Region Archives: Canada

Business & Politics

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.

___________________________________________________________

[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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Forestry Transformation Task Force Recognizes Critical Role of Private Forest Owners in Canada’s Forest Future

By Sandra Bishop
Canadian Forest Owners
June 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, ON—Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) congratulates the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and members of the Forestry Transformation Task Force on the release of their report, which recognizes the important contribution of Canada’s private forests in building a competitive, sustainable, and resilient forest sector. Representing approximately 480,000 private forest owners across the country, CFO’s members manage 25 million hectares of privately owned forest land from coast to coast. Together, they account for approximately 10 per cent of Canada’s forest land base and 20 per cent of national forest production. As the report notes, “Canada has a proud tradition of private forest ownership.” Private forests contribute an estimated $14.5 billion annually to Canada’s economy and support nearly 40,000 direct jobs in silviculture, harvesting, transportation, and forest products manufacturing. …For CFO, the report’s recognition of private forests is an important step forward. However, the organization believes that recognition must now be accompanied by policy action.

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Canada launches Forest Sector Action Plan

By Natural Resources Canada
PR Newswire
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

VICTORIA, BC – Canada’s forest sector is at a pivotal moment. Ongoing pressures — including tariffs, fibre supply challenges, changing market demands and climate change — are significantly impacting the industry and the communities that depend on it. In response, the Government of Canada is focusing on what we can control — and moving forward with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners on a co-ordinated approach to transform the sector into one that can thrive in the long term. Today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced a Forest Sector Action Plan, with key commitments to drive the transformation of the forest sector in collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and other key partners. The Action Plan is informed by the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force’s recommendations and builds on the extensive work it completed during its 90–day mandate. The plan focuses on four priority areas to position Canada’s forest sector as a leading global supplier of both traditional and advanced forest products…

In related news:

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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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Governments here, not Trump, to blame for most forest sector woes

By Vaughn Palmer
The Vancouver Sun
June 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ravi Parmar

VICTORIA — B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar couldn’t wait to change the subject this week when confronted with a federal government report that said the troubles of the whole country’s forest industry are mostly homegrown. …Parmar pivoted to the NDP government’s preferred blame line for the ruinous state of the once-dominant industry. “I would also argue that duties and tariffs compound that and make it very challenging. Yes, Trump and tariffs. And when that fails, blame wildfires and the pine beetle infestation. Anything but admit the provincial government’s regulatory regime in driving up production costs and restricting access to marketable fibre. But there was no downplaying the final report of Canadian forest sector transformation task force. …“Over the past two decades, Canada has experienced declining production, capital flight, prolonged mill closures, and weakened investor and workforce confidence,” said the executive summary of the report.

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Robin Hood Award recognizes Nakusp and Area Community Forest’s commitment to sustainable forestry

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
June 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) is being recognized with the 2026 Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry. “When you look at what community forestry means in practice, from wildfire resilience, to local jobs and real partnerships, NACFOR stands out,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …NACFOR is a community-owned corporation that manages nearly 12,600 hectares of forest on behalf of the Village of Nakusp and surrounding Arrow Lakes communities. With a focus on reinvesting revenues locally, NACFOR has built a model that prioritizes long-term economic resilience and responsible forest stewardship. …Mike Crone, general manager, Nakusp and Area Community Forest said “We recognize the over 20 years of dedication and effort from our community, board members, management teams, contractors, volunteers and partners that have gone into making community forestry a success in the Arrow Lakes region.”

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B.C.’s task force co-chair cites urgent action to ensure bright forestry future

By Derrick Penner
The Vancouver Sun
June 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ken Kalesnikoff

At the same time Ottawa commissioned a task force to delve into a transformational plan for Canada’s forest industry, BC’s exports continued to plummet. The task force co-chair, Ken Kalesnikoff, believes the sector has a bright future, but trade figures emphasize the urgency the industry requires — starting with easing access to logs. …”People aren’t going to invest in an industry that doesn’t have a secure, cost-competitive fibre supply.” Pushing provinces to reform regulations and transition to land-area based licensing were among the top recommendations. …Kalesnikoff gave Parmar’s ministry credit for moving in the right direction, “But it’s not easy and inside government you have different opinions on what we should be doing and not doing,” he added. …New Brunswick, Kalesnikoff said, stood out as a shining example of how to address the need for conservation and forest biodiversity while using intensive management to produce more timber per hectare.

