Region Archives: Canada

Business & Politics

U.S. Court of Appeals rules many of Trump’s tariffs are illegal

By Joe Walsh
CBS News
August 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A federal appeals court said Friday that many of the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Trump on dozens of countries earlier this year are not legally permissible. The ruling will not immediately block the tariffs, but it marks a significant blow to Mr. Trump’s trade strategy. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court decision that found many of Mr. Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods exceeded his power under federal economic emergency laws. However, the appellate judges vacated the lower court’s injunction blocking the tariffs altogether, directing the court to reevaluate whether universal relief is appropriate. The ruling applies to a series of April executive orders that imposed 10% baseline tariffs on virtually every country and higher “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of trading partners. It also applies to a separate set of tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China.

In related coverage:

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Unifor stands up for workers with ‘Protect Canadian Jobs’ rally

Unifor Canada
August 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Unifor leadership led more than 1,500 members and supporters as they rallied at the union’s Constitutional Convention in downtown Vancouver to stand up for Canadian workers.  “We are going to do whatever it takes to protect Canadian jobs from destruction from Donald Trump,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. …Rally speakers called for action to safeguard industries threatened by ongoing tariffs from the Trump administration. …Unifor Forestry Council Chair Stéphane Lefebvre said there are 200,000 forestry workers across the country, whose union jobs support hundreds of thousands of other jobs and keeps communities thriving. But the industry requires vision and strategy from all governments to lead it. “The US needs Canadian lumber and more importantly, we need Canadian lumber,” he said. “Canada is blessed with an abundance of this renewable resource and with responsible forest management, we can get out of this. We just need (government) vision and strategy.”

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U.S. railroads go off the rails in race to compete with Canadian rivals

Seeking Alpha
August 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

To better compete with Canada’s transcontinental railroads, efficiencies within the trucking industry, and to capitalize on a more relaxed regulatory environment, the railroad industry is entering into a consolidation phase with the major operators all reportedly in play. On the heels of the 2023 merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern which connected Canada, the US and Mexico with the first single-line railway, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are pursuing a merger that would create the first coast-to-coast railway system in the US. The tie-up between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific raised the possibility of further consolidation in the industry with investors eyeing a merger between CSX and BNSF, or with CPKC. While mergers might satisfy shareholders and activist investors, industry insiders see the trend creating more inefficiencies. …Freight Rail Customer Alliance is opposed to further consolidation given that past mergers have resulted in higher transportation costs and unreliable service for customers.

In related coverage:

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Canada removes all tariffs on US goods covered under the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)

By Marc Carney
Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
August 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Marc Carney

Negotiations have been taking place as the US has been fundamentally transforming all its trading relationships. …In a positive development, earlier this month, the US reaffirmed a core commitment to our free trade agreement, Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), by reinforcing that those Canadian exports to the US that are compliant with CUSMA will not be subject to US IEEPA tariffs. As a result, the actual US average tariff rate on Canadian goods is 5.6% and remains the lowest among all its trading partners, and more than 85% of Canada-US trade is now tariff-free. …In this context and consistent with Canada’s commitment to CUSMA, I am announcing that the Canadian government will now match the US by removing all of Canada’s tariffs on US goods specifically covered under CUSMA. This decision will take effect on September 1, 2025. …The Canadian government will begin our preparations for the CUSMA review process due next year.

Related coverage by Katie DeRosa in CBC News: BC jobs minister surprised at Ottawa’s move to drop retaliatory tariffs against US

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Monitor responsible for selling forestry company assets applies for more time

By Andrew Duffy
Victoria Times Colonist
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The monitor overseeing the credit-protection process for San Group, a Langley-based forestry company with debts in excess of $150 million, has applied to the courts for an extension of the process in order to complete the sale of the company’s assets. Deloitte Restructuring has asked the courts to extend the process to Oct. 31. It currently expires Sept. 5. …According to the monitor’s ninth report to the courts, filed this week, the sale of three San Group properties has now closed, and only a Langley farm remains of the major assets. The sale of the Coulson Mill in Port Alberni closed June 20 with proceeds of $12.06 million, the Langley mill site closed July 15, netting $12.37 million, and the Port Alberni value-added facility sale closed July 29, netting $8.25 million. On top of that, Tradewest Asset Solutions has now completed the sale of all of San Group’s remaining inventory, which resulted in $1.178 million being added to the pile.

