Region Archives: Canada

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Forestry is the solution for a stronger British Columbia

By Kim Haakstad (COFI) and Peter Lister (TLA)
The Times Colonist
September 22, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

As leaders gather this week at the 2025 Union of BC Municipalities’ convention to chart the future of British Columbia, forestry must be central to those discussions. Forestry touches communities of every size in every part of BC It is not just an industry — it is part of BC’s fabric. And at a time of pressing challenges, forestry offers solutions: for rural, urban and Indigenous communities, it can and should be a unifying force. …Yet the sector faces headwinds. US softwood lumber duties exceed 35%, global markets remain volatile and further tariff increases loom. These forces are beyond our control, but they make action at home urgent. In challenging times, we need to focus on solutions that make us stronger together — solutions that are about “and”, not “or.”

Recent polling shows 87% of British Columbians agree that effectively developing natural resources is key to future growth. That means economy and environment. Reconciliation and jobs. …Premier David Eby has recognized this by naming forestry as a major project known as the “path to 45 million cubic metres.” BC’s allowable annual cut is around 60 million cubic metres. We’re harvesting barely half of that, and many mills are down to one shift. That means lost jobs, lost opportunities and declining community stability. The good news is: forestry doesn’t need years of permitting. We already have the people, the infrastructure and the supply chain in place. We can unleash forestry now, while new mines, LNG facilities and clean energy projects work their way through the approval process. Closing that gap matters — not just for companies, but for communities across BC. If we can reach the 45 million target harvest, government tax revenues would increase over $500 million per year from stumpage and non-stumpage revenues. 

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Business & Politics

MP Gord Johns, Mayor Spencer Coyne, and Mayor Crystal McAteer receive the 2025 Jim Carr Forest Community Champion Award

Forest Products Association of Canada
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Gord Johns

Spencer Coyne

Crystal McAteer

Forest Products Association of Canada awards Gord Johns, MP for Courtenay-Alberni, BC; Spencer Coyne, Mayor of Princeton, BC, and Crystal McAteer, Mayor of High Level, Alberta, as the 2025 recipients of the Jim Carr Forest Community Champion Award. The honour recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting Canada’s forest sector and the families and communities that depend on it. Named in memory of the late Jim Carr, former Minister of Natural Resources and International Trade Diversification, a tireless advocate for Canadian forestry and its people, this award celebrates community leaders who have shown dedication to advancing the environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable forest management in Canada. 

A Member of Parliament since 2015, Gord Johns has continued to advocate for the forest sector—the backbone of the communities he represents—promoting sustainable forestry, biomass innovation, and value-added wood products that will create jobs and reduce waste. …As Chair of the Vermillion Forks Community Forest, Mayor Spencer Coyne brings together the partners of the Town of Princeton, the Upper Similkameen Indian Band, and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to oversee the land management and harvesting rights over 11,000 hectares of forest land. …As a lifelong educator, Mayor Crystal McAteer has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of the forest industry and environmental stewardship. 

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Canada’s US$63 billion lumber industry hit by Trump’s trade war

By Ilya Gridneff and Susannah Savage
The Financial Times
September 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Terrace, a small town nestled in the foothills of the mountains of BC, boomed in the 1920s, shipping Canadian cedar for telephone lines and power cables across the globe. But today local sawmill owners such as Warren Gavronsky are on the front line of a crisis hitting the country’s US$63bn forestry industry as a result of US duties and a slowdown in the world’s largest economy. …Canada’s forest products industry is one of the country’s largest employers, operating in hundreds of communities and providing 200,000 direct jobs. …Ottawa this week quietly withdrew two challenges to US anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber, a “strategic choice” aimed at improving relations with Washington, said Canada’s foreign ministry. The issue for US housebuilders, according to Gavronsky, is that they need softwood lumber. …The US industry accuses its Canadian rivals of dumping because they have no other market to sell into and it is convenient to ship it across the border.

