Region Archives: Canada

Today’s Takeaway

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high

The Tree Frog Forestry News
May 21, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway
Region: Canada East

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high in 2024, just as EU delays anti-deforestation rules. In related news: the long shadow of of last summer’s Jasper wildfire; the downside of merging the US wildland firefighting agencies; and the wildfire evacuation order in Northwest Ontario is lifted. Meanwhile: BC Timber Sales pauses logging in caribou habitat; and Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forest companies.

In Business news: Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard; the US budget bill may cut funds for private forest owners; US single-family home size trends higher; the outlook for US housing and duties keep lumber prices volatile; and the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s Executive Director Mark Pearson is retiring.

Finally, both Swinerton  and Mercer celebrate mass timber building completion milestones.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Froggy Foibles

A ‘moving forest’ featuring 50 maple trees in shopping carts is coming to Toronto

By Devon Banfield
Toronto Now
May 15, 2025
Category: Froggy Foibles
Region: Canada East

An upcoming art installation in Toronto aims to spark city-wide engagement around greenery and draw attention to the way that trees impact physical and mental health in urban settings. Designed by architects from the Netherlands, the Moving Forest is a mobile project featuring 50 red, silver, sugar and Autumn Blaze maple trees planted in shopping carts travelling through the city for eight weeks, highlighting the importance of trees and shade. …“The project reminds us that as our cities continue to warm and densify, we must ensure that we are prioritizing green infrastructure along with grey,” the project website reads.

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Business & Politics

Mark Pearson, Canadian Institute of Forestry Executive Director on his retirement

By Mark Pearson, Canadian Institute of Forestry
LinkedIn
May 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mark Pearson

After five meaningful and rewarding years, I’ve officially retired as Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC). As I reflect on this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude. After 35 years in the federal public service and 20 years as an executive, I took on this role at the CIF-IFC with a desire to contribute to something I deeply care about. The past five years have been both challenging and transformational. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside an incredible community of dedicated volunteers, National Office team, and sector leaders. Together, we’ve navigated change, strengthened the Institute’s foundation, and helped position the organization for the future. In that time, I’ve seen the potential for CIF-IFC—and the sector—to be a national leader in inclusive, science-informed, sustainable forestry practices. The groundwork is there: greater collaboration, emerging leadership, and growing awareness of the role sustainable forestry plays in climate resilience and community well-being.

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A Crash Course on Global Trade and How Trump Is Wrecking It

By Olamide Olaniyan
The Tyee
May 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Kristin Hopewell

Canada and the United States have long been cosy trade partners, but that relationship is now tested by US President Trump, who in his first months in office has threatened, paused and reversed tariffs so many times it makes the head spin. …All of this would have been inconceivable 20 years ago, University of BC professor Kristen Hopewell says. And this approach not only will be damaging to the interests of the United States and its major trade partners for years to come, but risks unravelling a system that’s ordered the world economy since the end of the Second World War. It’s more than just topsy-turvy tariffs. Institutions like the World Trade Organization, and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, have defined the rules of trade for nearly a century and helped usher in a period of relative stability and prosperity. And those foundations of trade are now also at stake.

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Regional District of Central Kootenay gives conditional approval to Spearhead re-zoning

By Bill Metcalfe
Nelson Star
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Central Kootenay has tentatively voted in favour of a planned expansion for wood products manufacturer Spearhead on the North Shore, but held off on a final decision until a pair of conditions are met. …After several months of information-gathering and three public hearings, the RDCK board decided at its May 15 meeting that it needs two further pieces of information in order to finally decide on the zoning….First, the RDCK requires approval of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the details of highway access to the proposed facility. Second, the board has asked that a covenant be prepared and placed on the title of the property that would require Spearhead to comply with the recommendations of a professional environmental consultant before a building permit is issued.

