Region Archives: Canada

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Supply chain pressures surge to four-year high — weak demand continues to test forest product markets

By Kevin Mason, Managing Director
ERA Forest Products Research
June 2, 2026
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, United States, International

Kevin Mason

The Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, which provides a gauge of global supply chain conditions, spiked in April and currently sits at its highest level in almost four years. Several other measures, including the World Bank’s Supply Chain Stress Index are hovering around all-time highs as well. The conflict in the Middle East and resultant spike in energy prices has clearly driven some of the recent increase in supply chain pressure, and the logjam in the Strait of Hormuz, along with some ongoing challenges in the Red Sea, have forced many vessels to take longer routes, adding travel time, increasing fuel costs, and stretching capacity. 

However, the situation in Iran is not the sole driver of recent supply chain pressure: In the US we are seeing an acute shortage of truck drivers following a government crackdown on driver qualifications and after a wave of trucking-firm bankruptcies. As a result, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ long-distance trucking price index has recently jumped from a reading of 181 in January to 210 in April (also approaching all-time highs last seen during the pandemic). Similarly, overland freight pricing data from DAT Freight and Analytics shows that flatbed truck rates have surged since the onset of the Iran war—the national average spot rate for flatbed trucks was $2.72 per mile in February and has rocketed to $3.64 by May. DAT’s national load-to-truck ratio (the number of loads posted for every available truck posted on the DAT load board) sat at an eye-watering 72 in April, up from 35 in April 2025 and just 19 in April 2024. 

A deal with Iran may be in the works, but as we learned after the COVID pandemic, it can take months (if not years) for supply chains to normalize. Buckle up. 

Read More

Business & Politics

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

Read More

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.

Read More

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:

Read More

Carney government slows down sweeping environmental changes

By David Thurton and Kate McKenna
CBC News
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mark Carney

The Carney government is slowing down planned regulatory changes that angered First Nations and mobilized civil society organizations. Stopping short of admitting they were moving too fast or too far, the government said that it would extend the public engagement period until July 22. …Among the suite of measures were designating pre-approving development in certain “federal economic zones” and giving the federal cabinet limited power to exempt projects from the “jeopardy test” for species at risk. The Assembly of First Nations called the proposed changes “not acceptable” and said they demonstrated “a pattern of exclusion.” On Wednesday, many of Canada’s environmental and conservation groups assembled on Parliament Hill to oppose the government’s proposal. …The Carney government justified the changes by arguing Canada needs to fast-track nation-building projects that strengthen the economy and help diversify exports away from the US.

Read More

Canada advances forest sector transformation to protect jobs and strengthen communities nationwide

Natural Resources Canada
PR Newswire
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Tim Hodgson

VICTORIA, BC — As ministers from across Canada prepare to meet at the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) this week, the Government of Canada is tackling the challenges we face today, from US trade action to fibre supply to climate change, and transforming the sector for a more prosperous, stable future. …Minister Hodgson released the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force’s final report, alongside measures to modernize operations, attract private investment, expand the use of wood in construction, increase production of value-added wood products and diversify export markets. …The CCFM will discuss the report’s recommendations and the Government of Canada will publish an Action Plan. …Additionally, Minister Hodgson announced that the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) Softwood Lumber Loan Guarantee Program will be enhanced. …The federal government is providing an additional $400 million to support the transformation of the forest sector… and close to $130 million in federal funding for 56 projects. [Backgrounder lists all funding recipients]

Response to Minister Hodgson’s Release:

 

Read More

Minister says Canadian forestry crisis goes beyond Trump tariffs

By Wolfgang Depner
The Canadian Press in Nanaimo News Now
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

VICTORIA — Canada’s forestry sector is the trade “canary in the coal mine” as it faces structural challenges that go beyond Trump-era tariffs, says the federal minister responsible for natural resources. Tim Hodgson made that comment Wednesday as he unveiled close to $130 million in funding for 56 forestry-related projects across the country. Hodgson, who is in Langford, B.C., to meet with Canada’s provincial and territorial forest ministers, also released a report suggesting homegrown problems, such as unstable access to fibre and lack of domestic demand that are threatening the industry with an “existential crisis.” …But the minister also said forestry finds itself at a “turning point” and that despite federal support, more than a dozen sawmills employing 2,000 workers have closed since August. While forestry has been a mainstay of Canada’s economy and the lifeblood of many communities, Hodgson said the industry is in a crisis and needs to change.

Related coverage by:

Read More

Trump administration proposes 10% tariff on Canada, Mexico and the EU over forced labor

By Daniel Desrochers
Politico
June 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, International

The Trump administration wants to reimpose a 10% tariff on top trading partners including the EU and Canada, while hitting others with a higher rate, citing concerns about forced labor. The US Trade Representative’s Office made those proposals as part of a report with the results of its investigation into 60 trading partners over their failure to impose and enforce laws to prohibit goods made with forced labor. It’s one of two sprawling trade investigations the administration launched earlier this spring in an effort to restore President Donald Trump’s global tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. …The USTR probe, conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, found that six countries have failed to effectively enforce existing laws prohibiting goods made with forced labor: Canada, Ecuador, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan. The report recommended a 10% duty. It recommended the same duty for another nine countries.

