Global pulp leaders are set to gather in Vancouver this May for International Pulp Week, hosted by The Pulp and Paper Products Council. Widely recognized as the premier event for the market pulp sector, IPW brings together producers, customers, suppliers, and analysts for a deep dive into the forces shaping global markets. This year’s program tackles everything from economic uncertainty and trade dynamics to fibre optimization, specialty cellulose, and emerging opportunities in carbon capture. With expert insights from leading companies and analysts, the conference offers a comprehensive look at both current challenges and future directions. Beyond the sessions, delegates can explore real-world innovation through optional tours—including carbon capture technology at Svante and forest restoration in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. For anyone connected to the global pulp value chain, International Pulp Week remains a must-attend event.
Premier David Eby delivered the closing luncheon keynote at the 2026 COFI Convention on Friday, addressing a packed room of delegates and committing to a range of actions on fibre access, market diversification, value-added manufacturing, and reconciliation. The session, moderated by COFI President and CEO Kim Haakstad, included a substantive question-and-answer period. Eby opened by acknowledging both the challenges facing the sector and the role provincial policy has played in them — including restrictions around old growth and other policies that he said the government needs to do a better job of consolidating to ensure the fibre supply industry requires can actually be delivered. He described the conference theme of “Forestry is a Solution” as accurate across multiple dimensions — economic, environmental, and community — and said the province is committed to ensuring a sustainable forest sector for the long term. On tariffs, Eby said the US cannot produce enough wood to meet its own domestic demand and has been increasing imports from Europe and Russia to fill that gap — at higher cost to American consumers and at the expense of housing affordability.
The 2026 BC Council of Forest Industries Convention opened Thursday morning at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver with a welcome session that set a clear tone for the two days ahead — forestry as both an industry under pressure and a source of solutions to some of British Columbia’s most pressing challenges. The session was anchored by Greg Stewart, President of Sinclar Group Forest Products and Chair of the COFI Board of Directors, who noted the convention was sold out. Speakers also included a territorial welcome from Squamish Nation Forestry Specialist Brian George, a civic address from City of Vancouver Councillor Lisa Dominato, and opening remarks from Kim Haakstad, President and CEO of COFI.
The Tree Frog News has been featuring the panels and speakers from the Council of Forest Industries 2026 Conference over the last week. For those who missed the coverage, here are all of our summarized stories.
Four of BC’s leading forest sector CEOs delivered a frank and at times sobering assessment of the industry’s current state at the 2026 COFI Convention, telling delegates that conditions are among the most difficult any of them have encountered in careers spanning more than three decades. The session, moderated by Bridgitte Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, brought together Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of Canfor; Sean McLaren, President and CEO of West Fraser; John Mohammed, President and Owner of A&A Trading Ltd.; and Steven Hofer, President and CEO of Western Forest Products. The panel was structured around questions, with the CEOs offering distinct perspectives shaped by their different roles across the sector’s value chain. …On current operating conditions, the panelists were unified in their assessment. Hofer said this is the most challenging business environment for a BC forest products company he has encountered in 33 years. …Yurkovich said BC used to be the last company standing in a downturn — with well-placed fibre, excellent sawmills, and skilled workers. That has changed. BC is now the first down.
SALMON ARM, British Columbia — Forsite Consultants Ltd. today announced the launch of 
Mercer International’s bonds slumped after it sought to ditch rules requiring equal treatment for all creditors — a move that would give the struggling pulp producer the power to pick and choose which lenders to favor in a restructuring. The company asked owners of its bonds due in 2028 and 2029 to remove a provision that forces it to pay all lenders equally when it seeks to strike a debt deal, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Separately, a group of Mercer’s creditors has organized in anticipation of debt talks with the company and plans to sign a cooperation pact binding them to act together. …Mercer is grappling with weak earnings and dwindling cash flow that’s left it struggling under the weight of its debt, which stood at about $1.6 billion at the end of last year. S&P Global Ratings downgraded the firm to CCC+ in February.
