Region Archives: Canada

Special Feature

The 22nd Global Buyers Mission kicks off in Whistler tomorrow—uniting wood manufacturers and buyers

BC Wood Specialties Group
September 3, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

BC Wood is set to welcome delegates and buyers from British Columbia and around the world to the 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM), kicking off tomorrow in Whistler, BC. This signature event brings Canadian wood manufacturers together with pre-qualified international buyers in an exclusive, business-focused environment. The GBM opens with a welcome breakfast, where Premier David Eby will address participants and officially launch the trade show. His presence underscores the critical role of BC’s wood and forestry sector in driving innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. Nearly 800 attendees are expected, a testament to the GBM’s significance in connecting Canadian producers with global markets.

New this year, a high-profile panel will analyze the impact of escalating U.S. softwood lumber duties, now raised to over 35%. Introduced by Forest Minister Parmar, the panel features Mo Amir, Nick Arkle, Liz Kovach, and Kurt Niquidet, who will provide insights on how these tariffs could disrupt supply chains, inflate costs, and reshape the industry.

On the tradeshow floor, buyers will discover Canada’s diverse range of value-added wood products, from mass timber to specialty lumber. Networking continues into the evening, with a reception at Whistler’s Roundhouse Lodge, set against the stunning mountain backdrop.

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Business & Politics

Canadian Institute of Forestry Announces Curtis Cook as Executive Director

Canadian Institute of Forestry
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Curtis Cook

Mattawa, ON – Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – The Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Curtis Cook as Executive Director, effective September 2, 2025. “After thoughtful consideration, the CIF-IFC is delighted to welcome Curtis Cook to the team,” says Margaret Symon, CIF-IFC President. With over twenty years of senior management and executive experience, including with non-profit organizations, First Nations, and community services, Cook brings to the Institute a wealth of experience as a motivated and innovative leader. “Curtis Cook brings to the CIF-IFC a suite of team leadership skills, as well as expertise at building beneficial relationships with partners, funders, and stakeholders,” noted Symon.

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Trump says he’s looking for swift Supreme Court ruling on most tariffs

By Kelly Malone, The Canadian Press
The Associated Press in Bloomberg
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON — US President Trump is indicating that he’ll ask the Supreme Court tomorrow to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that found many of his tariffs are illegal. Trump says he’ll ask the court for an expedited ruling and claims that if the duties are removed, it could be devastating for the United States. Last Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and his fentanyl-related duties exceeded his powers under the national security statute he used to impose them. Trump used the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977 to hit much of the world with duties, even though the statute does not include the word “tariff” or its synonyms. The appeals court said that the tariffs could stay in place while the Trump administration takes the case to the Supreme Court.

In related coverage:

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Tourism operators’ bottom line burned by another summer of wildfires

By Lauren Krugel
The Canadian Press in BNN Bloomberg
September 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

CALGARY — Fewer tourists are coming to Jasper, Alberta than usual this year, but it’s not for a lack of people eager to visit the picturesque Rocky Mountain town. Numbers are about as good as they can be, considering about one-fifth of the town’s overnight accommodations burned when a ferocious wildfire swept through last summer, said Tourism Jasper CEO Tyler Riopel. …As the Jasper recovery continues, tourism operators affected by wildfires elsewhere this year are struggling. Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been particularly hard hit, which has taken a toll on outfitting businesses that cater to hunters and fishers. Roy Anderson, acting CEO of the Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters, said his group is surveying members to quantify the financial impact. “We’re talking millions of dollars in terms of lost revenue at a minimum,” he said.

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U.S. Court of Appeals rules many of Trump’s tariffs are illegal

By Joe Walsh
CBS News
August 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A federal appeals court said Friday that many of the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Trump on dozens of countries earlier this year are not legally permissible. The ruling will not immediately block the tariffs, but it marks a significant blow to Mr. Trump’s trade strategy. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court decision that found many of Mr. Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods exceeded his power under federal economic emergency laws. However, the appellate judges vacated the lower court’s injunction blocking the tariffs altogether, directing the court to reevaluate whether universal relief is appropriate. The ruling applies to a series of April executive orders that imposed 10% baseline tariffs on virtually every country and higher “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of trading partners. It also applies to a separate set of tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China.

