Region Archives: Canada West

Special Feature

Mark Oulton joins Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP

Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP
February 21, 2023
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP is pleased to announce that leading litigation counsel Mark S. Oulton has joined the partnership. Mark has extensive experience at trial, on appeal, and before administrative tribunals in a range of commercial litigation and administrative law matters, with a particular focus on forestry and commercial disputes. Legal publications Lexpert and Chambers Canada recognize Mark as a leading forestry law practitioner. Benchmark Litigation recognizes Mark for corporate commercial litigation and administrative law and Best Lawyers Canada recognizes Mark for these and natural resource law as well. In addition to his counsel work, Mark regularly contributes to legal scholarship and education, including through contributions to the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC and the Advocates Society.Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 Litigation Firms, NST is known for its intellectual rigour, high quality advocacy, responsiveness to clients’ needs, and its outstanding team.

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Business & Politics

Mark Oulton joins Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP

Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP
February 24, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nathanson, Schachter and Thompson LLP is pleased to announce that leading litigation counsel Mark S. Oulton has joined the partnership. Mark has extensive experience at trial, on appeal, and before administrative tribunals in a range of commercial litigation and administrative law matters, with a particular focus on forestry and commercial disputes. Legal publications Lexpert and Chambers Canada recognize Mark as a leading forestry law practitioner. Benchmark Litigation recognizes Mark for corporate commercial litigation and administrative law and Best Lawyers Canada recognizes Mark for these and natural resource law as well. In addition to his counsel work, Mark regularly contributes to legal scholarship and education, including through contributions to the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC and the Advocates Society.Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 Litigation Firms, NST is known for its intellectual rigour, high quality advocacy, responsiveness to clients’ needs, and its outstanding team.

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More mill closures inevitable as B.C. forest industry crisis deepens

By Ted Clarke
Business in Vancouver
February 23, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Canfor’s plan to permanently shut down the pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper by March… is not the only grim reality facing the north central B.C. wood industry. The lack of economical fibre in the region and low lumber prices… means at least one more pulp mill in the region will likely be targeted for closure, according to forest industry expert Ben Parfitt. …The most likely pulp candidates for closure are Canfor’s Taylor mill, as well as one of West Fraser’s two mills in Quesnel, Cariboo Pulp and Paper or Quesnel River Pulp. Parfitt says the lack of fibre stems from B.C. encouraging harvesting of beetle-killed after infestations began in 2009. …The pellet wood industry that took root in Quesnel and Williams Lake around 2008… created a new sector that is competing with mills for pulp logs and increasing pressure on the forest industry. Parfitt said the province would have been better off to give value-added forest companies.

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Smithers to feel the effects of mill closure, says mayor

By Rod Link
The Interior News
February 23, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Gladys Atrill

The Town of Smithers will be making its own assessment of the impacts to its citizens and businesses from the upcoming closure of Canfor’s Houston sawmill, says Smithers mayor Gladys Atrill. “When something like this happens to a community that’s so close to us, it will definitely have an effect,” said Atrill. Canfor had employees living in Smithers and area and Smithers and area businesses will have economic ties to the mill, she added. …Canfor has cited weak markets, high logging costs and fibre supply challenges as reasons for the closure as of April. …Atrill said Smithers will also want to know what Canfor intends to do with the wood it has under licence that it won’t be using. “At the end of the day, that is a public resource and it should be extracted or logged as a benefit to that area and not be taken out of that area,” she said.

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Do Aboriginal rights include economic rights?

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
February 22, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — When the B.C. minister of forests announced deferrals that would prevent logging, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation responded by saying they would make their own decisions. At some point, First Nations like the Huu-ay-aht… may be able to sue governments or regulators when decisions they make negatively affect Aboriginal economic rights. …A succession of Supreme Court of Canada rulings in recent decades strengthened the right of First Nations to have a say. The adoption of the United Nations Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by the B.C. and federal governments has further strengthened the principle of consent. It is assumed that these decisions and declarations centre on the right of First Nations to say no to things like resource extraction. But three recent court rulings – all in Alberta – suggest Aboriginal rights may work the other way as well, with First Nations having the right to say “yes” to economic development, even when it may conflict with government policies.

