Region Archives: Canada

Business & Politics

Can Canada finally sell more of its lumber overseas?

By Adam Radwanski
The Globe and Mail
September 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Shortly after Prime Minister Carney’s announcement of $500-million to help Canada’s softwood-lumber industry decrease its reliance on the hostile US market, BC’s Forestry Minister offered a modest target of 10%. …History suggests, however, that even that degree of market diversification stands to be an uphill battle. …While there have been modest inroads in China and Japan, diversification has mostly proved quixotic − partly because the proximity of the massive US housing market, for which there is not enough lumber harvested stateside to serve, has been a disincentive to reach further….Rick Doman, chair BC’s Forestry Innovation Investment board − mentioned South Korea, Vietnam, India, Australia, Britain. …Canada Wood Group president Bruce St. John describe it as a painstaking process involving promotional efforts, direct engagement with local governments on building codes and standards, and expertise-building for industry. …To succeed, particularly amid growing softwood-export competition from Europe especially, will require steady focus through and perhaps beyond the Trump era. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Beyond Tariffs: A Policy Prescription for Bolstering Canada’s Forest Economy

By Derek Nighbor, FPAC and John Desjarlais, Indigenous Resource Network
Policy Magazine
September 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

John Desjarlais

Derek Nighbor

Canada’s forest sector stands at a pivotal moment. And while Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent softwood lumber support package offers a welcome first step toward stabilizing the sector, more can be done to put Canadian forestry on a permanent and sustainable path to growth. But persistent trade uncertainty — including the increased duties on softwood lumber exports to the U.S. — threatens both the thousands of jobs at risk as trade negotiations continue and Canada’s ability to operate at scale. …Canada must strengthen itself by adopting a streamlined, outcomes-based regulatory framework that leverages provincial standards and reduces unnecessary duplication. …This is not about deregulation; it’s about smarter regulation—an approach that leverages existing systems, reduces duplication, and focuses on outcomes. It aims to do more with less, protect the environment, support forest-dependent communities, ensure Indigenous participation, and bolster Canada’s global competitiveness. Canada’s forest sector needs the regulatory framework to better enable its full potential.

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Sask. government paid $100M too much for new firefighting planes, B.C.-based manufacturer says

By Geoff Leo
CBC News
September 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Coulson Aircrane says the Saskatchewan government has agreed to pay more than twice what it should have for four firefighting aircraft — a decision the B.C.-based company says will cost Saskatchewan taxpayers an extra $100 million. Coulson, one of the leading companies in the world for retrofitting planes for firefighting, made the claim last month in an application to the Court of King’s Bench. “We are concerned the government of Saskatchewan has awarded a very large (over $187,000,000) contract for forest fire airplanes, without affording any reasonable opportunity to Coulson or any other competitor to bid on the contract,” says an affidavit filed by company president Britt Coulson. Coulson is asking the court to quash the sale and order a fair, transparent competition. …He says the government failed to hold a proper, competitive tendering process, resulting in Conair making “an immense profit.” …Conair has declined to comment, as the matter is before the courts.

 

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Finance & Economics

Canada’s inflation rate rose to 1.9% in August

By Jenna Benchetrit
CBC News
September 16, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.9% in August, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday, the final piece of economic data to be released before the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision. The higher rate was largely expected. Gas prices, which dropped at a rate of more than 16% in July, were still declining in August — but at a slower pace than they had previously, contributing to the upward tick in the overall inflation rate. …With gas stripped away from the overall inflation rate, the numbers mostly ticked down in August. Economists anticipate that the central bank will cut rates by 25 basis points during its Wednesday meeting — which would mark the bank’s first cut since March. “This report was mostly a low-drama affair,” wrote Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO, in a note to clients. The pace of price growth “won’t cause the Bank of Canada much stress,” Porter wrote.

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Value of Canadian building permits edge down in July to $11.9 billion

Statistics Canada
September 12, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

In July, the total value of building permits issued in Canada edged down $10.8 million (-0.1%) to $11.9 billion. Overall, the decrease in construction intentions was led by the non-residential sector (-$279.2 million), but this was largely offset by a rise in the residential sector (+$268.3 million). On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in July declined 0.3% from the previous month and was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. …Despite the downward trend since January 2025, residential construction intentions rose $268.3 million to $7.3 billion in July. The national increase in the residential sector in July was driven by Ontario (+$497.5 million).