In related coverage:

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Unifor stands up for workers with ‘Protect Canadian Jobs’ rally

Unifor Canada
August 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Unifor leadership led more than 1,500 members and supporters as they rallied at the union’s Constitutional Convention in downtown Vancouver to stand up for Canadian workers.  “We are going to do whatever it takes to protect Canadian jobs from destruction from Donald Trump,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. …Rally speakers called for action to safeguard industries threatened by ongoing tariffs from the Trump administration. …Unifor Forestry Council Chair Stéphane Lefebvre said there are 200,000 forestry workers across the country, whose union jobs support hundreds of thousands of other jobs and keeps communities thriving. But the industry requires vision and strategy from all governments to lead it. “The US needs Canadian lumber and more importantly, we need Canadian lumber,” he said. “Canada is blessed with an abundance of this renewable resource and with responsible forest management, we can get out of this. We just need (government) vision and strategy.”

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U.S. railroads go off the rails in race to compete with Canadian rivals

Seeking Alpha
August 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

To better compete with Canada’s transcontinental railroads, efficiencies within the trucking industry, and to capitalize on a more relaxed regulatory environment, the railroad industry is entering into a consolidation phase with the major operators all reportedly in play. On the heels of the 2023 merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern which connected Canada, the US and Mexico with the first single-line railway, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are pursuing a merger that would create the first coast-to-coast railway system in the US. The tie-up between Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific raised the possibility of further consolidation in the industry with investors eyeing a merger between CSX and BNSF, or with CPKC. While mergers might satisfy shareholders and activist investors, industry insiders see the trend creating more inefficiencies. …Freight Rail Customer Alliance is opposed to further consolidation given that past mergers have resulted in higher transportation costs and unreliable service for customers.

In related coverage:

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A fresh look, rooted in the same commitment

Western Forest Products
September 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Western is proud to launch a refreshed brand that better reflects who we are, where we’re going and what our customers, communities, and partners expect from us. Our refreshed brand is rooted in our belief that wood plays a vital role in building a more sustainable future. Wood has always been part of everyday life – in the homes we live in, the furniture we use and the warmth and comfort we seek in natural materials. At Western, we are proud to carry that legacy forward by helping meet today’s demand for beautiful, low-carbon building materials. This brand refresh is grounded in our long-term strategy and shaped by the people who make Western what it is. It reflects our continued commitment to quality, sustainability and stewardship. Explore the rest of our site to see how our refreshed brand reflects the care we put into everything we do, from forest to finished product.

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Provincial Forest Advisory Council launches website, engagement process

Provincial Forest Advisory Council
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Shannon Janzen

VICTORIA – The Provincial Forest Advisory Council (PFAC or the council) has launched a new website where people in British Columbia can learn about the council’s work and share their input about the future of forestry in B.C. Announced in May 2025 by the Ministry of Forests, the council is an independent group of forestry experts tasked with developing recommendations for how to build a stronger, more stable forestry system that works for communities, the economy and the environment. The council’s work will focus on understanding and articulating the underlying issues facing the forestry sector and the systematic changes required to facilitate an effective transition to a new forestry model in B.C. “Through engagement with ministries across government, First Nations and targeted inquiries, were closely examining the changing conditions of B.C.’s forests and the foundation on which our forestry sector has been built,” said Shannon Janzen, Registered Professional Forester and co-chair of PFAC.

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B.C.’s unionized public service workers authorize strike to start Tuesday

By Mark Page
Oak Bay News
August 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The union representing 34,000 B.C. public service workers (including conservation officers, B.C. Liquor Store employees and social workers) is planning to begin striking at the conclusion of Labour Day weekend if the provincial government doesn’t come forward with a better wage offer for the next two-year collective bargaining agreement. B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) President Paul Finch announced on Friday, Aug 29, that 92.7 per cent of workers voted in favour of authorizing a strike, with 86.4 per cent of eligible members voting. …The union plans to issue a 72-hour strike notice on Friday afternoon for action taking effect as early as 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Professional Employees’ Association (PEA) members (representing 1,800 provincial government workers such as geoscientists, foresters, engineers and psychologists) have also voted to authorize a strike and will be issuing a 72-hour strike notice alongside the BCGEU. 