The U.S. Department of Commerce plans to reduce duty rates for most Canadian softwood producers, but they would still need to pay hefty levies of 34.83%. US import taxes on softwood lumber currently total 45.16% on most Canadian producers, including combined countervailing and anti-dumping duties of 35.16% and tariffs of 10%. In its announcement on Thursday, the Commerce Department said it expects to decrease the anti-dumping duty rates to 10.66% from 20.53 %. Most Canadian producers also face paying 14.17% for countervailing duties, down slightly from 14.63%. The revised anti-dumping and countervailing duties equal 24.83%, and when combined with the tariffs, the levies total 34.83%. …Kurt Niquidet, of the BC Lumber Trade Council said, “These duties continue to make it more expensive to build homes at a time when both countries should be working together to improve housing affordability.” …New duty rates are intended to take effect by late summer of 2026, subject to further revisions in a final determination. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]
VANCOUVER — Ottawa must make a case of “mutual benefit” with the United States as it advocates for Canada’s softwood lumber industry during trade negotiations, BC Premier David Eby said Friday… “the US cannot produce enough wood to meet its domestic demand.” …The premier’s remarks came after the U.S. Department of Commerce posted its preliminary tariff determination for the sector, with total duties estimated at just short of 25%, lower than the current rate of more than 35%. …COFI’s Kim Haakstad, agreed with the premier, saying it’s important for B.C. to ensure softwood lumber doesn’t “get lost” among other industries based in Eastern Canada. …The Independent Wood Processors Association said the US ruling was “further evidence” the softwood lumber dispute mechanism has become a “broken process”. The BC Lumber Trade Council said Canadian lumber producers continue to face “unjustified and punitive trade measures.” BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said the province was disappointed.
Abbotsford, BC — Mirax Group, a privately held, family-owned British Columbia company with deep roots in forestry, lumber manufacturing, value-added wood products, and diversified industrial operations, has acquired the former Errington Cedar Sawmill in Errington, BC. This strategic acquisition reinforces Mirax Group’s commitment to investing in the sustainable growth of British Columbia’s forestry sector, preserving local jobs, and enhancing supply chain resilience for cedar and softwood products destined for global markets. The Errington Cedar Sawmill, long recognized for its legacy in processing premium cedar products for domestic and international customers — faced closure in recent years following industry challenges. With the transaction now complete, Mirax Group will operate the facility as the Vancoast Sawmill division, and position the site as a cornerstone in its expanding coastal operations. …The company also plans to evaluate investments in modernized milling technology and value-added processing to enhance product diversity and competitiveness.
The Canadian District Supervisor position is a unique and highly sought after opportunity for those intimately involved in the quality control of lumber or manufactured wood products. PLIB’s District Supervisors are responsible for evaluating the quality of lumber, glulam, and wood packaging products. Our inspectors influence a wide range of important issues that impact the wood products industry through participation in the development of quality standards and educating mill personnel. PLIB’s Canadian Division serves a variety of producers across Western Canada. This position requires fully reimbursed travel. Interested candidates that meet the qualification criteria are encouraged to visit the PLIB website for a complete job description and application process.
North Vancouver – The Independent Wood Processors Association (IWPA) says today’s preliminary U.S. softwood lumber duty ruling under Administrative Review 7 (AR7) is further evidence that the softwood lumber dispute has become a broken process that continues to punish businesses and consumers on both sides of the border without bringing either side closer to resolution. The U.S. Department of Commerce has posted a preliminary tariff determination expected to be finalized in August. The preliminary combined duty rate includes a countervailing duty (CVD) of 14.17 per cent and an anti-dumping duty (AD) of 10.66 per cent, for a total combined rate of 24.83 per cent. The current duty rate of 35.16 per cent will remain in effect until a final determination is issued. …The Independent Wood Processors Association says the ongoing dispute continues to unfairly harm companies that should never have been included in the first place. … “This ongoing cycle is creating uncertainty for businesses, workers, and consumers across North America and highlights the urgent need for a negotiated solution,” said Andy Rielly, Chair of the IWPA.
Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, issued the following statement in response to the US Department of Commerce’s release of preliminary results of the seventh administrative review of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on Canadian softwood lumber: “BC stands with all those across Canada in our disappointment that the US has signalled that it will continue to impose unwarranted and unfair duties on Canadian softwood lumber products. “These duties serve only to damage both of our economies by harming BC and Canadian communities, and increasing the cost of housing and renovations for American families. “Duties on Canadian softwood lumber needlessly favour offshore imports that endanger North American jobs across the supply chain. Workers in BC, in Canada and in the US are worse off from duties on softwood lumber.
