The Softwood Summit affirmed the importance of BC’s forest sector; formed working group to address tariffs. Feedback from affected groups include:
- Steelworkers: Forestry workers need action now
- TLA :Timber harvesting contractors must get Fed support
- COFI’s Kim Haakstad: Focus should include BC policy changes
- Resource Works: The future of forestry is still unclear despite promises
In related news: Eby says BC won’t run anti-tariff ads alone; New Brunswick Minister backs cap on softwood to secure deal; Rob Shaw says the summit was just a photo op in disguise; Les Leyne says lumber subsidies make for a vicious circle; and the US Lumber Coalition wants to eliminate third-party reviews.
In other news: the US Supreme Court prepares to weigh tariffs-fight in test of Trump’s power—while the ghost of Ronald Reagan looks on; BC’s private forests don’t require changes; Ontario’s species decline challenge; and climate change falls as top concern in survey. Meanwhile: FSC Canada announces new board members; LP Building Solutions has a new CEO; and Boise Cascade reports Q3 earnings.
Finally, Forsite and BGS acquire Forcorp to expand forestry analytics across Canada.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Was Premier David Eby ever really serious about running anti-American softwood lumber ads? Maybe, briefly, back when nobody cared about $100,000 worth of sponsored content promoting B.C. wood products. But after Ontario’s ads blew up Canada-U.S. trade talks, Eby seemed to realize the true value of his campaign — namely, in not running it at all. On Monday, Eby all but admitted his tough talk over the past 10 days about the urgent need to educate Americans on B.C.’s softwood sector was just leverage to score a meeting with federal cabinet ministers. …The premier had spent several weeks loudly proclaiming that these softwood ads were essential, and that they would go forward regardless of what the federal government thought. …In exchange for backing off his threat, Eby hyped up a “softwood summit” on Monday his government called the “turning point in our fight for forestry workers.”
VANCOUVER — British Columbia Premier David Eby says the province is walking back plans to run anti-tariff advertisements in the United States after a meeting with federal officials about the province’s beleaguered forestry sector. Eby said Monday that B.C. won’t be running the ads “by ourselves,” in favour of aligning with the federal government in its dealings with the U.S. government under President Donald Trump. “The unfair and unjustified tariffs imposed by the White House on this sector directly threatens thousands of jobs right across the country,” Eby said at a news conference after a forestry summit meeting with federal officials and others. …”Minister LeBlanc didn’t have to ask,” Eby answered Monday when a reporter asked LeBlanc if he requested that the B.C. government hold off on its anti-tariff advertising campaign. “I knew that it was a source of anxiety for many people, including potentially the federal government.”
Following today’s BC Forestry Summit, the TLA was pleased to hear the encouraging remarks from Premier Eby and the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. Their commitment to … addressing softwood lumber tariffs is an important step toward ensuring the long-term stability and competitiveness of Canada’s forest sector. As the backbone of most BC communities, the TLA appreciates today’s much needed recognition that forestry remains critical to both BC and Canada’s economies. The TLA emphasizes the importance of ensuring that a portion of the federal government’s $700 million in funding directly supports forestry’s timber harvesting contractors. …this support can strengthen a sustainable and more certain forest industry. BC was once the lowest cost lumber producer in North America and is now amongst the highest… There is an urgent need to improve certainty by diversifying markets, enhancing access to fibre, and reducing costs to ensure the industry’s long-term viability and global competitiveness.
Politicians from BC and Ottawa met in Vancouver Monday for a forestry summit, where they agreed to create a working group on supporting the industry in the face of ever-increasing U.S. fees and tariffs. …Speaking after the forestry summit on Monday, he said the federal government’s commitment to a working group with the province felt “very heartening.” Kim Haakstad, the president of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, said in a statement that the group is pleased the governments are working together to keep people working — even when markets are challenging. Haakstad said the working group should also include the industry to help focus on keeping mills open, which means prioritizing a new softwood lumber deal and accelerating the rollout of the $1.2 billion from federal government.
