Region Archives: Canada

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Out of the Box Idea for Wildfire Resiliency

By David Elstone, Managing Director
The Spar Tree Group
June 17, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

David Elstone

Forestry in BC is more than harvesting trees, it is also becoming about wildfire resiliency. …As a broad generalization, the future of wildfire management is more than putting fires out but increasingly it is learning how to live with fire. …That happens with active forest management work such as stand thinning and fuel reduction treatments. Specifics of such depend on the ecological characteristics of the areas to receive treatments. Another reality is that forestry is no longer practiced without First Nations consultation and input. In fact, due to growing forest tenure ownership and now with leadership in forest landscape planning, forestry in BC forestry… is clearly evolving from an industry centric sector to one that looks like a triangulation of Wildfire Resiliency: Indigenous Forestry: Forest Industry….To effectively and urgently treat millions of hectares of forests for resiliency to wildfire, the amount of required funding is magnitudes greater than what is being applied today.

…So here is an idea that does not need government funds, just motivation that brings together the three sides of the triangle as described above: Create large scale temporary stewardship areas, in the thousands of hectares where there are homogenous forests of an age range – say between 20 years to 40 years old – where qualified operators could thin stands from below, following a broad stand management prescription for the area. Planning work with First Nations should be done in advance for the entire area. …No tenure, no conventional cutting permit, just an application/timber mark. No appraisal – just say $1/m3 stumpage. Make it so there are no negative repercussions to AAC cut control so existing forest tenure licensees should have no concern. …Doing this work at scale will drive investment in more efficient equipment. Mills receive steady and reliable fibre to keep operating and maintain jobs. Government and First Nations get more wildfire resilient forested landscapes, raising the quality of forests increases other values like moose, and carbon management etc.

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Out of the Box Idea for Wildfire Resiliency

David Elstone, Managing Director
The Spar Tree Group
June 17, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

David Elstone

Forestry in BC is more than harvesting trees, it is also becoming about wildfire resiliency. …As a broad generalization, the future of wildfire management is more than putting fires out but increasingly it is learning how to live with fire. …That happens with active forest management work such as stand thinning and fuel reduction treatments. Specifics of such depend on the ecological characteristics of the areas to receive treatments. Another reality is that forestry is no longer practiced without First Nations consultation and input. In fact, due to growing forest tenure ownership and now with leadership in forest landscape planning, forestry in BC is fast becoming synonymous with Indigenous forestry. …To effectively and urgently treat millions of hectares of forests for resiliency to wildfire, the amount of required funding is magnitudes greater than what is being applied today. …So here is an idea that does not need government funds, just motivation that brings together the three sides of the triangle as described above:

Create large scale temporary stewardship areas, in the thousands of hectares where there are homogenous forests of an age range – say between 20 years to 40 years old – where qualified operators could thin stands from below, following a broad stand management prescription for the area. Planning work with First Nations should be done in advance for the entire area. …No tenure, no conventional cutting permit, just an application/timber mark. No appraisal – just say $1/m3 stumpage. Make it so there are no negative repercussions to AAC cut control so existing forest tenure licensees should have no concern. …Doing this work at scale will drive investment in more efficient equipment. Mills receive steady and reliable fibre to keep operating and maintain jobs. Government and First Nations get more wildfire resilient forested landscapes, raising the quality of forests increases other values like moose, and carbon management etc.

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Business & Politics

Kananaskis Wildfire Charter

By the Prime Minister of Canada’s Office
Cision Newswire
June 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

KANANASKIS, AB – We, the Leaders of the G7, are deeply concerned that the world has experienced record-breaking wildfires across every forested continent over the past decade, often overwhelming available national resources and requiring governments to request assistance from other countries. These wildfires are endangering lives, affecting human health, destroying homes and ecosystems, and costing governments and taxpayers billions of dollars each year. We resolve to boost global cooperation to prevent, fight and recover from wildfires by taking integrated action to reduce the incidence and negative impacts of wildfires and ensure our readiness to help each other, and partners, when needed. We will take steps to prevent and mitigate the occurrence of wildfires by:

  • Adopting a whole of society approach… to share knowledge and drive research on reducing risks.
  • Implementing mitigation and adaptation actions… that reduce the risk of extreme wildfires…
  • Raising awareness of the different causes of wildfires and measures to prevent them….

