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.
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.”
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. 
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 
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.
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.
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. 
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]
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.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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 
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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. “
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.
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. 
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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 
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.
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. 
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.
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.