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West Fraser Timber perseveres despite challenging economic pressures

By Jordy Cunningham
The Clearwater Times
August 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

West Fraser Timber is continuing to succeed in this ever-changing world, despite a lower second quarter. …Sales were up slightly from Q1 — $1.532 billion, compared to $1.459 billion. However, earnings were nearly cut in half — $24 million compared to $42 million in the first quarter. “Demand for many of our building products slowed in the second quarter as spring building activity fell short of our expectations,” said Sean McLaren, West Fraser’s President and CEO. “This was more acute in our North America Engineered Wood Products segment, which experienced further easing of demand as the quarter progressed [with] softer U.S. new home construction.” …West Timber’s director of communications, Joyce Wagenaar, told Black Press Media that this year has been a challenge economically. “2025 has brought a number of changes, most notably sluggish demand for building products in Canada and the U.S. due to challenging economic conditions, leading to a slowdown in new home construction,” said Wagenaar.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Prices Fall to Near 4-Month Low

Trading Economics
September 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell to $550 per thousand board feet in September, the lowest in nearly four months, amid softer demand for new home building and ample supply. US building permits fell 2.2% in July to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.362 million, the lowest since June 2020. Although the market anticipates a potential rate cut in September, rates are expected to remain restrictive, and high inflation expectations are expected to support long-maturity yields, which dictate mortgage costs. Seasonal slowdown in construction is set to magnify the drop in housing construction. On the supply side, Canadian mills continue to push large volumes of surplus lumber into the US market, far exceeding actual demand and creating an oversupply situation. Additionally, ongoing tariff issues between the US and Canada add further uncertainty, as potential changes in trade policy could significantly affect US lumber prices.›

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Lumber futures on the brink of bear market territory as tariff-driven rally fizzles out

By Sinchita Mitra
Seeking Alpha
August 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures have come under strain after the initial tariff-driven upswing has fizzled out and the cracks in the housing market are beginning to show… retreating from an early August high of ~$695 per thousand board feet to about $560, a decline of nearly 19.5%, making it just shy of the 20% mark that would push it into a technical bear market. Lumber futures saw a surge driven by tariffs and optimism over lower interest rates, which pushed prices to their highest levels in more than three years. However, the enthusiasm soon faded away, as recent housing data disappointed, and builders scaled back due to higher input costs, weaker demand and looming affordability challenges. Housing affordability remains stretched even with potential rate cuts, requiring better wage growth or increased supply for meaningful improvement, according to Rafe Jadrosich, Senior US Homebuilders and Building Products analyst.

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US–Canada Lumber Dispute Intensifies with Massive Tariff Increase

By Audry Dixon
ResorceWise
August 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Industry leaders are urging the governments of Canada and the US to prioritize resolving the longstanding softwood lumber dispute after the US more than doubled lumber import duty rates. Construction costs are already rising for American builders, while housing affordability and worries about inflation remain. …The love-hate relationship the US has with Canadian softwood lumber took another turn last week, when the American Building Materials Alliance (ABMA) highlighted one more reason hiking duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber is a problem for the US construction sector. …ABMA Chair Rod Wiles, a VP at Hammond Lumber Company, said: “Tariffs at this level send a clear signal that the status quo isn’t sustainable, and they can be a tool to bring both sides back to the table. The sooner we can achieve a fair agreement, the better it will be for the entire North American lumber supply chain.”

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Discover Vancouver’s legacy and North Shore’s community spirit — built with wood!

Woodrise 2025
August 28, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

As part of Woodrise 2025, the Offsite Technical Tours presented by WoodWorks open the doors to two inspiring full-day experiences. In Vancouver, explore the lasting architectural impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics — from the iconic Richmond Oval to contemporary landmarks like the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre and Fast+Epp’s award-winning office. In North Vancouver, see how community-driven design and mass timber innovation come together in spaces like the Tsleil-Waututh Administration and Health Centre, Maplewood Fire and Rescue, and Lonsdale1. These exclusive tours showcase how wood is shaping sustainable, resilient, and culturally meaningful architecture across the region — and they’re selling out fast.