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Industry group questions ‘vague scope’ of new B.C. forestry council

By Andrew Kurjata
CBC News
May 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kim Haakstad

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) says it isn’t sure why the province has created a new forestry council with a “vague scope and mandate” when there are already multiple working groups focused on the troubled resource sector. On Thursday, the province announced the formation of the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, which it says is expected to “provide recommendations to support forest ecosystems at the same time as helping the forestry sector.” …However, COFI says the province already has multiple working groups, reports, reviews and initiatives that have yet to be fully implemented. “We are not totally sure what the overall objective and need for it [the new council] is, COFI president Kim Haakstad said in an interview with CBC News. …Green Party House leader Rob Botterell says forestry has always been a key part of the provincial economy, but its future depends on sustainable and long-term ecological stewardship.

Additional coverage in CFJC Today Kamloops, by Michael Reeve: MLA Stamer looking for more diversity on provincial forest advisory council

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Richelieu launches massive new facility

By Larry Adams
Woodworking Network
May 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

In just more than a year, Richelieu Hardware combined multiple Western Canada facilities into one much-larger, much more efficient structure in Calgary, Alberta, in the process speeding up customer order fulfillment through automated technology and sophisticated software, and adding a major product line to its already burgeoning product portfolio. And, it is not done yet. The Canadian hardware company’s numbers are big, no matter how you look at it. Sales are $1.8 billion (CAD) in 2024. It serves more than 130,000 customers from 116 facilities throughout North America, and product SKUs top 145,000 items; throwing in special orders, that number can easily triple. And those numbers are constantly changing. …One of the facility’s newest additions is a 104-foot-long Evans Midwest brand laminating line from Choice Machinery Group. The company makes the laminated boards from substrates in its inventory, and laminates from most of the major laminate suppliers that it distributes.

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New BC council launched to support forestry in BC

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Members of the newly formed Provincial Forest Advisory Council are tasked with providing recommendations to government on advancing forest stewardship, while supporting communities and workers that rely on forests. Under the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord 2025, the B.C. government and BC Green caucus have established the Provincial Forest Advisory Council. The council will provide recommendations to government to ensure there are clear and measurable outcomes that support a healthy forests, healthy ecosystems and a healthy forestry sector. …The council will consult with industry partners, such as the Provincial Forestry Forum and ecological, environmental and biodiversity experts, to engage the public for feedback and honour commitments to work in partnership with First Nations. …The council brings together forestry sector leaders that have been jointly appointed by the BC NDP and Green caucuses. The council will provide an interim report this fall, with a final report expected by the end of 2025.  

Related coverage in Business in Vancouver: BC appoints council to improve forest sector, and the forestry ecosystem

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COFI voices concern over exclusion from new BC Forest Advisory Council

By Kim Haakstad, President and CEO
BC Council of Forest Industries
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kim Haakstad

Kim Haakstad, CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI)… is deeply concerned by the lack of active, front-line industry representation on the newly announced Provincial Forest Advisory Council. To align ecological, economic, and social outcomes, those who manage the realities of the sector every day must have a seat at the table—not just be invited to comment from the sidelines. Also troubling is the council’s vague scope and mandate—especially given the many significant forestry reviews… still being implemented. …Introducing yet another process, while those on the ground are still adapting to new frameworks… does little to support either ecological outcomes or the stable, predictable flow of forest resources BC urgently needs. …Most forestry jobs and investment come from primary operations—sawmills, pulp mills, contractors, and tenure holders—yet these voices are missing from this council, the BCTS Review Task Force, and the Softwood Lumber Advisory Council. This pattern of exclusion is concerning.

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Steelworkers welcome launch of B.C.’s new Provincial Forestry Council with a focus on workers

By Jeff Bromley, Wood Council Chair
United Steelworkers
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Jeff Bromley

The United Steelworkers union (USW) welcomes the launch of BC’s new Forestry Advisory Council as a critical step toward building a stronger, more sustainable forestry industry that puts workers and communities first. …“Our forest industry has suffered deeply over the past decade, with over 2,500 Steelworkers losing their jobs,” said Bromley. “Now is the time to ensure that BC’s working forest delivers the value to British Columbians that it was always meant to and that includes good, family and community-supporting union jobs.” …I’m on this council to make sure any review or reform of BC’s forest sector puts workers front and centre,” said Bromley. …The USW commends the B.C. NDP government’s effort to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to guide the future of forestry.

