Region Archives: Canada

Special Feature

BC Wood returns to Whistler for the 22nd Global Buyers Mission

BC Wood Specialties Group
August 15, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Wood recently announced that Premier David Eby will open the 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM) on Friday, September 5th. This shows the significance of the GBM to British Columbia’s forestry and value-added wood industry. Kicking off the tradeshow, the Premier will join delegates on the tradeshow floor. Premier Eby’s presence highlights the critical role of British Columbia’s wood and forestry sector in driving innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. With recent U.S. decisions increasing countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber to over 35%, there’s an unprecedented level of uncertainty about how the market will be impacted. A newly announced panel presentation will analyse the escalating tariffs threatening to disrupt supply chains, inflate costs, and reshape the forestry industry. Forest Minister Parmar will introduce the panel and participants Mo Amir, Nick Arkle, Liz Kovach and Kurt Niquidet on September 4th.

Read More

Premier Eby to Officially Open the 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission

BC Wood Specialties Group
August 12, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West, International

Ken Kalesnikoff & David Eby

BC Wood announced that Premier David Eby will open the 22nd Annual Global Buyers Mission (GBM) and deliver the welcoming remarks on Friday, September 5th, before the tradeshow begins. This shows the significance of the GBM to British Columbia’s forestry and value-added wood industry, with the Premier joining us to explore the tradeshow floor and engage directly with the delegates. Premier Eby’s presence highlights the critical role of BC’s wood and forestry sector in driving innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. As one of the largest events of its kind in Canada, the GBM brings together over 700 delegates from around the globe, fostering connections that generated over $34 million in new business last year alone. For 22 years, the GBM has been a staple for generating business for Canada’s wood manufacturers. This showcases to international delegates, Canada’s wood manufacturing capabilities as some of the finest in the world.

Read More

Business & Politics

Why the US and Canada Are at Loggerheads Over Lumber

By Ilena Peng
Bloomberg Economics
August 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US and Canada are fighting about lumber once again. The neighbors have feuded over softwood lumber since the 1980s. The US has periodically put in place duties to counteract what it claims are unfair subsidies and sales of lumber priced below market value. …Canada has long resisted changing its trade practices on lumber. But as the Trump administration has become more bellicose about its trade relationship with Canada, the country’s stance may be softening. On July 16, BC Premier Eby said that Canadian officials are now open to putting a quota on the amount of lumber exported to the US. The increased fees will benefit foresters in the US South… but the US would struggle to offset the lumber it gets from Canada in the short-term, potentially driving up housing prices. Here’s what to know about the commodity that has long dominated US-Canada trade tensions. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

Read More

US Lumber Coalition Questions the National Association of Homebuilders Advocating for Unfairly Traded Canadian Lumber Imports

By the US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
August 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The National Association of Homebuilders has a long-standing policy priority of advocating for Canadian softwood lumber imports. …”NAHB’s unyielding support, which benefits from dozens of unfair subsidies and dumps its product at the direct expense of US softwood lumber producers and workers raises questions regarding the organization’s motivation. Past NAHB statements would seem to endorse the market disrupting and price suppressing effects of unfair trade. Considering the long-term detrimental impact on U.S. softwood lumber production, and the resulting negative impacts on our country’s overall lumber supply, it seems like a very short-sighted policy priority,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen. He added, “in order to advocate for the Canadian softwood lumber industry and Canadian workers, NAHB seems willing to knowingly peddle unfounded scare tactics and claims as it fights against President Trump’s America First trade law enforcement priorities.” …”The Canadian industry are more than happy to parrot NAHB’s misleading and false claims.”

Read More

Separating fact from fiction in the US-Canada softwood lumber trade war

CBC News
August 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The lumber mills on Mitchell Island along the Fraser River are still bustling, but there are worries they could be in trouble. Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a big hike on duties for Canadian softwood lumber. Other anti-dumping fees were announced in July. That means Canadian lumber is now subject to duties of more than 35%. We speak with Kevin Mason, the managing director of ERA Forest Products Research, who provides some context on the ongoing trade dispute. 