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Lumber tariffs spark split between builders and producers

Door and Window Market Magazine
September 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Earlier this year, when the US announced tariffs against Canada and Mexico the homebuilding industry collectively retrenched. The leading fear was that supply costs would skyrocket, making homes cost-prohibitive, tanking the industry as a whole. The NAHB lobbied to exclude lumber from immediate tariffs, while the US Lumber Coalition took an opposing view. …The Producer Price Index for softwood lumber over the last five months has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride, reflecting uncertainty. …With the ups and downs, the concern for US Lumber Coalition officials was less about tariffs and more about the amount of lumber coming in from our northern neighbors. The Coalition has since applauded what officials see as “critically important progress,” crediting an “America-First focus on trade law enforcement.” 

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Carney announces launch of new housing agency, earmarks funding for new projects

By Darren Major
CBC News
September 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Sunday afternoon the launch of Build Canada Homes, the federal government’s new agency that will oversee federal housing programs. The agency was part of the Liberals’ election promise to double housing construction. The government is touting Build Canada Homes as a centralized agency to oversee new affordable housing programs initiated at the federal level. Carney said the agency will “supercharge housing construction across Canada” by helping to build supportive and transitional housing in collaboration with provinces, territories and Indigenous communities. It will also expand “deeply affordable and community housing” and partner with private developers to build homes for the middle class. The prime minister also announced that former Toronto city councillor Ana Bailão will be the CEO of Build Canada Homes. …Carney said $13 billion is earmarked for the new agency.

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Mass timber going mainstream in B.C. despite growing pains

By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
September 13, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mass timber is making a bold entrance in B.C. real estate, but experts say it faces hurdles including supply-demand mismatch and fire safety concerns. The province’s mass timber industry is seeing growth. About 450 mass-timber buildings were completed or under construction in the province as of December 2024, up from about 410 a year prior, said a statement from the B.C. Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth. …Wider adoption may hinge on developers changing their mindset. Better alignment is needed between supply chains and developer demand in order for new construction methods to really take off, said Andrew Stiffman, vice-president of construction services with Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc. …There is incongruity between the way some buildings are designed and the way his industry is currently set up to deliver them. …Public perceptions of fire safety may also be holding the industry back.

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Vancouver multi-unit Indigenous housing development checks all the boxes

By John Bleasby
The Daily Commercial News
September 10, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — It’s made from mass timber. It meets Passivhaus standards. Construction componentry is modular and prefabricated largely using robotic technology. The project addresses Indigenous social housing needs. No wonder the Chief George Leonard Building was unanimously approved when it came before Vancouver City Council in the spring of 2021. …Designed by Vancouver firm GBL Architects and developed by the non-profit M’akola Development Services… The nine-storey, 85,500-square-foot affordable housing complex replaces a smaller unit owned by the Vancouver Native Housing Society destroyed by fire back in 2017. GBL describes the building as, “Canada’s first mixed-use tall mass timber Passive House building.” …The combination of Passivhaus standards and utilization of mass timber has reduced operational and embodied carbon by 75 per cent, GBL says. …The supply and installation of the mass timber envelope system leveraged the product and technology platform from Vancouver-based Intelligent City called Platforms-for-Life™.

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Forestry

Recognizing Canada’s Emerging Forestry Professionals

Forest Products Association of Canada
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

This summer, five exceptional students from across Canada were selected for the Forest Products Association of Canada’s (FPAC) 2025 Green Dream Internship Program, an initiative that continues to spotlight the next generation of forestry professionals. Now in its twelfth year, the Green Dream Internship offers students a unique opportunity to explore the forest sector from the inside out. Over six weeks, interns shared their experiences through creative storytelling—capturing everyday moments in forest operations, conducting interviews, and reflecting on their career journeys. Each intern received a $1,000 scholarship to support their studies. “As these students return to their studies and continue building their expertise, they now carry with them an even deeper understanding of the sector’s challenges, innovations, and opportunities,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC’s President and CEO. 

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This red retardant is crucial in the fight against wildfires. But is it also harming the environment?

