Almost three years after declaring bankruptcy, and more than two years under new owners, legal proceedings for Penticton’s Structurlam are continuing through the courts as it fights with the company that sent it into bankruptcy in the first place. In January, the case returned to the BC Supreme Court in Vancouver to order two Canadian engineering firms to produce documents and reports for the proceedings as Structurlam faces $80 million US in claims from Walmart, according to a decision published on Feb. 11. In 2023, Structurlam began bankruptcy proceedings after Walmart ended its contract to build the company’s new home office campus in Arkansas. …In July, Walmart filed a claim for over $80 million US for allegedly defective, nonconforming, rejected, nondelivered, or returned goods that it had paid for and alleged costs to replace said goods. The January 2026 B.C. Supreme Court decision orders two engineering firms to provide their documentation.
WASHINGTON, DC — In a vote that GOP leaders fought hard to avoid, a half dozen Republicans sent a blunt message to President Trump that they do not support the tariff regime that he has made the centerpiece of his second term. Six Republicans joined with Democrats in the vote to effectively repeal the president’s tariffs on Canada, the culmination of months of consternation in the GOP over the president’s trade war that has quietly rattled even some of his staunchest loyalists in Congress. …The Senate has already passed a similar measure to cancel Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which — unlike most measures — can be passed with a simple majority rather than 60 votes. But even if the Senate does agree to this same House measure, Trump would still have the power to veto it. The House did not secure enough votes to protect a veto override.
WINDSOR, Ontario — For months, trade negotiations between Canada and the United States have been stalled. This week that all changed when US President Trump announced negotiations were back on. During his social media tirade about Windsor, Ontario’s Gordie Howe Bridge, and a list of other perceived transgressions, Trump wrote… we will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY.” While Trump’s political speed bump threatens to derail the planned opening of the commercial corridor, some industry leaders see an opening to accelerate negotiations. “Trade conversations have now restarted, a few weeks ago conversations weren’t happening. I see this as a positive,” says Canadian Association of Moldmakers Nicole Vlanich. …With Trump restarting trade negotiations that he once brought to a screeching halt, business leaders in Windsor hope this will be an important first step towards paving a clearer picture for economic growth for both the Canadian and US economies.
Some of Canada’s major labour organizations are urging Ottawa to put workers at the centre of any renegotiation of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement as preparations begin for the pact’s mandatory 2026 review. Leaders met with Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada–US trade, for what they described as a high-level roundtable on the future of CUSMA amid rising trade tensions and renewed threats of U.S. tariffs. Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said unions delivered a “clear and urgent message” that Canada should not accept a revised trade deal that weakens domestic industry or costs Canadian jobs. …Bruske was joined by leaders from several large manufacturing and building trades unions representing sectors heavily exposed to trade policy decisions, including auto manufacturing, construction and resource-based industries. Bruske said the upcoming CUSMA review should strengthen Canadian industries and working-class communities, not “hollow them out” in the rush to renew the agreement.
The only thing more surprising than the collapse of the co-operation agreement between the BC Greens and NDP would have been if the two sides had agreed on a new deal. …The Co-Operation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA)… didn’t seem to be meeting anyone’s needs. For the NDP, the deal was supposed to act as a safety net for a slim one-seat majority. …It worked for last year’s budget. But outside of that, the Greens refused to back the NDP on three other confidence matters. And for that, the government agreed to advance the Green causes… [including] an early review of CleanBC and another review of the forestry system. For the Greens …it was a mixed bag, at best. The NDP did launch reviews of CleanBC and forestry, but then didn’t accept the resulting recommendations. The documents seem destined for that dusty shelf in the legislature library where unwanted reports go to die.
Finland’s forest industry could be forced to reduce capacity again as rising raw material costs and weaker market conditions weigh on profitability. That assessment comes from Juha Varis, senior portfolio manager at S-Bank. …The warning comes amid a more challenging environment for pulp and paper producers. Wood prices remain elevated while demand for several forest industry products has developed more weakly than expected, increasing investor expectations that production cuts may follow. …Björn Wahlroos said that a large and modern pulp mill in Finland could be forced to shut down due to a lack of raw material. His remarks triggered wider discussion within the sector. …Varis said overcapacity in the European forest industry is evident across several segments. He added that investors expect some reduction in capacity but that it remains unclear which companies or plants might be affected.