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BC firms receive $6.8M federal boost to advance waste-reducing tech

By Pacific Economic Developement Canada
Government of Canada
August 25, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

COQUITLAM, BC — Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), announced an investment of over $6.8 million for two Coquitlam-based businesses that are developing technologies to reduce waste and advance sustainability in the energy and textile sectors. …Novo Textile Company is receiving an investment of over $1.8 million to expand its textile recycling capacity. Novo plans to bind recycled fibres with BC wood pulp fibres to produce Canadian-made textiles at a competitive price. This will strengthen Canadian supply chains and divert 15 million pounds of garment waste from landfills annually. …Novo Textiles was incorporated in 1991 as a supplier of fibre-filled home textiles. Most recently, Novo introduced a textile recycling production line, continuing its evolution within the textile sector. It is estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste ends up in landfills annually.

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Tall Timber building boosts student housing at BCIT’s Burnaby campus

BC Government
August 25, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has officially opened its new Tall Timber student housing residence at the Burnaby campus, expanding affordable on-campus housing options for students. As the tallest building in Burnaby built using mass timber, a renewable and lower-carbon alternative to traditional concrete construction, this project was planned with sustainability at its core. The building’s fully electric design and high-performing building envelope also helps it meet B.C.’s Energy Step Code 4, the highest level of energy efficiency for this type of structure. The building has also received a CaGBC Net Zero certification. “Using B.C. mass timber for this student housing project is an important step in our goal to build the infrastructure projects people need in their communities more sustainably,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We’re supporting a greener economy while also building a new project that will benefit students for generations to come.”

Additional coverage in DH Urbanized: BCIT Burnaby campus opens mass-timber student housing tower with 469 beds

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Forestry

BC First Nations Forestry Council August Newsletter

BC First Nations Forestry Council
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In this newsletter you’ll find these stories and more:

  • Message from the CEO, Lennard (Suxʷsxʷwels) Joe: “Advancing international partnerships in Australia, delivering new workforce tools in Quesnel and Williams Lake, and engaging youth in hands-on forestry experiences. …Our Policy team is ensuring First Nations voices are at the table in provincial and national forestry processes.”
  • I Am Forestry — Meet Shane Harsh, a proud member of the Skidegate Band from Haida Gwaii… As Vice President of Specialty Products at Woodtone and HaiCo board member
  • Forest Governance: Policy Team ensures First Nations’ voices are at the center of forestry decision-making in British Columbia. 
  • Trade Mission Insights from Rob Manuel, BCFNFC Business Development Strategic Advisor

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BC Community Forest Association News

The BC Community Forest Association
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In this edition of our newsletter you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • Coming Soon: 2025 Community Forest Indicators Report: Our annual snapshot of community forest impact is based on the 2025 Indicators Survey, the report pairs hard data with member stories and photos to highlight wildfire risk reduction, Indigenous partnerships, local jobs and value-added activity, and stewardship of water, wildlife, and recreation.
  • An Opinion Editorial, Community Forests: Rooted in community, growing for generations, by BCCFA Executive Director Jennifer Gunter was published in several forestry publications on August 1st. It was written in response to a July 25th article in The Tyee that questioned community forests’ support for value-added production and small manufacturers.
  • BCCFA Conference & AGM in Vernon June 3-5, 2026: It will be hosted by Monashee Community Forest—a partnership between the Splatsin First Nation and the Village of Lumby BC.

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Cyclists cautioned about month of logging coming for Revelstoke mountain

By Evert Lindquist
The Revelstoke Review
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Bikers should take note that end-of-summer logging operations are kicking into gear at Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson for a month starting next week, but minimally impacting recreational trails, according to a local cycling group. In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 27, the Revelstoke Cycling Association (RCA) advised that forest harvesting begins at the mountain’s upper trail network on the weekdays following the Labour Day weekend. This comes one week later than previously indicated in RCA’s trail report. Logging will run from 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through most or all of September, with no activity planned for weekends, according to the association.

