Region Archives: Canada

Opinion / EdiTOADial

AAC Determinations – Wrong All This Time?

By David Elstone and Jim Girvan
The Spar Tree Group and Industrial Forest Service
December 2, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

David Elstone

Jim Girvan

A recent article in the Business In Vancouver (BIV) makes serious allegations into the process used by the province’s Provincial Chief Forester to determine the allowable annual cut (AAC), claiming the “BC timber harvest is vastly overestimated.” The BIV article is based on a “leaked” consultants’ report prepared for a group of First Nations whose traditional territory overlaps with the Mackenzie Timber Supply Area (TSA). …It challenges the Chief Forester’s role in protecting the public interest with respect to sustainable forest management, reading more as an “I gotcha moment” which questions the Timber Supply Review (TSR) process that underpins the setting of AACs across the province.

…The workings of the TSR and AAC determination are not a “dirty secret” or a “black box” process, but rather, one that is routinely replicated by knowledgeable and qualified professionals. Using the inputs that are largely cited and noted, the modelled timber supply projections can be easily reproduced. …Looking at the Mackenzie TSR process in all three of its public reports, it would appear to be a well-documented, lengthy process that took into consideration input from many stakeholders including the collaborative technical working group formed between local First Nations and the BC government. The resultant AAC determination appears to be an informed judgment made by the Chief Forester that draws a balance between the social, environmental and economic objectives of the Crown.

…The consultants believe the full adoption of their assumptions, having a more conservative approach to manage for uncertainties should have been used. …We would suggest BIV’s editor look to produce more balanced editorial because it is difficult to take the BIV seriously considering the one-sided language used to make the case that there is something not right in BC forestry. …Aside from the sensationalism of the BIV article, whichever side you believe, there is a need to investigate these claims given the risk to erosion of the public’s confidence in the province’s sustainable management of its forests.

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Business & Politics

Ottawa rejects softwood lumber industry request for duties payouts for fear of irritating U.S.

By Brent Jang
The Globe and Mail
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The federal government has rejected an industry request for payouts to softwood producers in Canada on the hook for US duties, fearing that direct intervention would further irritate the US. Canadian softwood producers have paid more than $10-billion since 2017 in accumulated duties, which are cash deposits held in trust by the US that collect interest. The producers expect the US to refund a portion of the duties if and when the two countries resolve the trade dispute. In the meantime, the industry has suggested that the Canadian government make payouts to reflect the present value of anticipated refunds. The two sources said Ottawa would have received any future refunds in exchange for injecting much-needed liquidity into the struggling industry. Ottawa rejected the idea because of fears that such payouts would be viewed as subsidies and become a serious irritant during the wider US trade war, according to a senior government official. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Final stretch of the fall sitting begins with Team Carney down another cabinet minister

By Kady O’Malley
iPolitics
December 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA — A look ahead at the week in federal politics. …Even before Guilbeault’s exit, Carney was widely believed to be planning a significant reconfiguration of his current front bench lineup, although the expectation was that he’d likely wait until House of Commons shuts down for the season. …Elsewhere on the committee roster: INTERNATIONAL TRADE members continue to survey industry representatives, trade experts and other interested parties on how the upcoming review — and possible renegotiation — of the current Canada–US—Mexico trade deal, with the BC Lumber Trade Council, Nuvation Energy, Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade on the witness list. Over at NATURAL RESOURCES, officials from Assembly Corporation, Canfor, Hupaco Wood Products and PowerWood Corporation, as well as University of Alberta professor emeritus Martin Luckert and United Steelworkers Wood Council chair Jeffrey Bromley, will provide an update on the state of Canada’s forestry sector.

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U.S. industry groups strongly back renewing CUSMA

By Mike Crawley
CBC News
December 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

As Canada’s trade deal with the US and Mexico faces a crucial review, many US industries are urging the Trump administration to preserve the agreement and to stop putting tariffs on imports from its northern and southern neighbours. Ahead of the public hearings scheduled this week, some of the heaviest hitters in the U.S. manufacturing, industrial and retail sectors have submitted briefs extolling the agreement’s benefits to the domestic economy. …CUSMA is “the most pro-US manufacturing trade agreement in history,” said the National Association of Manufacturers, the largest organization in a sector that contributes $2.9 trillion US to the nation’s GDP. …The National Association of Home Builders calls on the Trump administration to scrap all tariffs on building material imported from Canada and Mexico, including Canadian softwood lumber, which it says “fills a unique niche in residential construction that is not easily replaced with domestic sources.”