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Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP’s Mark Oulton, K.C., appointed King’s Counsel

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP
May 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Nathanson, Schachter & Thompson LLP is proud to announce that Mark Oulton has been appointed King’s Counsel by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Attorney General of British Columbia. Mark was called to the bar in 2000 and is a leader in forestry and natural resource law, appearing regularly as counsel before the Forest Appeals Commission, all levels of the British Columbia Courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. Mark Oulton has long been recognized as one of B.C.’s leading public law, natural resource and commercial law barristers. His unique background has allowed him to develop a multi-disciplinary litigation practice that sits at the intersection of forestry, commercial and Indigenous law, and engages challenging and important issues at the centre of reconciliation and its intersection with the provincial economy. Only 7% of practicing B.C. lawyers can be awarded the designation of KC. 

Government of British Columbia: Outstanding B.C. lawyers receive King’s Counsel designation

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Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard

By Katie Pyzyk
Packaging Dive
May 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Domtar appears close to making a final decision about whether to convert its newsprint mill in Gatineau, Quebec, to a containerboard mill. …Last week, Unifor concluded labor negotiations with Domtar regarding the Gatineau site, and the final contract will likely be published by month’s end, said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec director. As part of the labor arrangement, agreed not to bargain, lock out or strike for eight years — on the condition that Domtar would move forward with the mill conversion, Cloutier said. Domtar agreed to proceed with the mill conversion investment, Cloutier said, although the company has not issued a final decision. Unifor anticipates that should come by autumn, if not earlier. …”one thing that could help them to make that decision was the guarantee that they will have no conflicts at [the] Gatineau plant while they proceed with the construction of the new facility,” he said.

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Forest Products Association of Canada expands scientific team with addition of Dr. Darren Sleep

Forest Products Association of Canada
May 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Darren Sleep

Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Darren Sleep as our Chief Scientist, Forest Ecology and Conservation. Dr. Sleep has extensive experience working with the forest sector across North America… Prior to joining FPAC, he served as the Lead Scientist with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) based in Ottawa and as the Principal Scientist with National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) in Montreal. …At FPAC, Dr. Sleep will emphasize the ecological, environmental, and socioeconomic advantages of sustainable forest management, guided by robust ecological science and knowledge. He is committed to the role of sound science to inform decision-making and passionately advocates for sustainable forest management as a solution to global challenges. “Dr. Sleep’s expertise in sustainable forest management is vital as we address policy challenges like housing affordability, rural development, employment, emissions reductions, and wildfire resilience,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC President and CEO.

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Truck Loggers Association Statement on New Provincial Forest Advisory Council May 15, 2025

The Truck Loggers Association
May 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

For 82 years, the TLA’s long history of supporting the forward movement of BC’s forest sector with the core objective of ensuring the ongoing prosperity of the contracting community and the people working in it, has been to the overall benefit of our forests. BC’s forest sector is wrestling with difficult and challenging conditions caused by many factors including changes in government policies, increasing complexity, conflicting mandates, and ever-increasing cost structures. We are overdue for a comprehensive overhaul of the current environment we deal with and the need to return to a dedicated vision towards renewed prosperity. However, today’s announcement of the new Provincial Forest Advisory Council (PFAC), yet another committee to review BC’s forest sector and provide recommendations to the Minister of Forests, is of concern. Notably, the advisory council does not include representation from boots-on-the-ground, independent contractors who can provide a valuable perspective on the impacts of potential changes.

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Finance & Economics

Canada’s Inflation rate drops to 1.7% in April, driven by lower energy prices after carbon tax removal

By Jenna Benchetrit
CBC News
May 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Canada’s inflation rate eased to 1.7% in April, driven by a drop in prices after the federal government removed the consumer carbon tax, according to Statistics Canada. The slowdown came after the inflation rate hit 2.3% in March. Lower crude oil prices were also a factor in the decline, the data agency said. Despite the decline in headline inflation, core inflation measures all rose in April, some above three per cent — well above the Bank of Canada’s two per cent target rate. The central bank watches those numbers closely because they strip out volatile sectors and don’t factor in one-offs like the removal of the carbon tax. …The central bank is set to make its next interest rate decision on June 4. Porter still expects that the Bank of Canada will cut, given the outlook for weak economic growth in 2025, but said the bank might need more time to see how inflation plays out.