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Canadian Institute of Forestry seeks Executive Director

The Canadian Institute of Forestry
June 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The Institute is seeking an enthusiastic individual to provide strategic and operational leadership as Executive Director. The Executive Director leads the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC), guiding the organization through strategic growth and operational excellence. This role ensures the long-term sustainability of the Institute through sound governance, financial stewardship, and stakeholder engagement. The Executive Director works closely with a small team, the Executive Committee, and a broad national network of members, volunteers and partners. They are accountable to the Board of Directors and collaborate with committees, staff, members, sponsors, and regions across Canada. This is a full-time, remote position. Individuals with the requisite qualifications are invited to apply by July 21, 2025.

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Minister Parmar’s statement on Canadian Council of Forest Ministers chair appointment

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
June 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ravi Parmar

Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, released the following statement on the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM): I met with federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers from across Canada… It’s an honour to take on the role of incoming chair of the CCFM for the upcoming year. I want to thank the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture for Newfoundland and Labrador, for her leadership over the past year. …My priority will always be to put people first. Whether it’s protecting their homes from wildfire, adding more local jobs or ensuring forestry continues to be a source of pride and prosperity for our rural, remote and First Nations communities, this work must be rooted in the well-being of people. …The ongoing threat of U.S. softwood lumber tariffs continues to unfairly impact workers, families and communities in Canada. I’m committed to … push back against these unjust trade actions…

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Historic court sentencing at shíshálh longhouse sees $230,000 in fines issued for grave site damages

By Connie Jordison
The Sunshine Coast Reporter
June 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

A contractor hired to oversee logging on a Sechelt property and that site’s numbered company owner were sentenced for violations of the Heritage Conservation Act June 16, in the first ever B.C. Provincial Court sitting held at the shíshálh Nation longhouse.   Grant Starrs, 55, of Sechelt and 0990199 B.C. Ltd. both pleaded guilty to the 2020 disruption of an identified heritage site. That area was occupied by the graves of 49 shíshálh people, according to federal Crown counsel Molly Greene.  Provincial Court Judge Robert Hamilton accepted the joint submission of the Crown and defence attorneys, and fined the company $200,000, payable within five business days. Starrs was fined $30,000 and given 90 days to pay. Each is also to pay a victim surcharge of 15 per cent of their fine amounts. …In issuing his decision, Hamilton stated the fine to the company was four times higher than previous ones issued for such violations of the Heritage Conservation Act.

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United Steelworkers members at Galloway Sawmill deprived of severance payments for closure

By Grant Farquhar, President USW Local 1-405
United Steelworkers
June 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Cranbrook, BC – United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-405 members at Galloway Sawmill have had enough and are going public with their frustration with Peak Renewables and Galloway Sawmill owner Brian Fehr and the violation of their collective agreement rights and severance owed to the 20 workers of the Galloway Sawmill. “Workers left at the Galloway Sawmill are entitled and deserve their severance from Peak Renewables and owner Brian Fehr at Galloway Sawmill. The company is reneging on a negotiated closure agreement and the workers are the only ones that get hurt,” said USW Local 1-405 President Grant Farquhar. “That site was closed officially by the employer in December of 2024. Five months later and two months after the commitment was made by the employer to pay the severance was made, the members still haven’t received it.” Brian Fehr, owner of Peak Renewables, bought the Galloway Sawmill from Bud Nelson in 2017. The mill hadn’t run since December of 2022. 

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Court fight continues years after fires destroy Surrey mill

By Tom Zytaruk
BC Local News in Peace Arch News
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

SURREY, BC — Mackenzie Sawmill is back in the courts, a little more than a decade after the sum of three fires ruined a large mill built in 1938. The first of three fires was on Nov. 12, 2010, followed by a second on Jan. 25, 2011 and the third on Oct. 31, 2014 essentially destroyed what was left of it. …Judge Rory Krentz, presided over a hearing in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, where the defendants applied for a dismissal for want of prosecution. Mackenzie ceased operations in early 2011 after the second fire, with two groups of employees entitled to severance pay. The court heard Mackenzie told the union the company intended to build another mill on site, enabling the union employees to keep their jobs. …This was before the third fire, after which Mackenzie indicated it still planned to rebuild the mill. But the union alleges MacKenzie decided before the last fire happened that it wouldn’t rebuild.

