Region Archives: Canada

Special Feature

Canadian Wood Council Announces Leadership Transition

By Sarah Hicks
Canadian Wood Council
June 18, 2026
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) announces that Rick Jeffery will retire from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the CWC effective June 30, 2026, following a distinguished career of leadership and service to Canada’s wood products industry.

“Rick Jeffery’s tenure at CWC has been characterized by strategic vision, consistent leadership, and an unwavering dedication to promoting wood construction across Canada,” says Board Chair, Philippe Clune. “Under his direction, the CWC advanced codes and standards, strengthened its partnership with the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), and raised the profile of the WoodWorks program from coast to coast. …He will be sincerely missed, but his legacy will continue to shape the future of wood construction for years to come.”

The CWC Board of Directors has appointed Derek Nighbor as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Derek currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of FPAC, a role he has held since March 2016 and will retain. He has worked closely with CWC leadership in recent years, and his appointment reflects the importance of increased collaboration across the forest sector and wood building construction value chains to deliver on affordable housing, increase the use of Canadian wood in building construction, and strengthen the domestic industry in the face of growing geo-political and trade challenges. …Under Derek’s leadership, CWC will continue delivering the programs, services, and results that members and partners rely upon.

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Business & Politics

Canadian Wood Council Announces New Board Chair

By Sarah Hicks
Canadian Wood Council
June 17, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Ottawa, ON  – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is pleased to announce that Philippe Clune was appointed to the role of Board Chair at the organization’s Annual General Meeting today. Clune succeeds Kevin Pankratz, who has completed his term as Chair after providing dedicated service to the organization and Canada’s wood products sector. “On behalf of the CWC, I would like to thank Kevin for his leadership and valuable contributions during his tenure as Chair,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the CWC. …Nighbor also welcomed Clune to the role. “As Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Domtar, Philippe brings extensive industry knowledge, strategic insight, and a commitment to advancing the use of wood in the built environment,” said Nighbor. “I look forward to working with him as we continue strengthening CWC’s role as a national voice for the wood products industry and delivering value for our members and partners.”

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What you need to know as the deadline for formally extending CUSMA approaches

By Kelly Geraldine Malone
The Canadian Press in Calgary City News
June 17, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON — A major benchmark is coming up for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known in Canada as CUSMA. July 1 is the deadline for the three countries to either formally extend the agreement for 16 years or continue under annual reviews. …What happens if there is no extension on July 1? The trade pact will remain in place even if the United States doesn’t agree to extend CUSMA on July 1. Peisch said CUSMA will continue for another 10 years before “automatically terminating if the parties can’t come to agreement on extension.” In the near term, Peisch said, the countries will continue to negotiate possible changes to the agreement that could lead to an extension. …Can a country leave CUSMA? If the United States does not agree to the extension on July 1, the trade agreement stays in place unless one of the countries gives six months’ notice that it is pulling out of CUSMA. 

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Tuberville demands action on foreign imports harming Alabama producers

By Sawyer Knowles
The Yellowhammer News
June 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Tommy Tuberville

ALABAMA — US Senator Tommy Tuberville tore into foreign import trade practices undercutting Alabama’s timber and shrimp industries during a Senate hearing with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, demanding aggressive tariffs to protect producers across the state. Alabama’s forestry sector carries a $36 billion annual economic impact, supports more than 40,000 jobs, and ranks fourth nationally in lumber production. Tuberville told Rollins the industry is under siege. “My foresters are getting killed. Our sawmills are closing down,” Tuberville said. “We’re getting beat up by Canada. I think we have a 25% tariff on Canada. It needs to be about 60, 70 percent. They are flooding our country with lumber.” Tuberville saved his sharpest fire for China, where he said companies buy Alabama timber, ship it overseas for milling, and send finished products back at prices domestic manufacturers cannot match. …“We need to tariff the hell out of China.” …Rollins said the USDA plans to prioritize timber.

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Trump’s threat not to renew USMCA an invitation to make a deal, U.S. Ambassador says

By Mark Rendell and James Bradshaw
The Globe & Mail
June 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Pete Hoekstra

US President Trump’s comment that he is not looking to renew the continental trade agreement is actually an invitation to make a deal, the US ambassador to Canada said Thursday. Pete Hoekstra looked to reframe the President’s Wednesday remarks that the US does not need anything from Canada and may not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “You maybe don’t like the way the President says it, but … what he’s saying is we’re open to offers,” Mr. Hoekstra said. …Officials from all three countries have said they expect negotiations to continue beyond July 1, meaning the annual review scenario is more likely than an outright renewal. …Mr. LeBlanc said he and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette met with U.S. trade representative. “We’re doing the important work of answering some of the long-standing concerns that the United States has,” Mr. LeBlanc said. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Trump says he is ‘not looking to renew’ CUSMA trade agreement

By Adriana Fallico
Global News
June 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States, International

US President Trump has said he is “not looking to renew” the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). “I made the deal and the primary reason I made the deal is that NAFTA was the worst trade deal I’ve ever seen. Yeah. And I made it better. But I had the right to terminate.” …“We don’t need anything to Canada has, we don’t need anything that Mexico has, but they need everything that we have, and they have to treat us better.” …“With Mexico and Canada, we have trade deficits. We should have surpluses with them. We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy.” …CUSMA’s text allows each country the opportunity to extend the agreement for another 16 years or launch a series of annual reviews.

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U.S. Lumber Coalition Applauds White House Executive Order Strengthening the Enforcement of U.S. Customs Laws

US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
June 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US Lumber Coalition applauds President Trump on the signing of an Executive Order strengthening the enforcement of US customs laws. The EO recognizes the need to modernize and enhance the tools available to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure the timely collection of duties and tariffs and the importance of the strong enforcement of the trade laws. The EO instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to increase bonding requirements and for importers of record to maintain a minimum level of domestic assets. Because Canadian-owned lumber companies generally act as the importer of record, these updates will improve CBP’s ability to collect amounts owed to the government. The EO also combats trade and customs fraud by prioritizing the enforcement of the trade laws, including those related to evasion and transshipment.

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West Fraser and Kirkwood Timber Frame strengthen partnership to support UK offsite construction growth

By Kenneth Booth
Building Design & Construction
June 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, International

UK — A strong and reliable supply chain is essential to the continued growth of offsite construction in the UK, and the collaboration between West Fraser and Kirkwood Timber Frame is a clear example of how aligned partnerships are helping to deliver high-quality timber buildings at scale. Founded in August 2021, Kirkwood Timber Frame has quickly established itself as a dynamic manufacturer of open and closed panel timber frame systems. …Since partnering with West Fraser in 2023, Kirkwood has standardised on the manufacturer’s panel products, embedding them across its offsite production process. According to Managing Director, Malcolm Thomson, this has been key to maintaining quality and consistency at scale. “West Fraser supplies all our OSB and chipboard flooring. Their products run right through everything we produce – it’s fundamental to our system,” he said.

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US Trade Representative Greer Blames Canada Tariffs For Minimal Progress on Trade Talks

By Paul Vieira and Amanda Coletta
The WSJ in Morningstar
June 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Jamieson Greer

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said retaliatory measures from Canada on US products are a major hurdle thwarting talks between the two countries on a renewed trade pact. …Unlike Mexico, Greer said, Canada “has a different approach to the United States. They have some retaliatory tariffs still in effect, and that makes it a problem for us to negotiate.” …Greer and other Trump administration officials have repeatedly criticized a ban on the sale of US wine and spirits in most Canadian provinces, in their government-owned liquor retailing outlets. …LeBlanc visited Greer last week, and the Canadian minister said at the time that the encounter as positive, and that he presented specific proposals to address Trump administration concerns about Canada. For their part, some Canadian provincial leaders said they are not budging on their ban… until there is a trade deal between Ottawa and Washington. 

