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]
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.”
Donald Trump announced Thursday the US will charge a 35% tariff on Canadian imports starting Aug. 1. In an open letter to Prime Minister Carney, he wrote “if you decide to raise your Tariffs, we will be added onto the 35% that we charge.” …“These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country.” Carney posted on social media that Canada would work towards a revised deadline of Aug. 1 in reaching a new trade deal with the US. “Canada has made vital progress to stop the scourge of fentanyl in North America,” Carney wrote. …Trump pointed to what he called “unsustainable” trade deficits, as well as the Canadian dairy sector. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 50% tariff on copper imports. The US was Canada’s largest copper importer in 2023, accounting for 52% of the total export value. That same year, Canada’s exports of copper and copper-based products were valued at $9.3 billion.
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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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.
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]
It had to be a joke, right? A group of MAGA lawmakers moaning about “suffocating Canadian wildfire smoke”. …But, no. …It makes no mention of the tens of thousands of Canadians forced to evacuate this year or those who have died. The signatories conveniently ignore the fact that smoke from the US side of the border regularly smothers those of us who live north of it. In fact, the complaint does not mention fires in the US at all, even though more than two million acres have burned so far this year, and Canadian firefighters have deployed to assist their US colleagues, just as US wildland firefighters have been helping in Canada. Given the MAGA credentials of the complainants, you may not be surprised to hear their complaint blames a “lack of active forest management”… admonishes Canada for not preventing arson and makes no mention of climate change whatsoever.
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.
The Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus is recruiting an outstanding researcher in Natural Resources Governance. The successful candidate is expected to be eligible for a full-time appointment at UBC at the rank of Professor, or the rank of Associate Professor… The successful appointee will be nominated for a Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC). …The appointment presents a unique opportunity for leading research focused on developing, implementing, and maintaining a research program in natural resources governance capable of advancing multiple sustainable development priorities. …As a faculty member and CERC holder, the successful candidate will be expected to lead a strong, externally–funded research program, supervise postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, teach undergraduate and graduate courses, collaborate with other faculty members, and actively participate in service to the Department, University, and academic/scientific community.
The B.C. government, Fort Nelson First Nation and the B.C. Energy Regulator (BCER) are working collaboratively to implement new protection measures to support boreal caribou recovery in northeastern B.C. “Helping caribou populations recover is a complex challenge requiring multiple approaches to stabilize and reverse the decline of herds in B.C.,” said Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “The Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan and the implementation of the new measures are crucial for caribou-recovery efforts in these four northeast ranges. The Fort Nelson First Nation community continues to be an integral partner in this important work.” …The Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan was co-developed by the B.C. government and Fort Nelson First Nation, with contributions from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. The plan is designed to meet federal and provincial targets for species-at-risk recovery, while supporting opportunities to strengthen the natural-resource economy in the region.
NB Power’s estimated $300-million plan to convert its biggest plant in northern New Brunswick from burning coal to wood pellets would be environmentally damaging and waste a lot of energy, warns a new report. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick, an environmental organization looked at the plan. …They came up with findings that are at odds with NB Power’s rosy view. Running the plant full time on wood pellets, the critics said, would need more offcuts, forcing NB Power to import fuel from Europe. Furthermore, they warn that sourcing as much wood as possible locally would hurt the forest ecology. And lastly, they argue that burning pellets to create electricity is hugely inefficient and would drive up greenhouse gas emissions. …Energy Minister René Legacy told Brunswick News his department would take a close look at the report. But he alluded to the more than 100 jobs NB Power has created.
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.
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.
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.
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.