Region Archives: Canada

Breaking News

A trade deal with the US could include lumber quotas, Carney says

The Canadian Press in Global News
July 16, 2025
Category: Breaking News
Region: Canada, United States

Mark Carney

Prime Minister Carney says any future trade deal with the US could include “some element of managed trade,” including quotas, on softwood lumber exports. Carney’s comments come after B.C. Premier David Eby said that the federal government has been speaking with the provinces about quotas to resolve the softwood lumber dispute. Carney added that resolving the conflict is a “top priority” as the US prepares to double various duties to 34.45%. Canada and the US have been without a softwood lumber agreement since 2015, and Eby has previously said that resolving the dispute could “build momentum” for a larger trade deal. US President Trump’s latest threat is to impose 35% tariffs by Aug. 1 on Canadian goods currently not compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Carney says he agrees with Eby’s idea of resolving the lumber dispute as part of a larger trade deal, but notes that both issues are unfolding along different times lines.

Related coverage in: Business in Vancouver: Carney confirms possibility of lumber quotas in trade deal with US

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Business & Politics

Level of US tariffs Canada would accept in trade deal still up for negotiation, Carney says

By Steven Chase, Stephanie Levitz & Laura Stone
The Globe and Mail
July 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Prime Minister Carney says securing a truce in the long-running Canada-US lumber dispute is a top priority as Canadian producers brace for even heftier US levies as early as September. …Mr. Carney declined to say what level of baseline tariff Ottawa would accept in a new trade and security pact with Washington. …Mr. Carney was asked whether Canada would impose tariffs on US products if the US keeps a baseline levy on Canadian goods. “We’ll see what the final agreement is, if there is an agreement,” he said. …Historically, Mr. Carney said lumber deals with the US contain “some element of managed trade” such as quotas on Canadian shipments to the US. …Mr. Pellerin, a former Canadian government softwood litigator, said he thinks it would be unwise to strike a deal before litigation related to the softwood dispute plays out. There are several challenges of US duties on softwood proceeding under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement dispute mechanism. [This story is for Globe and Mail subscribers only]

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US Lumber Coalition Responds to Prime Minister Carney Statement

The US Lumber Coalition
July 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Zoltan van Heyningen

Prime Minister Carney and BC Premier Eby are advancing the idea of setting aside the enforcement of the US trade laws against unfairly traded Canadian lumber. …Canada does not voluntarily give up its remedies against unfairly traded imports from other countries but they are now asking the US to do precisely that. Canada is asking the US to do a favor for Canadian workers at the expense of US workers. “The US has collected over $7 billion dollars in duties and Canada’s request to terminate these cases and refund money would be the single biggest bailout of the Canadian lumber industry funded by US taxpayers and would come at the expense of US workers and loggers”, said Zoltan van Heyningen. …“It is also essential to implement additional measures under Section 232 to address the underlying cause of Canadian unfair trade practices,” added van Heyningen. “We must not yield to Canadian demands.”

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Canada weighs limits on US lumber exports to ease trade friction, BC Premier says

By Ananya Palyekar
Reuters
July 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada is open to considering limits on softwood lumber exports to the U.S. to try to ease some trade friction between the neighboring countries, British Columbia Premier David Eby told Bloomberg News in a report published on Wednesday. “One of the asks for years out of the American coalition has been a quota — that there’s a fixed amount of lumber that gets to come from Canada,” Eby told Bloomberg News. “And I think that, for the first time, there’s some willingness to have a conversation about what that could look like.” [to access the full story, a Reuters or Bloomberg Economics subscription is required]

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Northern Pulp to initiate sale of assets

By Anjuli Patil
CBC News
July 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Northern Pulp has announced it will initiate a court-supervised sales process of its assets after it confirmed it wasn’t able to secure funding for a new mill project. In a news release Monday night, the insolvent company said the decision follows completion of a comprehensive feasibility study that concluded Northern Pulp could not achieve the 14 per cent internal rate of return required in a settlement agreement with the province to develop a bleached softwood kraft pulp mill and bioproducts hub near Liverpool, N.S. “Northern Pulp is thankful for the support and collaboration of the Province of Nova Scotia and local stakeholders throughout the feasibility study,” the company said in the release. Nova Scotia’s minister of natural resources said Northern Pulp’s announcement was “not the outcome we had hoped for.”

