Region Archives: Canada West

Early Bird Pricing ends today! Welcome to Evolving Practice 2023, the Private Forest Landowners Association Conference, Field Tour & AGM! Private managed forest landowners will join elected officials and guest speakers at the annual PFLA Conference to explore the idea of Evolving Practice and what it means for sustainable forest management in BC. Our thoughtfully chosen presentations will help foster valuable insights into sustainable forest management, and offer opportunities for connections between private forest land peers and with government, First Nations and industry experts. The two-day event features a full-day conference, an optional full-day Field Tour, a Trade Show, and cocktail and dinner reception. We look forward to welcoming you to the PFLA Conference 2023! When: June 8-9, 2023 Where: Coast Bastion Hotel, Nanaimo BC

People in the Northwest Territories can expect a spring and summer of extreme fire danger that could last well into the fall. That’s the message of the first wildfire briefing of the season, offered by Richard Olsen, who manages fire operations for the N.W.T.’s department of Environment and Climate Change. He said the hot, dry spring is already visible in parts of the territory, where snow has disappeared earlier than usual and plants are already turning green near the southern border. “The weather forecast seems to be consistent … that for most of the N.W.T. we’re gonna see hot dry conditions throughout June, July and into August,” Olsen said. In contrast, the same forecast suggests people in the Sahtu and the Beaufort-Delta region could see below-normal temperatures and above average precipitation.

Local government officials are worried that the Ministry of Forests can’t count trees very well, but still wants to ban forestry in some places. If you’re going to set aside forest-land for future generations, it had better be the right land, Ministry of Forests personnel were told by Regional District of Bulkley Nechako (RDBN) directors at a recent public meeting. …British Columbia is underway with consultations, which came to the RDBN directors’ table in March and has resulted in a number of meetings since then… “I don’t think we’re going to have to strive too hard to hit the 30 per cent (due to the amounts of forest already protected), but there will be some reductions (in some local Timber Supply Areas),” RDBN officials were told by Albert Nussbaum, executive director of the Office of the Chief Forester, and deputy chief forester for the province.

After a three-day whirlwind journey to the qathet region, a Danish film crew were overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of locals. Chef Anne Hjernøe and journalist Anders Agger, from Denmark, filmed their first episode for a Danish prime-time television show called Anne and Anders. …Agger wanted to connect with his [now past away] grandfather and understand his journey away from his family to be a logger in Canada. “In 1928 my grandpa left Denmark and came to Canada to work in forestry, even though he had six children back home,” said Agger. …The hosts and crew also wanted to know more about forestry in the region. “We met up with this amazing guy [logger and forester] Bob Marquis from Powell River,” said Agger. “He took us on a whole day trip, and we saw how they [foresters] work with the harvest and how they take care of the next generation of trees.

Environmental advocates say it’s time for Manitoba to stop allowing logging in Duck Mountain Provincial Park or risk biodiversity losses and damage to hiking trails. The Wilderness Committee calls logging activities in and around the park excessive and calls on the province to add the 1,424-square-kilometre park to the list of others where commercial logging is prohibited. “This is the place and the time where we end park logging in Manitoba,” Eric Reder with the Wilderness Committee said at a news conference in Winnipeg. “A majority of Manitobans have said they don’t want to see logging in a provincial park.” The latest report from the Wilderness Committee comes as Louisiana-Pacific Corporation seeks approval for a 20-year logging and forest management extension in and around the park, Reder said. The current licence expires at the end of this year. …CBC News has requested a response from Louisiana-Pacific Corporation but did not immediately hear back.

Dear elected ministers of B.C.: I recently saw the film A Cedar is Life and was both humbled and informed about the deep meanings within these beautiful trees. Most of us enjoy forest walks and the restorative qualities of nature, and are glad that governments provide parks and preserve wild spaces for the future. What kept me from sleep was the way we are misled in the apparent but disingenuous so-called “preservation” that lulls us into complacency. …We cannot pay lip service to listening to our Indigenous citizens and at the same time, desecrate what they hold sacred, the ancient cedar trees in which their ancestors dwell. We try to elect people who do care; who are not bought out by economic pressure, and we only have you, Ministers, to turn to.

As wildfire season kicks off in British Columbia, a helicopter equipped with potentially life-saving night vision technology has been sent to battle fires in Alberta. According to North Shore Rescue, the aircraft owned by Talon Helicopters has been in the neighbouring province since April 1 in a multi-month day deal reached with Alberta Wildfire. The North Vancouver-based search and rescue service had been using the helicopter for months … to find and douse wildfires overnight, as well as save stranded recreationalists. “I think for the air carrier, we understand their decision. It’s really about making money for that helicopter. We can’t offer that kind of money to the air carrier here,” said North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks. …Night vision helicopters were tested by the B.C. Wildfire Service successfully in 2020. Alberta Wildfire rolled it out, but B.C. did not, citing a lack of time to train crews.

On Thursday, students at Foothills Elementary School will plant 1,000 trees as part of The Exploration Place’s first GenAction project. GenAction is an initiative funded by the federal government and led by the Canadian Association of Science Centres, aimed at teaching children between Kindergarten and Grade 12 more about climate change science and encouraging them to take action. …The trees have been donated by Canfor, and the project is being supported by the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and School District 57.