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University of Norther BC recognizes distinguished Professors Emeriti

Education News Canada
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kathy Lewis & Kerry Reimer

The University of Northern British Columbia celebrated three distinguished Professors Emeriti at a Faculty Recognition Event. Dr. Kerry Reimer (Chemistry); Dr. Elie Korkmaz (Physics); and Dr. Kathy Lewis (Ecosystem Science and Management) were awarded the honorary title “Professor Emeritus/Emerita” during the special gathering and will join the platform party for the 2025 Convocation ceremony at UNBC’s Prince George Campus on May 30. …Dr. Kathy Lewis’ career is defined by her transformative leadership in forestry education. As the first faculty member hired in the Forestry Program, she was instrumental in building the program from the ground up, guiding it to become a nationally accredited program. …As Chair of the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Dr. Lewis guided the department through periods of significant growth. Dr. Lewis’ expertise as a forest pathologist earned her national recognition, with her research on forest health, tree diseases and climate change.

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Finance & Economics

Canada at a crossroads: Economic transformation amid uncertainty

PricewaterhouseCoopers
June 18, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

In recent months, global economic uncertainty has weighed heavily on national economies, and Canada’s is no exception. A combination of international political shifts and long-standing domestic challenges has led to a slowdown in Canada’s economic activity. Our PwC Canada Economics and Policy practice’s current baseline projection for the remainder of 2025 calls for Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) growth to remain well below 1%. The current climate of uncertainty has led many purchasers of Canadian businesses to adopt a cautious stance, delaying investments and expansion plans. In the period from January 1 to May 31, 2025, there were 996 deals announced in Canada with a total value of $134 billion. In that same period, we saw declines in inbound and locally sourced deals in Canada, while acquisitions of companies outside of Canada by Canadian companies increased. Despite broader economic challenges, Canada’s trade position with the United States is currently significantly better than those of many other countries.

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Canadian housing starts largely flat from April to May

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
June 16, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

The six-month trend in housing starts was flat (0.8%) in May (243,407 units), according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada. The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was also flat (-0.2%) in May (279,510 units) compared to April (280,181 units). Actual housing starts were up 9% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 23,745 units recorded in May, compared to 21,814 units in May 2024. The year-to-date total was 90,767 up 1% from the same period in 2024. “Growth in actual starts activity in May was once again driven by increases of single-detached homes and purpose-built rentals in Québec. By contrast, weak condominium market conditions in Toronto and Vancouver have contributed to declines in overall housing starts in these regions,” said Tania Bourassa-Ochoa, CMHC’s Deputy Chief Economist.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Kelowna airport terminal expansion hits milestone with completion of mass timber roof

By Cindy White
Castanet
June 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Lispett Photo Group

The expansion of Kelowna International Airport has hit a major milestone. The mass timber roof structure of the new airport terminal building is now complete. “A key component to everything we do at YLW is ensuring we reflect the community in our airport. Mass timber embodies our commitment to sustainability and innovation, while also honouring the local industries and resources,” said airport CEO Sam Samaddar. …The project was partially funded through a $500,000 investment from the province’s Mass Timber Demonstration Program. The mass timber panels were manufactured at Kalesnikoff’s state-of-the-art facility in Castlegar, B.C. The roof incorporated 788-square-metres of wood from the Slocan Valley and its construction supported the employment of more than 350 people in B.C. …”B.C. mass timber projects like this showcase how our province is a world leader in the industry and supports our objectives around a clean, sustainable economy,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.

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Forestry

Canada’s wildfire crisis is displacing First Nations at alarming rates

The Grist
June 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Since mid-May, wildfires across Canada have burned 9.6 million acres, prompting the evacuation of approximately 40,000 people. According to Indigenous Services Canada, a government ministry, more than half of those evacuees are from First Nations communities, and nearly 34 tribes in almost every province are affected. The sudden rush of refugees has challenged the country’s crisis response infrastructure as people seek shelter and services in cities far from their homes, with little information of when they may return to their communities. …Indigenous Services Canada has been authorized to release $20.9 million to disburse to First Nations. …According to an Intact Centre report in 2023, 60 percent of Canadian communities are now vulnerable to wildfires, a third of which are Indigenous living on reserves. 

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We don’t have to tear down nature to ‘Build Canada’

By World Wildlife Fund Canada
Cision Newswire
June 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

TORONTO – The federal government’s proposed Build Canada Act, a plan to fast-track “nation-building” development projects, from critical minerals mines and oil and gas pipelines to habitat-fragmenting highways and Arctic deep-water ports, risks damaging the nature that is at the core of Canada’s economy and identity — threatening the wealth of the nation it is supposed to defend. World Wildlife Fund Canada is deeply concerned about the bill, which would allow Cabinet to override key environmental protections, such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Migratory Birds Convention Act, for projects deemed in the national interest. We are also concerned that this legislation could undermine the federal government’s obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), including the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Development decisions that bypass Indigenous consultation risk perpetuating the very harms that reconciliation is meant to address.