Related content:

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Campbell River looks to resources as marine services firm leaves

By Ish Sharma
The Western Investor
July 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CAMPBELL RIVER, BC — Amix Marine Services, which has been providing tugs, barges and other resources to the marine community in Campbell River, is now crossing into Port Alberni’s waters. Amix recently bought 45 acres on the Port Alberni waterfront from Western Forest Products for $7.3 million and plans to move operations over the course of the summer and make the city its home port by this fall. Amix employed 20 people in Campbell River but the ripple effects of its loss will be felt by suppliers and businesses that support the city’s marine sector as a whole. …Port Alberni was attractive to Amix because of the opportunity to expand on property it owned, rather than be limited to the 6.4 acres it’s been leasing in Campbell River. …Amix’s loss will be offset by a variety of major projects rooted in the resource and clean energy sector.

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Georgia-Pacific Announces $191 Million CAD Capital Investment in Englehart OSB Mill

By Georgia-Pacific
Cision Newswire
July 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East, United States

ENGLEHART, Ontario — Georgia-Pacific announced a new capital project for the company’s Englehart OSB mill in Ontario. The approximately $191 million CAD investment will fund a new log processing system and include the expansion and construction of a new finished goods warehouse. This investment comes as Englehart OSB celebrates its fifteenth anniversary as a Georgia-Pacific facility. The first board was produced at the mill in 1983. David Neal, executive VP, building products, “This investment strengthens our operational capabilities and positions the Englehart mill for greater productivity in the years ahead.” …John Beers, president –structural panels, “These improvements will continue our focus on staying competitive and ensures Englehart is an environmentally conscious, 21st century mill.” Design and engineering work has started, and the project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2027.

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AV Terrace Bay pulp mill fined for air emissions breach

Government of Ontario
July 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TERRACE BAY, Ontario — AV Terrace Bay has been convicted on two charges: Failing to control the quality of discharged effluent to ensure that acute toxicity tests resulted in no more than a 50% mortality rate for the test organisms; and Failing to comply with an industry standard by discharging Total Reduced Sulphur compounds. …AV Terrace Bay was convicted of two violations under the Environmental Protection Act, fined $525,000 plus a victim fine surcharge of $131,250, and given 12 months to pay. …Due to financial constraints and market conditions, the mill has been in a warm idle state and has not been producing product or revenue since at least January 2024. The mill generates industrial effluent that undergoes primary and secondary treatment prior to discharging to Lake Superior via Blackbird Creek. …On May 1, 2023, 100% of the Rainbow Trout died during an acute lethality test performed on a grab sample of the mill’s final effluent.

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Northern Pulp’s decision to sell off assets a blow to N.S. forestry sector

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
July 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

For Todd Burgess and the rest of Nova Scotia’s forestry sector, word that Northern Pulp is abandoning the idea of a new multi-billion-dollar operation near Liverpool was not the news they were hoping for. “It’s devastating, really, for forestry in Nova Scotia,” said Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia. “It’s going to make it more difficult for woodlot owners to manage their woodlot properly, it’s going to be difficult for forestry contractors to succeed and be profitable.” …Marcus Zwicker, the company’s chief operating officer, said the sector has struggled to find a market for low-grade byproducts from lumber production and harvests since Northern Pulp shut down in 2020. …He and Burgess both said they also have concerns about the loss of the greenhouses Northern Pulp used to maintain, which would produce millions of seedlings a year for reforestation efforts. Rushton said officials in his department are looking at potential options to fill the gap.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Rise Past $650

Trading View
July 15, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures traded above $650 per thousand board feet, hovering near April highs driven by tightening US sawmill output and dwindling import volumes, both of which are near their lowest levels in half a decade. Domestic production in the first quarter slipped year-on-year, and imports, including softwood lumber from Canada, have contracted sharply, leaving US framing material availability at its leanest since 2019. At the same time, builders are contending with looming tariff hikes that could push duties on Canadian lumber from roughly 14.5% today toward the mid-30s, adding several thousand dollars to the cost of new homes. Although a modest pull-back in construction activity has softened recent gains, overall demand remains sufficient to absorb current supply, and without a rapid expansion in US mill capacity or alternative sourcing, these supply constraints, compounded by rising trade barriers, are likely to sustain upward pressure on lumber prices in the months ahead.