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U.S. ambassador to Canada says softwood solution will be ‘very, very difficult’

By Oliver Pearson
CBC News
September 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Pete Hoekstra

Pete Hoekstra says he hopes the United States and Canada can strike a deal on softwood lumber, an issue that predates both of Donald Trump’s terms in Washington. “This is going to be a very, very difficult one to solve,” Hoekstra, the US ambassador to Canada, said Friday on a visit to New Brunswick. “I think the focus will be resolving some other issues, finding out exactly how we do those to see if maybe after 40 years we can finally resolve softwood lumber.” …When asked if the U.S. needs Canada’s wood products, Hoekstra wasn’t sure. J.D. Irving said that “more than 80% of New Brunswick’s forest products exports cross the US border.” Those products include softwood and hardwood lumber, pulp and paper products, shingles, fibre and oriented strand board, and even Christmas trees. Hoekstra stopped in Fredericton on Friday to meet with Premier Susan Holt. 

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Canada Ends Fight Against Some US Lumber Duties, Seeking Wider Deal

By Thomas Seal
Bloomberg in the Financial Post
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada withdrew challenges against some import taxes the US levied against softwood lumber in what the government called a “strategic choice,” as Prime Minister Carney seeks a trade deal with President Trump. The government has revoked two separate claims disputing US anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber based on trading between June 2017 and December 2019, according to Canada’s Global Affairs department. “Canada has made this decision in close consultation with Canadian industry, provinces and key partners, and it reflects a strategic choice to maximize long-term interests and prospects for a negotiated resolution with the US,” John Babcock said. …The move follows a pattern of Carney’s government trying to remove so-called trade irritants in pursuit of a wider settlement with the Trump administration, which has erected tariffs against key Canadian industries like steel and autos, as well as a 35% “emergency” tariff against other goods if they aren’t compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal. 

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Canada to launch CUSMA consultations after U.S. ambassador says bigger deal not in the cards

By Ashley Burke
CBC News
September 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada is expected to announce it’s launching formal consultations on the North American trade pact within the next week, after the Trump administration kicked off its own review and the US ambassador said a larger deal is “not going to happen” soon. Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office said the government is expected to imminently post an official notice seeking the public’s comments and feedback about the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). In preparation for the review, “Canada will be engaging with Canadian industry leaders, provinces and territories and Indigenous partners,” LeBlanc’s office said. The US announced Tuesday it’s formally starting consultations to evaluate the agreement’s results over the past five years. …The formal negotiations to review CUSMA could begin in early 2026. …The prime minister and several ministers are headed to Mexico… an effort to shore up support ahead of the CUSMA review.

In related coverage:

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Union calls for joint effort to address crisis in coastal forestry sector

By Andrew Duffy
The Times Colonist
September 24, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The union representing thousands of forest-industry workers on the coast is calling for a united effort to address a growing crisis in the sector. Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937, says government, industry, First Nations and the union need a plan to resolve the issues that remain under the province’s control. He said members of the union, which represents 5,500 workers on the coast, are being hit hard with layoffs, most of which are either due to market conditions or lack of available logs. “Right now, as we see it, stakeholders work independently in their own silos, rather than collectively,” he said. On Monday, Western Forest Products, which supports about 3,300 jobs on the coast, announced that curtailments at its Chemainus sawmill will be extended until the end of the year. …Butler said there are plenty more examples of trouble in the sector around the Island.

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Western Forest Products Announces Lumber Production Curtailments

By Western Forest Products
GlobedNewswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Western Forest Products announced planned temporary operating curtailments at its BC sawmills during the fourth quarter of 2025. These planned curtailments, combined with temporary curtailments taken in Q3 of 2025, will collectively reduce lumber production by ~50 million board feet in the second half of 2025, amounting to ~6% of the Company’s annual lumber capacity. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions, further impacted by increases in US lumber duties. In addition, certain factors relating to the operating environment, including a lack of available economic log supply, ongoing harvesting permitting delays and the strike by the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 at our La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership are also contributing factors. The temporary curtailments will be taken through a combination of reduced operating hours, an extended holiday break and reconfigured shifting schedules. The Chemainus sawmill, which was curtailed for the third quarter of 2025, will remain temporarily curtailed for the fourth quarter.

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First Nation’s suit after toxic spill should be tossed: feds, province, paper mill

By Erik Pindera
Winnipeg Free Press
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The federal and provincial governments and the company that owns the paper mill in The Pas say a lawsuit filed last year by a First Nation over a 2019 toxic fluid spill should be thrown out of court. Opaskwayak Cree Nation filed a claim against Canadian Kraft Paper and the governments in the Court of King’s Bench last September, arguing it wasn’t warned about the hazardous spill until the company had pleaded guilty in provincial court to a charge under the federal Fisheries Act and was ordered to pay a million-dollar fine in December 2023. …The federal government said it fulfilled its duties by sending Environment and Climate Change Canada investigators to look into the spill before prosecuting the paper company in court….The paper company denies causing any harm to the environment or that its actions or inaction have resulted in any adverse effects to people’s health.