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Happy birthday, CUSMA. Is seven your lucky number?

By John Stackhouse
Royal Bank of Canada
November 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The much-pilloried Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement was signed seven years ago this weekend—on November 30, 2018. A year later, it was amended to address rules of origin for autos, digital trade, IP, dairy and, who could forget, a sunset clause. We can all do the math. The December 10, 2019 amendments set in motion a 16-year term for the agreement, with a mandatory review every six years. Which means we’ll see more of a requiem than a birthday bash next week when Mark Carney is in Washington to help kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But don’t bury CUSMA just yet. Despite the U.S. President’s freeze on negotiations, officials from both countries are talking every day and laying the groundwork for what will be an intense 2026. Not many insiders seriously expect CUSMA to go away; they’re working on changes—modifications, enhancements, renovations, depending on your point of view—that will continue to change the fabric of continental commerce.

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Canada’s trade resilience faces uncertainty as CUSMA renegotiation looms

By Tracy Moran
National Post
November 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Canada has fared pretty well amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war so far. As Prime Minister Mark Carney likes to point out, the country has the best trade deal going with the United States, thanks to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), with over 85 per cent of exports to America being tariff-free. The trouble is, that could change in the year ahead as the 2026 joint review of CUSMA gets underway. All three countries have launched consultation processes ahead of the renegotiation process to get stakeholders’ feedback on the trade agreement’s pros and cons. The next and crucial step in the U.S. involves in-person testimony at the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) hearings in Washington, D.C., from December 3 to 5, where more than 170 witnesses are scheduled to share their views. The proceedings will help the USTR gather information to inform its report to Congress, which could shape Trump’s approach to next year’s renegotiation talks.

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Steelworkers union welcomes federal steel and softwood measures, urge strong enforcement and progress on softwood dispute

United Steelworkers
November 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The United Steelworkers union (USW) welcomes the federal government’s new measures to support Canada’s steel and softwood lumber sectors, calling them a meaningful step forward in the face of US tariffs and global market instability. The package includes tighter import controls, a 25% surtax on steel derivatives, strengthened border enforcement, expanded liquidity supports for softwood producers, a top-up to the Work-Sharing program, lower interprovincial freight costs, and new domestic-content requirements for federal projects. …Marty Warren, USW National Director… underscored that the Work-Sharing top-up will help workers stay on the job during temporary downturns and also pointed to the importance of strengthening procurement rules. On softwood lumber, the union welcomes the government’s efforts… “But let’s be honest, forestry towns cannot rebuild on temporary fixes. A long-term resolution to the softwood lumber dispute with the United States is essential. Without it, workers and communities remain vulnerable to decisions they cannot control.”

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Fire damages exterior wall, some electrical components, at Tolko Lakeview in Williams Lake

By Pat Matthews
My Cariboo Now
December 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Williams Lake Fire Department responded to an alarm call and reports of smoke inside at Tolko Lakeview. Fire Chief Evan Dean said they got the call Sunday night at approximately 9 o’clock and upon arrival discovered fire coming out the exterior west side wall of the stacker portion of the building. “Crews spent a considerable amount of time on scene attempting to isolate and extinguish the fire and confirm that it hadn’t entered the rest of the structure,” Dean said. …25 firefighters responded and were there approximately 6 hours. Dean said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined but the damage was mainly to an exterior wall and some electrical components. Dean added no injuries were reported.

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Local MP advocates for softwood lumber industry

By Storrm Lennie
My Nelson Now
December 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies MP Rob Morrison is accusing the federal government of failing forestry workers by allowing the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute to drag on. Morrison criticized the Liberal government… saying Canadians have been left to absorb “punitive, unfounded and protectionist” U.S. duties while Ottawa offers little assurance in return. …The softwood lumber industry, according to Morrison, is not just another commodity. …He said the federal government has collected nearly $10 billion in duties since the last softwood agreement expired in 2015, money he argued should have stayed in Canadian communities to support reinvestment, innovation and jobs. …He pointed to impacts at mills within his riding, including Kalesnikoff Lumber, saying its CEO told him current tariffs are unsustainable. “Ken said the softwood lumber dispute is beyond our control. Current rates of 45% tariff are unsustainable. And he said businesses are drawing on their line of credit to pay payroll.”