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Canadian housing starts post 0.4% rise in June compared to May

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
July 16, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in June edged up 0.4 per cent compared to May. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts amounted to 283,734 units in June, up from 282,705 in May. CMHC says actual housing starts in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater amounted to 23,282 units in June, up 14 per cent from 20,509 in June last year. The six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate starts across Canada rose 3.6 per cent in June to 253,081. …The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada. Actual housing starts were up 14% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 23,282 units recorded in June, compared to 20,509 units in June 2024. The year-to-date total was 114,411, up 4% from the same period in 2024. 

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Canada’s annual inflation rate in June slightly up to 1.9%

By Promit Mukherjee
Reuters in Yahoo! Finance
July 15, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA — Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.9% in June, meeting analysts’ expectations, as increases in the price of automobiles and clothing and footwear pushed the index higher, data showed on Tuesday. The consumer price index was at 1.7% in the prior month. Statistics Canada said on a monthly basis the CPI increased 0.1%, matching analysts’ forecasts. It is for the third month in a row that the CPI has been under 2%, or the mid-point of Bank of Canada’s inflation target range. This is the last major economic indicator to be released before the Bank of Canada’s rates decision later this month. The slight rise in prices across many segments, along with a strong jobs number last week, is likely to take away any incentive to cut interest rates, economists had earlier predicted. …Shelter prices rose by 2.9%, its first drop below 3% in more than four years.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Trends shaping the future of wood flooring

Floor Covering News
July 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

As we’re now well into 2025, the hardwood flooring industry continues to evolve in response to broader shifts in how people design and inhabit their spaces. From residential builds to commercial interiors, there’s a growing appetite for natural materials that offer both durability and design versatility—and wood remains a standout. With its timeless appeal and ability to suit a wide range of design aesthetics, it continues to be a foundational material in interior architecture. A key trend gaining traction is the use of tactile, textured finishes. Glossy surfaces are making way for more organic aesthetics, like wire-brushed, matte or hand-scraped textures that bring warmth and visual depth to a room. These finishes complement today’s more relaxed and natural design styles and offer practical benefits, like helping to conceal everyday wear in high-traffic environments.

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Is B.C. the leader in mass timber?

By Tanya Martins
Construction Canada
July 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia remains at the forefront of mass timber design and implementation globally. The province has the highest number of mass timber buildings per capita of any other place in North America, and leads the country with more than 285 mass timber buildings. B.C.’s Mass Timber Action Plan has driven the expansion of mass timber construction, manufacturing, and workforce development across the province. This has increased the number of mass timber buildings and positioned B.C. as a critical exporter of knowledge and products to international markets. Metrics such as overall building count, advancements in carbon reduction, and the adoption of encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) standards in other regions all reflect our sustained leadership. Eric Andreasen, the vice-president of marketing and sales at Adera Development, spoke to Tanya Martins of Construction Canada and shed light on how B.C. is on its way to becoming the leader in mass timber development globally.

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Q&A: Kalesnikoff’s Andrew Stiffman talks mass timber

By Russell Hixson
SiteNews
July 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Andrew Stiffman

Kalesnikoff Mass Timber just opened a new 100,000-square-foot prefabrication and modular facility in Castlegar, B.C., expanding its vertically integrated mass timber operations—the first of its kind in North America. A fourth-generation, family-owned company founded in 1939, Kalesnikoff now produces a range of engineered wood products, including CLT and GLT panels, and supplies mass timber and prefabricated components to Western Canada, the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Japan, and Europe. The new facility enhances the company’s capacity to offer full modular construction solutions. SiteNews caught up with Kalesnikoff Mass Timber’s Vice President of Construction, Andrew Stiffman, to talk about the significance of this new capacity, the future of Canadian mass timber and some of his favourite projects ever.