PRINCE GEORGE – “Every day I get a phone call from an employer, and the first thing that comes to my mind is, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose another operation.’ And right now we’re probably down to about half the membership we were, a number of years ago.” That’s the sentiment of the president of the United Steelworkers – the union representing forestry workers in northern and central B.C, Brian O’Rourke. And the numbers are startling. Comparing data compiled from 2024 to 2026, the amount of money invested in forestry in British Columbia dropped from $15.8 billion to $14.4 billion, while the number of people employed in the sector dropped by 5,000. First Nations are acutely impacted, with 4,800 directly employed in forestry leading up to 2024. That dropped to 2,600. Meanwhile, the amount of money the industry generates for the provincial coffers dropped dramatically from $17.4 billion to just $12.8 billion. …But the Council of Forest Industries is infinitely optimistic because – in the words of Kim Haakstad – everyone uses forestry is some fashion.
TORONTO — Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products; Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources; and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued a statement in response to a preliminary indication from the US which suggests that softwood lumber duties may decrease from the current rate of approximately 35% later this year: “Ontario’s forest sector has a global reputation as a leader in the G7 in the production of high-quality wood and wood products. …While this preliminary indication suggests some relief for softwood lumber producers later this year, Ontario remains firm that duties are unwarranted and not supported by the evidence. We continue to call for the full removal of all duties that raise costs for both American and Canadian families. These ongoing duties and tariffs reduce productivity, disrupt supply chains, drive up the cost of construction and make housing less affordable.”
When it comes to the future of the forest industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, the struggling newsprint mill in Corner Brook usually steals all the headlines. But some key players in the lumber manufacturing business say they’re framing up a solid future. And they have very different opinions when it comes to Kruger-owned Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, and that company’s $700-million strategy to modernize its paper making operations, and become a long-term electricity provider to the provincial power grid. “We’re confident in [Kruger’s] plans … for the future, and we’re confident in the direction the forest industry is going to take in Newfoundland,” says Kyle Osmond, operations manager at the family-owned Burton’s Cove Lumber and Logging mill in Hampden, White Bay. …So as the forest industry navigates yet another crucial period in its long history, the often-overshadowed sawmill sector is keen to emerge from the shadows, but their business approach is markedly different.
B.C. saw a significant increase in energy and mineral exports in February compared with a year earlier, while wood exports continued to decline. The province exported more than $4.8 billion worth of products in February, a 16.3 per cent monthly increase and a 2.8 per cent year-to-date increase compared with the same period last year. …However, exports in the wood sector continued to decline. About $479 million worth of products were exported in February, an 18.1 per cent decline from January. Lumber saw the sharpest drop, down 27.7 per cent, followed by other panel products (-23.4 per cent) and plywood and veneer (-19.1 per cent). As a result, year-to-date wood exports fell by more than 30 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. Machinery and equipment exports also declined, down 17.9 per cent month-over-month and 27.6 per cent year-to-date.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada, together with the FSC Canada Indigenous Chamber, the FSC Indigenous Foundation, and Indigenous communities across the country, is proud to announce the launch of the Indigenous Knowledge Networks, a new Indigenous led initiative designed to strengthen community-driven forest stewardship, knowledge sharing, and rights-based governance. The Indigenous Knowledge Networks will serve as a collaborative platform where Indigenous communities can connect, share wise practices, and advance their own stewardship priorities in ways that reflect local governance systems, cultural protocols, and community-defined goals. As part of the launch, Wahkohtowin Development GP has been named the first regional Network, supporting sister Nations across the Northeast Superior Region. Wahkohtowin will lead in-person gatherings, virtual learning opportunities, and community-driven activities that strengthen relationships and build capacity across the region. …The first phase of the Indigenous Knowledge Network will include a visioning process…
Mosaic Forest Management wants a more informed discussion on wood-fibre security and log exports with North Cowichan’s council before the municipality decides if it wants to move forward with a motion on the issue. Coun. Christopher Justice had made a notice-of-motion that, if adopted, would encourage senior levels of government to review and strengthen their policies, including those governing raw log exports from private managed forest lands on Vancouver Island. … Karen Brandt, at Mosaic, said the motion does not accurately reflect how the coastal-fibre system operates, and risks unintended consequences for the local mills, workers and communities that council is seeking to support. Brandt said… “The motion suggests international log sales from private-managed forest lands reduce fibre available for domestic manufacturing when, in fact, the opposite is true.” …Brandt said that if the objective is to improve fibre availability, the primary issue is the decline in Crown harvest levels.
