Region Archives: Canada

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Need to rethink forest management — even in our national parks

By Jason Krips, CEO, Alberta Forest Products Association
The Calgary Herald
July 31, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jason Krips

The wildfires that swept through Jasper National Park in 2024 were devastating — but they weren’t unpredictable. They were the foreseeable result of years of policy choices: the decision to leave forests untouched, to restrict active management, and to allow risk to build in the name of preservation. Alberta’s forests are disturbance-driven — they rely on natural events like wildfire to renew, diversify, and maintain ecological balance. But over the past century, we’ve suppressed these disturbances to protect communities, infrastructure and wildlife. Without fire, forests don’t regenerate naturally. And without policy tools that allow for active interventions like harvesting, we’re left with dense, aging stands vulnerable to fire and pests. Now, in 2025, we face an urgent question: will we continue down the same path, or will we modernize our approach to forest management — even in places long considered off-limits, like national parks?

…Our members don’t operate inside the park, but they do operate next to it, and what happens within the park’s boundaries doesn’t stay there. …In 2017, we warned that aging forests, pine beetles, and hot, dry summers were creating a perfect storm. In 2024, that danger became reality. …We need a national parks policy to reflect this reality. It should encourage science-based, ecologically sensitive management tools like thinning, selective harvesting, and prescribed fire across the entire park — tools that reduce fuel loads and restore healthier forest structures. Beyond parks, we also need to revisit legislation like the Species at Risk Act. In Alberta, this law currently prevents management in large areas of older forest, ironically putting caribou and other species at greater risk when those forests inevitably burn. …Canada’s forests, inside and outside of parks, are among our greatest national assets. But if we want to protect them, we need to manage them. 

Additional coverage in the Rocky Mountain Outlook, by Glen Grossmith: LETTER: In support of rethinking forest managementIt’s encouraging to see attention drawn to the real, actionable strategies that can make a difference in the face of escalating wildfires.”

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Business & Politics

Trump Raises Tariffs on Canada to 35%, Keeps USMCA Exemption

By Brian Platt, Randy Thanthong-Knight & Thomas Seal
Bloomberg Economics
July 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Donald Trump said the US will put a 35% tariff on some imports from Canada, escalating the tensions between two countries that have impaired one of the world’s largest trading relationships. The new rate represents an increase from the 25% tariffs Trump imposed in early March under an emergency law. …But the US administration kept in place an exemption for goods traded under the rules of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. US automakers and other companies with integrated North American supply chains had pushed for that carve-out, which has allowed US importers to continue bringing in the bulk of Mexican and Canadian products without duties. Because of the USMCA exemption, the effective tariff rate on US imports of Canadian goods was around 5%. …Trump signaled that he would be open to further talks with Carney. …Hours before raising Canada’s tariffs, Trump agreed to extend current tariffs on Mexico for 90 days.

Related coverage:

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The US Lumber Coalition continues to present sensation stories with inaccuracies

By Russ Taylor and David Elstone
Russ Taylor Global and Spar Tree Group
August 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US Lumber Coalition (USLC) continues to state several inaccuracies and made several misquotes in their July 29th news release. This was partly in reaction to [our] July 27th release, “Setting the Record Straight”. …Stating that there is “massive excess capacity” in Canada is a USLC claim that we have demonstrated as inaccurate, yet the USLC continues to recirculate their claim. …Yes, the US market does need Canadian lumber. While the US federal government endeavours to boost US domestic timber and lumber production, until such time that domestic supply develops, the US market will continue to be reliant on imported lumber. …We have advocated on various subject matters in the past, but we took extra measures to ensure the content was factual given the sensitivities of the softwood lumber trade conflict… as leaving the USLC’s claims unaddressed does not serve the Canadian or American industry and public otherwise. 

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Tariffs on softwood lumber is a ‘lose-lose game’ for both Canada, US

CTV News
July 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Brian Menzies of the Independent Wood Processors Association speaks on why a trade deal is so important for the softwood lumber industry.