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Can US federal land offset imported Canadian forest products?

By Austin Lamica
RISI Fastmarkets
May 15, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Tariff discussions about reducing US dependence on foreign goods became a focus for the second Trump administration. …However, the US forest products industry’s reliance on Canadian wood raises questions about eliminating Canadian wood imports entirely. This piece is the second in a two-part series by the Fastmarkets team. Part one of this series explored converting capacity to replace finished products sourced from Canada.  …Theoretically, US federal lands currently have ample timber supplies to offset the volume of softwood lumber imported from Canada. However, increasing federal timber harvests upwards of 450% may be challenging, as many headwinds, aside from those related to lumber production capacity, may limit the government’s ability to ramp up timber production to this level. Foremost is the contraction of forest area available for harvest due to environmental regulation and wildfires. Trump’s executive order and proposed NWFP amendments aim to address these issues, but this will likely not happen overnight.

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Canadian housing starts were up 30% in April

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation
May 15, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

The six-month trend in housing starts increased 2.4% in April to 240,905 units, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada. The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada increased 30% in April (278,606 units) compared to March (214,205 units). Actual housing starts were up 17% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 21,720 units recorded in April, compared to 18,539 in April 2024. This marks the highest actual housing starts for the month of April on record, and pushed the year-to-date total to 67,022, down 2% from the same period in 2024. “The increased starts activity in April was driven by increases across all housing types in Québec and the Prairie provinces, while starts in Ontario and BC declined.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Expanding the Glulam Sector in BC

By Branchlines
UBC Faculty of Forestry
May 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Frank Lam

The global market for mass timber is growing… An emerging opportunity for made-in Canada engineered wood products may be glulam beams and glue laminated timber panels composed of western hemlock and amabilis fir, known as hem-fir. “However, the obstacle to the use of glulam made from BC/Canadian hem-fir comes from both the lack of technical evidence on the strength properties of hem-fir glulam and limitations stemming from current CSA Group standards,” states UBC Forestry Prof. Frank Lam, Chair of Wood Building Design and Construction, who is conducting research. …Western Forest Products is collaborating to test novel applications for hem-fir, particularly in key growth product categories, such as glulam. …“The tree species mix and age profiles are changing in BC and will result in a larger proportion of available stands of western hemlock,” states Mark Dubois-Phillips, Director of Marketing and Product Management with Western.

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Wood Connections Newsletter

The BC Wood Specialties Group
May 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Wood May Newsletter is published, these are some of the headlines:

  • Register to Exhibit Now – 2025 Global Buyers Mission (GBM): Sept. 4th-6th, the Annual GBM is fast approaching, and as in previous years, pre-registration is required to participate in the GBM. Receive your invitation link by emailing gbm@bcwood.com. All registered exhibitors are invited to participate in this year’s Sponsorship Program for the Global Buyers Mission.
  • BC Wood’s Proposed Trade Activities for 2025-26 are designed to connect British Columbia’s value-added wood product manufacturers with global markets. Here is the list of proposed activities for 2025-26…
  • BC Wood has space available for value-added wood manufacturers at the Interior Design Show (IDS) in Vancouver – Canada’s premier platform for cutting-edge design and architectural innovation!
  • BC Wood is pleased to announce a market development program for Mexico.
  • Exhibit with BC Wood at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Circle of Trade, July 15-17, 2025 in Winnipeg
  •  

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Tall order: Prefabricated mass-timber buildings could save time, money — and carbon emissions