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The Future of Electric Semi Trucks – Canadian Company Takes the Transportation Industry by Storm

Digital Journal
February 23, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Chace Barber and Eric Little

Edison Motors is a revolutionary company that specializes in the design, development, and production of electric semi-trucks. Founded by Chace Barber and Eric Little, this privately owned Canadian clean technology company has quickly made a name for itself in the industry, thanks to its innovative approach to manufacturing electric trucks that deliver fuel savings without compromise. In just one year, Edison Motors has gone from concept to production, with over 330 companies reserving an Edison truck. This is an incredible accomplishment for any automobile manufacturer and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Edison Motors team. The company’s niche audience is truckers and the car technology industry, and it has quickly become a leader in this space. …The Edison Truck is the result of a trucking company that remanufactured classic logging trucks with its engineering expertise in off-grid hybrid power systems.

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PRT Acquires Woodmere Nursery Ltd.’s Alberta Facility

By PRT Growing Services Ltd.
Globe Newswire
February 21, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA, British Columbia — PRT Growing Services Ltd., North America’s leading producer of container-grown forest seedlings, today announced it has reached an agreement with Woodmere Nursery Ltd. to acquire its nursery in Fairview, Alberta.  “We are thrilled to welcome the talented team at the Fairview nursery to the PRT family,” said Randy Fournier, Chief Executive Officer, PRT. “This further expansion in Alberta supports our continued growth plans and serves forest-focused jurisdictions in developing their critical natural resources while striving to mitigate climate change.”  The 134,000-square-foot nursery has steadily grown to reach an annual production capacity of over nine million forest seedlings, serving a wide range of customers in Western Canada, including forest companies, government, private woodlot owners and Indigenous communities.

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MNP proudly supports the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction

MNP
February 21, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

At MNP, we understand the essential role businesses play in driving the future of the communities we call home. That’s why we’re excited to support the 2023 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction and proud to sponsor three award categories. MNP is sponsoring three awards and we’re looking for your help to find a winner.

  • The Female Entrepreneur Award recognizes outstanding achievements in business from a female entrepreneur.
  • The Global Growth Award is given to a business or organization with significant accomplishments exporting products or services outside of Canada.
  • The Business Innovation Award recognizes a business / organization that has achieved outstanding results through original innovative strategies.

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B.C. mill workers still fighting for wages 3 years after cyberattack hit payroll system

By Rhianna Schmunk
CBC News
February 22, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Unions representing hundreds of paper mill workers in British Columbia are fighting to resolve payment issues three years after a cyberattack compromised the system that kept track of workers’ pay, court documents show. Several unions for workers at mills in Crofton, Port Alberni, and Powell River sought out a B.C. Supreme Court order this month to force Paper Excellence Canada to pay employees wages they’ve missed since the hack in February 2020. …The court filing is the latest step in a three-year fight. …The unions have gone to court because Paper Excellence has not remedied the payroll problems, despite an arbitrator ordering the company to do so more than a year ago. Mill workers’ pay was first disrupted when hackers infiltrated Paper Excellence’s IT systems on Feb. 24, 2020. …Paper Excellence “had to rapidly” switch over to a different payroll system, documents said. 

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Conifex announces temporary curtailment in Mackenzie, BC

By Conifex Timber Inc.
Globe Newswire
February 17, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Conifex Timber Inc. announced today that it will be temporarily curtailing its Mackenzie, British Columbia sawmill commencing February 21, 2023 for up to two weeks. Unsustainable inventory levels due to rail transportation challenges impacting the interior BC region have necessitated this step. Conifex will closely monitor its inventory levels and evolving transportation availability over this period as the rail network addresses operational impacts. It is anticipated that the temporary curtailment will impact production capacity by approximately 7 million board feet. “The decision was difficult, and we regret the impact this may have on our employees, their families, and the community. We are working closely with our transportation partners towards reliable and consistent transport availability,” said Ken Shields, Chairman and CEO.

