Daily News for June 05, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

Task force report adds detail to Canada’s forest sector transformation agenda

The Tree Frog Forestry News
June 5, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

The Forestry Transformation Task Force report adds details to Canada’s transformation agenda. In related news: Canada’s Private Forest Owners welcomed recognition of their contribution; while AFPA, Steelworkers and SFI expressed support. In other Business news: Interfor added a second shift at their Grand Forks mill; Western Forest Products’ workers in Chemainus join the Steelworkers; and International Paper completes acquisition of NORPAC. Meanwhile: Ottawa extended consultations on environmental assessment reforms; the US proposed a 25% tariff on Brazil linked to deforestation; lumber prices hit 8-week high; and US mortgage rates rose again.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: BC supports wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays; the US Endowment partners on forest residues study; Nova Scotia takes action on spruce budworm outbreak; California expanded it firefighting fleet; new research on how wildfire spreads in urban areas, New Zealand new forestry rules explained; and the UN says progress on forestry goals is too slow.

Finally, new kudos for mass timber, and reasons to exhibit at Global Buyers Mission 2026.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Carney government slows down sweeping environmental changes

By David Thurton and Kate McKenna
CBC News
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mark Carney

The Carney government is slowing down planned regulatory changes that angered First Nations and mobilized civil society organizations. Stopping short of admitting they were moving too fast or too far, the government said that it would extend the public engagement period until July 22. …Among the suite of measures were designating pre-approving development in certain “federal economic zones” and giving the federal cabinet limited power to exempt projects from the “jeopardy test” for species at risk. The Assembly of First Nations called the proposed changes “not acceptable” and said they demonstrated “a pattern of exclusion.” On Wednesday, many of Canada’s environmental and conservation groups assembled on Parliament Hill to oppose the government’s proposal. …The Carney government justified the changes by arguing Canada needs to fast-track nation-building projects that strengthen the economy and help diversify exports away from the US.

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Canada launches Forest Sector Action Plan

By Natural Resources Canada
PR Newswire
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

VICTORIA, BC – Canada’s forest sector is at a pivotal moment. Ongoing pressures — including tariffs, fibre supply challenges, changing market demands and climate change — are significantly impacting the industry and the communities that depend on it. In response, the Government of Canada is focusing on what we can control — and moving forward with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners on a co-ordinated approach to transform the sector into one that can thrive in the long term. Today, the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced a Forest Sector Action Plan, with key commitments to drive the transformation of the forest sector in collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and other key partners. The Action Plan is informed by the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force’s recommendations and builds on the extensive work it completed during its 90–day mandate. The plan focuses on four priority areas to position Canada’s forest sector as a leading global supplier of both traditional and advanced forest products…

In related news:

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Forestry Transformation Task Force Recognizes Critical Role of Private Forest Owners in Canada’s Forest Future

By Sandra Bishop
Canadian Forest Owners
June 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, ON—Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) congratulates the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and members of the Forestry Transformation Task Force on the release of their report, which recognizes the important contribution of Canada’s private forests in building a competitive, sustainable, and resilient forest sector. Representing approximately 480,000 private forest owners across the country, CFO’s members manage 25 million hectares of privately owned forest land from coast to coast. Together, they account for approximately 10 per cent of Canada’s forest land base and 20 per cent of national forest production. As the report notes, “Canada has a proud tradition of private forest ownership.” Private forests contribute an estimated $14.5 billion annually to Canada’s economy and support nearly 40,000 direct jobs in silviculture, harvesting, transportation, and forest products manufacturing. …For CFO, the report’s recognition of private forests is an important step forward. However, the organization believes that recognition must now be accompanied by policy action.

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Workers at Western Forest Products Value-Added Division join the United Steelworkers union

United Steelworkers
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Workers at Western Forest Products Value-Added Division (WFP VAD) in Chemainus, BC, have joined the United Steelworkers union. The successful union organizing campaign was driven by a desire for better representation and a stronger voice on the job with a union that will fight for improvements that forestry workers need and deserve. …After significantly falling behind other USW-represented forestry workers in terms of wages, benefits, job security and strength on the job, the WFP VAD workers decided to come together and join a union with a proven record of achieving exactly what they are lacking in their collective agreement. …“Our local union is happy to welcome new Steelworker members from WFP VAD,” said Brian Butler, USW Local 1-1937 President. …“These workers deserve a union that has the strength, experience and resources to deliver real results at the bargaining table,” said Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair.

