Kemptville, ON — Under the leadership of Canadian Forest Owners (CFO), the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA), along with partnering associations nationwide, has appointed BrokerLink as our exclusive insurance broker. This first-of-its-kind insurance program in Canada offers OWA members access to a comprehensive suite of insurance products tailored specifically to protect the assets of family and commercial forest owners. CFO represents 480,000 forest owners who collectively own about 10% of Canada’s forested land, but account for 20% of the country’s timber production. As a national advocate for sustainable private-land forestry, CFO takes pride in championing solutions that support and protect our communities. “Together with BrokerLink, we’re proud to offer innovative strategies to help our members proactively manage increasing climate-related events and other risks while protecting important assets,” says Andrew de Vries, CEO of CFO. …Access to this product is available to members of the OWA and other provincial associations affiliated with CFO.
WASHINGTON — Every day more than $4 billion worth of goods cross the United States’ borders with Canada and Mexico. …Much of this bustling cross-border commerce is duty-free, thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, that President Trump negotiated with America’s northern and southern neighbors during his first term. But the future of the USMCA , which took effect July 1, 2020, is cloudy as the three countries begin what could be a tempestuous attempt to renew the pact this year. The United States is demanding changes to the treaty. …Trump also suggested last fall that the United States could negotiate separate deals with Canada and Mexico, ending the three-country North American bloc that previous administrations saw as crucial to competing economically with China and the European Union. The talks kick off Monday between US and Mexican trade officials. …At stake is $1.6 trillion worth of annual trade in goods.
Richard Eaton, senior judge on the US Court of International Trade, has extended the US administration’s deadline for refunding about US$166 billion in tariffs. Eaton had orginally ordered US Customs and Border Protection to begin the refunding process at the start of the month after the US Supreme Court struck down global tariffs set by president Trump. …The administration has been inundated with lawsuits from companies like Costco, FedEx, and Pandora Jewelry – all looking to get their money back since Eaton’s order meant that everyone who had paid tariffs was entitled to a refund. Barnes, Richardson & Colburn partner Larry Friedman said that the order was one he had hoped for, “but never expected to see.” A US Customs and Border Protection official indicated in a legal filing that its system could not handle the volume of work.
Related coverage:
- WoodWorking Network: Court provides hope for speedy recovery of tariff refund
- The National Law Review: What every company should know about the ITC order
- By Thomson Hine LLP: CIT Suspends Earlier Order Directing IEEPA Tariff Refunds
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario announced an investment of up to $94.5 million over five years through the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP). This investment will produce consistent, foundational labour market information (LMI) across key sectors, providing the information needed to help better coordinate the supply and demand of skilled labour while supporting a stronger economy. Through this initiative, 14 organizations will develop a range of informational products and employer toolkits to help workers and businesses adapt to current labour market challenges. The investment will support organizations in key sectors, including construction, trucking, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, tourism, forestry, agriculture, mining, energy, information and communications technology, the environment, and the bio-economy. 
Last year was hard on workers in some industries within B.C.’s resource sector, particularly forestry, and 2026 doesn’t look like it’s starting much better. Statistics Canada’s February labour force survey, the report that tracks overall unemployment, tracked job losses in both the natural resources and manufacturing sectors for both the previous month and for the 12 months since the same month in 2025. Natural resources … had a year-over-year loss of 9,300 jobs from February 2025 to February 2026. The manufacturing classification, which includes lumber production, had a year-over-year loss of 12,200, according to StatCan. StatCan’s … survey of employment and payroll counted at least 1,200 job losses in forestry, which include logging and supporting jobs, and at least 800 job losses in sawmills between December 2024 and December 2025. …“The worst was probably in the fourth quarter (of 2025) when the full bite of the duties hit, and then the (U.S.) tariffs,” said industry consultant Russ Taylor. “That’s when we saw a lot more of the jobs falling off.”
Northern BC communities know better than most how closely their fortunes are tied to major industry. Mills, mines and power generation facilities are more than workplaces — they’re economic anchors… When an industrial business shuts down, it stops paying most of its share of property taxes. This means …the rest of their community must now share more of the tax burden. That’s why a push to revise or eliminate the closure allowance in the BC Assessment Act deserves strong backing from municipalities across northern BC — 
Alberta — Are you passionate about forestry education and inspiring the next generation? Looking for work that’s anything but a desk job — flexible, dynamic, and always evolving. You just found your next opportunity. Work Wild, a program within the Alberta Forest Products Association, reaches out to people who are making one of the most important choices in their lives — finding a career they love! We are looking for an engaging, people-orientated individual to join our Work Wild team in the role of Southern Alberta Forestry Educator. Reporting to the Program Manager, the Forestry Educator implements Work Wild program objectives, which include educating Albertans on forest sector practices as well as career opportunities in Alberta’s forest industry. The Forestry Educator will spend much of their time traveling to communities throughout southern Alberta engaging middle and high school students, educators, and job seekers about the variety of rewarding opportunities in Alberta’s forest sector.