Related coverage by:

Read More

Canada Makes New US Trade Proposals, Warns of ‘Turbulence’

By Brian Platt, Thomas Seal and Josh Wingrove
Bloomberg in Yahoo! Finance
June 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Dominic LeBlanc

Canada made new and detailed proposals on trade to the US based on negotiating progress in recent weeks, said Canadian cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc. “A strong, prosperous Canadian economy is good for North America, and we discussed how we can work together on a number of issues that strengthen the competitiveness of the North American economy,” he said. …LeBlanc refused to share details of the proposals but downplayed suggestions that Canada was being left behind Mexico. …Hours after LeBlanc’s news conference, the US proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners after an investigation into how countries handle goods allegedly produced by forced labor. …However, the new tariff won’t apply to USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico, according to the notice from the US Trade Representative. That mirrors an earlier exemption to Trump’s so-called IEEPA tariffs — the ones that were thrown out by the high court.

 

Read More

Canada tells U.S., Mexico it wants CUSMA renewed

CBC News
June 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada has given the US and Mexico official notice that it wants the free trade deal between the three countries to be renewed. In a letter to his American and Mexican counterparts, Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the country is seeking renewal of CUSMA when it comes up for review on July 1. LeBlanc is in Washington Tuesday for a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. All the signals from the White House over the past year and a half indicate that the Trump administration does not want a straightforward renewal of CUSMA and instead wants significant changes to its terms. …LeBlanc calls CUSMA “highly beneficial to each of our countries and to the integrated North American economy,” but goes on to acknowledge that the other countries may want to propose “improvements.” …Whatever happens on July 1, CUSMA is slated to remain in effect until 2036. 

Read More

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.

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.

Read More

Second shift added to Grand Forks’ Interfor mill

By Karen McKinley
The Grand Forks Gazette
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mayor Everett Baker was pleased to share some positive news about Interfor as a second shift resumed at the Interfor sawmill in Grand Forks. Baker stated in a text message to The Gazette he was pleased to hear that the second shift started on Monday. In addition, the planer mill is also expected to be back to two shifts by the end of the month. …“I want to thank Interfor for working with all levels of government to continue to keep our mill operating.” While the extra shifts are great news, Baker added the mill needs a log supply, but the team working to get the mill back up and running to at-or-near full shifts is getting closer to their goal. It wasn’t clear how many employees would be returning. In November, a single shift of 68 employees was hired back at Interfor.

Read More

Workers at Western Forest Products Value-Added Division join the United Steelworkers union

United Steelworkers
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Workers at Western Forest Products Value-Added Division (WFP VAD) in Chemainus, BC, have joined the United Steelworkers union. The successful union organizing campaign was driven by a desire for better representation and a stronger voice on the job with a union that will fight for improvements that forestry workers need and deserve. …After significantly falling behind other USW-represented forestry workers in terms of wages, benefits, job security and strength on the job, the WFP VAD workers decided to come together and join a union with a proven record of achieving exactly what they are lacking in their collective agreement. …“Our local union is happy to welcome new Steelworker members from WFP VAD,” said Brian Butler, USW Local 1-1937 President. …“These workers deserve a union that has the strength, experience and resources to deliver real results at the bargaining table,” said Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair.

Read More

CUSMA review is B.C.’s best chance to resolve the softwood lumber dispute

By Kurt Niquidet, BC Lumber Trade Council
The Vancouver Sun
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kurt Niquidet

For nearly four decades, Canada’s forest sector has been caught in a recurring cycle of US trade actions, litigation and uncertainty. Duties are imposed, legal challenges follow, some decisions are overturned, and yet the dispute persists. The names of the cases change, but the outcome is largely the same: uncertainty for businesses, workers and communities that depend on forestry. The upcoming review of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) presents a rare opportunity to change that. Trade agreement reviews are not simply technical exercises. They are moments when governments step back, reassess priorities and address issues that conventional trade processes have failed to resolve. Softwood lumber should be at the top of Canada’s agenda. …The US does not produce enough lumber to meet its domestic housing needs. Canadian lumber has long helped fill that gap. …After four decades of conflict, it is time to move beyond litigation and focus on a lasting solution.

