President-elect Donald Trump has justified his threat of 25% tariffs on Canada by pointing to the US trade deficit. Top Canadian economists have a response to that: it’s all because your country wants cheap oil. The US is on track to end 2024 with the largest overall trade deficit in its history. Its imbalance with Canada is about $60 billion. …Trump has repeatedly claimed the deficit is a subsidy to the Canadian economy, and said Tuesday the US doesn’t need anything from Canada. Import and export data, however, paint a different picture. Among the US’s top partners, its trade with Canada is the most equally balanced — because Canada buys $85 million from the US for every $100 million it exports. When stripping out oil and gas, the US actually has a significant trade surplus with Canada — its biggest energy supplier and a key buyer of American products from food to machinery.
“The Americans have had the better side of the deal because for more than a decade, they’ve been running surpluses on the non-energy side,” Stéfane Marion at National Bank of Canada, said. “Your deficit is with Canada on energy, but Canada allows you to have access to energy at a discount that you refine or transform to sell at a higher price to the rest of the world.” The US has been a net total energy exporter since 2019 as increases in domestic production lowered the need for imports. Still, it imports crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and electricity from Canada. …“For the first time, the US is actually a net beneficiary when energy prices increase because they’re a net exporter,” Marion said. “Americans need to know the reason you have that is partly because of Canada.”
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With President-elect Trump set to take over the Oval Office on January 20, the Canadian lumber industry looks to be taking action… advising customers that they will add 25% to lumber exports to the US when the tariff is announced. With Canadian mills already paying an average of 14.4% import duties on US shipments, they have no alternative but to increase prices by the 25% to cover the potential tariff. Nic Wilson, CEO of the Denver Mass Timber Group Summit reports that… “
Donald Trump is threatening to use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st American state. While his comments may be reckless, they are in part due to Canada’s over-reliance on the US market in terms of trade. The benefits of international trade are undoubtedly positive. It’s well-established that when countries can produce a product or service more cheaply than others, giving them what’s known as a “comparative advantage,” all other nations engaged will gain from that trade. …But the key challenge Canadian policymakers face is an over-reliance on the US as Canada’s primary market, with 75% of all Canadian exports headed south. …Canada can no longer take easy access to the U.S. market for granted. …Bringing down barriers to trade across Canadian provinces would create conditions that could enable Canadian companies to be more competitive internationally, and beyond the U.S. market in particular.
GATINEAU, QUE. — An agreement has been reached between the Competition Bureau and Rona Inc. in relation to concerns about the company’s proposed acquisition of 
New Westminster, BC — The Canadian Mill Services Association (CMSA) is announcing that it has completed a purchase agreement with the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) to acquire the COFI Quality Control (QC) operations and to merge them into CMSA. This has involved the transfer of the rights and trademarks to use the COFI grade stamps, and the Interior Lumber Manufacturers’ (ILMA) grade stamps as well as the transfer of the quality control employees from COFI to CMSA. As of December 31, 2024 COFI ceases to offer QC services and the former COFI customers who were using these services are encouraged to join CMSA as active Members. With completion of the merger, CMSA will now provide all the necessary Quality Control Services including Educational Training and Support to its active members. CMSA shall continue to be members of the NLGA, CLSAB and ALSC and will continue to represent its members with the Canadian Wood Council.
A potential hike in tariffs imposed on Canadian exports to the US as early as January will highlight developments that could define first-quarter trends in the softwood lumber market. …Many traders have expressed a perception that the US economy will prosper in 2025 with a more business friendly administration in the White House. However, if the tariffs are imposed, they could significantly alter the flow of softwood lumber and panels from Canada to the US. Some Canadian producers have already noted that they will withdraw from the US market rather than deal with the rising costs. If returns on shipments to the US plunge, many Canadian mills could funnel a larger percentage of production offshore, especially to Pacific Rim destinations. …Southern Pine traders hope the first quarter sets the stage for a rebound after a difficult year in 2024. Production outpaced demand for most of the year, sustaining steady downward pressure on prices.
If president-elect Donald Trump… follows through with his tariff threat, it could have economic consequences for the U.S. lumber supply chain, according to Rajan Parajuli at NC State. …US. companies would likely attempt to recoup tariff-related losses by raising the price of Canadian softwood lumber, which would potentially impact the housing market by making building materials more expensive. …Parajuli highlighted the 2006 U.S.–Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement as an example of how tariffs can impact the supply chain. …Under the agreement, which was active until 2015, U.S. lumber producers gained $1.6 billion and U.S. consumers lost $2.3 billion as softwood lumber imports from Canada declined by 7.78% in the months when export taxes took effect. “U.S. consumers not only paid producers’ gains, but also the losses that resulted from the export taxes,” Parajuli said. In the long term, the U.S. would need to work with Canada to negotiate a new softwood lumber agreement, according to Parajuli. Germany, Sweden and other trade partners simply don’t have the inventory or capacity to displace Canada in lumber exports.