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Second shift added to Grand Forks’ Interfor mill

By Karen McKinley
The Grand Forks Gazette
June 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mayor Everett Baker was pleased to share some positive news about Interfor as a second shift resumed at the Interfor sawmill in Grand Forks. Baker stated in a text message to The Gazette he was pleased to hear that the second shift started on Monday. In addition, the planer mill is also expected to be back to two shifts by the end of the month. …“I want to thank Interfor for working with all levels of government to continue to keep our mill operating.” While the extra shifts are great news, Baker added the mill needs a log supply, but the team working to get the mill back up and running to at-or-near full shifts is getting closer to their goal. It wasn’t clear how many employees would be returning. In November, a single shift of 68 employees was hired back at Interfor.

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International Paper Completes $360MM Acquisition of North Pacific Paper Company

International Paper
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – International Paper has completed the acquisition of North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC), a portfolio company of One Rock Capital Partners, for $360MM.  The acquisition brings together two strong teams, high-quality products, and a shared commitment to serving customers. Adding NORPAC to the International Paper portfolio will enhance system flexibility and expand capabilities. …The acquisition of NORPAC is part of International Paper’s strategic transformation to maximize value creation for customers, employees and shareholders.  …NORPAC is a Longview, Washington based producer of environmentally sustainable lightweight recycled packaging papers.

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US proposes 25% Brazil-wide tariffs, links deforestation to wood prices

Lesprom Network
June 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The US Trade Representative has determined that several Brazilian acts, policies, and practices are actionable under Section 301 and has proposed tariffs of 25% on all goods of Brazil, with specified exemptions and an annex of excluded products. …The determination covers multiple areas, including illegal deforestation, and states that timber and agricultural production linked to illegal deforestation can burden U.S. commerce by lowering costs for competing products and distorting prices. The notice describes timber-sector fraud risks, including the laundering of illegally harvested timber through supply chains, and states that illegally sourced timber products can devalue legally sourced timber prices by an estimated 7% to 16%. On wood-related findings, the notice references concerns that Brazilian products may be made with timber harvested illegally. It also describes limits in auditing and verification under Brazil’s Forest Code registration system. …The notice sets a public comment schedule that opens June 1, 2026.

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Smoke visible for miles after fire breaks out in Jasper County lumber mill

By Scott Lawrence
6 KFDM
June 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

JASPER County, Georgia — Firemen from the Jasper, Tri-Community, Beech Grove, East End Fire, Lake Rayburn and Angelina Fire Departments have all converged on the Lincoln Lumber Mill where a fire in the kiln has sent thick smoke into the air that can be seen for miles. No injuries have been reported. Mike Lout with our media partner KJAS reports the fire broke out this morning at the mill off Highway 96, just south of Jasper. First responders say the fire broke out in the dryer house or kiln of the operation. Firemen have so far been able to limit the fire to the drying house. However, flames and smoke are filling the building and firemen are continuing to pump water into the structure.

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Finance & Economics

US lumber prices hit eight-week high on supply concerns

Fordaq
June 3, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

North American lumber futures climbed to approximately USD 597.50 per thousand board feet on June 3, their highest level since April, as persistent supply constraints continued to offset subdued housing demand. North American lumber futures rose to around USD 597.50 per thousand board feet on June 3, reaching their highest level in eight weeks. The move represents a 4.1% increase from a month earlier and reflects a market still dealing with the impact of Canadian import disruption. The price rise comes despite historically soft housing starts, showing that supply concerns remain an important driver for the market. Mills and distributors are holding limited inventories, while seasonal restocking ahead of the summer building season has added support to prices. …The net result is a structurally tight supply position. Mills and distributors are holding limited inventories, while buyers are entering the summer building season with restocking needs.