By Chloé Dioré de Périgny
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Dropping fire retardant solutions from planes is a crucial strategy in wildfire fighting, but some experts are concerned about their impact on the environment, including aquatic ecosystems. Once dropped, these retardants leave a rust-coloured or pinkish liquid coating on roads, roofs, and vegetation. This technique, commonly used since the mid 20th century, helps fire crews contain blazes by depriving flames of oxygen, explains Jen Baron, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence. Since 2009, the B.C. Wildfire Service has relied on Phos-Chek LC-95A, a widely used retardant from Perimeter Solutions… Its main ingredient, ammonium polyphosphate, is a common fertilizer. Additives, like iron oxide, give the retardant its signature red colour, helping crews to see where it has been dropped. …Uldis Silins, a professor of forest hydrology at the University of Alberta says studying retardants like Phos-Chek remains crucial, especially because their specific chemical composition is proprietary and therefore unknown. 

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Sustainable Forestry Initiative Announces Funded Support for Indigenous-Led Climate Smart Forestry in Canada

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Ottawa, ON—The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce funding for eight Indigenous organizations and their projects to advance Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) in Canada. SFI is supporting Indigenous-led projects to implement strategies that improve forest resiliency to a changing climate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support Indigenous values. “The SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative is fostering new models of learning and collaboration, and we are committed to elevating Indigenous-led projects that can help us scale forest-based climate solutions across broader landscapes,” said Kathy Abusow, CEO and President of SFI. In 2024, SFI received a grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) which includes support for implementation of nature-based climate solutions. …In March of 2025, SFI issued a call for Expressions of Interest to support Indigenous-led CSF projects, awarding funds to eight Indigenous communities and Indigenous-owned entities. …The project is part of the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative…

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Larry Pedersen: Reflections from BC’s 14th Chief Forester

BC Forest History Association
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Zoom Presentation TODAY, 7:00 pm. The BC Forest History Association Speaker Series presents Larry Pedersen! Larry was BC Provincial Chief Forester from 1994 to 2004. A graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1975, he became a registered Professional Forester in 1977. During his career, he advanced through a number of positions in the Forest Service and he also worked in the private sector. Larry will discuss some important historical events that helped shape forestry in the province, explain how he ended up in the job, discuss some of the challenges that he faced, and will tell some stories about things that were said and done during his tenure. The presentation is intended to highlight just a few of the many important events that have shaped forestry in the province. To register for this free Zoom presentation use this Zoom Registration Link

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Indigenous firefighter group seek same pay for same work as Government of the Northwest Territories crews

By Lisa Iesse
My True North Now
September 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A group of Indigenous wildland firefighters have been battling blazes alongside Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) firefighters, but said they are being denied the same wages for the same work. Josée-Anne Spirito, who is a vice president at the Public Service Alliance of Canada, told True North FM that mediation efforts have failed and arbitration has been delayed as the group waits for a response from the employer, Evergreen Forestry. Spirito said the group of 32 Indigenous Wildland firefighters have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 2023. …During that same period of time, the GNWT’s Wildland firefighters have had a 2.5 per cent increase per year for both years. The group said their dispute is with the employer, Evergreen Forestry. The company is overseen by the Deh Gáh Got’ı̨ę First Nation and the Kátł’odeeche First Nation under contract with the GNWT.

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Logging firm wins injunction to halt Walbran Valley blockade on Vancouver Island

By Daryll Greer
Canadian Press in CTV News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — The BC Supreme Court has granted an injunction to a forestry company to halt a blockade against old-growth logging in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island, in a ruling that has been hailed by a group of First Nations that want the “unlawful occupation” ended. The protesters are mostly anonymous although BC Supreme Court Justice Amy Francis said that they include some of the same group involved in the blockade at nearby Fairy Creek. Francis said protests “are part of a healthy democracy. Criminal conduct is not.” …Michelle Corfield, a spokeswoman for a group of First Nations, said the territory belongs to the Pacheedaht First Nation. “I just really want everybody to understand how deeply hurt the Pacheedaht people are about this unlawful occupation,” she said. …Francis said the law around granting injunctions is well established, and “it appears clear that the defendants’ actions are criminal in nature.”