Read More

West Fraser Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC – Today, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. released its 2025 Sustainability Report. The report highlights the Company’s sustainability performance across a variety of environmental, social and governance goals and disclosed targets. “Our 2025 Sustainability Report, Building Foundations for the Future, reflects our commitment to transparency and responsible operations, highlighting the progress we are making while identifying priority areas for further action to enhance our ability to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” said Sean McLaren, President and CEO. “As we look ahead, we will continue embedding sustainability into every part of our company — improving performance, reducing risk and creating value for everyone who depends on West Fraser.” 2025 key achievements highlighted in the report include:

  • Telling the Complete Carbon Story
  • Delivering on Our Climate Targets and Decarbonizing Operations
  • Highlighting Biodiversity
  • Partnering with Indigenous Nations
  • Supporting Our People and Earning Recognition as a Top Employer

Read More

Fort St. John sawmill owned by Canfor officially sold

By Ed Hitchins
Energetic City
June 1, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

FORT ST. JOHN, BC — After much speculation, the Canfor sawmill in Fort St. John has officially been sold to outside interests. Canfor media relations representatives confirmed the sale of the sawmill, planer, pellet plant and energy systems to Rocky Mountain Salvage on May 29th. Rocky Mountain Salvage is a scrap metal and garbage recycling company with interests in Hinton and Edson, Alberta. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Since announcing the closure of the Fort St. John sawmill, Canfor is working to divest the site and assets,” said Canfor. …The sawmill was announced as closing in September 2024, affecting 220 jobs, along with a facility in Chetwynd.

Read More

Nipissing University announces Marianne Berube – 2026 honorary degree recipient

Nipissing University
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

North Bay, ON – Nipissing University will present five distinguished leaders with honorary degrees, the University’s highest distinction, during its upcoming Convocation ceremonies, June 8-10, 2026. Recipients are selected for their noteworthy contributions to Nipissing University, their respective fields, and broader impact on society. …Marianne Berube has over 40 years of diverse business and transformative leadership experience in the finance, construction and wood industries. She graduated from Nipissing University with degrees in Environmental Science and Business, and later received the Fellow, Canadian Institute of Bankers (FICB) and Certified Investment Management designations. Berube began her career in banking and became the first female bank manager in Northern Ontario. Berube was the Executive Director of the Canadian Wood Council’s “Ontario Wood WORKS!” program for 22 years, building the program from its pilot launch in North Bay to the Provincial initiative it is today. 

Read More

Finance & Economics

‘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.

Read More

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.

Read More

US lumber prices hit eight-week high on supply concerns

Fordaq
June 3, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

North American lumber futures climbed to approximately USD 597.50 per thousand board feet on June 3, their highest level since April, as persistent supply constraints continued to offset subdued housing demand. North American lumber futures rose to around USD 597.50 per thousand board feet on June 3, reaching their highest level in eight weeks. The move represents a 4.1% increase from a month earlier and reflects a market still dealing with the impact of Canadian import disruption. The price rise comes despite historically soft housing starts, showing that supply concerns remain an important driver for the market. Mills and distributors are holding limited inventories, while seasonal restocking ahead of the summer building season has added support to prices. …The net result is a structurally tight supply position. Mills and distributors are holding limited inventories, while buyers are entering the summer building season with restocking needs.

Read More

Lumber Futures Hit 8-week High

Trading Economics
June 3, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber increased to 598.00 USD/1000 board feet, the highest since April 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Lumber gained 3.57%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 0.5%.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

2026 North American Fenestration Standard Published

Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance
June 1, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

The 2026 edition of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights (NAFS) has been published. This standard is the result of a multi-year effort by CSA Group, Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) and Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA). An agreement among the three organizations requires NAFS to be reviewed every five years… The updated 2026 standard supersedes the 2022 edition, representing a continued evolution of the standard while improving harmonization across North America. The Joint Document Management Group (JDMG), comprised of representatives from all three associations, stresses the importance of NAFS-26. “Unlike with the previous version of NAFS, there were no major revisions for NAFS-26, with the exception of the secondary designator clarification,” said Lisa Bergeron, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs for JELD-WEN, who served as FGIA’s JDMG co-chair. “NAFS remains an excellent industry tool as an internationally accepted performance standard for the included fenestration product types.”

Read More

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. 

Read More

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

Read More

Ready to diversify your export markets? Exhibit at the Global Buyers Mission in September!

BC Wood Specialties Group
June 4, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Here’s why you can’t miss the 23rd annual GBM as an exhibitor:

  • Showcase to a Global Audience: Present your products to a targeted group of pre-qualified international buyers who are actively seeking Canadian wood products. The GBM’s reputation consistently draws decision-makers from key markets, ensuring your booth gets high-value exposure and real business opportunities.

  • Capitalize on Market Diversification: With ongoing trade uncertainty, buyers and specifiers from Mexico, Japan, China, Europe and other growth markets are actively looking for new suppliers and long-term partnerships. 

  • Build Strategic Partnerships with stunning backdrops: The GBM is designed to create meaningful connections. Framed by Whistler’s forests, beautiful wood architecture, and mountain air, every conversation feels grounded in the very landscape our industry is built on. From B2B meetings to unforgettable moments at our signature mountaintop evening at the Roundhouse, every touchpoint is built to help you move from introduction to opportunity.