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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

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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US NBSK prices decline amid oversupply; European downtime and rising inventories shape pulp market

By Bryan Smith
RISI Fastmarkets
June 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

North American pulp market sentiment remains divided as the months-long pricing rally in bleached hardwood kraft (BHK) clashed with a weak bleached softwood kraft (BSK) sector, where downtime or closures could emerge as the only catalyst to save off price erosion, industry contacts told Fastmarkets. Key takeaways include:

  • US NBSK May prices fell $20 per tonne to $1,570 due to oversupply, while BHK prices rose by $50 per tonne.
  • Global pulp producer inventories increased to 42 days of supply in April, with a 158,000-tonne rise in stock.
  • In response to weak prices, producers in Europe have started to rationalize capacity and take downtime, including mill closures.
  • Fluff pulp prices surged, with US and European prices up $90 per tonne and further June price hikes announced.

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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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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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Mass timber being considered for Red Bridge replacement, but likelihood appears low

By Michael Potestio
Castanet
June 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation has been considering rebuilding the Red Bridge out of wood again, but it doesn’t appear to be the frontrunner choice — if the province rebuilds the structure at all. The Red Bridge was destroyed by fire in 2024, severing a key connection between Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. …At last week’s open house, showcasing options for replacing the Red Bridge, transportation ministry executive director Steve Sirett said the province has had some conversations about using mass timber for the project. At this point, he said the “focus is very much” on a concrete and steel replacement and makes the most sense for the ministry. …Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, is holding out hope the province will still opt for mass timber. The mayor supports mass timber, saying he believes it could get the bridge rebuilt cheaper and faster than a steel and concrete option while still being fire-resistant.

Government of BC Information: Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) – City of Kamloops Transportation Network Improvements Project

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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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Why your next home insurance premium could depend on laser scans, not past fires

CBC News
June 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — When Tricia Murray rebuilt her home after the devastating 2023 wildfires, she expected her insurance premiums to soar. …Instead, her premium dropped by 12%… because her new home uses modern, fire-resistant materials and incorporates a buffer zone. Murray’s experience highlights a shift in how insurance companies calculate risk. For decades, insurers relied purely on history, it was classified as low risk. ….Instead of grading entire neighbourhoods under one risk level, insurers are using advanced tools like satellite imagery and laser scanning to assess individual properties. This new approach looks at specific, real-time details: The proximity of trees and brush to a structure. The type of roofing and building materials used. Property maintenance, such as clearing dry leaves from decks and removing wood chips near walls. Amanda Dean, at the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said those tools give homeowners the power to lower their own risks by following FireSmart Canada guidelines.

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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

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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Why Canada’s wildland firefighters aren’t officially considered firefighters

By Jess Winter
The Globe and Mail
June 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

For two decades, Harold Larson helped battle wildfires across BC, Alberta, the US, often working shoulder-to-shoulder with structural firefighters. But at every one of those fires where he and his crew risked their safety alongside their municipal colleagues, there was one perplexing difference: According to the federal government, Mr. Larson was not classified as a firefighter at all. …It’s a holdover from wildland firefighting’s early decades, when the job wasn’t to protect homes, towns and lives – it was to protect timber values as part of the country’s forestry industry. …Canada’s wildland firefighters are seeking to join their municipal counterparts, a cause most recently championed by Vancouver Island MP Gord Johns. …As fire seasons continue to worsen, Mr. Larson said this only underscores the need for Ottawa to recognize that both structural and wildland firefighters are equally important when it comes to keeping people and communities safe. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Canada’s aerial wildfire-fighting plan is a start — but it is not yet a strategy

By John Gradek, faculty lecturer at McGill University
The Conversation Canada
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The Canadian government recently announced that it will lease a fleet of 10 firefighting aircraft and other support assets to be deployed for the 2026 wildfire season. The plan will see these 10 leased aircraft being managed by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre deployed strategically across the country and made available to provinces as they face intense wildfires. …This announcement follows the government’s fall 2025 budget announcement of a $316.7-million investment in Canada’s aerial wildfire-fighting capacity — an announcement that acknowledged a growing national challenge. …Canada’s wildfire aviation system remains fundamentally decentralized. What Canada lacks is a clearly defined national aerial response framework. That framework should establish how federally-funded aircraft are deployed, how they are prioritized when multiple provinces face simultaneous fires, and how they integrate with the emerging detection technologies — including satellite monitoring and long-endurance drones — that can identify fires earlier than ever before.