Related news, Press Release by the Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership: Statement from C̕awak ʔqin Forestry regarding the court’s decision to grant an injunction application in the Walbran

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Conservationists decry lack of progress 5 years after B.C.’s old-growth logging review

By Chad Pawson
CBC News
September 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s been five years since the B.C. government promised to overhaul how old-growth trees are logged in the province — a process that was supposed to take three years — and conservationists say the province’s heel-dragging is resulting in preventable biodiversity loss. …”This isn’t just about trees. It’s about climate, community safety, Indigenous rights and the future of forests in B.C.,” said Tobyn Neame, a campaigner with the Wilderness Committee, in one of several releases from similar groups marking the anniversary of the report. …Conservationists argue the province has not moved deliberately to accomplish the 14 recommendations in the report, the culmination of B.C.’s Old Growth Strategic Review process. …In early September, the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, an independent group of forestry experts, announced a new public-facing website seeking input over the issue.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun, by Tiffany Crawford: Languishing ‘in the doldrums’: Conservation groups demand action on B.C.’s old-growth logging review

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Celebrating the role of First Nations in the forestry economy

By Robin Grant
Campbell River Mirror
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

First Nations have a long and rich history in the forestry economy, having harvested trees for building, canoe-making and for cultural or ceremonial practices for thousands of years. …To celebrate this long history, members of the Na̲nwak̲olas Council, along with guests and community members, gathered in the H’kusam Forest on Aug. 27. The event was an opportunity to reflect on the First Nations’ past and share their vision for the future of forestry in their territories. The H’kusam Forest, near Sayward, is a prime example of the First Nations’ sustainable forestry management and cultural practices.  …Collaborating with the Nations through the La-kwa sa muqk Forestry Partnership is a point of pride for Steven Hofer, president and CEO of Western Forest Products. “Predictable, sustainable timber from La-kwa sa muqk is key to the success of our sawmills on Vancouver Island and to the broader regional economy,” Hofer said.

Media Release by The Na̲nwak̲olas Council: Honouring First Nations in the Forest Economy

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4 years after Fairy Creek, a new battle over B.C.’s old-growth forests looms in the Walbran Valley

By Shannon Waters
The Narwhal
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A B.C. Supreme Court justice has ordered a group of people blocking a logging road in the Walbran Valley on southern Vancouver Island to stop. The decision to grant an injunction to Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership, a joint partnership between the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forest Products, alongside an enforcement order is expected to set the stage for the RCMP to remove people from the area. This fight over British Columbia’s old-growth forests comes four years after the start of the historic Fairy Creek protests, where more than 1,100 people were arrested. The Walbran Valley blockade began in late August and has prevented a logging company from working and accessing tools, equipment and vehicles on the other side of the blockade. Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones, who was at the forefront of the Fairy Creek protests, is one of the parties named in the court filing, and the only person to respond to the application. 

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Okanagan-Similkameen flood concerns focus of anti-logging film screening

By Barry Gerding
The Similkameen Spotlight
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Any forest industry supporters probably felt a little uncomfortable sitting in the audience for the screening and panel discussion about how clear-cut logging is impacting community watersheds in B.C. Along with the showing of the documentary Trouble In The Headwaters, speakers joined the Interior Watershed Task Force to discuss the need for drastic changes to B.C.’s logging of primary forests and community watersheds. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs spoke about the need to resuscitate the environment and place a higher priority on the preservation of the water supply. …Other speakers included former B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau, former MLA from Prince George Mike Morris, Westbank First Nation professional forester David Gill and Dr. Younes Alila, professor of hydrology at UBC. …”We have already lost most of our forest cover, the most powerful natural protection against flood and drought risk,” said Alila. 

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Kaslo, B.C., woman brings home timbersports championship title for 2nd year in a row

By Courtney Dickson
CBC News
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Andrea Hand

As Andrea Hand’s axe slid all the way through the cottonwood block during the underhand chop competition at the Stihl Timbersports Canadian Championships on Sept. 5, host Ryan McIntyre’s voice rose with anticipation. McIntyre, a logger sport athlete himself, wondered whether Hand had just set a new world record for women’s underhand chop at the competition held in London, Ont. She finished the chop in 21.65 seconds. For those just learning about the sport — that’s good. “I knew that I had never seen that time before,” said Hand. Judges looked over the cut as spectators waited with bated breath. “We have a new world record. It’s a good cut,” the judge announced. Hand’s world record in the women’s championships beat a record set earlier this year by American athlete Erin Lavoie. Hand also took home the Pro Women’s Championship title for the second year in a row. 

