Region Archives: Canada

Special Feature

BC Premier declares Global Buyers Mission open, emphasizes importance of market diversification

By Kelly McCloskey, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
September 12, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Wood’s 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM) opened in Whistler, BC on Friday morning, with Premier David Eby declaring the tradeshow floor open and underscoring the value-added sector’s critical role in British Columbia’s economy and its importance to international markets. …Nearly 600 participants attended this year’s gathering, including specifiers, government representatives, and international buyers from across Asia and beyond. BC Wood CEO Brian Hawrysh welcomed the attendees… and Board chairperson Kelly Marciniw of Zirnhelt Timber Frames, introduced the Honourable Premier of British Columbia, David Eby. …Eby emphasizing the importance of BC’s international buyers, pointing to his recent experience at Expo 2025 Osaka. …At the same time, he acknowledged the dual challenges of natural and man-made disruptions, from wildfires and the mountain pine beetle to softwood lumber duties.

“Our friends and allies in the United States, who remain friends and allies, but are under the leadership of an individual who somehow sees affordable BC timber products as a threat to the United States, at a time when the government is simultaneously recognizing a housing crisis in the United States and a need to improve affordability for people,” he said. He argued that Canada and the US have an opportunity to reset their relationship, suggesting that the $8 billion currently held in a tariff account could be used “to promote wood products across North America for a net win for everybody.”…Eby also outlined steps the provincial government is taking to support the industry, including a pause on stumpage payments. …”There are so many opportunities for us right now, and they are matched, unfortunately, by threats. But we will be successful as a group if we push together in ensuring we’re expanding those markets.”

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Business & Politics

Canada’s Forest Sector Welcomes New Measures to Strengthen Strategic Canadian Industries

Forest Products Association of Canada
September 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Ottawa — Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomes the federal government’s announcement of new measures to support trade-exposed Canadian businesses and employees and to enable economic transformation. The measures announced today — ranging from the Strategic Response Fund to procurement reforms, tariff-response financing, workforce supports, and biofuels incentives — if well executed, can provide hope for the future for Canada’s forest sector and its 200,000 employees. In addition to the measures announced today, FPAC continues to call on the federal government to extend Clean Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to include biomass for heat and electricity generation as part of Budget 2025. Introducing the biomass ITCs will create new jobs, improve energy security, lower carbon emissions, and help reduce wildfire risks. …“While a negotiated agreement on softwood lumber is the sector’s number one priority, today’s announcement is about trying to create stability as we modernize and innovate for the future,” said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor.

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Carney unveils billions in funding, Buy Canadian policy to combat Trump’s tariffs

By Peter Zimonjic
CBC News
September 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mark Carney

Prime Minister Mark Carney rolled out a series of measures on Friday that he says will transform Canada’s economy into a force that can withstand the trade shocks of the Trump administration. The measures announced in the strategy have been targeted to specifically help workers and businesses that have been most impacted by US President Trump’s tariffs and trade disruptions. …”We are charting an economic strategy to move Canada from reliance to resilience, from uncertainty to prosperity.” A noteworthy part of the plan is to pause the electric vehicle (EV) mandate. …The measures are wide-ranging and involve a mix of loans, training and policy moves. Up to 50,000 workers will be able to access a new “reskilling package” that will help them with training. …A new $5-billion fund will help businesses develop products and find new markets. …A buy Canadian policy. …Helping businesses with cash flow.

Related coverage in the Globe & Mail by: 

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Carney says there’s hope for trade deals with U.S. but ‘don’t expect white smoke’

By Kyle Duggan
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
September 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Marc Carney

Canada is making progress on “small” tariff deals with the US for key sectors, Prime Minister Mark Carney said after revealing he’d had a recent phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney said he spoke with Trump “at length” Monday on a wide range of issues, including trade, geopolitics and employment. He described it as a “good conversation” but also warned there is no guarantee Ottawa will secure any of the deals under discussion as the Trump administration works to squeeze the Canadian economy to obtain trade concessions. …While Carney did not specify which key sectors are the subjects of trade talks, the sectors targeted by US tariffs include steel, aluminum, forestry products and automobiles. …Carney’s cabinet met behind closed doors Wednesday at a Toronto hotel — part of its preparations for the upcoming fall sitting of Parliament and for continuing negotiations with the Americans on tariffs. 

