Daily News for July 16, 2026

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Today’s Takeaway

Canfor’s Northwood closure intensifies calls for action in BC forestry

The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 16, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

The closure of Canfor’s pulp mill has renewed calls by industry, unions and lawmakers to reverse BC’s forestry crisis. In related news: COFI’s Kim Haakstad says the sector is in “medical emergency” territory; Unifor, the Truck Loggers Association warn of wider impacts; and Resource Works’ Stuart Muir says Ottawa confirms the province’s crisis is largely “homegrown.” In other Business news: International Paper is closing its packaging facility in Texas; Premier David Eby promotes BC wood construction in China; the US imposes new tariffs on Brazilian paper and other products; US builder sentiment remains weak, Canadian housing starts fall, and oil prices face renewed upside risk.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: Vancouver Island communities mourn professionals killed in a helicopter crash; Teamsters urge CN to stop running trains through active wildfire zones; Saskatchewan and BC report active fires; and Ontario wildfires destroy homes and force evacuations in several First Nations. Meanwhile: a new study says that Trump’s logging plan threatens drinking water for 25 million Americans; and Tasmania debates the future of old-growth logging. 

Finally, another Seedy Business story by forestry veteran Don Pigott—this time on Haida Gwaii in ’83.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Opinion / EdiTOADial

The forest crisis British Columbia built for itself

By Stuart Muir, CEO
Resource Works
July 15, 2026
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, Canada West

Stuart Muir

Six weeks before Northwood, on June 3, the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force—a panel appointed by the Government of Canada, not an industry lobby—released its final report. Its verdict was not the one the political class in Victoria has spent a decade rehearsing. The crisis, the task force concluded, is not primarily the product of tariffs, markets or natural disaster. In its own words, “the most fundamental challenges facing the forest sector are homegrown: lack of access to cost-competitive fibre, underinvestment, inadequate domestic construction … a crisis of confidence by our workforce and the communities in which we operate.”

…Here is where I land, and where the task force lands with me: this is a policy-made crisis, which means it has a policy solution. Three conditions, and none of them require a single British Columbian to choose between a healthy forest and a working one. First, stabilize fibre with long-term commitments tied to specific mills—the task force recommends a shift toward area-based tenure on leases of twenty-five years or longer. …Second, work with Ottawa on single-window approvals that recognize provincial equivalency: one application, one decision, one set of conditions. …Third, increase active management—more harvesting, more thinning, more silviculture—not as a favour to industry but as the most effective wildfire policy available to us, and the only way to rebuild the fibre base. The province controls the land, the tenure, the rules and the permits. It also means the province owns the results—the $17.4 billion, the hundred thousand jobs, the eight million hectares, and now the shuttered gates at Northwood. Ottawa has finally said the word out loud. Homegrown. The only question left is whether Victoria will admit it grew this, too, and start growing something better.

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Business & Politics

The Truck Loggers Association Statement on Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill Closure

The Truck Loggers Association
July 15, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

The Truck Loggers Association (TLA) is deeply saddened by today’s announcement that Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George will permanently close. …This closure is another stark reminder that BC’s forest sector remains in crisis. …For years, industry has raised concerns about the growing challenges facing BC’s forest sector… While these issues have been well understood, meaningful action to address them has not kept pace with the urgency of the situation. The continued loss of manufacturing capacity threatens the entire forestry supply chain. Independent contractors who harvest and deliver fibre, businesses that support mill operations, and the communities that rely on forestry employment will all feel the effects of this closure. The TLA continues to call on government to take decisive action to improve access to economically viable fibre, address BC’s high-cost operating environment, and implement measures that help sustain forestry jobs and the rural communities that depend on them.

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Union says B.C. mill closure leaves workers ‘reeling,’ as industry woes persist

By Ashley Joannou
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
July 15, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The latest blow to BC’s battered forestry sector has prompted industry, union and local officials to call for immediate support. The push comes after Canfor announced the impending closure of its Northwood pulp mill near Prince George, BC. …COFI president Kim Haakstad likened the situation to a medical emergency. “The patient (is) on the operating table, it’s not the time to think about lifestyle changes,” she said. …Forests Minister Ravi Parmar, meanwhile, said he expects to roll out plans for the province’s permitting system “imminently.” …Canfor said that additional pulp production capacity had come online globally, pushing prices down. …Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director, said the loss of so many jobs in a community the size of Prince George can have cascading social and economic impacts. “The pulp mills are fed by sawmills, so there’s jobs that will be lost in the sawmills. Then you have all of the contractors”.