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100 Mile House Mayor travelled to Victoria to meet with provincial government

By Misha Mustaqeem
100 Mile House Free Press
December 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The District of 100 Mile House’s mayor and one of its councillors went to Victoria for meetings with provincial government officials over the impending West Fraser Mill closures on Monday, Nov. 24. During the Mayor’s Report at the Nov. 25 District of 100 Mile House Council meeting, Mayor Maureen Pinkney and Coun. Donna Barnett both revealed details about a visit to Victoria regarding issues surrounding 100 Mile, including the impending permanent closure of the 100 Mile West Fraser mill, as well as frequent closures of the emergency department at the 100 Mile Hospital. On Nov. 6, West Fraser Lumber announced in a release that it would be closing its 100 Mile House lumber mill following a two-month wind-down.

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Escalating lumber tariffs push B.C. to look to the Far East

By Eric Plummer
Ha-Shilth-Sa | Canada’s Oldest First Nation’s Newspaper
November 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

©BCGovFlickr

British Columbia is looking to the Far East to find more of a future for the forestry industry, as the sector continues to be hammered by escalating tariffs from its biggest trading partner. …“We’re looking at a difficult situation because so much of our timber…was ultimately bound for United States markets,” said John Jack, chief councillor of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. “Because of the tariffs that’s dried up demand.” North of Huu-ay-aht territory sits Port Alberni, a hub of the region’s logging activity. But over the last generation the town has seen a succession of mill closures. “I’m a huge proponent of diversifying our markets because then we’re not so reliant on a country whose decision makers are not necessarily predictable and stable. I think of all the countries in the world, in places like Japan and South Korea stability are virtues,” he said. “I find that compatible with Maa-nulth culture.”   

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Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new forestry sector aid helps, shy of new softwood lumber deal

By Derrick Penner
Vancouver Sun
November 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Mark Carney

B.C.’s forest sector counted Prime Minister Mark Carney’s latest round of support for their industry that was unveiled Wednesday, including $500 million in new funding for loans, as helpful. …Kim Haakstad, CEO of B.C.’s Council of Forest Industries said the measures Carney unveiled Wednesday in Ottawa “reflect an important recognition of the role forestry and forest products play in the economic strength of Canada.” …In Victoria, B.C. Forest Minister Ravi Parmar welcomed Carney’s commitment to create a forest sector transformation task force, among the measures. …How effective the programs are, though, will depend on how quickly the support can reach companies on the ground. …“The best way out of this is some sort of trade agreement between Canada and the United States,” Independent Wood Producers Association’s Brian Menzies said. “Because our industry doesn’t want to be bailed out. We don’t want support. We actually just want to do our business.”

In related coverage:

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No injuries in morning fire at BiOrigin Specialty Products paper factory in St. Catharines

CHCH-TV
November 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario — Fire crews in St. Catharines battled an early morning blaze Thursday at a tissue and paper company in St. Catharines. Emergency services arrived shortly before 1 a.m. to close roads at BiOrigin Specialty Products on Merritt Street near Maplecrest Avenue. Aerial trucks were used to fight the fire, including on the rooftop area, that police say started in a paper machine when particles overheated and ignited. Crews worked against high winds for several hours to put it out. Niagara police say that the fire is not considered suspicious and no injuries were reported. Roads in the area have reopened and a few fire trucks remain at the scene. The estimated cost of damages to the building and its interior is not yet known. [END]

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Unifor Submission to Bill 46 Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act

By Samia Hashi, Ontario Regional Director, Unifor
Unifor Canada
November 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

I am writing regarding Bill 46, Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act, 2025, specifically regarding proposed amendments to the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994. Unifor’s 24,000 forestry sector members – including more than 4,000 in Ontario – work in a variety of forestry, logging, and firefighting occupations as well as wood product, bioenergy and pulp and paper manufacturing facilities. Ontario’s forestry sector continues to experience a perfect storm of repeated and intersecting crises… and global challenges continues to destabilize the broader sector. The ongoing softwood lumber dispute and … intensified trade war are causing disastrous repercussions across the forestry sector. …Defending and rebuilding Canada’s forestry sector requires a comprehensive industrial strategy, spearheaded by the federal and provincial governments and informed by all relevant stakeholders, especially workers. It is in this context that I wish to provide some comments on Bill 46, Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act, 2025, especially regarding related amendments to the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994 (CFSA).