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Wood-product manufacturing gets a boost in British Columbia

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Nine more forestry companies are being supported to modernize, innovate and diversify their product lines and fibre sources to make more high-value, made-in-BC products, and help protect and create jobs. “It’s no secret our forestry sector is facing many challenges, making these investments timely, while I continue the fight to secure every dollar from Ottawa,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. Through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund (BCMJF), the Province is contributing as much as $2.5 million for nine wood-product manufacturing businesses to plan or complete capital projects. This may include building new or upgrading existing facilities to scale their operations, buying new equipment to help maximize production and fibre utilization, and reduce waste, or conducting planning activities to support future capital investments. For example, Canadian Bavarian Millwork and Lumber in Chemainus will receive as much as $1.4 million to help build its new facility and buy advanced equipment.

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Part of Canfor’s pulp mill property reclassified after assessment appeal

By Bob Mackin
The Prince George Citizen
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A 20-acre parcel of the 303-acre Canfor Pulp mill property in Prince George has been re-classified as light industry by the Property Assessment Appeal Board. Canfor leased the parcel to Arbios Biotech Canada Limited Partnership to build a demonstration plant to convert wood waste and woody biomass into bio oil. In the 2023 taxation year, the Assessor of Area 26 deemed it a major industry property. A central issue of Canfor’s appeal was whether bio-oil meets the definition of a chemical. A lawyer for the Assessor argued that the facility is similar to plants classified as major industrial. Canfor argued the facility has similarities to plants like those that produce wood pellets, which are classified as light industry. Panel chair Robert Wickett and panel member Fiona Anderson found, in their Sept. 11 decision, that the facility should be reclassified.

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$5M in funding announced for Interfor’s Sault lumber mill

By Stephen Alexander
Sootoday.com
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ontario’s Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products announced over $5 million in funding today for Interfor Sault Ste. Marie at the company’s mill on Peoples Road. Kevin Holland said the funding will help the mill install equipment and technology – including artificial intelligence screening – to increase production capacity by 12%, reduce wood waste by 25% and reduce emissions by 21%. “This project will enable greater processing of small diameter logs, which are underused in current operations,” Holland said. …The funding will support Interfor Sault Ste. Marie as the Canadian forestry sector grapples with U.S. tariffs. “The whole idea behind our forest biomass program is to invest into the sector as we deal with the increase in uncertainties created by the duties and tariffs that are being imposed by the United States government,” Holland said. …Interfor employs over 100 people in the Sault. …The announcement was accompanied separate funding for Northshore Forest to complete repairs to a bridge.

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Ontario Investing $3.5 Million to Support Job Creators in Province’s Forestry Sector

By Natural Resources
Government of Ontario
September 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO – The Ontario government is investing over $3.5 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program to support Ontario’s forestry sector and bring more made-in-Ontario wood products to market. This funding will provide businesses with advanced manufacturing technology to launch new product lines for local and international markets, create jobs and boost productivity. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is helping forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of U.S. tariffs. …Ontario’s investment will enhance operations at two forest sector businesses: DSI Industries, an office furniture manufacturer, is receiving $2.5 million to install automated finishing equipment; and Diamond CNC, a kitchen cabinet manufacturer, is receiving over $1 million to install robotic systems which automate material handling. 

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Statement – A collective and united approach against Bill 97

By Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Cision Newswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

WENDAKE, QC – On September 16, 2025, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), its Chiefs Committee on Forestry, unions representing more than 20,000 forestry workers, environmental organizations, as well as the federations of ZECs and outfitters in Quebec supporting more than 5,000 jobs, came together for an unprecedented meeting. All share the same conclusion: Bill 97 is one of the most unifying pieces of legislation ever put forward—unifying in opposition. This joint declaration against it is proof of that. This convergence of voices reflects a deep concern with the current version of the bill and underscores that the forest must be regarded as a major societal issue. In this spirit, and as an act of collaboration, we call for Bill 97 not to be reintroduced in the new parliamentary session.

