David Eby
A leaked transcript of a meeting between Indigenous leaders and BC Premier David Eby, about his plan to suspend the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, shows them accusing him of “absolute betrayal” and colonialism. Speaker after speaker in the transcript obtained by The Canadian Press, criticize Eby’s handling of DRIPA, which he says needs to be suspended for up to three years. DRIPA is at the centre of a legal and political storm after being cited by First Nations in two landmark court cases last year, including an appeal ruling that says the act should be “properly interpreted” to incorporate the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into BC laws “with immediate legal effect.” …Eby says the government proposed to introduce legislation to implement the suspension… to give time for the Supreme Court of Canada to rule on the government’s appeal in the Gitxaala case.
In related news by:
- Les Leyne in BIV: First Nations issues have B.C. Premier David Eby cornered
- Rob Shaw in BIV: DRIPA reversal leaves voters with a policy few can understand
- Vaughn Palmer in the Vancouver Sun: David Eby flips from amending DRIPA to temporary suspension of parts of it
Finding uses for every part of a harvested tree can create renewable heat and electricity that will help power cleaner communities. Seeing Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for biomass projects come into effect is a welcome, long-overdue step for Canada’s forest sector. After years of uncertainty, the measure offers a starting point to restore investor confidence. Biomass projects give new life to forest residuals — materials like bark, sawdust, and wood chips — by turning them into reliable, locally sourced heat and electricity. These biomass projects can modernize mill operations, sustain and grow jobs in rural and northern communities, and strengthen Canada’s position as a secure producer of renewable resources. Canada’s forestry industry directly employs almost 200,000 Canadians and supports an additional 200,000 jobs in transportation, maintenance, and manufacturing across the country. Hundreds of rural and northern communities depend on a strong forest sector.
OTTAWA — Provincial rules around alcohol and the federal government’s “Buy Canadian” policy have been flagged in a new report citing several trade irritants between Canada and the US. The annual document prepared by the Office of the US Trade Representative said market access barriers imposed by provincial liquor control boards “greatly hamper” exports of US wine, beer and spirits to Canada. …The report says U.S. companies have reported concerns about barriers in competing for contracts, including proving their Canadian subsidiary’s independence from a US parent company. Other issues listed in the report include delays with aircraft validation in Canada and high tariffs on U.S. dairy products. …Canada is still being slammed by Trump’s separate tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and cabinets. The Trump administration has launched investigations of a long list of countries, including Canada, citing forced labour in supply chains. 
The US says in a new report that Canada is failing to stop foreign goods made with forced labour from entering its market, a finding that coincides with Washington’s probe into the matter, which could lead to more tariffs. The 2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers from the US government says it appears Canada is importing goods that cost less than they should because they were made with forced labour. It’s an early indication of how the US will rule on Canada. …US customs policy treats all goods from China’s Xinjiang region as though they were made with forced labour unless importers can provide “clear and convincing evidence” to the contrary. …Canada passed a law, the 
West Kelowna family-owned forestry company – Gorman Group – has completed a $120 million deal to transfer harvesting tenures from Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser, with the move continuing the strategic partnership with the Osoyoos Indian Band’s Nk’Mip Forestry division. …Dan Macmaster, Head of Forestry at Nk’Mip Forestry, told the Times Chronicle that this agreement continues with the transfer of TFL 59 to Gorman and “We meet regularly to review and update all land use activity on the tenure. This agreement was put in motion with Weyerhaeuser last year and has improved and evolved since the transfer of the licence to Gorman.” …Nick Arkle, CEO, Gorman Group added, “We recognize that any Crown tenure transfer comes with important responsibilities and obligations to First Nations, communities and employees who depend on the long-term stewardship of the land and the careful use of the fibre.” …Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests said: “Gorman Group is investing in the future of forestry…”
Another suspicious fire has hit the Somass Lands on Port Alberni’s uptown waterfront, this time the remaining mill building. The call came in just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31. … Locked fire hydrants adjacent to the building presented another challenge, Port Alberni Fire Dept. Chief Mike Owens said. “It’s an old, historic industrial property; there are a number of places where the water main has been compromised,” he added. The city’s water works department arrived promptly and activated the hydrants. …Owens said crews immediately deemed the fire as suspicious because the sawmill is abandoned and there is no electricity run to the building. …The two mill buildings and a pair of silos were left standing after the city purchased the mill from Western Forest Products in 2021… When the city partnered with Matthews West developers, the thought was to possibly incorporate parts of the three buildings into a new master plan for the area.
The B.C. government says it’s making legislative changes to bolster access to wood fibre, including timber damaged by wildfires, insects and windstorms. The Forests Ministry says the changes will potentially increase the supply of fibre by as much as 17,700 truckloads and allow B.C. Timber Sales to auction off contracts for forestry thinning, wildfire risk reduction and damaged timber salvage. A statement from the ministry says these “fibre-generating activities” will be available to forestry contractors and value-added mills. …B.C.’s forestry industry has been facing a shortage of fibre as the Wood Pellet Association of Canada said in 2025 that the fibre supply has fallen more than 40 per cent since 2018… Kurt Niquidet with B.C. Council of Forest Industries said in 2024 that local and global demand for wood products to build more affordable housing is growing, but the forestry industry is also facing a “critical shortage” of timber for B.C. mills.