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Monitor responsible for selling forestry company assets applies for more time

By Andrew Duffy
Victoria Times Colonist
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The monitor overseeing the credit-protection process for San Group, a Langley-based forestry company with debts in excess of $150 million, has applied to the courts for an extension of the process in order to complete the sale of the company’s assets. Deloitte Restructuring has asked the courts to extend the process to Oct. 31. It currently expires Sept. 5. …According to the monitor’s ninth report to the courts, filed this week, the sale of three San Group properties has now closed, and only a Langley farm remains of the major assets. The sale of the Coulson Mill in Port Alberni closed June 20 with proceeds of $12.06 million, the Langley mill site closed July 15, netting $12.37 million, and the Port Alberni value-added facility sale closed July 29, netting $8.25 million. On top of that, Tradewest Asset Solutions has now completed the sale of all of San Group’s remaining inventory, which resulted in $1.178 million being added to the pile.

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Finance & Economics

Weyerhaeuser Completes Sale of Princeton, BC Lumber Mill to Gorman Group

By Weyerhaeuser Company
PR Newswire
September 2, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

SEATTLE — Weyerhaeuser announced the completion of the sale of its lumber mill in Princeton, British Columbia, to the Gorman Group. The transaction, which was announced in May, also includes Weyerhaeuser’s associated British Columbia timber licenses, which will transfer separately. That transfer is expected to be completed over the coming months and is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. Weyerhaeuser received approximately $60 million USD upon the sale of the lumber facility, with the remainder of the transaction proceeds to be received in conjunction with the transfer of the timber licenses. 

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Lumber futures continue to fall, shed more that 20% in August

By Ryan Dezember
Wall Street Journal
September 2, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber prices, which shed more than 20% in August, have continued to fall to start September, hitting their lowest price this year thanks to a glut of wood that was piled up ahead of a big increase in duties on Canadian imports. “There has clearly been a speculative inventory accumulation at every level from mills to single location lumber dealers,” said Matt Layman, who publishes Layman’s Lumber Guide “For the first time in my 40-plus year career there is indeed a wall of wood that must be liquidated.” As with many raw materials, the lumber market has been whipsawed by President Trump’s tariff threats. The White House is studying tariffs on imported lumber in the name of national security. …Any lumber tariff will come on top of duties on Canadian softwood lumber that rose to about 35% for most producers, from 15% last year.  [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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Lumber Futures Prices Fall to Near 4-Month Low

Trading Economics
September 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell to $550 per thousand board feet in September, the lowest in nearly four months, amid softer demand for new home building and ample supply. US building permits fell 2.2% in July to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.362 million, the lowest since June 2020. Although the market anticipates a potential rate cut in September, rates are expected to remain restrictive, and high inflation expectations are expected to support long-maturity yields, which dictate mortgage costs. Seasonal slowdown in construction is set to magnify the drop in housing construction. On the supply side, Canadian mills continue to push large volumes of surplus lumber into the US market, far exceeding actual demand and creating an oversupply situation. Additionally, ongoing tariff issues between the US and Canada add further uncertainty, as potential changes in trade policy could significantly affect US lumber prices.›

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canada Wood Market News & Insights

Canada Wood Group
September 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

The Canada Wood Group Newsletter includes these headlines and more:

  • Breakthrough Fire Approvals Achieved to Advance Midrise Wood Construction in Japan 
  • Midrise Rising in Japan – A tour of the Mocxion project, a 5-storey midrise condo in Tokyo built with Canadian SPF, Douglas Fir, and OSB.
  • Onwards and Upwards: Largest Ever Midrise 2×4 Project Completed in Kyushu  – A new 5-storey employee dormitory in Kitakyushu—Japan’s largest-ever 2×4 project—has been completed – making extensive use of Canadian SPF, plywood, and engineered wood.
  • South Korea’s Public Housing Giant Looks to Wood – South Korea’s Land and Housing Corporation (LH) is rethinking how it builds the tens of thousands of homes it delivers each year. Its new study urges timber construction as a key strategy for meeting the nation’s 2050 carbon neutrality target.
  • From Demonstration to Mainstream: How Canadian Douglas Fir is Powering China’s Heavy Timber Boom 