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Quebec MLA booted from cabinet quits party, says she has lost faith in leader Legault

The Canadian Press in Global News
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Maïté Blanchette Vézina

QUÉBEC – A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec recently booted from cabinet has resigned from the party and says she no longer has faith in Premier François Legault. Maïté Blanchette Vézina says she will sit as an Independent and says Legault should reconsider his future as leader of the CAQ, adding that his policies have neglected Quebec’s regions. Her departure is the latest controversy to hit Legault and his party, both of which are deeply unpopular with electors one year away from the provincial election. Blanchette Vézina was elected in 2022 in the riding of Rimouski and was the natural resources and forestry minister until eight days ago. She had struggled steering a bill to protect the forestry industry but which triggered blockades from Indigenous people who said the legislation threatened their way of life.

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Finance & Economics

Expert warns new lumber tariffs could derail new home construction comeback

By Matt Sexton
Mortgage Professional America Magazine
September 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Russ Taylor

A recent unexpected drop in Canadian lumber prices and futures market, combined with declining mortgage rates, has potentially provided an opportunity for the struggling new home construction market to pick back up. So far, that opportunity hasn’t turned into increased building permits, housing starts, or builder confidence. …Russ Taylor said “The one thing we’re still waiting for is this Section 232 investigation for wood and timber and wood derivatives for all countries”. “That’s got a few people spooked. If they put tariffs on top of duties, this makes everything even worse for lumber.” While builder confidence remained low, there is some hope that lower interest rates might help. …“We’re probably six months out from seeing very high prices again, as mills start to build order files and buyers come back to the market,” Taylor said. But there are so many unknowns. Where is the US economy heading? What’s going to happen with higher inflation?

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Lumber Prices Fall Amid Housing Market Struggles

Trading View
September 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell back below $570 per thousand board feet in September, reflecting the struggles in the US housing market. Builders are scaling back new construction amid a recent inventory glut and growing economic uncertainty, while the Trump administration’s fluctuating stance on tariffs for imported lumber over the past few months has added further volatility. Meanwhile, a significant gap remains between the number of homes for sale and the demand from Americans seeking housing. Affordability challenges have caused many buyers to withdraw in recent months, keeping construction activity muted throughout 2025. However, recent cuts in US interest rates, along with prospects of further easing, have helped curb some of the losses. Without a substantial increase in new home demand, the subdued pace of construction is likely to persist, as builders continue to compete with the steadily growing inventory of existing homes. [END]

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Ontario housing construction collapse ‘should alarm policymakers,’ report warns

By John MacFarlane
Yahoo! Finance
September 23, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Housing starts and pre-sales in much of Southern Ontario have earned failing grades and are on track to get even worse, a new study warns — a situation that “should alarm policymakers across all three orders of government.” The report from University of Ottawa’s Missing Middle Initiative compares housing starts and sales in 34 municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area and neighbouring Southern Ontario cities for the first six months of 2025 with the same period from 2021–2024. It found starts are down 40% relative to that four-year average, with pre-construction condo sales plunging 89 per cent and other homes 70 per cent. The reduction in starts has direct employment implications, and the collapse in pre-construction sales, the study says, is “a clear indication that Ontario’s housing situation will get worse before it gets better, and that market weakness is not isolated to the condo market.” …The study paints a similarly bleak picture for the first half of 2025.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Mass timber should be Canada’s first choice for buildings, architect says

By Tyler Choi
Sustainable Biz Canada
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Martin Nielsen

An architect and engineer behind some of Canada’s most iconic mass timber buildings has high hopes for the material as a sustainability enhancer and a boost to the country’s economy. Martin Nielsen, a partner at Calgary-based DIALOG, is an advocate for the engineered wood product that is made by gluing lumber into panels. His mass timber portfolio includes the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CRIS) and its Campus Energy Centre, the 10-storey office building The Hive being built in Vancouver, and the Brentwood and Gilmore Skytrain stations. Quoting one of his former bosses, Nielsen said timber is a natural and renewable material, “the only building material made by the sun.” …Nielsen added, when people see wood in a building it lowers a key stress hormone. He also envisions it as a way to support Canada’s forestry industry amid shaken-up trade with the US.