Read More

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association’s 2026 Cedar Summit and Cedar School Bring Industry Together

By Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
LinkedIn
June 3, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Ben Meachen and Nick Arkle

The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (Real Cedar)’s 2026 Cedar Summit and Cedar School wrapped up another successful week of business sessions, networking opportunities and hands-on training seminars on May 15th, with nearly 160 industry professionals in attendance, including 33 Cedar School students from across North America and abroad. The annual event began with the week-long Cedar School program, hosted throughout Vancouver, Nanaimo and Victoria. It featured manufacturing and grading, finishing and installation, marketing and social media, forestry education and extensive mill and woodland tours. …the 72nd Annual WRCLA AGM and Cedar Summit officially kicked off on May 13th in Victoria, BC. A major highlight of the summit was the presentation of the Jeff Derby Cedar Champion Award to Nick Arkle of Selkirk in recognition of his outstanding contributions and dedication to the Western Red Cedar industry. Aidan Coyles of Gilbert Smith Forest Products was named Chair and Anna McNally of Western Forest Products became Vice Chair. 

Read More

New report proposes unique solution to Canada’s housing shortage

By Peter Caulfield
The Journal of Commerce
June 2, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Canadian wood producers and manufacturers say they know how to solve the country’s housing shortage and, at the same time, increase demand in the construction industry for their products. The “two-fer” solution is laid out in a recent report published by the Canada West Foundation. The report is based on a December 2025 roundtable at which the Canadian Wood Council and the Forest Products Association of Canada convened leaders from construction and forestry to discuss how to increase the use of wood products in prefabricated, modular and panelized wood construction in residential multi-storey buildings. In the CWF report, these methods of construction are identified collectively as Modern Methods of Construction, or MMC. Eric Johnson, for FPAC and CWC, says factory-built components make better use of materials and skilled labour, reducing waste and increasing productivity. …The biggest barriers to scaling up wood-based housing are not technical but regulatory and organizational.

Read More

IGV Housing, Synergy Foundation, and North Island College Support Local Workforce Development Through Green Building Training

By IGV Housing
Globe Newswire
May 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

PORT ALBERNI, British Columbia — As Port Alberni continues to navigate shifts in its forestry economy, IGV Housing, Synergy Foundation, North Island College and WorkBC are supporting new pathways into local employment through the Green Building Foundations & Manufacturing training program. The fully funded program equips local workers with practical skills and safety certifications for careers in green construction and manufacturing. The second cohort began on May 19, 2026… Delivered by North Island College in partnership with Synergy Foundation, the program was developed to help workers transition into emerging opportunities in green building, construction, and manufacturing. Port Alberni has seen significant disruption across the forestry sector in recent years, including the indefinite curtailment of Western Forest Products’ Alberni Pacific Division and layoffs connected to San Group’s Port Alberni operations. the program is helping people impacted directly or indirectly by mill closures, build skills for full-time employment  close to home.

Read More

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.

Read More

Forestry

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]

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Canadian Forest Fires Are Losing Their Climate Cooling Power

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
June 1, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

The natural cooling effect of snow in northern forests following forest fires is rapidly diminishing. As a result, a fragile climate equilibrium threatens to disappear, potentially leading to additional warming in one of the most climate-sensitive regions on Earth. This is the conclusion of new research by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. …After a forest fire, the landscape in northern regions often remains open and covered with snow for a long time. This snow reflects a great deal of sunlight and makes the Earth’s surface brighter—an effect known as snow albedo. For years, this compensated for part of the warming caused by CO2 emissions from forest fires. [The study found] that the cooling effect of snow has decreased by nearly 30 percent since the 1960s. Whereas in the past almost half of Canadian forest fires eventually reached natural climate equilibrium …this now applies to only about one in four or five fires.

Read More

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: 

Read More

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.

Read More

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?

Read More

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. 

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Hélène Marcoux inspires community forests conference with keynote address

By BC Community Forest Association
Facebook
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

On Day 2 of the 2026 BCCFA Conference and AGM we heard from Hélène Marcoux from the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest as our keynote speaker. Hélène’s engaging and energizing talk focused on strengthening public understanding of forestry. With inspiring ideas for engagement, her key theme was “lean into stories, be real, be vulnerable, and don’t use so many acronyms.” At the research forest, near Maple Ridge, they have many different programs and initiatives that education the public and bring people to the forest for tours, talks, and events. They have fostered incredible partnerships and opportunities for diversification. Thank you to Hélène for sharing your ideas and inspiring us to continue our work with impactful community engagement.

Read More

Supporting wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays

Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth
Government of British Columbia
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

CRESTON, BC — A Kootenay-based project is receiving provincial funding to convert forestry waste into a soil supplement, benefiting agriculture and forestry sectors. …Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, said “By turning wood waste into valuable new products, this project is creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping build a stronger future for the community.” …Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), the Province is providing approximately $182,000 to Wildsight to support its Fire for Healthy Soils project in Creston. The funding supports a pilot project to convert wood waste into biochar, which is a stable, carbon-rich form of charcoal produced by heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment. …The provincial investment will support Wildsight, the Creston Community Forest and the Regional District of Central Kootenay to collaboratively pilot a biochar business project using low-cost kiln technology.