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Eye on BC’s Forests

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

As summer winds down, I’m pleased to welcome you to this special edition of the Forest Practices Board’s newsletter. This season marks a significant milestone for us—our 30th anniversary. For three decades, the Board has worked diligently to provide independent oversight of forest and range practices in British Columbia, helping to ensure that our natural resources are managed sustainably and in the public interest. …This issue highlights some of the conversations, initiatives, audits, investigations and special reports the Board is involved in as we embark on this anniversary year.

Issue #29 – Summer 2025

  • The Board
  • Audit Program Update
  • Complaint Investigation Program Update
  • Special Projects Update
  • Appeals Program Update
  • Out in the Community
  • People
  • Farewells

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Protesters demand better forestry practices outside of Prince George office

By Tommy Osborne
CKPG Today
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

James Steidle

PRINCE GEORGE – A protest was held outside of the Prince George Ministry of Forests Office, demanding the province stops sparing forests with glyphosate, which is a herbicide. “We are utterly destroying our forests. And the issue is that people think about forests, and all they’re thinking about is the two by fours that the forest produces. They don’t think about any of the other things, so then they’re managed in terms of making more two by fours, literally at the expense of every other value,” said Gerd Erasmus, one of several who attended the protest. Organized by the “Stop the Spray BC,” group, this group has been protesting against glyphosate in forests for years. And according to the group’s founder James Steidle, one of the biggest concerns is that this practice actually creates more fire risks.

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Workshop in Williams Lake meets forestry approaches in the middle

By Andie Mollins
The Williams Lake Tribune
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Cariboo Wood Innovation Training Hub (CWITH) is inviting people to bring their ideas and opinions to an upcoming workshop on contemplative forestry. The workshop will be facilitated by Jason Brown, an affiliate forest professional with Forest Professionals British Columbia, on Saturday, Sept. 20. Participants will explore the concept of contemplative forestry, an approach which meets two extreme views on forestry in the middle. …Stephanie Huska, project lead with CWITH, said the workshop is a way to open the door to conversations which historically have not been included in natural resource management discussions based on western worldviews. …A contemplative approach to forest management values manual work as a form of spiritual practice, allows forests to ‘speak’ for themselves, admits there are some aspects of life we don’t have the language for and sees forestry as a mutually beneficial, place-based vocation.

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Branchlines: The Critical Role of Environmental Social Science in Forestry – Q&A with Prof. Shannon Hagerman

Branchlines UBC Faculty of Forestry
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Shannon Hagerman

In July 2024, Shannon Hagerman, UBC Forestry Professor and Dean and Vice-Provost pro tem in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, received the prestigious International Union of Forest Research Organizations Scientific Achievement Award for her work on human dimensions of forestry. Shannon is an environmental social scientist and an internationally recognized scholar in the interdisciplinary field of social-ecological systems. Her research focuses on policy and governance dimensions of novel approaches for conservation and resource management in response to climate change. … Most people working in forestry today would agree that addressing complex environmental challenges requires thoughtful engagement with people and communities. But the field of human dimensions goes further than engagement. It encompasses a diverse body of scholarship that examines how people interact with forests and the environment, and how these interactions are shaped by deeper social, political and cultural factors.

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B.C. First Nations and logging firm want Walbran Valley old-growth blockade to end

By Darryl Greer
The Canadian Press in the Victoria Times Colonist
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Supreme Court is set to rule on an injunction to halt a blockade against old-growth logging in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island, but a lawyer for one of the blockaders says the law is evolving and in need of a “course correction.” The Pacheedaht First Nation has decried the blockade on its traditional territory near Port Renfrew, B.C., claiming it is undermining its authority and should disband. The First Nation said in a statement that forestry is a “cornerstone” of its economy, and is calling for the blockaders to “stand down and leave.” The statement came after Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc., a firm co-owned by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forest Products Inc., filed a lawsuit last week in B.C. Supreme Court alleging that “a group of largely unknown individuals” began the blockade of a road on Aug. 25.