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CP announces ratification of new labour agreement with Unifor

By Canadian Pacific Railway Limited
Cision Newswire
February 16, 2023
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CALGARY, AB – Canadian Pacific Railway Limited today announced that Unifor members have ratified a new two-year collective agreement covering approximately 1,200 CP mechanical employees in Canada. “This negotiated agreement is the result of hard work by all involved. We thank Unifor for working collaboratively with us throughout this process,” said Keith Creel, CP’s President and CEO. “Ratifying this agreement is a positive step for our mechanical employees and another example of CP’s willingness to negotiate in good faith with our union partners.” Unifor represents CP’s mechanical responsible for maintaining rail cars and locomotives. CP has successfully negotiated three tentative collective agreements with its unions in 2023, including this the one with Unifor announced in January and ratified this month. 

Additional coverage from Unifor: CP Rail workers ratify new contract

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

New Export Opportunities Seminar: Value-Added Wood Opportunities in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, & Vietnam

BC Wood Specialties Group
February 24, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Explore value-added wood opportunities from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Japan all in one seminar. On Thursday, March 30, 2023, Greg Henderson and special in-market speakers will present new wood product sales opportunities & market entry strategies for Japan as well as an overview on opportunities in Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Greg is the Founder and Co-Owner of Exportspark, a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) and a Registered Incoterms® 2020 Trainer. For over 25 years, Greg has been working with businesses and associations to provide international trade training & advisory services to help develop exporting capabilities and drive revenue growth from international markets. Topics will include: Opportunities, buying patterns, & wood product segments that are growing in each market; key importing requirements; and a short review of local cultures & sales techniques that help prepare for any meetings with buyers from that market.

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Contract awarded for Royal BC Museum collections, research building

By Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Government of British Columbia
February 23, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Construction will begin this summer on the Royal BC Museum’s (RBCM) collections and research building as part of a long-term plan to protect the Province’s collections that include more than seven million artifacts and the BC Archives. A $204.8-million contract has been awarded to Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. for the design and construction of the collections and research building (CRB) in Colwood, following a competitive design-build procurement process. Total capital project costs for the building are valued at more than $270 million. “Our government is committed to protecting our province’s history today and for future generations,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. …The new 15,200-square-metre (163,611 square feet) building will be a state-of-the-art facility using mass timber that safely houses the Province’s collections, BC Archives and research departments. …Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. is partnered with Michael Green Architecture Inc., a firm experienced in creating spaces that are sustainably built.

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Whittle by whittle, Metro Vancouver developers utilizing mass timber

By Claire Wilson
Business in Vancouver
February 23, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mass timber is becoming an increasingly sought-after material for developers as Vancouver continues to prioritize sustainability and the capacity to build more effectively in the current market. …Timber House by Aragon Properties, one of the largest CLT projects in North America, and Adera Development Corp.’s have promised to deliver 1,000 mass timber homes by 2025. Adera broke ground on a new mass timber community in Coquitlam this week. …Studies of tall mass timber buildings estimate a 25-45 per cent reduction in embodied carbon, according to a City of Vancouver report. …Though the price is higher than regular wood-frame construction, the cost of investing in mass timber is balanced out by the ability to build faster. …The mass timber sector is expected to see growth in the coming years with the potential to create 1,880 jobs in technology, forestry, engineering and design by 2035.

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Kamloops’ new elementary school to be mostly timber built and designed to handle extreme heat

By David Carrigg
Vancouver Sun
February 22, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new 485-seat elementary school and learning centre in Kamloops will be a timber-built structure designed to deal with extreme summer heat. According to the B.C.Ministry of Education and Child Care, work on the $63.5 million project in the Pineview Valley neighbourhood in Kamloops’ southwest will begin next spring and be completed by the summer of 2026. …“Mass timber will be used in the new school’s design, where appropriate. It will also include greenhouse gas reduction measures that will set the building’s emissions at least 50 per cent lower than the current LEED Gold Standards,” the Ministry statement read. “In addition, the school will be built with a climate-resilient building design that will better equip the school to stay cool during extreme heat.”