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The U.S. Lumber Coalition Applauds President Trump’s Selection of Nominees to Serve on the U.S. International Trade Commission

The US Lumber Coalition
June 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US. Lumber Coalition applauds President Trump’s selection of nominees to serve on the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The ITC plays a critical role in the strong enforcement of US trade remedy laws. The current vacancies at the ITC create a risk that this vital agency may not be able to function if any of the Commissioners is not available to perform their duties. The USLC urges the Senate to move these nominations forward.

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[Editor’s note] Per The US White House and sent to the Senate on June 1, 2026, the nominees are:

  1. Peter-Anthony Pappas (New Jersey)
    • Nominated to complete an unexpired term ending June 16, 2026, and then to a full term ending June 16, 2035
    • Served as an adviser to Senator Thom Tillis and has experience in patent and trade matters
  2. Samuel Negatu (District of Columbia)
    • Nominated for a term expiring June 16, 2029
    • Previously served in the Office of the US Trade Representative
  3. Bartholomew Thanhauser (New York)
    • Nominated for a term expiring December 16, 2027
    • Has a background with the Office of the US Trade Representative and congressional trade work

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Canfor further diversifies with acquisition of I-joist facility in Calgary

Canfor
June 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Vancouver, BC — Canfor Corporation announced today that it has entered into an agreement with PinkWood Ltd. to purchase its I-joist business for $68.0 million, including working capital. Founded in 2009, PinkWood is the largest Ijoist facility in Western Canada, producing engineered wood joists for residential, multi-family, and commercial construction. Located in Calgary, AB, PinkWood has 120 employees, with production capacity of 46 million linear feet. The purchase price represents a 5 times EBITDA multiple based on current production levels and earnings, including identified synergies. … “PinkWood is a leading manufacturer of high-quality I-joists with a strong management team and stable returns,” said Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of Canfor. “Canfor’s acquisition of PinkWood complements our operations in Western Canada by enhancing product diversification and supporting the continued expansion of our value-added manufacturing capabilities.

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Enough with all the national strategies and plans!

By Matthew Lau
The National Post in Yahoo! finance
June 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

In addition to its attention-grabbing National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, last week the federal government launched its nationwide Forest Sector Action Plan. The premise behind these national plans and strategies is that individuals and businesses are incapable of managing their own affairs, and so need guidance from an all-wise federal government. …One excellent reason for skepticism about national government planning is given by the government itself. “Canada’s forest sector has faced crisis after crisis over the past 20 years,” it begins. Three sentences later, it says: “For decades, governments have delivered programs to promote investment, research, innovation, Indigenous involvement and market diversification in Canada’s forest sector.” If government forestry programs have produced crisis after crisis for decades, the idea that even more government planning will help is optimistic, to say the least. The action plan is full of central-planning interventions that have failed across industries for decades.

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Cascades launches its fifth Sustainability Plan and renews its biodiversity and environmental partnerships

By Cascades Inc.
PR Newswire
June 17, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

KINGSEY FALLS, QC – Cascades Inc. is pleased to launch its fifth Sustainability Plan, which brings together a range of concrete actions and reaffirms the company’s commitment to actively contributing to sustainability by working collaboratively with its customers, suppliers, and business partners. Cascades is also taking this opportunity to announce the signing of several partnerships focused on biodiversity and environmental preservation, a key pillar of its new plan. The company is renewing its agreements with Parc Marie‑Victorin, the David Suzuki Foundation, and the Granby Zoo, establishing a new partnership with Wildlife Habitat Canada, and continuing its collaboration with Mission 1000 Tonnes. Titled “Rising together,” this new 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan is built around four pillars: Protected Nature, Eco-designed Products, Fulfilled Employees, and Engaged Partners. Developed over several months and informed by consultations involving employees, suppliers, customers, partners, and members of executive management, the plan provides a clear roadmap to guide Cascades’ actions over the next five years.

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Letter to MP Wayne Long Re: Opportunities at AV Group NB

By Lana Payne, National President
Unifor Canada
June 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

I am writing today to bring to your attention concerns around two forestry mills operating in the province of New Brunswick, employing Unifor members. …Our members work at AV Group NB Nackawic (Unifor Local 219) and AV Group NB Atholville (Unifor Local 160), two mills that make dissolving grade pulp, which is processed for the manufacturing of viscose staple fibre for use in the textile industry. Recently, [these members] have been concerned about the future of the two mills. …Unifor believes that there are a number of opportunities to stabilize operations and build a sustainable and prosperous future at AV Group NB Nackawic and AV Group NB Atholville. The mills have access to a high quality and plentiful fibre basket, we believe the Government of New Brunswick will be supportive of investment at the mills, and – most importantly – our members at those facilities are highly-skilled, motivated, and well-trained.

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Ontario Investing $1.6 Million to Protect Forestry Workers in Mildmay

By Natural Resources
Government of Ontario
June 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

MILDMAY — The Ontario government is investing $1.6 million in Bernie McGlynn Lumber Ltd. to support a major expansion and modernization project at the company’s sawmill in Mildmay. The investment will more than double the company’s production space, increase output by 47 per cent, create five new good-paying jobs and support 13 existing positions. As part of its plan to protect Ontario forestry workers and businesses, the province is making strategic investments to help the forest sector adapt, compete and grow in the face of U.S. tariffs. …The government’s investment through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program will support Bernie McGlynn Lumber’s $5.3 million project to construct a new 30,000-square-foot facility and install upgraded equipment, including a first-in-Ontario thermal-treating kiln system and a double-bladed bandsaw. 

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Ontario Launches Fortress North America Plan

By Office of the Premier
Government of Ontario
June 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Doug Ford

Premier Doug Ford is concluding a mission to Washington, D.C. after unveiling Ontario’s renewed plan for Building Fortress North America by reaching a fair free trade agreement that will create more jobs, lower costs and strengthen North American security. Over two days, Premier Ford is leading an Ontario delegation that is meeting with United States senators and members of Congress, as well as business executives from critical industries including the automotive, aerospace and agricultural sectors. …During the mission, Premier Ford highlighted how the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) has resulted in years of economic prosperity for the three signatory countries. …Fortress North America will also strengthen national security across the continent by building secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, defence production and advanced technologies.

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In Memoriam

From Youbou to Crofton — Remembering Rob Kroek

H. W. Wallace Cremation & Burial Centre
June 15, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: Canada West

Rob Kroek

Rob Kroek, who passed away on June 5 at age 71, devoted more than five decades to British Columbia’s forest industry and was well known throughout the Cowichan Valley and Vancouver Island forest community. Rob’s forestry career began at just 16 years old, working weekends and summers in cleanup at the Youbou sawmill. He later moved through a variety of mill positions, including the challenging role of tallyman, earning a reputation for versatility, hard work and a willingness to learn. As the Youbou operation declined, Rob repeatedly adapted to new roles before eventually transferring to Crofton Pulp and Paper, where he continued his career until retiring in 2016. Over 55 years in the industry, Rob embodied the belief that there is value in “knowing how to do more than one thing.” Colleagues knew him as a dependable co-worker, a thoughtful mentor and a proud forest industry worker. [Condensed from the family obituary – see Read More]

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Finance & Economics

Second official linerboard increase in four months started in North America

By Gregory Rudder
RISI Fastmarkets
June 15, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

North American producers are pursuing a second formal linerboard increase in four months, faster than the typical five-month cadence. Roughly 10% and 3.9 million tons of US containerboard capacity were permanently retired from February 2025 through March 2026. Cost pressures mount as inflation hits a three-year high, OCC rose $5–10 per short ton and diesel jumped 50% to $5.259 per gallon. PCA reported legacy box demand up 4.5% in April and 3.5% in May, selling 90,000 tons of inventory across March and April. Packaging paper increases of $50–$60 per ton take effect July 1 and August 1 across multiple producers, including Smurfit Westrock and ND Paper.

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Canada’s housing starts fall 6.1% in May

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
June 15, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario — The six-month trend in housing starts was virtually flat in May, with a slight increase of 0.5% to 258,010 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. Actual monthly housing starts were down 5.2% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or more, with 22,633 units recorded in May, compared to 23,879 units in May 2025. The year-to-date total was 93,644 units, up 3% from the same period in 2025, driven by higher starts in British Columbia and Ontario, outweighing year-over-year decreases in the Prairies. The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada decreased 6% in May (261,377 units) compared to April (278,380 units).