Read More

Trump’s tariffs: Resist, protect our jobs, rebuild our industries

United Steelworkers
August 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Since Feb. 1, 2025, Canada has been plunged into a major trade war, triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. …These measures threaten thousands of jobs and destabilize the deeply integrated supply chains between the two countries. This is not the first time Canada has faced such a threat. In 2018, similar tariffs were imposed by the same president but lifted in 2019 with the conclusion of the CUSMA. The difference today is the far greater scale and scope of the trade war. …The USW calls for a robust industrial strategy to reduce Canada’s dependence on U.S. trade. Priority must be given to steel, aluminum, wood and materials manufactured in Canada in all government-funded projects. Public money must be used to support Canadian jobs. The union is also calling for a tax credit to encourage the procurement of Canadian-manufactured goods, as well as the creation of strategic reserves of critical minerals to stabilize demand and secure supply chains.

Read More

Brink Group feels the effects of the escalating trade war

By Matthew Hillier
The Prince George Citizen
August 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

John Brink

John Brink, owner of Brink Group of Companies in Prince George, has already been feeling the effects of this ongoing trade war, as his locations in the North have had to downsize to a third of their employees. …Brink told The Citizen that a concerning number of the larger forestry companies’ locations have already been shutting down across the North, leaving medium- to small-sized ones to fend for themselves in a hostile market. …He added that unless the costs of these products rise to meet the new duties imposed by the States, these smaller companies will be in more hot water than they already are. …Brink also believes the uncertainty caused by these ongoing increases in duties and on-again, off-again tariffs is by design, to keep Canadian companies unbalanced and uncertain. …Despite his long and successful career in the Prince George area, he said times have never been harder than they are right now.

Read More

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper mill suspends operations amid wildfires

CBC News
August 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

NEWFOUNDLAND — A pulp and paper mill on Newfoundland’s west coast is temporarily suspending operations due to limited fibre availability. The pause comes after forest operations stopped on Aug. 9 due to extreme fire risk. The province is fighting multiple wildfires, including five that are burning out of control. Corner Brook Pulp and Paper — owned by Kruger — said all forest operations stopped on Saturday, and operations at the mill will be put on hold starting Friday. “This decision aligns with emergency measures introduced by provincial authorities to help safeguard communities and natural resources in areas facing very high and extreme fire risk,” the company said. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were nine wildfires burning in Newfoundland and Labrador. The company said the estimated downtime will be about three weeks, and customer needs are being managed on a case-by-case basis. …The mill currently employs about 400 people.

Read More

Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Extend Price Decline

Trading Economics
August 13, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell toward $610 per thousand board feet, retreating from the May-2022 high of $695.5 seen August 1st as weakening demand, recovering supply and tariff-driven trade distortions jointly sapped pricing power. Demand has cooled sharply with US single-family starts slipping to an 11-month low and building permits plunging, a direct consequence of elevated mortgage rates that curbs the core market for lumber. On the supply side, sawmills remain under-utilized but production has stabilized and Canadian mills are ramping output off a curtailment-heavy base, Statistics Canada shows production and shipments recovering into mid-2025, keeping physical availability ample. Tariffs meant to restrict Canadian flows are, in this oversupplied environment, simply redirecting trade and encouraging inventory build rather than creating scarcity, so inventories remain high and limit upside even as duties rise.

Read More

Green First Forest Products reports Q2, 2025 net loss of $9.6 million

GreenFirst Forest Products Inc.
August 12, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

TORONTO — GreenFirst Forest Products announced results for the second quarter and two quarters ended June 28, 2025. Highlights include: Q2 2025 net loss from continuing operations was $9.6 million, compared to net income of $0.9 million in Q1 2025. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations for Q2 2025 was negative $5.2 million compared to positive $5.1 million in Q1 2025. …”Despite market uncertainty, we finished Q2 2025 with higher sales volumes compared to Q1 2025 – approximately 110,000 mfbm versus 90,000 mfbm,” said Joel Fournier, GreenFirst’s CEO. “On a positive note, GreenFirst set a new high during the quarter in terms of production records with volume reaching 115,000 mfbm, the highest in Company history for continuing operations.”