Additional coverage in Government of BC press release: New school coming for students in Kamloops

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B.C. cities adopting stringent bylaws to divert building demolition waste from landfills

By Nancy Lanthier
The Globe and Mail
February 21, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Developers in Victoria and Metro Vancouver are coming to terms with demolition bylaws that impose pricey recycling incentive deposits and wood-salvage quotas on a broader range of buildings. Following Port Moody and Surrey’s lead, Burnaby has introduced an all-structure green demolition bylaw that mimics the stringent bylaws that once just covered heritage home demolitions. Port Moody’s recently amended bylaw sets a new high for recycling quotas: 100 per cent of clean wood – wood that is not contaminated with paint, stain or chemical treatments – and 85 per cent of all other materials must be recycled before a deposit fee is refunded. Burnaby’s new bylaw marks a new high for deposit fees, which cap at $50,000 for structures more than 22,000 square feet, such as a warehouse. Before the fee is refunded, applicants must submit a compliance report with receipts from recycling facilities proving 70 per cent of demolition material was recycled.

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BC Wood Export Training Course 3 – International Distribution & Pricing

The BC Wood Specialties Group
February 20, 2023
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Wood’s third course in its new 2023 Export Training Program focuses on how to work through distributors to drive international revenue and the importance of getting your international pricing right. Many BC wood product companies that have sold into Canadian and US markets often find that selling direct outside of North America is very difficult, time consuming or due to time zone challenges, just doesn’t work. Working through distributors or agents is the best option for these new markets, but how do Canadian wood product companies find good, trustworthy and capable partners and set proper margins that help them sell? The ETP course introduces the concept of indirect sales through partners in target markets, and best practices around setting good margins and dealing with international pricing. Topics include reviewing the benefits of indirect sales, determining partner obligations in-market, validating good partners, setting favourable margins to drive sales and determining international pricing and costs.

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Forestry

Finding ways to get out of the woods at the 2023 TLA convention

By Jennifer Ellson
Wood Business – Canadian Forest Industries
February 23, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The current challenges facing BC’s forest industry was the focus of this year’s Truck Loggers Association convention and trade show, which saw more than 1,000 delegates at Vancouver’s Westin Bayshore Hotel from Jan. 18-20. “Firmly planted. Standing strong” was the theme for the 78th annual convention, which TLA executive director Bob Brash said was fitting given the current climate of the industry. …Keynote speaker Nikolas Badminton said this was the trickiest keynote he had to write so far, since the industry, and the world in general, have some of the biggest challenges right now. …“I don’t make predictions. I speculate,” he said. …When asked a question by event moderator Vaughn Palmer, Badminton said the industry needs to work hard to change that perception. “Machines do not put humans out of work,” he said. “Instead, we should think about what we can invest in to improve our businesses.”

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Forest ecologist Suzanne Simard’s research says trees talk to each other. Now she’s having to defend her work

By Ali Pitargue
CBC News
February 24, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

University of British Columbia forest ecologist Suzanne Simard is defending her research on how trees communicate after a citation review claims there is insufficient evidence to support her work. …Through mycorrhizal networks, Simard says, trees are able to exchange resources, sharing nutrients with younger saplings and releasing chemicals to warn each other of distress. But authors of a citation review published in Nature Ecology and Evolution says this research might not be applicable to every forest. Review co-author Justine Karst, who studies mycorrhizal ecology of forests at the University of Alberta, says she is questioning the claim that mycorrhizal networks are widespread in forests. …Karst and her co-authors’ analysis also questions the study’s claims that fungal connections benefit seedlings and trees can recognize their kin through mycorrhizal networks. Simard told CBC the article misses a major point about the research, maintaining that studying interactions between trees is crucial for protecting forests.

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Federal protection proposed for critically at-risk spotted owls in B.C., groups say

Canadian Press in CTV News
February 23, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Two environmental groups and a British Columbia First Nation say the federal government is recommending an order to protect the critically at-risk northern spotted owl. Just three of the tiny owls are known to be in the wild in B.C., with a fourth recovering at a rehabilitation centre after it was suspected to have been hit by a train. A statement from the Wilderness Committee, Ecojustice and Spuzzum Nation says they have learned federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault is recommending an emergency order to protect the spotted owl from imminent threats to its survival and recovery. The statement says the minister has determined that logging must be prevented in two watersheds within Spuzzum Nation territory along the lower Fraser River canyon, about 180 kilometres east of Vancouver.