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US Mortgage Rates Increase Further as Inflation Remains Elevated

By Catherine Koh
NAHB Eye on Housing
June 4, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Mortgage rates continued to increase in May as inflation accelerated. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.41% in May, up 7 basis points  over April. Since the conflict in the Middle East began, the 30-year mortgage rate has increased by 36 basis points. The average 15-year rate averaged 5.76% in May, up 7 bps from April, and up 33 basis points since the end of February. Even so, both rates remain lower than a year ago by 41 bps and 19 bps, respectively. The 10-year Treasury yield, a key benchmark for long-term borrowing, averaged 4.47% in May, 16 bps higher than the previous month. …Persistently high inflation has also strained household budgets. As people used more of their disposable income or drew down on savings to cover everyday expenses, the personal saving rate fell to 2.6% in April. The rate was the lowest since June 2022 when CPI was at its peak.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

2026 North American Fenestration Standard Published

Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance
June 1, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

The 2026 edition of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights (NAFS) has been published. This standard is the result of a multi-year effort by CSA Group, Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) and Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA). An agreement among the three organizations requires NAFS to be reviewed every five years… The updated 2026 standard supersedes the 2022 edition, representing a continued evolution of the standard while improving harmonization across North America. The Joint Document Management Group (JDMG), comprised of representatives from all three associations, stresses the importance of NAFS-26. “Unlike with the previous version of NAFS, there were no major revisions for NAFS-26, with the exception of the secondary designator clarification,” said Lisa Bergeron, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs for JELD-WEN, who served as FGIA’s JDMG co-chair. “NAFS remains an excellent industry tool as an internationally accepted performance standard for the included fenestration product types.”

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Ready to diversify your export markets? Exhibit at the Global Buyers Mission in September!

BC Wood Specialties Group
June 4, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Here’s why you can’t miss the 23rd annual GBM as an exhibitor:

  • Showcase to a Global Audience: Present your products to a targeted group of pre-qualified international buyers who are actively seeking Canadian wood products. The GBM’s reputation consistently draws decision-makers from key markets, ensuring your booth gets high-value exposure and real business opportunities.

  • Capitalize on Market Diversification: With ongoing trade uncertainty, buyers and specifiers from Mexico, Japan, China, Europe and other growth markets are actively looking for new suppliers and long-term partnerships. 

  • Build Strategic Partnerships with stunning backdrops: The GBM is designed to create meaningful connections. Framed by Whistler’s forests, beautiful wood architecture, and mountain air, every conversation feels grounded in the very landscape our industry is built on. From B2B meetings to unforgettable moments at our signature mountaintop evening at the Roundhouse, every touchpoint is built to help you move from introduction to opportunity.

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Low carbon, high coordination: Designing MEP systems in mass timber buildings

By Robin Graves, Jessica Mangler and Brett McQuillan
The Construction Specifier
June 4, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Mass timber has emerged as a leading material in the pursuit of low-carbon, sustainable construction. With its warm, natural aesthetic and significantly lower embodied carbon than steel and concrete, mass timber is increasingly used across a wide range of building types. However, unlike conventional steel or concrete structures, the very characteristics that make it appealing also create unique challenges. The constraints of mass timber construction, such as exposed structural elements and prefabricated panels with limited flexibility, demand a new level of precision and foresight in the design and coordination of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems. By anticipating the structural and aesthetic challenges of mass timber and engaging in thoughtful MEP design and coordination, engineers, architects, and specifiers can deliver high-performance buildings that not only celebrate the beauty of timber but also help meet decarbonization and sustainability goals. …Mass timber’s prefabricated nature and exposed aesthetics require precise, early-stage coordination among mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. 

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Forestry

Supporting wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays

Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth
Government of British Columbia
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

CRESTON, BC — A Kootenay-based project is receiving provincial funding to convert forestry waste into a soil supplement, benefiting agriculture and forestry sectors. …Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth, said “By turning wood waste into valuable new products, this project is creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping build a stronger future for the community.” …Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), the Province is providing approximately $182,000 to Wildsight to support its Fire for Healthy Soils project in Creston. The funding supports a pilot project to convert wood waste into biochar, which is a stable, carbon-rich form of charcoal produced by heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment. …The provincial investment will support Wildsight, the Creston Community Forest and the Regional District of Central Kootenay to collaboratively pilot a biochar business project using low-cost kiln technology.