Read More

BC’s community forest leaders and supporters meet in Vernon

By BC Community Forest Association
Facebook
June 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Day 1 of the 2026 BCCFA Conference and AGM was a success! Hosted in Vernon, BC this year, the Monashee Community Forest were our welcoming hosts. Monashee CF is a partnership between the Village of Lumby and the Splatsin First Nation. Day 1 included a field tour on the Monashee CF above Lumby, BC, to showcase their Silvopasture work. Silvopasture is a forestry management practice that combines multiple values to achieve a few different objectives. The area that MCF showed us created grazing pasture for cattle, and integrated wildfire risk reduction for the community of Lumby. The treated area also supports good recreation opportunities. We heard from Kyle Runzer, Nick Barry, Frank Joe, Courtney Strassburger, and Nicole Williams from the Splatsin First Nation, Trish Balcaen from Coldstream Ranch, Rick Fairbairn (Area D RDNO Director), and Rob Dinwoodie, an agriculture consultant.

Read More

How Kakisa, Northwest Territories, is making a fire break part of its plan to grow more food

By Sarah St-Pierre
CBC News
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

@Wiki

When a wildfire reached Kakisa in 2014, burning around the community on two sides and along its access road, it decimated many berry bushes that grew in the area. Now, the N.W.T.’s smallest community is using one of the fire breaks protecting it from future wildfires to bring back those berries — and closer to home. “If it’s going be always there, why not plant berries,” said Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation Chief Lloyd Chicot. “Rather than just taking all the trees down and leaving it there.” The berry patch is a pilot project involving the First Nation and a team of researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University who have been working with the community of just under 40 people for 13 years. Planted in 2024, some of the berry plants gave their first modest yield last summer. They complement some of the community’s other efforts to grow more food in a place where the closest grocery store is nearly 70 kilometres away. 

Read More

Kelowna tops insurance company list of Canadian cities at risk from wildfires in 2026

By Cindy White
Castanet
June 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Kelowna has topped the list of Canadian cities most at risk from wildfires in 2026, according to a report from a Toronto-based online insurance company. Using data from Natural Resources Canada’s recently upgraded Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, MyChoice said Kelowna has a wildfire Risk Index score of 6.8/10. It was the only city to get a “very high” rating on the MyChoice Canada’s 2026 wildfire risk map. ​“While Prairie cities recorded more severe forecast fire weather conditions, Kelowna’s extremely high community exposure, driven by dense wildland-urban interface development, surrounding forest fuel, and historical wildfire activity, pushed it to the top overall,” said MyChoice in its annual wildfire study. ​To calculate the wildfire risk index, MYChoice gave equal weight to two factors: Forecast fire weather severity and community exposure.

Read More

Planting 125 million more trees in B.C.

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province is investing $155 million toward reforestation programs to plant more than 125 million trees throughout BC. The funding, which also includes investments from the federal government, will deliver both large-scale reforestation and targeted projects that restore critical habitats, conserve biodiversity and support wildfire recovery. “Since 2017, we’ve invested in planting 400 million trees in B.C. Now, we’re adding 125 million more,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “As we head into the Council of Canadian Forest Ministers Conference, hosted right here at home, we’re showing how B.C. continues to lead not only in forestry, but in reforestation and restoration. The Province’s reforestation investments will support: more than $56 million for reforestation, more than $1 million for B.C.’s Riparian Recovery Project, and more than $99 million for large-scale reforestation through the BC Forest Investment Program. …B.C. has secured more than $200 million in federal funding for reforestation and habitat restoration initiatives in British Columbia…

Read More

Resources to support client conversations about sourcing wood from British Columbia

naturally:wood
June 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Professionals in the built environment are increasingly being asked where their materials come from and how they’re sourced. To support these conversations, naturally:wood has two new resources focused on explaining forest management practices in British Columbia (B.C.).

From forest to form factsheet
Did you know just 0.3% of B.C.’s public forest land is harvested each year, while 63% of B.C.’s forests will never beharvested? And that 64% of B.C.’s forests are certified, accounting for 6.3% of the world’s certified forests? This overview uses data points like these to support conversations about sustainability, certifications and sourcing.

Video featuring the Chief Forester of B.C.
An authoritative perspective on how forest management decisions are made from the independent decision-maker responsible for long-term sustainable stewardship of Crown forest lands.

These resources are designed to equip architects, engineers and construction professionals with credible, evidence-based information they can confidently share with clients.