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Greater Victoria’s sewage biosolids to be shipped to Nanaimo as tree fertilizer

By Darron Kloster
Victoria Times Colonist
February 23, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The finished product of sewage treatment produced in the capital region will soon be on its way to the Nanaimo area to fertilize trees and jump-start other vegetation. Biosolids, the granular remains of sewage treatment, will be spread in the mid-Island region to pump up new vegetation in logging and reforestation sites and for the reclamation of gravel pits and other mine sites. Land application of the biosolids is something the Capital Regional District vowed it would never do since the early stages of the $775-million wastewater treatment plant. In a narrow vote after a two-hour debate, CRD directors decided shipping biosolids to the Regional District of Nanaimo — which had offered to take them — was the only short-term plan on the table. …“I find it very hypocritical of us to allow biosolids to be land-applied outside of our region when we are against land application in our own area,” said Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins

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Victoria traffic disruptions planned during ‘super-rally’ for old-growth logging activists

By Todd Coyne
CTV News Vancouver Island
February 23, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Activists opposed to old-growth logging in British Columbia are planning to converge on the B.C. legislature grounds for a “super-rally” Saturday, prompting a warning from Victoria police to expect traffic disruptions in the downtown core. Police are planning to close Douglas Street to traffic from Centennial Square to the legislature grounds between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., when protesters plan to march to the government buildings. Additional police officers and surveillance cameras will be deployed downtown for the duration of the protest. …Dubbed the “United We Stand for Old Growth Forests! Declaration, March and Super-Rally,” the action is in response to the B.C. government’s failures to protect the province’s most at-risk old-growth forests from logging, according to a statement from the organizers.

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First Nations Studies student wins Skills Award for Indigenous Youth

University of Northern British Columbia
February 21, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Sarah Dixon

University of Northern BC student Sarah Dixon was honoured this past fall to have been selected as one of three recipients from across the country to receive a 2022 Skills Award for Indigenous Youth from the Forest Products Association of Canada and the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. …The 22-year-old Bachelor of Arts student is from the Esk’etemc First Nation, within the Secwepemc Nation, and grew up in the communities of Esk’et (Alkali Lake) and Williams Lake. …It was while on a campus tour with OYEP that the seeds were first planted for pursuing her post-secondary studies at UNBC. …Dixon is also participating in a Forest Products Association of Canada project called Forestry for the Future which aims to amplify the stories of those furthering sustainability in the forest industry.

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Oregon officials work ahead of wildfire season to reduce risk

Oregon Public Broadcasting
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nearly $3 million is being invested into projects intended to lessen wildfire risk across Oregon. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office says $2.7 million are going towards what’s called community wildfire protection plans (CWPP.) There are over two dozen ready-to-go in 25 counties. They include fuel mitigation programs, defensible space projects, and home assessments. Alison Green, the public affairs director for the OSFM, said this is a new initiative. “Our office was very fortunate in 2021, the last biennium to actually get an investment to reduce risk to communities,” Green told KLCC. “For us to really have this money to lessen the risk, and protect people, this was such an amazing opportunity.” The funds are part of the OSFM’s Fire Adapted Oregon initiative, created by Senate Bill 762. …Green said the wildfire outlook for 2023 looks more typical than some of the more severe seasons in recent years.

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Time for B.C. to fight fire with fire

By Joe Gilchrist, Bob Gray, Layne Clarke & Calvin Sandborn
The Globe and Mail
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Since 2016… billions of dollars have been lost to firefighting and property damage in British Columbia. Both timber supply and ecosystems have been devastated. Wildfire smoke now casts an eerie pall over B.C. summers. …Fire experts tell us that when industrial forestry abolished Indigenous-controlled burning, it set the stage for the recent catastrophic wildfires. …Part of the solution is to recognize ancient wisdom, and to “fight fire with fire.” Modern fire ecologists recognize this, and now widely prescribe controlled burning to create fire breaks and reduce forest fuels. …B.C. is now expanding prescribed burning, and has begun pilot projects with First Nations to restore cultural burning. But we lag far behind Australia and the United States. …While the BC Wildfire Service has limited programs… we urgently need to expand the training system. …Second, we need to reduce legal liability of certified prescribed-fire practitioners. [To access the full story, a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