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Hélène Marcoux inspires community forests conference with keynote address

By BC Community Forest Association
Facebook
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
On Day 2 of the 2026 BCCFA Conference and AGM we heard from Hélène Marcoux from the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest as our keynote speaker. Hélène’s engaging and energizing talk focused on strengthening public understanding of forestry. With inspiring ideas for engagement, her key theme was “lean into stories, be real, be vulnerable, and don’t use so many acronyms.” At the research forest, near Maple Ridge, they have many different programs and initiatives that education the public and bring people to the forest for tours, talks, and events. They have fostered incredible partnerships and opportunities for diversification. Thank you to Hélène for sharing your ideas and inspiring us to continue our work with impactful community engagement.

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Spruce budworm’s knocking at Nova Scotia’s door; threatening worse wildfires and rekindling debates over whether to spray

By Aaron Beswick
The Chronicle Herald
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

©NRCan

…spruce budworm outbreaks affect most of Nova Scotia’s softwood forests. And [after a massive outbreak in 1979] it’s back. Quebec’s boreal forest is being ravaged. New Brunswick is trying to hold the line at its northern border with a spray program. Newfoundland is being hit, too. Pheromone traps around the highlands have shown a sharp increase this spring … the population is expected to explode. The return raises questions that are getting very different answers from different corners of this province: Do we interfere in a natural process by aerial spraying? Can we live with the consequences if we don’t? And even if we try, will it work? The Department of Natural Resources is starting an aerial spray program of the insecticide BTK next week. Parks Canada has refused them permission to spray within Cape Breton Highlands National Park… The federal policy will create a massive host population that may impede the province’s efforts.

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Montreal weather: SOPFEU’s puppet master videos catching on like wildfire

The Montreal Gazette
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Why is the human lady angry? Because she’s tired of repeating the same old fire-safety rules. Stop all that business with open fires in the forest, burning garbage and tossing lit cigarette butts, SOPFEU says — and it’s saying it with puppets. A new series of videos by Quebec’s wildfire prevention organization feature a campfire with googly eyes, a pigheaded smoker and young squirrels asking their dad why the human lady is angry: “Because she’s tired of repeating” the same old fire-safety rules. The tagline is, “Hey, if they don’t get it with puppets …” 

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From forest to front door: Understanding how wildfire spreads through communities

By Ty Burke
University of California, Berkeley
May 10, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

As California’s population boomed — from 10 million in 1950 to over 40 million today — the number of people living in fire-prone areas multiplied. …Despite the thousands of wildfires in California each year, we still don’t know that much about them — especially when it comes to how they spread in urban areas. The wildland-urban interface is the zone in which buildings and infrastructure border natural areas. Homes in this zone are at higher risk of burning, but quantifying that risk is challenging. Until recently, the mathematical models used to predict wildfire spread largely ignored these areas. Where a simulated wildfire reached a developed community, the models treated the land as unburnable. Which, of course, it’s not. …As wildfires push into urban areas, they behave in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. But Gollner is figuring out how to predict what urban wildfires will do next — by turning fire modeling into a complex, evolving problem.

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Governor Newsom announces expansion of the world’s largest civilian aerial firefighting fleet

Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SACRAMENTO – Marking a significant advancement in California’s wildfire preparedness, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that the state’s fourth C-130 Hercules (C-130H) airtanker has entered active service. Alongside this deployment, the Governor celebrated the launch of California’s 11th Helitack base, which hosts the Sikorsky S70i Fire Hawk helicopter. Both resources will be stationed at the Ramona Airport in San Diego County, strategically integrating them into California’s world-leading aerial fleet. “The addition of this fourth C-130 Hercules airtanker to our world-class fleet, combined with the historic establishment of our 11th Helitack base, significantly enhances the rapid, aggressive response needed to save lives and protect our natural resources. California is making the investment into the key resources that help protect our communities from catastrophic wildfire.” In 2024, under Governor Newsom’s leadership, California made history as the first state in the nation to own, operate, and deploy its own fleet of C-130H Airtankers.