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BC asks PM Carney to keep softwood on radar as tariff deadline looms

By Wolfgang Depner
The Canadian Press in Global News
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

David Eby

BC Premier David Eby says the federal government cannot forget about the fate of British Columbia’s softwood lumber industry as the deadline for a trade deal between the United States and Canada is hours away. Aug. 1 is the deadline the United States has set for a trade deal with Canada, and Eby says he hopes his province’s softwood lumber industry remains on the “radar” of Prime Minister Mark Carney as Ottawa continues negotiations.  told an unrelated news conference that the industry has been the “canary in the coal mine” signalling American protectionism, saying Canadian softwood exports have been subject to “unfair duties” for the “better part of almost two generations,” well before the current trade dispute triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. But Eby says the dispute’s long-standing nature does not mean the industry “should be ignored,” and resolving it could actually help broker a larger deal.

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Canada-US trade negotiations ‘may not conclude’ by Aug. 1, Carney says

By Holly Cabrera
CBC News
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed earlier on Wednesday that trade negotiations have not been finalized just two days ahead of the deadline. “It is possible that [negotiations] may not conclude by the first of August,” Carney said at a news conference on Wednesday. Trump set an Aug. 1 deadline for Canada to reach a trade deal and has threatened to impose a 35 per cent tariff on goods that don’t comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). …”The president has been very clear … that there are certain sectors that are strategic, in their judgment, to the United States’ economy: aluminum steel, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber,” Carney said. The prime minister previously hinted that the Canadian government is in no rush to finalize a deal by Friday, saying last week that his objective is “not to reach a deal whatever it costs.”

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Canadian government needs to stand up for lumber workers, says United Steelworkers union

United Steel Workers
July 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

BURNABY, B.C. – The United Steelworkers union (USW) District 3 and the USW Wood Council are calling on the federal government to take urgent action in response to the latest escalation in the softwood lumber trade dispute. Following the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to increase anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports to 20.56%, the USW is demanding immediate support for forestry workers and communities across the country. …“Our prime minister says softwood lumber is a priority in trade talks, but what forest workers need now is action,” said Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director. …In addition the USW is calling for a comprehensive support package for forest workers, including wage subsidies, loan guarantees for affected businesses and other targeted resources to support provinces, regional and local communities to sustain critical infrastructure and services through this unprecedented uncertainty.

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Responding to Motor Fuel Tax assessments in the B.C. forestry sector

MNP
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

In British Columbia’s forestry sector, logging and trucking businesses are beginning to take a closer look at how they manage and report fuel use. While the Motor Fuel tax rules themselves haven’t changed, recent enforcement has prompted many operators to reassess long-standing practices — particularly when it comes to using coloured fuel in mixed on- and off-highway operations. For businesses that rely on marked fuel in remote areas or cross between forest roads and public highways, assessments are surfacing more frequently and creating uncertainty around compliance. If you’ve received a notice — or aren’t sure whether your operations could be affected — there are steps you can take to reduce the impact and protect your business. …Increased enforcement of the B.C. Motor Fuel Tax rules has created a layer of complexity that many forestry businesses weren’t prepared for. …the consequences of misunderstanding the rules, especially around fuel eligibility, have become more serious.

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Campbell River mayor calls on province to speed-up forestry approvals

By Sage Daniels
My Campbell River Now
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl sent an open letter to Premier David Eby, calling for immediate action to address issues within B.C.’s coastal forestry sector. Dahl warns continued inaction could result in further mill closures, job losses and the collapse of the coastal forestry industry. According to Dahl, coastal harvest volumes have dropped by over 40 per cent since 2019, with more than 5,400 direct forestry jobs lost since 2022. The 2025–26 budget projects a harvest of 32 million cubic metres … an estimated $275 million in lost revenue. The mayor says Premier Eby pledged to “protect jobs and the economy” when reshuffling his cabinet and says “those words ring hollow for thousands of coastal forestry workers watching their industry collapse—… from policy paralysis and regulatory misfires.” Dahl argues the crisis is not caused by … internal delay. “When harvest approvals that once took six months now take two years or more, that’s not a tariff issue—it’s a made-in-B.C. problem,” Dahl says.

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BPWood expands supplier network for thermally modified wood product

By Larry Adams
Woodworking Network
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West, International

PENTICTON, BC — BPWood is expanding its distribution network to accelerate the prompt availability of LDCwood ThermoWood across the U.S. and Canada. The new partnerships, all with established regions, will bring ThermoWood to more markets and customers. LDCwood, based in Belgium, produces ThermoWood. Each of these carefully aligned BPWood distributors brings deep regional reach and market knowledge to the growing ThermoWood movement: American Lumber, Edmund Allen, Excelsior Wood, Hewn Elements, Issaquah Lumber, Noltco, OrePac and Westwood Lumber Sales. …“We’re known as the nimble innovators and we’re ‘woody’ by nature, so we are thrilled to welcome these respected partners to our growing North American distribution family map,” said Paul Bouchard, founder and CEO of BPWood. “Each brings deep ‘woodiness,’ regional strength and customer relationships that will help us meet growing demand for ThermoWood products.”

