Daily News for October 08, 2025

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Today’s Takeaway

Carney returns to Canada without deal to remove US tariffs

The Tree Frog Forestry News
October 8, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Despite ‘positive‘ meeting with President Trump, Prime Minister Carney returns home without a deal to remove US tariffs. In related news: Alberta’s Premier Smith speaks to US trade tensions at AFPA meeting; John Brink says tariffs on lumber are bizarre; and FPAC’s Derek Nighbor say’s there’s a reason Americans want Canadian wood. In other Business news: Cascades sells its Flexible Packaging plant in Mississauga; Canada’s trade gap widens; and lumber futures ease.

In other news: could offsite construction be Canada’s homebuilding’s saviour; mass timber takes centre stage in North Bay, Ontario; scientists say Canada’s forests are drying out; and its Fire Prevention week in America. Meanwhile: COFI announced its 2025 Forestry Scholarship recipients; UBC’s Faculty of Forestry received two CIF Awards; SFI-US announced Forest Stewardship Standard 2.0; and NeLMA elected Hancock Lumber’s Matt Duprey as board chair.

Finally, the first rural hospital-base air ambulance program was started by a Montana logger.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Carney set to return to Ottawa without a deal to end the U.S. tariffs

The Canadian Press in CTV News
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Carney is set to return to Ottawa today with no deals to remove US tariffs from Canadian goods, but he’s leaving his key minister on Canada-US trade behind to keep pressing the Canadian case. US President Trump lavished praise on Carney during a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday and said the prime minister would walk away “very happy.” The president showed no signs of relenting on tariffs, however, and no deal was announced. Carney was scheduled to have a working breakfast this morning with Joshua Bolten, CEO of the Business Roundtable, while Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand was set to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be staying behind in Washington. LeBlanc told reporters Tuesday that substantial progress was made in the White House talks this week.

In related coverage:

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‘There’s a reason why Americans want Canadian wood’: Derek Nighbor on the forestry sector’s comeback

By Sean Speer
The Hub
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Derek Nighbor, president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, discusses how the forestry sector is shifting from a story of decline to one of innovation and growth—helping to address the country’s housing crisis, advance practical climate solutions, and support economic and social well-being in rural and Indigenous communities across Canada.

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Endless Opportunities for Forestry with Premier Danielle Smith

By Aspen Dudzic, Forest Talks
Alberta Forest Products Association in Youtube
October 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

In this special episode of Forestry Talks, host Aspen Dudzic is joined by Alberta’s Premier, the Honourable Danielle Smith — the first sitting Premier to attend the Alberta Forest Products Association AGM in over a decade. The two dive into the big-picture view of Alberta’s forestry industry, including its growing importance to Indigenous and rural communities, the economic impact across the province, and the case for managing wildfire risk through active forest management. Premier Smith also shares her candid thoughts on U.S. trade tensions, new international markets, and how Alberta is positioning itself as a global leader in forest product manufacturing. From softwood lumber disputes to innovation in biofuels and international trade missions — this is a must-listen for anyone who cares about Alberta’s forest future.

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New U.S. tariffs on lumber are ‘bizarre,’ says B.C. forestry CEO

CBC News
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Members of the B.C. forest industry are keeping a close eye on meetings between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump ahead of new U.S. lumber tariffs coming on Oct. 14. Brink Forest Products CEO John Brink called the new tariffs “bizarre” and said he’s disappointed they weren’t discussed during Tuesday’s Carney-Trump news conference.

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Cascades announces the sale of its Flexible Packaging plant in Mississauga to Five Star Holding

Cascades Inc.
October 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

KINGSEY FALLS,  Quebec — Cascades announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Flexible Packaging plant activities to Five Star Holding based in Houston, Texas. The $31 million transaction is effective immediately. Cascades’ will retain ownership of the site real estate. Located in Mississauga, Ontario, Flexible Packaging is Cascades’ only plant that manufactures printed flexible plastic packaging and films. …The Flexible Packaging operations employs 45 people, all of which will be retained by Five Star at closing. …The transaction includes a supply agreement between the two parties to ensure the continued production and supply of the flexible film that is used by Cascades’ Tissue and Packaging sectors. “Today’s decision will allow us to reduce our debt and support the optimization of our operational platform,” said Hugues Simon, CEO of Cascades.