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Council decision puts logging back on the table for North Cowichan’s municipal forest reserve

By Eric Richards
The Discourse
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

North Cowichan council has voted to make logging in the municipal forest reserve a strategic priority, despite warnings from some councillors and staff that the move could jeopardize years of work with the Quw’utsun Nation on a forest co-management framework. Timber harvesting in the roughly 5,000-hectare public forest has been on pause since 2019 to allow for public engagement, consultation with local First Nations and advice from experts on how to manage the publicly-owned woodland. Surveys found a majority of residents preferred conservation over harvesting — with 67 per cent of telephone respondents and 76 per cent of online respondents supporting either limiting timber harvesting … or not harvesting timber at all. In 2021, North Cowichan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Quw’utsun Nation… While it could take years before harvesting resumes, some around the council table warned that exploring harvesting options could negatively impact progress made towards a co-management framework with the Quw’utsun Nation.

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Quesnel’s partnership with First Nations in forestry management

By Gary Barnes
The Quesnel Cariboo Observer
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

QUESNEL, BC — The Three Rivers Community Forest (TRCF) is showing how local control can bring fresh ideas to forest management, general manager Nick Pickles told Quesnel council this week. The area-based tenure, signed in October 2024, covers more than 38,000 hectares and is jointly owned by the City of Quesnel and the Esdilagh, Lhtako Dene, and Nazko First Nations. It comes with an allowable annual harvest of about 43,000 cubic-metres of conifer and another 10,500 cubic-metres of deciduous timber, Pickles explained at council’s Aug. 26 meeting. …Pickles said the TRCF mandate is more than just cutting trees. “It’s designed to provide long-term access to forest resources for community benefit. It focuses on local decision-making, stewardship, and sustainable forest use.” Profits are reinvested locally, whether it’s jobs, education, or infrastructure, Pickles added.

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Documentary screening in Roberts Creek highlights logging and flooding risks

By Jordan Copp
The Penticton Herald
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Younes Alila

A powerful new documentary connecting industrial logging to catastrophic flooding is coming to the Sunshine Coast this September. On September 17, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) and RhizomeUp!Media will host a screening of Trouble in the Headwaters at Roberts Creek Hall. The 25-minute film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Daniel J. Pierce, investigates the 2018 Grand Forks flood and its links to industrial clear-cutting practices. The documentary features the research of Dr. Younes Alila, a professor of forest hydrology at UBC, whose work has helped illuminate the hydrological consequences of logging in B.C.’s watersheds. …“This event comes at a critical time,” the release states, “as BC Timber Sales prepares to auction a logging cutblock in the recharge zones of Aquifers 560 and 552.”

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What are forestry companies doing to prevent wildfires?

By Mick Sweetman
The Discourse
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A reader wrote The Discourse recently with a question about why the BC Wildfire Service protects privately-owned forest land on Vancouver Island. It was an interesting question, but it hinted at a bigger one: What are forestry companies doing to prevent and mitigate wildfires from happening in the first place? Recent major wildfires on Vancouver Island have been on a mix of Crown land and private land owned by or under license of forestry companies. This includes the fire from early this week on Block 290 near Mount Benson that was recently transferred to Snuneymuxw First Nation. A recent special investigation by the BC Forest Practices Board on aligning forestry practices with wildfire risk reduction conducted in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Peace and Sea to Sky areas found that “logging occurs at 11 times the rate of [wildfire risk reduction] treatments” in the wildland-urban interface near communities. 

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Melissa McHale Receives 2025 Wall Fellowships Award

By The Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
August 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Melissa McHale

UBC Forestry congratulates Dr. Melissa McHale on receiving one of two prestigious Wall Fellowships, UBC’s highest-value internal research awards. The fellowships will fund innovative research to help B.C. communities adapt to climate change and address rising housing demands. The Okanagan Valley is feeling the effects of climate change more than ever with hotter summers, more frequent wildfires and growing pressure on water supplies. On top of this, rapid growth and urban development are adding new challenges for local communities. Melissa’s research, entitled “Rising Heat, Roaring Flames, and Waning Waters: Building a Climate-Resilient Research Hub for British Columbia” is tackling these issues head-on in partnership with the City of Kelowna, Indigenous communities and local organizations. The project is exploring how cities can: Use trees and vegetation to cool neighbourhoods while saving water; Design greener spaces that also reduce wildfire risk; and Build healthier, more inclusive communities through nature-based solutions.