In related coverage by:

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U.S. launches new round of tariffs with 25% tax on most Brazil imports

Reuters, in NBC News
July 15, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The US will impose a 25% tariff ‌on most imports from Brazil starting July 22, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Wednesday — the first action under the Trump administration’s new tariff strategy that could eventually affect dozens of countries. …Wednesday’s announcement follows a proposal by the Trump administration in June to impose a punitive tariff of 25% ​on many imports from Brazil after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation. The tariffs ​would apply to thousands of Brazilian ​imports, including sugar, agricultural machinery, ⁠apparel, electrical machinery, paper and steel. The U.S. said it would exempt all the products proposed for exemption in the June notice, except high-purity dissolving pulp and non-pharmaceutical applications of certain products. The exemptions include ​beef, coffee, rare earths, energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts.

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International Paper to Close Carrollton South, Texas Packaging Facility

By International Paper
PR Newswire
July 16, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper announced it will close its Carrollton South packaging facility located in Carrolton, Texas by the end of the third quarter of 2026. The decision is part of the company’s ongoing work to align its manufacturing footprint with customer demand and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of its North America packaging business. …”Decisions that affect our people and our communities are never made lightly. We’re committed to supporting our Carrollton South team members throughout this transition,” said Keith Townsend, Group Vice President, North America Packaging East, International Paper. “Customers will be serviced at other International Paper facilities in the region.” Employees affected by the closure will receive severance, continued benefits and outplacement support.

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Finance & Economics

Canadian housing starts in June down 6% from May

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
July 16, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA — The six-month trend in housing starts was down in June compared to May, with a decrease of 2.8% to 248,123 units. …The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada decreased 6% in June (238,971 units) compared to May (253,083 units). …”Through the first six months of the year, the rate of housing starts in Canada is lower than last year’s rate, in line with our baseline forecast published in February. There is little doubt that the slowdown reflects rising uncertainty, higher development costs, weaker demand and more unsold homes. Looking forward, we expect that this environment will continue to hold back new housing construction in Canada over the short-to-medium term and drive 2026 actual housing starts below last year’s levels,” said Kevin Hughes, Deputy Chief Economist with CMHC.

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Building Material Prices Continue to Rise Despite Energy Price Declines

By Jesse Wade
NAHB Eye on Housing
July 15, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.5% in June and were up 4.6% from a year ago. Lower energy prices were apparent in June, as energy input prices fell 10.3% over the month. Meanwhile, prices for services rose 5.2% over the year, and were up 1.0% from the previous month. The Producer Price Index for final demand declined 0.3% in June, after rising 0.6% in May. Compared to a year ago, final demand prices were up 5.5%. The index for final demand services rose 0.3% in June, while the index for final demand goods fell 1.4% over the month. The price index for inputs to new residential construction fell 0.1% in June and was up 6.2% from last year. The price of goods used in new residential construction (including energy) was down 0.8% over the month and up 6.9% from last year, while the price of services was up 1.0% over the month and up 5.2% from last year. 

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Builder Sentiment Stays Weak as Affordability Concerns Persist

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
July 16, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Economic uncertainty and persistent affordability challenges driven by rising material prices, high land costs, and elevated mortgage rates continue to weigh on builder sentiment. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 34 in July, down from an upwardly revised reading of 36 in June, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Sentiment has remained below 40 for 15 consecutive months, the longest such stretch since 2012. With the HMI below 40 for 15 straight months, affordability remains the home building industry’s primary challenge, as elevated mortgage rates, costly land, rising material prices, and persistent skilled labor shortages continue to affect the market. Looking ahead, the newly enacted 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a positive step that will help expand housing supply and lower overall housing costs, although more policy change is needed at the state and local level.