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Middle-income rental mass timber tower proposed for Kelowna

By Kirk Penton
Castanet
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

A proposed 18-storey residential tower on St. Paul Street in downtown Kelowna will be constructed using mass timber, according to applications recently submitted to city planners. The city announced earlier this year that it was partnering with non-profit developer Housing Okanagan Foundation on the project for middle-income earners. Now a development permit and variance applications have been submitted for the property at 1428 St. Paul St. “If completed today, it would be the tallest mass timber residential building in Canada,” according to the application from project architect Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture. “The use of mass timber also offers significant reductions in embodied carbon emissions. “This design aligns with the provincial and federal housing objectives while also incubating a building construction methodology that creates local manufacturing jobs.” Above the three-storey podium will be 15 residential floors and a rooftop terrace for all tenants.

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On-campus student housing opens at North Island College

By Ministry of Infrastructure
Government of British Columbia
September 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER ISLAND — North Island College’s first on-campus student housing complex is now open for students. Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure… “This 217-bed project uses locally sourced mass timber, which is a more sustainable choice of building material and demonstrates that smart infrastructure investments can strengthen communities and create lasting benefits.” The buildings address a critical shortage of accessible and culturally appropriate student housing in the region. …The buildings are made of mass timber to reduce environmental impact and support BC’s Wood First program. In addition, much of the project was built off site, improving efficiency and minimizing waste. The three buildings meet Step 4 of the B.C. Energy Step Code, the highest energy-efficiency standard for commercial buildings. The $77-million complex includes a $75-million investment from the provincial government and a $2-million contribution from North Island College.

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Forestry

Home Hardware and Tree Canada Mark National Tree Day with Tree Planting Events Across Canada

By Home Hardware Stores Limited
Cision Newswire
September 24, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

ST. JACOBS, ON – Home Hardware Stores Limited is proud to celebrate its long-standing partnership with Tree Canada by supporting community tree planting events in 25 locations across the country. As part of National Forest Week (September 21-28, 2025), participating Home stores are partnering with Tree Canada, local volunteers and municipal partners to plant native trees in parks, schoolyards and shared community spaces. These efforts highlight Home Hardware’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, reforestation, and building healthier communities. “For more than 30 years, our Dealers have supported environmental initiatives in the communities they call home,” said Ian White, President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited. “We are honoured to continue this important partnership with Tree Canada and to help make a positive, lasting impact.” Home Hardware’s relationship with Tree Canada began in 1992. Since then, more than 30,000 trees have been planted, contributing to stronger urban canopies, improved air quality, and increased biodiversity across the country.

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The starkest picture of wildlife loss in Canada to date: WWF’s new Living Planet Report Canada

By World Wildlife Fund Canada
Cision Newswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

TORONTO — World Wildlife Fund Canada’s Living Planet Report Canada (LPRC) 2025: Wildlife at Home reveals the most severe average decline in the size of monitored wildlife populations in Canada since WWF-Canada began reporting two decades ago. Using the largest dataset to date, the report presents the clearest — and starkest— picture of wildlife loss in Canada yet. More than half (52%) of the species studied are decreasing in abundance. On average, every species group included is trending in the wrong direction. LPRC 2025 comes at a time when governments across Canada are prioritizing rapid development, while loosening regulations that protect nature and species at risk. …The biggest declines were seen in grassland habitats, where wildlife populations declined by 62% on average since 1970. In forests, mammal populations declined by 42%, over the last five decades. Species of concern, those found on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, saw their populations decline by 43%.

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North Island ‘one mill closure away’ from collapse: Campbell River Mayor

By Robin Grant
Victoria News
September 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Elected officials on Vancouver Island at the local, provincial and federal levels are calling for urgent action to support British Columbia’s struggling coastal forestry sector. At a news conference Monday, Conservative MLA for North Island Anna Kindy, North Island-Powell River MP Aaron Gunn, along with eight Island mayors, urged B.C. Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney to address the matter, highlighting mill closures, job losses, and the decline of rural communities as key concerns. The media event followed the release of a letter addressed to both the provincial and federal leaders outlining the concerns in their communities. The letter was signed by Kindy, Gunn and mayors of Sayward, Gold River, Port McNeill, Powell River, Campbell River, Port Hardy, Port Alice and Alert Bay. “Families across northern Vancouver Island are witnessing their way of life disappear,” said MLA Kindy outside the legislature in Victoria. 