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North Cowichan’s council votes to make harvesting in municipal forest a top priority

By Robert Barron
The Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Harvesting in North Cowichan’s 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve (MFR) is considered a primary issue for the rest of council’s term, which ends in October, 2026. On Aug. 20, council voted 4-3 to make harvesting, which hasn’t taken place since 2019, one of its strategic priorities. Coun. Bruce Findlay pointed out that the municipality has received no revenues from harvesting in the MFR for six years, and it may take several more years yet as negotiations with the Quw’utsun Nation on co-management of the MFR continue. …Despite the vote, CAO Ted Swabey advised council that he thinks that it’s unlikely that any harvesting could actually take place before the end of council’s term. …The public engagement aspect of the forest review concluded in early 2023, and the feedback from that process found very strong support for active conservation in the MFR, which would allow for targeted harvesting to provide some income, while restoring and enhancing biodiversity.

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Prolonged heat brings renewed fire risk to Vancouver Island

Cowichan Valley Citizen
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

On the heels of record-breaking daily high temperatures, Vancouver Islanders face warmer than usual weather this week. Temperatures will continue to “remain well above seasonal” into mid-week for east and inland Vancouver Island with cooler temperatures overnight, according to an Environment Canada statement issued early Aug. 26. The extra warm conditions are expected to persist from inland Greater Victoria, up the east coast from Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay. Cloud cover is expected Thursday. The Malahat area broke the newest record on the Island, hitting 30.2 C, topping the 29.8 daily record set in 2022. Nanaimo tied the oldest record, hitting a high of 33.3 set in 1958. Campbell River, Courtenay and Comox all flirted with 2016 records, with Campbell River shading the old 30 C temperature, hitting 30.2. Comox and Courtenay both tied the 2016 record of 30.3. The heat coincided with a new wildfire discovered Aug. 24 south of Nanaimo. The 8.6-hectare fire was classified as being held as of Tuesday morning.

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Canary in the cutblock: researchers target B.C.’s bellwether bat population

By Abigail Popple
The Revelstoke Review
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

An international research project in the northern is taking a hard look at the decline of keynote bat populations in a bid to help area ecosystems survive and thrive. Efforts to preserve a population of northern myotis – an endangered bat species that used to be found throughout eastern B.C., but whose range has been contracting to the central Interior – are under way near Kinbasket Lake, north of Revelstoke and Golden. Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society … are planting fake bark to mimic the old-growth trees where the northern myotis roosts, and on the north side they are using radio detectors to determine how many of the bats are present in logged areas. Logging may not be an automatic death sentence to bat populations, Lausen says, but it needs to stay within the limits of what northern myotis colonies can sustain. One of the project’s goals is to identify those limits.

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Forest Minister tours Alberni operations

By David Wiwchar
The Nanaimo News Now
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ravi Parmar

BC Forest Minister Ravi Parmar was in Port Alberni on Monday, touring the Mount Underwood fire site as well as local mills. Parmar said local logging played an important role in helping control the massive wildfire. “The Mount Underwood fire could’ve been a lot worse if there wasn’t those breaks from those logging roads,” he said. “Having a chance to fly over and see where the fire stopped because the logging road was there, or there was a cutblock speaks to the role of the forest sector for managing our forests.” Parmar celebrated the recent purchase of the former Coulson Mill by Fraserview Cedar Products after the SAN Group fell into bankruptcy. …Parmar then met with Domtar / Catalyst managers, before sitting down with Mayor Sharie Minions. He congratulated the BC Wildfire Service, ACRD and local First Nations for working together to battle the Mount Underwood fire.

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Cougar sculpture erected to block logging trucks in Upper Walbran Valley

By Jeff Lawrence
Chek News
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Logging trucks in the Upper Walbran Valley were met with an unusual blockade Monday morning — a 15-foot cougar sculpture erected by anonymous forest defenders demanding permanent protection of one of Vancouver Island’s last intact old-growth watersheds. The group, which says it has the blessing of several local First Nations elders, is targeting eight provincially approved cut blocks in Tree Farm License 44. The license is currently held by C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, a partnership between the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Western Forest Products. …While the provincial government enacted temporary logging deferrals in 2021 for the Central Walbran Valley and neighbouring Fairy Creek watershed, those measures do not extend to the upper valley. Geoff Payne, for C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, said… “Our approach reflects this understanding and follows the Pacheedaht First Nation and the Province’s shared objective for the area. He said that the Pacheedaht First Nation chief and council have consented to the tree harvesting plan.”