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Oil deficit could widen sharply in the coming months

Numera Analytics
July 16, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Click to enlarge

The collapse of US-Iran negotiations has once again led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, sending Brent back to $85 / bbl as consumers and traders increased their purchases. As today’s chart shows, however, several factors have cushioned the oil supply deficit since the war began. Weaker demand is a major factor – explained by sharply lower Chinese imports – alongside re-routing and drawdown of existing inventories. These offsets have led to a deficit of just 2.5 Mbbl / day, far from the 17 Mbbl / day implied by the strait’s closure. Why this matters: Strategic reserves are now at historically low levels, and Chinese oil demand is more likely to recover than to fall further. If imports pick up while Hormuz remains closed, the deficit could widen sharply in the coming months. Should the market remain in a deficit, our base case is for Brent to trade at $87 / bbl one year out, with a one-in-four chance of exceeding $100 / bbl.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Premier David Eby advances B.C.–China co-operation on sustainable wood construction

By Canada Wood Group
LinkedIn
July 15, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, International

Premier David Eby’s visit to China formed part of British Columbia’s broader mission to diversify and strengthen markets for B.C. forest products and sustainable building solutions. Through engagements in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong, the mission reinforced co-operation across the wood value chain—from policy development and industry adoption to commercial applications and market opportunities. The mission began in Beijing with a meeting between Premier Eby and Deputy Minister Song Youchun, China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD). The discussions built on the Memorandum of Understanding on Modern Wood Construction Co-operation, signed earlier this year during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to China. As a key signatory to the agreement, British Columbia continues to play a central role in supporting co-operation on modern wood construction between Canada and China. 

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Forestry

Teamwork with First Nation, company, B.C. gov’t helps forest business grow

By Karl Yu
Cowichan Valley Citizen
July 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Teamwork was key for bolstering an Indigenous forestry operation in central B.C., stakeholders stated at a business conference in Nanaimo. Lake Babine Nation was front and centre at the Seeing the Forest and the Trees panel discussion June 4 at the Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference in Nanaimo, with Duane Crouse, Lake Babine Nation Forestry operations manager; Jeff Mycock, vice-president of Canadian Woodlands for West Fraser Timber Co.; Mike Beck, operations manager of Capacity Forest Management and Mike Hykaway, B.C. Ministry of Forests’ assistant deputy minister of regional operations for the north area, providing insight. A collaborative effort between Lake Babine, West Fraser and the B.C. government, was announced in July 2025, which saw the First Nation’s woodland licence grow by over 120,400 hectares, to 126,000 ha, after a transfer from West Fraser with the harvestable land northeast of Smithers, B.C., according to a B.C. government press release.

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‘It’s been hard’: Island communities reeling after helicopter crash kills two

By Julie Chadwick
Victoria Times Colonist
July 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Riley Browne ©WCH

West Coast Helicopters general manager Sean Smyth was in his hangar at the company’s ­headquarters in Port McNeill on Tuesday ­morning, about to make his morning coffee, when his cellphone rang. On the other end of the line was West Coast Helicopters’ dispatch. One of the company’s helicopters had crashed in rugged terrain in the remote Loughborough Inlet area, between Knight Inlet and Bute Inlet, which is steep and heavily forested. It was 6:20 a.m. and the crash had taken place just minutes earlier, at about 6:13 a.m. Three men were onboard the Hughes 500 helicopter when it went down: a pilot from West Coast Helicopters named Riley Browne and two forestry engineers from Campbell River-based Crowhurst Forest Management Group. Smyth was told that two of the people involved in the crash were unresponsive. The survivor had radioed the information to the logging camp where the men were based, who then called dispatch.

Also covered in Chek News by Liz Brown: ‘It’s gutting’: North Island community mourns the loss of one of their own following Tuesday’s helicopter crash

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Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo celebrates birth of baby caribou

City of Saskatoon
July 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo is celebrating the birth of a baby caribou… The male calf was born on June 25, 2026, to mother Mira. He weighed 9.4 kilograms at birth and has since grown to 12.8 kilograms. Mom and baby are currently receiving care behind the scenes while the Zoo’s Animal Care Specialists closely monitor their progress and support this important early bonding period. …“Our Animal Care Specialists are providing Mira and her calf with the time, space and support they need during these important early days,” said Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager, Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo. “It is especially meaningful to name this calf Lyall Petrie in honour of Dr. Petrie, whose guidance, generosity and dedication left a lasting mark on so many in the veterinary community.” …The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo is proud to support the Caribou Conservation Alliance. 