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New Brunswick woodlot owner says current tariff situation not sustainable for forestry industry

By Laura Brown
CTV News
November 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Private woodlot owner Andrew Clark says this year is one of the toughest he’s seen in the six decades he’s worked in the woods. For him, sales are ‘maybe 50 per cent’ of what they were last year. “It is the lack of markets which are the result of the tremendous uncertainty that the industry is in now because of the actions of the American government,” he said. He feels some of the federal government’s new supports – announced this week – could help. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday a $500-million increase to the previously announced Softwood Lumber Development Program, which gives companies access to government-backed loans, totaling $1.2 billion. He also said Ottawa is working with railway companies to cut freight rates when transporting Canadian lumber across the country by 50 per cent. But Clark says the current situation – with the U.S. duties and tariffs amounting to 45 per cent – isn’t sustainable.

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Minister says bid on Northern Pulp lands about supporting forestry sector

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
November 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Kim Masland

Nova Scotia government officials will know if they’re the successful bidder for the Northern Pulp timberlands following an auction Friday, but it will be a few weeks before the result is publicly known. “This is a very confidential process,” Natural Resources Minister Kim Masland said. …The auction is part of the creditor protection process Northern Pulp has been moving through. Nova Scotia is bidding on the company’s 162,000 hectares of timberlands and a nursery and seed orchard in Debert. “This has economic benefit and certainly we want to add that to our Crown land,” said Masland. …Premier Tim Houston said he has no issue with Macer but it “wasn’t the assessment of the province” that Macer’s initial bid “should win the day.” …Masland said her government is committed to supporting the forestry industry, and trying to buy the Northern Pulp timberlands is one way to do that.

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Finance & Economics

Will federal initiatives help Canadian forestry stocks?

By Brian Donovan
The Globe and Mail
December 2, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Prime Minister Carney announced measures to help protect and strengthen the sectors most affected by U.S. tariffs. …The focus of the liquidity initiatives are to reduce bankruptcy or closure risk for leveraged or high-cost lumber mills through initiatives such as the BDC Softwood Lumber Guarantee Program… and enhancing EI worksharing and training grants. The demand support initiatives include working with railway companies to cut freight rates, prioritizing shovel-ready, multiyear projects that use Canadian wood products and creating demand for Canadian Wood products. The structural initiatives include a “forestry concierge” at Natural Resources Canada to help mills navigate loans and programs as well as an industry-led transformation task force to expand, diversify and identify opportunities and support affected communities. …The measures will help the sector but the bigger picture is really about duties and a supply/demand balance that has traditionally been difficult to obtain given this industry’s capital intensity. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Construction materials prices rise despite lumber price drop

By Michael Rudy
Yield Pro
December 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

The producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated that construction materials prices rose 0.1 percent month-over-month in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. The intermediate demand index of components and materials for construction was up 2.8 percent from its year-earlier level. Overall prices for processed goods for intermediate demand were up 0.4 percent this month. The overall processed goods for intermediate demand index was 3.8 percent higher than its year-earlier level. …The softwood lumber price index resumed its recent downward movement this month after a break in the trend last month. It was reported to fall 4.2 percent, aided by a 0.33 percent upward revision to last month’s index. The index is now down 12.2 percent since reaching a recent high in March.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America Delivering Nationwide Mass Timber Training

By Carpenters’ Regional Council
Cision Newswire
December 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

VAUGHAN, ON- As Canada’s construction industry evolves towards more sustainable and efficient building methods, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America (UBC) is training workers for the future with the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project. The UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) as part of the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), will establish 10 mass timber training modules delivered at select UBC training centres across Canada. …These training modules will equip UBC members with specialized skills in hoisting and rigging, mass timber product handling and assembly, and exterior envelope and curtain wall installation – areas that are critical to the success of modular, mass timber construction projects. Each course is designed to combine classroom instruction with hands-on training, allowing participants to gain practical experience using the latest mass timber technologies and techniques.

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Canada Wood Market Insights – December 2025

Canada Wood Group
December 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, International

B.C.’s largest-ever forestry trade mission to Asia wrapped up with strong momentum, as more than 60 delegates from government, First Nations, industry, and labour traveled through Japan and South Korea to strengthen partnerships and open new market opportunities. Organized by FII and Canada Wood, with support from BC Wood and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, the mission showcased B.C.’s innovation, sustainable forestry practices, and high-value wood products. Key outcomes included new Memoranda of Understanding with Japan’s 2×4 Home Builders Association to expand mid-rise and non-residential wood construction, and with Korea’s Land and Housing Research Institute to advance wood and hybrid building systems in public housing. Additional highlights spanned other priority markets: an award-winning Canadian hemlock pavilion unveiled in Beijing, growing demand for B.C. cedar and hemlock in India’s luxury wellness sector, and industry workshops in Japan promoting Canada’s coastal Hem-Fir. The newsletter captures a busy and highly productive month for B.C.’s global wood-products outreach.