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Forestry

Canada’s out-of-control wildfire crisis in six charts

By Barry Saxifrage, Climate Analyst
National Observer
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Fossil fuel pollution is overheating Canadian forests, spawning an out-of-control wildfire crisis. Wildfire is now incinerating four times more forest carbon than during the 1990s. …This accelerating new source of CO2 is adding to the already massive and growing emissions of CO2 caused by humans burning fossil oil, gas and coal. Canada’s continent-spanning forest is especially vulnerable to this rising heat. Its billions of trees, spread across hundreds of millions of hectares, are overheating at two to three times the global pace. …Let’s start with the 1990s. During that decade, wildfire emissions totalled 800 MtCO2. …Compare that to the most recent decade (2016-2025). Over these 10 years, wildfires released four times more carbon than they did during the nineties – a total of 3,200 MtCO2. …But wildfires also impact the climate system. And that climate impact unfolds over decades.

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Many reasons to feel cautiously optimistic about the application of AI in the Canadian forest industry

By Tony Kryzanowski
The Logging and Sawmill Journal
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, remote piloting, and robotics are beginning to have a profound impact on the forest industry as we have known it, from forest management to log harvesting and delivery and right through to lumber production. This is only the beginning. In a recent interview, Bill Gates said that AI will have a more profound impact on humanity than the personal computer (PC) did. …From a forest management perspective, AI offers incredible potential for planning forest cutblocks and reforestation. In the face of climate change, forest companies will have no choice but to design forests that are more resilient to forest fires, pest and pathogens. The ability of AI to provide a variety of solutions in minutes, based on collating and analyzing past research, will make a forest technician’s job easier, while providing better solutions. This is a clear example of using AI for good—and we should make the most of it.

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Canada has pledged to plant 2 billion trees. Here’s how close we are

By Robin Della Corte
The Canadian Press in CP24 News
August 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The Government of Canada says it is just over a 10th of the way to its goal of planting two billion trees across the country. Launched in 2021, Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program has reached the milestone of 228 million trees planted, with agreements already in place to plant a total of nearly one billion within the coming years. As of June, 11 provinces and territories, 58 Indigenous partners, 30 municipalities and 88 non-governmental organizations has signed or are negotiating tree-planting agreements. The program aims to protect crucial wildlife habitat, restore areas impacted by wildfires and sequester carbon. …Some of these initiatives include creating at least 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas and 15 new urban parks, as well as designating 30 per cent Canada’s land and water as conservation areas by 2030. The federal government has also committed to reach an emissions reduction target of 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

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A walk through the Cai Creek watershed, about to be logged

By Neighbours United
Nelson Star
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Local forests like Cai Creek, rich in biodiversity, cultural heritage, and tourism value, are disappearing across the province. …The at-risk cutblock is situated in the Cai Creek drainage area, just east of Crowsnest Highway 3, above Ootischenia.The hike was led by Matt Casselman, a local biologist and founder of the Save Cai Creek campaign. …“Cai Creek is a mostly intact watershed with no resource roads or recent logging, something that is increasingly rare in the West Kootenays. Intact forests should be protected because they offer areas of refuge for wildlife, and are more resilient to climate change,” says Casselman. …“The BCTS logging and road plans for Cai Creek extend across the whole drainage and will irreversibly disrupt the forest and its ecosystems,” says Casselman. …However, Cai Creek is not considered old growth by the Ministry of Forests and has no protections from logging.

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New forestry group ‘branching’ out

The Columbia Valley Pioneer
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A new forestry organization is branching out in its goal to become an ‘impartial’ provider of information pertaining to the role forestry plays in all walks of life. Steve Kozuki from Forestry Works for BC Society gave a presentation to the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to let directors know what the group hopes to accomplish. Kozuki said the forest sector has been the recipient of a lot of criticism over the years, with people getting the idea that forests are disappearing or being logged out of existence, which is “not true.” But he noted the sector shares common concerns about climate change, housing and health care. Kozuki said the Society wants to get non-forest sector people involved in the industry which has promoted the financial and economic benefits of forestry and the jobs it provides. …He … reminded regional directors that “we all depend on a strong forest sector.”