By Howard Akler
Toronto Star
May 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Toronto is a city of cranes and construction sites, so there’s nothing remarkable about the fact that a nine-storey housing project is being erected at the corner of Royal York Road and Drummond Street. It’s what’s inside that counts. The floors, walls, roof and envelope of this Etobicoke midrise will all be made of wood. Each piece of mass timber is being manufactured in Delta, B.C., then shipped and assembled here within the span of three months. The 58-unit structure, which is expected to be move-in ready by the end of year, will be the GTA’s tallest mass- timber residential building. (That is, until the title is claimed by future projects currently in development.) “We need housing urgently, and prefabricated mass timber is the way to scale up construction,” says Oliver Lang, co-founder of Intelligent City, which uses AI-powered proprietary software and advanced robotics to design and manufacture its building components. [This story may require a subscription for full access]

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This mass timber office by Moriyama Teshima impresses with flexible design and tons of natural light

By Nathaniel Bahadursingh
Archinect News
May 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Moriyama Teshima Architects, in collaboration with Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning, has completed the new headquarters for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in Toronto. Within a state-of-the-art mass timber structure, the relocation and revitalization of the organization’s central office is united with new commercial tenancy opportunities. The three-story, 124,000-square-foot building reflects a close connection to natural elements, prioritizing health, wellness, and sustainability through natural light, flexibility of use, and innovative technology. The 40,000-square-foot workplace interior by Kasian was driven by a strong focus on the human experience, while also blending functionality with a timeless aesthetic. The new offices are located on the north side of the building and span four floors. …The building’s infrastructure is concealed beneath elegant finishes, leaving the wooden ceiling exposed. Its raised floor system allows all services to run beneath the floor, eliminating overhead ducts and conduits.

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In Canada’s housing crisis, are modular homes a cheaper and faster solution?

By Sharif Hassan
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — Advocates and experts say while there is no single solution to the homelessness crisis… prefabricated homes could play a significant role in addressing the shortage of affordable and supportive housing. “The modular definitely helps because the faster construction is, the least expensive it is,” Andrea Adams, the executive director of the non-profit developer St. Clare’s said. …Ontario’s housing crisis has been an ongoing issue for years, and some experts say modular housing could play a crucial role in addressing the problem. …Prime Minister Carney promised a housing plan that would yield 500,000 new homes annually and provide $25 billion in loans for companies that make factory-built homes. Carney said he aims to create an “entirely new Canadian housing industry” around modular housing, using Canadian lumber, skilled workers and technology. Ontario Premier Ford also promised $50 million to support modular housing technology.

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Forestry

Logging, pruning and anxiety in Banff ahead of first summer since Jasper wildfire

By Matthew Scace
Canadian Press in Coast Reporter
May 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

BANFF — Looking out over a budding meadow with blackened tree stumps on the edge of Banff National Park, Cliff White points to a dark thicket of trees where the empty plot ends. “The next fire in here is going to be incredible,” says the former Parks Canada fire management co-ordinator, standing in the expansive Carrot Creek fire break. …The Rockies are facing another year of drought conditions. …In the race to mitigate the damage from future fires, stewards of Alberta’s parks have turned to loggers to create fire guards like Carrot Creek. The areas are designed to starve a fire of fuel and create enough empty land for embers to fizzle out on the ground. …Each fire break represents the start of a new ecosystem that Parks Canada will need to maintain.

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BC Timber Sales pauses logging in threatened caribou habitat

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
May 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The B.C. government-run corporation responsible for administering a fifth of the province’s annual logging quota says it will pause new operations that overlap with habitat of a threatened caribou herd north of Revelstoke. The pause is expected to last until planning has restarted or government gives BCTS direction, a BCTS planning forester wrote. “We are not operating within caribou core areas,” the email reads. …A statement from the Ministry of Forests said the logging pause was part of a collaboration with First Nations, industry, as well as local and federal governments. …Eddie Petryshen, a conservation specialist with Wildsight, said about 112,000 hectares of BCTS tenure overlap in some way with critical habitat of the Columbia North caribou herd. …Logging has combined with oil and gas exploration to carve up forests across B.C., opening up paths for predators to hunt mountain caribou.

