Christine Gelowitz
It stings a little every time I read an article or comment online that mischaracterizes forest management in BC or the role of forest professionals. I imagine many forest professionals likely feel a similar way, because a career in forest management is not just a job; what we feel for the forest is both personal and professional. …years spent working in forestry only deepens our connection on both a personal and professional level. No wonder most forest professionals feel a deep sense of responsibility to defend and speak out about forests.
As a result of this passion, the hundreds of comments submitted in the recent registrant survey came as no surprise to me… Many expressed a desire to see FPBC combat misinformation and provide unbiased information on areas of public concern. Registrants also suggested public education campaigns about the state of the forest, forest management practices, and the role of forest professionals; and they suggested looking for ways for forest professionals to be engaged in respectful, informed debate about forest management policies and practices.
I couldn’t agree more. FPBC is working on these things, just not at the scale I believe many desire. There are clear limitations about how and what FPBC can advocate for, and there are practical limitations based on our staff size and budget; however, we will continue to have a voice in forests and there are ways we can work together to amplify it. …Code Standard 8, Professionalism, encourages forest professionals to promote public knowledge with truthful, accurate information on forestry matters. I urge all practising forest professionals to use their expertise and voice to help combat misinformation about forests and forest professionals today.
The Montreal Longshoremen’s Union rejected a final offer made for a new labour contract, leading to a lockout being declared, the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) and the union said on Sunday. The MEA said the lockout will impact nearly 1,200 port workers at the Canadian port that handled 8.7 million metric tons in the third quarter of 2024. The lockout will further slow Canadian imports and exports at a time the Port of Montreal was already operating at partial capacity and as West Coast ports are stopped due to a separate dispute. The union representing longshoremen at the Port of Montreal said the offer was rejected by 99.7% of members because the employer refused to negotiate. Two terminals operated by Termont, representing about 40% of Montreal’s container traffic and 15% of total port volume, have been shut down since Oct. 31. However, after Sunday’s announcement all longshoring at the port will be locked out. 
VANCOUVER — Talks are set to resume between the union representing more than 700 locked-out British Columbia port supervisors and their employers. A representative for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 said they have been ordered back to the table with the BC Maritime Employers Association and federal mediators on Saturday at 5 p.m. and that Sunday and Monday have been set aside for talks to continue if necessary. …Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon had earlier Thursday criticized a lack of progress in talks to end the dispute, as well as a dockworkers strike at the Port of Montreal, saying there had been a “concerning lack of urgency.” …MacKinnon said he was “closely monitoring” bargaining in the disputes in B.C. and Montreal, which he described as “progressing at an insufficient pace.”
In a way, the stock market’s vote of confidence was surprising: Trump’s economic platform is a mix bag. Tax relief and deregulation are popular with investors, but trade-disrupting tariffs and budget-busting deficits could push up interest rates down the road. For Canadians, however, the Trump bag is not so mixed: new economic threats from Trump’s America are clearly on their way. …A lower corporate income tax rate, deregulation and energy renewal will be magnets for investment from Canada. Tariff policy and a review of NAFTA 2.0 would be especially harmful as we would be shut out of U.S. markets. Given nationalistic economic leanings on both sides of the aisle in Congress, we should expect more not fewer trade restrictions in the next four years. What should we do? Two things. Create a new growth agenda and work hard to protect our access to the huge U.S. market. 
It is with mixed emotions that the TLA Board of Directors announces Executive Director Bob Brash will be departing the TLA as of March 2025. On behalf of the board and TLA members, we would like to thank Bob for his 5 years of unwavering commitment to the TLA, its board of directors, great staff, and over 400 members. His tireless work advocating for the entire BC forest industry and contractor community has been truly inspiring. …Bob’s steady hand has been instrumental in uniting the forest industry and lobbying against the imposed changes on the industry. Bob fostered many positive relationships at all levels of government as well as other associations and leaders in the forest industry. Bob’s 45+ years of forestry knowledge and experience has been invaluable to the TLA. Please join us in thanking Bob for his passion and leadership to the TLA previously as a former board of directors member followed by 5 years as an excellent executive director, and for his many contributions to the forest industry. We are grateful for your service and hard work and wish you all the best in your future.