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Pacheedaht First Nation Asserts Sovereignty, Calls for Blockaders to Leave Walbran Valley

Cision Newswire
September 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

PORT RENFREW, BC – As the rightful stewards of its lands, waters, and resources, the Pacheedaht First Nation is asserting its Inherent Rights and authority over all activities within its Traditional Territory. The Nation is formally asking all blockaders currently obstructing lawful forestry activities in the Walbran Valley area to stand down and leave. “The protestors’ blockade undermines our Nation’s authority to govern our Traditional Territory and disrupts the important work we are doing to protect and manage our lands responsibly,” said Chief Councillor Arliss Daniels, Pacheedaht First Nation. “Blockaders showed complete disrespect for our Territory in the past, including environmental damage. Our lands are not to be misused or disrespected under any circumstances. We call for all external parties to cease their disruptive activities, and for blockaders to leave our Territory, immediately.” Pacheedaht has developed a draft conservation network of areas reserved from harvesting in its Traditional Territory, including within the Walbran Valley. 

Related coverage in Ricochet, by Brandi Morin: In B.C., an elder is taking his own Nation to court to save the ancient forestsFour years ago, Bill Jones was at the forefront of the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. Now he’s once again fighting for the old growth trees.

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Empowering on-the-ground action for local groups through the Invasive Species Action Fund

Wawa-news
September 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

©InvasiveSpeciesCentre

Ontario — Thanks to an investment from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Invasive Species Centre is supporting 116 new projects across Ontario led by community groups, Indigenous organizations, municipalities, and conservation authorities on critical invasive species issues through the Invasive Species Action Fund. Invasive species are plants, animals, insects, and pathogens that are introduced to an ecosystem outside of their native range and cause harm to the environment, economy, or society. These species damage lakes, land, forests, and communities, and are the second greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide. Ontario has the highest number of invasive species in Canada, which are responsible for an estimated $3.6 billion dollars of impact each year to forestry, fisheries, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, and recreation in the province.

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Category 1 campfire prohibition to be extended

By Pat Matthews
My Cariboo Now
September 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The existing Category 1 campfire prohibition for the Cariboo Fire Centre and Tsilhqot’in (Xeni Gwet’in) Declared Title area will be extended. It will go in effect at noon tomorrow (September 11) and will remain in effect until September 30 or until the order is rescinded. A Category 1 campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide. The Cariboo Fire Centre said this prohibition applies to all areas in the Fire Centre that are outside of municipal boundaries. In addition, it also applies to these land types within municipal boundaries: Parks, conservancies and recreation areas; Recreation sites, recreation trails, interpretive forest sites and trail-based recreation areas; Ecological reserves; and Wildlife management areas and private managed forest land.

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How the Walbran Blockade Echoes Another Famous Stand in the Forest

By Ben Parfitt
The Tyee
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

…Paul George, co-founder of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee …hit on popularizing the fight to protect old growth with a poster depicting a young woman gazing up the towering trunk of a massive, moss-covered Sitka spruce tree [in the] Carmanah Valley. The poster’s tag line — “Big Trees Not Big Stumps” — was a model of economy. …like five wasp stings to the hide of MacMillan Bloedel, the company that wanted to cut that tree and every other one like it down. Today we’d say it went viral. But not in the sense of a social media post that explodes with millions of views today only to be forgotten tomorrow … it would prove to have the lasting power of long COVID. …The poster came to mind [when a] small group of protesters planted themselves on a logging road leading into… the upper Walbran Valley, which borders the Carmanah on Vancouver Island’s southwest coast.

Related coverage in the National Observer, by Maia Wikler: From Fairy Creek to the Walbran Valley, the fight for ancient forests persists [this story requires a subscription for access]

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Port Hawkesbury Paper suspends logging in Cape Breton Highlands amid Mi’kmaw blockade

By Sis’moqon
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — A company responsible for logging in an area on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia has temporarily suspended its operations after a group of Mi’kmaq blocked the road into the forest. …Now discussions between the province and Mi’kmaw organizations are taking place over how to address concerns over forestry management of the Cape Breton Highlands. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs said in a statement Friday that it met with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, provincial ministers and Port Hawkesbury Paper to discuss the concerns. ….Despite the ongoing talks, organizers say that they don’t plan on stopping the blockade. …Port Hawkesbury Paper mill co-manager Bevan Lock said “We are proud of the ongoing dialogue we’ve had with Mi’kmaw organizations and the assembly over the years, and we want to help the broader community better understand what we do and how important the forests are to us, too.” 