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It could all go up in flames: Why Banff and Bow Valley face mounting wildfire peril

By Bill Kaufmann
Calgary Herald
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Cliff White

The agony of last summer’s Jasper wildfire casts a long shadow across the Bow Valley. The blaze left a smouldering $1.23 billion in devastating costs to the Jasper area, while also leaving experts predicting — and residents worrying — that other pristine mountain communities such as Banff and Canmore could be next. …“It’s just so primed to burn, you can’t stop it — I don’t think Banff has time,” Cliff White, a former Parks Canada forestry scientist said last summer. …With the lack of follow-up on tending to prescribed burn areas and other breaks “we are doing about one-fifth of what needs to be done just for maintenance, and given the backlog of biomass accumulated, we are at about one-tenth of what should be done for the next two to three decades,” said the Cliff White.

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Spruce budworm: Pest’s persistent presence concerns Sundre-area horticulturalist

By Simon Ducatel
The Albertan
May 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

SUNDRE While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. …“From what we’re seeing from our aerial overview surveys – that’s the primary way that we are doing monitoring for spruce budworm – we’re not seeing what we would call an epidemic at this point,” she said. …Asked whether there are any regions in the province where there might be an epidemic unfolding, she said the department’s data from 2024 does not indicate as much. …Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery said he is less worried about his own tree farm. …“But it’s also a forest fire risk.

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Why no one in B.C. knows exactly how many black bears there are

By Chad Pawson
CBC News
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

They’re common subjects of news stories and interaction with humans and urban areas. But how common is the black bear in B.C.? Wildlife advocates say the answer is far from clear, and better data is required to help and understand the species, many of whom are destroyed as a result of becoming habituated to human food. “I want some more pressure on the government to address this big knowledge gap that we just don’t know how many we have,” said registered professional biologist Helen Davis with Artemis Wildlife Consultants. “We don’t know if we’re hunting too many, if we’re killing too many through conflict.” …Biologists like Davis, who, along with First Nations, want bear dens in old-growth forests protected with provincewide legislation, say there could be a misconception that a key species with ecological and cultural value is plentiful when the data to support that is outdated or even dubious.

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Whistler confronts wildfire uncertainty with bold new plans and collaborative science

By Liz McDonald
Pique News Magazine
May 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

With fire season arriving earlier and burning longer each year, Whistler is pushing forward with a suite of new wildfire risk mitigation measures—ranging from forest fuel-thinning and emergency planning to updated bylaws and collaborative research. At the heart of the work is a recognition wildfires are no longer rare events, but a growing threat made worse by climate change. “We are acutely aware that the wildfire risk is rising in Whistler and it’s the single biggest climate change related risk and vulnerability for all of us here,” said the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) manager of climate and environment Luisa Burhenne at the May 13 council meeting. The RMOW has treated more than 100 hectares of high-risk forest, representing about one-third of its 2030 target.

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Spruce budworm: Pest’s persistent presence concerns Sundre-area horticulturalist

By Simon Ducatel
The Albertan
May 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. “That kind of extends along that narrow band of spruce between the public forest and private land all the way west of Diamond Valley,” Whitehouse said. “And then it does peak into the Kananaskis forest area a little bit, but it’s really quite minor in that region”… Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery who first established a plantation near Sundre in 1996, said he is less worried about his own tree farm where he can deploy mitigation strategies to attack the aggressive pest but harbours concern about damage trees in the greater area could suffer.

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Seedling Demand Forecasts Show 300-milion/year A Long Way Off—If Ever

By John Betts
Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
May 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC reforestation sector is not likely to return to the annual seedling demand levels we saw at the beginning of this decade according to recent forecasts produced by the Forest Genetics Council. In 2020 the sector peaked above 300-million seedlings planted. Lately, tree nurseries and planting contractors have seen demand drop by 20% due primarily to the shrinking harvest. It is likely to stay in that range for the foreseeable future based on the Council’s analyses of projected harvests, public reforestation investments, and the effects of climate change on species suitability. …According to information from provincial seedling storage operators, about a third of their tree cartons have been delivered to the field since Interior planting began in April. …Following the launch last March of an online Job board at The Cache,  the industry website has continued to grow with a new “Ask an Expert” section to answer questions posed by workers. 