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Mass timber adds visual warmth to Burnaby, BC ice arena

By Jenna McKnight
Dezeen Magazine
November 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

BURNABY, BC — The Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre was designed by HCMA Architecture + Design to depart from the “dated model” of typical ice arenas, which tend to be cold, windowless and framed with steel. The recreational centre is located in the emerging Southgate community in Burnaby, a city near Vancouver. The 8,547-square-metre building was designed by local firm HCMA Architecture + Design to contain a pair of National Hockey League-sized ice rinks, along with community facilities. …”Wood plays an integral role in the character of the centre, symbolising warmth and durability, and also ensuring quick, efficient assembly on the challenging, compact site,” HCMA Architecture + Design said. The lobby features glue-laminated beams and columns, which are visible to passers-by through large windows. Nail-laminated timber was used for the lobby’s decking. A hybrid steel-and-timber system was used for the roof. 

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$60M mass timber office in the works for Penticton’s Innovation District

By Grant Cameron
Journal of Commerce
November 28, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

©naturally.wood

Plans are in the works for a six-storey mass timber office building in Penticton, B.C., which the developer says could serve as a blueprint for more climate-conscious designs across the province. The $60-million structure is proposed for the Innovation District, a new master-planned community between Okanagan and Skaha lakes, and located across from Penticton Regional Hospital. The building, dubbed Nexus, will feature retail, medical and office space as well as day care space and offices tailored to medical and professional tenants. “The Innovation District master plan for Penticton envisions a 10-acre mixed-use community with more than 1,500 homes, offices, medical services, retail and more,” explains Rocky Sethi, managing director with Stryke Group, developer of the venture. “Nexus is a key piece of that.” He says Nexus was born from a vision of sustainable, modern development, backed by provincial support. The project received a $500,000 grant through B.C.’s Forestry Innovation Investment.

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Forestry

Forest Stewardship Council News and Views

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
December 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The December edition — issued by FSC Canada — includes several major updates: the Canadian home-improvement and construction retailer RONA has become the first such retailer in Canada to use DoorDash for distribution; there’s news that Chantiers Chibougamau reaffirmed its commitment to FSC certification; Esri donated $1.65 million worth of geospatial technology to FSC; and there are recap highlights from the 2025 General Assembly in Panama. The newsletter also announces the launch of a new registry for certificate holders (ES Registry), publishes a new “Advice Note” on Indicator 55 of the Risk Assessment Framework, and opens two major consultations — one on Indigenous Cultural Landscapes and another to revise FSC’s Chain-of-Custody standards.

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Chilcotin, Okanagan foresters share knowledge, advance stewardship

By Laísa Condé
Penticton Western News
December 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Nk’Mip Forestry and Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) are strengthening ties as they advance Indigenous-led forestry and land stewardship. According to a press release, the two organizations recently held field tours in their respective First Nations territories, deepening collaboration and sharing knowledge across Indigenous-led forestry initiatives. The CCR is a joint venture of Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl’etinqox Government, and Yunesit’in Government, which was originally formed to address 100,000 hectares of dead pine left in the Chilcotin region and to rehabilitate those stands into productive forests. …Dan Macmaster, registered professional forester and head of forestry with Nk’Mip, said the tours create a space for Indigenous-led organizations to learn from one another on the land. …Both organizations said the forestry field tours represent the beginning of continued collaboration…

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BC Industry Coalition Urges Eby, Carney To Pause DRIPA

By ER Velasco
The Deep Dive
December 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A BC Resource Sector Coalition says current federal and provincial policymaking has become unpredictable enough to justify an immediate pause on all implementation and action under Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). …“We write to you on behalf of thousands of British Columbians whose livelihoods, communities, and futures are tied to the natural resource sector. Today, those livelihoods are at risk,” the letter begins. “A series of federal and provincial policy decisions have destabilized the industries that sustain our province and are eroding the economic foundations of British Columbia.” …The coalition is composed of a cross-industry membership spanning land and marine activity: BCCA, Geoduck Underwater Harvesters Association, ICBA, Deep Sea Trawlers Association of BC, Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia, Pacific Prawn Fishermen’s Association, North West Loggers Association, and the Council of Marine Carriers.