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Mark Carney lifted some tariffs against the U.S. Was that a wise tactical move, or a bad blunder?

By Nargess Kayhani, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax
The Conversation
September 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Trade disputes between the United States and Canada are nothing new.  What began as two neighbouring countries seeking to expand their markets and assert economic sovereignty has evolved into a broad range of conflicts. These historical trade disputes have included accusations of unfair subsidies, protectionist tariffs, and, more recently, concerns over national security, fentanyl and border security. Softwood lumber, one of the most important items on the list of Canadian exports to the U.S., has been consistently under attack by different American administrations. …Though some might call it weakness, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent move to lift the retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods covered under CUSMA, while retaining tariffs on auto, steel and aluminum, is arguably a wise strategy. The end goal is to minimize economic damage to Canada. According to Carney, this tariff removal on about 85 per cent of Canada-U.S. trade is consistent with the commitment under CUSMA.

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Lumber Prices Buoyed by Big Sawmill Curtailment

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
September 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber prices that have dropped more than 20% over the past month are prompting one of North America’s largest producers to throttle back output by 12%. Interfor said Thursday that it would reduce hours and reconfigure shifts as well as lengthen holiday breaks and maintenance shutdowns at its mills in Canada and the US to reduce output by about 145 million board feet through year-end. Lumber futures, which had fallen 18 of the past 22 trading sessions rose in response. …Interfor, which has headquarters in BC, is among the big Canadian sawyers that have shifted operations into the US as duties and diminished log availability have put sawmills out of the money back home. About 50% of Interfor’s capacity these days is in the US South. Another 12% is Washington and Oregon, where mills compete fiercely with Canadian rivals to sell the same species of wood. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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Canada seeks review of softwood lumber product decision under USMCA, filing shows

By Susan Heavey and Maiya Keidan
Reuters
September 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

WASHINGTON – Canada’s government joined the Canadian lumber industry in seeking a trade panel review over certain softwood lumber products from Canada under the USMCA, according to a U.S. government notice posted online on Monday. The two requests were filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Association following the departments July 29 decision following its investigation into the matter, the notices posted to the Federal Register said.

[END]

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Interfor Announces Lumber Production Curtailments Across All Regions of North America

Interfor Corporation
September 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

BURNABY, BC — Interfor Corporation announced plans to reduce its lumber production by approximately 145 million board feet between September and December of 2025, representing approximately 12% of its normal operating stance. The temporary curtailments will be through a combination of reduced operating hours, prolonged holiday breaks, reconfigured shifting schedules and extended maintenance shut-downs. The curtailments are expected to impact all of Interfor’s operating regions, with both the Canadian and US operations expected to reduce their production levels by approximately 12% each. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty. The Company will continue to monitor market conditions across all of its operations and adjust its production plans accordingly. [END]

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BC Wood incoming chair shares her perspectives on the Global Buyers Mission

By Kelly Marciniw, COO, Zirnhelt Timber Frames Ltd.
LinkedIn
September 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kelly Marciniw & David Eby

As the incoming Chairperson of the Board of BC Wood, I had the honour of introducing keynote speaker Honourable David Eby at the Global Buyers Mission. With several hundred buyers, specifiers, and sellers brought together, this is an event designed to share knowledge, build connections, talk shop among peers, and grow our wood value-added businesses domestically and globally. I encouraged participants to think expansively about how we can substitute more products and applications with those made with wood, forestry and other biomaterials. And the opportunity for buyers and specifiers – that sourcing our high-quality, ethically-harvested forestry products, manufactured right here in beautiful British Columbia, Canada will bring as benefits to their global markets and to their clients. I also shared a few extra words about two special guests we had with us: Randi Walker, retiring from BC Wood after 25 years of service; and David Eby, Premier of BC.

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BC Forests Minister celebrates successful Global Buyers Mission

By Ravi Parmar, BC Minister of Forests
LinkedIn
September 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ravi Parmar

The BC Wood Global Buyers Mission is one of the best stages to showcase what British Columbia does so well: building a forestry sector that is innovative, sustainable, and driven by some of the most skilled workers in the world. …To kick off the conference, we announced a two month pause on the collection of monthly timber harvest fees. Just one way we’re standing up to support BC forestry companies, in the face of unjustified US tariff threats. This pause will provide immediate financial relief to the sector, a sector that employs tens of thousands of people across BC. Because nothing is going to get in the way of our forestry future. And we now have fresh energy and focus behind that mission. With new leadership at Forestry Innovation Investment (FII), our efforts are laser-focused on diversifying export markets and ensuring B.C. companies have every opportunity to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.