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2025 Global Buyers Mission – limited booth spaces left!

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

Join us for our 22nd Annual GBM September 4th to 6th, where we will host international buyers and specifiers from all around the world, to meet our Canadian suppliers in Whistler. If you are an industry member and thinking about exhibiting to get yourself in front of these buyers and decision-makers, ACT FAST!  We only have 5 booth spaces left, and they will go on a first-come basis. Industry surveys from 2024 indicated an anticipated $37 million in new sales from contacts made at the GBM. We anticipate many “new to GBM” Buyers again this year, and with hard work of our overseas staff, the continued assistance of the federal International Trade Commissioner Service and the provincial Trade & Investment Representatives abroad, we expect an excellent group of Buyers from across the globe. As usual, we will host BC Wood’s AGM, deliver Specifier Workshops and the exclusive Building Connections program. 

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BC Wood Connections Newsletter

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

Don’t miss the BC Wood newsletter. Headlines include:

  • BC Wood Specialties Group 2025 Annual General Meeting
  • 2025 Global Buyers Mission Update
  • BC Wood New Website Launch
  • Updated Dates & New AIBC Credits for the 2025 BC Timber Building Technical Tour
  • UBC CAWP Announces Robot Made Workshop: Now Approved for Up to 31.75 AIBC Core Learning Units
  • Join TWIG’s  Sea to Sky Wood Network
  • Vintage Wood for Future Designers Exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver Uses Reclaimed Mahogany
  • Join BC Wood at EXPO CIHAC in Mexico City

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Government Promotes Wood for Construction, Heating

The Government of Nova Scotia
July 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

The Province is making wood construction and heating a priority in public buildings. All departments have been directed to look for every opportunity to use mass timber, wood pellets, biomass, biofuels and other products made with wood that is leftover from sustainable harvesting and sawmilling. “Government is leading by example and using more wood products in our own buildings. It’s one of many steps our government is taking to make Nova Scotia more self-reliant and energy secure and to grow our economy and create jobs through innovation in our forestry sector,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. Departments will prioritize wood products in new construction, renovations and conversions from oil heat. They will also make it a priority where applicable in projects that are partially or completely funded by the government. This focus aligns with the Nova Scotia Loyal program, reduces reliance on imports and enhances export markets.

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Forestry

Bringing the forest back: Tłı̨chǫ Tree Planting initiative begins

By Lisa Iesse
My True North Now
July 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

It is estimated that 130 million trees in the Tłı̨chǫ region alone were burned in the devastating 2023 fires. An ambitions new reforestation project is taking on a unprecedented initiative to plant over 1 million trees as part of a six-year plan to plant 13 million trees to bring back the forest. The Tłı̨chǫ Government is holding a special opening ceremony tomorrow at the Behchokǫ̀ Culture Centre at 10:00 a.m. in celebration of the launch of their major reforestation project. “This will mark the beginning of the largest reforestation effort ever undertaken in the Northwest Territories,” said Paul Cressman, who is working with the Tłı̨chǫ government on the new reforestation project. Over the summer, 1.4 million trees will be planted around Behchokǫ̀, Russell Lake, and James Lake. Using locally harvested seeds, the tree planting is “the first step” in a six-year plan to plant 13 million trees across Tłı̨chǫ lands.