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Western Forestry Contractors’ Association 2026 Annual Conference, Tradeshow & AGM

By John Betts
Western Forestry Contractors’ Association
December 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Kim Connors

Jason Fisher

Derek Nighbor

We’re excited to introduce the first lineup of speakers joining us for the 2026 WFCA Conference! This year’s program brings together industry leaders, researchers, policy experts, and innovators who will share insight into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of forestry in Western Canada. Their expertise will support meaningful dialogue and actionable takeaways for everyone—from field contractors to licensees to government partners. 

  • Kim Connors, Former Executive Director, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre
  • Jason Fisher, Executive Director, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC
  • Derek Nighbor, President and Chief Executive Officer, Forest Products Association of Canada

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The push to protect Kananaskis from clearcutting

By Leon Everly
The Calgary Herald
November 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Unless the public opposes it, a massive stretch of forest in Kananaskis could be clearcut this winter. Two years ago, the same area around Loomis Creek was set to be clearcut. At that time, a massive public movement mobilized to oppose the clearcutting, but the government didn’t listen. West Fraser Timber has announced that it is planning once again to clearcut our public forests in the South Kananaskis, starting as early as Dec. 1. I went out last weekend to join the blockaders who have dedicated the past two months to raising awareness. …No matter their particular angle, everyone agreed that clearcut logging is a bad way to manage our public forests. It erodes soil and destroys wildlife habitat, stripping away biodiversity and turning ancient ecosystems into muddy fields. In place of complex old growth, we get monocultures of replanted pines that serve the logging industry, but nothing else. 

Additional coverage in HighRiver Online, by Julie Patton: Eastern slope defenders rally to stop Highwood logging

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Dr. Shawn Mansfield Named Distinguished University Scholar

By the Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
December 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry wishes to congratulate Dr. Shawn Mansfield on being named a UBC Distinguished University Scholar! The Distinguished University Scholar (DUS) awards recognize exceptional members of faculty who have distinguished themselves as scholars in research and/or teaching and learning. Dr. Shawn Mansfield is a leading expert in tree biotechnology, focusing on the relationship between gene expression and phenotypic traits related to cell wall development. His research spans plant metabolism, including cellulose and lignin biosynthesis, sucrose metabolism, and overall tree metabolism. He also explores how trees interact with their environment, investigating their potential for remediation of anthropogenic contaminants such as phosphorus, salt, and heavy metals. Conferred by the President every two years, DUS appointees receive one-time research support in the amount of $20,000, plus a stipend of $20,000 per year for five years. 

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It’s time to pare back the Office of the Chief Forester

By James Steidle, Stop the Spray BC
The Prince George Citizen
November 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Prince George residents had better pay attention to last week’s report showing that unelected bureaucrats in Victoria are playing politics when they decide how much can be logged up here. I’ve been informed that our unelected Office of the Chief Forester, currently led by Shane Berg, is figuring out the Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) in the Prince George Timber Supply Area for the next 10 years. The process, known as a Timber Supply Review (TSR), masquerades as scientific and expert-driven, but in reality it’s politics. The amount we log is largely pre-determined and the game is how to manipulate the models and forests to achieve it. That’s why we get glyphosate with our blueberries and fertilizer-poisoned cattle. It’s why we don’t thin the plantations or do more selective logging. …The Office of Chief Forester prioritizes the “timber supply” over diverse, fire-resistant forests, as if the two are mutually exclusive.

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Open letter to Premier Eby: concern for the fate of B.C.’s remaining old growth

Letter by Carol Latter, Kimberly, BC
East Kootenay News Weekly e-KNOW
November 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

I am writing to express my concern for the fate of B.C.’s remaining old growth forests, including the globally rare and at-risk Inland Temperate Rainforest.  Most of this endangered forest is still not protected, and thus all creatures who dwell therein are equally unprotected. The Valhalla Wilderness Society … is putting forth a plan to protect the remaining intact Inland Temperate Rainforests through its three park proposals: the Rainbow-Jordan Wilderness proposal; the Selkirk Mountains Ancient Forest Park proposal; and the Quesnel Lake Wilderness proposal. This protection is crucial for the survival of these rare temperate rainforests. David Eby, you are undoubtedly well informed as to the many scientific reasons for protecting more forest, especially old growth forests…Importantly, only the BC Park Act and the BC Protected Areas Act can provide secure protection to preserve forest for future generations. Please adopt and implement the VWS park proposals as quickly as possible. 