OTTAWA – Canada’s annual inflation rate accelerated more than expected to 2% in October as gas prices fell less than the previous month, data showed on Tuesday, shrinking market bets for a bigger rate cut next month. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast the inflation rate would speed up to 1.9% from 1.6% in September. In August, the annual rate was 2%. It was the first pick-up in the annual inflation rate since May. The central bank forecasts consumer price inflation to be 2.5% this year and 2.2% next year. …This was the last inflation data to be released ahead of the Bank of Canada’s interest rate announcement on Dec. 11, and currency markets now see around a 28% chance of a 50 basis point rate cut, down from 37% before the CPI data release.
VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. EBITDA was negative $3.9 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of negative $7.1 million in the second quarter of 2024 and negative $6.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Net loss was $3.8 million for the quarter versus net loss of $9.7 million in the previous quarter and negative $8.0 million for the year-earlier quarter. …Shipments of Conifex-produced lumber totaled 29.3 million board feet in the third quarter of 2024, representing a decrease of 24% from the 38.5 million board feet shipped in the previous quarter. …Looking ahead to the final quarter of 2024, our average mill net selling price through the first six weeks of the quarter was 17.5% higher.
ONTARIO — Housing starts over the next few years will likely weaken and the already-dire supply shortage could get even worse, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is warning. A 
When you think of new construction in Metro Vancouver, you think of concrete towers with glass facades. A Metro Vancouver report on rental housing is considering a different approach: Making it easier to build six-storey apartment buildings out of wood. The report’s name is a mouthful, “Streamlining the Delivery of Rental Housing Through Pre-Approved Plans and Off-Site Construction.” But it has a simple goal: making rental housing cheaper to build. Concrete buildings typically cost 20 to 24 per cent more to build than wooden ones. So the report, which will probably go to Metro in January, calls for low-rise wood frame buildings. The report also wants to make it easier to build. “We’re collaborating with B.C. Housing on (ways) to essentially speed up the delivery of six-story rental wood frame apartments,” said Michael Epp, director of housing, planning and development at Metro Vancouver.
Explore the latest in sustainable construction at the Wood Solutions Conference 2024, Edmonton’s premier event for wood and construction innovation. The Wood Solutions Conference Edmonton 2024 is an event that brings together architects, engineers, and designers to discuss advancements and sustainability in construction. Focused on biophilic design principles and wood product innovations, this conference is a must-attend for professionals looking to enhance their expertise and certifications in sustainable building. You can expect insightful and educational seminars, networking opportunities and access to a comprehensive trade show featuring the latest innovation in wood design. The event takes place at the Westin Edmonton, on December 3, 2025. 
The Truck Loggers Association of BC celebrates 80 years in January at their annual convention. Early bird pricing ends tomorrow! This year’s event offers TLA members and non-members an all-inclusive registration pass, granting access to all sessions and events throughout the convention. Tickets to Suppliers Night and Lunch on the Trade Show Floor can be purchased on an individual basis.
The City of Nelson is piloting a new remote-controlled technology to reduce wildfire fuels west of Gyro Park. The area, which has been identified as a high-risk location for fuel mitigation, has a steep slope and is challenging to access. The pilot project is necessary because it would be unfeasible and inefficient to use larger conventional chipping equipment on the complex terrain at Gyro Park. Conventional pile-and-burn techniques were also deemed inappropriate in the majority of the area due to the potential for smoke generation in close proximity to Kootenay Lake Hospital. The small-scale forestry machine the city is piloting is capable of accessing steep terrain, chipping woody materials in place and transporting the chips out of the treatment area for disposal off site.