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What to know about the fires dotting the western U.S. and Canada

By Ian Livingston
The Washington Post
July 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

Hundreds of wildfires are burning across the Western states, Alaska and Canada as fire season perks up amid a sprawling heat wave and widespread dry conditions. …Fires are being fueled by widespread high temperatures and dry conditions. …The preparedness level is at 4 out of 5 for the U.S., and 5 out of 5 in Canada. Intense fire behavior was reported in 10 western US states over recent days in regions afflicted by heat and drought. …Alaska has seen major wildfire activity over the past week, with more than 300,000 of the 750,000 acres burned this year going up in flames, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. …After a bit of a lull in firestorms in late June to early July, Canadian wildfires returned in a big way. More than 350 fires are burning out of control across the western two-thirds of the nation. Among the most concerning fires flaring, many are in Manitoba. [A Washington Post subscription is required for full access to this story]

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Australia NSW Forestry Corporation firefighters join international Canada deployment

By Forestry Corporation of New South Wales
Australian Rural & Regional News
July 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

Forestry Corporation firefighters from Tumut and Deniliquin will deploy to Canada this week to reinforce local and international crews battling ongoing wildfires, where close to five million hectares have been burnt, approximately 150 wildfires remain active, and multiple communities have been evacuated. Forestry Corporation’s Linda Cotterill of Tumut will deploy to the position of Divisional Supervisor in Alberta and Peter O’Toole of Deniliquin will deploy as an Incident Management Team Safety Officer in Manitoba. The firefighters will be based in Canada for four weeks, working in challenging conditions. …The deployment follows a formal request for assistance through international firefighting agreements and highlights the strong collaboration between Australia and Canada in emergency response. It is the third Forestry Corporation deployment to Canada this winter, with eight Forestry Corporation staff deployed in June and currently completing month-long deployments.

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University of Saskatchewan researcher studies impact of wildfire smoke on songbirds

CBC News
July 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Catherine Ivy is an assistant professor of biology at University of Saskatchewan. Her new research project is examining the impact of wildfire smoke on the songbird population.

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Ryan Tidman Named Audain Wildlife Conservation Fellow to Protect British Columbia’s Sea Wolves

By Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Cision Newswire
July 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ryan Tidman

OTTAWA, ON -The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) is proud to announce that wildlife photographer and researcher Ryan Tidman has been named the inaugural Audain Wildlife Conservation Fellow, a prestigious two-year appointment that will support Tidman’s research, storytelling, and educational outreach focused on the elusive sea wolves of British Columbia. The Fellowship, made possible through the generous support of the Audain Foundation, represents the largest single grant in RCGS history dedicated to B.C. wildlife conservation. … “We congratulate Ryan on receiving this extraordinary opportunity to move the dialogue forward on species at risk in British Columbia. His Fellowship represents the kind of transformative project we believe can shift minds—and ultimately, policy—toward stronger protections for Canada’s most vulnerable ecosystems,” said John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

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Campfire ban goes into effect this week throughout B.C. coastal region

Nanaimo News Bulletin
July 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Coastal Fire Centre will put a campfire ban into effect this week.  The ban will be in place starting at noon on Thursday, July 17, noted a Coastal Fire Centre information bulletin issued Tuesday, July 15. Campfires will be prohibited on Vancouver Island and throughout the Coastal Fire Centre region with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the portion of the Central Coast Regional District within the North Island Central Forest District. Existing open fire prohibitions in the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction enacted May 30 will remain in place, and fireworks and burn barrels are restricted in most areas. “Open fire is the largest cause of human-caused fires provincially,” noted the information bulletin. “Human-caused wildfires are entirely preventable and may divert crucial resources from naturally occurring and/or existing wildfires.” The campfire ban and previous burning bans will be in place until Oct. 31 or until the orders are rescinded.

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Fears of a massive fish die-off in Cowichan River if conditions don’t improve

By Michael John Lo
The Peak
July 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Warm temperatures, low river flows and declining water quality are sparking fears of another mass fish die-off in the Cowichan River this summer. The Cowichan Watershed Board said river conditions this summer “mirror” those of 2023, when an estimated 84,000 to 100,000-plus fish died after prolonged drought and heat. Samples recently collected from six points along the Cowichan River show the water is seeing significant daily fluctuations in pH and dissolved oxygen levels similar to those of 2023. …Weir flows were reduced this spring so more water could be maintained in the summer. Researchers are also looking to identify, protect and improve cold-water refuge areas along the river that could provide fish a respite from the heat when waters warm. …Built in the 1950s to provide water for the pulp mill at Crofton, the Cowichan weir is owned and operated by Domtar.