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Total value of building permits decreased 7.6% in April

Statistics Canada
June 11, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

In April, the total value of building permits issued in Canada decreased $1.0 billion (-7.6%) to $12.5 billion. Both the non-residential sector (-10.5%) and the residential sector (-5.5%) contributed to the decline in construction intentions. …The value of non-residential building permits fell $585.9 million to $5.0 billion in April. The decrease was led by the institutional component (-$388.2 million to $1.4 billion), followed by the industrial component (-$323.2 million to $1.2 billion). Meanwhile, the commercial component (+$125.6 million to $2.3 billion) moderated the overall decrease. …Residential construction intentions declined by $437.7 million to $7.5 billion in April. The multi-family component (-$429.7 million to $4.8 billion) accounted for most of the decline in the month, while the single-family component remained virtually unchanged, at $2.7 billion.

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Lumber Futures Rise to 8-Month High

Trading Economics
June 11, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber climbed to $617 per thousand board feet, the highest level since October, as constrained supply outweighed subdued conditions in the housing market. The US lumber market remains tight, with domestic production failing to fully offset reduced imports from Canada following tariffs. Canada still supplies roughly 30% of US consumption, underscoring its continued importance despite trade barriers. The US Commerce Department has proposed lowering combined duties on Canadian lumber to 24.8% from 35.2%, but an additional 10% Section 232 tariff keeps the effective rate close to 35%. Supply pressures have been further intensified by wildfire damage and other production disruptions in Canada, prompting British Columbia to introduce emergency measures aimed at boosting timber availability after storms and fires threatened output. [END]

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Bank of Canada holds key rate steady in fifth consecutive decision

By Craig Lord
The Canadian Press in BNN Bloomberg
June 10, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

The Bank of Canada is leaving its benchmark interest rate unchanged as it tries to chart a course through global uncertainty. The central bank’s policy rate remains at 2.25 per cent today after its fifth consecutive hold. Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says in prepared remarks that the economy was softer than expected in the first quarter of the year but global oil prices are also staying higher than first thought, which could keep the annual rate of inflation near three per cent for the next few months. The Bank of Canada can’t effectively respond to rising inflation and a weaker economy at the same time, so Macklem says leaving the policy rate unchanged balances those risks. The central bank sees a rebound in economic growth on the horizon but Macklem warns uncertainty is high around the war in Iran and US trade policy.

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‘Tailwinds about one mile per hour’: Why the housing recovery keeps getting delayed

By Matt Sexton
The Mortgage Professional America
June 8, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

There have been consistent signs that the housing market is poised for a rebound. Russ Taylor has been tracking North American lumber markets for decades. The data, he said, keeps telling a different story. …”If things are unaffordable and there’s uncertainty and consumer confidence is weak, then nothing happens. People might be saving more money if they’re not spending it, but everyone’s worried about jobs and everything else, so they’re not spending.” The number Taylor keeps coming back to is lumber consumption. In 2016, the country consumed roughly 50 billion board feet. In 2025, the number was almost exactly the same. Ten years of demographic tailwinds, rising equity, and persistent housing shortage arguments, and consumption has not budged. …Housing starts have been declining every year since their 2021 peak, and Taylor expects 2026 to continue that trend. Repair and remodeling, which accounts for roughly 40% of US lumber consumption, has been similarly stagnant since the COVID period.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

The Carbon Math Most Steel Building Lifecycle Comparisons Get Wrong

Green Building Canada
June 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Steel keeps losing the green building conversation on a technicality. Most lifecycle comparisons published in industry media compare materials on cradle-to-gate embodied carbon and walk away. Steel comes out heavy. Wood comes out light. Concrete sits somewhere in the middle. The reader files steel away as the carbon-heavy choice and moves on. The problem with that framing is not the numbers themselves. It is what gets left out of the calculation. A building exists for decades. Materials behave differently across that span. End-of-life recycling rates vary by an order of magnitude. None of that shows up in the cradle-to-gate snapshot that gets quoted in most green building pieces. …What the analysis does argue is that the cradle-to-gate number cited in most green building media tells less than half the story. …The broader lesson is that sustainable construction decisions should be based on whole-building lifecycle assessment rather than a single embodied-carbon number. 

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BC Wood Connections Newsletter for June

The BC Wood Specialties Group
June 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Wood Connections Summary: BC Wood is gearing up for a busy fall season, with registration now open for the 2026 Global Buyers Mission in Whistler and a slate of market development opportunities stretching from Vancouver to Mexico. The annual GBM returns September 10–12, bringing together international buyers, architects, designers, manufacturers, distributors, and wood industry professionals for business matchmaking, networking, educational sessions, and WoodTALKS™ programming. The association has also announced the first round of GBM sponsorship winners and is encouraging companies to act quickly as exhibit space and hotel accommodations are filling fast. Beyond Whistler, BC Wood is recruiting participants for the Interior Design Show in Vancouver, Tecno Mueble in Guadalajara, and is exploring a coordinated presence at California’s Pacific Coast Builders Conference. Meanwhile, TWIG’s Wood-First-Wednesday program continues to expand its reach, with a new partnership extending networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities into the Robson and North Thompson region.

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The instant high-rise. Novel modular construction using AI and robots

By UBC Applied Science
The University of British Columbia
May 5, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

For decades, populations in North American cities have been growing faster than housing can accommodate. …Dr. Yang is the director of UBC’s Smart Structures Lab, where researchers combine advanced structural simulation and large-scale experimental testing to design building systems that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and quick to assemble. Integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, and modular assembly to automate key stages of construction—and even monitor structural health in real time—the lab has evolved into a hub for next-generation infrastructure research. It also plays a central role in an $8.27-million national initiative led by UBC Civil Engineering to address housing supply through sustainable modular construction. …Dr. Yang’s team is already applying their research in the field, testing out large-scale construction machines to automate the construction sequence. …Instead of performing repetitive or hazardous physical tasks, workers become machine operators and systems managers, while supervisors monitor multiple projects remotely. 

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Career opportunities unfold as housing construction facility opens shop in Port Alberni

By Denise Titian
Ha-Shilth-Sa
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

PORT ALBERNI, BC — Tina Gus… a member of the Tseshaht First Nation, is one of two women in the first Green Building Foundations and Manufacturing training program cohort who went on to work at IGV Housing as a Production Operator. …The program brings together IGV Housing, North Island College and Synergy Foundation to deliver a fully funded skills-building opportunity that delivers trained workers to Port Alberni’s new IGV Housing plant and other construction businesses like it. …Located at the former San Group wood manufacturing site next to the paper mill in central Port Alberni, IGV Housing is a facility where new homes are being built. “The company manufactures full-scale homes and is developing a solution for multi-family buildings up to six storeys,” said a spokesperson for IGV Housing. The company uses a systemized hybrid construction model that combines factory-built components with on-site assembly.

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Creating the UBC President’s Table with CAWP

By the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
The University of British Columbia
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

When UBC’s president decided to replace the main conference table in his office, members of the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) were invited to design and manufacture a custom wood solution on campus. The existing piece did not meet the president’s functional needs, particularly in terms of acoustics and seating comfort at the head of the table. With the specifications in mind, Lief Eriksen, technical operations coordinator at CAWP, proposed several concepts. The president selected a solid wood interpretation that retained some of the soft, oval-like character of the original top while introducing a more grounded, retangular presence suited to the space. The final design was developed in Fusion 360, with particular attention to ergonomics, stability, and buildability. …Red alder, a commercially available but underutilized British Columbia hardwood, was selected for the project. …The project made extensive use of CAWP’s advanced manufacturing infrastructure, which is uncommon in an academic setting. 