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NDP government gives brush off to forestry industry’s pragmatic, made-in-B.C. solutions

By Vaughn Palmer
Vancouver Sun
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA — The Council of Forest Industries wrote a letter to the New Democrats earlier this month, outlining more than a dozen proposals to rescue a struggling industry. “B.C.’s forest industry is in crisis,” wrote COFI President Kim Haakstad in the July 14 letter to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar. “Fibre availability is at historic lows, permitting systems are gridlocked, and investment is retreating in the face of prolonged uncertainty. The risk is not gradual decline — but accelerated facility closures, job losses, and the permanent erosion of forest industry capacity.” Haakstad was responding to Premier David Eby’s announcement of a “major project” to restore the industry in a speech to this year’s COFI’s convention. …I asked the government last week for a response to the proposals set out in the COFI letter. I got back a general statement from Parmar, which pretty much brushed aside the notion of a crisis in the industry.

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B.C. faces cascading risks from new U.S. duties on softwood, says report

By Daisy Xiong
Business in Vancouver
July 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new report warns the impacts on B.C. of higher duties on Canadian softwood lumber recently imposed by the U.S. will extend beyond the province’s forestry sector. The U.S. Department of Commerce had issued a preliminary anti-dumping rate in March of 20.07 per cent, up from 7.66 per cent set three years before, which is in addition to the countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent. But this past Friday, the American department raised anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent. …The report notes that forestry companies have built and maintained an estimated 620,000 to 700,000 kilometres of remote roads across B.C. Gessaroli said it’s important for governments, industry and Indigenous groups to collaborate on identifying critical roads and securing sustainable funding for their maintenance. A shrinking forestry sector could also cause disruptions to residue supply chains, including wood chips, sawdust, biomass and chemical byproducts.

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Quebec lumber mill closing temporarily due to U.S. tariffs

By Erika Morris
CTV News
August 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Scierie St-Michel lumber mill in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Que., says it has to suspend all activities until October due to U.S. tariffs. The mill will stop its sawmill and forestry operations as of Monday, Aug. 4, and will reopen Oct. 13. The planning mill will close on Aug. 18. The closure will impact about 250 employees. The mill said the closure is a result of the ongoing trade war and could be extended. “This suspension is due to the increase in countervailing and anti-dumping duties to over 34.45 per cent by the U.S. government and threats of additional taxes in the future,” a release said. “We hoped the Canadian government would reach an agreement that would spare us the worst, but this was not possible.” …The mill said forestry management in Quebec must be modernized as the industry has been unstable. It pointed to the controversial Bill 97, which critics say would lead to major environmental and social setbacks.

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New Brunswick premier pens letter to prime minister on softwood lumber tariffs

By Derek Haggett
CTV News
July 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Susan Holt

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt has written to Prime Minister Mark Carney in hopes Ottawa will make softwood lumber discussions a priority with the United States. Holt’s letter, co-signed by six other premiers and sent late Tuesday, urges Carney to assign the appropriate resources to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement on exports to the United States. “Ultimately, we seek a negotiated agreement that will maintain and secure the Canadian softwood lumber industry. Our governments expect to be closely consulted as this negotiation process continues,” Holt wrote. …According to Holt’s letter, Canada’s forest industry provides more than 176,000 jobs nationwide and contributed over $23 billion to the economy in 2024. Holt said Canada’s softwood lumber industry across the country has been working together and the belief now is there’s an opportunity to take a pan-Canadian approach to resolving softwood lumber duties disputes for the first time in 40 years.