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Soil performing balancing act

By Emily Dontsos
The Chronicle Journal
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Amanda Diochon

Amanda Diochon is digging into the relationship between soils and sustainability, and her findings hold the potential to change the way forests and agriculture are managed for a healthier future. An associate professor in Lakehead University’s department of geology, co-ordinator of the water resource science program, and assistant dean of the faculty of science and environmental studies, Diochon says soil science is critical in a changing climate. “Soils are the largest reservoir of organic carbon, and they emit 10 times the amount of carbon dioxide that humans do,” she says. “So knowing how they respond to changes in the climate and understanding how to better manage them is important not just in Canada, but globally.” With a focus on the carbon cycle, or how carbon moves between the Earth, living things, and the atmosphere, Diochon’s research examines changes to soil’s ability to store carbon and how agricultural and forest-management practices influence sustainability.

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Restrictions on New Brunswick Crown land end at midnight, provincewide burn ban remains

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

John Herron

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says most restrictions on Crown land will be removed at midnight Monday night, but the province’s burn ban will remain in place to decrease the risk of wildfires. Speaking to reporters Monday, Holt said cooler weather and efforts by firefighters have made it possible to ease restrictions. Restrictions remain on timber harvesting, which will only be allowed from 6 p.m. to noon and will be reassessed on a daily basis, according to a news release from the province. …Natural Resources Minister John Herron said people should also stay away from any areas where firefighters are still actively fighting fires. All Crown land has been closed to industrial and recreational activities since Aug. 10 because of wildfires that required the province to request outside help. Herron said the decision to reopen may be changed again if multiple fires are ignited.

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How a centuries-old fire foreshadowed the future

By John Woodside
The National Observer
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

A monster firestorm roared through the pine and spruce forests of New Brunswick. It burned one-fifth of the province’s forests and raged through villages, reducing buildings to ash and killing at least 160 people — although historians believe that is likely a severe undercount. This was the Miramichi Fire, which 200 years ago this fall announced an era of megafires in North America. Commemorated in folk songs, documented in archives and seared into memory for those who lived through it, the Miramichi Fire to this day ranks among the largest and most devastating fires the continent has ever seen. The Miramichi Fire was the continent’s first megafire rooted in extracting resources from the land, but that century was packed with other examples that collectively destroyed thousands of buildings and caused millions in damages, all while claiming lives. Among the major fires were Quebec City in 1845, 1866, 1876 and 1881; St. John’s in 1846 and 1892; Toronto in 1849, 1885 and 1895; Montreal in 1850, 1852 and 1898 and both Calgary and Vancouver in 1886.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Turning Slash into Solutions: UBC Forestry’s Combined Heat and Power Academy Builds Bioenergy Skills Across Canada

By The Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
August 27, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Williams Lake, B.C. – The University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Academy, based at the Alex Fraser Research Forest, has successfully wrapped up its June 2025 field training, bringing together participants from Ontario, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia for an intensive, hands-on learning experience. Over five days, participants developed the technical skills and strategic knowledge needed to implement biomass energy projects, especially in remote Indigenous communities, while deepening their understanding of forest management, wildfire prevention, and community resilience. Through training on the CHP system, participants learned to operate and maintain biomass energy equipment, tracing the complete pathway from forest to fuel to community heat and power. …Future CHP Academy sessions are scheduled for September, October, and December 2025, and January 2026. 

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B.C. says it’s starting to close ‘gaps’ in forest carbon accounting after critical audit

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
August 26, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

B.C.’s Ministry of Forests has approved a new way to calculate the amount of carbon in forests — what it says is a direct response to an auditor general investigation that found the province had failed to transparently do so in the past. …But according to… the auditor general, the ministry’s guidelines for calculating carbon projections — which in turn help it determine the allowable annual cut — contained “gaps in methodology.” On Tuesday, the Ministry of Forests said it had moved to address that failure. …The auditor general’s investigation had also found the ministry did not use a “defined methodology” when it calculated the carbon impact of investments under the Forest Investment Program. …But the audit found the ministry used a methodology that “wasn’t specific enough to allow review or replication.” …The ministry said in a statement it is still working to solve that problem, and expects to complete a “defined and approved methodology” this year.