Read More

Conifex Timber reports Q2, 2025 net loss of $8.3 million

Conifex Timber Inc.
August 12, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. EBITDA was negative $3.2 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of $4.9 million in the first quarter of 2025 and negative $7.1 million in the second quarter of 2024. Net loss was $8.3 million for the quarter versus net income of $0.6 million in the previous quarter and net loss of $9.7 million in the second quarter of 2024. …Lumber production in the second quarter of 2025 totalled approximately 35.3 million board feet, representing operating rates of approximately 59% of annualized capacity. Second quarter production was negatively impacted by operating the sawmill on a four-day configuration, necessitated by reduced log availability.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

The Tariff Challenge & Market Diversification Panel at the Global Buyers Mission 2025

The BC Wood Specialties Group
August 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

With recent U.S. decisions increasing countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber to over 35%, there’s an unprecedented level of uncertainty about how the market will be impacted. These escalating tariffs threaten to disrupt supply chains, inflate costs, and reshape the forestry industry. At BC Wood, we’re dedicated to helping you navigate these challenges. Which is why we will be hosting a Tariffs Panel at the Global Buyers Mission (September 4, 2025). Introduced by Minister Ravi Parmar, the panel will bring together top leaders to analyze the challenges, opportunities, and strategies amid escalating trade tensions. Moderated by Mo Amir, GM of SPF Precut Lumber, the panel will include: Nick Arkle, CEO, Gorman Brothers Lumber; Liz Kovach, President, Supply-Build Canada; and Kurt Niquidet, President, BC Lumber Trade Council.

Read More

Forestry

Redefining resilience with the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada

By Forestry For The Future
Canadian Geographic
August 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

As of mid-August, the 2025 fire season is shaping up to be Canada’s second-worst on record. Since the spring, headlines across the country have consistently highlighted a community ordered to evacuate, a new fire sparking somewhere, or unique resource-sharing situations for fire management. Enter the newly-created Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada. As a beacon of boundary-breaking hope, the WRCC aims to create a transformative approach to wildfire management, bringing together the front line, researchers, industry experts, the forest products sector, Indigenous Peoples and governments. “It’s a purpose-built not-for-profit that was designed to transform wildfire resilience across Canada, really focusing on a ‘whole of society’ approach,” says Kelsey Winter of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and Board Chair of the WRCC. …As part of breaking down boundaries between the different stakeholders involved in wildfire management, the WRCC has divided the country into six zones representing the different types of forest ecosystems that experience fire. 

Read More

Replanting forests after wildfires comes with complex challenges, but there are opportunities in the ashes

By Martin Halek
CBC News
August 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Early last September, firefighters were in the final stages of containing a 33,000-hectare wildfire complex in Alberta’s Jasper National Park. Elsewhere, park workers were already replanting the first batch of trees in the recently scorched earth. The Douglas firs were chosen because they resist fire better than other conifers, according to Marcia DeWandel, vegetation restoration specialist for Parks Canada. However, replanting so soon after a fire is much more exception than rule. Replanting is typically expensive, time consuming, labour intensive — and doesn’t always work. …In most cases, it can take years for replanting to begin after a fire. …”It’s actually really important not to speed and just go right after a fire,” says Jess Kaknevicius, CEO of Forests Canada, one of the organizations supporting Ogoki’s replanting. …In some replanted areas, ensuring survival is easier said than done, especially when dealing with other effects of climate change. 

Read More

Canada Invests to Build and Mobilize Knowledge on Wildfires

Natural Resources Canada
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

CALGARY, Alberta — Wildfire season is in full effect across much of Canada, and Canadians are facing significant impacts. …Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Tim Hodgson, announced $45.7 million in funding for 30 projects across Canada through Natural Resources Canada’s Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge program. These projects are driving research focused on protecting Canadians from the growing threat of wildfires, strengthening wildfire risk assessments and improving mitigation and adaptive forestry practices. We are also helping Indigenous communities access the tools needed to lead on wildfire readiness in their communities and backing Indigenous-led projects that support fire stewardship.