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Teamsters call on CN to ‘stop running trains through active wildfire zones’

Northern Ontario Business
July 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Teamsters Canada, the union representing Canadian National Railway (CN) engineers and conductors, wants North America’s largest railroader to stop running freight trains through wild fires. The Laval-based union was responding to a dramatic video, taken from the cab of CN train near Armstrong, in northwestern Ontario, showing the train surrounded by flames from a series of rapidly spreading fires in the region. …The train appeared to be parked on a siding while another freight train was moving on the CN line in the opposite direction through the intense fire scene. …“The union is calling on CN to stop running trains through active wildfire zones and to put the safety of workers and communities first,” Teamster Canada said in a July 15 news release. …Gauthier added CN needs to improve their monitoring procedures in determining whether it’s safe to send trains though active fire zones.

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Trump’s Goal To Open More Forests to Logging Could Threaten Drinking Water For 25 Million Americans

By Simmone Shah
Time Magazine
July 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The Trump Administration’s expected repeal of the “Roadless Rule” could impact drinking water supply for an estimated 25 million Americans, according to a new study out today in the journal PLOS Water. In June 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it planned to roll back the “Roadless Rule,” that prohibits roadbuilding and logging on nearly 60 million acres of federal forests. The aim of Trump’s repeal is to increase logging and encourage roadbuilding. The administration also claims that encouraging logging and construction will help address wildfire risks… The U.S. Department of Agriculture began the process to repeal the Roadless Rule last August. A final decision is expected in late 2026. …In the new study published today, a team of researchers studied 2,488 protected roadless areas to determine how they contribute to river protection, how many people rely on them for drinking water, and the roles they play in hunting, fishing, and supporting aquatic biodiversity.

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Heinrich Slams Trump Admin’s Massive Logging Proposal as Latest Attack on America’s Public Lands

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
July 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Martin Heinrich

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a statement on the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) proposal to authorize an unprecedented emergency salvage logging project spanning more than five million acres across six national forests in Idaho and Montana. “Time and again, this administration has put the interests of billionaires and powerful industries ahead of America’s public lands and the people who own them. Active wildfire management requires targeted, science-based hazardous fuels treatments—not a blank check for sweeping clearcutting, new road construction, and fewer safeguards for the places that Americans … enjoy. If the Forest Service is going to invoke extraordinary emergency authorities, it owes the public transparency and accountability. Instead, it released an eight-page notice with no maps, no meaningful project details, and no explanation for why this massive proposal qualifies as an emergency, while giving Americans just seven days to weigh in.  

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Forest Congress calls for end to old-growth logging in Tasmania but environmental groups want more

By Jano Gibson
ABC News, Australia
July 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Bridget Archer

AUSTRALIA– A coalition of conservationists, artists and forest industry figures has called for an end to old-growth logging in Tasmania but major environmental groups have distanced themselves from the “shared vision statement”, saying it does not go far enough. …The Forest Congress released a push to end the harvesting of old-growth trees while supporting a “responsible” forestry industry. “We agree that forests should be managed for all their values — ecological, cultural, social and economic — with the forest health as the foundation,” the statement says. …Sawmilling business Neville Smith Group is one of the signatories. …Four national environmental groups said the Forest Congress’s focus on old-growth forests was inadequate. …Tasmanian minister Bridget Archer said trees from old-growth forests made up only a small portion of what was harvested. She said the government remained a strong supporter of the forestry industry, and welcomed the process behind the Forest Congress initiative.

Related coverage in Pulse Tasmania: Rival groups back shared vision for Tasmania’s forests as old-growth logging targeted

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Health & Safety

Cedar Hedges ‘Go Up Like a Roman Candle’ During Wildfires

By Andrea Bennett
The Tyee
July 15, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

The FireSmart BC program website shows a moderately large single-family home through the eyes of a wildfire. As you move your cursor around, fire follows: flaming debris on the unkempt asphalt roof; blazing patio furniture leaning against the garage; potted cedars scorching the siding. Cedars have been a popular landscape plant in B.C. yards for decades, says Lori Daniels, a professor in the department of forest and conservation sciences at the University of BC, and the Koerner chair in wildfire coexistence. Unfortunately, she says, they “go up like a Roman candle.” As B.C.’s wildfires become more frequent and intense, resulting in evacuations, the loss of homes and businesses, and deaths, experts are encouraging homeowners and developers to remove cedars and junipers, or not plant them at all. “Cedars are highly flammable when they are dry,” Daniels says. “They retain dead foliage.”