Read More

Forest Grove hosting meeting on New Forest Act proposal

By Patrick Davies
The 100 Mile Free Press
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

…Searching online, South Cariboo resident and retired silviculturist Will van Osch came across the New Forest Act proposal, which has been developed by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society. The BFWSS is a non-profit society that advocates for economically sustainable forestry practices to help prevent environmental disasters caused by deforestation and climate change. …Van Osch said the New Forest Act, which has been developed by project lead Jennifer Houghton, an independent forestry analyst, spoke to him. The proposed act calls for B.C. to adopt a truly sustainable forestry model that will benefit future generations, while protecting local decision-making power. After reading her proposal, van Osch reached out to Houghton and invited her to come to the South Cariboo and give a presentation on her ideas. She agreed and is now set to host a meeting at the Forest Grove Community Hall on Monday, June 8, at 7 p.m.

Related coverage in the Keremeos Review, by Brennan Phillips: Citizen-led forestry plan presentation coming to Penticton

Read More

Chipping instead of burning: Sun Peaks and Thompson Rivers University test low-carbon fuel management

Thompson Rivers University
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality is trying a new approach to reduce wildfire risk in the forests surrounding the community — and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is right in the middle of it. Instead of piling leftover wood and brush from fuel-reduction treatments and burning it when conditions allow, crews are now chipping and mulching the debris and spreading it in a thin layer across the forest floor to decompose naturally. The pilot project, funded by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC since 2023, aims to … improve the long-term health of these high-elevation forests. “This project shows what can be done when municipalities, universities and the private sector get together to come up with innovative ideas to address current and future wildfire risks to communities,” says John Karakatsoulis, TRU Faculty of Science. …Forsite Consultants Ltd. (Barr GeoSpatial Solutions Company), has been working with Sun Peaks to find alternatives as the burning window shrinks every year. 

Read More

Yukon government expanding all-season timber harvest opportunities

The Government of Yukon
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Government of Yukon is taking steps to expand all-season timber harvesting opportunities across the territory and improve access for Yukon harvesters. The Department of Energy, Mines and Resources has reviewed existing timber harvest plans to identify areas where additional summer and all-season harvesting may be possible. There are currently summer harvesting opportunities available in most forest management districts. …The Government of Yukon is also working with the Yukon Wood Products Association to provide and subsidize pre-harvest migratory bird survey training for harvesters to support additional summer operations. …The Government of Yukon will continue working with First Nations, industry and the Yukon Wood Products Association to develop new timber harvesting projects and support existing operations throughout the territory.

Read More

Suzanne Simard Speaks for the Trees

By Katie Underwood
Maclean’s Magazine
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In the late ’90s, Suzanne Simard started what can only be (indelicately) described as a firestorm in the forestry world. Her Ph.D. findings, published in the renowned journal Nature, argued that trees weren’t the valiant loners scientists once believed them to be. Rather, they survived through symbiosis, communicating and even sharing carbon through a subterranean series of mycorrhizal networks (fungal root systems). Initially, Simard’s peers weren’t nearly as generous as the tree community—one reviewer rebuked her paper as “a dog’s breakfast”—but, over time, some listened more closely. Today, Simard isn’t just the tree world’s tallest poppy; she’s a global, Goodall-esque conservation icon.

Read More

The ‘Reckoning’ Coming for BC Logging Licences

By Ben Parfitt
The Tyee
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In 2024, the Tsay Keh Dene Nation and McLeod Lake Indian Band bought a logging licence near the town of Mackenzie from Canfor for $69M. …“It’s just a huge step to have some local Indigenous nations who are vested in our community step forward,” Makenzie Mayor Atkinson said. …But what if Canfor and others aren’t logging at rates close to what their licences say they can? If they sell such licences, what should those licences be valued at? And what role should the B.C. government play as the party that issues those licences and must approve any future sales? …Canfor, West Fraser and Western Forest Products alone control 39% of the timber that the government has firmly committed to logging companies. For decades, successive provincial governments granted logging licences to companies on the requirement that the public get something in return. The quid pro quo was that the companies would build mills.

Read More

Syilx Okanagan Nation seeks emergency federal protection for Southern Mountain Caribou habitat

By Kathy Michaels
Castanet
June 1, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Syilx Okanagan Nation is calling on the federal government to issue an emergency order protecting critical habitat for Southern Mountain Caribou. In a filing under Section 80 of the federal Species at Risk Act, the Syilx Okanagan Nation is calling for immediate and enforceable protections for habitat used by the Columbia North, Frisby-Boulder and Central Selkirk herds, which occupy areas within Syilx Okanagan territory in southern British Columbia. “The current provincial and federal recovery measures have failed to address ongoing habitat destruction and cumulative effects across caribou ranges,” Chief Dan Wilson of the Okanagan Indian Band said in a media release. … “The continued logging of critical caribou habitat is inconsistent with Syilx Forestry Principles and Standards, yet the province continues to authorize logging in these core areas,” Coun. Jordan Coble, chair of the Syilx Nation Natural Resource Committee said in a media release.