Read More

Canada vows more wildfire action as smoke sparks U.S. complaints

By Sean Boynton
Global News
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Canada is committed to doing more to prevent and control devastating wildfires, federal officials said Tuesday as the resulting smoke sparks formal complaints and calls for action from U.S. lawmakers. But Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary to the federal energy and natural resources minister, added the growing spread of blazes and smoke beyond Canada’s borders underscores the need for an international fight against climate change that scientists say is fueling more destructive wildfire seasons. …A group of Republican state lawmakers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota last week filed a formal complaint against Canada to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and the International Joint Commission, a binational organization that resolves disputes on shared water and air quality. …The research funding announced Tuesday will go toward 20 research projects aimed at strengthening wildfire risk assessments and improving mitigation and prevention measures, the government said.

Read More

Long-delayed moisture for BC coast finally arrives for fire relief

The Weather Network
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Relief is finally coming for dry- and fire-stricken regions in B.C. this week. Much-needed and substantial rain is forecast for the South Coast from Thursday night through Sunday. An atmospheric river is taking shape, expected to fill in and bring periods of rain that will total 20-40+mm to much of the Lower Mainland, and 50+mm for the higher terrain. It will be a highly beneficial rainfall since it will be spread out over a more extended period of time. Some beneficial rain is likely for the southern and central Interior, as well. …A low-pressure system from Alaska will form west of Haida Gwaii for Thursday and Friday. The associated cold front will pull ample amounts of of moisture to set up an atmospheric river for the B.C. coast. …The heaviest rainfall will be Friday along the BC coast. 

Read More

Amid wildfires, B.C. tree planting to plummet for third year

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
August 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The number of trees planted in British Columbia is set to decline for a third year in a row, falling a combined 135 million seedlings short of a B.C. government’s election promise to increase planting amid a string of devastating wildfire seasons. In B.C., the logging industry is legally required to reforest after harvesting. But as harvest levels have dropped, so too has tree planting. The province planted 281 million tree seedlings in 2024. But by the end of the 2025 season, that number is expected to drop to 238 million, according to the Ministry of Forests. By the end of 2026, projections from the Canadian Tree Nursery Association (CTNA) suggest the number could fall even further to 226 million — far short of the 300 million trees promised by the NDP government in the last election.

Read More

Federal funding boosts research and Indigenous knowledge on wildfires

By Emily Joveski
My Cowichan Valley Now
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ottawa is offering $45.7 million for projects in B.C. and across Canada that advance knowledge about wildfires. The projects will be focused on protecting Canadians from the growing threat of wildfires, strengthening wildfire risk assessments, and improving mitigation and adaptive forestry practices. …The Vancouver-based Métis Wildfire Community Research Initiative is among the funding recipients.  “Our approach is different because we are building strong relationships with local people.” said Joe Desjarlais, Director of Research for the B.C. Metis Foundation. “We’re training them to do wildfire research, to recover their own knowledge for their own benefit, to give them a voice.” …Natural Resources Canada said annual national costs for fighting wildland fire total over $1 billion. It says fire-suppression costs could double by 2040.

Read More

College of New Caledonia awarded $170K federal grant to launch remote sensing lab for forest stewardship

Education News Canada
August 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

CNC’s Applied Research team received a $170,775 Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for the creation of a state-of-the-art remote sensing lab. …The grant allows for the acquisition of terrestrial LiDAR scanners, allowing researchers to capture, analyze and better understand individual tree characteristics, forest structure, and wildfire hazards, among other forest attributes. CNC research fellow Dr. Pablo Crespell will lead research activities related to remote sensing lab purchases and operation, including drones, LiDAR sensors and scanners, multispectral sensors, software applications, and computer hardware. Grant funds will also be used to support the costs of relevant training for CNC research staff, such as drone pilot training and new analysis approaches.