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Canada’s forests may be burning faster than they can grow back

By Ruby Mellen
The Washington Post
June 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Scientists say wildfire could transform parts of the Canadian landscape, as more intense and more frequent fires push forests to adapt and prevent certain common Canadian trees from regrowing…. Canada’s native plants are hardwired to endure the effects of wildfire — to an extent. But … drier conditions and warmer weather due to climate change are making these fires more frequent and hotter. …What could happen is a shift from tall forests to grassland or savanna in some parts of the country… This would in some ways be a return to the past, said Marc-André Parisien, a scientist with the Canadian Forest Service — and not necessarily a bad thing. …“We’re moving to a place that has no historical analogue,” said Mike Flannigan, the science director of the Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science at the University of Alberta. “We’re in new uncharted territory,” as climate change has exacerbated wildfires’ pace and scale. [Full story access requires a subscription to the Washington Post]

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McBride Community Forest Expanded Election Boundaries

Letter by Al Birnie, Former Chair, Take Back Our Forest, 2010
The Rocky Mountain Goat
June 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Attending the McBride Community Forest Corporation Open House on May 24, I was both surprised and delighted to hear Chair Mike Monroe announce that the Articles of Incorporation of the MCFC have been permanently amended to guarantee that, starting with the 2026 Board elections, the majority of members will be elected by voters throughout the area of the forest, rather than only McBride Village Council! …This is how the CF was proposed to be structured in the first place, and is exactly what Mike and I and many others unsuccessfully fought for back in 2010 through the community group Take Back Our Forest! …The new arrangement by no means automatically solves every issue the CF will have to deal with, as there naturally will be differing opinions on how it should operate.

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Documentary ‘B.C. is Burning’ set to premiere in region feeling the heat

By Jen Zielinski
The Northern View
June 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

An independent documentary on the causes and consequences of British Columbia’s escalating wildfire crisis will premiere in Kelowna and Vernon this month. The 45-minute film, B.C. is Burning, was put together through community funding and will attempt to investigate what’s fuelling today’s mega-fires and look into the science-based solutions that could protect the province’s forests, communities, and future. Produced and written by retired forester Murray Wilson, the film was initiated by associate producer Rick Maddison… Featuring forest professionals, wildfire officials, and researchers, B.C. is Burning reveals the growing urgency—and the real solutions—to managing fire in an age of climate change, said Wilson. …The Kelowna screening will take place Tuesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mary Irwin Theatre. The Vernon screening will take place Thursday, June 26,  at 7 p.m. at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre

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Nakusp open house welcomes public into wildfire fuel break work

By Evert Lindquist
Revelstoke Review
June 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Residents curious for an update and behind-the-scenes on local forest fuel mitigation this wildfire season are invited to attend a free open house in Nakusp this Wednesday, June 17. Hosted by the Nakusp & Area Community Forest (NACFOR), the event unites voices from forestry, conservation, wildfire management and FireSmart to educate participants on work happening northeast of Nakusp at the Wensley Creek Cross Country Ski Trails to minimize fire-spreading foliage. “NACFOR contractors have been working on both the commercial harvesting patches that were planned for the Wensley Creek area, and continuing hand treatment of understory and ground fuel in other areas,” communications specialist Skye Cunningham shared by email.

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Wildfire risk reduction project near Merritt a model for community-led forest management

By Jeff Andreas
RadioNL
June 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A wildfire risk reduction initiative led by the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation (LNIBDC) has significantly decreased wildfire hazards in the Steffens Estates area, just north of Merritt, while setting an example for Indigenous-led land stewardship in British Columbia. The multi-phase project, which began in 2022 and was completed in March 2024, combined strategic timber harvesting with intensive fuel mitigation efforts to create safer forest conditions near the Steffens Estates subdivision—land bordering private residences and Crown forests. With more work planned near Steffens Estates and around critical communications infrastructure on Iron Mountain, the project is part of a broader effort to proactively manage wildfire risk in British Columbia. B.C. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar also praised the initiative: “Wildfire risk reduction is one of the most important ways we can protect people, homes, and vital infrastructure – especially as our province faces the growing impacts of climate change.”