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Hancock Lumber sales leader named NeLMA chairman

The HBS Dealer
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Matt Duprey

Hancock Lumber’s Sawmill Chief Sales Officer, Matt Duprey, has been elected as the newest Chairman of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA). …Duprey has been with Hancock since 1994 after earning his Forestry and Wood Science + Technology degree. First starting in the yard at Hancock’s Casco Mill, Duprey eventually worked his way through various positions and into his current role as Chief Sales Officer of Eastern White Pine. Prior to his appointment as NeLMA Chairman, Matt also served as the chair of its marketing committee for a decade. …Current NeLMA President, Jeff Easterling said, “NeLMA is pleased to see Matt continue his ascent within the organization as he steps into the Chairman of the Board of Directors role.” Duprey said: “I feel quite proud of this appointment.”

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Australia’s last paper mill, Tasmania’s Boyer Mill, locked in energy security negotiations with Aurora

By Madeleine Rojahn
ABC News, Australia
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

TASMANIA — Australia’s last paper mill and supplier of newsprint remains locked in negotiations for power security, with Tuesday’s meeting to resolve an impasse over costs concluding with no outcome. As one of Tasmania’s major industrials, the Boyer pulp and paper mill in New Norfolk is also one the state’s largest power users. Aurora Energy is seeking a $7 million bank guarantee to cover energy costs for the mill as it looks to electrify and move away from its coal-powered boilers, a figure Boyer owner David Marriner has labelled “obscene”. A spokesperson for the Boyer Mill said discussions had been “constructive”, and remained committed to ensuring a positive outcome. Aurora Energy said it would “continue to negotiate in good faith”. …The Boyer Mill, which is currently Tasmania’s fourth-largest carbon emitter, is working to convert its coal boilers to electric after years of energy concerns.

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Finance & Economics

Tariffs widen trade gap, pressure mounts on Bank of Canada

By Liezel Once
Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine
October 7, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Canada’s international trade deficit swelled to $6.3 billion in August, its second-largest shortfall on record, as new United States tariffs took a heavy toll on key exports and injected fresh volatility into cross-border flows. The latest figures, released by Statistics Canada, show how US trade policy continues to affect Canadian exporters and make the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision more complicated. Exports in August fell 3% by value and 3.2% in volume, led by sharp declines in copper ore and lumber shipments, both of which were hit by new US tariffs. …Imports, meanwhile, rose 0.9%, buoyed by higher consumer goods, a sign of resilient household demand, even as business investment remained soft. …Exports to the US, Canada’s largest trading partner, fell 3.4% in August after three consecutive monthly gains, and were down 8% year-over-year. Exports to non-US destinations edged up 1.8% from a year ago but slipped 2% from July.

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Lumber Futures Ease from Near 2-Month Highs

Trading View
October 7, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell toward $600 per thousand board feet, easing from the near two-month high of $615.50 on October 3rd as the prior speculative rally reversed amid softer demand, looming tariff implementation, and inventory rebalancing. Demand has weakened as homebuilders and material buyers pull back amid higher construction costs and tighter mortgage affordability that curb new housing starts. At the same time, many market participants had frontloaded purchases ahead of the US 10% Section 232 tariff on softwood lumber and higher duties on wood furniture and cabinets effective October 14th, creating a short-term inventory overhang that reduced fresh order flow. On the supply side, domestic sawmills have ramped up shipments to cover earlier shortages, while Canadian exporters remain constrained by heavy anti-dumping and countervailing duties that limit flexibility, easing prompt tightness. [END]

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Could offsite construction methods be homebuilding’s saviour?

