76 hectares are scheduled for this fall and winter. …While the FireSmart program has been happening on public land, 60 per cent of land in the Quesnel & Surrounding Area Community Wildfire Protection Plan is private, said the city’s forestry initiatives manager Erin Robinson. “We have the FireSmart program we run that helps educate people, but as far as people rolling up their sleeves and digging in, it’s up to homeowners to do that.” …Robinson said we should be mitigating fires rather than responding, and once again reminded homeowners of their role.

A Kelowna-based startup is seeking to inject artificial intelligence into the forestry sector as B.C. Genesis AI Corp. is building systems that will create a “digital twin” of a forest that could have wide applications in the industry ranging from fire mitigation to silviculture or timber development. …Genesis AI project director Brent Tolmie was previously the CEO of Carbonethic, a firm that sought to provide transparency in the carbon offset sector with predictive modelling through a system called Woodlands.ai. Carbonethic was purchased by Genesis AI earlier this year with the realization that Woodlands.ai could have more applications in the broader forestry sector. The company is deploying digital sensing technology, drones with LiDAR, photogrammetry, orthographic photography and melding it into 3D models of actual forests. Tolmie said their program will eventually be able to model the impact of wildfires so agencies know where to focus mitigation efforts.

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. — Evacuation orders and alerts have been lifted for all but one property in West Kelowna, B.C., about five weeks after thousands were chased out by a fast-moving wildfire. Central Okanagan Emergency Operations says BC Wildfire Service crews are now patrolling the fire’s edge, working to extinguish any remaining hot spots, but warn nearby communities can expect to see smoke within the perimeter in the coming weeks. The 139-square-kilometre McDougall Creek fire swept down on West Kelowna on the evening of Aug. 17, engulfing residential streets that were evacuated with little time to spare.

Zachary Rebitt

Zachary Rebitt is the Governor General’s Academic Medal recipient at Georges P Vanier Secondary School for 2023. Governor General’s Academic Medals have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. …Besides having an overall average of 96.8 per cent in all academic courses, including Chemistry 12, Precalculus 12, Physics 12, and Physical Geography 12, Zachary was also awarded the Georges P. Vanier Summit Shield Award, presented to the top all-round student in the school. …He plans to attend North Island College this fall to begin a post-secondary education in forestry, pursuing opportunities as a registered forestry technician and eventually a degree as a forestry engineer from UBC.

On Thursday, Sept. 28, local conservation group Wildsight will host four events in Golden, Revelstoke, Radium and Nelson as part of a province-wide day of action. In Revelstoke, demonstrators will meet in Grizzly Plaza at 12.30pm. The rallies mark the end of the three-year period during which the BC government promised to implement the 14 recommendations that came out of the Old Growth Strategic Review. “None of those recommendations have yet been fully implemented and more than half of the old growth identified for protection in the review is still in danger of being clear cut — including stands in the Kootenays and Columbia,” says Eddie Petryshen, Conservation Specialist for Wildsight.

Torrent Silviculture staff were hard at work planting trees, this past summer. Unlike other companies, Torrent found itself lucky this year, as the areas they planted weren’t greatly affected by the many wildfires this past season. “We were really fortunate this year not to have any big fires in our area, but lots of other planting companies had to shut down for multiple days, evacuate camps, or their contracts were gone because the area they were supposed to plant was on fire,” said Laurie Burleigh, Torrent Silviculture’s operating manager. She’s been with the company for the last 14 years.  Other than Torrent having to shut down one day due to the smoke being unsafe to work in, their teams continued with a successful year.  …An astounding 50-million trees (give or take) are planted by Torrent Silviculture each year. 

Our family has made day hiking in our mountain parks an annual pilgrimage for most of the past two decades. My wife and I became hikers in the early years of our marriage as we accompanied her parents, who regularly spent a couple weeks every August roaming the trails in the national parks of British Columbia and Alberta. …In 2017, the Kenow wildfire engulfed 80 per cent of Waterton’s forests and the evidence of the fire was still  everywhere. From the saddle lip and the summit overlook, the breadth of the 35,000 hectare fire was vast even six years later.   Old growth forest at both ends of the trail were spared much of the fire’s thoroughness. But ascending beyond that, hikers soon emerge from the remnants of a Jurassic-like world of ferns and verdant grasses protected by the still-intact lush canopy into a world that still feels ravaged. The change is dramatic. 