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Carrier Sekani First Nations sign new reconciliation agreement with Province

By Jake Wray
Terrace Standard
September 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province of British Columbia and seven Carrier Sekani First Nations have signed a new agreement that reaffirms a decade-long effort to advance reconciliation and shared decision-making, a press release from the Province said. The Pathway Forward 3.0 Agreement was signed recently by the Carrier Sekani First Nation Society and the First Nations of Nadleh Whut’en, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Saik’uz, Stellat’en, Takla, Tl’azt’en and Ts’il Kaz Koh. It marks the third major step in a process that began in 2015, with further agreements in 2017 and 2019. …It lays out plans for regional economic development, ties local priorities to broader opportunities, and emphasizes collaboration in areas such as forestry and land stewardship, the press release said. …The Carrier Sekani First Nation Society remains in Stage 4 of the B.C. Treaty Process, negotiating an agreement-in-principle with the Province and the federal government.

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Conversations That Matter: British Columbia Forestry on its Knees

By Stuart McNish, Conversations That Matter
Vancouver Sun in You Tube
September 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Independent of Trump’s tariffs, the US Department of Commerce increased its duty on Canadian softwood lumber from 14 to 35 percent. Kim Haakstad, the President of the BC Council of Forest Industries, says, “It’s a blow to an industry in trouble.” The war in the woods in the early 1990s led to the Forest Practices Code, which led to ongoing changes in legislation that hampered the industry and has seen more than 40,000 jobs disappear. The reasons the forestry sector is on its knees have more to do with regulations and approval processes that undermine the economics of forestry.

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Northern forestry, economic projects land $3.5M

Northern Ontario Business
September 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The federal government is investing more than $3.5 million in 10 projects to boost forestry and economic resilience in the North. Funds announced Sept. 8 flow through a number of funding programs, including Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP), Regional Economic Growth through Innovation initiative (REGI), and the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative for Northern Ontario (RHII). Of the funds, the biggest chunk — a non-repayable FedNor investment of $1,701,000 — goes to the Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio-economy (CRIBE) in Thunder Bay, which will be used in multiple projects. CRIBE will develop, support and scale up regional innovation clusters and investment hubs in Northern Ontario, and build up and market the forest bioeconomy industry to build biorefinement capacity in the northwest. …The funding was announced alongside a suite of new measures under the Build Canada Strong initiative the federal government said would help businesses affected by tariffs and trade disruptions.

Backgrounder: Government of Canada invests over $3.5 million in forestry industry and economic resilience in Northern Ontario

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Forest Regime: Call for the complete withdrawal of Bill 97

By Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Cision Newswire
September 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

WENDAKE, QC – After months of discussions and good-faith exchanges, the Chiefs’ Committee on Forests of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) has concluded that there is no guarantee that the proposals of the First Nations would be integrated into a significantly amended version of Bill 97, An Act mainly to modernize the forest regime. …it has become impossible to continue the work without a genuine assurance that the essential elements put forward by the First Nations would be fully incorporated into the legislation. …Therefore, the AFNQL is calling for the complete withdrawal of Bill 97. “…Only through the full withdrawal of Bill 97 and by returning together to the drawing board can we begin a true co-construction legislative process and envision a balanced future for our forests, while reducing the tensions currently observed on the ground”, said the Chief of the AFNQL, Francis Verreault-Paul.

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Kruger to Restart Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Mill

VOCM News Now
September 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

CORNER BROOK, Newfoundland — Kruger is going to resume operations in Corner Brook on Monday. The pulp mill shut down after the province instituted a province-wide fire ban in light of the wildfires and a high forest fire index. Their forestry operations resumed about ten days ago. In preparation for the restart, the company is actively rebuilding its wood inventory. The Deer Lake hydro plant will gradually resume operations starting today, gradually increasing until Tuesday. That will result in higher water flows and rising water levels in Deer Lake and the Humber River, both of which are currently at low levels. Kruger also noted that it is still waiting on a formal response to its diversification plan on the long-term sustainability of the operation. That proposal calls for financial involvement from the provincial government. 