By Grant Cameron
The Daily Commercial News
October 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Prime Minister Carney has set a goal of building half a million homes a year nationwide for the next decade, while Premier Ford in Ontario has promised to erect 1.5 million homes between 2023 and 2031. However, both targets appear to be nothing but remote pipe dreams. Starts are trending in the wrong direction, with further declines expected. …The question is: Could innovative offsite construction methods be the saviour of the industry? A new report from C.D. Howe Institute… found while the approaches are not a silver bullet, they may offer valuable tools for increasing housing supply and dealing with construction workforce constraints. …The report, Building Smarter, Faster: Technology and Policy Solutions for Canada’s Housing Crisis… indicates factory-based approaches can shift up to 60% of the building process off-site… and that modular and panelized systems and mass timber could allow workers to produce more in the same amount of work hours.

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Eco-friendly Toilet Paper Brand Who Gives a Crap Rolls Into Canada

By Who Gives A Crap
Cision Newswire
October 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

TORONTO — Who Gives A Crap, the purpose-driven toilet paper brand that donates 50% of profits to help provide clean water and toilets for all, has officially landed in Canada – offering soft, stylish and sustainable household products that are good for your bum and great for the planet. New research commissioned by the brand found 83% of Canadians are unaware of the impact the traditional toilet paper industry has on the boreal forest. …Every year, more than a million acres of the boreal are decimated, threatening biodiversity and accelerating climate change. Simon Griffiths, Co-Founder of Who Gives A Crap, “By switching to 100% bamboo or recycled rolls, Canadians can help protect one of the world’s most important forests.” …Now sold in nearly 40 countries… it’s already one of Australia’s top toilet paper brands and is growing fast in the UK and US. [

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Mass timber takes centre stage at North Bay’s eco-friendly rec centre

The Bay Today
October 7, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

As Ontario updates its building code to allow taller wood structures, the City of North Bay is leading by example with a state-of-the-art recreation centre built using nail-laminated mass timber panels. The City hosted WoodWorks and the Canadian Wood Council today for a site tour at the new North Bay Community and Recreation Centre, which highlighted the use of mass timber construction. …Steven Street, Executive Director of WoodWorks Ontario… “Mass timber construction not only supports local jobs and communities, it also highlights the region’s manufacturing expertise and strengthens forest industry supply chains, demonstrating how homegrown, renewable resources can deliver high-performance, low-carbon buildings that benefit people, the environment, and regional economies.” …Updates to the Ontario Building Code became effective January 1, which now allow mass timber buildings up to 18 storeys, making wood a viable low-carbon alternative to traditional building materials such as steel and concrete.

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Forestry

UBC’s Faculty of Forestry receives two awards from the Canadian Institute of Forestry

UBC Faculty of Forestry
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Stephanie Ewan, Hélène Marcoux & Ionut Aron

Jeff Sayer

UBC’s Faculty of Forestry is proud to announce its received two prestigious awards from the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC). Each year, CIF-IFC recognizes individuals and groups who have made “unique and outstanding achievements in the field of forestry” and this year the Faculty is well-represented. UBC Research Forests has received the Canadian Forest Management Group Achievement Award and Professor Jeff Sayer has received the International Forestry Achievement Award. The Canadian Forest Management Group Achievement Award recognizes the outstanding achievements by teams or groups of managers in the field of natural resource management in Canada. The 2025 CIF-IFC National Award Committee has recognized the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF), near Maple Ridge, and the Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF), near Williams Lake, for their pivotal role in advancing forest education, research, and management across British Columbia and beyond.