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Flourish or flounder: How wildfires affect Boreal forest wildlife

By Jeremy Warren
CBC News
June 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

There’s an entire cycle of life that helps some wildlife thrive when the boreal forest burns, but experts say climate change and human activity have led to larger, more intense wildfires, exacerbating the negative effects on some species. While it’s too early to know exactly how one of the worst wildfire seasons in Saskatchewan history is affecting wildlife, research shows some species have evolved over millennia to take advantage of forest fire cycles. “It’s almost essential, particularly in the boreal forest, to have some degree of fire on the landscape, because it is important to create that sort of regenerative habitat for species that depend on it,” said Jean-Michele DeVink, an environmental consultant and adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan. “The challenge, is that for other species that do require more mature forest, the extent of fires that we’re seeing throughout the boreal forest is a bit of a problem.”

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Wildfire recovery equipment repeatedly vandalized, says Okanagan Indian Band

By Chelsey Mutter
Castanet
June 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Wildfire recovery work on the Okanagan Indian Band is being subjected to acts of vandalism. According to a post on the OKIB website, equipment used in the Bradley Creek Wildfire Salvage Project is being repeatedly vandalized. “These illegal actions are putting a stop to critical recovery work and placing our community and lands at further risk,” said the OKIB in a community notice. The salvage project is working with Tolko Industries to remove dead standing (fire-killed) timber to support ecological recovery and reduce wildfire risks in the Bradley Creek area which was impacted by the 2021 White Rock Lake Wildfire. …OKIB said the project is essential to reduce wildfire risk, and restore watershed through erosion control and soil stabilization. The project also supports the return of traditional plants and medicines, creates local employment opportunities and generates revenue through the OKIB forest license.

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More than 80,000 seedlings to be planted for Downton Lake wildfire recovery

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
June 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In 2023, a wildfire ripped through the Downton Lake area of the Upper Bridge River Valley (BRV), destroying more than 40 homes, threatening some 270 properties and consuming an area of about 9,600 hectares before being put out. Now, a partnership between the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), Cariboo Carbon Solutions (CCS) and Tree Canada is looking to plant 80,000 seedlings on private lands in Electoral Area A in 2026 at no cost to participating landowners. …The replanting initiative is part of a broader recovery effort led by the Land-Based Recovery Table, which ensures local representation as ecological restoration in the BRV moves forward. The group includes community leaders, Indigenous partners, the SLRD, provincial ministries, industry partners like CCS and local organizations including the Gun Lake Ratepayers Association. …The seedlings, currently being cultivated at Arbutus Grove Nursery, are a mix of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, hybrid spruce and western larch.

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B.C. is Burning: Wildfire documentary screenings in Kelowna, Vernon

By Cindy White
Castanet
June 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A wildfire documentary funded in part by community donations and Okanagan businesses will be screened in Kelowna and Vernon later this month. B.C. is Burning is a 45-minute film that explores the causes and consequences of the megafires that have devastated communities in the province in recent years. It also looks at science-based solutions that could protect communities, forests and B.C.’s future. The documentary was produced and written by retired forester Murray Wilson, initiated by association producer Rick Maddison and directed/edited with production support from Ryan Tebbutt of Edge Digital Media in Kelowna. It combines expert interviews, government data, and powerful footage from both British Columbia and California. …We know how to stop this,” says Wilson. “B.C. can lead — if we stop solely reacting and start managing our forests to protect lives, cut emissions, and reduce wildfire risk.”

 

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Remembering a key player behind the Sault’s ‘bug lab’

By Darren Taylor
The Soo Today
June 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Family members and local scientists gathered at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre on Monday to remember James MacBain Cameron. Cameron spearheaded the Centre’s growth from modest roots to its modern day status as a large, respected scientific facility. An entomologist, Cameron was born in Scotch Hill, Nova Scotia in 1910. He moved to the Sault in 1945 and was the original director of the Insect Pathology Research Institute, dedicated to protecting forests in the ongoing fight against threats posed by insects.  The Insect Pathology Research Institute eventually became known as the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in 1976, one year after Cameron’s death in 1975. Cameron is remembered in a professional sense for making the Centre grow through his ability to recruit scientists to work at the Queen Street East lab.