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‘It is a clear-cut operation’: Trees cleared out for lumber at provincial park hit by summer storm

By Jonathan Migneault
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Northeastern Ontario’s Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park has transformed into a temporary logging operation due to a storm that knocked down thousands of trees in June. “It is a clear-cut operation,” said Bill Steer, general manager of the Canadian Ecology Centre, which is located inside the park that is just west of Mattawa. On June 21, powerful winds from a downburst hit the park. It downed thousands of trees, which destroyed some trailers and vehicles in the park. Gary Wheeler, a spokesperson with Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, said the ministry has been working with the Algonquin Forestry Authority on cleanup and salvage operations in the park. The forestry authority has hired local contractors to process the fallen trees. Wheeler said some have been turned into hydro poles and others will be assessed for lumber.

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Province Supports Work to Save Hemlock Trees From Invasive Species

By Environment and Climate Change
The Government of Nova Scotia
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The government is supporting two projects to help save Nova Scotia’s hemlock trees from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that attacks and kills the trees. Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced funding for: Acadia University’s hemlock woolly adelgid biocontrol facility; $356,214, including $156,214 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund and $200,000 from the federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund; and the Town of Bridgewater’s hemlock preservation project; $255,500 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund. “The hemlock is one of Nova Scotia’s most special and beautiful trees,” said Minister Halman. “Across the province, Nova Scotians, community groups, the Mi’kmaq and all three levels of government are working together with fierce determination to save hemlock trees and forests. This funding will support that vital work.” Hemlock trees are one of Nova Scotia’s largest and longest-living tree species and are an important part of old-growth forests. 

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Glyphosate: The hidden fuel in Nova Scotia’s forest fire crisis

By Geoffrey Hurley, retired fisheries and environmental consultant
PNI Atlantic News
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

As Nova Scotia grapples with one of its most severe wildfire seasons, a controversial decision by the provincial government has flown under the radar: the approval of aerial glyphosate spraying on 3,577 acres of drought-stricken, fire-prone forest. This move not only risks human health and ecosystems but also exacerbates the very wildfires it claims to mitigate. …Glyphosate-based herbicides are used in forestry to kill deciduous plants and shrubs that compete with commercial softwood species. However, this practice replaces diverse, resilient forests with flammable monocultures. By inhibiting plant growth and causing vegetation to wilt and die, glyphosate leaves behind dry, combustible biomass — effectively turning forests into tinderboxes. In a province already parched by drought and under travel bans due to fire risks, adding fuel to the fire is nothing short of reckless.

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Officials insist there’s no evidence timber practices worsen wildfires

By John Chilibeck
The Telegraph-Journal
September 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Michelle Conroy says she appreciates all the work the province’s firefighters have put into protecting Miramichi, as wildfires raged out of control. But the Progressive Conservative MLA for Miramichi East also wonders if their employer, the Department of Natural Resources, might have unintentionally made conditions in the forests worse by encouraging herbicide spraying so that New Brunswick’s powerful timber industry could have softwood plantations. …The idea that the ecosystem could had been thrown “out of balance,” was addressed by Deputy Minister Cade Libby. “Your comment is one we’ve heard quite a few times,” Libby said. “Yes, herbicides target broad-leafed plants. …But a working forest is a great way to mitigate forest fire risk.” The deputy minister said timber cutters use forestry roads that act as fire breaks and that they work on forests of various types and age classes that have less fuel load than virgin, old-growth forests do.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

How much have fossil-fuel giants contributed to heat waves such as B.C.’s heat dome?

By Jordan Omstead
Canadian Press in the Vancouver Sun
September 10, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

Planet-warming emissions from a group of the world’s largest fossil fuel producers have significantly ramped up the intensity of heat waves, a new study suggests, one of the first peer-reviewed papers to link dozens of climate-fuelled weather events to specific companies. The study led by a group of Swiss-based climate scientists says about one-quarter of the 213 recent heat waves they studied, including the 2021 B.C. heat dome, would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. It says emissions from some individual companies, including relatively smaller ones and some of Canada’s oil-and-gas producers, would have been enough to make otherwise impossible heat waves statistically possible. …The researchers linked emissions from the group of cement and fossil-fuel producers to about half the increase in heat wave intensity connected to human-caused climate change.