Related coverage in BayFM: Corner Brook Pulp and Paper back in full swing after a forest fire shutdown

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The Ontario Woodlot Association Announces Appointment of New Executive Director, Glen Prevost

Ontario Woodlot Association
September 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Glen Prevost

KEMPTVILLE, ON — The Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Glen Prevost, R.P.F. as Executive Director, effective September 8, 2025. “The Executive Committee is proud to appoint Glen as Executive Director after four years of outstanding contributions to the OWA and private land forestry,” says Colleen Drew- Baehre, President of the OWA. “Since joining the organization in 2021 Glen has increased the certified lands in the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) forest certification program by 25%.” Prevost brings nine years of experience in the forestry sector, including leading the EOMF forest certification program and advising forest operations and wood products at FPInnovations. …Prevost has a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto and a Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from McMaster University. Prevost will guide the OWA in advancing active forest management, supporting landowners, and generating sustainable economic opportunities.

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Domtar to suspend operations at Maniwaki, Quebec sawmill in October

CBC News
September 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

MANIWAKI, Quebec — The Domtar sawmill in Maniwaki, Quebec, will temporarily close again next month. The company, which acquired the mill when it bought Resolute Forest Products in 2023, confirmed Wednesday to Radio-Canada that the indefinite closure will begin Oct. 10. It cited difficult market conditions and US softwood lumber duties, which rose to more than 35 per cent last month. About 120 workers at the mill lost their jobs in a previous closure that started in December 2024. The mill reopened for about 50 hours a week at the start of June. About 3,800 people lived in the western Quebec community as of the 2021 census. [END]

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Prices Are Flashing a Warning Sign for the U.S. Economy

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
September 8, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Falling lumber prices are sounding an alarm on Wall Street about potential problems on Main Street. Wood markets have been whipsawed of late by trade uncertainty and a deteriorating housing market. Futures have dropped 23% since hitting a three-year high at the beginning of August and ended Friday at $535 per thousand board feet. The price drop might have been greater—but two of North America’s biggest sawyers said last week that they would curtail output, slowing the decline. Crashing wood prices are troubling because they have been a reliable leading indicator on the direction of the housing market as well as broader economic activity. …Analysts and traders say there will have to be further cuts to ease the glut of wood. That might not be a problem, given how higher duties have pushed up Canadian sawmills’ break-even prices while demand wanes. “We anticipate further closures or curtailments,” said Truist Securities analyst Michael Roxland. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is require]

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Most of Canada is experiencing a new homes boom

By Joel Schlesinger
The Calgary Herald
September 4, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Canada’s new homes market is booming with near record housing starts — with one exception, Ontario. RBC Economics recently published a study on new home starts in Canada, leveraging new data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. from late August. The report found that while activity across Canada has increased to 200,000 annualized starts (seasonally adjusted) this year, up from a five-year low of about 140,000 starts in May 2023, construction in Ontario has gone in the opposite direction. Despite being Canada’s largest market, including for new homes construction, Ontario has seen housing starts decline this year to about 63,000 annualized as of July. What’s more, activity has now declined about 40 per cent from record levels at the end of 2022, when the province had an annualized rate of nearly 106,000 starts. RBC noted the decline is troubling for the nation’s overall housing market, which lacks affordable housing for buyers and renters.

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Lumber Prices Are in Free Fall

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
September 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell again Wednesday, dropping to their lowest prices since last autumn. …Futures for September delivery shed $6 or about 1.1%, to end at $524 per thousand board feet. Futures have now declined 18 of the past 22 trading sessions. The selloff—about 25% over the past month—is reminiscent of the wild trading in lumber during the Covid-19 pandemic [but this time] …the continuing gyrations have been driven by trade policy. Lumber buyers stocked up ahead of a big increase in the duties levied on Canadian imports. …President Trump’s threats for additional tariffs on imported wood added incentive to hoard lumber. …The $54 difference in price between lumber futures for delivery this month and those for November in midday trading was well above the cost of warehousing wood for two months and a sign that traders’ demand outlook is bleak, Stinson Dean said. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canadian Wood Council and Canadian Institute of Steel Construction Partner to Advance Steel-Timber Hybrid Construction

The Canadian Wood Council
September 4, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Ottawa, ON — The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) and the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of steel-timber hybrid structural solutions in Canada. Steel-timber hybrid construction is emerging as a sustainable and efficient approach to modern building design. By combining the strength and durability of steel with the renewable, low-carbon benefits of wood, hybrid systems—such as steel-timber composite floors—can deliver superior structural performance, improved cost efficiency, and faster construction timelines. These benefits are particularly valuable for larger and taller buildings where structural demands are greatest. To advance this opportunity, CWC and CISC have established a joint Technical Steering Committee to oversee the strategic use of funds contributed by both organizations to maximize industry impact. Its primary mandate is to support designers, engineers, and builders by developing technical guidance, best practices, and publications that will enable practical, code-compliant solutions for hybrid systems.