The public is invited to get involved in the timber supply review for the Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area (TSA) by submitting comments before July 4, 2023. The public can comment on the timber supply analysis included in the just-released Kootenay Lake Timber Supply Area discussion document. The document describes the geography, natural resources and current forest-management practices in the Kootenay Lake TSA, to be considered by the chief forester in his allowable annual cut determination. Before setting the new allowable annual cut, the chief forester will consider input and feedback from First Nations and the public. The review, the fourth for the Kootenay Lake TSA since the 1990s, examines the impacts of current legal requirements and demonstrated forest management practices on the timber supply, economy, environment and social conditions of the local area and province.

NANAIMO, BC — One of Canada’s most threatened ecosystems – the Garry oak – is coming to life on Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Nanaimo campus. VIU employees, students and community volunteers have maintained a Garry oak ecosystem restoration plot since 2021. The 500-square-metre plot is located west of Building 370 near the top of campus. Dr. Caroline Josefsson, a VIU Biology Professor and botanist, oversees the project. …According to the Garry oak ecosystems recovery team the Garry oak ecosystem is home to many species at risk in British Columbia. Many of these species aren’t found anywhere else in Canada. Threats to the ecosystem include development, invasive species and habitat fragmentation. “The Garry oak ecosystem is the most biodiverse of all ecosystems in Canada and is home to about 100 rare species of plants and animals,” said Josefsson. 

After the cooler than normal start to spring in much of Alberta, the heat has been turned up to kick off May. Temperatures climbed into the mid to high 20s across the province on Monday, with both Edmonton and Calgary setting new temperature records. A ridge in the upper levels of the atmosphere has pushed this warmer than normal weather into Alberta and parts of the B.C. interior this week, and looks to last at least until the weekend. “A big omega block has formed over Western Canada,” said Terri Lang, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. …In Alberta, spring wildfires are particularly dangerous, can spread rapidly, and are often human caused. “May is the busiest for Alberta,” said Mike Flannigan. Flannigan is the research chair for Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science at Thompson Rivers University.

The province’s choice to continue to log old growth forest in B.C. is not only endangering mountain caribou but also the environment and its people, says a local conservation group. Craig Pettitt, chair of the Valhalla Wilderness Society, said the provincial government has put the welfare and survival of the “deep snow” mountain caribou — otherwise known as the southern mountain caribou — and old growth forests behind logging profits. …With the third largest herd of southern mountain caribou in existence — around 184 animals — the North Columbia herd is one of the last, best chances for saving the species, said Pettitt. But of the 1,917 hectares of active logging in federally-designated critical habitat for the Columbia North herd, 1,764 ha. are old-growth forest 140 years or older, explained Pettitt.

NANAIMO — A man and a woman facing various charges for their part in several ‘Save Old Growth protests last year will be heading to trial this summer. Howard Gerald Breen, 69, and Melanie Joy Murray, 48, were in provincial court… citing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, claiming clauses around freedom of expression and assembly were violated during their arrests. …Judge Ron Lamperson said their actions conflicted with the values protected under the Charter, specifically section 2(b) the Freedom of Expression, and section 2(c) the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. “Upon considering the case law provided by Counsel and applying it to the facts of this case, I find that while the activities of the applicants had expressive content, thereby bringing it within the sphere of section 2 for protection, the method and location of the activity removes it from that protection.” 

BC’s forestry sector is experiencing major upheaval. After disastrous wildfires and the mountain pine beetle epidemic, provincial policy is the straw breaking the camel’s back. After a year of what seemed like constant mill closures… Northern Development Trust is forecasting three indirect job losses for every mill job that disappears. …A declining supply of fibre is at the heart of the closures, whether in the interior or Vancouver Island. ….Last I checked, BC isn’t running out of trees. So why the fibre shortage? …Unfortunately, the BC government has been shrinking the timber harvesting land base at a time when the industry already faces a shortage of fibre. …The government needs to return to balance and restore access to BC’s traditional working forests. Until then, the fibre crisis will continue to have devastating effects on the prospects of forestry towns and the livelihoods of their families.

Mill tradespeople and technicians can access specialized entrepreneurship training and coaching to gain the foundational business skills they need to start and grow their own business. “The forestry industry and communities are facing challenges, so we are supporting those affected by helping them land stable, good jobs and move away from the old boom-and-bust cycles,” said Sheila Malcolmson, B.C. Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. …Through a $2.95-million grant to Hubspace, the new Build Your Own Future (BYOF) program will provide foundational business skills to prepare participants to start and grow their own businesses. …The Province has committed $185 million in Budget 2023 for people affected by weakening markets and changes in the forestry sector. In addition, the Province continues to seek innovative ways to support forestry workers and rural communities affected by downturns in the forestry sector.

The provincial government has given the green light to Squamish’s community forest.  The provincial government granted Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the District of Squamish a Community Forest Agreement on Dec. 22, 2022. …Nation spokesperson Wilson Williams (Sxwíxwtn) said, “Our Indigenous know-how, working in partnership with the District of Squamish, will help create wealth and prosperity for both our communities. More importantly, it is a significant step in the long process of reconciliation as our Nation seeks to reclaim rights.” The Squamish Community Forest is made up of 11,303 hectares on the hillsides east and south of Squamish. …The licence is valid for 25 years with a replacement option every 10  years. Squamish’s is one of  60 community forest agreements operating across the province.

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada (WPEFC) is hiring a full-time Program Manager to oversee recovery and restoration projects for endangered whitebark and limber pine ecosystems in Canada. This position would oversee various WPEFC programs, track projects funds, liaise with bookkeepers, spearhead reporting and have the option to assist with field projects. Initially, this is a 48-week term June 1, 2023 to May 1, 2024 with the possibility of extension pending job performance and funding. The position must be based in the Columbia Basin. Interested? Please download the full job description, and send in your details, we look forward to hearing from you!