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Cheakamus Community Forest embraces climate-driven shift toward ‘more complex and resilient’ ecosystems

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
December 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) is moving toward a more climate-driven forest management strategy, following a climate-risk assessment that forecasts significantly higher wildfire activity, worsening drought and increasing tree stress across much of the tenure through mid-century. The findings, prepared by Frontera Forest Solutions, Inc., mark the beginning of an operational shift for the 33,000-hectare tenure jointly managed by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Lil’wat Nation and Squamish Nation. “[The assessment] identified going out to 2060 where the community forest is going to become more at risk due to climate change and from our key risks, which are wildfire and drought. And on the heels of those things, when the forest is stressed, pest infestation comes,” said CCF executive director Heather Beresford. …CCF plans to release its 2026 harvest plan by year-end, with draft 2027 plans to follow. The climate resiliency plan will play into the CCF’s harvest plans moving forward.

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Charity celebrates milestone as Vancouver Island marmots rebound to 427 in wild

By Nono Shen
The Canadian Press in CHEK TV
November 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A foundation trying to save a critically endangered species is celebrating a marmot milestone. The Marmot Recovery Foundation announced on its social media page that the population of the Vancouver Island species has reached a new high of 427 marmots. When its team first began releasing marmots to the wild in 2003, there were just 22 remaining, and its statement says there was a lot of doubt that the species could be saved. …The Vancouver Island marmot is considered one of Canada’s most endangered species, and the rodent has five distinct whistles or trills they use, more than any other species. …The Marmot Recovery Foundation was founded in 1998 with the goal of saving the animals from extinction through captive breeding, reintroduction and habitat restoration.

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Forest History Association of BC – Annual General Meeting Tonight

Forest History Association of BC
December 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Forest History Association of BC is hosting its 43rd Annual General Meeting tonight, December 1, 2025 at 7:00 pm PST. All members are warmly invited to attend this virtual gathering and take part in shaping the direction of the organization for the coming year. The AGM will include key updates on current projects, board activities and election, and ongoing efforts to preserve and share BC’s forest and community history. For those interested in learning more about the FHABC’s mission—promoting research, storytelling, and education about the province’s rich forest heritage—visit their objectives page here. Members are encouraged to join the meeting via the link in the >>Read More and support the continued work of this unique and important BC organization.

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Three more arrested in Carmanah Valley at old-growth logging site

By Liz Brown
Chek News
November 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Three people were arrested in the Carmanah Valley on Vancouver Island on Wednesday, where RCMP officers have been enforcing an injunction for the past two days, to allow old-growth logging operations to continue. Lake Cowichan RCMP say police arrested two women and one man by the end of Wednesday. “Upon police arrival on Walbran Forest Service Road, several individuals were discovered to have reoccupied the encampment in the enforcement area and either attached themselves to a structure or obstacle on the road or had perched atop a tree sit,” states RCMP. In total seven people have been arrested since Mounties started enforcing the BC Supreme Court-ordered injunction that allows old-growth logging operations to continue by Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership and Tsawak-qin Forestry. Following the arrests, RCMP closed off the area, allowing the road to clear and operations to resume for Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership and Tsawak-qin Forestry.

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New Brunswick researchers find lichen species in most eastern place on record

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
November 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Researchers with the Nature Trust of New Brunswick are on the hunt for four different types of lichens and they’ve found one – in an unusual spot. The scaly fringe lichen, known scientifically as heterodermia squamulosa, was found between Alma and Riverside-Albert, east of Fundy National Park. “As far as I know, it’s the most eastern recorded occurrence of the species to date,” said Ilana Urquhart, a conservation coordinator with the Nature Trust. …Urquhart said lichens can be a good indicator of a healthy environment that can support a variety of species. “We might not directly see what the importance of them is, but they’re often found in areas that are really rich, that are biodiverse.” The biggest threat to lichens is habitat loss, according to Urquhart, which can be caused by logging and harvesting.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Arctic Bioenergy Summit and Tour: Advancing Renewable Energy in Canada’s North

By Gordon Murray and Mark Heyck
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
November 27, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, will host a premier in-person event for Canada’s bioenergy sector from January 26 to 28, 2026—the Arctic Bioenergy Summit and Tour. Organized by the Arctic Energy Alliance (AEA) and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), and sponsored by the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT), with media sponsor Canadian Biomass. This event is in lieu of the 2026 edition of the online Northwest Territories Biomass Week, traditionally held the last week of January, which attracts upwards of 300 participants each year. The event, which profiles Sustainable Bioenergy for Northern Communities: Reliable. Affordable. Local., kicks off with a full-day tour of civic buildings, schools, and community centres across Yellowknife, to look at how bioenergy is reducing reliance on fossil fuels in northern climates. Following the tour is a two-day Summit filled with informative presentations by speakers from the Northwest Territories, across the rest of Canada, and as far away as Alaska and Finland. 