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BPWood brings first ignition-resistant Saferwood ThermoWood to North American market

By BPWood
The LBM Journal
September 4, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

BPWood, in partnership with SaferWood Thermex-FR, has announced its ThermoWood Ayous and ThermoWood Nordic Pine successfully passed independent third-party testing to achieve Class A ignition-resistant status per ASTM E2768 (E84 30-minutes) after ASTM D2898 accelerated weathering; the first available in North America. BPWood supplies ThermoWood to North America in partnership with LDCwood, a member of the International ThermoWood Association. SaferWood with Thermex-FR by Chemco, Inc., is a one-time permanent fire-retardant pressure treatment to all surfaces as required by IBC 2303.2, which renders natural and thermally modified wood ignition-resistant. Approved for exterior use, per IWUIC 503.2, in residential and commercial design and construction, in all WUI designated and FHSV zones.

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Forestry

Forest Stewardship Council News & Views

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

In the September newsletter, you’ll find these stories and more:

  • Jaguar Land Rover first to launch tires with over 70% renewable and recyclable materials
  • FSC Canada Welcomes New Team Members: Tina Langille-Hayward, Director of Policy & Standards AND Mylène Raimbault, Regional Manager, Eastern Canada
  • The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada is pleased to announce the launch of a public consultation on draft Indicators related to Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) – August 1 – September 30, 2025
  • FSC Forest Week runs September 20-26, Register Today!
  • Webinar: Wellness and Beauty and FSC, September 18, 2025
  • New Guidance Document for the Ecosystem Services Procedure

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Drought across Canada could lead to duller fall colours, Ontario biologist says

By Jordan Omstead
Canadian Press in CBC News
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Professor Susan Dudley at McMaster University in Ontario says drought-stricken parts of Canada could be in for some underwhelming fall foliage if stressed trees lose out on the energy needed to generate some of the season’s most brilliant colours. Dudley says trees in dried out parts of the country could see their leaves die off rather than turn red. As the days shorten, green chlorophyll in tree leaves starts to break down and reveals the yellow and orange pigments underneath. Yet Dudley says some trees, such as maple, oak and sumac, synthesize a pigment in the autumn responsible for turning their leaves into the reds and purples associated with the most brilliant foliage. If a tree is too stressed … the leaves may die off before that new pigment can fully develop and give off its most vibrant colour, leaving brown leaves associated with rapid stress-induced death…

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UBC professor sounds alarm on clearcut logging

By Barb Aguiar
The Kelowna Courier
September 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Younes Alila

A UBC professor says the time is now to be serious about the way BC manages its forests because it affects our water. Dr. Younes Alila, a professor of forest hydrology at the UBC Faculty of Forestry, made the statement at the Kelowna screening of Trouble in the Headwaters, a documentary by Dan Pierce. Alila, who has studied the connection between forestry and flooding for decades, is featured in the film, which focusses on the flooding of Grand Forks in 2018. Alila alleges the flooding was caused by clearcut logging. “The forest cover is our most powerful protection against flood risk and drought risk,” he said, noting the tree canopy intercepts snow as well as shading snow that reaches the ground, allowing it to melt slower. …Alila would like to see the remaining old-growth forest left alone and selective logging in the secondary forest that’s already been logged.

Additional coverage in The Tyee, by Alice Kassam: Floods, Fires, Forests. For Younes Alila, It All Connects

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Wildsight Golden hosts UBC forestry professors to tackle local forestry challenges

Wildsight
September 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Last week, Wildsight Golden welcomed professors from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry for a collaborative visit focused on the unique forest management challenges facing the Golden region. The visit brought together representatives from the forestry industry, woodlot and community forest sectors, environmental groups, and wildfire risk reduction experts. The UBC professors were here investigating the feasibility of holding forestry field camps in Golden. …UBC professors have committed to returning in Spring 2026 – this time with forestry graduate students. These students will explore Golden’s forestry challenges firsthand, with the opportunity to develop local research projects with real-world impact—projects that may influence provincial policy. With strong collaboration across sectors already underway in Golden, and plans to host UBC’s 2026 Sustainable Forestry Field Camp and participate in provincial forestry conferences like SISCO, local leaders aim to showcase Golden as a model for sustainable, community-driven forestry.