Similar coverage in the Penticton Herald: ForestryWorksForBC makes another case for forestry

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BC First Nations Forestry Council August Newsletter

BC First Nations Forestry Council
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In this newsletter you’ll find these stories and more:

  • Message from the CEO, Lennard (Suxʷsxʷwels) Joe: “Advancing international partnerships in Australia, delivering new workforce tools in Quesnel and Williams Lake, and engaging youth in hands-on forestry experiences. …Our Policy team is ensuring First Nations voices are at the table in provincial and national forestry processes.”
  • I Am Forestry — Meet Shane Harsh, a proud member of the Skidegate Band from Haida Gwaii… As Vice President of Specialty Products at Woodtone and HaiCo board member
  • Forest Governance: Policy Team ensures First Nations’ voices are at the center of forestry decision-making in British Columbia. 
  • Trade Mission Insights from Rob Manuel, BCFNFC Business Development Strategic Advisor

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BC Community Forest Association News

The BC Community Forest Association
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In this edition of our newsletter you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • Coming Soon: 2025 Community Forest Indicators Report: Our annual snapshot of community forest impact is based on the 2025 Indicators Survey, the report pairs hard data with member stories and photos to highlight wildfire risk reduction, Indigenous partnerships, local jobs and value-added activity, and stewardship of water, wildlife, and recreation.
  • An Opinion Editorial, Community Forests: Rooted in community, growing for generations, by BCCFA Executive Director Jennifer Gunter was published in several forestry publications on August 1st. It was written in response to a July 25th article in The Tyee that questioned community forests’ support for value-added production and small manufacturers.
  • BCCFA Conference & AGM in Vernon June 3-5, 2026: It will be hosted by Monashee Community Forest—a partnership between the Splatsin First Nation and the Village of Lumby BC.

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Cyclists cautioned about month of logging coming for Revelstoke mountain

By Evert Lindquist
The Revelstoke Review
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Bikers should take note that end-of-summer logging operations are kicking into gear at Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson for a month starting next week, but minimally impacting recreational trails, according to a local cycling group. In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 27, the Revelstoke Cycling Association (RCA) advised that forest harvesting begins at the mountain’s upper trail network on the weekdays following the Labour Day weekend. This comes one week later than previously indicated in RCA’s trail report. Logging will run from 3 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through most or all of September, with no activity planned for weekends, according to the association.

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Council decision puts logging back on the table for North Cowichan’s municipal forest reserve

By Eric Richards
The Discourse
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

North Cowichan council has voted to make logging in the municipal forest reserve a strategic priority, despite warnings from some councillors and staff that the move could jeopardize years of work with the Quw’utsun Nation on a forest co-management framework. Timber harvesting in the roughly 5,000-hectare public forest has been on pause since 2019 to allow for public engagement, consultation with local First Nations and advice from experts on how to manage the publicly-owned woodland. Surveys found a majority of residents preferred conservation over harvesting — with 67 per cent of telephone respondents and 76 per cent of online respondents supporting either limiting timber harvesting … or not harvesting timber at all. In 2021, North Cowichan signed a memorandum of understanding with the Quw’utsun Nation… While it could take years before harvesting resumes, some around the council table warned that exploring harvesting options could negatively impact progress made towards a co-management framework with the Quw’utsun Nation.

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Quesnel’s partnership with First Nations in forestry management

By Gary Barnes
The Quesnel Cariboo Observer
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

QUESNEL, BC — The Three Rivers Community Forest (TRCF) is showing how local control can bring fresh ideas to forest management, general manager Nick Pickles told Quesnel council this week. The area-based tenure, signed in October 2024, covers more than 38,000 hectares and is jointly owned by the City of Quesnel and the Esdilagh, Lhtako Dene, and Nazko First Nations. It comes with an allowable annual harvest of about 43,000 cubic-metres of conifer and another 10,500 cubic-metres of deciduous timber, Pickles explained at council’s Aug. 26 meeting. …Pickles said the TRCF mandate is more than just cutting trees. “It’s designed to provide long-term access to forest resources for community benefit. It focuses on local decision-making, stewardship, and sustainable forest use.” Profits are reinvested locally, whether it’s jobs, education, or infrastructure, Pickles added.

