Canada’s Labour Relations Board ruling ends railway work stoppage, imposes binding arbitration. In other Business news: BC Forests Minister says the US is ‘playing hardball‘ on lumber duties; US new homes sales rose in July; and China’s wood furniture exports surged in 2024. In Wood Product news: Canada invests in sustainable wood construction technologies; Canadian Wood focuses on Indian consumers; Montana’s mills are key to the state’s forest sustainability; and Stanford University researchers develop a wildfire-shielding gel.
In Forestry/Wildfire news: cooler weather dampens wildfires in BC and Alberta but new risks arise; Rocky Mountain wildfires have actually decreased in size over the last century; fuel-thinning in Whistler said to compromise coastal forests’ natural fire resilience; ENGOs say Oregon’s coastal martens are threatened; and pine beetles reach epidemic levels in Alabama.
Finally, pest or picture perfect? Lives of bugs captured in striking detail.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Economists see the Bank of Canada cutting interest rates for a third consecutive meeting next week, continuing what’s anticipated to be a steady downward trend in borrowing costs over the next year as inflation eases. Policymakers led by governor Tiff Macklem are expected to lower the benchmark overnight rate to 4.25 per cent at their Sept. 4 meeting, according to the median estimate in an August poll conducted by Bloomberg. Economists are also forecasting faster and deeper cuts to borrowing costs over the next year, and see the central bank reducing the policy rate from the current 4.5 per cent to three per cent by next July. In 2026, the overnight rate is expected to average 2.75 per cent, the data show.
The homebuilding sector is experiencing a resurgence, with recent reports highlighting a pick-up in demand for new homes as of August 2024. This uptick comes in the wake of persistent challenges such as the softness in remodeling and repair markets, which have been affected by the so-called lock-in effect, and sluggish multi-family construction that continues to impact lumber markets. Despite these hurdles, the overall outlook for homebuilders is increasingly positive, driven by favorable mortgage rates and robust demand trends. …While the homebuilding sector has faced its share of obstacles, including fluctuating mortgage rates and a slowdown in certain construction areas, recent trends suggest a positive shift. Major builders are reporting stronger demand and improved traffic, supported by lower mortgage rates and renewed buyer interest. As we move through the latter half of 2024, the combination of favorable conditions and supportive government policies is likely to sustain momentum in the homebuilding sector.
Prices of products manufactured in Canada, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index (
DUBLIN, Ireland — The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) has urged the government to adopt more sustainable construction methods to reduce sector emissions immediately. Publishing its annual review of Ireland’s industry and waste sectors, the CCAC emphasised the need for increased timber use and modern construction methods (MMC). It also called for whole-life carbon assessments and targets in planning public buildings to meet sectoral targets. …Marie Donnelly, Chair, CCAC, said: “One of the primary sources of industrial emissions is cement production. …“Updates to the building regulations that support increased use of timber in construction should be consolidated with the establishment of a high-level cross-departmental task force to prepare an overarching national strategy for the development and expansion of all aspects of the timber industry in Ireland. …48% to 50% of new-build homes in Ireland are timber-framed, compared to less than 25% in 2021. 
Decades of work to suppress fires in Jasper National Park may have inadvertently contributed to conditions that fed a devastating wildfire that ripped through Jasper in July, experts say. The fire, which burned in the Jasper townsite, was the largest in the national park in over 100 years, according to Parks Canada. The fire consumed more than 33,000 hectares. While fires are not uncommon in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, studies suggest the number and size of fires has significantly decreased over the last century, largely due to suppression. “We conclude fire suppression has altered the fire regime and reduced resilience of the mountain forests in Jasper National Park,” Raphael Chavardes and Lori Daniels wrote in a 2016 research paper. The paper was part of Chavardes’s master’s degree at UBC and Daniels was his supervisor. …Chavardes said, prior to Jasper becoming protected in 1907 by the federal government, the forest burned about every 40 to 60 years, on average.
JASPER — Parks Canada says a weekend drenching of rain on parts of Jasper National Park is doing a lot to quell fire activity, but the wet weather also comes with a warning. In a daily update on the local wildfire situation, Parks Canada says parts of the national park received over 30 millimetres of rain on Friday night. …But Parks Canada cautions all that rain could make slopes and burned trees unstable, and gusty or shifting winds could cause fire-weakened trees with loose roots to fall. The wildfire that prompted a weeks-long evacuation of the park and the Jasper townsite was declared “being held” last weekend. Jasper National Park and the town are still closed to visitors, but Highway 16 through the park is open and the Icefields Parkway that connects Jasper to Banff and Lake Louise reopened to through traffic last week.
Cities need to diversify the funding sources used to 
WASHINGTON — To figure out what really works when nations try to fight climate change, researchers looked at 1,500 ways countries have tried to curb heat-trapping gases. Their answer: Not many have done the job. And success often means someone has to pay a price, whether at the pump or elsewhere. In only 63 cases since 1998, did researchers find policies that resulted in significant cuts of carbon pollution, a new study in Thursday’s 
BRAZIL — Extreme weather has made 2023 virtually certain to be the warmest year on record, signaling unprecedented climate and biodiversity crises. Brazil, the world’s most biodiverse country, with two hotspots and complex social and economic layers, has experienced escalating environmental degradation over the past years. Alarming rates of native vegetation loss, wildfires, severe and prolonged droughts, and heatwaves have adversely impacted several Brazilian ecosystems and societies. Despite the country’s decisive role in global carbon neutrality, bridging the gap between Brazil’s discourse on the international stage and its concrete actions at home remains a significant challenge. This correspondence underscores the urgent imperative for national engagement and commitment to halt and mitigate these crises.
MONTRÉAL — Pulp & Paper Canada recently named four Quebec-based Paper Excellence Group mills at the top of its annual health and safety rankings. These honors reflect the company’s overall efforts to ensure a safe working environment at our sites. Domtar’s Windsor paper mill was named safest mill in category A – facilities with more than 80,000 worker hours per month. Resolute mills took the top three spots in category C – facilities with less than 50,000 worker hours per month. The Saint-Félicien pulp mill finished in first place, while the Alma and Dolbeau paper mills finished in second and third place respectively. Richard Tremblay, president of the Paper Excellence Group’s Pulp and Tissue business unit. “Our goal is zero injuries at every location. This is an area where we will not compromise. We should be proud of this recognition.”