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B.C. still failing to protect old-growth forest: Wildsight

By Wildsight
The Cranbrook Daily Townsman
September 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Five years after the release of the Old-Growth Strategic Review report, the BC NDP’s momentum towards a “new, holistic approach” to the management of old-growth forests has slowed almost to the point of regression. “Rather than the ‘paradigm shift’ we were promised, we’ve seen Premier Eby’s government doubling down on its prioritization of timber and industry profits over all other values,” said Eddie Petryshen, Wildsight Conservation Specialist. After its public release on September 11, 2020, the BC NDP government promised to enact all 14 recommendations made in the landmark Old-Growth Strategic Review (OGSR). The goal: to shift its focus towards ecosystem health, rather than timber. Since then, temporary logging deferrals have been put in place in high-risk old-growth stands in some parts of the province, and a 2023 Draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework was released for public review. 

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Chance to explore deeper in Maple Ridge’s UBC research forest

Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows News
September 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Nature lovers have a rare invitation to “Explore the Hidden Side of the Forest,” from UBC’s Wild and Immersive Programs which are held in the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. The forest at 14500 Silver Valley Road has seen 76 years of teaching and learning, and hosted more than 1,000 research projects about a variety of topics. Now the public is invited to go behind the scenes and discover what researchers have learned over the decades. They can join a guided van tour through rarely-seen areas of the forest, and explore a rotating selection of research sites and studies each year. This tour is led by Hélène Marcoux, Registered Professional Forester and manager of the research forest.

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BC logger fighting provincial government for return of $180,000 timber sale licence deposit

By David Carrigg
The Vancouver Sun
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A BC logger is fighting for the return of a $180,000 deposit he paid to the provincial government to access a timber lot that he did not harvest for lack of demand. In 2023, Bill Bosovich struck a deal with BC Timber Sales to log 116 hectares of forest between Osoyoos and Midway. …Bosovich promised to pay the government at least $1.7 million for the wood he would harvest, and put down a cash deposit of $176,700 to cover any contingencies. However, before any logging had occurred and as wood prices fell, Bosovich learned that the four major log buyers in the area were not interested in his wood. …Bosovich let BC Timber Sales know he could not find buyers and was offered a 12-month extension, but only if he committed to paying a further $83,000 deposit. …Bosovich did not want to extend the licence. …BC Timber Sales’ Allan Powelson responded that the government would be keeping his money.

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B.C.’s late-season wildfires a serious issue, minister says, as smoke descends

By Brenna Owen
The Canadian Press in Victoria Times Colonist
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

Drought, heat and lightning have spurred late-season wildfire activity in British Columbia, with the forests minister saying the risk of new starts and growth remains a “serious issue” and there is no relief in the short-term forecast. Ravi Parmar said the heat is expected to persist through the weekend, with temperatures reaching 10 C above seasonal in some areas. There is no significant rain in the forecast for the coming days, and another bout of lightning strikes is expected along B.C.’s coast later this week, he said. …There are about 150 active wildfires across B.C., with close to 60 classified as burning out of control. There were eight fires burning on Vancouver Island as of Wednesday night, including one discovered earlier in the day west of Parksville and just east of the Wesley Ridge fire. Four of the fires were considered under control and the others were being held.

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Regional District of Nanaimo plans $30M purchase of Hamilton Marsh south of Qualicum Beach

Parksville Qualicum Beach News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Nanaimo and Mosaic Forest Management have signed a conditional contract of purchase and sale for approximately 360 hectares of land known as Hamilton Marsh. An offer of $30 million was accepted. The sale is anticipated to be completed by March 31, 2026 if all conditions of the purchase and sale contract are met. To acquire the lands as regional parkland and conservation area, the RDN needs to secure a minimum of $7.5 million in funding through other partners. Owned by Island Timberlands and managed under Mosaic Forest Management, the Hamilton Marsh site is located south of the Town of Qualicum Beach… “We recognize the importance of Hamilton Marsh to the community, which is why we’ve entered into a conditional purchase agreement — a key step that enables the Regional District to begin working with potential funding partners toward permanent conservation of the area,” said D’Arcy Henderson, Senior Vice President, Timberlands and Chief Operating Officer, Mosaic Forest Management 