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Lakehead University researchers lead $1.67M global effort to help forests adapt to climate change

By Desmond Brown
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

Brigitte Leblon

Amid a stark increase in forest fires in recent years, a global project led by Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., aims to determine how woodland areas can adapt to climate change. Natural resource management experts at Lakehead are leading the $1.67-million global research project, which includes other Canadian universities and one in Germany. The multi-year research is being funded by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in that western European country. “The forest is made of wood, and the first thing wood is doing is burning,” lead researcher Brigitte Leblon of Lakehead told CBC News. “Fires become more and more intense and huge because of climate change. More drought means more intense fires, and when the fire is more intense, automatically, large areas are burned.” …They’ll be examining tree genetics, ecosystems, policy and land-use planning, as well as how biological, ecological and social systems interact to shape forest health in a changing climate.

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Health & Safety

See Tracks? Think Train® Week

Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
September 15, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, United States

See Tracks? Think Train® Week (formerly Rail Safety Week) is a concentrated week of rail safety education focusing attention on the importance of making safe choices when driving or walking near railroad tracks and trains. First held in the U.S. in 2017, this collaborative effort among Operation Lifesaver Inc., State Operation Lifesaver Programs and rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico is now called See Tracks? Think Train® Week throughout the U.S. to better reflect the purpose of this week-long observance: Preventing railroad crossing and trespass incidents across North America and concentrating public attention on the need for rail safety education. OLI offers free See Tracks? Think Train® Week materials – including posters, billboards, a month-long social media calendar filled with assets and more for rail safety partners and supporters to increase awareness about the importance of rail safety education across the country.

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Study estimates 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke caused 82,000 premature deaths globally

By Brenna Owen
The Canadian Press in CTV News
September 10, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada

Smoke from record-breaking Canadian wildfires in 2023 caused an estimated 5,400 acute deaths and about 82,100 premature deaths worldwide, a new study shows. The study published in journal Nature acknowledges some variation in mortality estimates depending on the methods used, but says its overall conclusion is the smoke led to an “enormous and far-reaching” health burden. Canadian co-author Michael Brauer says the findings serve as a “wake-up call” for areas that haven’t typically seen repeated or prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke. …“While there is room for improved forest management and fire suppression … we’re still going to get a lot of smoke,” says Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia. …Brauer says the premature deaths represent the chronic impacts of wildfire smoke, which interacts with pre-existing risk factors and conditions, such as heart or lung disease, to potentially contribute to shortening a person’s life. …The paper concludes that “further studies are urgently needed”.

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Forest Fires

Wildfire burning near Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt now being held

By Kristen Holliday
Castanet Kamloops
September 15, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

A wildfire that swept across the Coquihalla Highway earlier this month and forced the closure of the major transportation corridor is not expected to grow any further. The BC Wildfire Service updated the status of the Mine Creek wildfire from out of control to being held — meaning the fire is expected to stay within its current perimeter, based on fire fuel and weather conditions. It’s now estimated that the wildfire, burning between Merritt and Hope, grew to 2,904 hectares in size — a little less than an earlier estimate of 3,000 hectares. The cooler temperatures and rainfall seen in recent days have assisted wildland firefighters working to suppress the fire. The BC Wildfire Service said two millimetres of rain fell over parts of the fire on Sunday, which will help temper fire behaviour.

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Wildfire near Lynn Lake started at mining site after burn piles weren’t properly extinguished: court docs

By Kristin Annable
CBC News
September 11, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Provincial investigators looking into the cause of this spring’s wildfire near Lynn Lake, Man., allege it started at the nearby Alamos Gold Inc. mining site and that the company was negligent because it didn’t use water to extinguish its burn piles, according to search warrant documents obtained by CBC News. Manitoba Conservation investigators allege the fire, which eventually grew to over 85,000 hectares, started on May 7 after a burn pile reignited at the Toronto-based gold producer’s MacLellan mine site, about 7.5 kilometres northeast of Lynn Lake. By late May, the fire had come within five kilometres of Lynn Lake and forced the evacuation of the nearly 600 residents of the town… Dozens of properties in the area were destroyed. …The investigators asked Alamos Gold staff how they ensured the burn piles were extinguished. The workers said they stirred the piles and installed a fire guard around them, according to the documents. 

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