The final session of the Truck Loggers Association convention featured an on-stage conversation with Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Conservative Party of BC and current Leader of the Opposition, moderated by Vaughn Palmer. Joined by TLA President Dorian Uzzell, Vice President Bob Marquis, and Past President Aaron Service, the discussion focused on forestry policy, investment certainty, and regulatory conditions affecting contractors and communities. Halford pointed to permitting delays, regulatory complexity, and policy uncertainty as barriers to investment, arguing that businesses are prepared to invest but are being held back by slow approvals. Responding to questions on DRIPA, fibre supply, and the closure of the Crofton mill, Halford framed his party’s call for repeal and his broader critique around the need for clarity, predictability, and timely decision-making. Audience questions reinforced concerns about risk aversion within government and the need for clearer authority and accountability to sustain forestry employment across the province.
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Day Three of the Truck Loggers Association convention opened with a private screening of BC Is Burning, a documentary produced by professional forester Murray Wilson examining British Columbia’s escalating wildfire crisis and the forest conditions shaping fire behaviour. Introduced by moderator Vaughn Palmer as an “urgent, powerful documentary,” the film explores how fuel buildup, insect damage, drought, and decades of fire suppression have contributed to larger, more intense wildfires, while highlighting a range of forest management approaches being applied in BC and elsewhere, including California. The screening was followed by a Q&A moderated by Palmer with Dr. Carolyn Smyth of Natural Resources Canada, Rob Schweitzer of the Ministry of Forests and BC Wildfire Service, and Jim McGrath of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, all of whom also appeared in the film. Discussion focused on fuel mitigation, fire salvage, carbon dynamics, and policy and permitting constraints.
The second “fostering collaboration” panel of Day 2 at the TLA Convention brought together senior leaders from forestry and the broader business community to share organizational perspectives on BC’s economic and forest-sector challenges. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session featured Bridget Anderson, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade; Peter Lister, Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association; Kim Haakstad, President and CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI); and Joe Nemeth, General Manager of the BC Pulp & Paper Coalition. Anderson addressed the wider provincial economic context, including growth, fiscal pressures, and business conditions. Lister focused on the state of the forest industry, fibre access, costs, and investment certainty. Haakstad examined competitiveness, tenure obligations, employment trends, and economic reconciliation. Nemeth spoke to the pulp and paper sector, highlighting cost structures, fibre availability, and conditions required for future investment.
At the TLA Convention’s Leader’s Luncheon, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar outlined the BC government’s current priorities for the forest sector, following a pre-recorded message from Premier David Eby, who is on a trade mission to India. Speaking from abroad, Eby emphasized strengthening international trade relationships and promoting BC products amid global uncertainty. Parmar said forestry is facing a convergence of challenges, including market volatility, high costs, trade pressures, and wildfire risk. Beginning with wildfire, he announced an expansion of the Risk Reduction Equipment Support Trust (REST) program, increasing provincial cost-sharing from 10% to 25% for eligible equipment and modifications used in fuel management and mitigation work. He also addressed fibre supply and Path to 45, stressing the need to remove operational barriers and improve planning certainty, and pointed to ongoing reforms at BC Timber Sales. Parmar emphasized balancing economic viability, environmental responsibility, and reconciliation, while underscoring the importance of international markets for BC’s forest products.
Day 2 of the TLA Convention opened with a panel on First Nations partnerships, examining how collaboration between Indigenous communities and industry is reshaping forestry in BC. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session featured Lennard Joe, CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council; Chief Ronnie Chickite of the We Wai Kai Nation; and Klay Tindall, General Manager of Lil’wat Forestry Ventures. Joe outlined the rapid growth of First Nations tenure and investment, emphasizing operational feasibility, workforce capacity, and the need for partnerships grounded in mutual benefit. Chickite described We Wai Kai’s expansion from small licences to controlling nearly 220,000 cubic metres annually, highlighting reinvestment in employment, education, and long-term community stability. Tindall shared how partnerships helped transform Lil’wat Forestry Ventures, supporting capacity building, wildfire risk reduction, and stewardship in sensitive areas. In a discussion touching on DRIPA, the speakers emphasized inclusion, local economic benefit, and the importance of durable, collaborative governance in forestry.