District of Squamish staff are asking Council to endorse a new wildfire strategy with 53 specific actions to protect residents, homes and critical infrastructure. According to staff, the 2026 Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan, prepared by Blackwell Consulting Ltd., must be adopted by April 30 for the District to remain eligible for up to $400,000 in provincial FireSmart grant funding over the next two years. The plan is Squamish’s first major wildfire strategy update since 2017. In the years since, rapid population growth, increased tourism pressure, and new development pushing into forested terrain have changed the risk picture considerably. It was developed in collaboration with Squamish Nation, Squamish Community Forest, BC Wildfire Service, BC Parks, the Ministry of Forests, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. …The plan identifies hiring a full-time FireSmart Coordinator as a high-priority step with a three-month timeline. …The plan also calls on the District to review Squamish Fire Rescue staffing levels…
Local residents are invited to share their input on the development of the Cariboo-Chilcotin forest landscape plan (FLP) to guide long-term forest management decisions in the area. People can share their thoughts through a survey, which will run from Monday, April 13 to May 30, 2026. The Ministry of Forests will also hold two open houses (April 29 and May 2) so the community can learn more about forest landscape planning and ask questions. …FLPs are developed in partnership with First Nations to ensure meaningful participation in forestry planning and long-term decision-making. …Engagement with forest licensees, subject-matter experts and the public is a key part of every FLP. …Through early collaboration with First Nations partners and initial engagement with forest licence holders, key themes have emerged that will be integrated into the survey for public feedback to reflect community priorities. Developing FLPs is a new approach to forest stewardship that establishes clear direction for the management of forest-related values…
Alberta’s environment minister has expanded the province’s definition of “protected lands” in a bid to reject Ottawa’s nature strategy. This comes after Canada, along with 195 other countries, announced plans to protect 30 per cent of its land by 2030, an objective known as 30×30. But Grant Hunter, Alberta’s minister of environment and protected areas, said that the province already protects 60 per cent of its land based on its own definition. “Federal reporting measures do not capture the full picture, focusing on narrow definitions of protected land,” he said. “Alberta takes a different approach. Our province includes all publicly owned and regulated lands, including those protected from development.” …Alberta rejects Ottawa’s one-size-fits-all approach to conservation and expects recognition and provincial jurisdiction of all national conservation targets, Hunter said. Alberta’s claim to have already achieved the 30×30 commitment is “concerning” and “disingenuous,” said Kecia Kerr, of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta.
Peachland residents are once again fighting against logging in their watershed. Following the proposal of three new BC Timber Services (BCTS) cutblocks overlapping with Old Growth Deferral zones in the Peachland Community Watershed, the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance (PWPA) have started a petition to halt old growth logging entirely. The petition, created in late March, calls to stop commercial and partial clear-cut logging in the Peachland watershed’s old growth and primary growth forests. …Taryn Skalbania, one of the founders of the PWPA, has ran the organization for over a decade to fight against logging in her community. She said this isn’t the first time the PWPA has opposed logging in their community, but that this is the “line in the sand.” …ecologist and former member of the old growth TAP Rachel Holt said there is only two per cent of old forest the IDFdk2 forestry zone – which covers the Okanagan area – remaining.
New life is sprouting in Rose Valley Regional Park, where crews and volunteers have begun restoring areas damaged by the devastating McDougall Creek wildfire back in 2023. At a community tree planting event held Saturday, hundreds of new trees were planted to help the park recover. The effort is part of a larger plan led by the Regional District of Central Okanagan to bring the forest back to life. Wayne Darlington, RDCO’s manager of parks capital planning, said the work marks an important turning point. “After 2023 McDougall Creek wildfires, we’re now at a point now where we’re actually putting some more trees back and plants back in the ground,” Darlington said. Volunteers spent the day planting hundreds of trees in some of the hardest-hit areas.