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Toronto’s climate action plan is missing a major tool to lower emissions, experts say

By Tyler Cheese
CBC News
November 30, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — Environmental experts are calling out the City of Toronto for not including a what they say is a key climate tool in its five-year climate action plan. The Toronto Environmental Alliance is highlighting the lack of building emission performance standards (BEPS) in the plan. BEPS are regulations that set emission limits for new and existing buildings. How-Sen Chong, TEA’s climate campaigner,  such standards are one of the most significant policy tools as they would help the city cut emissions more efficiently. …Bryan Purcell, at the Atmospheric Fund, said,  “Buildings are the largest source of GHG emissions in Toronto, accounting for over half of the emissions,” he said. “Reducing emissions from buildings is absolutely key to reaching the city’s climate targets.” …Chong “we’re hoping city council recognizes how important this is because so much of the city’s emissions are coming from the building sector,” he said.

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Health & Safety

Recognizing Safety Excellence: WPAC Names Michael Fantillo of Premium Pellet as a Safety Hero

By Gordon Murray, executive director
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
December 1, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Michael Fantillo

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada is proud to announce its latest Safety Hero: Michael Fantillo, Production Supervisor with Premium Pellet in Vanderhoof, British Columbia (a part of Sinclar Group Forest Products). Michael’s notable dedication makes his workplace safer for his coworkers. Over the past two years, Michael has successfully led his four-shift team to maintain a recordable incident-free workplace. He hosts every monthly safety meeting, ensuring that all employees are fully engaged as active participants in Premium Pellets’ Safety Culture. Michael also organizes annual safety drills, reinforcing preparedness and fostering a safety culture. Alongside his operational responsibilities, Michael also serves as co-chair of the Nechako Lumber/Premium Pellet Joint Health and Safety Committee. “Michael consistently goes above and beyond,” says Tim Boyes, Environmental, Health & Safety Manager, Lumber Operations with Sinclar. “He leads by example and ensures the team keeps safety top of mind.”

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Forest Safety from the BC Forest Safety Council

BC Forest Safety Council
November 27, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

The December issue of Forest Safety News is here, bringing timely insights and practical tools for safer forestry work this winter. One standout feature explores how RPAS drones are transforming field safety, reducing worker exposure during steep-slope layout, post-fire assessments, and difficult terrain navigation. It’s a look at technology that’s not just impressive — it’s making real crews safer in real time. This issue also recaps the 18th Annual Vancouver Island Safety Conference, where powerful keynote speakers shared stories of perseverance, leadership, and the importance of mental and physical well-being. The message was clear: safety culture is built person by person, conversation by conversation. You’ll also find a useful update on winter driving and hauling preparedness, including tips for planning routes, managing changing conditions, and supporting drivers during the toughest season of the year. Packed with practical advice, inspiring stories, and forward-looking innovations, this issue offers a strong finish to 2025 for BC’s forest sector.

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Forest Fires

Three wildfires remain active in Calgary Forest Area

By Noel Edey
Cochrane Now
December 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

With wildfire activity winding down for 2025, the Calgary Forest Area continues to have three active wildfires, all classified as under control, with firefighters working toward full extinguishment. These are among 26 wildfires still active in Alberta, 25 of which are under control, with one being held. Fire crews have extinguished 1,248 fires in forest protection areas this year, mirroring numbers from 2024 yet exceeding the five-year average by more than 100. One of the remaining fires in the Calgary Region is located 25 kilometres west of Water Valley in the Harold Creek area. The fire was first spotted on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. and has been aggressively managed by wildfire crews, remaining contained to 27 hectares. Since Jan. 1, 2025, the Calgary Forest Area has experienced 73 wildfires, burning more than 67 hectares. Although Oct. 31 marked the official end of Alberta’s wildfire season, ongoing dry conditions mean the risk of wildfire remains in several areas. 

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