Day 1 of the TLA Conference concluded with the Improving Workplace Safety panel, examining how industry and regulators are addressing risk during a period of economic pressure and operational uncertainty. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session featured Rob Moonen, CEO of the BC Forest Safety Council, and Todd McDonald, Head of Prevention Services at WorkSafeBC. Moonen, who noted he will retire at the end of March, warned that cost pressures and tighter margins are creating conditions that can undermine safety, stressing that the industry “cannot afford to wait for another crisis before acting.” He highlighted mental health as a growing concern and outlined the Council’s new Connection to Care counselling initiative. McDonald described WorkSafeBC’s prevention approach, emphasizing education and consultation alongside enforcement, and identified key risk areas including extreme weather, motor-vehicle incidents, ergonomics, and mental health. Both speakers underscored that sustained leadership and collaboration remain essential to protecting forestry workers.
Day 1 of the TLA Conference continued with the Government Initiatives Update panel, offering a detailed look at current policy work within the BC Ministry of Forests, reforms at BC Timber Sales, and longer-term system challenges. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session featured Makenzie Leine, Deputy Minister of Forests; Melissa Sanderson, Assistant Deputy Minister; and Garry Merkel, Co-Chair of the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council. Leine outlined the ministry’s priorities, including tariff response, the Path to 45 initiative, and a shift toward management-unit-level problem-solving rather than broad, one-size-fits-all policy. Sanderson provided an update on the BCTS review, its expanded public-interest mandate, and early implementation steps, including Category 4 value-added supply, stewardship work, and measures affecting contractors. Merkel addressed longer-term structural issues, questioning why repeated reviews have failed to deliver lasting stability and calling for governance approaches that better align economic activity, communities, and forest stewardship.
The second session of the TLA Conference featured the Closing the Gap on Fibre Supply panel, examining the BC government’s Path to 45 target and what it means for contractors and operating companies. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session brought together Jim Girvan, Associate at IFS; Paul Sadler, GM & CEO of Harmac Pacific; and Jonathan Armstrong, Vice President of Forestry and Fibre Supply at Western Forest Products. Girvan contrasted the 45-million-cubic-metre goal with current projections of roughly 28 million, stressing that the real issue is not volume alone but whether fibre is economically viable to harvest. Sadler focused on the operational realities facing mills and contractors, including cost, access, permitting timelines, and the need for predictable supply. Armstrong described how policy and regulatory layering has complicated planning and investment, particularly on the coast, and emphasized the gap between theoretical fibre and what can actually be brought to market.
Day 1 of the TLA Conference kicked off its technical program with the Markets & Economy panel, examining how trade disruption, shifting construction trends, and fibre supply constraints are reshaping Canada’s forest sector. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the session featured David Fell, Director of Research and Analysis at Forestry Innovation Investment (FII); Rick Jeffery, President and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council; and Don Wright, Senior Counsel at Global Public Affairs. Fell outlined BC’s reliance on export markets, the importance of diversification, and the role of building codes in supporting domestic demand. Jeffery focused on housing, industrialized construction, mass timber, and the need for supply-chain adaptation to capture future growth. Wright addressed the economics of competitiveness, pointing to declining harvest levels, policy-driven fibre constraints, and their implications for government revenue. In the discussion, Wright said restoring an economically sustainable harvest level was “job number one.”