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The Digital Forester – Domenico Iannidinardo & Aaron Fujikawa, SNRgroup

By Kevin Lim, CEO, Remsoft
The Digital Forester
July 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Domenico Iannidinardo, CEO, and Aaron Fujikawa, Director of Remote Sensing & Geomatics at Strategic Natural Resource Group, join us on The Digital Forester podcast. Domenico and Aaron share how their very different paths — one rooted in traditional forestry, the other in GIS and tech — led them to Strategic Natural Resource Group, a company at the intersection of boots-on-the-ground operations and cutting-edge digital forestry. From firefighting to LiDAR, and field data collection to building digital twins, this episode highlights how Strategic is helping clients navigate uncertainty with speed, precision, and deep local knowledge. Come have a listen to how a field-first culture, Indigenous ownership, and relentless curiosity are shaping the future of resource management in British Columbia and beyond.

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Vancouver tech firm aims to help forests bounce back stronger after wildfires

By Daisy Xiong
Business in Vancouver
July 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

With the wildfire season intensifying in recent years, post-wildfire restoration has become increasingly critical. A Vancouver tech company drawing investor attention says it has an answer for not only replanting trees, but helping to rebuild forests that are more resilient to future fires. Veritree Technology Inc. is a platform that uses ecological data and monitoring tools to support tree planting, tracking and reporting. “Today, areas that historically wouldn’t have burned from wildfires are actually burning much hotter. At times, that burns the seed stock that would otherwise naturally regenerate after a wildfire,” said Derrick Emsley, CEO and co-founder of Veritree. He said that without intervention, deciduous species could grow back fast, crowding out the chance for a mature, healthy natural forest to regenerate, which leaves the area more vulnerable to wildfires in the future.

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North Cowichan mayor meets with counterparts to promote BC lumber

By Justin Baumgardner
My Cowichan Valley Now
July 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Even as the curtailment at the Chemainus Sawmill continues, North Cowichan’s mayor says the municipality is looking to strengthen the local economy by supporting good jobs. According to Rob Douglas, a meeting between MP Jeff Kibble and senior members of Western Forest Products was conducted to determine the best avenue to strengthen the local industry and protect good, local, family-supporting jobs in the region. Douglas says the industry is not in the municipality’s jurisdiction, but all levels of government have an important role to play in establishing a new agreement to grow the economy. “While forestry policy largely falls under provincial jurisdiction, the federal government has a critical role to play, whether through negotiating a renewed softwood lumber agreement with the United States, or by ensuring that lumber produced in BC is prioritized in Canada,” he says.

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BC Forest Practices Board to audit forestry operations near Merritt

BC Forest Practices Board
July 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will conduct a full-scope compliance audit of B.C. Timber Sales and Timber Sale Licence holders in the Cascades Natural Resource District, starting Monday, July 21, 2025. The audit will examine harvesting, roads, silviculture and associated planning under the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. B.C. Timber Sales and licensees operate throughout the district, from the American border south of Princeton to the Chilcotin ranges north of Lillooet. Once the audit is complete, a report will be prepared. Any party that may be adversely affected by the audit findings will have a chance to respond. The board’s final report and recommendations will be released to the public and provincial government. The Cascades Natural Resource District includes the Cascade mountains and the Thompson Plateau. This district transitions from coastal to continental climates. 

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What Nova Scotians are on the hook for as Northern Pulp winds down

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
July 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

With the announcement that there won’t be a new kraft pulp mill being built in Liverpool, the long and expensive Northern Pulp saga begins winding down. Here’s the little we know about what Northern Pulp and its associated companies are worth, who’s likely to get paid and what the taxpayer might be on the hook for. When it filed for creditor protection in 2020, Northern Pulp estimated it had $254 million in assets and $311,019,464 in liabilities. But half of those assets – what it estimated as $130 million worth of equipment and land associated with a cold-idled pulp mill at Abercrombie Point – comes with a large and undetermined liability for whoever gets stuck with the cleanup costs. How much the taxpayer ends up on the hook both for unpaid loans to Northern Pulp and cleanup of the mill site will rely on how much gets paid for the companies’ assets.