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Audit of Lake Babine First Nation forest licence finds good practices

BC Forest Practices Board
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA – An audit of First Nations Woodland Licence N2I, held by the Lake Babine First Nation, has found compliance with British Columbia’s forestry legislation. “Our audit found that Lake Babine Nation complied with all requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” said Bruce Larson, acting chair of the Forest Practices Board. “We are pleased to see Lake Babine Nation participating in the forest economy and carrying out sound forest practices on their traditional territory.” The First Nations Woodland Licence is located north of Burns Lake and has three separate operating areas on the west side of Babine Lake. The licence provides the Lake Babine Nation with exclusive timber harvest rights within the 36,500-hectare area, with an allowable annual cut of 74,000 cubic metres.

Additional coverage in My Bulkley Lakes Now, by Logan Flint: Lake Babine Nation audit finds compliance with provincial legislation

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BC Timber Sales operations near Williams Lake pass audit

BC Forest Practices Board
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA – An audit of BC Timber Sales (BCTS) and timber sale licence holders (TSL holders) in the Cariboo Chilcotin business area, in the Cariboo Chilcotin Natural Resource District, has found compliance with British Columbia’s forestry legislation. “BCTS and TSL holders complied with requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and complied with almost all requirements of the Wildfire Act,” said Bruce Larson, acting board chair of the Forest Practices Board. “The one issue auditors found was that the TSL holders did not complete fire hazard assessments after logging. However, because they removed all logging debris that could pose a fire hazard as part of their standard procedures, this is considered an area to improve in the future.” The board examined forestry activities carried out between June 2021 and June 2022.

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Researchers seek public assistance as disease threatens Little Brown Bat

The Boundary Sentinel
February 21, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

B.C.’s bats are threatened by a fungal disease headed towards the province from Alberta and Washington State. The Kootenay Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, are asking the public for help in the effort to detect and prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). Residents are urged to report any bat activity observed in winter and any sick or dead bats found before May 31st. White-Nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that is harmless to humans, but has devastated North American bat populations. The fungus attacks bats while they are hibernating, appearing on their wings and faces to give an appearance of a white nose. Bats often wake to clean the fungus from their skin. This uses valuable energy, and finally the bats die from hypothermia and starvation. If anyone finds a dead bat or have sightings of winter bat activity, please report to the B.C. Community Bat Program online at www.bcbats.ca, via email at info@bcbats.ca or by calling 1-855-922-2287 (1-855-GOT-BATS).  

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Minister Guilbeault recommends emergency order to protect the critically at-risk spotted owl

The Wilderness Committee
February 23, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In a letter to the Wilderness Committee… Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault is recommending an emergency order to protect the at-risk species from imminent threats to its survival and recovery. Federal cabinet now needs to accept the minister’s recommendation for the emergency order to come into effect, after it consults affected First Nations. …The minister has determined that logging needs to be prevented in Spuzzum and Utzlius watersheds, within Spô’zêm Nation territory, as well as in a further 2,500 hectares of forest habitat critical to the spotted owl’s survival and at high risk of being logged within the next year. As the Minister has found there are imminent threats to spotted owl survival and recovery from logging, he must by law recommend an emergency order. If accepted, the emergency order would be the third ever to be approved by cabinet under the federal Species at Risk Act. 

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Prince George forum to discuss future of forestry sector

By Adam Berls
CKPG Today
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

PRINCE GEORGE — The future of forestry is going to be discussed at a forum next week and a group of speakers will be looking at how to increase sustainability and maximize job potential in the industry. The forestry sector has been dealing with many setbacks recently and there has been lots of discussion on the path going forward for the industry in British Columbia. James Steidle. …The Future of Forestry forum will take place on Tuesday February 28th at the Canfor Theatre at UNBC, starting at 6:30pm.