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Research explores how mass timber offices support employee wellbeing

By Forestry Innovation Investment
LinkedIn
June 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Interest in mass timber construction has grown in recent years. However, there has been limited research in B.C. on the social and workplace impacts of these buildings, particularly for the wellbeing of occupants. To help address this gap, Forestry Innovation Investment funded a study to better understand how mass timber and biophilic design can influence employee wellbeing in office buildings. The study focuses on The Exchange, a mass timber commercial development in Kelowna, B.C., and contributes to a growing evidence base on the social and workplace benefits of wood-based construction. Carried out by urban research firm Happy Cities, the post-occupancy evaluation examined two mass timber office buildings completed in 2024. Using a combination of site visits, interviews, and employee surveys, the study assessed how features such as exposed wood, natural light, views to nature, and indoor plants affect workplace experience, satisfaction, and wellbeing.

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Vancouver firm wins two international architectural awards for Squamish waterfront project

By Gagandeep Ghuman
North Shore Daily Post
June 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

SLA Inc.

A Vancouver architecture firm has taken home two international honours for its Squamish waterfront project. Stephane Laroye Architect (SLA) won both the Jury and Popular Choice prizes in the Architecture + Prefab & Modular category at the 2026 Architizer A+Awards — recognition given to what the program describes as the world’s most visionary architectural creators. The winning project, the Oceanfront Squamish Presentation Centre & Public House (PCPH), sits on the Squamish waterfront overlooking Howe Sound fjord and opened to the public in summer 2024. …The project drew on regional partners throughout. Laroye credited Castlegar-based Kalesnikoff for input on the efficient use of mass timber, and North Vancouver’s Naikoon Contracting, whose work on the project helped spur development of what Laroye called a “Flying Factory” — a mobile pre-fabrication facility designed to serve remote sites and create local employment. See image gallery here. 

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Design for Mass Timber Hospital in Canada Wins Fast Company 2026 World Changing Ideas Award

HDR Inc.
June 16, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — The Quinte Health Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) in Picton, Ontario, Canada, is a winner of Fast Company’s 2026 World Changing Ideas Awards in the “general excellence” category. Upon completion in 2028, it will be the first acute care hospital in North America constructed with an unencapsulated all mass timber structure. …The new 23-inpatient-bed, 97,000-square-foot hospital represents a deeply collaborative effort between Quinte Health, Infrastructure Ontario, HDR, M. Sullivan & Son Limited, and the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation. Currently under construction, the hospital establishes a new benchmark for sustainable healthcare infrastructure. …PECMH’s timber structure, geothermal energy systems, building-integrated photovoltaics, high-performance envelopes, public gardens and green roofs position the hospital as a pioneering example of how one of the most energy-intensive building typologies can be reimagined for a lower-carbon future.

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Mass timber addition to expand Niagara College’s applied health programs amid rising enrolment

Daily Commercial News
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

©Montgomery Sisam

WELLAND, ONT. — Currently under construction in Welland, Ont., the Niagara College Applied Health Institute (AHI) Expansion aims to create a community hub that responds to rising enrolment in health care programs such as nursing, paramedicine, personal support work, dental hygiene and pharmacy. The 75,000-square-foot purpose-built mass timber addition was designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects and will feature a new entrance, pedestrian plaza, courtyard and atrium. …At the heart of the building, a feature stair rises through an open atrium to the second level. “Delivered on an accelerated schedule in response to urgent workforce needs, the mass timber expansion is pursuing Zero Carbon Building and Rick Hansen Foundation certifications,” the release adds. “An innovative design-assist partnership with timber supplier Nordic Structures also helped streamline co-ordination between design and fabrication, supporting both schedule certainty and construction efficiency.”

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Ontario sees jump in mid-rise wood construction following 2023 building code change

By Lindsay Kelly
Northern Ontario Business
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Three years ago, the Ontario Building Code required that any developer taking on a mid-rise wood-frame building had to construct stairwells out of non-combustible material. That was expensive. It made construction challenging, and, according to the Canadian Wood Council, resulted in a lower adoption of wood-frame building. Since that requirement was removed in 2023, allowing full buildings to be constructed with wood, interest in mid-rise wood-frame building has increased considerably, especially for residential builds, said Hailey Quiquero, with the WoodWorks Ontario program, an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council. “Now, in our market, we’re sitting at around 50% of five- and six-storey buildings being built out of wood construction, so a great jump,” Quiquero said. “We’ve still got a long way to go. In BC, I think it’s greater than 80% of this market.” …Currently in Ontario, mid-rise wood-frame building is largely being used in residential projects, Quiquero said.

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Laurentian University prof lauded for architectural research

Northern Ontario Business
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

SUDBURY, Ontario — A Laurentian University architecture professor is being recognized for his research in sustainable design. Steven Beites, an assistant professor at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture, has received an award for his paper, “Technology, Ecology and the Housing Crisis.” It explores how advanced technologies, robotics, and sustainable bio-based materials can fundamentally reshape modern design and construction. Beites received the award from the College of Distinguished Professors and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture during the ACSA’s annual convention in Chicago in March. Beites’ work looks at how innovative approaches to design and construction — including using robotics and digitally fabricated systems to move production into controlled manufacturing environments — can help address housing challenges in rural and remote communities in Northern Ontario. One of his projects is the development of a cable-driven parallel robot, which could be assembled on site and used to 3D print housing components.

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Nipissing University will celebrate forestry advocate

Northern Ontario Business
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

A long-time advocate for Ontario’s forest products industry will be recognized by Nipissing University this spring. Marianne Berube, who spent more than 25 years at the helm of WoodWorks Ontario, will receive a doctor of letters from the North Bay institute, her alma mater. An initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, WoodWorks Ontario Is an industry-led advocacy group that promotes the use of wood in non-residential, mid-rise and tall-building markets in Canada. The organization offers training, networking and technical support in an effort to build proficiency amongst those in the design and construction industries. “Berube was the executive director of the Canadian Wood Council’s [WoodWorks Ontario] program for 22 years, building the program from its pilot launch in North Bay to the provincial initiative it is today,” Nipissing noted in a news release. Retiring in 2025, Berube is currently chair of the Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE).

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Ontario sees jump in mid-rise wood construction following 2023 building code change

By Lindsay Kelly
Northern Ontario Business
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

Three years ago, the Ontario Building Code required that any developer taking on a mid-rise wood-frame building had to construct stairwells out of non-combustible material. That was expensive. It made construction challenging, and, according to the Canadian Wood Council, resulted in a lower adoption of wood-frame building. Since that requirement was removed in 2023, allowing full buildings to be constructed with wood, interest in mid-rise wood-frame building has increased considerably, especially for residential builds, said Hailey Quiquero, senior manager with the Ontario Wood WORKS! program, an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council. “Now, in our market, we’re sitting at around 50 per cent of five- and six-storey buildings being built out of wood construction, so a great jump,” Quiquero said during a June 4 online webinar hosted by Ontario Wood WORKS!

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Proposed Mississauga wood recovery plant would cut coal use

By Andrew Palamarchuk
Mississauga News
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

Mississauga city staff are reviewing a proposal for a “wood recovery facility” and an associated office building near Winston Churchill Boulevard and Lakeshore Road near the Oakville border. Applications have been submitted to amend the official plan and zoning to permit the facility, which would recover wood material to be used as a fuel source, according to the city. …local councillor, Alvin Tedjo said the cement plant provides roughly a third of all the cement for the province but still uses coal, adding the proposed wood recovery plant would provide low-carbon fuels. “The idea is that this plant would then create and process the materials in order to be used in the cement process which would then significantly reduce the use of coal and actually is part of removing coal completely from the (cement) plant so that we can be fully coal-free in Mississauga,” Tedjo said in a June 4 interview.