The Canadian and American economies are woven together tightly. So when Donald Trump slapped 25% tariffs on Canadian imports last year, many economists—myself included saw a disaster looming. …The most exposed sectors were those most dependent on US demand: steel, aluminum, autos, energy and lumber. …In our worst-case scenario, we expected it would shrink Canada’s GDP by 2.6 per cent, leading to a moderate recession and shaving nearly $2,000 a year off income for every Canadian. So far, however, that doomsday scenario hasn’t materialized. This was possible because of the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement. …Avoiding the worst of the tariffs doesn’t mean we’ve won or even survived the trade war. Communities across the country are still hurting. …Regions in Quebec and British Columbia are under strain, with key industrial sectors—steel, aluminum, copper, lumber—are facing additional tariffs under Section 232 authority.
MONTREAL, Quebec – Domtar announced a curtailment in its lumber production. Due to challenging market conditions, US tariffs, and ongoing economic uncertainty, the company will temporarily reduce its lumber production by 150 million board feet for the first quarter of 2026 across its facilities in Quebec, Ontario and the United States. “The demand for lumber in North America remains weak, requiring us to adjust our production levels in line with market conditions,” said Luc Thériault, CEO, Wood Products, and President – Canada, for Domtar. “While this decision is necessary, we are fully aware of the impact it will have on our employees, contractors, suppliers and the communities in which we operate.” Domtar will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly. Domtar has a workforce of nearly 14,000 employees in more than 60 locations across North America.
Two recent decisions from the courts of British Columbia and New Brunswick have addressed the relationship between Aboriginal title and private property rights. In Cowichan Tribes v. Canada, the Supreme Court of BC granted a declaration of Aboriginal title, which included lands held in fee simple by third parties. In contrast, in JD Irving Limited et al. v. Wolastoqey Nation, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal held that such a declaration could not extend to privately-owned lands. While these remedial declarations are discretionary, the apparent conflict in judicial approaches raises questions about the future approach to Aboriginal title claims in respect of private property. What you need to know:
Day 1 of the TLA Conference featured the Politics over Lunch session, a wide-ranging and candid discussion of BC’s political landscape and its implications for the forest sector. Moderated by Vaughn Palmer, the luncheon brought together Rob Shaw, Political Correspondent with CHEK News, and Richard Zussman, Vice President of Public Affairs at Burson. The pair examined shifting government priorities, with Zussman arguing that economic growth and jobs are increasingly shaping policy decisions amid trade uncertainty and fiscal pressures, while Shaw highlighted inconsistent communication around those priorities. They explored the BC Conservative leadership race, the challenges of translating regional resource issues into urban political discourse, and ongoing uncertainty surrounding land use and DRIPA. Discussion also touched on the province’s projected $11-billion deficit, and the gap between government rhetoric and forestry realities. Delivered with humour and frankness, the session offered delegates a clear-eyed view of how politics, policy, and economic pressures are colliding in BC’s forest sector.
BLUE RIDGE, Alberta — A fire at Blue Ridge Lumber in Woodlands County started on Saturday, Jan. 10 and was contained in the evening on that day, West Fraser confirmed with the Whitecourt Star. Woodlands County posted a message on social media on Monday, Jan. 12 that there were no injuries “Emergency response procedures were immediately activated, and all employees were safely evacuated,” the statement reads. Firefighters from Blue Ridge, Goose Lake, Anselmo and Whitecourt responded. The social media post states that West Fraser is investigating the cause of the fire, as well as how much damage was done and when mill operations can re-start. …The Blue Ridge Lumber mill falls under West Fraser and has a forest management agreement with the Alberta government. The mill is located north of the Hamlet of Blue Ridge.
The National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) released its 
There are solid reasons to expect near-term strength in the US and Canadian construction markets. In the US, rapid technological progress and supportive federal policies are driving major investments in semiconductor fabrication, AI-related data centers, and energy infrastructure, with growing momentum toward nuclear power. In Canada, federal and provincial governments are promoting “nation-building” projects that emphasize LNG export capacity, port expansions, and new mines for critical minerals required by the digital economy. Both nations recognize that housing supply must rise substantially to meet population needs, signaling a long-term boost in residential construction. Yet, 2025 proved disappointing for overall construction performance, especially in employment. …Housing activity revealed a sharper divide between the two nations. U.S. housing starts in November 2025 dropped to an annualized 1.246 million units, the lowest since the pandemic. Most analysts believe the country needs at least 1.5 million starts per year to meet demand. 