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Province grappling with hike in softwood lumber duties, more tariffs expected soon

By Penny Robinson
Northwest Ontario Newswatch
July 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Kevin Holland

THUNDER BAY — As Ontario’s associate minister of forestry and forest products, Kevin Holland said he has deep concerns over the recent U.S. decision to increase anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber to to 20.56. The minister warned that further tariff hikes could be imminent, with significant repercussions beyond Canada’s borders. “Right now it’s at 27% combined duty rate,” Holland explained. “We’re anticipating another announcement next week on the countervailing duties, which could raise it to as high as 35%.” “That’s going to impact on the affordability of homes, not just in Canada but in the United States,” he cautioned. “This is at the centre of my desk right now. It has been since I’ve landed in the file almost a year ago now,” Holland said. “This has been the focus of our ministry, to really address this.” …Importantly, said Holland, the World Trade Organization has ruled these tariffs illegal multiple times. 

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Forestry jobs at risk as U.S. imposes new tariffs, says MPP Guy Bourgouin

Timmins Today
July 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Mushkegowuk-James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin is calling on the province to take immediate action to protect Ontario’s forestry sector in the wake of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber. Bourgouin said the impact of the tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump could be devastating for northern communities that depend on the industry. “The anti-dumping tariffs imposed by Trump will devastate our lumber industry. Condemning Trump’s actions isn’t enough. We saw it with the auto sector, with steel, and now with lumber — the Premier’s ‘wait and see’ approach is leaving thousands of workers vulnerable to layoffs.” Bourgouin criticized the Ford government for failing to present a concrete strategy, calling their approach “an afterthought” for northern Ontario’s economy. …Ontario NDP party argues that using Ontario-produced wood could tackle multiple challenges at once, safeguarding forestry jobs, boosting local economies, and addressing the province’s housing shortage with “made-in-Ontario” solutions.

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Finance & Economics

Canfor reports Q2, 2025 net loss of $202.8 million

Canfor Corporation
July 31, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation reported its second quarter of 2025 results. The Company reported an operating loss of $251.4 million for the second quarter of 2025, compared to an operating loss of $28.5 million in the first quarter of 2025. After accounting for adjusting items totaling $200.7 million, consisting of an inventory write-down as well as an asset write-down and impairment charge, the Company’s operating loss was $50.7 million for the current quarter. This compares to a similarly adjusted operating loss of $32.2 million in the prior quarter. …Canfor’s CEO, Susan Yurkovich, stated: “While our European operations produced solid earnings this quarter, the North American market continued to experience significant challenges reflecting the impact of sluggish demand and a persistent weak pricing environment. …For our pulp business, our second quarter results were impacted by trade policy uncertainty between China and the US, which slowed pulp purchasing activity and gave rise to climbing pulp producer inventory levels.

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Mercer International reports Q2, 2025 net loss of $86.1 million

Mercer International Inc.
July 31, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

NEW YORK, NY -‑ Mercer International reported second quarter 2025. In the second quarter of 2025, net loss was $86.1 million compared to $67.6 million in the same quarter of 2024 and $22.3 million in the first quarter of 2025. Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “Our operating results for the second quarter of 2025 reflect the impacts of ongoing uncertainties in the global trade environment coupled with the resulting weaker dollar. This challenging backdrop contributed to weaker demand for pulp in China during the quarter. …Our lumber sales realizations in both the U.S. and Europe increased in the second quarter of 2025 as a result of lower supply and steady demand.

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Ottawa positions pension investment as leverage in US trade negotiations

By Freschia Gonzales
Benefits and Pensions Monitor
July 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada’s pension funds have more than $1tn invested in the United States, and that figure could grow by $100bn or more annually, said Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for US trade, during a visit to Washington. …Financial Post reported that LeBlanc made the comments in response to questions about whether US President Donald Trump might request specific commitments on Canadian investment as part of trade talks. The US has offered increased foreign investment as a possible pathway to improved trade terms. …Despite the potential growth in US exposure, LeBlanc said the federal government would not direct pension managers to increase their holdings or participate in specific American projects as a condition for reduced tariffs. Canada’s pension funds are already deeply integrated into US markets.