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Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program Open for Applications

BC First Nations Forestry Council
February 17, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Snuneymuxw Territory (Nanaimo, B.C.) – The Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) is an existing program that the Forestry Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Forests has developed. The program is designed to grow and connect Indigenous talent to BC Forest Sector Workforce opportunities. It is a work and study mentorship program that provides the opportunity for Indigenous students to access funding and enter into forestry-related training or educational programs plus a mentored summer work experience in their field. The program provides Indigenous students with: Tuition and living expenses scholarship; Paid summer work-term experience and one-on-one mentorship with a program partner; and Support from your local Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (ISETP) centre. Our work includes helping Indigenous students find appropriate pathways to work placements they are interested in, and providing continuous support to keep them on track towards their professional development and success.

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The Woodlot Communicator – Winter 2023

Federation of British Columbia Woodlot Associations
February 22, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In this issue of the Woodlot Communicator: Welcome Gord Chipman – New FBCWA General Manager Woodlotters and the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations are pleased to welcome Gord Chipman as their new General Manager. He takes over the reins from Brian McNaughton, who has tirelessly served for 22 years, ensuring the woodlot program was in good hands. Brian will still be sharing his knowledge through his company, Lone Tree Consulting, and will also be enjoying more time with his grandchildren! …The Association of BC Forest Professionals honours Al Waters – Retired RPF and Woodlotter Since 1970. Al has made a significant impact on the woodlot program, first as a Senior Woodlot Licence Forester in the Tenures Branch (1997-2003), and later as a manager of two woodlot licences near Quesnel.

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Accomplishments update highlights nature-based forestry solutions taking action on climate change

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
February 17, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), together with the Office of the Chief Forester, the BC Ministry of Forests, and many project partners across the province of British Columbia, has released an accomplishments update highlighting the innovative nature-based forestry solutions taking real action on climate change. …The accomplishments update titled “Rising to the Climate Change Challenge,” shares details about the collaboration of provincial, national, and international partners to harness the power of forestry as a part of the global solution. …Since inception, FESBC has approved $261 million in funding for 305 projects through all eight regions of the province. …Throughout the province, 4.8 million cubic metres of wood has been put to efficient use in secondary forest products facilities instead of burning that wood in a cutblock. 

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B.C.’s forest loss can be seen from space

By Nathan Griffiths
Vancouver Sun
February 18, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

B.C. has lost so much tree cover over the past 20-plus years that you can see it from space.  It has lost more tree canopy since 2000 than any other province, driven largely by wildfires and forestry practices.  According to data from Global Forest Watch, an online forest monitoring platform, B.C. lost 86,000 square kilometres of tree cover from 2001 to 2021, roughly 2½ times the size of Vancouver Island. About 30 per cent of that loss was due to wildfires.   Scarring from clear cut logging can be seen on the hills near Nanaimo in 2020.   While some of the tree canopy will recover with time, it won’t won’t necessarily be the same forest that comes back. Logged old-growth forests, some of which were many thousands of years old, will never return, replaced instead with second-growth forests of a very different nature.

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Your favourite brand of toilet paper may be cut from an important Canadian forest

By Natasha O’Neill
CTV News
February 18, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A U.S.-based non-profit advocacy group is pushing toilet paper manufacturers to stop using Canada’s boreal forest as a resource.  The Natural Resources Defense Council recently released a report on manufacturers that it says are using what it calls virgin forests — previously untouched forests (sometimes called old-growth forests) — as a resource for toilet paper.  CTVNews.ca reached out to the toilet paper manufacturers mentioned in the report to understand sustainability goals and how the industry is adapting to the changing climate. But experts say these big companies need to do more by shifting toilet paper away from forests to more sustainable options.  …The group claims the majority of popular brands in Canada and the U.S. are using wood fibre and pulp from the Canadian boreal forest, alleging that this practice leads to the destruction of ecosystems and decreases the carbon-capturing power of trees.