Read More

Wildfires Will Get Worse. Here Are Five Things We Can Do Now

By Viviane Gauer & Zacharie Carriere, Canadian Climate Institute
The Tyee
August 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

…as climate change fuels more frequent and intense wildfires, governments can reduce the damage and protect lives with proactive, targeted actions. That means strengthening policies that guide where and how we build, investing in land and fuel-management strategies, supporting Indigenous leadership and stewardship, expanding emergency-response capacity and accelerating emissions reduction. The solutions are within reach, but they require governments to lead with urgency, coordination and commitment. …Here are five key actions governments can take to reduce wildfire risk — noting that no single strategy can solve the problem by itself: Stop encouraging building in harm’s way; Make new development fire-resilient; Manage forests and reduce wildfire fuel; Strengthen firefighting capacity; and Cut carbon pollution to avoid runaway risk. Governments at all levels face a clear choice: continue with business as usual and see fire seasons grow worse or take bold action to reduce risk, protect people and ensure public resources are spent wisely.

Read More

Branchlines Summer 2025 – UBC Faculty of Forestry

Branchlines UBC Faculty of Forestry
August 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The human side of forestry is often overlooked but always present. Seeing the forest for the trees in this case means connecting the dots between the many ways that people interact with, benefit from and shape natural spaces, and the consequences these activities are having on everything from environmental sustainability to community wellbeing. In this issue, we delve into the social sciences of forestry, highlighting how the academic work, career paths and actions taken by our UBC Forestry community are shaping the future for the sake of humans and the planet.

Read More

Western Forest Products donation allows logger show to go on in Ladysmith

By Duck Paterson
Cowichan Valley Citizen
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ladysmith’s amphitheatre was designed around holding these events and it’s had the opportunity to stage these events many times. Built through the generosity of local businesses, organizations and individuals the theatre still requires the generosity of donations to continue the traditional logging show. Last week the local Western Forest Products (WFP) mill… donated the three very large logs that are used as the ‘dummy logs’ that many of the events are staged around. “The obstacle race and the various saw events centre around these logs, and the ones we have now are 12 years old and are getting pulpy so the folks from Western Forest Products stepped up and found three new ones. They made it possible for the show to go on.” …Glen Waatainen from SDN Contracting/Pro-Cut Lumber Corp lined up the loading and transportation and supplied the boom truck driven by Ken Nicholson. 

Read More

Logging probe shows compliance, shortfalls

Forest Practices Board
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

SMITHERS – The Forest Practices Board has released the results of its investigation into a complaint about logging in the Lemieux and Gardner Creek watersheds, 30 kilometres southeast of Smithers. A resident alleged that over-harvesting had dried up creeks and wells, and that logging proceeded without proper public consultation. Board investigators examined recent harvesting, road construction and maintenance by three licence holders: BC Timber Sales (BCTS), Kyah Development Corporation (KDC) and the holder of woodlot licence W0104. Investigators assessed whether licensees met legal requirements for water management and public review. All three licensees complied with requirements for public review. BCTS and KDC exceeded requirements by voluntarily sharing operational-planning information with stakeholders. BCTS and KDC also met all water- management requirements.

Read More

Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd. features in TV series

By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal
August 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd. is being featured in a TV documentary series about the forestry industry. The Tsilhqot’in company will join returning companies Peters Contract Logging, Freya Logging and Integrated Operations Group to be featured in Season 2 of Timber Titans. Launching August 12, 2025, the new season showcases the hard work, innovation, and resilience of four forestry operations across B.C., including Tsi Del Del Enterprises Ltd. and their role in rehabilitating fire-impacted forests in the Cariboo Chilcotin region. Timber Titans is produced by Vancouver-based Great Pacific Media.

Read More

Forestry operations still allowed in Nova Scotia’s woodlands, but should they be?