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Forestry blockade heats up on Cape Breton’s Hunters Mountain

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — Mikmaq have begun blocking logging trucks from leaving Hunters Mountain. Madonna Bernard began the blockade on Monday afternoon when she stood in front of two logging trucks. She was then joined by other Mi’kmaq seeking to stop harvesting from the Cape Breton Highlands. …“This is not a protest, this is a protection. We’re willing to stay as long as it takes.” A large RCMP presence has gathered and more Mi’kmaq supporters are arriving. …Port Hawkesbury Paper mill manager Bevan Lock said that the supercalendered paper relies on wood coming from the highlands for a significant part of its woods fibre. He said some 70 people work for forestry and logging contractors operating in the area. “The province and RCMP have taken steps to remove the blockade and allow travel on a public road,” said Lock.

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Record New Brunswick wildfires alter forest ecosystems, creating winners and losers among birds

By Hope Edmond
CBC News
September 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

As wildfires tear through New Brunswick’s forests at record rates this year, researchers say the resulting damage is reshaping bird habitats — displacing some species while creating new opportunities for others. “With every disturbance in a forest, you have winners and losers,” says Joe Nocera, a forestry and environmental management professor at the University of New Brunswick. In this case, the winners will be woodpeckers. Wildfires, while destructive, are a natural part of forest ecosystems, said Amy-Lee Kouwenberg, an associate director at Birds Canada explained. They clear out underbrush and create habitats that support a wider range of species, boosting biodiversity in the long run. Woodpeckers thrive in burned areas, and the resulting tree cavities they leave behind are used as nesting sites that other birds rely on. …Species like the Canada warbler, wood thrush and Bicknell’s thrush — all of which depend on dense, mature or shrubby forests — are particularly vulnerable . 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Heads up Ontario: Sweden thinks its found a green energy solution by ramping up forest harvesting. But forests are not factories

By Emil Siekkinen, Swedish-based environmental writer
Toronto Star
September 8, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

…Sweden, like Canada, sits atop vast boreal forests — part of the same great green belt circling the Northern Hemisphere. These forests act as planetary lungs, storing more carbon than even the Amazon. But the Swedish government’s latest forestry inquiry, En robust skogspolitik för aktivt skogsbruk, is heading in a troubling direction: grow more trees, cut them faster, and burn or export more biomass in the name of “green energy.” It sounds like a climate solution. But here’s the problem: forests are not factories. Most of the carbon in a boreal forest isn’t stored in the trees at all. It’s locked underground — in roots, fungi, humus, and delicate microbial networks built up over thousands of years. When forestry is intensified — shorter harvest cycles, heavier machines, wider clear-cuts — that underground bank of carbon is steadily drained. The trees grow back, yes, but the soil can take centuries to recover, if it recovers at all.

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Health & Safety

Construction safety improving in BC despite high-profile incidents

By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
September 3, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

There are fewer injuries and deaths occurring on B.C. construction sites compared to previous years and decades, although much work remains to ensure worker safety. “Struck by’s,” “falls from” and “trips and slips” are among the most common incidents on job sites, and major events like Kelowna’s deadly crane collapse in 2021 highlight the risks that accompany modern construction. Work-related death claims in the construction sector totalled 31 in 2020, 29 in 2021, 54 in 2022, 39 in 2023 and 25 in 2024, according to data provided by WorkSafeBC. …Dave Baspaly, president of the Council of Construction Associations (COCA), which represents all major construction associations in BC said… the industry’s improved safety record is a result of more training, stricter enforcement of WorkSafeBC rules, and a culture of compliance where non-adherence is not tolerated. He emphasizes that proactive measures, like rigorous inspections and coordinated site management, are making construction sites safer.