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Mass Timber Takes Center Stage at Vancouver’s New Amphitheater

By Bryan Gottlieb
Walls & Ceilings Magazine
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, US West

VANCOUVER — A massive timber roof over the new Freedom Mobile Arch amphitheater in Vancouver, BC, is demonstrating how mass timber could become a viable alternative to steel and concrete in large public assembly venues. The approximately $183-million venue at Hastings Park opened June 5 and will host FIFA World Cup events. Its 105-meter clear-span roof is supported by just three primary points. …”Most long-span timber arch structures worldwide are exhibition halls, arenas or soccer facilities with spans in the 80-90 m range,” Fast + Epp, the venue’s structural engineer, said. …The resulting structure lands on three massive concrete supports positioned at the corners of an equilateral triangle, an unusual geometry that drove the engineering solution. As the timber arches splay outward toward the roof’s center, they generate significant thrust forces. Those forces are transferred to steel king arches in the roof valleys before moving into the concrete buttresses.

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Forestry

FSC Canada releases 2025 Annual Report – A year of growth

By Étienne Vézina, Board Chair
FSC Canada
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

2025 was a landmark year for FSC Canada, one defined by transition, renewed clarity, and a deepening of the values that anchor our mission. I am proud to reflect on a year in which FSC Canada strengthened its role as a trusted leader in responsible forest stewardship. This year marked an important moment in our organization’s history with the retirement of François Dufresne, who served as President and CEO for more than a decade. François guided FSC Canada through periods of significant change in the forest sector, always with integrity, steadiness, and a commitment to collaboration. …We also welcomed Monika Patel as FSC Canada’s new President and CEO. Monika brings a clear strategic vision, a deep understanding of the FSC system, and a values driven approach that aligns strongly with our mission. Her leadership has already brought renewed focus to our priorities and strengthened our engagement with partners across the country.  

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Fire-loving fungi are nature’s first responders after wildfire, readying the soil for rebirth

By Laura Fraser
CBC News
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

©Monika Fisher

Within weeks of a wildfire, an orange crust coats deadwood and the charred forest floor, creating an otherworldly landscape that still seems to be smoking. But instead of continued destruction, it’s a signal of rebirth: tiny fungi are colonizing the wreckage. “They shoot out spores, so many that it actually looks like smoke,” said Joey Tanney, a Canadian Forest Service mycologist and research scientist. These peachy-orange fungi are pyronema, a type of pyrophilous — Greek for fire-loving — fungi that act as nature’s first responders to a wildfire. And the study of how these organisms help with fire recovery has grown as climate change boosts the size, intensity and frequency of wildfires. Believed to be in a dormant state, fire-loving fungal spores remain latent until a wildfire, says Monika Fischer, a mycologist at the University of British Columbia studying the role of fungi in a post-fire environment. 

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Forest Stewardship Council News for June 2026

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

In the June newsletter you’ll find links to these headlines:

  • Upcoming webinar: Navigating IFL revisions and Motion 45 requirements: How it all fits together
  • FSC Canada 2025 Annual Report – A year of growth
  • FSC Canada at Toronto Climate Week 2026
  • Engaging Québec’s private forest landowners
  • BC Community Forest Association AGM
  • The Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report
  • Call for members: FSC Canada Standards Development Group (SDG)
  • FSC opens consultations on standards, strategy, and regulatory updates 
  • FSC and Verra announce partnership to label carbon credits from responsible forests
  • Public consultation on certification statements and minimum audit duration

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Forest management must shift from profit to prevention

Nature
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Canada’s forest disturbance costs have been rising quickly. We propose that silviculture must be reframed as a risk mitigation tool under an ‘avoided costs’ framework as proactive investments become essential to prevent far greater damage to society and ecosystems. Increasing forest disturbances…are profoundly disrupting forest ecosystems and the viability of the forest sector across the globe. Unprecedented disturbance levels in the past decades have caused immense losses … causing a surge in economic costs for disturbance control and significant infrastructure damage. Critically, some disturbances like wildfires incur devastating, irreparable consequences, from irreversible biodiversity loss to severe impacts on human health and life. …We argue that existing adaptive silviculture knowledge and technologies can stabilize forest resources and reduce the risk of catastrophic losses. Leveraging Canadian silvicultural investment data, we illustrate the need to move beyond the traditional cost-benefit paradigm—generally analyzed from the perspective of the forest products industry—to one that explicitly incorporates avoided costs for society.

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Senate committee report calls for better co-ordination of wildfire response

By Nick Murray
Canadian Press in Global News
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Canada needs to create an office to co-ordinate responses to wildfire emergencies and fund a new national fleet of modern firefighting aircraft, says a new Senate report released Wednesday. Those recommendations were among 15 in a report from the Senate committee on agriculture and forestry. At a news conference in Ottawa, senators on the committee said one of the key requests they heard while assembling the report was for a single national point of contact to co-ordinate wildfire response. “We heard that Canada is the only country in the G7 that does not have a seat at the federal table, more or less, to manage and talk about and co-ordinate fire response,” Sen. Mary Robinson, the committee chair, told The Canadian Press. “I think the efforts to date are appreciated but the crisis is growing and escalating, and we need government to do more for sure.” 

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Canadian wolves and one of the most contested debates in ecology

Space Daily
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

The first eight wolves arrived through the Roosevelt Arch on the morning of 12 January 1995, in a horse trailer escorted by two park service patrol cars. The wolves had been live-trapped in three different packs in Jasper National Park and the surrounding wilderness of Alberta, Canada, weighed, fitted with radio collars, and flown south. Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation lawyers had obtained a stay from a federal appeals court before the plane landed, and the wolves spent the next several hours confined in their transport crates while the legal status of the project was resolved. The stay was lifted just after midnight. …What happened in the thirty years after 1995 has become one of the most-cited and most-contested case studies in contemporary ecology.

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Canada on fire: The catastrophic and escalating effects of wildfires on lives and communities

Senate of Canada
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Ottawa – The federal government must significantly increase investments in wildfire prevention, adaptation and response, and improve its collaboration with other levels of government as well as with Indigenous communities, the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry said in a report released June 10. These measures are urgently needed to confront this escalating crisis and to better protect Canadians throughout the country from the economic, health and environmental consequences of catastrophic wildfires. With record-breaking wildfire seasons in recent years, fire behaviour has accelerated beyond the limits of existing systems, disrupting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Canadians, scorching millions of hectares of land and degrading air quality. Following an in-depth study, the committee is making 15 recommendations to the federal government. Notably, the committee found that ineffective collaboration across all levels of government is impeding wildfire management. 

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Looking forward to what reforms the New Forest Act tour could bring

Letter by Megan Ardyche, founding member, Save Our Forests Comox Valley
Comox Valley Record
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

I was very happy to read the article about the New Forest Act tour that is coming to Courtenay’s Stan Hagen Theatre on June 15. According to the article, “the New Forest Act is a proposed legislative framework that aims to address long-term instability in BC’s forest sector.” …The risk of catastrophic flooding is one example of instability caused by current forestry practices, and local taxpayers are on the hook for emergency services and repair efforts. Another example is the millions of dollars local taxpayers had to pay for a deep water intake pipe on Comox Lake, to address the sedimentation…. That sedimentation was caused by forestry practices in the watershed. …I also appreciated reading that “the New Forest Act is not about eliminating the forestry industry…[but rather to] manage forests instead to protect essential services like water regulation, biodiversity and flood prevention.” …Both communities and forestry companies themselves are saying that there is a need for reform.

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‘Extremely concerning’: B.C. environmentalists outraged by minister’s caribou commentsrning

By Evert Lindquist
Victoria News
June 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ravi Parmar

B.C. environmental organizations have expressed outrage over comments made by the minister of forests about caribou and old-growth during an interview in Revelstoke last Tuesday. …His comments included calling caribou “not the smartest animal” for fleeing long distances when disturbed, as well as pointing to wildfires as a main cause of destruction for caribou habitat, and claiming that logging in B.C. today relies on far fewer “1950s-style” cutblocks.  Black Press Media fact-checked these claims from the minister and found they all have inaccuracies. …Provincial data indicates that while fire is the leading disturbance for caribou in northern B.C., forest extraction remains the biggest threat for southern B.C. herds’ habitat, as well as for central B.C. herds’ wider matrix habitat. …Anneke Rosch said that “blaming caribou is a new low” for the minister and B.C. government, along with that “sustainable forestry isn’t just for caribou — it’s needed for the future of forestry jobs too.”