By Joan Baxter
The Halifax Examiner
August 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

On Aug. 5, 2025, Premier Tim Houston announced a ban on forest travel in Nova Scotia because of extreme wildfire risks. …However, the ban didn’t apply to commercial operators in the province’s woodlands who could secure special travel permits from the Department of Natural Resources. …But not all forestry operators were comfortable with that. Some decided the risks of their heavy machines causing sparks and wildfires were just too great, and voluntarily halted all their work in the forests. …North Nova Forest Owner’s Co-op, managed by Greg Watson, is one of the organizations that opted not to continue operations, given the extreme risks, despite the fact that its revenue comes almost entirely from wood harvesting. …To find out more about the co-op’s decision to cease all forestry operations … the Halifax Examiner spoke with Watson from his home near Tatamagouche in northern Nova Scotia. …The interview has been edited for length and clarity.  

Read More

Rain relief reaches Atlantic Canada though some areas still miss out

The Weather Network
August 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

A couple of cold fronts are set to move across Atlantic Canada in the coming days. These systems will bring showers and thunderstorms, with isolated areas experiencing heavy downpours. Some temporary and localized relief from the ongoing dry conditions is expected; however, rainfall amounts will fall short of addressing the broader precipitation deficit in most regions. Much of the Maritimes have received less than 40 per cent of their average summer rainfall, resulting in extremely dry conditions and heightened fire danger. Recent heat waves have also set multiple monthly and all-time temperature records across the region. The intense heat across the Maritimes is coming to an end. While most regions will remain warm on Thursday and Friday, with highs in the mid to upper 20s, a cold front is set to deliver some relief in the form of rain.

Read More

Nova Scotia Recommends More Wildfire Precautions

By Natural Resources
The Government of Nova Scotia
August 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Nova Scotia is strongly recommending additional precautions for industrial and agricultural operations on private land. “…there are always safety precautions to reduce the risk of wildfires on Crown Land. We added to those requirements last week given the current conditions,” said Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources. “We’re working with forestry, agriculture and other industries operating on private land to also use those measures until we see rain counteract these dangerously dry conditions.” Commercial operations like forestry and mining need a travel permit to continue working on Crown land. Where possible, such as in forestry, permits require work to be done between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.; fire suppression equipment must be on hand, and there must be a two-hour fire watch after work is completed. On private land any activities that require heavy machinery, including agriculture and forestry, are strongly recommended to take the same approach.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

B.C. investing $35 million to help industry reduce emissions

Penticton Western News
August 12, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Adrian Dix

The B.C. government announced on August 12 that it is investing $35 million this year to help industry adopt clean technologies such as carbon capture and energy efficient projects. Examples of the types of projects include electrifying oil and gas operations, capturing carbon at industrial facilities, improving energy efficiency in manufacturing and reducing methane emissions at landfills. The money will be disbursed through the CleanBC industry fund, which is set up to help large industrial operators cut emissions and provides funding of this sort yearly. …Companies that have previously accessed the fund include Domtar Inc., Teck Resources and Canfor Pulp and West Fraser Mills. 

Government of BC: Clean-industry projects strengthen climate action, support good jobs

Read More

Health & Safety

Canfor Pulp fined nearly half a million dollars

By Jim Wilson
Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine
August 13, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC employer Canfor Pulp has been fined $489,104 after one of its workers was injured on the job. WorkSafeBC attended the company’s worksite in response to an incident in which a worker was injured when an unguarded cylinder activated on a hydraulic pumping system (atmospheric diffuser). The agency determined that the employer failed to ensure its machinery and equipment were fitted with adequate safeguards to protect workers from hazardous points of operation. This was classified as a high-risk violation. According to the CCOHS Welding – Storage and Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders fact sheet, employers must ensure the following measures are in place when compressed gases are used or stored: Develop and implement a Safe Operating Procedure (SOP): This procedure must be created by a safety technical specialist and clearly define what constitutes a cylinder being “in storage” versus “in use.” …Provide required worker training, including WHMIS.