Across the far reaches of northwestern Ontario and over the provincial border into southeastern Manitoba lies the enormous swath of forested, lake-speckled land that is Treaty 3 territory. At more than 142,000 square kilometres, it is larger than the entire country of Greece and home to 28 First Nations communities with a total population of about 25,000 – an indication of just how rich in natural resources this area is. These natural resources have long been a source of contention between the settlers looking to profit from them and the Indigenous Peoples caring for and protecting the land, but much has changed in the last 15 years. …Across Canada, the forestry industry is working to build more meaningful, equitable partnerships with Indigenous Peoples. Miitigoog Limited Partnership (LP), a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser, eight Treaty 3 First Nations and other industry stakeholders, offers a compelling blueprint.
The Government of Canada announced an additional $2.4 million in funding to the Bruce Trail Conservancy through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. This is part of the Government of Canada’s largest conservation campaign in the country to meet its emissions reduction targets and protect 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030. This funding is in addition to a $5 million investment through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, awarded to the Bruce Trail Conservancy in 2022. The funding will be used to help advance conservation goals with urgent Niagara Escarpment land securement. This additional funding advances conservation of over 300 hectares of important habitat and contributes to capturing and storing greenhouse gas emissions by securing carbon-rich forest, wetland, and grassland ecosystems within the Niagara Escarpment. …It will also improve the connectivity of the iconic Bruce Trail and expand recreational opportunities across all seasons for activities such as nature appreciation, hiking, birdwatching, snowshoeing, and more.
For the second year in a row, Earth will almost certainly be the hottest it’s ever been. Meanwhile, Canada’s environment commissioner says the country is still not on track to meet its commitments under the Paris climate agreement. Ottawa has promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 but thus far they have only fallen seven per cent below 2005 levels. In a report tabled today Jerry DeMarco says his office looked at 20 of the 149 measures from the government’s 2030 Emission Reductions Plan progress report. Only nine of those were on track, another nine were facing challenges, and the other two had significant barriers like delays in meeting milestones. The latest report mirrors many of the findings and concerns DeMarco raised a year ago. However he found the government had moved on the majority of recommendations made in last year’s report.
Canada’s plan to reduce planet warming emissions is “overoptimistic” and is moving “too slowly” to meet its targets, the country’s environment commissioner has warned in a new report. Of the 20 carbon reduction measures audited by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco, only nine were found to be on track. Another nine faced challenges, while two faced “significant barriers.” …The audited emissions plan did not include emissions from land-use change and forestry. A March 2023 audit from the commissioner found the federal government had failed to properly account for emissions from the country’s forestry sector. …The latest audit called out two ministries — Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada — for failing to follow through on those recommendations and still not properly reporting logging emissions. Michael Polanyi, a policy and campaign manager for Nature Canada, said the commissioner’s criticisms line up with research his group has commissioned.
A recent wood pellet conference held in B.C. promoted biomass pellets as a green and climate-friendly energy solution. However, this rapidly expanding industry is not the climate saviour it has been made out to be. …These markets promise a climate solution by replacing coal, and so are incentivized globally by billions of dollars in subsidies. ..The story is that biomass pellets are made from wood waste, but in truth, a significant volume comes from whole trees, often from primary forests. …And while industry proponents claim that biomass is carbon-neutral, this only holds true if the trees are left to regrow fully — a process that can take centuries. In the meantime, burning of biomass accelerates carbon emissions at a time when we need immediate reductions. …B.C. should ban the export of wood pellets. International subsidies increase pressure on B.C.s forests and stand contrary to developing a real value-added industry here in B.C.
A new partnership could see seven public buildings heated with wood chips. The Chapleau District Heating Project brings together the Township of Chapleau with Commercial BioEnergy Inc., a northern Ontario biomass energy company dedicated to assisting communities in reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. The project will determine the feasibility of constructing a centralized biomass fuelled heating plant to deliver heating to seven public buildings within the community. This will involve converting existing heating sources from propane or electricity to biomass generated heat using locally sourced wood chips. It will be the first such project in North America of this scale, according to the project partners. …A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 90 per cent for all targeted buildings combined is anticipated.