Wildfire emergencies near Fort Nelson, BC and Fort McMurray, Alberta are under control. In related news: Snohomish County, Washington prepares for wildfire; and Mexico’s heat dome is killing howler monkeys, birds and bats. Meanwhile: New Zealand producers and the Forest Stewardship Council are helping their members prepare for the EU deforestation rule.
In Business news: Quebec invests to support forest biomass-to-energy projects; BC launches a Permit Hub to speed up building permits; researchers says BC’s parks are under pressure; Mercer releases its 2023 sustainability report; and strong demand buoys US builder optimism. Meanwhile, the latest news from the Southern Forest Products Association, and Cedar School—courtesy of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association.
Finally, climate change is impacting trees and the fungi that sustain them.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
No progress has been made in negotiations with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railway the union representing workers said yesterday. Earlier this month, rail workers from Canadian National and CPKC voted overwhelmingly to strike as soon as May 22. The federal government asked the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to look at whether the strike would have safety implications. The Teamsters said it met with the company and federal mediators on May 17. The groups parted ways and no more meetings have been scheduled. “Ultimately, no progress has been made on the Union’s demands this week. The Company clearly indicated its preference for arbitration over negotiation, suggesting it hopes for government intervention to stop collective bargaining.” CPKC said it has “done everything it can.” This includes two different offers to the union. It said TCRC refused an offer to resolve the dispute via binding arbitration.
Construction is a multi-billion-dollar industry that’s driving growth in Canada, but there’s a perfect storm of uncertainty on the horizon. As the market continues to expand, a labour shortage is preventing the building industry from reaching its true potential. And in the next five years, 20% of the workforce is set to retire, with not enough workers to replace them. …One solution may be those very newcomers now calling Canada home, with a chance for new legacies within reach. Enter the Winnipeg-based Western Retail Lumber Association (WRLA), which helps its member businesses – in the Prairies, B.C., northwestern Ontario, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut – grow in the industry. …WRLA president Liz Kovach …“Our industry is taking an active role in trying to make it easy for newcomers to learn about the industry and “build their career from there.”
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Unifor welcomes news that fully funding the workers’ pension plan is part of the agreement reached between the Province of Nova Scotia and Paper Excellence, the parent company of the Northern Pulp mill in Pictou, N.S. “Unifor members of Local 440 at Northern Pulp have endured uncertainty over their future and their retirement funds for years now, and it’s imperative both parties to the agreement offer the basic respect to retirees and former employees by fully funding the pension plan,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray. “Hearing Premier Houston speak of the workers’ pension funding being personally important to him gives us confidence the pension will be a priority.” The union will watch closely as the company conducts its feasibility study on the relocation of the pulp mill to another location in Nova Scotia.
The resilience of demand in the housing market—partially aided by limited resale supply—contributed to strong quarters across the board for public home builders. In the recent round of quarterly earnings reports, many public builders posted record quarterly levels of sales, revenues, and profits per share, results supporting a growth-oriented outlook for 2024. The quarterly results and demographic tailwinds did little to temper growth plans, with many companies reiterating their 10% annual growth targets for closings and community openings. In addition to limited resale supply, large public builders are also benefiting from several competitive advantages over the existing-home market, namely the ability to offer financing incentives. With elevated mortgage rates, rate buydowns remain prevalent in the market, particularly for first-time home buyers. Additionally, the ability for home builders to aid with closing costs and offer design upgrades are resonating with prospective buyers.
Mercer International released its 2023 Sustainability Report. The report, titled “
B.C.’s forestry practices came under international scrutiny after a BBC documentary highlighted wood pellets being burned for power in the U.K. The documentary focuses on alleged environmental problems with the wood pellet industry in B.C.’s Interior. The practices examined in the documentary were said to breach Canadian environmental regulations 189 times. “The forest policies at play here in BC, Alberta and across Canada, are a huge point of contention in the UK,” Tegan Hansen said, Stand.earth’s senior forest campaigner. …The documentary was not broadcast in Canada. Hansen said the reason B.C.’s wood pellet industry is a focus is the Drax Power Station in England. …While Drax says its primary feedstock is residue from sawmills, Hansen said she’s seen whole logs at their facilities. …B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston told Global News that “our old growth forests are not being turned into pellets and… Drax has been working to raise standards on the plants they’ve acquired in B.C.
WEST VANCOUVER, BC — The District of West Vancouver and the B.C. Parks Foundation announced the creation of one of the biggest municipal parks of its kind. The 7.8 square kilometres of land donated by West Vancouver makes the park almost twice the size of Stanley Park. …Mayor Mark Sager called it a monumental day during a ceremony at Cypress Pop-Up Village. “This area will help preserve sensitive ecosystems and wildlife, and store carbon to fight climate change,” Sager said. “It will also ensure that old-growth trees will continue to stand in our stunning municipality, which we know is very important to our residents and people across the globe. …Together the new park, West Vancouver’s existing parks, the surrounding Capilano and Seymour watersheds, the Old Growth Conservancy and Cypress Provincial Park form a protected area for wildlife and mature trees covering more than 320 square kilometres.
The Province and Kwiakah First Nation have created a new Special Forest Management Area supporting regenerative forestry and conservation in the southern Great Bear Rainforest. …Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests said, “This partnership with Kwiakah represents a continuation of our joint work to ensure the Great Bear Rainforest will continue to provide sustainable jobs and healthy forests for our children and grandchildren.”Chief Steven Dick of Kwiakah First Nation, said: “By creating the M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area, we are asserting our inherent responsibilities and creating an Indigenous-led conservation economy that will steward, heal and mend our territory while allowing our people to thrive.” …The M̓ac̓inuxʷ Special Forest Management Area covers 7,865 hectares of forested land within the Great Bear Rainforest. …Any lost harvesting revenue is intended to be counteracted through the generation of carbon credits and regenerative forestry jobs.
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