Read More

Forest Fires

Wildfire crews hope for reprieve as rain falls on Vancouver Island blaze

By Courtney Dickson
CBC News
August 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

PORT ALBERNI, BC — Rain has arrived on Vancouver Island, where an out of control wildfire has been burning for several days. The Mount Underwood wildfire, south of Port Alberni, BC, covers about 34.06 square kilometres, according to the BC Wildfire Service’s latest information Friday morning. It has forced evacuations, prompted local states of emergency and caused power outages throughout the area since it was discovered on Monday. Environment Canada is forecasting rain all day Friday and into the weekend in the area, which could aid firefighters battling the blaze. The area around Port Alberni could get up to 20 millimetres on Friday, the weather agency says. …A special air quality statement remains in effect for eastern and inland Vancouver Island. …As of Friday morning, there are 83 wildfires burning across the province. Of those, six fires are burning out of control.

Read More

Wildfire raging near Port Alberni shows ‘extremely vigorous’ — and unusual — behaviour

By Jeff Bell and Brenna Owen
The Times Colonist
August 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

©BCWildfireService

A raging wildfire that has forced evacuations on south-central Vancouver Island has been burning at some of most severe levels of fire behaviour, a display that is “unusual” for the region, the BC officials said. Karley Desrosiers, an information officer with the service, said there was “aggressive” growth on the fire within a couple hours of its discovery on Monday. The blaze was reported at about 6:30 p.m. and it had grown to span 600 hectares by the end of that day. By Wednesday, the fire had grown to span more than 20 square kilometres. …Desrosiers said the blaze was not threatening the communities of Port Alberni, Bamfield or Youbou. …The blaze spurred the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, City of Port Alberni and Tseshaht First Nation to declare states of local emergency. …She attributed the unusually severe fire behaviour to a drought that has gripped Vancouver Island this spring and summer.

Read More

New wildfire southwest of Port Alberni grows to 1,391 hectares; smoke advisory issued

By Jeff Bell
Victoria Times Colonist
August 12, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A rapidly growing wildfire near Port Alberni has cut off the main road access to Bamfield and prompted a state of local emergency and the evacuation of a campground and an area northwest of Cowichan Lake. The Mount Underwood wildfire was estimated at 1,391 hectares, or almost 14 square kilometres, as of Tuesday afternoon, making it the largest blaze on Vancouver Island. An air quality advisory for inland Vancouver Island was issued on Tuesday afternoon, with smoke from the fire impacting air quality near Port Alberni and in areas to the southeast, such as Lake Cowichan. Areas along the west coast of Vancouver Island from Tofino to Sooke may also experience periods of smoke, but to a lesser degree, the notice said. BC Wildfire Service fire information officer Christi Howes said the fire, which was discovered on Monday, has forced the closing of the road between Port Alberni and Bamfield. 

Read More

Out-of-control wildfires burn on, with slight relief from heat expected Thursday

CBC News
August 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

Both large wildfires in New Brunswick remained out of control as of Wednesday morning, but neither fire grew overnight, according to the province’s fire watch dashboard. The Oldfield Road fire, about 15 kilometres north of Miramichi, and the 115 Pit fire near Moncton, also called the Irishtown fire, were listed as the same size they were on Tuesday. The Miramichi fire is 1,120 hectares, while the Irishtown fire still covers 45 hectares — a roughly 10-hectare decrease from Monday. The provincial summary report said it was updated early Wednesday morning, but the fire’s status was last updated on Tuesday. …There are 13 fires listed as “being patrolled” on the province’s reporting summary. …All of New Brunswick — besides an area of the Bay of Fundy coast — is still under a heat warning from Environment Canada for the remainder of Wednesday.

Read More

100 homes, structures may have been lost to Newfoundland’s largest wildfire: premier

The Chronicle Journal
August 14, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

ST. JOHN’S – Officials say the largest wildfire burning in Newfoundland and Labrador may have destroyed up to 100 homes and structures. However, Premier John Hogan says it is still too dangerous for crews to access the area and make a comprehensive tally of the damage. The fire burning along the northeastern shore of Conception Bay began on Aug. 3 and Hogan says it has grown to more than 80 square kilometres. Jamie Chippett with the Forestry Department says improving weather has helped taming the wildfire near St. John’s, but it is still burning in the ground and considered out of control. Meanwhile, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary say they arrested a 20-year-old man for setting a series of brush fires in downtown St. John’s Tuesday night.

