Donald Trump
Donald Trump has vowed to renegotiate the USMCA free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico if he wins the November presidential election. “I am announcing today that upon taking office, I will formally notify Mexico and Canada of my intention to invoke the six-year renegotiation provisions of the USMCA that I put in,” Trump said. Following tense negotiations, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement went into effect in 2020 to replace the earlier NAFTA. The new agreement is up for review on its sixth anniversary in 2026. …Speaking on Thursday, Trump said he wanted to better protect the U.S. auto industry and stop countries like China from shipping products tax-free into the U.S. via Mexico. “I terminated NAFTA. That’s a pretty big thing,” Trump said. …What we have to do is make it much better even.”
VANCOUVER, BC — Western Forest Products says it is temporarily curtailing lumber production… from its B.C. sawmills by approximately 30 million board feet during the period from October to December of this year. The reduction will affect operating schedules at all B.C. WFP sawmill locations, including Ladysmith, Saltair, Cowichan Bay, Duke Point and Chemainus sawmills, impacting about 800 employees, said WFP’s Babita Khunkhun. The measures include temporary downtime during the last two weeks of December at those mills. …This comes on top of additional curtailments that took place earlier in the year, for a total reduction of approximately 90 million board feet, or about 10% of the company’s annual lumber capacity. Western Forest Products says the curtailments are due to a combination of market challenges, including weaker lumber demand and higher U.S. softwood lumber duty rates. Click here to read 
VANCOUVER — It is not an exaggeration to declare that forestry’s fortunes in recent years have been nothing short of disastrous, with more than 9,000 jobs lost since 2018. …However, there is hope for the forestry industry in B.C., and that is Canada’s bi-partisan consensus that the country needs more housing. …The CMHC found that housing starts had declined by 7% in 2023 compared to 2022, with a particularly acute 25% reduction in detached, single-family home starts. For BC, where forestry is still a prominent industry despite its ongoing difficulties, the impact of the housing and construction downturn has harmed the province hard. …However, Canada’s political leaders have realized the need for a dramatic boost in the country’s housing supply to alleviate the chronic affordability challenges faced by ordinary Canadians. …If the softwood lumber dispute means an unfriendly American market, an explosion of new housing starts in Canada is an attractive alternative.
The BC Council of Forest Industries’ Annual Convention is the largest gathering of the forest sector in Western Canada. Under the theme of “Where Do We Stand? Strategies for Competitiveness and Sustainability” the 2025 COFI Convention will tackle the factors and innovations now actively reshaping the future of the forest sector. It will provide stakeholders from across the industry, its supply chain and workforce with a critical platform for engaging with leaders in government, First Nations, and communities on the path forward. Registration will open soon, 
Join us in Victoria! We are pleased to announce the upcoming FPBC Forestry Conference & AGM, scheduled to be held in the Victoria Conference Centre from February 5 – 7, 2025. We are offering both online and in-person attendance options. We invite you and your staff to join us for professional development sessions, to hear about the latest trends in forest management, and to network with peers and colleagues.
VICTORIA and the Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen Peoples – As British Columbia prepares for the 2024 Provincial Election, political parties have included specific support for expanding the community forest program in their platforms. …“Community forests represent a future where forest management decisions, investments and benefits are realized in the community and for the land. It is great to see a recognition of community forests in BC as a way forward as we grapple with climate change, wildfire risk, watershed management and Indigenous reconciliation.” – Randy Spyksma, President, BCCFA At the mid-way point in the election campaign, the BC NDP have proposed a doubling of the area in the community forest program, and the BC Greens have proposed that 20% of the provincial Allowable Annual Cut be allocated to community forests. While others have yet to make specific commitments, “We look forward to possible support from the other political parties regarding community forestry,” said Spyksma.
The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is moving ahead with the second stage of removing looper moth-damaged trees in Stanley Park. During Tuesday night’s Park Board meeting, commissioners approved a plan to fell the trees killed by the hemlock looper. The hemlock looper insect experiences population outbreaks roughly every 15 years, however, the most recent outbreak resulted in significant tree mortality in the park causing an elevated risk to public safety,” the Park Board stated. Phase two is set to begin by the middle of this month, finishing by early 2025. Replanting is set to follow in the spring of next year. …“Our response efforts in Stanley Park have been vital to ensuring the continuing safety and well-being of park users, park infrastructure and wildlife species in the park,” said Bastyovanszky. “Further, it’s an opportunity to build a stronger Stanley Park that can better withstand future insect outbreaks and climate change impacts.”
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s 2024 conference last month focused on the critical role of biomass and wood pellets in the transition to a greener and brighter future. Over 160 people from nine countries came to Victoria, B.C., to examine the electrification revolution across Canada and worldwide. Participants tackled powering the shift from fossil fuels to renewable and responsible energy, innovations, solutions, current and future market conditions, new opportunities, emerging markets, and potential headwinds. …PowerPoint presentations from the WPAC 2024 Annual Conference: Powering Sustainability: The Role of Biomass in Electrification have been 
Chapleau is initiating the Chapleau District Heating Project, in partnership with 
OTTAWA — Across Canada, firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe, including by helping to fight wildland fires. …Because of their regular exposure to toxic chemicals from burning materials and firefighting foams, firefighters face a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer. … The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, tabled the National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting in Parliament and announced an investment of $12.29 million over 5 years and $220,000 ongoing, to advance firefighter health and safety. New investments will support the development of guidance for diagnostic testing and new tools to address training needs within the health care sector. This could lead to earlier diagnoses that may result in better health outcomes. To address gaps in equipment and health and safety standards, investments will also support the development of standards for wildland firefighters to support improved occupational health and safety for their unique needs.