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Osoyoos Indian Band launches large-scale tree nursery focused on reforestation

By Sarah Crookall
Castanet
June 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Osoyoos Forestry Nursery, a one-of-a-kind tree-growing initiative, held its grand opening Tuesday. “This is our first green project, so we can stand up as Osoyoos Indian Band and be proud that we’re not just cutting down trees, we’re one of the few First Nations — in fact, the only one that will be growing millions of trees each year,” Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, said. The new 10.5 hectare project is in partnership with K&C Silviculture, operating on solar energy and recycled canal water at 7637 Tucelnuit Dr. The aim is to give back to the environment through wildfire reforestation with funding from Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program. … Peter Fleet, Head of Forestry Operations for Nk’Mip Forestry said that many First Nations groups have been involved in forests, but not growing trees. He said giving back to the land is a foundational principle to the OIB and community.

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Forestry’s quiet comeback and the campaign to reposition the sector

By Ian Biana
Resource Works
June 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Kim Haakstad is stepping into a familiar debate with renewed urgency. As president and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries (COFI), she is helping lead a province-wide campaign to rebuild public support for forestry. COFI represents British Columbia’s forest industry, advocating for policy, sustainability and economic growth across the sector. Haakstad says their new campaign is about reframing forestry’s role in a changing province. “Forestry is a solution for many of the challenges that British Columbia faces.” That message comes at a critical time. Mill closures and production cuts have shaken rural communities. The pressure is no longer abstract. It is local, visible and growing. “Local communities are on the front lines of the crisis we’re facing in forestry right now,” Haakstad says, warning that without changes, more closures will follow. The campaign brings together industry groups and advocacy organizations. Its goal is simple: remind British Columbians what is at stake.

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Province Announces Immediate Actions in Response to Independent Review of 2025 Wildfire Season

Government of Saskatchewan
June 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Government of Saskatchewan announced immediate actions to strengthen the province’s wildfire strategy in response to MNP’s independent review of the 2025 wildfire season. In October 2025, the Government of Saskatchewan commissioned MNP to conduct an independent review of the 2025 wildfire season. MNP was responsible for evaluating the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) wildfire and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, evacuation, and recovery strategy.  Participants in the review included members of affected communities, emergency responders, Indigenous organizations, representatives from the SPSA, provincial ministries, municipal and regional partners. …The Government of Saskatchewan’s response to the recommendations includes 11 actions the SPSA has been directed to implement immediately. The Future Preparedness and Implementation Unit has been established within the SPSA to advance and monitor the implementation of the 11 actions directed by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Additional coverage in CBC News by Randi LaRocque: Northern emergency co-ordinator says Sask.’s new wildfire grant program is ‘a drop in the bucket’

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From the Spring 2026 Woodland Almanac

Woodlots BC
June 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Woodlots BC is focused on practical action amid industry uncertainty
Executive Director Gord Chipman reports Woodlots BC is concentrating on issues it can influence, including signage, no-net-loss policies, private/agricultural land issues, and the woodlot levy. At the same time, he expresses concern about policy uncertainty, government delays, DRIPA-related issues, tenure transfer backlogs, and broader challenges facing BC’s forest sector. Read the Almanac for these stories and more.

  • Nearly $1.5 million in forestry and wildfire projects are planned
    Forest Investment Program projects and Wildfire Risk Reduction planned in 6 woodlots.
  • A new forest insurance opportunity
    The Canadian Forest Owners Association is spearheading a program to provide coverage for wildfire and insect damage on woodlots. 
  • Public access to woodlot roads remains a complex issue
    The use of gates on woodlot roads and public access.
  • Woodlot program leaders recognized
    Mark Clark and Tom Bradley named the 2026 Foundational Woodlotters.
  • Save the date
    The 2026 Woodlots BC Conference and AGM will be held October 1–3 at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort in Parksville, BC. 

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Flow reductions begin as Cowichan River braces for dry summer

By Sarah Simpson
The Cowichan Valley Citizen
June 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

LAKE COWICHAN, BC — Pumps will likely be required to sustain the river if dry conditions continue through the summer, according to Brian Houle, environment manager for Domtar Crofton Mill. Though the mill has shut down, Domtar remains the licenced operator. As of a June 4 report issued by Houle, Cowichan Lake has dropped to 80% capacity and the below-average snowpack has already fully melted. Updated modelling for the remainder of the year was analysed at a meeting of regulators and Cowichan Tribes on June 3. Domtar was guided to begin to reduce the flow to below 7.08 cubic meters per second (cms). …With no relief in sight, there’s been a push for a larger replacement weir to store more water in the lake to reduce the need for emergency pumping. …Domtar has been authorized to have qualified professional biologists monitor the river conditions. 

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Environmental group takes province to task over old growth logging in provincial parks

By Timothy Schafer
Castanet
June 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Amber Peters

B.C. is “failing to preserve ecological integrity” in its provincial parks and the parks system itself is not ready for climate change as old growth forest continues to fall, says a biologist with Valhalla Wilderness Society. Amber Peters said old growth clearcutting has continued throughout the province and locally despite the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel’s recommendations released in 2020 calling for a halt to the practice. She said three of the government-appointed Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel scientists who identified at-risk old growth for priority deferrals in 2021 wrote a follow-up report in 2023 revealing that over 50 per cent of the most at-risk old growth identified has been logged or is targeted for logging. …“A film called BC is burning is claiming that we need to prevent forests from becoming ‘over-mature.’ … Forest Minister Ravi Parmar has advocated for ‘thinning’ in parks and old growth areas, parroting the forest industry narrative,” she said.

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Green lines of defence will help save us

By Jennifer Cole
National Observer
June 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

©TD Stories

According to Keith Clarke, there hasn’t been a wildfire in the valley south of the Mary Lake subdivision of Whitehorse, Yukon for over 100 years. But as climate change causes hotter summers and drier springs, he knows the risk is increasing. …“It is no longer a question of if a wildfire comes up from the south. It is a question of when,” he says. …the territorial government has been working on the Whitehorse South Fuel Break since 2020. Once complete, it will form a 20-kilometre buffer along the southern periphery of the city. …The Fuel Break is an area that has been clear-cut, scraped clean of all vegetation, slicing through the boreal forest that surrounds the city. …The fuel break is a kilometre and a half wide in some places because wind bourne embers can travel long distances… To slow a wildfire even more, the territorial government is planting aspen trees where the conifers have been removed. [This story may require a subscription for full access]

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B.C. forests minister talks saw mills, old-growth and caribou in Revelstoke

By Evert Lindquist
The Penticton Western News
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

On his first visit to Revelstoke, B.C.’s minister of forests spoke Tuesday about his hopes for local saw mills, old-growth and caribou protection. Ravi Parmar, also the province’s deputy government house leader, had just arrived to town on June 9 after a visit to the Pacific Woodtech mill in Golden. One of his first stops in Revelstoke was the Downie Street Development, where the Revelstoke Community Housing Society met Parmar to showcase the major 166-unit housing project and its use of B.C. lumber. Black Press Media, tipped that the minister was visiting, got 20 minutes interviewing him as it poured. Parmar spoke highly of Gorman Group, which has owned Revelstoke’s Downie Timber and Selkirk Cedar mills since 1990. These operations are the “lifeblood” of rural communities, he said. …Parmar invited British Columbians to walk in the shoes of forestry workers, and consider the balance of supporting the lumber industry while also prioritizing biodiversity and ecology.

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MP Gord Johns celebrates government funding 10 firefighting aircraft

By Austin Kelly
Comox Valley Record
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Gord Johns

As the federal government funds 10 new wildfire-fighting aircrafts, Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns is celebrating it as a win. Johns has been calling on the government to establish a national aerial firefighting plan for years. The government announced it is funding four aerial firefighting air tankers, one birddog plane, five heavy lift helicopters and two support assets as part of the aerial firefighting force. Provincial and territorial firefighting agencies can request access to the fleet when they need it. The 2025 budget announced $316.7 million over five years to establish the fleet, something Johns said could help his riding when the budget was announced. …Johns said while leasing aircrafts with companies including Conair Group Inc., Coldstream Helicopters, and VIH Helicopters is an important step, he wants the government to have its own firefighting fleet. “We will continue pushing the federal government to work with Canadian companies like Coulson Aviation…,” said Johns. 