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Logging in Ontario’s boreal forest is ‘far in excess of what’s sustainable,’ study finds

By Fatima Syed
The Narwhal
July 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

A new peer-reviewed scientific study [Emulation or Degradation? Evaluating Forest Management Outcomes in Boreal Northeastern Ontario, by Jay Malcolm (University of Toronto), Julee Boan (Natural Resources Defense Council) & Justina Ray (Wildlife Conservation Society Canada)] suggests logging practices in Ontario are unsustainable and out of line with the province’s own strategy for sustainably managing forests. David Flood, a registered professional forester, has long thought Ontario was permitting too many trees to be cut down. Flood is from Matachewan First Nation in northeastern Ontario, home to much of the province’s boreal forest. Flood’s community has watched as forests became smaller and more sparse over time, threatening the natural habitat for caribou and martens. Flood is the general manager for Wahkohtowin Development, a decade-old social enterprise held by three First Nations — Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree and Brunswick House — to strengthen Indigenous participation in forest and land management across their territories. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Neither ‘Biofuel’ Nor Nuclear Will Solve Our Energy Problems

By Ben Parfitt
The Tyee
July 16, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West, International

…In the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan shut down not just Fukushima but all of its nuclear plants, a move that resulted in the loss of a third of its electrical power. …Japan faced a daunting energy crisis that it addressed… with conventional fuels such as natural gas and “bioproducts” including wood pellets derived from the logging of BC’s Interior forests. …Last year, roughly two million tonnes of those pellets arrived Japanese ports from BC, linked to a dozen mills in the province that make wood pellets derived from trees logged in the province’s rapidly dwindling primary forests — natural forests never previously subject to industrial logging. …Which means that in the name of creating allegedly clean energy, forests are being razed just to burn the wood. …The strain on the province’s stressed forests is [also] coming from other bioenergy producers, including those who want to use wood to make jet fuel.

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Big New Brunswick emitters polluted less in 2023, but fell further behind targets

By Jacques Poitras
CBC News
July 15, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

New Brunswick’s biggest industrial carbon emitters pumped out lower amounts of greenhouse gases in 2023, but the reductions were not enough to keep pace with tightening emissions standards. The gap between the total emissions by the province’s 15 biggest industrial polluters and their regulated emissions limits grew larger, according to numbers from the provincial government. That left them paying more under the province’s credit-trading carbon pricing system. Even so, that system is gaining traction, with more of those credits changing hands. …New Brunswick’s industrial carbon price is based on a credit trading system, a financial incentive for the 15 largest industrial emitters to stay below their emissions standards. If they do, they earn what are called performance credits they can sell for a profit. Plants that go above their standards must buy credits, adding to their cost. …The 15 big emitters collectively bought $21.1 million worth of fund credits in 2023, up from $12.6 million in 2022.

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Health & Safety

Combustable dust training workshop help in Prince George, BC

By Tammy Carruthers, SAFE Companies
Canadian Forest Industries
July 14, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

A Combustible Dust Training Institute workshop was held in Prince George, BC. The training session underscored the importance of practical applications and strategic initiatives for controlling combustible dust hazards in the workplace. The training included two days of classroom training and a practical application of learnings at the Lakeland sawmill, part of Sinclar Forest Products. The training highlighted the critical role of housekeeping programs in managing dust accumulations and preventing hazardous conditions. …The workshop offered a comprehensive overview of practical applications and strategies for managing combustible dust hazards. Key takeaways included understanding building space evaluations, conducting Dust Hazard Analyses (DHAs), and the implementation of robust management systems and engineering controls. Continuous learning and adaptation were emphasized to ensure the safety of workers, facilities, and the environment.