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Forest Fires

Saskatchewan reports 46 active wildfires, crews continue containment efforts

Prince Albert NOW
July 15, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reported 46 active wildfires across the province as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, with firefighting crews continuing suppression and containment efforts on several significant fires. According to the SPSA, four fires are currently classified as contained, eight are not contained, 26 remain under ongoing assessment, and eight are in the protecting values stage. Among the province’s active wildfires, the BUDD fire, located east of Lac La Ronge, remains uncontained and has grown to 2,971 hectares. Fire crews are conducting planned burn-out operations, intentionally igniting forest fuels between a controlled line and the wildfire to help slow its spread. Officials said residents and land users may see smoke or flames on the north and northeast sides of the fire as the operation proceeds. The SPSA emphasized that ignition operations are carefully planned by wildfire specialists, taking into account weather conditions, available resources and public safety.

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Evacuation alert issued for parts of Pemberton due to Signal Hill wildfire

CBC News
July 16, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

Parts of Pemberton, B.C., are under an evacuation alert due to the Signal Hill wildfire. The Village of Pemberton issued an alert at around 11:30 p.m. PT Wednesday. The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) also issued an alert at that time for all properties in Area C on Collins Road to One Mile Lake to the Lillooet River. It tells residents to prepare for evacuation if necessary “because of the potential danger to life and health.” An evacuation order is also in place for One Mile Lake Park to “provide safe working space to crews supporting fire operations.” The village said on its website early Thursday morning that the wildfire was discovered about five kilometres from Highway 99. As of midnight Thursday, the fire was 0.1 square kilometres (10 hectares) in size, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS). …On social media, the wildfire service said skimmers are working out of Green Lake, northeast of Whistler. 

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Ontario Forest Fires says 44 active wildland fires now burning in northeast

By Rick Wyman
CTV News
July 16, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

The total number of active wildland fires continues to rise in northeast Ontario with 8 new fires confirmed by the Ministry of Natural Resources in their daily update they evening of July 15. Of the 44 active wildland fires in the northeast region, 9 are not under control, 3 are being held, 4 are under control and 28 are being observed. Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner toured the Carling Fire department Wednesday to see firsthand the wildland firefighting equipment and to discuss how local fire stations are dealing with more forest fires. “Every year when the Ontario budget comes out in the spring, including this year, you see a cut in the budget for wildland firefighting,” Schreiner told CTV News Wednesday. “We need to have fully funded crews.” …NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the wildfire scenes are “terrifying” and she has been talking to MPPs in the area, including Sol Mamakwa who is in Thunder Bay.

Related coverage by Canadian Press in CBC News: As northern Ontario communities prepare for possible wildfire evacuations, province asks Ottawa for help 

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Northern Ontario wildfires destroy homes in First Nation, prompt large evacuations

Canadian Press in APTN National News
July 15, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

©Sol Mamakwa

Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have devastated several communities, forcing widespread evacuations and destroying homes and buildings in one First Nation as harrowing wildfire videos and images emerge on social media. The fires have prompted evacuation orders for several communities, including Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Collins First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation. Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige said a fast-moving wildfire has advanced toward Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, also known as Collins First Nation. The fire has caused extensive damage and destruction to homes and buildings, Debassige said. …In the town of Armstrong …a CN Rail crew had to be evacuated after their train was surrounded by fire. “Northern Ontario is burning, and we’re not hearing anything from the prime minister [or] the premier,” Sol Mamakwa, an NDP member of provincial parliament who represents the northern Ontario riding of Kiiwetinoong said.

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Forest History & Archives

Seedy Business Stories: Sitka Spruce Collections in Haida Gwaii

By Don Pigott
The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 16, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada West

Forestry veteran Don Pigott continues his memoir series with an engaging account of a Sitka spruce cone collection on Haida Gwaii in the fall of 1983. What began as a routine assignment to collect seed from higher-elevation stands soon became a memorable journey marked by relentless rain, challenging field conditions, colourful characters, and the camaraderie that defines life in the woods. Along the way, Don reflects on visits to the legendary Golden Spruce and the small communities that supported the work, capturing a time when resourcefulness, hard work, and good humour were essential tools of the trade. Rich in historical detail and personal insight, this latest installment offers an authentic glimpse into an era of British Columbia forestry that is rapidly passing into history.

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