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Cheakamus Community Forest maps ‘hockey stick’ fuel break south of Whistler

By Luke Faulks
Pique News Magazine
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) is planning what its forester described as a “hockey stick”-shaped landscape fuel break south of Whistler, using a mix of proposed harvesting blocks and fuel-treatment areas to slow potential wildfire pathways into the community. At a May 26 information session, forester Abe Litz said the CCF’s Strategic Threat Analysis Map identifies “Fire Highway” corridors where modelling suggests fire could move toward Whistler-area neighbourhoods and infrastructure. “The idea is to create massive fuel breaks surrounding Whistler,” Litz said. “These are the high-risk fire pathways, these are where the [models] show fire is likely to burn and travel into the community.” …“The idea is to harvest blocks that have harvest opportunity,” he said. “In between, where there’s younger stands that don’t have a harvest opportunity, we want to go in and do fuel management [prescriptions] to reduce the amount of fuel.”

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Lawsuit challenges Flathead’s emergency’ logging memorandum

By Laura Lundquist
Missoula Current
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

…On Friday, the Swan View Coalition and the Friends of the Wild Swan sued the Flathead National Forest in Missoula federal district court for approving its West Reservoir Project using a Trump administration shortcut, while the Flathead Forest has yet to complete a court-ordered rewrite of its Forest Plan to better protect grizzly bears and bull trout. …The West Reservoir Project, initiated in 2023 and approved in March, extends 50 to 70 miles west from the entire western shore of Hungry Horse Reservoir, to include the Jewel Basin Hiking Area. …There, the Forest Service plans to conduct prescribed burns on more than 4,600 acres along streams mostly on the southern end of the area. …So the Forest Service acknowledged that the project is “likely to adversely affect” both species. …The new Plan allows the Forest Service to build more roads and do the bare minimum to close roads, which meant the amount of illegal use increased.

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COFI Forestry Scholarship – Apply Now!

BC Council of Forest Industries
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

If you’re a student in BC studying forestry, skilled trades, or natural resource management, don’t miss this opportunity. The COFI Forestry Scholarship supports passionate students like you who are committed to advancing a sustainable forest sector. At COFI, we’re committed to supporting the next generation of forestry professionals. As part of our mission, we’re helping students across British Columbia pursue post-secondary education or training in skilled trades related to the forest industry. In 2026, COFI will award $2,000 scholarships to students in British Columbia interested in forestry-related studies. These scholarships are available to students from all regions, including rural communities, coastal towns, and urban centres, and are intended to support their educational and career goals. This year’s application deadline is June 26th.

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BC invests in community projects, strengthening wildfire prevention, creating local jobs

By Ministry of Forests
Government of BC
June 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, the Province is committing $20 million per year over three years. …This investment funds projects that reduce wildfire risk, restore forest ecosystems and improve the long-term health and resilience of B.C.’s forests. “The best wildfire is the one that never starts. The best way to protect communities is to work together to prevent them,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …This year, 60 forest enhancement projects are receiving funding. These projects not only reduce wildfire risk, they also support forest-sector jobs in rural and remote communities. The projects include creating landscape-level fuel breaks, removing residual fuels, carrying out prescribed burns, and making improvements to egress routes that are important in the event of an emergency or evacuation. …“These projects reflect the innovation and commitment we continue to see from proponents throughout BC,” said Jason Fisher, executive director, FESBC.

Related news in: 

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New Forest Act Roadshow stops off in Nelson, calls for new forestry framework

By Bill Metcalfe
The Nelson Star
June 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Jennifer Houghton says only a new Forest Act, radically different from the current one, will fix B.C.’s declining timber supply and the faltering forest economy in rural communities. That decline, she says, includes not only dwindling timber supply and mill closures but altered landscapes, growing fire danger, increased flooding, worsening drought impacts, shrinking employment, and increasing pressure on communities that historically depended on forestry. “These problems,” she says, but those outcomes are connected by the way the industry and the regulation of it are structured. …Houghton was the main speaker at the Nelson 2026 New Forest Act Roadshow, traveling to 12 communities throughout June. …The group is promoting a new Forest Act for the province in which ecological balance would replace timber flow as the central driver of all forestry activity. She said the new act is not a protest or a slogan but a practical roadmap to more economically healthy forest communities.

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Forestry consortium, First Nation family heading to listening circle amid more possible Ontario court action

By Gabrielle Huston
CBC News
June 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

A forestry group that was granted an interlocutory injunction halting a blockade by a family from Matachewan First Nation (MFN) so it could complete tree-harvesting work in northern Ontario will sit down in a listening circle with them later this month in a case that may see further court action. The Timiskaming Forest Alliance Inc. (TFAI) is a consortium of forestry companies and First Nations, including MFN. It has a licence from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to harvest 101 hectares, referred to as Cairo 173… The family involved includes Dorothy Larkman, who said she decided to take action after seeing machines tearing out blueberry bushes on Cairo 173, which is about 60 kilometres west of Kirkland Lake and south of the Ojibway First Nation. …Listening circles are rooted in Indigenous traditions. …Michael Swinwood, Larkman’s lawyer, said the MNR will also have representation at the listening circle. 

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Enhanced Wildfire Website Provides Easy Access to Strengthened Legislation and Fire Season Updates

By Forestry, Agriculture and Lands
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
June 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has strengthened legislation to protect residents, communities and forest resources from forest fires, and is enhancing public access to important information about wildfire prevention and management. The new Wildfire Prevention and Management website is a one-stop resource for forest fire season information that includes the daily wildfire risk, active wildfires and statistics, and wildfire prevention guidelines. It also highlights updated legislation and penalties that improve enforcement and clarify burning regulations following amendments to the Forestry Act and Regulations, which came into force on June 3, 2026. Full details on amendments and penalties under the Forest Fire Offence and Penalty Regulations, Forest Fire Regulations and Mill Regulations are available on the website.

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Ontario NDP drafts forestry strategy for Northern Ontario

Sudbury News
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Under the Ford government, Ontario has seen declining timber harvest numbers, the Ontario NDP asserted in a recent report. Averaging only half of the province’s total allowable annual cut, they said, “chronic under-harvesting reduces jobs, mill capacity, value-added production and regional economic activity.” This, they report, “despite the availability of sustainably sourced forest product.” Their report, titled “Room to Grow: The Ontario NDP’s Forestry Strategy,” offers a five-point plan as follows:

  1. Take immediate action to defend our publicly administered forestry system against American mischaracterizations.
  2. Defend Ontario jobs. Strengthen the forestry supply chain by immediately directing provincial agencies to prioritize Ontario forest products in procurement processes. 
  3. Strengthen domestic supply chains. Fast-tracking residential construction and reprioritizing critical infrastructure utilizing Ontario forest products… Encourage biomass power… 
  4. Lead industrial transformation. …leverage Ontario’s opportunity to be a national and global leader in forestry. 
  5. Promote sustainability and support Indigenous economic participation and sovereignty through knowledge sharing, ownership and revenue-sharing. 