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Experts at Thunder Bay conference say Canada’s forests are drying out

By Rajpreet Sahota
CBC News
October 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Patrick James

As Canada faces longer, more intense wildfire seasons, forestry scientists meeting the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s 117th annual conference this week say the country’s forests are drying out faster than ever, and that could transform how we manage them in the decades to come. …Among the most urgent topics is how heat and drought are changing forest moisture and fuel levels, the materials that feed wildfires. “Modest increases in temperature result in very significant reductions in fuel moisture, which makes those fuels, these trees, these shrubs, these downed trees, this dead wood, all of it that much more flammable,” said Patrick James, associate professor at the University of Toronto researching forest disturbances and wildfires. …He took part in a panel which examined how shifting weather patterns could both challenge and, in some rare cases, benefit certain ecosystems.

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B.C. must spend more to prevent rising wildfire costs, watershed damage, find reports

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Decades of industrial logging and fire suppression are pushing British Columbia’s forests past a tipping point, increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires and undermining the recovery of wild salmon, a new report has found. Released Tuesday by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, the research assessed almost 90 individual studies, reports and government documents, concluding that the current crisis of more frequent and severe wildfires is due to the cumulative effects of a century of fire suppression, changes in forest structure from clear-cut logging, and a warming, drying climate. …The Raincoast report comes less than a week after Robert Gray and Robin Gregory published a paper in the journal Science that argued spending billions of dollars to fight catastrophic wildfires in British Columbia is an ineffective strategy, with long-term spending likely to balloon out of control unless measures to prevent them aren’t put in place. 

Press Release by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation: Increases in high-severity wildfire have implications for water and fish: report

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Coastal Currents – Forestry Fibre Flow Forum

By Value-Added Accelerators
BC First Nations Forestry Council
October 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

October 17, 2025 | River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond | Join us at the Coastal Currents – Forestry Fibre Flow Forum to connect with local primary sawmillers and value-added manufacturers, dive into fibre flow realities, explore regional challenges, and discover new pathways to collaboration and partnership. Together, we will:

  • Get to know local sawmillers and manufacturers for future partnerships.
  • Understand fibre flow, constraints, and access opportunities.
  • Investigate regional challenges and strategies to support value-added manufacturers.
  • Promote First Nations involvement in the value-added space.
  • Explore fibre flow opportunities for Nations entering manufacturing or supply agreements.

An outcome of the Value-added Accelerators, this Forum focuses on advancing value-added manufacturing on British Columbia’s Coast. The Accelerators, launched in 2023, bring together the BC First Nations Forestry Council, BC Value-added Wood Coalition, BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI), and the Ministry of Forests, including BC Timber Sales.

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BC Council of Forest Industries announces the 2025 Forestry Scholarship recipients

BC Council of Forest Industries
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Vancouver, B.C. – The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Forestry Scholarships. Since 2007, COFI has supported students pursuing professional, technical, and trades careers in the forest sector through its annual scholarship program. Each recipient will receive $2,000 to support their post-secondary studies at institutions across British Columbia. “These students represent the next generation of forestry professionals. They are helping shape an industry that’s more innovative, sustainable, and diverse than ever before,” said Kim Haakstad, President & CEO of COFI. …“COFI’s Forestry Scholarships reflect the commitment of our members to inspiring and empowering the next generation of leaders across the province,” said Jim Costley, Manager of Forest Education at COFI. “Whether these students become forest professionals, engineers, or data analysts, their skills and passion will help shape BC’s forest sector and the communities it supports.” 

Related coverage in My Bulkley Lakes Now: Burns Lake student receives a $2,000 forestry scholarship

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Proclamation: Fire Prevention Week, 2025

The White House
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

During Fire Prevention Week, we call on every household and community to prioritize fire prevention by taking steps that reduce risks and strengthen safety.  Americans honor the steadfast courage and dedication of firefighters and first responders across our Nation who protect our lives, property, and natural resources from the devastation of fire. …In recent years, our Nation has seen the staggering costs of poor fire prevention and disaster preparedness.  When wildfires erupted in California earlier this year, sparked by arson and exacerbated by the Green New Scam agenda and disastrous forest management, State and local leaders were left totally unprepared to safeguard our fellow citizens. …This week, we offer our sincere thanks to all the dedicated firefighters and first responders who do not flinch in times of crisis.  …That is why, earlier this year, I was proud to sign a bill into law for permanent pay increases for Federal wildland firefighters.  