Related Coverage in the Tyee, by Sarah Cox: Will Canada Issue an Emergency Order to Protect Caribou?

Read More

British Coumbia’s caribou and the economics of extinction

By Peter Tsigaris, Thompson Rivers University
Armchair Mayor
June 1, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

BRITISH COLUMBIA’s caribou are disappearing, and they may be warning us about something much larger than the fate of a single species. A recent paper by former Thompson Rivers University economics student Trang Minh Phan, A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment, examines the relationship between old-growth forest conservation and caribou recovery in British Columbia. The findings are important. Without stronger habitat protection, some caribou herds may face local extinction within decades. One herd in particular illustrates a modern ecological tragedy of the commons. The Itcha-Ilgachuz herd in the Cariboo region once numbered close to 3,000 animals in the early 2000s. By 2019, that population had collapsed to approximately 185 caribou. In one simulated scenario, strong protection of old-growth forests, allows the Itcha-Ilgachuz herd to recover above conservation targets within a decade. In another scenario involving limited regulation, recovery remains slow and uncertain. Under continued unrestricted logging, the herd eventually collapses toward extinction by 2035.

Read More

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.

Read More

Montreal weather: SOPFEU’s puppet master videos catching on like wildfire

The Montreal Gazette
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Why is the human lady angry? Because she’s tired of repeating the same old fire-safety rules. Stop all that business with open fires in the forest, burning garbage and tossing lit cigarette butts, SOPFEU says — and it’s saying it with puppets. A new series of videos by Quebec’s wildfire prevention organization feature a campfire with googly eyes, a pigheaded smoker and young squirrels asking their dad why the human lady is angry: “Because she’s tired of repeating” the same old fire-safety rules. The tagline is, “Hey, if they don’t get it with puppets …” 

Read More

Spruce budworm’s knocking at Nova Scotia’s door; threatening worse wildfires and rekindling debates over whether to spray

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

©NRCan

…spruce budworm outbreaks affect most of Nova Scotia’s softwood forests. And [after a massive outbreak in 1979] it’s back. Quebec’s boreal forest is being ravaged. New Brunswick is trying to hold the line at its northern border with a spray program. Newfoundland is being hit, too. Pheromone traps around the highlands have shown a sharp increase this spring … the population is expected to explode. The return raises questions that are getting very different answers from different corners of this province: Do we interfere in a natural process by aerial spraying? Can we live with the consequences if we don’t? And even if we try, will it work? The Department of Natural Resources is starting an aerial spray program of the insecticide BTK next week. Parks Canada has refused them permission to spray within Cape Breton Highlands National Park… The federal policy will create a massive host population that may impede the province’s efforts.

Read More

Ontario budgets just $150M for wildfires despite burning through almost double last year

By Cloe Logan
National Observer
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

In 2025’s budget, Ontario allotted $135 million for its Emergency Forest Firefighting fund, which Firefighter Noah Freedman describes as money that “keeps the lights on.” The province ended up spending double that: $271 million, according to this year’s budget. But that same document penciled in just $150 million again for this year. The province did not respond to requests from Canada’s National Observer asking why the budget hasn’t been increased. Not allotting adequate funds translates to real impacts on the frontlines, said Freedman, who is also vice president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union Local 703. He said last season was “riddled with logistical problems” due to a lack of available funding: not having crews and helicopters where they were needed, and scrambling to request more… “None of that is because of our leadership in our agency. It’s a result of not getting anywhere near the funding that we need to truly be decision-makers,” Freedman said.

Read More

‘Qualified’ candidates on hand but not taking N.L. chief pilot role that oversees water bombers, says minister

By Alex Kennedy
CBC News
June 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

©Gvt NF

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Barry Petten said Monday that if pilots responsible for water bomber and air ambulance operations in Newfoundland and Labrador want their workplace situation to improve, they should tell him how to do it. “We’ve got a major [turnover] of chief water bomber pilots, and that’s a concern to me. So obviously, there’s a root cause to that,” Petten said. …Petten’s comments follow reports of the resignation of the province’s chief pilot in the Air Services branch. A letter, attributed collectively to Newfoundland and Labrador Water Bomber and Air Ambulance Pilots, highlighted issues in the sector to government last week. If a chief pilot isn’t found … Transport Canada could issue a suspension of Air Operator Certificate … which could ground water bombers without a solution. …Petten said an interim pilot could be in place as early as Wednesday — telling the House the department was “very close” to hiring a chief pilot.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Trudeau’s climate policy architects gather as Carney changes course

By David Thurton
CBC News
May 30, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Steven Guilbeault

 Former prime minister Justin Trudeau and his former climate change cabinet ministers — Catherine McKenna, Jonathan Wilkinson and Steven Guilbeault — on Wednesday met near Parliament Hill. Political operatives behind the scenes, MPs across party lines and journalists were also there. …For a decade the four Liberal politicians and their staffers worked closely to change Canada’s performance and image as a laggard on tackling climate change. …But the evening took on greater significance. Just hours earlier Guilbeault, the activist turned government minister, announced he was resigning as an MP. It was also exactly six months to the day he left Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet, unable to defend the new Liberal government’s “backsliding” on climate change. …The Liberal government led by Prime Minister Carney has suggested that the approach of his predecessor, the Trudeau government, on climate was not working.