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Bank of Canada holds policy rate at 2.75%

The Bank of Canada
July 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 2.75%, with the Bank Rate at 3% and the deposit rate at 2.70%. While some elements of US trade policy have started to become more concrete in recent weeks, trade negotiations are fluid, threats of new sectoral tariffs continue, and US trade actions remain unpredictable. …The current tariff scenario has global growth slowing modestly to around 2½% by the end of 2025 before returning to around 3% over 2026 and 2027. CPI inflation was 1.9% in June, up slightly from the previous month. …Based on a range of indicators, underlying inflation is assessed to be around 2½%.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canfor CEO, Susan Yurkovich on the Softwood Lumber Board’s role in driving demand

The Softwood Lumber Board
July 31, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

Susan Yurkovich

The lumber industry has made incredible progress on codes and standards and in the market share for wood construction. …This month, SLB Director Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of Canfor, highlights how the SLB is increasing demand for lumber in both new and traditional applications. “At Canfor, we believe the future of building is rooted in sustainability, and lumber is central to that future,” she says. “As a company that operates in both Canada and the United States, we’re proud to be a part of a North American industry that is advancing the use of lumber in both traditional and emerging applications. The Softwood Lumber Board is leading that charge by growing the market for mass timber and highlighting the benefits of using responsibly sourced materials. Their exceptional efforts are playing a critical role in positioning lumber as a renewable, low-carbon solution while helping to drive demand for smart, sustainable construction.”

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Feds give $10M to Canada’s first carbon capture cement plant, in Mississauga

By Abdul Matin Sarfraz
The National Observer
July 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Canada’s first commercial carbon capture cement facility is now under construction in Mississauga Ont., backed by $10 million in federal funding. The project is part of the country’s effort to reduce industrial emissions. The project, led by Calgary-based startup Carbon Upcycling in partnership with Ash Grove Cement, aims to capture carbon dioxide from cement production and turn it into a low-carbon material that can replace part of traditional cement. Minister Evan Solomon, … said “These collaborative projects supporting our climate goals and enhancing our global competitiveness”. The facility will use Carbon Upcycling’s technology to mix captured CO2 with steel byproducts like slag to create a powder similar to cement used in construction. Carbon Upcycling CEO Apoorv Sinha said the system could reduce emissions from cement by up to 40%. …Sinha said the new facility will store up to 150 kilograms of carbon dioxide in every tonne of low-carbon cement it produces.

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Forestry

Federal forest report obscures logging’s impact on wildlife and climate, conservation groups say

By Ivan Semeniuk
The Globe and Mail
July 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Canada has trees… But …Ottawa is at odds with a slew of environmental groups over what that means. [They] issued a critique on July 30 of how the federal government portrays the makeup of Canadian forests, calling for something far more transparent and comprehensive. The criticism comes at a moment when Ottawa is seeking to boost productivity in the country’s resource sector to counter a trade war and other economic pressure – all of which has raised concerns over the potential cost to the environment. …the focus of disagreement is Natural Resources Canada’s State of Canada’s Forests. …The latest version of that report, released earlier this month, touts Canada’s forests as a vast natural asset that covers nearly one third of the country… But those numbers are misleading, said Rachel Plotkin, with the David Suzuki Foundation and one of the authors of the critique. The problem, she said, is what the federal report leaves out. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required to access the full story]

Related coverage from David Suzuki Foundation: New report: What the government isn’t saying about forests in Canada 

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‘Namgis First Nation and Western Forest Products reach significant milestone in forest landscape plan pilot project

By Babita Khunkhun, Senior Director, Communications
Western Forest Products
July 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

‘Namgis First Nation and Western Forest Products Inc. are excited to announce the submission of the draft Forest Landscape Plan (FLP) together with accompanying draft Forest Operations Plan (FOP) to British Columbia’s Chief Forester under a pilot project initiated in fall 2021. The submitted plans are available for public viewing on Western’s website here. The draft plans cover approximately 142,000 hectares of the ‘Namgis territory, which represents approximately 89 per cent of the area of Tree Farm Licence 37, an area-based tenure on Northern Vancouver Island held by Western. The draft plans were prepared under the Government of British Columbia’s Forest Landscape Planning Pilot program to support long-term forest health, climate adaptation, and a sustainable and secure forestry sector in the province. The draft plans were developed concurrently with the Gwa’ni Project, a government-to-government process between ‘Namgis and the Province to update land use planning in the Nimpkish Valley. 

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What Do You Think About Woodlots?

By Gord Chipman, Woodlots BC’s Executive Director
Woodlots BC
August 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

I want to stir up some creative thoughts about BC’s woodlot licence program — we want to hear from you! We have the opportunity to reduce bureaucracy, and I know that the Resource Districts are very interested in that outcome. However, before we make changes we need to be sure about the direction we want to go. We need to set our compass. We need to be strategic on the direction and business plan that we want to pursue. The issues of the day that formed the recommendations from the Sloan or the Pearce Royal commissions 75 and 50 years ago do not necessarily apply today. Many woodlots have changed hands over the past 20 years, 5 were bought out by the government last year and 5 more could be bought out this year. Much has changed in the past 10 years. 