An extended slowdown in sales of cardboard boxes is intensifying concern that this holiday season will be a disappointing one for US retailers. US corrugated box shipments fell to the lowest third-quarter reading since 2015, maintaining the more measured pace seen in the previous quarter, according to the Fibre Box Association. Packaging companies in recent weeks have warned that economic uncertainty is weighing on retailers and consumers. …This time of year is crucial for the box industry, with shipments typically peaking in October as retailers prepare for the holidays. Box plants said orders were flat or below normal in October, while US consumer sentiment fell to a five-month low and manufacturing activity dropped for an eighth straight month. …US box industry shipments are poised to drop 1% to 1.5% this year versus 2024,” IP’s Andy Silvernail said last week. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]
Campbell River council has given the green light to the fire department to apply for a $419,000 grant through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. This funding will help mitigate wildfire risks within the city over the next five years. Fire Chief Kelly Bellefleur and Assistant Fire Chief Stephanie Bremer told council the grant will be used to develop a new Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) with a more comprehensive, science-based framework. It will assess current wildfire risks in the city, identify priority treatment zones, and establish a five-year framework for wildfire mitigation and community preparedness. The grant will also help the city upgrade the fire department’s capacity to fight wildfires by purchasing a Type 2 Structure Protection Unit, a mobile trailer equipped with pumps, hoses and sprinklers designed to protect multiple structures during a wildfire, among other priorities.
Local governments on Vancouver Island are frustrated after finally receiving a long-awaited answer to when legislative changes are coming to the law governing how some forest lands are managed in BC. The answer … after years of fighting, change is not coming. The 2003 Private Managed Forest Land (PMFL) Act puts no limit on the volume of timber that can be harvested, contrary to logging on Crown land. …“What they’re looking for is the same standards that apply on Crown land to apply on private property,” BC’s Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar said. “…we have a number of private licensees that do really good work in BC, and I would highlight Mosaic being the largest.” Parmar added he has recently spoken to Mosaic … and feels the company is taking steps to address local government concerns that don’t require legislative changes. 
TORONTO — As the 2025 fire season ends, Ontario’s fire crews, aviation services and support staff responded to 643 fires between April and October with 597,654 hectares burned. While the 2025 fire season began with an early active start, the coordinated efforts of frontline staff, municipalities, Indigenous communities and firefighting crews ensured a rapid response to protect people and communities from wildland fires. …With the rest of Canada also experiencing a demanding fire season, Ontario extended support to our partners, with over 400 fire personnel and six aircraft supporting firefighting in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, as well as south of the border in Minnesota. As this year’s fire season ends, Ontario is now turning its focus to ensuring provincial fire crews are ready to respond next fire season. …The 2026 fire season will begin on April 1, 2026.
Wildfire experts from around the globe convened at Istanbul Forest Innovation Week (IFIW) to evaluate Türkiye’s approach to forest fire management, unanimously acknowledging the country’s advanced capacity in both fire detection and intervention. Experts emphasized the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), as a critical factor in Türkiye’s rising prominence in global wildfire resilience. Tiago Oliveira, chairperson of the Portuguese Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management, highlighted the multifaceted challenges climate change poses to forests worldwide. He underscored that warming trends are prolonging fire seasons and increasing the number of days with severe fire conditions. Oliveira also stressed the indispensable role of local communities living near forests. … Warning about extreme fire scenarios, Oliveira noted, “When difficult conditions triggered by climate change occur, very intense fires begin, making firefighting extremely challenging because water can become ineffective.”
Panama – Unveiled today at its General Assembly, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) reports a sharp slide in public concern for climate change, even after the hottest year on record. The 2025 Global Consumer Awareness Survey – conducted with Ipsos across 50 countries and 40,000+ respondents – find war and conflict (52%) now dominate public worries while climate change trails at 31%. That is a 21-point gap in the 2025 snapshot. Looking only at the 32 countries surveyed in both 2022 and 2025, the concern gap has widened from 12 points in 2022 – where economic hardship was on top position – to 16 points in 2025. …While ‘climate change’ may rank lower as an abstract global issue in the 50-country snapshot, across the forestry module markets, the impacts felt through forests –wildfires, droughts, floods, and biodiversity loss – rank among the top concerns within the forestry sector.