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Jorma Neuvonen receives 2025 UBC President’s Service Award for Excellence

By the Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
September 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

UBC Forestry congratulates Jorma Neuvonen, Assistant Dean of Professional Education and International Collaboration for the 2025 UBC President’s Service Award for Excellence.Jorma Neuvonen has expanded UBC Forestry’s professional programs, strengthened international partnerships, and elevated the faculty’s global profile. Known for his empathy and dedication, he supports students and colleagues alike while championing broader access to forestry education. His leadership in major international conferences an d innovative programs like Transfor-M, Green Business and online micro-certificates, has fostered cross-cultural learning, broadened opportunities for diverse learners, and created a lasting legacy of inclusion, innovation, and global impact. Each year, up to five outstanding staff members receive the President’s Service Awards for Excellence (PSAE), the highest honour for UBC staff.

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North-Island Mayors and MP say forestry industry is in a ‘crisis’

By Tchadas Leo
Chek News
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Today on the back steps of the Legislature building, MP Aaron Gunn, MLA Anna Kindy along with five North Island Mayors are calling on Ottawa and BC to remove the red tape when it comes to cutting permits in the province. North Island- Powell River MP Aaron Gunn sent an open letter today to both Premier David Eby and Prime Minister Mark Carney telling North Vancouver Island and the province is in a forestry crisis. “Harvest volumes have collapsed in half and more than 5,400 jobs have been lost. It’s the result of made in BC, made in Canada policies that have delayed permitting, dramatically increased harvesting costs and crippled investors confidence,” said Gunn. The Mayor of Powell River Ron Woznow was at the press conference with Gunn, echoing his concerns. …BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar reacted briefly… adding that more details on a ‘refreshed BC timber sales’ will be released Tuesday.

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Garbage, gates and wildfire risk among Vancouver Islanders’ top backcountry access complaints: Survey

By Jeff Lawrence
Chek News
September 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mosaic Forest Management says it has heard Vancouver Islanders loud and clear when it comes to accessing private forest lands, releasing the results of its first-ever public survey that drew an impressive 7,600 responses in just 23 days. The survey was launched earlier this summer and asked for public feedback on recreational access to Mosaic-managed lands across Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. …While many respondents supported the need for managed access, frustrations with gates and restrictions on Mosaic-owned lands came through strongly in the responses. …Mosaic says it has already started acting on the feedback. The company will bring in an external consultant this fall to develop a new recreation access framework, with an updated program set to launch by spring 2026. The consultant’s role will be to design a system that balances public recreation with safety, operational needs and environment protection while also improving communication and access.

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Logging protesters in Walbran brace for possible arrest

By Roxanne Egan-Elliott
Victoria Times Colonist
September 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Old-growth logging protesters blocking a remote road in the Upper Walbran Valley area are gearing up for potential arrests one week after a judge granted an injunction allowing police to arrest people blocking forestry work. Will O’Connell, who has spent time at the camp and is named in the injunction application, said protesters are prepared to be arrested. Some tree sits have been set up in trees that are set to be logged and people are prepared to occupy them, he said. …Protesters have built a 2.5-metre fence and gate with a tower across the logging road and a small cabin using logging waste that’s left behind in burn piles, he said. …Geoff Payne, general manager of Tsawak-qin Forestry, said in a statement the company hopes blockaders decide to respect the injunction and leave on their own, so work can proceed safely.

Additional coverage in Ricochet, by Brandi Morin: ‘It’s time to prepare for war:’ Forest defenders in ancient Walbran valley ready for RCMP raid

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Quesnel council approved $20K for 2027 Future of Forestry Think Tank

By Jordy Cunningham
Quesnel Cariboo Observer
September 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

After a successful 2025 event, Quesnel council has approved $20,000 to advance the 2027 Future of Forestry Think Tank (FFTT) Summit. On May 21 and 22, the fourth FFTT took place at the North Cariboo Community Campus where 54 delegates from various orders of government, academia, industry, and funding organizations from across Canada attended. B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar, opened the event with a pre-recorded message to the attendees addressing the importance of a positive, proactive, innovative, and local approach to the significant challenges confronting the province’s forest sector. This year’s theme was ‘Accelerating Change’ and in total, 15 recommendations came out of the two-day summit to help B.C.’s forestry industry. Quesnel council approved $20,000 from the City’s Forestry Initiatives Program to support FFTT over the next two years…

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2 joint B.C.-federal programs expanding to help workers impacted by U.S. tariffs

The Northern View
September 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The B.C. government says two partnerships with the federal government are being expanded to help workers and communities affected by U.S. tariffs. The first is Build Your Own Future. A program originally focused on forestry, it is being expanded to support workers across all industries affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policy, says a release from the Social Development and Poverty Reduction Ministry Sept. 19. It’s funded through the Northern Innovation Network as a three-year initiative to develop and deliver entrepreneurship training tailored to skilled trades people and technicians. The ministry says the program offers five-day business boot camps, with one-on-one coaching and mentorship to “help displaced workers transition into entrepreneurship.” Those who complete the program are eligible for a $5,000 grant to help cover startup costs, the release adds. 