BC Government Press Release by The Ministry of Forests: B.C. sets standard method to measure forest carbon

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Health & Safety

Wildfires are reversing Canada’s progress on improving air quality

By Nicole Mortillaro
CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

It’s hard not to forget the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, when more than 16 million hectares of forest were lost, thousands were displaced and smoke suffocated cities across both Canada and the U.S. And it turns out Canada experienced its worst air pollution levels that year since 1998, according to a new report released today by the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). At the same time, the report found that pollution levels didn’t change much for the rest of the world in 2023. If those levels continued for a person’s lifetime, the average Canadian would lose roughly two years of their life expectancy, according to the report. Efforts have been made around the world, including in Canada, to curb harmful emissions of fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, also known as PM 2.5. But wildfires are reversing those advances — with serious health consequences.

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Renewed calls for alternative route as Vancouver Island road faces indefinite closure

CBC News
August 27, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

There are fresh calls for an alternative route to the west coast of Vancouver Island after it emerged the main route between Port Alberni and Bamfield, B.C., is closed indefinitely. …The only alternative is a logging road detour through Youbou in the Cowichan Valley. …Ditidaht First Nation Chief Councillor Judi Thomas said she hopes the province will go further and redesignate the forest service industrial road as a provincial road and fast-track investment. But the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said, “there is mixed ownership of the road(s) in this area, but all are private industrial roads, and the ministry has no plans to take over the ownership”. …The province says it’s working with Mosaic Forest Management, which is responsible for maintaining 15 kilometres of Bamfield Road, to beef up maintenance on the detour road . …D’Arcy Henderson, Mosaic’s chief operating officer, said it was working with stakeholders on maintaining that detour route.

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BC Forest Safety News

BC Forest Safety Council
August 28, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

In this edition of Forest Safety News you’ll find these stories and more:

  • As we pass the halfway mark of 2025, BC’s forestry industry is facing a sobering reality: six workers have lost their lives on the job. These tragedies are a stark reminder that while we have strong safety systems in place, we must never become complacent.
  • A recent ruling from the Supreme Court of British Columbia has highlighted the serious risks posed by defective or expired bear bangers—pyrotechnic devices commonly used to deter wildlife in remote work environments.
  • Fall is coming bringing shorter days, wetter roads and the return of school speed zones, all of which contribute to increased hazards on the road. Whether you’re heading to a job site or driving through town, it’s a good time to adjust your habits behind the wheel.
  • BCFSC Safety Awards: Celebrating Safety Leadership – Nominations are open to anyone in forestry

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Forest Fires

Active wildfires jump as heat warnings continue for parts of B.C.

Canadian Press in CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The number of active wildfires in British Columbia has leapt by more than a dozen following several days of hot, sunny weather. B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) figures Thursday morning show 81 active blazes, up from 68 on Wednesday, with 19 new starts and seven fires declared out over the past 24 hours. There are now 17 fires classified as burning out of control, up from four on Monday, including a cluster of new starts in the northwestern part of the Cariboo region. The wildfire service’s map also shows three new blazes detected Thursday in conservancy areas northwest of Whistler. BCWS says hot, dry conditions have left fuels across much of the province highly susceptible to ignition and spread. …The wildfire service says thunderstorms in the south are bringing a risk of lightning to the Coastal and southern Interior fire centres, and while those storms could help moderate temperatures slightly…

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Fires on Lake Nipissing and Kahshe Lake remain active and uncontained

The Soo Today
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Three new wildfires were confirmed today in the Northeast Region, one is out and two are burning out of control, according to the latest report from Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. North Bay 14 is on the north side of French River, about 4.5 km south of Sandy Island on Lake Nipissing. This fire is 1.5 hectares and not under control. Haliburton 26 is 0.5 hectares and located on Coo-ee Island on Kahshe Lake. The fire is also not under control. Chapleau 14 was 0.1 hectares and located on the south side of Bunting Lake, approximately 2.6 kilometres west of Perth Lake, and 1.1 kilometres south of Nackawic Lake. It is out. There are six active fires in the Northeast region; one is under control, two are not under control, and three are being observed.

