CROFTON, BC — When Tawni Marcil found out the pulp mill she works for is closing, she immediately started worrying about the cats who live there. Marcil is one of 350 workers on Vancouver Island who are losing their jobs after Domtar announced in early December 2025 that it’s shutting down its pulp mill in Crofton, B.C. For almost as long as the mill has existed, Marcil says, the worksite has been home to a population of feral cats, who the workers feed and take care of. …So for the last month — even as she faces her own uncertain future — Marcil has been working with local cat rescue organizations to round up the mill cats, remove them from the site, and find them new homes.
Canada has “no intention” of pursuing a free trade deal with China, Prime Minister Carney said, after US President Trump threatened to slap punitive tariffs on Ottawa. Carney said that the country respects its obligations under the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement, known as CUSMA in Canada and the USMCA in the US, and will not pursue a free trade agreement without notifying the other two parties. Carney’s remarks come after Trump threatened to put a 100% tariff on Canadian exports if Ottawa “makes a deal” with Beijing. …Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also echoed Trump’s sentiments on Canada and China, saying that the UScould not “let Canada become an opening that the Chinese pour their cheap goods into the US.” …Carney said: “What we have done with China is to rectify some issues that have developed in the last couple of years,” adding that the deal was “entirely consistent with CUSMA.”
The Municipality of North Cowichan says it is preparing for the possibility of another mill closure in Chemainus, while hoping it can be avoided. Western Forest Products announced Friday it is extending curtailment at the Chemainus sawmill, affecting about 150 workers. Mayor Rob Douglas said the priority is protecting jobs and preparing for potential financial impacts. “We’re going to be looking at impacts on our tax base, especially with the municipality already seeing the effects of the Crofton mill closure this year,” Douglas said. “We’ll prepare for the potential closure of the Chemainus mill in 2027.” Douglas said a permanent closure in Chemainus would affect future finances, but not to the same extent as the Crofton mill shutdown. “Western Forest Products has three sites, and with two of them operating that will continue to provide a significant portion of our industrial tax revenue,” he said.
The curtailment of the Chemainus sawmill will continue through to at least the end of 2026, Western Forest Products announced on Jan. 23. WFP spokesperson Babita Khunkhun said the Chemainus mill, which has been curtailed since June, continues to face persistently weak market demand and ongoing log supply challenges that do not support the economic operation of the mill. She said these conditions are not expected to change in the near term at the mill, which employs approximately 150 workers when in operation. “We are also implementing short-term curtailments at our Saltair and Ladysmith sawmills,” Khunkhun said. …“Where possible, we will work with employees to facilitate employment opportunities at other locations,” she said. …“Beginning in February, the Ladysmith sawmill plans to take a minimum two-week operating curtailment and the Saltair sawmill plans to take a two-week operating curtailment. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions.
A wood chip facility primarily owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Nation on north Vancouver Island says it is permanently shutting down as a result of the recent mill closure in Crofton, BC. Atli Resources CEO Jonathan Lok says the Atli Chip LP directly employed nine people, but the closure will affect many more in the small community of Beaver Cove, near Port McNeill. …Lok says a contractor the company hired to bring wood fiber into the facility would be affected as well, along with the 10 to 15 positions it hires. …Lok says the company announced the closure on Jan. 20. He expects the facility to operate until the end of February. Atli Resources is majority owned by the ʼNa̱mǥis Business Development Corporation. Its other two partners include Domtar. Lok says all of the materials from the facility were shipped to the Crofton pulp mill, which Domtar announced in December would permanently close by April.
It appears that some investors have been kicking the tires at the soon to be closed Crofton pulp mill. A statement from the Municipality of North Cowichan said Mayor Rob Douglas and senior staff have recently met with several investors interested in potentially acquiring the Crofton mill site for continued forestry-related operations, or alternative industrial uses. “The municipality is facilitating connections between interested parties, Domtar (the mill’s owner), and the provincial government where appropriate, and remains hopeful that any future use of the site will generate employment opportunities and a stable tax base for the community,” the statement said. …North Cowichan provided no further information on who is interested in taking over the mill site.
KENORA — Ontario New Democrats and union leaders say government should find ways to keep mills in Ear Falls, Ignace and elsewhere open, but with more worker involvement. “The bottom line is that when things are run on the corporate bottom lines only, communities get left behind, workers lose jobs, profits go out and the problems stay in the community,” said Luke Hildebrand, president of the NDP’s Kenora–Rainy River constituency association. “So the only long-term solution is workers having a stake in the future and not just a paycheque.” Hildebrand noted a petition calling on governments to “take immediate action to reopen the Ear Falls sawmill and stop the shutdown of Ignace sawmill” has gathered about 300 signatures. It also calls for establishment of a “forestry job protection task force,” development of “a unified provincial–federal strategy to ensure that Canadian lumber is used in Canadian homes” and support for worker equity in mills.
OTTAWA — Many economists expect no change in the Bank of Canada’s benchmark interest rate later this week — and, possibly, for the rest of the year. The central bank will make its first interest rate decision of 2026 on Wednesday. Financial market odds for a rate hold this week stood at nearly 90 per cent as of Monday morning, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. The Bank of Canada held its policy rate steady at 2.25 per cent in December, coming off two consecutive quarter-point cuts in the second half of 2025. At that decision, governor Tiff Macklem said the central bank believes monetary policy is at “about the right level” to balance a turbulent economy and lingering inflationary pressures. TD Bank economist Rishi Sondhi said in a note Friday that forecasters ought to take the Bank of Canada at its word when it comes to rate expectations.