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Lil’wat Forestry Ventures to lead cultural burn near Mount Currie this fall

By Luke Faulks
The Pique News Magazine
September 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV), working in partnership with the Líl̓wat Nation and with support from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), is set to carry out a cultural burn this fall adjacent to the Xetó̓lacw community in Mount Currie. The burn—located approximately 16 kilometres northeast of Pemberton—aims to reduce wildfire risk, restore ecosystems, and reintroduce culturally important plants like berries and mushrooms.  “We’re proud to support this cultural burn, which combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern fire management practices,” said Fire Chief Marshall Ritchie in a release. “It will help protect our community from future wildfires while also restoring the landscape, bringing back berries and mushrooms over the next two to five years. That renewal will benefit not just us, but also local wildlife like deer and bears.”

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Vernon climate rally raises fracking awareness, calls for forestry reform

By Brendan Shykora
Revelstoke Review
September 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A group of people staged a rally outside the Museum and Archives of Vernon Saturday, calling for climate action and raising awareness about human activities they say are a net negative when it comes to human health. … Climate activist Jane Weixl, said one climate-related issue on her mind is the need for forestry reform. She said the five-year mark has just passed from when the provincial government said it would implement 14 forestry recommendations from a strategic review. “We need to stop clear-cut logging. We have a lot of different excuses for clear-cut logging, that it’ll help with forest fires — well, we know it causes flooding. We know it makes forest fires worse because the whole top layer dries up when there are no trees sheltering it. We are really in serious need of forestry reform,” she added.

Related news in the Similkameen Spotlight, by Logan Lockhart: Climate protesters ‘draw the line’ at Penticton rally

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Supreme Court not hearing Green Party deputy leader’s appeal over Fairy Creek protests

By Oli Herrera
Chek News
September 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Angela Davidson

Five years after being arrested over Fairy Creek protests, the Supreme Court of Canada has said it won’t hear Angela ‘Rainbow Eyes’ Davidson’s case. Nearly 1,200 arrests were made beginning in 2021, when protestors demonstrated against old-growth forest logging in Fairy Creek. Angela Davidson – also known as Rainbow Eyes and is currently the deputy leader for the federal Green party – was among those arrested. Davidson was convicted of seven counts of criminal contempt in 2024. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled she violated an injunction when she locked herself to a logging road gate. She also returned to the injunction zone six more times after the first incident. … Davidson was sentenced to 60 days in jail, minus 12 days served, plus 75 hours of community service. After the conviction, her lawyer, Ben Isitt, began an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

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Mayo, Yukon completes wildfire protection plan after several challenging fire seasons

By Chris MacIntyre
CBC News
September 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Summer is nearing its end but one Yukon community is already thinking about next year’s wildfire season. The Village of Mayo, Yukon is the latest community to finalize its wildfire community protection plan. It identifies potential wildfire risks within the community and surrounding areas, while outlining actions to prevent, or reduce those risks. The plan was designed with input from the municipality, the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun, and the territory’s Wildland Fire Management. Ellis, Mayo’s mayor, said now that the plan is outlined on paper it’s time to start implementing it. “The big thing is the physical stuff,” he said, like thinning fire breaks for example. “That stuff is going to take some time and we’ve got to get to work on it.”

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U.S. adventure group says it may revise controversial application to use B.C. land

By Kathryn Marlow
CBC News
September 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), an American non-profit that operates in B.C., says it may make changes to its controversial application to use provincial Crown land, after it does more consultation with First Nations. The organization recently applied to renew and expand its licences to occupy Crown land, saying it wants to stop and camp at the sites along the B.C. coast while on a sea-kayaking trip from Washington state to Alaska next summer. But the First Nations Leadership Council (FNLC) is the latest to express concern about the application — and after hearing its concerns, NOLS said it would consult further. …While many British Columbians have expressed concern about an American group getting access to Canadian land while Canada-U.S. relations are tense, Rich Majerus, of NOLS, said now is a time to build bridges.