In the third quarter of 2025, the NAHB remodeling index (RMI) posted a reading of 64, increasing four points compared to the previous quarter. Most remodelers are finding reasonably strong market conditions, even with the normal seasonal slowdown during the holidays. The major headwinds the industry is experiencing continue to be rising costs and potential customers hesitating due to policy and economic uncertainty. Demand for remodeling is being supported by an aging housing stock, strong homeowner equity and increasing need for aging-in-place improvements. …In the fourth quarter of 2025, the Current Conditions Index averaged 71, increasing three points from the previous quarter. …The Future Indicators Index averaged 56, up four points from the previous quarter. 
The French Union of Timber Industries and Builders (UICB) and the French Timber Trade Association (LCB) are joining forces to create the UICCB – the Union of Construction and Timber Trade Industries. The synergy created by the merger of these two major players in the French forestry and timber sector will support the development of companies in the sector, which are naturally committed to decarbonizing the construction process. The new group took shape in December 2025 after a year of discussions and collaboration between the business leaders who head the governing bodies of the UICB and LCB. …The merger of the two entities will… enable them to acquire a stronger position within the emerging forestry and wood sector. …With this ecosystem of complementary professions, the UICCB now stands as the only independent professional organization dedicated to the development of wood construction throughout France.
Nearly 1,060 hectares is being added to West Twin Protected Area to increase protection of important wildlife habitat across the Robson Valley. …West Twin Protected Area was established in 2001, and together with adjacent West Twin Park, covers more than 30,000 hectares to form the only protected wildlife corridor across the Robson Valley. The area spans from the Cariboo Mountains in the south, through the main Robson Valley trench and up to the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains. The additional land improves habitat connection for caribou, moose, elk, deer, grizzly bears and many other species. The Crown land was originally identified for protection through the Robson Valley Land and Resource Management Plan, but the land had two historical mineral claims that have now been forfeited. The land also contains old-growth priority deferral areas and an existing old-growth management area.
SEATTLE — Twenty-five years ago, I stood in a snowy National Arboretum in Washington, DC, shaking hands with President Bill Clinton at the signing ceremony for the most important forest conservation mandate in our country’s history. But now that landmark law, which went into effect on Jan. 12, 2001, is hanging by a thread, marked for repeal by the Trump administration — even though 99% of citizen input opposes the idea. The “Roadless Rule” was adopted to curtail harmful logging and industrial roadbuilding across 58 million undeveloped acres of our national forests. More than 2 million acres of those wild lands are in Washington, helping keep this the Evergreen State. …Trump officials claim that opening these areas to bulldozers and chain saws will protect communities from wildfire. But that’s a story that just doesn’t wash. [to access the full story a Seattle Times subscription is required]
New Hampshire and its counties may soon be barred from enrolling publicly owned lands in carbon sequestration programs. “We don’t see sequestration as a traditional use,” said Rep. Mike Ouellet, a Colebrook Republican, at a hearing before the House Committee on Municipal and County Government on Tuesday. The committee later voted, 13-1, to recommend passage of House Bill 1205, which would prohibit “carbon sequestration projects” on state- and county-owned lands. …No county- or state-owned land is currently listed on the registry of New Hampshire carbon sequestration projects. But the long duration of forest carbon contracts and the possibility they would impose restrictions on land use were two reasons bill proponents cited for preventing them on public lands in the future. …Others said timber harvest could be an important source of revenue for counties and the state, and worried the contracts would have a negative impact on the timber industry.