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Edmonton keeping eye out for ‘relentless killer’ in tree canopy

By Brittany Ekelund
CTV News
June 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The City of Edmonton is keeping an eye out for what it calls a “deceptively attractive” and “tremendously damaging” invasive pest that has been spreading in Canada. The emerald ash borer is a bright metallic green beetle the city said has proven to be a “relentless killer” of ash trees in North America – with 99 per cent of trees in an infested area dying within 6 years of the beetle’s arrival. The insect, which is native to eastern Asia, lays its eggs in ash trees. The larvae then chew through the cambium layer of the bark and create tunnels that stop the flow of nutrients in damaged areas and eventually kill the tree. Mike Jenkins, senior scientist with the City of Edmonton, said the beetles were first found in North America in the 1990s.

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Tent caterpillars are back

By Julianna Balsamo
CTV News
June 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

They slither in silence, drape trees in silk and chew through lively leaves. This year, the forests of Ontario are full of a very distinctive, creepy crawler – the tent caterpillar. Eastern tent caterpillars are appearing in large numbers across the province marking what experts describe as an ‘outbreak year’ for the species. While noticeable, the current outbreak is not as severe as previous ones, according to Dan Rowlinson, forest health field coordinator with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. According to the Government of Ontario, periodic outbreaks occur roughly every 10 to 12 years and typically last three to six years in a particular areas. The tent caterpillar, often mistaken for their close relatives; the spongy moth, is known for having a similar looking larvae.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Could Canada’s carbon capture ambitions catch a chill from Iceland’s struggling Mammoth project?

By Darius Snieckus
The National Observer
June 16, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

Iceland and Canada lie over 4,500 kilometres apart on a world map, yet news that a pioneering carbon removal project near Reykjavik is falling well short of expectations a year after its launch has hit home with some North American sector skeptics closely watching the climate technology’s progress. Switzerland’s Climeworks, which has raised US $800 million, opened the world’s largest operational direct air capture (DAC) plant, known as Mammoth. But the facility, which uses what look like walls of giant fans to capture CO2 directly from the air and then pumps it deep underground, has not measured up to expectations. …The slow start has sparked discussion in clean energy circles over the wisdom. …Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada could be a leader in carbon capture and storage as part of a controversial effort to decarbonize oil and gas, including extending tax credits and setting carbon dioxide removal targets.

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From ‘greenwashing’ to ‘green hushing’ — companies complain new law stifles environmental efforts

By Brandie Weikle
CBC Radio News
June 17, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Michael McCain

Some corporate leaders say new anti-greenwashing legislation has had the unintended effect of dissuading companies from taking climate action. But environmental organizations and others say that’s a cop out. Bill C-59’s changes to the Competition Act were meant to prevent companies from misrepresenting the environmental benefits of their products or practices.” The bill also gave the Competition Bureau more power to penalize companies that can’t back up their claims. But critics say requiring all such claims conform to “internationally recognized methodology” leaves too much room for interpretation and makes companies vulnerable to legal action. Michael McCain, the executive chair of Maple Leaf Foods, calls this “green hushing.” …The changes create so many “obstacles and consequences” to touting a company’s environmental efforts, that the companies stop doing them. Royal Bank has “retired” its commitment to facilitate $500 billion in sustainable finance by this year, pointing to changes in the Competition Act.

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Why Mercer International is Looking to Sequester Carbon at Scale in Alberta

By Knowlton Thomas
Calgary.tech
June 17, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Earlier this year, Burnaby’s Svante Technologies made inroads in Alberta. The move eastward is partially powered by a newly formed partnership with Mercer International. The Canadian cleantech’s carbon capture project is targeting biogenic CO2 emissions from Mercer’s Peace River pulp mill. …One of the strategies the firm intends to adopt in Canada is carbon sequestration. Within Alberta, carbon sequestration is a sensible tactic to apply, according to Mercer International’s chief executive officer, Juan Carlos Bueno. “The reason why we’re doing it there is because the mill is located in Alberta, where you have geological formations that are suitable for sequestering CO2,” Bueno informed Andrew Snook of Pulp & Paper Canada. …Finalizing investment in the project, however, is no small consideration. There is a price tag north of $500 million and moving forward would require extensive support from both the Province of Alberta and Government of Canada.

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We need to talk about the fossil fuel elephant in the room

By Julia Beatty, Shuswap Climate Action Society
The Salmon Arm Observer
June 18, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West

Currently, parts of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia are being ravaged by early and extreme wildfires. …Copernicus reported that wildfires in Canada in 2023 emitted 1,740 megatonnes of C02e, which is nearly three times Canada’s human-contributed emissions in 2022. …Forest and wildfire researchers are telling us that climate change is creating the conditions for the unprecedented wildfire destruction we are seeing. …What can be done to prepare for increasingly intense wildfire seasons? Addressing the problem requires a multi-pronged approach encompassing prevention, preparedness and response. …However, reducing carbon emissions is crucial to avoid further warming and reduce extreme weather events. As citizens we must speak up and demand that all levels of government and industry strive to lower greenhouse gas emissions while preparing for and adapting to a future with increasing risk of fire.