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A cascading concatenation of consequences creating a congeries of collapsed trees capable of continuing conflagrations

By John Betts, Executive Director
The Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
August 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Years of drought combined with persistent wildfire, some of it burning underground over winter, are causing forests in B.C.’s north east to fall down. Having had the roots and organic soils that had held them up burned away these often green trees now form a dense ground fuel load for future fires. The fallen trees also form a jack-straw of branches and boles that will act as an abatis in the face of fire crews. This has fire specialists and ecologists in the Fort Nelson Fire Zone worried. “With this fuel type, another concern is the multi-year impacts of having this much fuel on the ground,” says Eric Kopetski BCWS Fire Behaviour Analyst. The Fort Nelson Fire Zone has been dealing with drought and fire for years with the Fort Nelson Complex now covering 4 million hectares including 25 fires and 350,000 hectares burned this year. Distance, terrain and fire tenacity already pose challenges to fire crews. 

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Canoe Forest Products shares plans for local salvage harvest with Salmon Arm council

By Lachlan Labere
Salmon Arm Observer
July 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A salvage harvesting operation for beetle-impacted trees around Salmon Arm is proposed to begin this winter. Canoe Forest Products will be conducting the operation, with four cutblock openings totalling 107.8 hectares in the East Canoe watershed. Approximately 3.5 kilometres of new road will be required for the operation, which has a tentative start date of Nov. 1, 2025, and is expected to continue into the spring of 2026. The winter harvesting is intentional, in part to have the least impact on recreational activities in the South Canoe trail system. Council received this information at its July 28 meeting, during a presentation by Canoe Forest Products planning forester Ray Mills. Mills began by explaining how this was his third time before council to talk about planned harvest operations, including one that occurred in 2020. He explained how the Douglas fir beetle infestation continues to spread across the slopes of Larch Hills and into the East Canoe Creek watershed.

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Lil’wat Forestry plants 132,000 seedlings in Mount Meager slide restoration project

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
July 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Fifteen years ago, the Q̓welq̓welústen/Mount Meager landslide unleashed 50 million cubic metres of debris into the Lillooet River Valley—disrupting fish habitat and increasing flood risk down to Pemberton. This April, as part of a years-long restoration effort, Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) oversaw the planting of more than 132,000 native trees in an effort to stabilize the debris-laden landscape and speed ecological recovery. Restoration efforts began in 2019 when the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provided seed funding to Lil’wat Nation. In 2022, LFV received funding from the Ministry of Forests’ Forest Investment Program to launch trial replanting efforts, which would in turn be used to inform a long-term restoration plan. The work kicked off in 2023, with 33,000 trees and shrubs planted on a 13-hectare site.

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Factors that influence fire behaviour

BC Wildfire Service
July 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Wildfire behaviour is shaped by the landscape it burns through. In this video, BC Wildfire Service Fire Behaviour Specialists explore how fires spread differently through complex forest stands influenced by harvesting, silviculture treatments, and the legacy of past wildfires. Join us as we head into the field to see how these factors influence fire movement, intensity, and the challenges they present to wildfire operations.

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MPP Vic Fedeli’s office announces big money to aid forestry sector

The North Bay Nugget
July 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, announced the Ontario government is investing $2,874,898 through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream to The Canadian Institute of Forestry to support 75 workers across Northern Ontario get the skills they need to land good-paying, in-demand jobs in forestry, logging, and agriculture-related services. …“As we navigate a shifting economic landscape, disrupted by U.S. tariffs, we remain laser-focused on protecting Ontario workers and job seekers,” said MPP Fedeli. “That’s why we’re investing over $2.8 million to support a project by the Canadian Institute of Forestry, in partnership with College Boréal, to train workers for in-demand roles in the forestry and resource sector, helping grow Northern Ontario’s economy.” …”These programs are equipping the next generation of forest professionals and ensuring the continued vitality of our forestry communities,” said Ken Farr, Interim Executive Director, Canadian Institute of Forestry.