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Weather conditions expected to fuel active wildfire season in southern Alberta

By Brendan Coulter
CBC News
May 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Heavy rainfall this week has brought down the immediate wildfire risk in southern Alberta, but dangerous conditions are still expected in the months ahead. Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting above-normal temperatures across the entire province through October. And while much of northern Alberta is expected to welcome above-average precipitation, below-average precipitation is predicted across much of southern Alberta. “If that forecast is correct, we could have fire problems,” said Thompson Rivers University fire management expert Mike Flannigan, adding it doesn’t take long after rain for the fire danger to pick up again. “I have a saying, ‘Give me a week of warm, dry, windy weather. I can give you a raging inferno,'” he said. Most of the Alberta wildfires sparked so far in 2025 have occurred north of Edmonton, according to the province’s wildfire status dashboard. But Natural Resources Canada predicts the fire danger will shift to southern Alberta by August.

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B.C. forecast for drought and wildfire is bleak, but don’t panic yet, say officials

By Andrew Kurjata
CBC News
May 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

B.C. is already reporting some areas of extreme drought, which could spell bad news for the summer ahead. In the province’s first drought update of 2025, a few areas have been highlighted as regions of concern, including the Fort Nelson, North Peace and East Peace regions which have been recorded as having moderate to severe drought conditions. Most of the province has yet to be assessed but Vancouver Island is also reported as having level three drought conditions, on a scale of zero to five. Dave Campbell of the River Forecast Centre says while conditions are not as dry as they were in 2024, they are still concerning. The northeast, in particular, he said is now entering its third year of a multi-year drought where there are “long-term precipitation deficits” that contribute to dangerous conditions overall, such as wildfires. …Natural Resources Canada forecasts shows the potential for yet another active wildfire season across Western Canada…

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Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forestry companies

Canadian Press in Citynews Montreal
May 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Two Indigenous organizations have issued eviction notices to a number of Quebec forestry companies in the province’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie and Côte-Nord regions. The Mamo alliance and the Association des Gardiens du territoire Nehirowisiw Aski sent the notices to 11 companies. The notices ordered the companies to immediately remove their workers and equipment from unceded Indigenous territory. The letters are a response to the Quebec government’s proposed forestry reform, which has drawn opposition from environmentalists and First Nations. The reform would include creating so-called “priority forest management zones” set aside for the logging industry.

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Wildfire response training should be made available to more civilians, experts say

By Britnei Bilhete
CBC News
May 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

As wildfire season begins in Ontario, some experts say more civilians in northern and remote regions should be given training and opportunities to become wildfires response volunteers, despite liability concerns. The province saw over 475 fires last year that scorched 90,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. …Fighting wildfires is usually done by firefighters hired or contracted by Ontario or other provincial governments — and in worse cases the Canadian Armed Forces help out. But giving residents the capacity to respond as well is something that could reduce the impact of wildfires, says Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s school of environment. …The problem is that responders and municipalities have issued advice against it because of the liability concerns, he said.

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Work Progressing on Atlantic Wildfire Centre as Forest Fire Season Comes into Effect in Labrador

By Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
May 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Forest fire season begins in Labrador today, May 15. Fire season on the Island of Newfoundland began April 24 and is now in effect throughout the entire province until September 30. A burn permit is required to burn vegetation, wood and paper products during forest fire season. …Trained and dedicated wildland firefighters and aerial resources including water bombers and helicopters are strategically located throughout the province and ready to respond to wildfires. …Budget 2025 allocates $4.2 million towards the Atlantic Wildfire Centre, with a total federal-provincial commitment of $32 million until 2030 to increase resources, enhance training and strengthen the province’s ability to tackle wildfires at home and away. Work on the Atlantic Wildfire Centre is well underway. …More than 60 wildfires have been recorded on the Island of Newfoundland so far this season. One fire has been reported in Labrador to date. 