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Rhetoric–not evidence–continues to dominate climate debate and policy

By Kenneth P. Green, Senior Fellow, The Fraser Institute
Cision Newswire
June 17, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC – …The study published by the Fraser Institute, Four Climate Fallacies, dispels several myths about climate change and popular—but ineffective—emission reduction policies, specifically:

  • Capitalism causes climate change: …the more economically free a country is, the more effective it is at protecting its environment and combatting climate change.
  • Even small-emitting countries can do their part to fight climate change: Even if Canada reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to zero, there would be little to no measurable impact in global emissions, …the main drivers of emissions, which are ChinaIndia and the developing world.
  • Vehicle electrification will reduce climate risk and clean the air: …they often are not, and further, have offsetting environmental harms, reducing net environmental/climate benefits.
  • Carbon capture and storage is a viable strategy to combat climate change: While effective at a small scale, the benefits of carbon capture and storage … on a massive scale are limited and questionable.

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Health & Safety

Wildfire Smoke Can Hurt Your Brain

By Bhavini Gohel and Muskaan Muse Laroyia
The Tyee
June 17, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Wildfires are already burning in parts of Canada, and as they do, many communities are already facing the familiar thick haze as smoke drifts in. Smoke from wildfires has already led Environment Canada to issue air quality warnings for much of Ontario. In Toronto, smoke led to the city briefly having the worst air quality in the world. Anyone who has experienced wildfire smoke knows how it can leave you with a scratchy throat, stinging eyes and impact your lungs. However, smoke can also affect your brain. Tiny airborne pollutants found in smoke have been linked to increased risk of stroke, dementia and flare-ups in neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, or MS. These effects can disproportionately impact older adults, people with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and those living in low-income communities. This isn’t just about climate. It’s about equity, and health systems need to catch up.

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Forest Fires

Rain dampens fire activity in Northwest B.C., largest fire ‘being held’

Victoria News
June 18, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The B.C. Wildfire Service has changed the status of the province’s largest wildfire to “being held” as of Monday, June 16 after heavy weekend rains aided the firefighting effort. This Pocket Creek Fire in the province’s northeast corner is now 151,310 hectares. The fire had forced the closure of Highway 97 for a short time earlier this month. The area received more than 100 millimetres of rain over the weekend, “significantly” hampering fire growth, according to the wildfire service. A B.C. Wildfire Service spokesperson said rain is expected to continue to reduce fire behaviour in the area over the next couple days. There are currently 53 firefighters and four helicopters still working the fire. The change in weather also means campfire bans were rescinded in the Peace Forest Districts, including the Dawson Creek and Fort St. John zones as of noon on Tuesday (June 17).

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Wildfire in B.C. central Interior triggers evacuation alert, fire crews on scene

The Canadian Press in Castanet
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation alert for properties near a wildfire that is burning out of control in British Columbia’s central Interior. The Martin Lake fire was discovered Sunday and is burning about 220 kilometres west of Williams Lake. The district says the purpose of the alert is to allow people to prepare to evacuate should it be necessary as conditions could change quickly. The BC Wildfire Service says the blaze has grown to about 290 hectares in size, and crews and aviation resources are on site, working to limit its spread. It is one of about 100 wildfires burning in B.C., many of which are situated in the province’s northeast. The service says most of those fires — including the Martin Lake blaze — are believed to have been set off by lightning, while 21 per cent are suspected to be caused by humans.

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Squamish wildfire being held, crews working toward full containment

By Jan Schuermann
CityNews Everywhere
June 16, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The wildfire on the northern edge of Squamish is classified as being held on Monday after a weekend of favourable weather conditions. BC Wildfire Service Fire Information Officer Sarah Budd says dozens of ground crews are working to get the Dryden Creek wildfire fully under control. “We also have three helicopters actioning this fire,” Budd told 1130 NewsRadio, adding the fire now sits at just under 60 hectares. An evacuation alert for properties near the fire, issued by the Squamish Fire Department, has been downsized. Because the Dryden Creek Fire is in difficult terrain, it could take crews another week or so to wrap things up. “This fire has been burning in sort of really difficult terrain,” explained Budd.