NEW YORK, New York — Mercer International reported fourth quarter 2025 Operating EBITDA of negative $20.1 million compared to positive $99.2 million in the same quarter of 2024 and negative $28.1 million in the third quarter of 2025. In the fourth quarter of 2025, net loss was $308.7 million compared to net income of $16.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and a net loss of $80.8 million in the third quarter of 2025. The net loss in the fourth quarter of 2025 included total non-cash impairments of $238.7 million. This included non-cash impairments of $203.5 million recognized against long-lived assets at our Peace River mill due to the continued down-cycle environment of hardwood pulp markets, $12.2 million against certain obsolete equipment and $23.0 million against pulp inventory due to low prices and high fiber costs. …Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, CEO: “We continue to prioritize improving liquidity and working capital, committing to rebalancing our asset portfolio and maintaining operating discipline.”
BURNABY, BC — Interfor recorded a net loss in Q4, 2025 of $104.6 million, compared to a net loss of $215.8 million in Q3’25 and a net loss of $49.9 million in Q4’24. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $29.2 million on sales of $600.6 million in Q4’25 versus an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $183.8 million on sales of $689.3 million in Q3’25 and Adjusted EBITDA of $80.4 million on sales of $746.5 million in Q4’24. …During and subsequent to Q4’25, Interfor completed a series of financing transactions. Taken together, these transactions significantly enhance Interfor’s financial flexibility, bolster liquidity and provide meaningful additional runway as the Company continues to navigate volatile lumber market conditions. …Lumber production of 753 million board feet was down 159 million board feet versus the preceding quarter. …Interfor’s strategy of maintaining a diversified portfolio of operations in multiple regions allows the Company to both reduce risk and maximize returns on capital over the business cycle.
VANCOUVER, BC
The Bank of Canada’s latest survey of financial-market participants pointed to a modestly brighter growth outlook than the central bank’s own projections, even as trade tensions with the US remain the dominant threat hanging over Canada’s economy and housing market. In the fourth‑quarter Market Participants Survey, 93% of respondents cited an “increase in trade tensions” as the top downside risk to Canadian growth, well ahead of tighter global financial conditions and weaker consumer spending. Participants still assign a 20% probability to a recession over the next six months, but their median forecast calls for real GDP growth of 1.6% by the end of 2026 and 1.9% by late 2027, slightly stronger than the Bank’s own projections of 1.1% and 1.5%. While the survey suggests some stabilization in expectations, it underscores that tariff policy remains the key macroeconomic swing factor. …PwC Canada’s latest survey among 133 CEOs showed that only 27% expect the domestic economy to improve over the next 12 months.
VANCOUVER – Western Forest Products reported adjusted EBITDA of negative $6.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. In comparison, the Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $14.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and Adjusted EBITDA of negative $65.9 million in the third quarter of 2025, which included a non-cash export tax expense of $59.5 million related to the determination of final duty rates from the sixth Administrative Review. Net loss was $17.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, as compared to a net loss of $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, and net loss of $61.3 million in the third quarter of 2025. …For the full year 2025, the net loss was $82.4 million compared to to a net loss of $34.5 million in 2024. …“Despite more challenging markets and higher softwood lumber duties and tariffs in 2025, we enter 2026 with a significantly improved balance sheet to navigate the expected near-term market uncertainty,” said Steven Hofer, President and CEO of Western Forest Products.
EDMUNDSTON, New Brunswick – Acadian Timber reported financial and operating results for the three months ended December 31, 2025 as well as for the full 2025 fiscal year. “While 2025 brought a multitude of challenges, Acadian delivered steady operational performance in New Brunswick, helping to offset weather-related challenges, trucking constraints, and productivity issues in Maine,” said Adam Sheparski, President and Chief Executive Officer. …During the fourth quarter, Acadian generated sales of $22.0 million compared to $20.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Acadian generated $5.2 million of Adjusted EBITDA and declared dividends of $5.3 million. During 2025, Acadian generated revenue from timber sales and services of $87.0 million, compared to $91.6 million in the prior year. The sale of 752,100 voluntary carbon credits contributed an additional $24.6 million to total sales in 2024 while no sales of carbon credits occurred in 2025. 
Russia’s lumber industry is entering a period of sustained pressure as production volumes continue to fall and regulatory risks increase. Official data shows that lumber output declined by more than 2.5% last year, reinforcing concerns across the forestry and wood processing sectors. According to Rosstat, Russia’s lumber production dropped from 29.2 million cubic metres in 2024 to 28.48 million cubic metres in 2025. Output remains well below historical highs. Current production is estimated to be 2 to 3 million cubic metres lower than the 2019 peak of roughly 32 million cubic metres. The downturn reflects structural challenges rather than short-term disruption. Domestic demand has weakened. Export markets have narrowed. Access to European machinery and technology has been reduced. These pressures are being felt across both logging and downstream processing operations. China now absorbs more than 70% of Russia’s lumber exports. …Softwood lumber production fell by 3.5% last year. Output declined to 25.7 million cubic metres. 
At COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, the 2025 United Nations climate conference was widely seen as an “implementation COP”. …Here, USGBC shares concrete initiatives from COP 30 for a people-centered transition of the buildings sector and what will shape the agenda in 2026. …Public procurement and low-carbon construction – The ICBC adopted a Global Framework for Action on Sustainable Procurement, recognizing that public spending, around 13–20% of GDP, can serve as a strategic lever to create demand for low-carbon construction materials and practices. By leveraging the purchasing power of national and local governments, policymakers can send the long-term market signals needed to shift the construction sector toward net zero, given that construction and infrastructure together account for the largest share of public authority budgets. Ministers and over 300 stakeholders also endorsed the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction, promoting bio-based, circular building practices and ensuring the sustainable management of wood resources as demand grows.
Fire departments across BC are concerned about changes to the FireSmart program and how funding is provided to communities as they plan for wildfires. The Ministry of Forests says it’s moving to a more “holistic approach” based on where risk is the highest but the fire chief who was at the centre of the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island last summer says the program is too important to change. Nick Acciavatti says funding from the provincial FireSmart program was instrumental in saving numerous homes in the Wesley Ridge fire. …The program provides funding to local fire departments that then go into local neighbourhoods to educate and undertake fire prevention work like brush clearing and cleaning properties of combustible materials. But that money may no longer be available to any fire department that applies for it is something Acciavatti is concerned about, considering the changing wildfire conditions here on Vancouver Island.
NORTH COWICHAN, BC — A representative for mill workers in North Cowichan addressed council to oppose the idea of a special task force to identify why mills are closing in the region. Adrian Soldera, president of Public and Private Workers of Canada Local 8… said everyone already knows why the mills are closing and that a new task force would be a waste of time. …He said the Crofton mill is ending several jobs at its plant and that the Chemainus sawmill now faces extended curtailment efforts due to a fibre crisis. Soldera added that putting another group together to investigate why the mills are closing would be redundant. …“its like asking for a committee to study why a house is on fire while the roof is already collapsing,” Soldera said. “Every day this task force spends sitting in a boardroom another family in a mill town wonders if they can pay their mortgage.”
MISSOULA, Montana — Forester Sean Steinebach felt stunned when US District Court Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula vacated a federal magistrate judge’s favorable recommendations about the proposed South Plateau timber project. “Judge Molloy is a thorn in my side,” said Steinebach, outreach forester for Sun Mountain Lumber, based in Deer Lodge. …Molloy’s ruling was filed Dec. 11, vacating March 31 recommendations by Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto that had allowed the project to proceed. Sun Mountain Lumber operates a sawmill in Deer Lodge and one in Livingston. …Steinebach said incessant lawsuits by environmental groups like the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Council on Wildlife and Fish sabotage timber projects, threaten sawmill communities, loggers and others. …One key issue for Judge Molloy was secure habitat for grizzly bears, but Canada lynx habitat was also a concern. Both are considered threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
NEW YORK — BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group has acquired approximately 107,000 acres of sustainably managed timberlands in Central Virginia from the Weyerhaeuser Company. The acquisition represents one of the largest recent timberland transactions in Virginia, significantly expanding BTG Pactual TIG’s footprint in the region and bringing the firm’s total US portfolio to approximately 1.6 million acres under management. The property is Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified, consisting primarily of loblolly pine, and will be well-integrated with BTG Pactual TIG’s existing regional operations. …The acquisition also enables BTG Pactual TIG to further expand conservation efforts in the region through its long-term collaboration with NatureVest, The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) in-house impact investing and nature finance team. A preliminary assessment of the asset conducted by TNC found that 25% of the property falls within areas of high ecological and biodiversity value.
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressive move by the president to roll back climate regulations. The rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency rescinds a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The endangerment finding by the Obama administration is the legal underpinning of nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet. …Legal challenges are certain for an action that repeals all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks, and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say.
FREMONT, Nebraska — Fremont wood processor Horizon Biofuels will be fined up to $147,500 by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration for “willful and serious safety violations after a deadly explosion at the company’s Fremont facility in July 2025,” the US Department of Labor announced. Horizon has until Feb. 19 to decide whether it wants to appeal the citation, according to a spokesperson with the Kansas City OSHA office. …The explosion killed 32-year-old employee Dylan Danielson and his two daughters, both under the age of 12. The violations include “combustible dust buildup, failure to ensure equipment within the facility was protected from creating an ignition source and lack of fall protection for employees working at heights greater than four feet,” the Department of Labor said. …The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s office also has a pending investigation. 