Wildsight Revelstoke will be hosting a march as part of its ‘United for Old Growth Day of Action’ in town on Thursday (Sept. 28). “Communities across the province are coming together to rise up for the last remaining old growth,” said Wildsight in the event’s description. Wildsight –an organization dedicated to responsible environmental stewardship– will be hosting a rally on Thursday to draw attention to Old Growth forests. Starting at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 28), Wildsight is inviting community members to assemble at Grizzly Plaza. The organization will lead a march down MacKenzie Ave. and around downtown followed by a brief rally. Wildsight said that registration is not required but is encouraged to help the organization have a better sense of the number of people to expect. Registration is available on the Wildsight website.

A special and impactful flashmob is coming our way, Victoria! Under the direction of Amalia Schelhorn, a retired First Soloist with the National Ballet of Canada and ballet teacher, and organizer/activist Jane Welton, the FlashMob for Forests will take place on Thursday, September 28th at 12 p.m. as a part of the United for Old Growth movement. the exact location in the Saanich south riding won’t be released until the day of, but it’ll be at a central and easily accessible spot—so, stay tuned! According to the release, this flashmob has been organized as part of a province-wide day of action for old growth protection and hopes to draw attention to actions needed to address rising climate issues and the continuation of logging old growth. …Schelhorn’s activist journey began in 2020 after she became involved in the Fairy Creek blockades. Since then, she has strived to combine her artistic skills with activism—choreographing and leading dances for forest protection ever since. 

James Steidle’s family owned a cattle ranch north of Blackwater River between Quesnel and Prince George. In 2010 when they were approached by a company that was going to spray up to the family’s property line, they fought back — unsuccessfully. For Steidle, the founder of Stop The Spray B.C., this began his delve into the world of herbicides and their detriment to the environment. He began asking question, after question, after question. …“Fundamentally, why are we getting rid of deciduous trees, birch and aspen, when we just had the pine beetle?,” asked Steidle. …“Aspen can stop forest fires, fertilize the soil, provide shade so seeds don’t get sun scalded. That’s not competition, they’re here to help.” …“Anyone in forestry who isn’t worried about job security or speaking out against it knows what I’m saying is true,” he said.

Proof that deer experienced elevated stress in response to wildfires in B.C.’s southern Interior can be found in their poop, although researchers say there’s still much to learn about what increasingly severe blazes mean for wildlife. …Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in wildlife restoration ecology based at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus, said there are many unknowns and variables when it comes to understanding the impacts of wildfire on wildlife. The effects vary over the short and long term and across seasons and species, as well as different types of habitats and how animals use those areas, he said. Ford said the return of fire to the landscape after decades of aggressive suppression efforts could actually be a “net benefit” for most wildlife. But for that to happen it has to be the right kind of fire, he said.

Around 25,000 students have benefited from the free school programming offered at Gavin Lake Forest Education Society in the last 28 years. Located northeast of Williams Lake, the camp hosts students from school districts 27, 28 and sometimes 74. Manager Mike Tudor has been working there for 30 years. When he was first hired it was a summer camp run by the BC Forestry Association (BCFA) with a skeleton crew. …Today there is a fully-staffed outdoor education centre with Tudor, a cook, an assistant manager, who is also an instructor, and five other instructors. Typically the forester will discuss aspects of the forest such as tree aging, beetles, fungus, forked trees, woody debris, woodpecker damage, habitat for wildfire or riparian zones. Tudor said the basic costs of the program for the 28 years have been about $1 million, plus management, insurance, propane, electricity for another $1 million.

Two spotted owls have been released into protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon as part of ongoing work the Province is doing in partnership with Spuzzum First Nation to recover northern spotted owl populations in B.C.’s wild. The two male owls, named ‘sítist’ [te-syst] and ‘wíkcn’ [week-chin], were released after being assessed as healthy and ready to fend for themselves, and demonstrating that they could capture live prey and maintain a stable body weight. …This is the Spotted Owl Breeding and Release Program’s second release of captive-bred spotted owls into the wild. Sítist was originally released in August 2022 as part of the program’s first release. That autumn, sítist was found injured near train tracks in the Fraser Canyon. He was later rehabilitated by the Orphaned Wildlife Society and returned to the Captive Breeding Facility where he made a full recovery.