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Planted trees do not make a forest

By Eli Pivnick and Janet Parkins
Castanet
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, US West

On the B.C. government website, you can read the following: “B.C. is a world leader in sustainable forest management”. …However, if you talk to BC forest ecologist Rachel Holt… or former B.C. Liberal MLA Mike Morris, you get a very different perspective. …The Council of Forest Industries says, “in BC. three to four tree seedlings are planted for every tree that is cut”. That does not solve the problem. In the last 40 years, the rate of cutting has sped up. That means there are many very young forests, not suitable for wildlife habitat and not suitable for logging. …Several groups in BC are pushing for less logging, protection of our remaining primary forests and more ecologically sound forestry practices. The down side? Large forestry companies make less profit. The upside? More jobs, healthy forests… fewer wild fires and fewer greenhouse gases.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Federal government sued over climate policies: ‘It must keep its word’

The National Post
June 16, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

OTTAWA — Three young women and two environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government seeking to force it to develop an action plan to meet its key climate goals. The lawsuit comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government shifts Canada’s climate and energy priorities, rolling back key environmental policies while advancing major energy and infrastructure projects to reduce dependence on the United States. Announcing the lawsuit, plaintiff Shirley Barnea, a university student from Quebec, said authorities had an obligation to build a sustainable future for younger generations. …The legal action aims to compel the government “to chart a credible, up-to-date course of action” and “to protect Canadians from the worsening impacts of climate change,” according to a statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), which is also a party to the lawsuit.

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Drax cleared after investigation into sourcing of wood pellets

By Lauren Almeida and Jillian Ambrose
BBC News
June 18, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

UK — The City watchdog has closed an investigation into the owner of the Drax power plant after an almost 10-month review into whether the company’s sustainability claims mislead shareholders. The Financial Conduct Authority said it had “reviewed thousands of pages” of “complex material” relating to the company’s sourcing of wood pellets for the Drax power plant in Selby, North Yorkshire, but “did not find evidence that justified any further action”. The regulator began the investigation last year into whether Drax’s annual reports and accounts between 2021 and 2023 misled shareholders or left out important information investors needed to know about the origins of its biomass fuel. …Ofgem found at the time that there was no evidence to suggest the breach was deliberate, and said instead that it was “technical in nature”. It also found no evidence that the biomass sourced was unsustainable or that Drax had wrongly laid claim to renewable energy subsidies.

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says El Niño expected to grow to ‘historic strength’

By Tiffany Crawford
Vancouver Sun
June 13, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

Here’s the latest news concerning climate change and biodiversity loss in B.C. and around the world, from the steps leaders are taking to address the problems, to all the up-to-date science. Human activities like burning fossil fuels and farming livestock are the main drivers of climate change, according to the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change. The panel, which is made up of scientists from around the world, including researchers from B.C., has … issued a code red for humanity and warns the window to limit warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial times is closing. …El Niño — a climate cycle that causes unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, altering global weather patterns — has begun and is expected to grow to historical strength, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week. …Human activities pushed global warming to 1.37 C above pre-industrial times in 2025, and its level is projected to surpass 1.5 C in about four years…

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Can’t Miss Program at WPAC’s Annual Conference, Sept 22–23 + Sponsorship Opportunities

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
June 11, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Attend WPAC’s annual conference, September 22-23, 2026! This year’s theme, Building Canada Stronger: Navigating the Global Wood Pellet Transition, covers securing supply, resilient energy and next-gen bioenergy. Day 1, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, focuses on the global outlook, policy and supply foundations. …There are still sponsorship spots available for the conference—Canada’s largest gathering of our industry. This event brings together key decision-makers from across Canada and global markets, offering a unique opportunity to increase your visibility, connect with partners, and strengthen your position in the sector. It’s also an opportunity to support WPAC’s advocacy, safety initiatives and industry-wide technical leadership in Canada and around the world.

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Health & Safety

Urging preparedness as wildfire, drought risks increase

Government of British Columbia
June 16, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

As British Columbia enters another summer that could be hotter and drier than usual, the Province is urging people and communities to prepare for potential impacts of wildfire, drought and water scarcity. “Climate change is rewriting what we consider normal in British Columbia, with warmer, drier conditions increasing the risk of wildfire and drought,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. …The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) is working closely with local governments and First Nations to prepare for the summer hazards, including hosting preparedness sessions throughout the province. EMCR is available 24/7 to support communities before, during and after emergencies. …Temperatures are increasing throughout B.C., and with that comes an elevated risk of wildfire. …Regardless of where people live or travel in B.C., it’s critical that everyone does their part to reduce the risk of wildfire. 

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West Fraser fined $111K after trapped worker dies at B.C. mill

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
June 16, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

A major B.C. timber company has been fined almost $111,000 after a worker who was cleaning wood fibre from inside a silo was buried, trapped and killed. The incident occurred in January 2025 after a fire ignited inside a silo at West Fraser Timber Co.’s Westpine sawmill in Quesnel. …“The fibre blocked access to the silo hatch and engulfed the worker, who sustained fatal injuries,” stated WorkSafeBC. …The resulting investigation from B.C.’s occupational health and safety agency later determined that as the prime contractor, the timber company was responsible for a multi-layered, high-risk failure. The investigation found West Fraser failed to appoint an adequately trained person to oversee the confined space entry program. …The company was also found to have failed in its rescue preparedness: The worker’s harness was not attached to a lifeline managed by a standby person, and the standby worker was not equipped or capable of using lifting equipment for an immediate rescue.

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Poor air quality incident in Saint John in May came with no public warning

By Mark Leger
CBC News
June 15, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

NEW BRUNSWICK — On the morning of May 26, a provincial air quality monitoring station on the west side of Saint John began registering unusual readings. …There was no special public notification about the west side spike, even though the environment department watched it develop and was concerned enough to launch an immediate investigation to determine the cause. …The department, in emails, said it believes operations and maintenance work at the Irving Pulp & Paper mill could have been a contributing factor. …“The cause appears to be a combination of unusual weather, which trapped pollutants at ground level rather than dispersing them upward, combined with higher than ordinary emissions during a cleaning/maintenance cycle at the mill.” J.D. Irving said there is “no concrete way to confirm” it caused the poor air quality readings but said adjustments in mill operations were made at the time to be on the safe side.

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Forest Fires

Hundreds of families return home after crews bring West Kelowna, B.C., wildfire under control

By Rhianna Schmunk
CBC News
June 16, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Hundreds of people were allowed to return to their homes in West Kelowna, B.C., on Tuesday evening after a fast-moving wildfire forced several neighbourhoods to evacuate earlier in the day. The local fire chief said the human-caused fire started in Kalamoir Regional Park in the late morning and quickly threatened hundreds of homes, some of which he said crews have saved by inches. …The fire started in Kalamoir Regional Park late Tuesday morning and quickly spread toward the Casa Loma and Lakeview Heights neighbourhoods, on a hillside above Okanagan Lake. …West Kelowna Fire Rescue said more than 100 firefighters worked to contain the flames against strong, gusting winds and dry conditions…. The fire, which officials say burned at least eight hectares of land, is listed as human-caused.

Related news in the Castanet, by Colin Dacre: ‘A wakeup call’: West Kelowna fire chief urges vigilance after blaze

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Evacuation alert issued as wildfire west of Princeton grows again to 22 hectares, still deemed out of control

By Sarah Crookall
Castanet
June 16, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen has issued an evacuation alert for properties west of Princeton due to the Grasshopper Mountain wildfire. The alert covers properties along Lawless Creek Road and Tulameen River Road in Electoral Area H. …The BC Wildfire Service is now reporting on its website that the Grasshopper Mountain wildfire has grown to 22-hectares from its previous 15. …At around 4 p.m., the Tulameen and District Fire Department said BCWS crews were on site of the 15-hectare blaze on Grasshopper Mountain.

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‘Timmins 9’ fire being held

The Timmins Daily Press
June 15, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The forest fire known as “Timmins 9” is now being held, after the latest update from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Now listed at 3,151 hectares in size, the fire is located approximately 10 kilometres from the community of Gogama, 7 kilometres west of Mattagami First Nation, and 1.5 kilometres west of Highway 144. “The crews continue to strengthen hose lines, establish new lines along dozer guard built by heavy equipment operators, and demobilize values protection equipment in areas where the wildland fire risk has been reduced. Infrared scanning was conducted early this morning, and hot spots have been identified for crews to prioritize,” reads the MNR statement. The fire was first reported on May 31. As it increased in size and severity, Mattagami First Nation was forced to evacuate its approximately 200 residents by June 3. Residents received word on Sunday evening that would be able to return home starting Monday.

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