Read More

107 homes evacuated as Long Lake fire continues to burn in Annapolis County

CBC News
August 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA –More than one hundred homes have been evacuated as an out of control wildfire near West Dalhousie in Annapolis County continues to burn Friday morning. The fire broke out Wednesday on the north side of Long Lake, about 20 kilometres east of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. The provincial Department of Natural Resources has said a lightning strike caused the fire. …The national weather forecaster has issued an air quality statement for Annapolis County and parts of Halifax County, saying smoke from the wildfires is reducing air quality in the area, and that people who are more likely to be impacted by smoke — including pregnant people, infants and young children, people with chronic health conditions and people who work outdoors — should avoid strenuous outdoor activities.

Read More

Southern Ontario in ‘extreme’ danger of forest fires; Burn bans in effect across Durham

The Durham Radio News
August 12, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

DURHAM, Ontario — Burn bans are in effect right across Durham Region. The bans are due to extremely dry conditions and poor air quality. Natural Resources Canada says southern Ontario is in the ‘extreme’ level of their Fire Danger risk. Local municipalities have also issued burn bans to help suppress the chance of widespread fires. In Oshawa, open-air burning permits are currently suspended until further notice effective immediately. In Clarington, you can not have any kind of fire. …Pickering has also issued a city-wide fire ban. The ban has been implemented as a precautionary safety measure in response to extreme fire conditions caused by prolonged drought, high temperatures, and reduced air quality.  The Township of Brock implemented a total burn ban July 13 that is still in effect. The Town of Whitby has also issued a total fire ban.

Read More

Another hot, windy day ahead for firefighters, says official

By Elizabeth Whitten
CBC News
August 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Wildfires continue to burn across Newfoundland and Labrador, and while temperatures remain hot and windy, the provincial fire duty officer says suppression efforts will carry on. Thousands of people are either under evacuation orders or an evacuation alert. Provincial fire duty officer Mark Lawlor said the Paddy’s Pond fire did not grow overnight and is now 212 hectares. “The growth yesterday was less than we expected so that was a positive yesterday. The suppression efforts were very successful on that fire. In saying that, today is going to be another hot, windy day,” Lawlor told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show. …Lawlor said given the extreme risk of fire in the area, there is potential for increased fire behaviour at the Paddy’s Pond fire but he hopes to make progress on suppressing it Wednesday and to keep the fire away from the nearby communities.

Read More

Wildfire burning near Halifax business park remains out of control

By Aly Thomson
CBC News
August 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

A deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency says a wildfire burning near a Halifax business park remains out of control. The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. AT Tuesday near Susies Lake in a wooded area that borders one of the entrances to Bayers Lake Business Park, about 10 kilometres west of downtown Halifax. Roy Hollett, deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said crews will be back on scene this morning to determine its size and to figure out what resources are needed. In an update on Tuesday evening, the Natural Resources Department said the fire was estimated to be between 25 and 30 hectares. Progress was being made and it was not expected to grow overnight, it said. …One Natural Resources helicopter was dropping water, as well as several planes that were sent in from New Brunswick to help.

Read More

Forest History & Archives

Port Alberni city council approves safety funding for McLean Mill

By Austin Kelly
The Alberni Valley News
August 14, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada, Canada West

Port Alberni city council will spend $50,000 to install fencing and improve safety at the McLean Mill National Historic Site. After lengthy conversations at both a committee of the whole meeting and regular council meeting in July, councillors chose safety upgrades that will allow people access to the site without committing to long-term rehabilitation of its buildings. Wooden fencing will prevent access to some parts of McLean Mill that may present dangers to visitors. …The priority for council is to repair the viewing deck so visitors to the site can still see into the sawmill. …McLean Mill is an historic sawmill established in 1925. It ceased operations in 1965 and was designated as a national historic site in 1989. …Council has not yet decided what the long-term future of McLean Mill looks like. Councillors agreed to discuss that future at another date.

Read More