The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Annual Convention is just days away, with registration closing April 2 for the April 8–10 event at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.
The Council of Forest Industries 2026 conventions welcomes veteran strategist 
Canadian officials are considering unusual measures to protect domestic producers of vegetables and wood products from low-priced imports. The move threatens to complicate Prime Minister Mark Carney’s efforts to fight US tariffs and strengthen Canada’s trade relationships with other countries, while also tackling cost-of-living challenges. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne ordered an investigation last month into imports of frozen and canned vegetables. …He also said he’d received an “urgent” request for trade protection from makers of wood furniture, cabinets and flooring, adding that his department would respond soon. …The group behind the appeal on wood products, the Canadian Wood Products Alliance, is seeking a temporary tariff of 100 per cent to 125 per cent for four years, representative Alain Ouzilleau said. The measure would apply to all imports except those from the US. or Mexico, he added. …Canada wood-products manufacturers were already facing increased competition from China.
GREENVILLE, SC — The 
The Home Depot currently offers more than a dozen AI-powered capabilities, with numerous others in development. …The Home Depot is simplifying the DIY journey by providing personalized, real-time advice that makes even the most complex projects feel achievable, paired with more seamless AI search and product discovery capabilities thanks to new technology integrations. Magic Apron & Outdoor Assistant—This virtual expert brings employee knowledge to customers virtually. With the Outdoor Assistant, customers can take a photo of a plant for immediate guidance on care, safety and sunlight. …Customers can now discover the latest Home Depot product catalog in ChatGPT. …Pros shop at The Home Depot an average of 60 times per year. Pros can create actionable job lists in minutes using natural language, voice-to-text or spreadsheet uploads. Pros can use AI to deliver complete material lists and project quotes in days instead of weeks.
WASHINGTON — Countless logging trucks rumbled through timber country, their drivers headed toward Hampton Lumber’s sawmill in Morton. …”We take our logs and get every bit out of it that we possibly can. And we replant,” said plant superintendent Tony Gillispie. “We want this to last for hundreds of years.” But will Washington’s timber industry overcome its ongoing slump and endure for centuries? Myriad issues are at play, with fingers pointing in every direction. The private sector, which harvests the majority of Washington’s wood, feels squeezed by policies restricting its access to state trust lands in the fight against climate change. …Meanwhile, the state government points to the residual effects of trade wars, particularly with China, after Washington’s exports of forest products hit a 21-year low in 2025. Local demand for lumber has also dropped in line with the recent slowdown in construction activity across the state.
The U.S. Forest Service plans to close a century-old Portland-based forest research station and a regional U.S. Forest Service headquarters but open a new federal office in Salem in a massive restructuring of the federal agency. The movements are part of a broad plan Forest Service officials announced Tuesday to move the agency operations 
MOBILE COUNTY, Alabama — A lumber company is set to make a multi-million dollar investment into its Port City location. According to a release, a subsidiary of Canfor Southern Pine, New South Lumber Company Inc., is investing $10.5 million in the Mobile County location. The company will be adding “a new dual-path continuous dry kiln.” This move aims to increase efficiency and drying capacity, as well as provide room for growth in the future. “This investment reinforces the company’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening its existing workforce and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the operation,” said Canfor Southern Pine Inc. President Lee Goodloe. Construction is set to begin in April and be completed in June.
MAINE — As gas and diesel prices climb during the war in Iran, some of Maine’s most recognizable industries are feeling the strain. From the coast to the woods, people who rely on fuel to do their jobs say the higher costs are changing how they work and raising concerns about what comes next. Lobstermen are rethinking trips on the water, while logging contractors say the math is getting harder for truckers and mills across the state. …“I mean, there is no equipment that does not use diesel as its primary fuel for both harvesting and trucking,” Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, said. Doran said spiking diesel prices are adding roughly 20% to the cost of each trip a driver makes to and from a mill. That increase, he said, creates uncertainty for contractors and for mills that depend on a steady supply of wood.
Highly exposed to energy costs, today’s unpredictable global trade politics and the crisis in the Middle East are impacting the pulp and paper industry in many ways. These developments will certainly be reflected at Pulp & Beyond 2026, the leading forest-based bioeconomy event in Northern Europe, taking place on 15–16 April 2026 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki, Finland. However, the main theme of this year’s event—focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in process industries, innovation within the forest sector, and the future of the bioeconomy—was defined before the Middle East war broke out, along with the subsequent oil and gas crisis, turbulence in global stock markets, and the growing risk of an unprecedented global recession.