In related news:

Read More

Health & Safety

Minister Dabrusin and Minister Michel mark Clean Air Day in Canada

Environment and Climate Change Canada
PR Newswire
June 3, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

GATINEAU, Quebec –– Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, and Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, issued the following statement to mark Clean Air Day in Canada. ….”As wildfires continue to affect communities across Canada, the Government of Canada is helping Canadians understand the health risks associated with wildfire smoke and how to reduce their exposure. We support this by providing forecasts, alerts, and the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) through the WeatherCAN app and Canada.ca/weather. The AQHI helps people understand how air quality in their area could impact their health so they can limit their exposure or adjust activity levels during periods of increased air pollution. …”On this Clean Air Day, we encourage Canadians to learn more about air pollution, understand how government actions are improving air quality, and take steps to protect their health.”

Read More

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.

Read More

Multiple properties under evacuation alert due to raging B.C. wildfire

By Todd Coyne
CTV News
June 3, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

Nearly two dozen properties remain under an evacuation alert Wednesday as a massive wildfire burning out of control in the British Columbia Interior continues to grow. The Cariboo Regional District issued the alert for 22 parcels of land near the Swede Creek wildfire, which the district says poses “potential danger to life and health.” The alert urges residents inside the 18,000-hectare fire warning zone to prepare to flee the area on short notice. People in the evacuation alert area are advised to keep their personal vehicles fully fueled and prepare grab-and-go bags with essential items for a rapid departure if the alert turns into an evacuation order. The wildfire near Comstock Lake, southwest of Prince George, measures approximately 1,815 hectares, or just over 18 square kilometres, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. The agency has charted the fire’s growth from 150 hectares on Monday to 800 hectares on Tuesday morning and 1,300 by the afternoon.

Read More

Wood Buffalo wildfire has grown to more than 39,000 hectares

By Lisa Iesse
My North Now
May 31, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Four new fires have been reported in Wood Buffalo and the Northwest Territories. The fire near the Whooping Crane nesting area, about 22 kilometres northeast of Highway 5, has more than doubled in size since last week. It remains the largest wildfire in Canada, according to data collected by the Canadian Wildland’s information system. About 39,907 hectares at last measure, park Firefighters reported that the blaze remained within the Wood Buffalo boundary this weekend despite significant growth at the weekend’s start. Crews, including 41 fire personnel have been responding to the fire, with the support of seven helicopters and a bowser. Officials reported that “cooler” and “wetter” weather last night along with “favourable” northwestern winds helped to alleviate conditions that allowed for a more effective fire response on Saturday. …The latest updates on wildfires in the territory are available on www.nwtfire.com

Read More

Wildfire evacuees and pets arrive in Barrie as Northern Ont. forest fire continues

By Julianna Balsamo
CTV News
June 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

More than 160 residents from Mattagami First Nation and their beloved pets are on their way to Barrie after a fast-growing wildfire, identified as Timmins 9, forced a mandatory evacuation of the community. CTV News has learned that some evacuees were transported to Barrie by bus, while others left the area in their own vehicles. Many families who have arrived brought their pets, including dogs, cats and birds, as they fled from the dangerous conditions. The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society said it was on hand to help evacuees arriving to the city, providing pet food, crates, bedding, collars and leashes. “We were ready with emergency supplies,” said the OSPCA over social media. “To help keep animals safe and comfortable during this difficult time.” …On Thursday morning, Ontario Forest Fires reported the blaze had grown to 2,945 hectares and remained out of control.

Read More

Highway 144 fire doubles in size again, now nearly 3,000 hectares

Timmins Today
June 4, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

A massive fire near Gogama has doubled in size again overnight. This morning (June 4), the Ministry of Natural Resources mapping has the fire at 2,945 hectares. That’s more than double what it was last night, when it was reported as 1,100 hectares. Here’s what you need to know about the situation today:

  • The main fire, Timmins 9, started on Sunday, May 31. It’s located on the west side of Highway 144, northwest of Gogama, and west of Mattagami First Nation. It is not under control.
  • On Wednesday, nine FireRanger crews were assigned to the fire, along with aerial fire suppression crews.
  • Timmins 10, located northwest of Timmins 9, on the east side of Kasasway Lake is under control at 1.5 hectares.
  • Mattagami First Nation issued a mandatory evacuation order on Wednesday. 
  • As of 9 a.m. today (June 4), Highway 144 is closed between Highway 101 and Highway 560 (The Watershed).
  • The Ministry of Natural Resources has also declared an emergency area order, restricting access to some roads.

Read More