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Forest Stewardship Council US Announces Revised Forest Stewardship Standard Approved

By Forest Stewardship Council – US
EIN Presswire
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

ATLANTA — Forest Stewardship Council US announced the approval of the revised Forest Stewardship Standard 2.0. “The revision aligns the U.S. standard with FSC International’s updated Principles & Criteria (V5) and International Generic Indicators (IGIs), while also addressing key stakeholder priorities,” says Amy Clark Eagle, FSC US Director of Science and Certification. Key updates under the new FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard include: At least 10% of every FSC-certified forest will need to be in a conservation area – this means more than 3.61 million acres being managed with a focus on conserving environmental or cultural values. …January 1, 2026 will be the official publication date for Version 2.0 of the FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard and the revised standard will become effective April 2, 2026. This will be followed by an 18-month transition period in which both the current (Version 1.1) and revised standards (Version 2.0) will be valid.

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Health & Safety

50 Years of Answering the Call

Logan Health
September 25, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West

The first rural hospital-based air ambulance program in the country was born out of tragedy 50 years ago near the Hungry Horse Reservoir. In July 1975, a 27-year-old logger named Dennis Buck was severely injured in a workplace accident. His crew worked with a nearby forest service helicopter to form a makeshift rescue operation. Unfortunately, Dennis died before he could reach the hospital, an all-too-common occurrence in the logging industry at the time. Recognizing the need for change, Clyde Smith, co-founder of the Montana Logging Association, put his own logging business up as collateral and worked with Kalispell General Hospital, now Logan Health Medical Center, to form an air-ambulance program to rural workers across northwest Montana. Today, 50 years later, ALERT has evolved into a comprehensive emergency medical transport program. In addition to more than 21,000 helicopter flights in its history, the service now includes a fixed-wing aircraft transport service, a specialty pediatric and neonatal flight nurse team and dedicated ground ambulances…

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Chemical Safety Board investigation focuses on combustible dust

Safety and Health Magazine
October 7, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

FREMONT, Nebraska — Confined and concentrated combustible dust can ignite and generate secondary dust explosions “powerful enough to destroy buildings,” the Chemical Safety Board warns. CSB issued the warning as part of its ongoing investigation into a fatal explosion and fire on July 29 at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Nebraska. Preliminary findings show that the blast was triggered by a combustible wood dust explosion, “a well-known – and completely avoidable – hazard,” CSB Chair Steve Owens said. …CSB says combustible dust, when shaken loose and dispersed into an “explosive concentration in the confinement of a closed space” after a primary event, can explode when exposed to an ignition source. The agency says it’s continuing to: Examine the facility’s design, process flow, dust handling and dust control systems. …The agency said that “complete findings, analyses and recommendations, if appropriate,” will be part of a final investigation report.

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Forest History & Archives

Old Hillcrest Chinese Cemetery eyed for designation as Cowichan historic site

By Robert Barron
Nanaimo News Bulletin
October 7, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada, Canada West

North Cowichan council wants to see the Old Hillcrest Chinese Cemetery, located at 6119 Payne Rd., designated as a Cowichan Valley Regional District Historical Site. Council voted unanimously at its meeting on Sept. 17 to write a letter of support to the CVRD for the 80-year-old cemetery, which is already a Provincial Historic Site, to become a historical site in the district. There are 127 Chinese Canadians buried in the cemetery who were instrumental to the forestry industry in the Cowichan Valley and throughout B.C. It was formally established in 1945, when Carlton Stone, the founder and owner of Hillcrest Lumber Co., transferred 9.38 acres of land at the Old Hillcrest Sawmill in Sahtlam for the purpose of burying Chinese labourers, who were a marginalized group in the province at the time and most had no family nearby to care for them in life or death.

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