West Fraser Timber reported a Q3, 2025 net loss of $240M as duties, tariffs and weak housing demand cut into earnings. In other Business news: Canada’s lumber industry worries it’s being left out of potential US trade deal; Domtar’s Skookumchuck mill is fined for permit violations; New Brunswick Power plans to convert its Belledune station from coal to wood; and researcher Alice Palmer says US duty calculations on Canadian lumber are flawed.
In other news: FPAC’s Derek Nighbor says EU Deforestation Regulation should recognize low-risk countries; AFRC’s Travis Joseph says wildfire is the greatest threat to Oregon’s big trees; wildfire workers join BC public service job action; BC Wood’s Export Readiness Training Program starts November 13; Michigan launches Mass Timber Catalyst Program; Ireland is encouraged to use timber to meet its housing and climate needs; and Ledcor’s Larry Jones wins award for Safety Leader of the Year.
Finally, new research on how fire-loving fungi help BC’s forests recover under the ash.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde says after receiving good news on Friday, Kap Paper is slowly getting up and running again. Plourde said the facility was idle for about six weeks after the board ran out of funds to pay employees. Now the community is relieved that the federal and provincial governments have stepped up with close to $29 million to get around 300 people back on the payroll. Plourde said work is underway to plan for the operation’s future. “We started yesterday on the commencement of that,” he said. “It had already been in the works prior to that, but we’re having regular updates and we’re going to make sure that we have something in front of government very soon.” Plourde, who is also chair of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, said the support is appreciated, but overall, northern Ontario’s forestry sector requires urgent and coordinated action to ensure long-term stability.
VANCOUVER, BC —
Ireland must realise the “massive opportunity” that exists as timber construction is set to triple market value and deliver climate action, Forest Industries Ireland (FII) said. The director of FII, Mark McAuley has welcomed a 
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) President and CEO Derek Nighbor released the following statement following yesterday’s EU Commission proposal related to the implementation of the EU Deforestation-free Product Regulation (EUDR). “This proposal does not address real concerns with an EU Information Technology (IT) system that is still not fit for purpose and does not address concerns raised by micro- and small businesses part of the integrated supply chain for larger organizations. “We would like to see practical simplification of the EUDR, that appropriately recognizes low-risk third countries such as Canada, as well as EU Member States. We are committed to work quickly with global partners to find an improved proposal, that will both meet the intent of the Regulation, while also enabling strong and vibrant trading relationships, as committed to in the June 2025 strategic partnership between the European Union and Canada.
VANCOUVER, BC – NorthX Climate Tech (NorthX), a BC-based innovation catalyst backing the builders of Canadian climate hard tech, today launched a funding opportunity for Canadian wildfire technologies. Through the 2025 Wildfire Tech Call for Innovation, NorthX will provide up to $3 million in non-dilutive investments to Canadian companies developing advanced technologies that prevent mega wildfires, enhance firefighting response, and support faster recovery. “With each passing year, wildfires are posing an ever-growing threat to communities across Canada,” said Sarah Goodman, President & CEO of NorthX. “In response, NorthX led the way with Canada’s first wildfire innovation call in 2024. This new round builds on that success, backing Canadian innovators developing the tools to fight fires, cut emissions, and protect lives.” …Founded in 2021 with an initial investment from the Government of Canada, the BC Government, and Shell Canada, NorthX Climate Tech (NorthX) is a catalyst for climate action…
Ecological stoichiometry can help clarify how symbionts and other co-occurring organisms mediate nutrient deficiencies for hosts. We used ecological stoichiometry (comparisons of elemental compositions in food vs consumer) to investigate whether obligate mutualist fungi (Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium) of the tree-killing bark beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle) and the invasive tree pathogenic fungus, Cronartium ribicola (causal agent of the disease white pine blister rust) influenced availability of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus to the beetle in Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine), as well as how these elements varied among three populations of the tree. 
The Fix Our Forests Act passed out of a Senate committee Tuesday, and now heads to a full vote. Some environmental groups are warning that a federal bill intended to prevent major wildfires could effectively increase logging, cattle grazing and mining on federal lands — which make up half of Oregon’s land base. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act passed out of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. It could overhaul how the nation prepares its land for wildfires, while also scaling back environmental oversight of land management projects. The bill has conservationists divided. On one side, some advocates say it would bring long-needed changes by fast-tracking prescribed fires. …On the other side, environmental groups say the bill significantly weakens environmental protections and public oversight.
Oregon’s 2025 fire season officially wrapped up Friday with significantly fewer acres burned — and at a lower cost to the state — than in previous years. But fires this year got much closer to communities, burning 200 homes and structures. …And humans caused most of this year’s fires. Oregon experienced more than 1,100 fires from early June to mid-October. They burned roughly 350,000 acres, far less than the 1.9 million acres that burned in 2024. Fires this year also cost the state less to fight. …The U.S. Forest Service has had a target for nearly a century of keeping at least 90% of wildfires from growing larger than 10 acres. But it has come under scrutiny by some indigenous wildfire and ecology experts and scientists, as well as Forest Service scientists. They argue that some wildfires must be allowed to burn more acres to help regenerate plants that support animal habitats, reduce pest infestation and invasive species and keep ecosystems healthy.
EUGENE, Oregon — With the Trump administration poised to rewrite forest management policy, groups are on guard for changes to climate and lumber harvesting sections. Travis Joseph has a message for environmental groups worried that the Pacific Northwest’s oldest trees are about to fall to loggers: Timber companies don’t really want to cut them down. Joseph, who heads a timber industry group and is a former aide to ex-Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, made that proclamation. …“I love these trees, too,” said Joseph, CEO of the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC). “But they’re at risk. Let’s save them. Let’s come in here and protect them.” Joseph’s group says the threat to big trees in western Oregon — these giants were 5 or 6 feet across at the trunk — isn’t logging. It’s wildfire that’s becoming a bigger menace as climate change makes summers hotter and reduces the winter snowpack. [to access the full story a subscription is required]
There’s been a cool edge to the air the last week or so. You may have noticed something else in the air, too — smoke. Unfortunately for those with health conditions like respiratory problems and heart disease, and for those who don’t want to develop them, two jurisdictions in the Cowichan Valley still allow at least some backyard burning, and wood burning appliances are still common everywhere in the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The Town of Ladysmith, City of Duncan and Town of Lake Cowichan have completely banned backyard burning. The Municipality of North Cowichan has cut back on what it allows, but there are still large swaths of territory within its boundaries where lighting up a burn pile is still allowed. … Cowichan’s transfer stations accept yard waste free of charge, so people can take their debris there instead of lighting it up. So consider your alternatives, and the people around you before you burn. Smoke travels.