In November, the volume of cargo carried by Canadian railways was up slightly (+0.5%) from November 2024 to 31.4 million tonnes. Higher volumes of intermodal shipments (mainly containers) as well as higher carloadings of wheat largely contributed to the increase in November 2025. The overall freight volume in November was on par with the five-year average of 31.5 million tonnes for the month. …Growth in non-intermodal freight loadings in November was moderated by declines in several commodities. Loadings of other oil seeds and nuts, and other agricultural products were down sharply by 35.4% (-312 000 tonnes) year over year—the largest drop in tonnage since December 2018. In November 2025, loadings of iron ores and concentrates decreased 6.4% (-287 000 tonnes) compared with November 2024, while loadings of lumber were down 22.1% (-143 000 tonnes), a fourth consecutive month of year-over-year decline.
The Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC) has released the 2025 editions of the National Model Codes which bring forward new revisions but some provinces – such as BC – have already implemented new standards or have outstripped the current codes. “The 2025 National Model Codes aim to create a harmonized framework that addresses building safety, accessibility, energy efficiency and climate adaptation,” said Silvia Garcia, co-chair of the CBHCC. The 2025 National Model Codes include the National Building Code (NBC), National Energy Code, National Plumbing Code and National Fire Code. …BC‘s building code (BCBC) allowed 18-storey encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) in 2024 with Ontario joining in a year later. The 2020 NBC set the structures at 12 storeys and 42 metres in height while the new 2025 NBC code retains the 12 storeys (for residential or Group C structures and office occupancies or Group D) but raises the height to 50 metres.
Canada’s wildfire seasons are growing longer, larger and more destructive, according to a six-decade analysis of fire records by the federal government’s Canadian Forest Service. The study shows the trend isn’t being driven by more frequent fires but by a smaller number of increasingly large wildfires that are burning more land than in the past, reinforcing a trend federal scientists first identified years ago. In 2019, fire scientists with Natural Resources Canada published a study that suggested wildfire activity across the country had 
We are pleased to announce the upcoming 
It’s pretty bold to make the theme of this year’s BC Natural Resources Forum “momentum for continued growth.” What growth are we continuing? We’ve lost a bunch more mills here in the north and the industry is on the ropes with Donald Trump’s tariffs. If anything the momentum has been in the opposite direction. The momentum is heading towards catastrophic decline. At least with forestry. And we can’t let that happen. We need the pulp mills in Prince George and we need our forest industry. …We need to rethink what we are doing and find a way to do things better — and cheaper. …One direction we can move in is we start thinning the plantations close to town. …Unfortunately, BC Timber Sales is not committed to this idea. …As far as anyone can tell, they believe thinning will reduce the Annual Allowable Cut.
Nature markets are systems for measuring an ecological improvement on some land, then creating a representation of that improvement as a credit, which can then be bought and sold. In theory, they allow governments to attract more private investment and diversify funds that help restore nature. The reality is much more complicated. I recently 
Record forest fires, under-utilized agricultural residues like straw and husks and struggling sawmills have left Canada with an abundance of undervalued biomass. If carefully and strategically managed, this resource could become a powerful ally in the fight against climate change. Canada’s biomass sectors are facing significant uncertainty because of political and natural disruptions. The forestry sector was hit last year by new American tariffs announced by the Donald Trump administration on Canadian forest products, bringing the total duties imposed on Canadian lumber to 45 per cent. The agricultural and agri-food sector is also particularly vulnerable, since it exports more than 70 per cent of its main crops. In addition to facing these political uncertainties, biomass sectors are increasingly experiencing the effects of climate disasters. 
The Arctic Bioenergy Summit and Tour: Sustainable Bioenergy for Northern Communities: Reliable. Affordable. Local. starts today in Yellowknife and runs until January 28. Hosted by the Arctic Energy Alliance and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, this in-person event replaces the 2026 edition of the Northwest Territories Biomass Week and brings together energy leaders, policymakers, and practitioners from across Canada to explore sustainable bioenergy solutions for northern and remote communities. The Summit begins with a full-day tour of local biomass installations, including bioheat and district heat systems, followed by a two-day conference at Chateau Nova. …For those involved in biomass boiler operations, the Arctic Energy Alliance will also host a two-day NWT Biomass Boiler and Heating Plant Training Session, January 29 and 30, 2026.
The Quebec government says it’s pushing back its greenhouse gas reduction target by five years to protect the economy and jobs. Environment Minister Bernard Drainville announced today that the government will not meet its goal of reducing emissions by 37.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030. This target has now been set for 2035— a timeline the government describes as ambitious yet realistic. Drainville says in a news release that Quebec has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20 per cent since 1990. He says achieving the other half of the target in just five years would risk economic damage at a time of uncertainty and tariff threats from the US. In response, environment group Equiterre says the government is letting young Quebecers down.
The Winter 2025 issue of WorkSafe Magazine is now available, featuring practical guidance and real-world examples to help employers and workers build safer, healthier workplaces. Learn how retailers are preventing common musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) through smarter layouts, ergonomic tools, and proactive training. Go behind the scenes of WorkSafeBC’s Student Safety Video Contest and discover what makes a safety message resonate. Get expert tips on assessing and supporting crane operators to improve safety, skills. See how early communication and collaborative return-to-work planning help injured workers recover while staying connected to the workplace. And don’t miss the Western Conference on Safety 2025 — Vancouver, April 20 & 21