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Documentary screening in Roberts Creek highlights logging and flooding risks

By Jordan Copp
The Penticton Herald
August 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Younes Alila

A powerful new documentary connecting industrial logging to catastrophic flooding is coming to the Sunshine Coast this September. On September 17, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association (SCCA) and RhizomeUp!Media will host a screening of Trouble in the Headwaters at Roberts Creek Hall. The 25-minute film, directed by award-winning filmmaker Daniel J. Pierce, investigates the 2018 Grand Forks flood and its links to industrial clear-cutting practices. The documentary features the research of Dr. Younes Alila, a professor of forest hydrology at UBC, whose work has helped illuminate the hydrological consequences of logging in B.C.’s watersheds. …“This event comes at a critical time,” the release states, “as BC Timber Sales prepares to auction a logging cutblock in the recharge zones of Aquifers 560 and 552.”

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What are forestry companies doing to prevent wildfires?

By Mick Sweetman
The Discourse
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A reader wrote The Discourse recently with a question about why the BC Wildfire Service protects privately-owned forest land on Vancouver Island. It was an interesting question, but it hinted at a bigger one: What are forestry companies doing to prevent and mitigate wildfires from happening in the first place? Recent major wildfires on Vancouver Island have been on a mix of Crown land and private land owned by or under license of forestry companies. This includes the fire from early this week on Block 290 near Mount Benson that was recently transferred to Snuneymuxw First Nation. A recent special investigation by the BC Forest Practices Board on aligning forestry practices with wildfire risk reduction conducted in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Peace and Sea to Sky areas found that “logging occurs at 11 times the rate of [wildfire risk reduction] treatments” in the wildland-urban interface near communities. 

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A wildfire in southern Ontario burns differently. Here’s why

By Rebecca Gao
The Narwhal
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Air quality warnings are becoming a feature of Ontario summers, but for most, the source has felt far away. As southern Ontarians stayed indoors … under air quality warnings this summer, fires closer to home ignited. In July and August, the province experienced a number of wildfires in places including the Kawarthas, a couple hours northeast of Toronto, and near the town of Huntsville, in the cottage country region of Muskoka. Farther north, First Nations communities like the Pikangikum First Nation and North Spirit Lake First Nation were evacuated due to wildfires and smoke… How do wildfires in southern Ontario stack up to the massive fires farther north, and what can be done? Here’s what you need to know. …fires in southern Ontario are different for two main reasons: the forest type and the many, many people here.

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Activists question why Nova Scotia no longer disclosing glyphosate spray locations

By Luke Ettinger
CBC News
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Activists are pushing for more information about where aerial spraying of glyphosate is happening after the Nova Scotia government has stopped releasing the locations for spraying of the herbicide by forestry companies. However the forestry sector says the use of the herbicide gets unfair attention, and identifying the locations draws protesters who block access to woodlots.  Glyphosate is used by some woodlot owners to …reduce competition for more profitable softwood species… Previously, the provincial government provided premises identification (PID) numbers for where aerial sprays were approved. That didn’t happen when four approvals for spraying were issued in August. “We don’t have to tell everyone where these PIDs are, because it attracts people who don’t know the full story about forest management to show up roadblock your private woodlot, and prevent you from managing it as you see fit,” said Todd Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia. 

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Charter challenge on Nova Scotia’s woods ban set for next year

By Blair Rhodes
CBC News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

It will be early next year before the province’s decision to impose a sweeping travel ban in Nova Scotia woodlands gets tested in court. Lawyers for the Canadian Constitution Foundation were in Nova Scotia Supreme Court on Tuesday to set dates for its challenge to the ban. The first available dates are Feb. 2-3, 2026. The foundation will be joined in their challenge by Jeff Evely, a Nova Scotian who deliberately violated the ban and was fined $28,000 as a result. …Last week, the government removed the ban in Cape Breton and the eastern part of the Nova Scotia mainland because recent rainfall had reduced the fire risk. …On its website, the Canadian Constitution Foundation describes itself as “a national and non-partisan charity” whose objective is ensuring “government power does not infringe on the rights and freedoms of Canadians.”