A B.C. logging company has sued the owners of a major oil pipeline for allegedly destroying a key access road and stranding $4 million worth of timber near the Coquihalla Highway. The dispute dates back to 2022, when Western Canadian Timber Products Ltd. and Trans Mountain Pipeline Limited Partnership entered into an agreement around a patch of forest northeast of Hope, B.C. A lawsuit, filed April 2 in B.C. Supreme Court, claims the agreement granted Trans Mountain access to a proposed cutblock in the Portia and Boston Bar Creek area so it could complete construction of a second oil pipeline from Edmonton, Alta., to B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Originally built to transport crude and refined oil from Alberta to the B.C. coast, the Trans Mountain pipeline was recently expanded through a massive “twinning” project that nearly tripled its capacity.
If reviews could save old growth, British Columbia would have the healthiest forests on Earth. Instead, the province has produced a stack of reports as tall as an ancient Douglas fir. Their wording may differ, but their conclusion does not: BC’s forestry system is broken. Fixing it will not be easy or quick, but instead of acting, the government continues to produce new reports to delay tough decisions — especially when those decisions mean standing up to large logging companies that profit most from the status quo. Rather than using the reports to inspire action, the BC government is hiding behind them. …Nearly six years into BC’s OGSR commitment, we now have a sixth report by the Provincial Forest Advisory Council called From Conflict to Care. It again concluded that systemic reform is needed in the province’s forestry regime. Each report acknowledges the same truth: what we’re doing isn’t working.
Sarah Wayne Callies, from AMC’s The Walking Dead, has urged her fans to oppose a Nanaimo zoning change west of Cable Bay trail. On April 16, a hearing will be held in Nanaimo, for the possible rezoning of 74.71 hectares of the total 86-hectare property at from rural resource to industrial, with site-specific provisions over its use, allowed density and lot coverage. Included in the application for rezoning is a provision of an average 100-metre buffer zone around Cable Bay trail, about 13 per cent of the property. The zoning application was submitted by Harmac Pacific. During an information session in 2024, the company shared it would like to turn the land into a private industrial park. At the time, a representative with Harmac told the News Bulletin that the process to lease out the land would be phased over many years, and it would be marketed to businesses that “might have synergies” with Harmac’s existing business. 
A company building two of Canada’s largest wood pellet mills says it will rely on a steady diet of trees logged in forests recently burned by wildfires. Roughly five million trees will have to come down each year to feed the two northern Alberta mills, which Powerwood Canada Corp. plans to build near the communities of La Crête and High Level. The company claims that wildfires create nightmarish landscapes and that logging such forests as fast as possible is key to restoring their health. But scientists counter that burned forests are important for biodiversity and that aggressively logging them spells disaster for plants and animals that rely on burned landscapes to flourish. Powerwood CEO David Peters said that in addition to northern Alberta the company is eyeing other “brownfield” logging opportunities in British Columbia and in Eastern Canada due to the significant number of wildfires in recent years.
Domtar says WorkSafeBC is investigating after a worker was injured at its Port Alberni mill last week and taken to hospital in serious condition. CHEK News reported that the man had a burn injury. “A full investigation is underway with WorkSafeBC, and we intend to share more information as it becomes available,” Domtar said in a message to employees. It also recognized coworkers who responded quickly to help the man “and ensured that he received immediate care.” B.C. Emergency Health Services said it was called at 5:44 a.m. April 9 for the incident. [END]
…Hawaii Mars is one of two remaining Martin JRM-3 Mars water bombers. It flew cargo between Hawaii and the Pacific Islands during the Second World War and supported the Korean War with medical transport between Hawaii and California before transitioning to cargo operations. They were sold to a consortium of B.C. timber companies in 1958 and converted into the world’s largest water bombers to fight forest fires, carrying 27,000 litres per drop. Coulson Aviation bought them in 2007, marking the start of its fixed-wing air tanker operations for aerial wildfire support. Coulson retired its Mars water bombers in 2015.