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Future of Forestry to be discussed in University of Northern BC forum

By Ted Clarke
Prince George Citizen
February 17, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

James Steidle

In the wake of sawmill curtailments and shutdowns and the permanent closure of Canfor’s pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper, a group of concerned stakeholders is gathering Feb. 28 at the University of British Columbia to discuss future of our forests and how they should be managed to increase sustainability and maximize job potential.  James Steidle, the organizer of the Future of Forestry in Our Region: A Community Conversation, says the forum is needed to inform the community about alternatives to existing forest practices and what should be done to protect species habitat, promote forest vitality and minimize the effects of logging.  “It’s not just about growing plantations for sawmills that are throwing everybody out of work,” said Steidle. “There’s other values there, there’s tourism, hunting, trapping and ranching to consider. We want to talk about tenure reform and talk about maybe getting a community forest for Prince George and alternatives to clear-cutting.

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Guest column: Poor information will cost taxpayers, says pro-logging group

By the Friends of the Municipal Forest
Cowichan Valley Citizen
February 18, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

North Cowichan’s tax base will continue to be depleted if elected officials proceed with a flawed study that sells short forestry revenues by 100 per cent while overstating gains from carbon credits.  Since the 1960s North Cowichan has been one of a handful of small municipally owned successful forest businesses. The small forest reserve balanced environmental, recreational, and economic interests until a small but very vocal group started demanding a stop to all timber harvesting.  The reserve, which covers 5,470 hectares, has the potential to generate more than $2.1 million annually in revenue for the municipality.  …The harvest rate is also 50 per cent less than the actual rate of growth which means the forest is growing faster than it is being harvested.  …So, a small group of community leaders, professional and retired foresters reviewed the report and found significant flaws and misleading conclusions.

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Forestry changes in B.C. don’t go far enough to protect against wildfire: expert

By Gordon Hoekstra
Vancouver Sun
February 19, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Changes introduced by the B.C. government to begin to give forest health priority over timber supply don’t go far enough to build up wildfire resilience, says a B.C. expert.  …A key measure is new forest landscape planning tables that will replace industry-led forestry plans.  Robert Gray, a wildfire ecologist with decades of experience in B.C., said the changes, while welcome, don’t specifically address wildfire resilience, which is also a critical issue for forest health, wildlife, biodiversity, watersheds and jobs.  …The forest landscape has to be transformed so that fire behaviour can be changed, said Gray, who has contributed to numerous academic papers on wildfire research and has written on the topic for the International Association for Fire Ecology, the Nature Conservancy and others.  The forest landscape can be made more fire resilient by methods that include logging, thinning and prescribed burns at low fire intensity, according to Gray and other researchers

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This February, So Far, Full of Forest Stewardship Portents and Prodigies

By John Betts
Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
February 17, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

So far, February has been an interesting month for forestry. Recent forums and announcements have provided more clarity and evidence for the transformation our government intends to forest policy and practice in British Columbia. Our WFCA conference at the beginning of the month anticipated some of this by focusing in part on the threats and opportunities we face in adapting to climate change and reducing the risk of natural disasters. Days after that the joined-at-the-hip Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship held a multi sectoral forum on the implementation of the Old Growth Strategy Review (OGSR) recommendations. Also in this newsletter:

  • Latest Forecasts for Seedling Demand Released by MoF
  • 2022 Low Bid Auction Tree Planting Tenders Defy Inflation

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The Woodland Almanac

Federation of British Columbia Woodlot Associations
February 21, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

We’d like to congratulate Al Waters, RPF(Ret), who was acknowledged with the prestigious Distinguished Forest Professional award this year by the Association of BC Forest Professionals. …Gord Chipman reports – “In the past few months, I have been working closely with Brian McNaughton as I transition into my role as General Manager. As a result, there have been many introductions. I have met the Minister of Forests, the Associate Deputy Minister, the Timber Pricing Manager (actually Al is an old friend) and the Tenures staff in the Branch.” …After surveying over 100 woodlot licensees, conducting interviews, polls, participating in meetings, hosting workshops, and obtaining legal advice, the JTF developed the following recommendation. The FBCWA/WPDC Joint Task Force recommends the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations and the Woodlot Product Development Council develop a singularly governed entity to serve the needs of Woodlot Licensees in the Province of BC.

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