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Forest Fires

Kamloops-Centre MLA owes wildfire fighters an apology, says forestry minister

By Kemone Moodley
Terrace Standard
September 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Peter Milobar

Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar owes BC Wildfire Service an apology, says B.C. Forest Minister Ravi Parmar. In an interview with The Hope Standard, Parmar said that Milobar owes the BC Wildfire Service, and all wildland firefighters, an apology after he posted a tweet on X criticizing BC Wildfire Service for allegedly just watching the Mine Creek blaze burn instead of responding to it after he drove on the highway on Sept. 3 around 11:30 a.m. …Parmar said that Milobar also needs to educate himself and speak with wildland firefighters before commenting on wildfires again. In his post, Milobar said that he “drove through around 11:30 a.m. today (Sept. 3) and was on the other side of the ridge. No actioning (can you say save money with fiscal mess) and now we have a closed major highway, at what cost to the economy and infrastructure impacts?”

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Hundreds ordered to evacuate as wildfires burn around Anahim Lake in central B.C.

CBC News
September 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

@BCWildfireService

The community of Anahim Lake has been ordered evacuated as wildfires burning along Highway 20, north and east of Bella Coola in central B.C., moved closer to homes overnight. It’s part of a large number of evacuation orders issued by the Cariboo Regional District and the Ulkatcho First Nation Friday morning at 6 a.m. PT. About 570 people living along the Anahim Lake, Nimpo Lake, Dusty Lake and Charlotte Lake area were asked to leave immediately due to the Dusty Lake wildfire, which has spread to more than 53 square kilometres. …Another fire in the region, the 102-square-kilometre Beef Trail Creek wildfire burning north of the highway and northwest of the Dusty Lake fire, already prompted an evacuation order earlier this week for an area north of Anahim Lake. …Mikhail Elsay, fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service (BSWS), said Friday morning the Dusty Lake fire in particular is proving to be very difficult to contain.

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BC Wildfire Service fighting 18 out of control wildfires across Cariboo Fire Centre

By Patrick Davies
The Cranbrook Daily Townsman
September 5, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

@BCWildfireService

Eighteen wildfires remain out of control across the Cariboo Fire Centre this Friday, Sept. 5. The BC Wildfire Service has brought eight of the 31 active wildfires under control and while another five are being held. The largest wildfires near Anahim Lake, however, remain out of control and have prompted several evacuation orders on Friday morning. The largest wildfire in the fire centre remains the Itcha Lake Wildfire, now estimated to be 32,255 hectares as of Thursday, Sept. 4, at 11 a.m. Originally started by lightning, the fire is primarily located within the boundaries of the Itcha Ilgachuz Park, which has been closed to the public. …The majority of the province is currently under a special air quality statement due to wildfire smoke, including the Cariboo and Northern B.C. regions. As a result, many cities in those areas are at a six on B.C.’s air quality health index, with the potential of ranging up to nine on the scale.

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Mine Creek wildfire grows to 1,900 hectares, crosses Coquihalla Highway

By Aaron Schulze
CFJC Today Kamloops
September 4, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Facebook

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildfire Service is warning of a dynamic situation on the Mine Creek wildfire burning along the Coquihalla Highway north of Hope. As of Thursday (Sept. 4) morning, the Mine Creek wildfire is measured at around 1,900 hectares in size, and its nearly quadrupled from the last update of 483 hectares. Taylor Stewart-Shantz, a fire information officer in the Kamloops Fire Centre, said most of the fire’s growth was to the east. Due to “flowing burning pieces,” the Mine Creek wildfire crossed the stretch of Highway 5. The wildfire service currently has one initial attack crew and four helicopters on site although additional resources will flown in throughout the day. “The flanks of the fire are in very steep, rocky terrain and are difficult to address,” Stewart-Shantz told CFJC Today. 

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2 schools closed as crews fight Lethbridge, Newfoundland wildfire

CBC News
September 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The local service district of Lethbridge, N.L., is partially evacuated after a wildfire started in a bark pile and its adjacent forest outside Sexton Lumber late Sunday afternoon. The evacuation zone includes the areas of Oldford’s Hill to Southwest Bridge and Bayside Drive and Forest Drive, where the saw mill is located. Anthony Paddon Elementary in Musgravetown has been converted into a reception centre for impacted residents. In a social media post, the school announced that it will be closed to students on Monday, as it supports the efforts of emergency responders. The elementary school in Lethbridge, Hertiage Collegiate, is closed as well. In a social media post the school says more updates will be provided at 10:30 a.m. N.T. Route 233 remains impassible in both directions to all traffic. As of Sunday, three water bombers and ground crews were working the fire, and crews remained on the scene overnight to monitor conditions.

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