Canada recorded a ninth consecutive monthly trade deficit in November, albeit smaller than expected as exports rose faster than imports, data showed on Tuesday. Total exports rose 2.2 per cent in November, helped by gains in a broad section of product categories, while imports were up 1.8 per cent, led by consumer goods and chemical, plastic and rubber products, Statistics Canada said. As a result, Canada’s trade deficit narrowed to $323-million from a revised $544-million deficit in October. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a $900-million deficit in November. The trade surplus with the United States, by far Canada’s largest trading partner, widened to $8.2-billion from $6.6-billion in October. The surplus with the U.S. nearly offset Canada’s trade deficit with all other countries – which widened to $8.5-billion in November from $7.2-billion – underscoring the potential impact of the U.S. President-elect’s threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods.
After a dismal 2023 and 2024 in lumber markets in both demand and prices, it can only get better in 2025, right? Well, that depends. …The outlook for 2025 needs to incorporate several variables:
It would be easy to quote the price per square foot for concrete home construction vis-à-vis the price per square foot for the same size wooden house. But direct comparisons like that fail to capture the complexity and nuance of these choices. That is because the building and maintenance costs are woven together with the sustainability, durability and longevity of the materials involved in the construction process. …In this article, we will explore these respective approaches, with special attention to cost, sustainability, maintenance, durability and time to build. The U.S. Department of Housing calculates that for the construction of a 2,500-square-foot house, the price difference between concrete and wood would be around $7,000. …At first glance, timber frame construction should easily be the most sustainable. After all, we are dealing with a natural, renewable product. However, there are several parts to the comparative puzzle.
Are you looking to enhance your skills in the lumber and sawmill sector? Onboarding new employees that would benefit from formal education in the field? Are you seeking to provide your employees with essential business skills for professional development? BCIT is currently offering two Associate Certificates to help you: 
Canadian forests are increasingly primed for severe, uncontrollable wildfires, a study published Thursday said, underlining what the authors described as a pressing need to proactively mitigate the “increased threat posed by climate change.” The study by Canadian researchers, published in the journal Science, looked at Canadian fire severity from 1981 to 2020. “The widespread increases, along with limited decreases, in high-burn severity days during 1981 to 2020 indicate the increasingly severe fire situation and more challenging fire season under the changing climate in Canada,” the study read. Co-author Xianli Wang, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, says there were on average an additional two days conducive to high-severity fires in 2000 to 2020, compared to the previous two decades. In some areas, it was closer to five days. …The greatest increase in burn severity days was recorded in an area covering northern Quebec and an area covering Northwest Territories, northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia.
The provincial government expects to plant nearly 50 million fewer trees this year — a 17 per cent drop from last year’s planting season at a time when the province has seen a major spike in wildfire activity. The projections come from presentation slides shown to the industry in September. …the government expects the number of trees planted to sink to 233 million in 2025, 47 million fewer than were planted in 2024. …About half of the anticipated drop in 2025 is due to declines in trees planted by logging companies. Drops are also expected in government programs designed to combat climate change, restore forest carbon stocks, and plant trees in the wake of wildfires, data show. The 2023 wildfires also prevented many replanting projects from occurring that year, and delays due to the time it takes to grow enough seedlings mean replanting won’t take place until 2026 and 2027, according to the ministry spokesperson. 
The Kaska Dena people, who for thousands of years have lived on a vast swath of intact wilderness in northern B.C. on the Yukon border… They want to ensure it remains undeveloped… So the Kaska have come up with a plan for the province to protect an area, called the Dene K’éh Kusān — 40,000 square kilometres, an area larger than Vancouver Island, of land and water. …It would also boost B.C.’s pledge to protect 30 per cent of land and 30 per cent of water by 2030, say conservation experts. …With only five years to go, and just about 16 per cent of land protected in B.C. so far, the province must double its efforts if it intends to reach those ambitious targets…Randene Neill, B.C.’s minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said that she’s aware that some areas reported as conservation measures aren’t meeting their originally intended objectives. 
…British Columbia’s forests are … a foundation of the province’s identity and a bedrock of its economy. Both past and present, the industry has been one of the province’s largest employers, providing tens of thousands of well-paying jobs, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities where opportunities can be scarce. These jobs are vital for maintaining economic stability in smaller towns, where forestry often serves as the main driver of local economies. …By managing forests, BC can enhance their role as carbon sinks, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate-driven concerns such as wildfires. …Concurrently, BC’s forestry practices need to keep pace with evolving environmental and social expectations. …Global markets and decision-makers are increasingly demanding environmentally responsible products and wood clearly delivers those needs. However, two things need to happen. First, a clear, cohesive strategy is needed to ensure we do not fall behind international competitors. Secondly, you actually have to cut a tree down.