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Forestry worker dies in workplace accident on Sunshine Coast

By Laura Brougham
Chek News
July 14, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ron Hollingsworth

A forestry worker, who a GoFundMe says was a dedicated logger, loving husband and father of three, died in a workplace accident on the Sunshine Coast. The GoFundMe identifies the man as Ron Hollingsworth. …RCMP confirmed it was informed of a fatal incident on July 10 shortly before 10 a.m. on Goat Island in Powell Lake. “RCMP Air Services provided immediate support in transporting officers to the scene, where it was confirmed one person was deceased,” RCMP said in an email to CHEK News. WorkSafeBC and the BC Coroner both confirmed they were investigating the death, and both said as the investigation is ongoing no further details could be released. Aaron Gunn, MP for North Island-Powell River, shared the news of the death on Facebook. …“This serves as a reminder of the inherent risks many of our resource workers face on a daily basis, and how they all deserve our respect and support.”

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‘Worrisome’ conditions due to wildfire smoke and heat force camps, daycares to adjust

By Natasha Baldin and Vanessa Tiberio
Canadian Press in City News Everywhere
July 16, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

Summer camps and daycares are being forced to shift their plans amid stifling heat and poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke drifting across Central Canada, the Prairies and other parts of the country. Special air quality statements or warnings were in effect Tuesday for a second day across several provinces and territories, combined with heat warnings that stretched from Ontario to Prince Edward Island. Smoky air in the Toronto area prompted many camps to field calls from concerned parents and make last-minute changes, especially on Monday, when the city was under a warning due to the Air Quality Health Index reaching the “very high risk” rating of over 10. Adib Razavi, director of Toronto Athletic Camps, said they received hundreds of calls on Monday morning from parents who wanted to know how their kids’ activities were being adjusted.

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Air quality statement continues as forest fire smoke lingers

The Bay Today
July 15, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

Environment Canada has once again issued a special air quality statement for the North Bay area. …Environment Canada says smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. “Smoke from forest fires over northern Ontario is causing poor air quality that may persist throughout the day for some areas,” EC stated. “As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events. …EC suggests when indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. “Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles.

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Forest Fires

‘Horrendous’ air quality as wildfire smoke blankets several provinces

By Rianna Lim and Vanessa Tiberio
Prince George Citizen
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Much of Central Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan were placed under special air quality statements or warnings on Monday due to smoke from wildfires, as Environment Canada advised residents to limit time outdoors and watch for smoke exposure symptoms. The weather agency said air quality was poor across swaths of Ontario and Quebec as westerly winds brought in smoke from forest fires in the Prairies and northern Ontario. The weather agency also issued air quality warnings in central Saskatchewan and a special statement for much of Manitoba, noting that air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and vary from hour to hour.

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Five new wildfires confirmed in Northwestern Ontario as 52 remain active

By Evan Taylor
KenoraOnline
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Fire crews in Northwestern Ontario are monitoring 52 active wildfires across the region after five new blazes were confirmed by Sunday evening. Among the latest is Red Lake 99, burning near Grist Lake, which is the largest of the new fires at 394 hectares and not under control. Red Lake 101 has also drawn attention after crossing into Ontario from Manitoba. That fire is currently 227.5 hectares and continues to burn within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Other new fires include Red Lake 98 near Hornby Lake, Red Lake 100 west of Poplar Hill First Nation, and Red Lake 102 northwest of Nechigona Lake. Of those, only Red Lake 100 is under control. Fire officials continue to urge people to respect emergency orders and stay out of restricted zones to support safety and firefighting operations.

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Manitoba fire spreads into Northwestern Ontario

Northwest Ontario Newswatch
July 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

DRYDEN — Ten new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario over the weekend brought the total number of active fires in the region to 52. The Ministry of Natural Resources reports that one of the new outbreaks is an extension of a wildfire burning in Manitoba. That province’s EA061 fire has burned 278,000 hectares there, and 228 hectares in Ontario, as of Sunday evening. It’s located about 10 kilometres west of Bulging Lake in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Among other new fires of note in the Northwest, a 394-hectare blaze is burning four kilometres northwest of Grist Lake in the MNR’s Red Lake sector. The ministry reports the wildland fire hazard is low to moderate in most of the region, except for along the Ontario-Manitoba border from the Rainy River area to Opasquia Provincial Park, 250 kilometres north of Red Lake, where the hazard is mainly high. 

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