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Health & Safety

Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s May Safety Hero: Brian Fluter, Electrician at Drax High Level

By Gordon Murray
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
May 13, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Brian Fluter

Congratulations to Brian Fluter, Electrician at Drax High Level in Alberta, the latest Wood Pellet Association of Canada Safety Hero. Brian always strives to ensure the workplace is safe for his colleagues. Since Brian joined the Drax High Level team in 2021, he has consistently demonstrated his safety leadership qualities by setting a strong example. He is a part of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, where his voice as a veteran employee is respected and heard. “Brian has trained over 300 employees within Drax North American sites through his utilization of the Train the Trainer program for Arc Flash Awareness NFPA 70e,” says Blake Hoskins, Plant Manager, Drax High Level, who nominated Brian. “That’s 98 per cent of North American employees!

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Forest Fires

Wildfire deaths in Manitoba turn ‘an emergency into a tragedy’: Premier Wab Kinew

By Darren Bernhardt
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Flags have been lowered to half-mast at the Manitoba Legislative Building to honour two people who died after being trapped by an out-of-control wildfire in the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet. Premier Wab Kinew, who offered condolences to the family, friends and community members of the victims, called the move “a small gesture towards the sympathies that we feel and how this latest turn in this year’s wildfire situation hits on a different emotional level.” “The news of this loss of life changes what was an emergency into a tragedy,” he said at a Thursday morning news conference. …Kinew urged people heading into the May long weekend — traditionally the unofficial start to summer and camping season — to listen to evacuation orders and stay out of areas where emergency crews are working. As of Thursday, there are 21 fires burning in the province, with a total of 80 recorded so far this season…

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‘Another challenging day’ fighting Manitoba’s wildfires with not enough rain on the way, officials say

By Darren Bernhardt
CBC News
May 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hot weather, dry conditions and very windy days have caused multiple fires to erupt in Manitoba, forcing people out of their homes and burning buildings — and forecast rain is not enough to help much, fire officials say. There are 24 active fires, six of them requiring significant response, said Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. “This is an extremely dynamic time for us,” she said at a briefing on Wednesday afternoon. “The message that we want to send out to Manitobans today is that if you do not need to be in the parks and if you do not need to be in the areas where first responders need to access, we are asking you to stay away.” Six states of emergency have been declared and five provincial parks, three local authorities, three northern communities and 24 cottage subdivisions have issued mandatory evacuation orders.

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Evacuation alert lifted in district

By Doug Diaczuk
The Chronicle Journal
May 20, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A drop in temperatures and some precipitation has reduced the fire hazard in the region, prompting an evacuation alert in the Northwest to be lifted. On Sunday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) lifted an evacuation alert issued last week for the Fort Frances District. The alert was implemented due to a 3,500-hectare fire burning south of Atikokan. There has been no growth observed in that fire for several days and precipitation and cooler weather has reduced fire behaviour. An evacuation order remains in effect for an area northwest of Kenora near the Ontario and Manitoba border due to the wildfire designated Kenora 20. It is a 400-square-kilometre fire burning south of Wabaseemoong First Nation that is not considered under control. The community of Wabaseemoong First Nation was evacuated late last week and structural protection efforts remain ongoing.

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Wildfires in Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout, Ont., districts force evacuation alert, travel restrictions

By Olivia Levesque
CBC News
May 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Evacuation and travel alerts have been issued in the Fort Frances and Sioux Lookout districts in northwestern Ontario as wildfires grow in both areas. As of Thursday morning, 10 forest fires are burning in the northwest region, and half of them aren’t under control. In the Sioux Lookout district, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) issued an implementation order Wednesday evening. It includes the area around the fire known as Sioux Lookout 3, which was first reported on Tuesday afternoon. The fire is burning north of Savant Lake, covering over 2,000 hectares of land. Ontario Provincial Police have closed Highway 599 and travel is restricted on Highway 516 east of Houghton Lake. Further south, the Fort Frances 4 wildfire is covering over 3,200 hectares. The MNR issued an evacuation alert Wednesday afternoon, encouraging people to prepare to evacuate on short notice. Fort Frances 4 is burning just north of Crystal Lake and is not under control.

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