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More Manitoba fire evacuees to head home

By Steve Lambert
Canadian Press in the Brandon Sun
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

WINNIPEG — Rain and cooler temperatures brought relief to fire-ravaged Manitoba and Saskatchewan Monday, allowing fire bans to be reduced and more evacuees to go home. The weather helped fire crews get an upper hand in parts of northern Manitoba to clear the way for some of the 21,000 or more evacuees to start returning home. David Monias, chief of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, reposted video of heavy rainfall on social media along with video of small planes leaving Winnipeg with evacuees who were forced out almost three weeks earlier. “Our people are coming home,” Monias wrote on Facebook, adding the community’s infrastructure is intact and water systems have been tested by health officials. …There were 18 fires still burning across Manitoba, with seven of them listed as out of control.

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Wildfire near Squamish being held, no longer burning out of control

The Canadian Press in CTV News
June 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Officials say a wildfire near Squamish, B.C., which forced the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park and triggered a local state of emergency earlier this week, is now classified as being held after help from cool, cloudy weather. The BC Wildfire Service announced the fire was being held, meaning the fire is expected to remain within its current perimeter based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability, on Saturday afternoon. The District of Squamish says the Dryden Creek wildfire has held steady at 0.6 square kilometres in size since Friday. The district says 65 B.C. wildland firefighters, five helicopters and one piece of heavy equipment are on scene to work alongside Squamish Fire Rescue staff to contain the fire. Although weather conditions seem favourable for firefighting efforts, the district says a state of local emergency remains in place.

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Wet weather expected to help fight Badger wildfire, says N.L. fire officer

By Elizabeth Whitten
CBC News
June 19, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

Jeff Motty

A wildfire is still threatening the community of Badger but wet weather is expected to help crews fight the fire, says Newfoundland and Labrador’s fire officer. The forest fire started on Tuesday, ignited by a lightning strike near the community. On Wednesday, the province ordered residents of the town to evacuate and head to the nearby community of Grand Falls-Windsor. The provincial government also brought in a province-wide fire ban. Forestry protection supervisor Jeff Motty anticipates Thursday will be a “bust day” fighting the wildfire that’s threatening Badger. “If everything holds through, the [fire weather index] should decrease down to a level of moderate,” he told CBC News on Wednesday evening, “which will be good for our crews to be able to get in and just start working that fire and trying to put out any hotspots and anything in between that they can get out.” 

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Wildfire burning near Badger, Churchill Falls fire being held

By Elizabeth Whitten and Alex Kennedy
CBC News
June 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A wildfire has started near the Newfoundland community of Badger following a lightning storm in the area Tuesday afternoon. Craig Coady, the director of Newfoundland and Labrador’s wildfire program, told CBC News Tuesday evening the fire is burning about six kilometres from the community, and is burning east from the south side of the Exploits River. Crews received word of the fire just after 4 p.m. NT, Grand Falls-Windsor Fire Chief Vince MacKenzie said Tuesday. Torrential rain and lightning was reported in the area around the time, which prompted a short power outage for more than 8,500 people in the region. …It wasn’t the only fire crews were fighting on Tuesday. A wildfire burning near Churchill Falls, Labrador is now being held. The fire broke out on Monday but is being managed on Tuesday. It was considered out of control until Tuesday morning when the status changed to being held.

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As 2 dozen wildfires burn across northwestern Ontario, 3 First Nations still under evacuation

By Sarah Law
CBC News
June 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

©Ontario.ca

While burn bans have been lifted across much of northwestern Ontario, provincial authorities warn people to remain cautious while crews contend with two dozen fires in the region. Meanwhile the First Nations communities of Deer Lake, Webequie and Sandy Lake remain under evacuation orders. As of Friday, all evacuation and restricted access orders had been removed from the Kenora district, with implementation orders also lifted in areas near two wildfires known as Kenora 20 and Kenora 32. “Wildland fire suppression activities are ongoing on Kenora 20 and Kenora 32 but public safety relating to these fires is no longer a concern,” Ontario Forest Fires said Saturday night. …The region’s largest wildfire — Red Lake 12 — saw more activity on Saturday due to clear skies and north/northwest winds. The fire, described as a ‘sleeping giant,’ is more 175,000 hectares, and triggered evacuations from Deer Lake First Nation and more than 2,000 people from Sandy Lake First Nation.

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