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Soil performing balancing act

By Emily Dontsos
The Chronicle Journal
August 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Amanda Diochon

Amanda Diochon is digging into the relationship between soils and sustainability, and her findings hold the potential to change the way forests and agriculture are managed for a healthier future. An associate professor in Lakehead University’s department of geology, co-ordinator of the water resource science program, and assistant dean of the faculty of science and environmental studies, Diochon says soil science is critical in a changing climate. “Soils are the largest reservoir of organic carbon, and they emit 10 times the amount of carbon dioxide that humans do,” she says. “So knowing how they respond to changes in the climate and understanding how to better manage them is important not just in Canada, but globally.” With a focus on the carbon cycle, or how carbon moves between the Earth, living things, and the atmosphere, Diochon’s research examines changes to soil’s ability to store carbon and how agricultural and forest-management practices influence sustainability.

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Forest Fires

Large wildfire in B.C.’s Cariboo region sparks evacuation order

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

An evacuation order has been issued due to a large wildfire in B.C.’s Cariboo region, covering 150 parcels of land and multiple First Nations reserves. The Ulkatcho First Nation and the Cariboo Regional District issued the evacuation order for a swath of properties east of Tweedsmuir Park and just north of Anahim Lake on Tuesday afternoon. Evacuees have been told to head east via Highway 20 and head to Williams Lake, about 320 kilometres northeast of Vancouver as the crow flies. The Beef Trail Creek wildfire covers an area of about 60 square kilometres as of Tuesday night, nearly 15 times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Mikhail Elsay, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the fire’s size is expected to increase in the days ahead amid hot conditions in the Cariboo area.

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Whistler’s fire danger hits extreme as massive fires rage north of the resort

By Braden Dupuis
Pique News Magazine
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

@BCWildfire Service

The Bastion Peak fire at Lillooet Lake is still listed at 20 hectares, according to an update from the BC Wildfire Service. “The fire was active Sept. 2, with moderate downslope growth and some upslope growth. Moving forward, crews will be working to prevent further growth downslope, and to contain the fire on the flanks where it is safe to do so,” the update reads. “Higher, inaccessible portions of this fire will continue to be active until weather conditions change. Heavy helicopters will continue to bucket on active flanks as required. Heavy equipment has been brought in to open the Green River Forest Service Road – crews will work to keep the fire from crossing this road. To the east there is a burn scar from 2020, which may slow down potential growth in that direction.” The two fires in the Elaho Valley, northwest of Whistler, are being left for now due to terrain.

Related coverage in the Vancouver Sun, by the Canadian Press: Helicopter with B.C. wildfire crew makes forced landing near Pemberton 

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After summer of clear skies, smoke blankets Lower Mainland — with more to come

By Simon Little
Global News
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

It’s been a summer of blue skies for British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, but that’s changed with a wave of wildfire smoke rolling into the region. The Metro Vancouver Regional District has issued an air quality advisory for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter causing hazy conditions across the region. At a Wednesday briefing, B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said conditions were expected to worsen, with much of Southern B.C. to be affected in the days to come. “We should expect to see wildfire smoke come south in the days ahead. Weather forecasters are saying that the smoke is going to be a major factor in the next 24 to 72 hours,” Parmar said. “There are already reports of smoke hitting communities. We do expect more smoke to arrive in the central and southern interior tonight or tomorrow, and reach Abbotsford and the coast by Friday.”

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B.C. wildfire closes Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt

By Simon Little
Global News
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

@BC Wildfire Service

The Coquihalla Highway was closed in both directions between Hope, B.C., and Merritt on Wednesday due to wildfire activity. The BC Wildfire Service said the Mine Creek fire is threatening the highway and that the Ministry of Transportation had closed the route at its recommendation. The fire, which is burning about 44 km northeast of Hope, was last measured at 483 hectares in size, and is classified as out of control. It was first spotted on Monday, and officials believe it was sparked by lightning. The wildfire service has deployed structure protection units to protect critical infrastructure in the area, and is attacking the fire with bombers and helicopters.