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World’s forests in a race against time, warns UN global forest report

By Sandra Cordon
Forests News – Center for International Forestry Research
June 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The world is losing its forests faster than it can save them, with severe consequences for the climate, biodiversity and over one billion people who depend on forests for their livelihoods, according to the United Nations’ latest Global Forest Goals Report 2026. Although many countries have expanded forest restoration efforts, strengthened governance frameworks, and improved monitoring systems, progress remains critically insufficient to halt deforestation, lift forest-dependent communities out of poverty, and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.  “We know what to do. We need to act on the information and knowledge we have. But do we have the will to act?” said Éliane Ubalijoro, chief executive officer of Landscape Alliance, the new operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR & ICRAF). That question runs through the report, which finds that existing tools, policies and institutions have yet to deliver change at the scale required.  

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New Zealand’s new forestry rules promise consistency. Will they also increase environmental risk?

By Steve Urlich, Lincoln University, New Zealand
The Conversation
June 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International

One of the most important changes to New Zealand’s environmental regulations in recent years came into force this week. Yet outside policy circles, the forestry sector and a handful of councils, few people are likely to have noticed. The government’s freshly-amended National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry set bottom-line rules for activities ranging from afforestation and harvesting to slash management and erosion control. There is a clear need for such safeguards. Commercial forestry is one of New Zealand’s most valuable industries, generating billions of dollars in export earnings and supporting thousands of jobs. So, it needs a regulatory framework that provides certainty for long-term investment and operational decisions. But it can also have significant impacts on waterways, infrastructure, ecosystems and downstream communities if activities are not carefully managed, with recent years having provided some stark examples.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

U.S. Endowment, Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory Complete Forestry Residues Study

EIN Newsdesk
June 4, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: US East

GREENVILLE, SC — The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and the Georgia Institute of Technology have completed a two-semester research project designed to help rural communities, investors and policymakers evaluate new markets for wood fiber after pulp and paper mills close. Developed through Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL), the prototype decision-support tool models how underutilized forestry and mill residues could be converted into biomass power, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. The tool allows users to test how choices about feedstock supply, plant location, transportation, financing assumptions, market prices and policy incentives affect project viability. The work responds to a major shift across the forest sector. Since 2015, more than 40 pulp and paper mills have closed, eliminating an estimated 60 million tons of annual demand for wood fiber from forest regions across the country. A new economic analysis commissioned by the Endowment … finds that additional pulp and paper capacity remains at risk in the years ahead.

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Health & Safety

Why is dilution a cleanup strategy for the Longview mill disaster?

By Greg Kim
The Seattle Times
June 4, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

LONGVIEW, Washington — After a tank containing about 600,000 gallons of “white liquor” imploded in Longview on May 26, killing 11 people, cleanup efforts have largely consisted of diluting affected waterways. You might be wondering, is dilution enough to clean up a chemical spill? The Washington State Department of Ecology says it is, and that it comes down to the composition of white liquor. White liquor mostly consists of two chemical compounds — sodium hydroxide (commonly called lye) and sodium sulfide. What makes it dangerous to humans and the environment is primarily the high concentration of hydroxide, which results in high pH levels. That helps break down wood chips into pulp in paper mills but can burn tissue and corrode materials like concrete, plastics and rubber. Diluting with water reduces the concentration of hydroxide, which neutralizes the pH. …The components that remain after diluting white liquor with water, such as sodium, oxygen, and hydrogen, are naturally occurring elements that don’t pose an environmental risk, Tang said. [to access the full story a Seattle Times is required]

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Forest Fires

Wildfire evacuees and pets arrive in Barrie as Northern Ont. forest fire continues

By Julianna Balsamo
CTV News
June 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

More than 160 residents from Mattagami First Nation and their beloved pets are on their way to Barrie after a fast-growing wildfire, identified as Timmins 9, forced a mandatory evacuation of the community. CTV News has learned that some evacuees were transported to Barrie by bus, while others left the area in their own vehicles. Many families who have arrived brought their pets, including dogs, cats and birds, as they fled from the dangerous conditions. The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society said it was on hand to help evacuees arriving to the city, providing pet food, crates, bedding, collars and leashes. “We were ready with emergency supplies,” said the OSPCA over social media. “To help keep animals safe and comfortable during this difficult time.” …On Thursday morning, Ontario Forest Fires reported the blaze had grown to 2,945 hectares and remained out of control.

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