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Project Learning Tree Canada announces renewed green jobs funding to support youth

Project Learning Tree Canada
June 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT Canada) announced renewed funding for its Green Jobs program, providing support to employers hiring youth aged 15-30 in Canada’s forest and conservation sector.  Through continued support from the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy and key partners, PLT Canada will deliver both short-term job placements and long-term internships, helping young people gain hands-on experience while building pathways into meaningful green careers. Short-Term Green Jobs, supported with funding from Parks Canada, are positions within the forest, parks, and conservation sector and can run for 4-16 weeks. Long-Term Internships, delivered with funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Science and Technology Internship Program, are positions in the natural resource sector and STEM fields and can run 16-48 weeks. This renewed funding is thanks to the Government of Canada’s recent announcement.

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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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In Pursuit of a Tiny Owl Nicknamed Brad Pitt Western screech owls are disappearing from BC

By Sarah Cox
The Tyee
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Megan Buers is dodging potholes on a labyrinth of logging roads on northern Vancouver Island, hoping for a late-night rendezvous with a western screech owl. “He’s the Brad Pitt of the screech owl world,” says Buers, a wildlife biologist. …So far, Buers has seen the owl — but not yet managed to fit him with a transmitter for tracking. …Western screech owls are disappearing from BC’s coast — and nobody is quite sure why. …We know they like to nest in big trees,” Buers says. “Outside of that, we don’t really know what they need.” Her research, for a PhD at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, aims to find out if western screech owls require old trees and mature forests for other reasons, including to find prey. Are screech owls more abundant in old-growth forests? And how does that compare to managed landscapes like replanted woods?

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The Kaslo & District Community Forest Society Receives Award

The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Jason Fisher, Susan Mulkey & Jeff Reyden

Kaslo, B.C. – The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) presented its inaugural Community Forest Project of the Year Award to the Kaslo & District Community Forest Society’s (KDCFS) ‘Jimi Crack Corn’ forest enhancement project. The KDCFS received the award during the 2026 BC Community Forest Association Conference and AGM in Vernon last week. “In celebration of our tenth anniversary, we created the Community Forest Project of the Year Award to recognize the leadership, innovation, and collaboration that community forests bring to forest stewardship across British Columbia,” said Jason Fisher, Executive Director of the Forest Enhancement Society of BC. …Completed during the winter of 2024-2025, the Jimi Crack Corn project focused on fuel mitigation, recreational values, and wildlife habitat enhancement around the community of Kaslo. 

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New Maps Chart Old-Growth Forests in Alaska and British Columbia

The Mirage News
June 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West, US West

Mature and old-growth forests are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, cultural traditions and economic activity. But in Alaska and British Columbia, these rich resources haven’t been reliably mapped, leaving much unknown about what land is protected. Now, University of Oregon researchers are leading a comprehensive mapping effort that sheds light on the location, makeup and conservation status of old-growth forests across the region. Their data show that more than 40% of mature and old growth forests in the study area are in places that lack permanent legislative protection. These forests also store the most carbon in the study area. …Old-growth forests in Alaska and British Columbia are protected through a range of land classifications, including national parks, national monuments and wilderness areas. But by far the greatest area of old-growth forest was found in “Inventoried Roadless Areas” in Alaska.

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Forestry practices must be changed

Letter by Bruce Coates, president, Nature Cowichan
Cowichan Valley Citizen
June 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Honourable Ravi Parmar: Nature Cowichan is focused on education and conservation. We are one of about 70 naturalist groups in the province under the umbrella of BC Nature. …Our membership is a sample of the concerned citizens — concerned about the state of our forest industry. Last month, our local newspaper ran an open letter to you suggesting that you and your staff read Suzanne Simard’s latest book: When the Forest Breathes. Also last month, Creatively United ran an excellent webinar “Balancing Nature Needs with Fire Protection at Home and in Our Forests”. …I hope you are aware of THE NEW FORESTRY ACT PROJECT, and I hope you will take note that we want to see a change to what the word FORESTRY means. …On May 15, we read that $12.4 million dollars is coming to B.C. from the federal government… This is the opportunity to incorporate some ecology-based innovations into the forestry industry.