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20 homes destroyed in Annapolis County wildfire

By Anjuli Patil
CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The Nova Scotia government has confirmed 20 homes were destroyed last weekend in the Annapolis County wildfire, which remains out of control and is estimated at 8,234 hectares — or more than 82 square kilometres. According to a news release on Thursday, the residences were destroyed Sunday on West Dalhousie and Thorne roads. Not all of the residences were primary structures. “Our hearts are broken for residents in the West Dalhousie community who’ve lost their homes,” Premier Tim Houston said in a news release. “It’s overwhelming to get that news, it will be a long road to recovery, and I know residents will find comfort through this strong, tight-knit community. The wildfire in the West Dalhousie area of Nova Scotia is still burning out of control and has destroyed 20 homes. The Long Lake fire, which started on Aug. 13, is estimated to be 8,234 hectares in size (or more than 82 square kilometres), as of 11:30 a.m.

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9 active wildfires burn in New Brunswick, 2 out of control

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
August 27, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Nine wildfires are burning in New Brunswick as of Wednesday evening, two of them out of control. Three fires are contained and four are being patrolled, according to the province. The total number is down from the 17 wildfires burning on Tuesday and the 39 burning 10 days ago. The Beaver Lake Stream fire in Northumberland County, near the Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area, is still out of control. The fire was 338 hectares on Tuesday and is now 456 hectares… The Rocky Brook fire is also out of control about 40 kilometres south of Dalhousie and is 175 hectares, down from 204 hectares in the previous report. …Natural Resources Minister John Herron said earlier this week that the wildfire situation is moving in the right direction, especially now that the province is no longer seeing temperatures “flirting with 40 C.” On Monday, he said the wildfire season could run to the end of September and possibly into October.

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Firefighting force on Long Lake wildfire grows to more than 170, plus 17 aircraft and 70 dozers

By Ian Fairclough
The Chronicle Herald
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

©Province of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia — A replacement incident management team from Ontario is in Nova Scotia and taking over at the helm of the Long Lake wildfire for a bit. That will give the team from the Department of Natural Resources a break and time for rest before they return to dealing with the fire, which is now estimated at 8,234 hectares. The handover is a common occurrence in dealing with wildfires in Canada. …Crews are working the entire perimeter of the fire today while continuing to focus on the east side of Paradise Lake, where the closest threatened populated areas are Trout Lake and Albany on Highway 10. Those areas were evacuated Sunday after the fire more than doubled in size and high winds pushed it across West Dalhousie Road. …Evacuations have put more than 1,000 people out of their homes since the fire started.

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More firefighters coming to relieve Nova Scotia crews as wildfire grows to 8,026 hectares

By Andrea Jerrett
CTV News
August 26, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

After more than doubling in size on Sunday, the out-of-control wildfire in West Dalhousie, N.S., grew again on Monday – from 7,780 hectares to 8,026 hectares. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says the Long Lake wildfire, which first started on Aug. 13, has now advanced along both sides of Paradise Lake, despite some rainfall Monday. “Yesterday we had a little bit of rain, which was wonderful, so our crews did not have to respond to any (new) wildfire incidents yesterday,” said Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection for DNR, during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. …DNR says crews are focusing on the east side of Paradise Lake as they try to prevent the fire from spreading to Trout Lake. They also continue to build guards in an effort to contain the perimeter north of West Dalhousie Road. …DNR says there are six other wildfires burning in the province, but they are all under control.

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Following destructive wildfires, New Brunswick reopens forest access

By Hina Alam
Halifax City News
August 25, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

New Brunswickers will be permitted once again to enter the province’s forests, following a bout of cool weather that has reduced the risk of wildfires, officials said Monday. Starting Tuesday at 12:01 a.m., the province will lift its ban on access to Crown land, parts of which have been scorched in recent weeks by wildfires triggered by drought-like conditions and lightning. “I would like to thank New Brunswickers for their co-operation, for changing their plans for protecting our forests and communities,” Premier Susan Holt said Monday. About two weeks ago, there were 39 active wildfires across the province, and temperatures were close to 40 C with the humidex, said Natural Resources Minister John Herron. But over the past couple of days, temperatures have fallen well into the “very low teens” at night, he said, adding that parts of New Brunswick got rain on Monday, which has helped in firefighting.

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