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National Forest Week: Minister Loewen

By Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks
Government of Alberta
September 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As we mark National Forest Week, I invite all Albertans to reflect on the important role our forests play in shaping the future of our province, whether economically, environmentally or culturally. Alberta’s forest sector is one of the largest and most productive in the country, contributing significantly to Canada’s national prosperity. From lumber and pulp to emerging bio-based materials, our responsibly managed timber harvest supports thousands of jobs, drives innovation in forest products and strengthens our communities. These contributions extend beyond Alberta’s borders, helping sustain Canada’s position as a global leader in sustainable forestry. Our forested areas are top of mind for many Albertans as we faced challenging wildfire seasons in recent years. Managing our forests responsibly is also key to reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, helping protect both people and landscapes.

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Retired wildlife biologist on impact of clear-cutting in Cape Breton Highlands

By Bob Bancroft
The Halifax Examiner
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The nature of the Cape Breton Highland forests with harsh, stormy winter conditions and deep snows made the sites appropriate for deep-rooted hardwood trees that could better withstand heavy winds and summer droughts. Conifers, on the other hand, are shallow-rooted and more susceptible to drought, insects, and wind. …According to science regarding their history, disturbances in Nova Scotia forests tended to result from hurricanes and insect infestations. Forest fires were rare. …Forests were not as vulnerable to fire until land clearing by humans began roughly 300 years ago. The interval between natural disturbances before Europeans arrived is estimated at 800-1,000 years. Humans are now harvesting and removing trees from many sites every 40 years. …Moose need to move through mature forests with small openings containing younger, diverse tree species for food, with aquatic vegetation available in waterways.

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Acadian Timber Announces $2.5M Investment in University of New Brunswick’s Digital Forestry Program

By Acadian Timber Corp.
GlobeNewswire
September 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick — Acadian Timber, together with its largest shareholder Macer Forest Holdings, is investing $2.5 million over 5 years in the University of New Brunswick to drive innovation in digital forestry. …The investment will support the creation of a new digital stream within UNB’s master of forestry program and fund infrastructure upgrades to enhance education and research capabilities. “This collaboration reflects Acadian’s commitment to advancing sustainable forestry through innovation,” said Adam Sheparski, CEO of Acadian. “By investing in UNB’s digital forestry program, we’re not only supporting the next generation of forestry professionals – we’re also accelerating the integration of cutting-edge technologies into our own operations and across the industry.” Spearheaded through a partnership with UNB’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management and the McKenna Institute, this initiative will accelerate the use of AI, remote sensing, and digital modeling in sustainable forest management. 

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Health & Safety

Forestry worker dies near Revelstoke

By Kathy Michaels
Castanet
September 23, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

REVELSTOKE, BC — A BC forestry worker was fatally injured while on the job last week, an industry safety group said Tuesday. “A skidder operator was fatally injured when their skidder rolled down a steep slope in an area north of Revelstoke,” the BC Forest Safety Council said of the Sept. 16 incident. “WorkSafeBC and the Coroners Service are currently investigating this incident.” It’s the fifth harvesting fatality in 2025 and BC Forestry said details are still to be determined. Contributing factors to the incident are not available during an ongoing investigation. The BC Forest Safety Council said they have several safety points to be considered as the process unfolds. Those include a thorough assessment before work begins to prepare operators for steep slope logging operations.  …Maintain safety buffers by not operating on the steepest possible slopes. This helps operators recover when surprised by an unexpected event.

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Forest Fires

Crews fighting large forest fire in North Dundas

CBC News
September 22, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

North Dundas, Ont., has declared a state of emergency as crews battle a 40-hectare bog and forest fire that broke out Sunday night. The township said Monday the fire is in the Alvin Runnalls Forest near Morewood, south of Russell. So far, the fire has been successfully contained to the forest, the township said, though firefighting efforts have been complicated by the remote nature of the fire and limited access to the forest. The fire appeared to have started in a bog and spread, according to North Dundas Mayor Tony Fraser. “Peat fires travel underground,” Fraser said. “It’s grown quite a bit since last night.” …Further rain is forecast on Monday night, with officials hoping to assess its impact on Tuesday morning. …”But bog fires, they can last for months, they can go over winter and crop back up in spring, they’re underground and feed themselves.”

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