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Rain lowers wildfire risk in B.C. and brings ‘reprieve from the dryness’

By Jan Schuermann
City News Everywhere
June 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The rain this weekend … has certainly reduced the fire danger rating in B.C. The precipitation, even though it varied in different regions, was widespread throughout the province. According to Taylor Colman, fire information officer at the BC Wildfire Service, the rain lowered the fire rating from high and extreme to moderate in Chilcotin, the Peace Region, the South Thompson, and the Fraser Canyon. “The rain rehydrated those lighter forest fuels such as grasses, needles, brush, anything on the surface layer of the forest floor and then the duration and the amount was enough to penetrate into the deeper layers of the forest floor as well,” Colman explained. “… so that reduced the fire danger rating in those areas of concern.” …There are currently 16 active wildfires in B.C.

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The BC Community Forest Association Wraps Up its Sold-Out Conference in Vernon

The BC Community Forest Association
June 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Vernon, B.C. – The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) hosted its Conference and Annual General Meeting in Vernon last week with a completely sold-out event. The three-day gathering brought together community forest leaders, First Nations partners, industry representatives, and supporters from across the province to connect and explore the challenges and opportunities of community forestry in the years ahead. …During the event, the Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) was recognized for outstanding leadership in community forestry, receiving the 2026 Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry. Additionally, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC presented its inaugural Community Forest Project of the Year Award to the Kaslo & District Community Forest Society for its Jimi Crack Corn wildfire risk reduction project. …This annual gathering also provided valuable opportunities for networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among community forests, government representatives, forestry professionals, researchers, and partner organizations.

Additional daily coverage is available on the BC Community Forest Assn Facebook page.

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Not the Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest: The Story Behind Community Forestry’s Highest Honour

Tree Frog Forestry News
June 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

When BC’s community forestry leaders gather each year, one of the sector’s highest honours is the Robin Hood Memorial Award for Excellence in Community Forestry. Established in 2016, the award recognizes the community forest that best exemplifies the values of British Columbia’s community forestry program—leadership, innovation, local economic opportunity, stewardship, and a passion for community forestry. The award is presented jointly by the BC Community Forest Association and the Ministry of Forests. Recipients receive provincial recognition and a $10,000 grant in support of their work.

The award is named after Robin Hood—not the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest, but a respected British Columbia forester, woodlot operator, and early champion of the community forestry movement. Hood was deeply involved in both the woodlot and community forest sectors and was widely admired for his belief in local stewardship, long-term thinking, and the connection between healthy forests and healthy communities. Colleagues remember him as a principled advocate, known for his integrity, humility, technical expertise, and quiet leadership.

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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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Forests Canada and Algonquin College students lead regreening effort in provincial park

By Bill Steer
Elliotlake Today
June 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Funding for replanting harvested Crown forests in Ontario depends heavily on how much wood is cut, foresters say, creating challenges for renewal efforts during market downturns and reduced harvest levels. Back Roads Bill explores regreening efforts and issues surrounding it. …The forest sector has been a lifeline for communities across the country and an important pillar of Canada’s economy. In the face of unjust U.S. trade measures and climate goals, Canada’s forest industry is pivoting from traditional lumber toward a bioeconomy. It was on February 26 of this year that the federal government took decisive action with a massive $500-million transformation fund. This will support the forest sector, protect workers and their jobs, and give companies the stability they need to weather short-term shocks and retool for a stronger, more diversified future. …A couple of other things though. Our forests are well managed. And we need trees and therefore tree planting.

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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

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

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

Crews concerned about hot spots along Wood Buffalo Fire

By Lisa Iesse
My North Now
June 8, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The wildfire in Wood Buffalo near the Whooping Crane nesting area is currently estimated to be 53,000 hectares in size and remains out of control. Aircraft operations were halted today because of weather conditions and safety concerns. Rainfall brought some level of reduced fire activity. There were no new fires reported as of this afternoon. Crews observed lowered fire behaviour overall, but are concerned about hot spots located on the fire’s border. Currently, 176 personnel, 15 helicopters and 6 fuel bowsers are being mobilized in response to fire located about 22 km northeast of Highway 5. The fire was last estimated to be 53,124 hectares in size. Crews said a 200-foot ceiling between the treetops and cloud cover have complicated the response. …Today, firefighters continued evaluations of the wildfire situation and prepared for team transitions. …Scans yesterday taken by crews showed that there are hundreds of hot spots along the south border of the fire.

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