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Ontario’s forest management is falling short on key sustainability test

By Jay Malcolm & Justina Ray, University of Toronto
The Conversation
July 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

…Our study examined the state of a 7.9 million hectare area of boreal forest in northeastern Ontario from 2012 to 2021 to test whether the provincial management regime was emulating natural disturbances, as required by law, or was instead prioritizing timber harvesting. …Our research did not find evidence that current practices in northeastern Ontario are emulating natural disturbances across the boreal landscape. …We found that the amount of forest disturbed per year was often higher than expected under natural fire regimes and, in some coniferous forest types, even exceeded the rates expected under a strategy that prioritized timber harvesting. …Strikingly, for caribou, levels of habitat disturbance — including disturbances from harvesting, fire and roads — exceeded 70 per cent of the landscape, jeopardizing the sustainability of the two caribou populations. …Our findings indicate that forest degradation is already underway in the boreal forests of Ontario.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Dr. Fahimeh Yazdan Panah Promoted to Associate Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Assn of Canada

By Gordon Murray, Executive Director
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
July 31, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Fahimeh Yazdan Panah

I am very pleased to share that Dr. Fahimeh Yazdan Panah has been promoted to Associate Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC). Since joining WPAC in 2019 as our Director of Research and Technical Development, Fahimeh has been a driving force behind many of our most important initiatives. She has partnered closely with me in shaping and implementing WPAC’s commercial strategy, strengthening our industry’s position both in Canada and internationally. She has led technical and policy discussions with governments, guided industry‑led research in pellet production, safety, emissions, and sustainability, and helped align Canada’s pellet sector with global certification and carbon accounting standards. Fahimeh’s contributions go well beyond WPAC. She serves as a Board Member of the European Pellet Council and Bioenergy Europe, helping shape global policy and certification frameworks.

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Health & Safety

Be prepared, stay safe this B.C. Day long weekend

By Ministries of Forests and Emergency Services
Government of British Columbia
July 29, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

As the B.C. Day long weekend approaches, people are encouraged to stay informed about wildfire conditions, be prepared and plan travel. Warming summer temperatures and ongoing drought mean much of British Columbia is at heightened risk of wildfire, even after recent cooler temperatures and rain. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has forecast hot temperatures this week in B.C., with heat warnings currently in place for parts of the province. People are encouraged to prepare for hot summer weather. To access the Province’s PreparedBC extreme-heat preparedness guide, visit our website. The province continues to face extended dry conditions and below-average rainfall in many areas, putting a strain on water supplies and raising wildfire concerns. Everyone is encouraged to use water wisely and follow local watering restrictions. Open burning, including Category 2 and Category 3 fires, is now prohibited or restricted in many areas. 

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Forest Fires

Millions are under air quality alerts as wildfire smoke blankets large swaths of U.S.

By Denise Chow
NBC News
August 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

©firesmoke.ca

Millions of people across the Upper Midwest and the Northeast are under air quality alerts Monday, as smoke from wildfires in Canada drift over the region. Hazy skies are expected in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, northern Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Delaware and Maine, according to the National Weather Service. Almost 200 wildfires are burning out of control in Canada, including 81 in Saskatchewan, 159 in Manitoba and 61 in Ontario. Figures from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center indicate that more than 16.5 million acres have been scorched so far this year in what will likely be the country’s second-worst wildfire season on record. A high-pressure system parked over the Midwest is trapping the smoke in place, causing air quality issues to linger for several days… In the West, several wildfires are causing separate air quality issues in the region.

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Vancouver Island wildfire threatens Douglas fir trees

By Dean Recksiedler, Jack Rabb, Jan Schuermann
CityNews Everywhere
August 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

A wildfire on Vancouver Island is threatening Douglas-fir trees in Cathedral Grove, located on the western shoreline of Cameron Lake. The old-growth forest is filled with gigantic 800-year-old trees… The out-of-control Wesley Ridge wildfire was discovered on July 31 and is now 511 hectares in size. The Regional District of Nanaimo issued an evacuation order on August 2, which affected nearly 400 properties in the area around Cameron Lake, about 25 kilometres west of Parksville. …The fire has grown rapidly over the weekend as it looms over Highway 4, which remains open for the time being. Crews are trying to push it back, even using night vision so they can battle the blaze 24 hours a day. Emelie Peacock with the BC Wildfire service says, “we currently have 142 personnel responding to this wildfire, which includes 65 firefighters, 2 followers, and roughly 75 structure protection specialists”. …The fire is suspected to be human-caused … investigation is still in its preliminary stages.