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Crews battling Fort Providence wildfire gearing up for challenging conditions, officials say

CBC News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

N.W.T. fire crews plan to take advantage of the favourable weather conditions expected on Tuesday to do everything they can to protect Fort Providence from a wildfire burning less than a kilometre from the community, according to one of the territory’s fire information officers. Crews successfully held back the fire on Monday, Mike Westwick said. …”Sustained gusting between 25 and 40 kilometres per hour is in the forecast right now. And you know, the levels of moisture in the air, the relative humidity at a point that would sustain decent fire activity. And with the fire right on the community’s doorstep … that’s obviously a significant concern.” Hamlet leaders ordered an evacuation Sunday morning because a line of fire approximately 10 kilometres wide was dangerously close to the community. Most of the hamlet’s 700 residents went to Hay River.

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Active wildfires jump as heat warnings continue for parts of B.C.

Canadian Press in CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The number of active wildfires in British Columbia has leapt by more than a dozen following several days of hot, sunny weather. B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) figures Thursday morning show 81 active blazes, up from 68 on Wednesday, with 19 new starts and seven fires declared out over the past 24 hours. There are now 17 fires classified as burning out of control, up from four on Monday, including a cluster of new starts in the northwestern part of the Cariboo region. The wildfire service’s map also shows three new blazes detected Thursday in conservancy areas northwest of Whistler. BCWS says hot, dry conditions have left fuels across much of the province highly susceptible to ignition and spread. …The wildfire service says thunderstorms in the south are bringing a risk of lightning to the Coastal and southern Interior fire centres, and while those storms could help moderate temperatures slightly…

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Fires on Lake Nipissing and Kahshe Lake remain active and uncontained

The Soo Today
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Three new wildfires were confirmed today in the Northeast Region, one is out and two are burning out of control, according to the latest report from Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. North Bay 14 is on the north side of French River, about 4.5 km south of Sandy Island on Lake Nipissing. This fire is 1.5 hectares and not under control. Haliburton 26 is 0.5 hectares and located on Coo-ee Island on Kahshe Lake. The fire is also not under control. Chapleau 14 was 0.1 hectares and located on the south side of Bunting Lake, approximately 2.6 kilometres west of Perth Lake, and 1.1 kilometres south of Nackawic Lake. It is out. There are six active fires in the Northeast region; one is under control, two are not under control, and three are being observed.

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Long Lake wildfire remains out of control at 8,465 hectares

By Jennifer Heudes
CTV News Saskatoon
September 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

©Govt of Nova Scotia

The Long Lake wildfire that started August 13 has destroyed 20 homes in Nova Scotia is still out of control, but its size has not changed in the last day. On Monday, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the Long Lake fire is estimated to be 8,465 hectares in size. “The southern end of the fire is the most active area and fire intensity increased with wind today. Helicopters are dropping water on this area so ground crews can safely enter to continue tying up the perimeter and advance inward on the fire,” said DNR in an update on social media. The department said Manitoba’s CL415 planes are being released and will be replaced by two black hawk helicopters which they say are more effective for current needs. …As of Monday, DNR said there have been no new reports of damage.

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20 homes destroyed in Annapolis County wildfire

By Anjuli Patil
CBC News
August 28, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The Nova Scotia government has confirmed 20 homes were destroyed last weekend in the Annapolis County wildfire, which remains out of control and is estimated at 8,234 hectares — or more than 82 square kilometres. According to a news release on Thursday, the residences were destroyed Sunday on West Dalhousie and Thorne roads. Not all of the residences were primary structures. “Our hearts are broken for residents in the West Dalhousie community who’ve lost their homes,” Premier Tim Houston said in a news release. “It’s overwhelming to get that news, it will be a long road to recovery, and I know residents will find comfort through this strong, tight-knit community. The wildfire in the West Dalhousie area of Nova Scotia is still burning out of control and has destroyed 20 homes. The Long Lake fire, which started on Aug. 13, is estimated to be 8,234 hectares in size (or more than 82 square kilometres), as of 11:30 a.m.

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