NANAIMO, BC — Snuneymuxw First Nation is calling for a temporary closure and environmental investigation of a hazardous waste services company following a January oil spill on Duke Point near Nanaimo, BC. City of Nanaimo staff were informed of oily residue near a storm drain close to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal on Jan. 5. Staff said the spill originated from a business in the nearby industrial park, and a BC Ministry of Environment spokesperson said there was an estimated 350 to 1,600 litres of oil sheen on the water between Duke Point and Mudge Island. …The First Nation, along with a Feb. 19 statement from the Ministry of Environment, said the industrial park business Environmental 360 Solutions was responsible for the spill. …Snuneymuxw Chief Michael Wyse Feb. 6 urged governments to take action to address polluting activities in their territory.b…Western Forest Products said the company has implemented multiple measures to manage “wood and wood particle water discharge.”.png)
Federal help is being called on to assist laid-off workers at the curtailed Chemainus sawmill to access Employment Insurance benefits. Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937, which represents workers at the mill, Jennifer Foster, senior vice president of human resources at Western Forest Products, which owns the mill, and North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas recently sent a letter to Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu on the issue. “We write to you as representatives of labour, industry, and local government to request urgent federal intervention to address barriers that prevent Chemainus sawmill workers from accessing the full range of Employment Insurance supports available to them,” the letter said. …They pointed said that the workers are not facing a short-term layoff. “They have been formally advised that there will be no return to work this year, yet many are now being told their Employment Insurance benefits will soon expire,” their letter said.
USW members voted overwhelmingly this winter to ratify a new four-year master agreement that provides significant annual wage increases and additional benefits for about 2,400 members of nine local unions at Domtar paper facilities across the United States. The contract, which runs through December 2029, followed months of member preparations and bargaining during a period of major changes in the company and across the paper industry. It was the first time USW members bargained a new agreement since Paper Excellence acquired Domtar in 2021 and then Resolute in 2023. …“With new ownership and leadership at the table, we knew this round of bargaining would be challenging,” said International Vice President Luis Mendoza, who oversees the union’s paper sector. …The agreement… included a signing bonus, a boost in pension payments, wage increases of more than 12% over the life of the contract, and continued affordable health care coverage.
If you want to understand why the American starter home seems to have gone extinct, don’t look at greedy developers, rapacious investors or discriminating banks. Look at the government policies that make building these homes all but impossible. New research puts hard numbers on one part of the problem — and they’re staggering. …Federal, state and local governments have accelerated this decline by increasing construction costs through several channels. …In some cities, such as Los Angeles, the time it takes to get building permits amounts to almost half the construction time. …Land in many localities is made artificially expensive by regulations that dictate home sizes, yard sizes, building setbacks, parking and more. …Federal policies pile on more costs. …Canadian lumber, for example, is roughly 80% of all US imports and is currently subject to “trade remedy” taxes of more than 25%. Similar duties cover a wide range of products that US homebuilders use every day.
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Thursday aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices, marking a rare bipartisan breakthrough on a major issue. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. Ten senators voted against it. Scott is the chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Warren is the ranking member. The 
After the President’s defeat in the Supreme Court, more tariffs, with different legal foundations, are underway. …Here is a primer: …Under 
KINGSPORT — Domtar’s Kingsport mill told the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation that it will try a method to improve wastewater quality at its wastewater lagoon this week. The mill said it will add an oxidant near the outlet of the lagoon’s settling zone for about 30 days to see if it would improve the effluent water quality. “It will be fed at a low rate of approximately 1 [part per million] with monitoring and testing being done at our effluent sample point before the discharge to the river,” the letter states. The mill has also tried chemical treatments and injecting liquid oxygen to address sulfuric odors attributed to the 25-acre wastewater lagoon.It is currently constructing a new wastewater treatment system, an anaerobic digester, to address wastewater odors attributed to the mill. Construction is expected to complete near the end of 2026.
METCALFE, Georgia — Plantation Pine Products officially opened their doors at the former site of Hood Industries, signaling an exciting new chapter in a timber mill with a storied history. …The $25 million investment is set to provide 100 jobs, with the first mill employees reporting for duty in July, when it will once again come alive. Operated by Steve Conner, Plantation Pine Products will be one of the many “bread and butter businesses” of Thomasville. …“Forestry is woven into the fabric of rural Georgia in a way that no other industry can match,” Michelle Shaw said for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. …The reopening of the mill comes at a crucial time following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in 2025 and reinforces the resiliency of timber producers across Georgia.
Ukraine’s state forestry sector has reported its strongest financial performance to date. Despite operating during wartime conditions, the industry delivered a significant increase in profitability last year. The results were announced during the annual public report presented by Viktor Smal, head of the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine. According to the report, the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine generated net profits of UAH 6.9 billion, equivalent to approximately US$167 million. The result represents a 2.76-fold increase compared with 2024. The achievement is considered a milestone for the country’s forestry management system. Industry leaders attribute the growth largely to procurement reforms introduced after 2020. These reforms were designed to improve transparency and reduce financial leakage within the sector. …Profitability within the forestry industry also improved considerably. The sector recorded an overall profitability rate of 22.8%. This figure increased by 12.3% points compared with earlier results.
The outsized impact that oil prices have on the global economy means higher fuel and energy prices are all but guaranteed for many countries, not just those in the conflict region. …In the forest products sector, softwood lumber trade is one of the most directly exposed segments. Europe accounts for about one-third of the global softwood supply. Sweden and Finland are among Europe’s top exporters, along with Germany and Austria. …Lumber shipments out of Europe rely heavily on shipping routes through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and the Gulf. Shipping costs are expected to escalate as fuel prices and risk premiums rise. Spikes in freight and insurance, along with rising energy costs in production and transport, could quickly start to make Nordic lumber less competitive while tightening margins. …Prolonged disruption in that region could force Nordic lumber producers to redirect volumes to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, causing price pressures in those markets.