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Majority of evacuation orders lifted in B.C.’s Okanagan as wildfire situation improves

CBC News
July 31, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

A number of evacuation orders issued in B.C.’s Okanagan region due to a wildfire near Peachland have been lifted, as the community’s mayor says conditions appear to be easing. …Evacuation orders were issued for around 400 properties in the area on Wednesday, but that number was down to 118 on Thursday, said Brittany Seibert, regional emergency manager with the Central Okanagan Regional District. The region says properties no longer under an evacuation order will join about 225 properties that are under an evacuation alert, which means residents must be ready to leave their home at a moment’s notice, according to the Central Okanagan Regional District. Van Minsel said the Drought Hill wildfire is on the north side of his hillside community, burning between Peachland and Kelowna. The fire is covering an area of about 27 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service’s latest measure. The mayor himself was evacuated yesterday.

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Wildfire near Cameron Lake on Vancouver Island prompts evacuation order; Highway 4 remains open

CBC News
July 31, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

An out-of-control wildfire on the north side of Cameron Lake has triggered an evacuation order and alert for nearby areas on Vancouver Island, close to the site of a 2023 fire that shut down Highway 4 for weeks. The Wesley Ridge wildfire, discovered shortly after midnight Thursday, is now estimated at 0.6 square kilometres and is burning in steep, difficult-to-access terrain, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for properties on the north shore of the lake, including Chalet Road and Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. The wildfire service says the fire is burning on the opposite side of the lake from Highway 4, which remains open. Still, officials are urging drivers to use caution.

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B.C. Wildfires 2025: Lytton blaze triples in size | Evacuations as wildfire in Peachland spreads | Haze settles over Metro Vancouver

By Tiffany Crawford and Joseph Ruttle
Vancouver Sun
July 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BC Wildfire Service

Lytton residents were warned of an air quality advisory because of a fast-spreading wildfire that tripled in size overnight. The Cantilever Bar wildfire, located about 10 kilometres south of Lytton, is mapped at 4.6 square kilometres, up from 1.5 square kilometres on Tuesday. Evacuation alerts have been issued by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the Lytton First Nation, the Siska Indian Band and the Skuppah Indian Band. …evacuations are underway for about 400 properties due to a new wildfire burning between Peachland and West Kelowna. The fire has also forced the closure of stretches of highways 97 and 97C in the area. The B.C. Wildfire Service reported the blaze in the Kamloops Fire Centre on Wednesday. It is out of control and estimated at about 50,000 square metres, or roughly 10 football fields, in size. …Meantime, a smoky haze has settled over Metro Vancouver but Loney said that smoke is coming from south of the border rather than the Lytton blaze.

Related coverage in the Tyee by Tyler Olsen: Lytton Faces a New Fire. How a Past One Offers Some Defence

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Campers near B.C.’s Harrison Lake asked to rethink long weekend plans due to wildfire

The Canadian Press in CBC News
July 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BC Wildfire Service

Campers at Harrison Lake in B.C.’s Fraser Valley may have to find alternative plans due to an out-of-control wildfire that was first detected on Tuesday evening. The Bear Creek fire covers an area of 65 hectares as of 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). First responders are asking the public to stay off Harrison Lake, and fire information officer Julia Caranci says that some campers in the vicinity were already asked to leave for their own safety. …The fire is suspected to be human-caused. …BCWS data shows a blaze south of Lytton, B.C., that has triggered multiple evacuation alerts is three times its original estimated size and continues to burn out of control. The service’s latest update on the Cantilever Bar wildfire says it is now measured at 4.6 square kilometres, up from the 1.5 square kilometres reported earlier this week.

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Forest History & Archives

A New Documentary By Sam Dickie Shares The History Of Handley Lumber

Kawartha 411 News
July 31, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada East

KAWARTHA LAKES, Ontario — For generations, Handley Lumber has touched the lives of just about everyone in Burnt River and Fenelon Falls. Joseph Handley Jr. harvested forests then used the cleared lots to ranch cattle. In 1918, he opened a shingle mill near his home in Burnt River, while he also owned the remains of a sawmill on the Third Concession of Somerville. In 1936, he took over Fred Chambers’ planing mill in Fenelon Falls—which included a belt driven mortise and tenon machine, jointer, saw and sander. They all still work to this day—though technology has evolved.

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