Human recreation on mountain trails is displacing grizzly bears and wolves from their natural habitats, even when the trails are hundreds of metres away, according to a new study from the University of Alberta. The research underscores the need for more effective planning to ensure that recreationists and wildlife can coexist, particularly in the busy Bow River Valley, which has long served as a natural corridor connecting the prairies to the Continental Divide… Though trails that never receive any use from humans have little to no effect on wildlife, only half of grizzlies studied would venture within 300 metres of trails with the highest human use. This effect was more pronounced in wary wolves, whose radius of comfort extended to 600 metres from the busiest trails. “We initially thought bears might use hiking trails as efficient routes when humans weren’t around, but they actually avoid these areas altogether,” says the author.
For over 20 years, the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has championed the community forest program, highlighting its ability to foster social, economic, ecological, and cultural resilience. …Community forests are long-term, area-based tenures managed by local communities to reflect local priorities and values. With 61 community forests currently operating across the province, and growing interest in local resource management, the program is gaining broad recognition and support. …According to the December BCCFA Newsletter, the city of Quesnel along with five First Nations, have come to an agreement on the establishment of the Three Rivers Community Forest (TRCF). …Farther south, the BCCFA provided Nakusp and Area Community Forest (NACFOR) with funding through the province’s Economic Recovery Initiative under the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction program. …There were 14 other community forests across the province supported by this initiative.
Forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought. A team of international researchers have found that increased inputs from plant roots can keep carbon levels in soil stable even as temperatures and nitrogen deposits in the atmosphere rise. The collaborative research project, 
A new study indicates that over the past 10 years, the Nanaimo region has gained more winter days above 0 C than anywhere else in Canada. The study comes from Climate Central, a non-profit based in New Jersey… The 
An American company that controls some large patches of forest northwest of Thunder Bay is considering the potential sale of its timberlands for use as a carbon offset initiative… Wagner Forest Management – based in New Hampshire – owns 195,000 hectares of forest in eight former Abitibi-Consolidated freehold blocks located roughly between the Dog Lake area, Graham and Sioux Lookout. It purchased the blocks from Abitibi in 2005 in a bidding process in which the Ontario government also participated. Last July the company extended an invitation to investors interested in the potential development of its holdings as “one of the largest nature-based carbon removal projects in the Voluntary Carbon Market.”.. Wagner’s forest management practices are currently certified through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
At its November 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s 
The BC Forest Safety Council celebrated Leadership in Forestry Safety with the 2024 Leadership in Safety Awards at the Vancouver Island Safety Conference on Saturday, October 26th. The 2024 Leadership in Safety Awards were presented by BCFSC’s CEO, Rob Moonen. These awards honour the exceptional contributions to safety in the forestry industry and recognize individuals, crews, and companies that have made significant strides in workplace safety, reinforcing the goal of ensuring every worker returns home safely. This year, three outstanding individuals were celebrated: Bill Bolton, former Falling Manager and senior advisor for the BCFSC received the 2024 Cary White Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for his unwavering advocacy for faller safety. …Toby Jeffreys, Area Supervisor at Interfor’s Adams Lake Division, was awarded the Forest Safety MVP Award. And Chris Fowler, Safety Coordinator at Canoe Forest Products (CFP), a division of the Gorman Group, received the MVP Award for Wood Products Manufacturing.
Alberta will join other Canadian provinces helping battle raging wildfires in Los Angeles, the largest in the California city’s history. The province announced Thursday it’s preparing to deploy an incident command team and additional wildfire-fighting resources to support California, including water bombers and night-vision helicopters. Thousands of firefighters have been battling roaring flames that have left neighbourhoods in ruin and burned thousands of structures, while killing at least five people. “Good neighbours are always there for each other in times of need, and we will assist our American friends in any way they need during this crisis,” Premier Danielle Smith wrote on X. …In fighting the Palisades fire, the Los Angeles water system “buckled” under the demand, as some hydrants ran dry, hindering firefighting efforts. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 2,000 structures have burned and at least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders due to the wildfires.
OTTAWA – Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan says dozens of firefighters from Alberta and British Columbia will help fight wildfires in California, and the federal government is co-ordinating efforts with the provinces to deploy resources. Sajjan says in a social media post that 60 firefighters from the two provinces will be deployed as soon as Monday, and that Canadian officials are working to identify and prepare more resources to send in the days ahead. He says in the post that, “Our American friends have asked for help to fight the wildfires in California and Team Canada is responding,” and he concludes with, “Neighbours helping neighbours.” A spokeswoman for Sajjan confirms in an email that Canada has received and approved an official request for help. Alberta announced last week that it is sending up to 40 wildland firefighters with more personnel, waterbombers and contracted night-vision helicopters ready to deploy.