As the US July 4th holiday approaches, dangerously high heat begets wildfire and safety warnings. In related news: hot dry conditions continue to fuel risk in northern Alberta; and despite BC’s quiet wildfire season—fire concerns persist. In BC Forestry news: BC Forest Minister Ralston decides not to run for a 6th term; Bob Brash opines on the meaning of ‘forest resilience’; Russ Taylor laments BC becoming ‘univestable’; and Bill Kordyban supports First Nations’ plea to restore local decision making.
In Business news: Canada’s railway unions vote to reauthorize strikes at CN and CPKC; Kalesnikoff Lumber celebrates 85 years in business; Pyramid Lumber runs its last shift in Montana; and New Zealand’s new trade deal removes wood tariffs. Meanwhile: BC Wood announces WOODTALKS at its Global Buyers Mission; reclaimed wood trends up at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair; and the latest newsletter headlines from FSC Canada.
Finally, Japanese crayons that use the true pigment of cedar, cypress and magnolia trees.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Every few years, we witness new vocabulary emerge into the BC forest sector’s world. The most recent term to emerge is resilience. …The question is, will it become another passing buzzword, lead towards true, positive changes to advance our sector, or will it be a cloak for protectionism? BC’s forest sector has long been a cornerstone of the province’s economy and culture deeply intertwined with the natural environment, providing livelihoods for thousands and sustaining communities. However, the sector is currently facing unprecedented challenges that require innovative and resilient approaches. In this context, building multi-dimensional resilience means considering comprehensive environmental, economic, and social factors to ensure the forest sector can adapt and thrive in the face of these stresses.
In early 2023, Canfor closed the original mill as it was too old and oversized for the available timber supply, later announcing they would move forward in with building a new, smaller mill. In May 2024, they then announced, “we have made the difficult decision to suspend our plan to build a new state-of-the-art sawmill in Houston, as we are not confident that an investment of this magnitude can be successful at this time.” …This announcement may look somewhat like many sawmill closures from a lack of fibre in BC, but this one is much more serious. It is a message to government that BC is “uninvestable” as some analysts have stated due to policy changes that create business uncertainty. …In terms of BC marketing, permanent mill closures and withdrawn investments are some of the worst news a lumber exporting region can deliver to world markets. …What a shame it has gone this way, and so quickly.
High interest rates continued to batter the housing market in May as both 
HAMILTON— The Ontario government is investing over $3.6 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) in four training projects and one building expansion project in Hamilton. These investments will provide free training for up to 3,800 apprentices, journeypersons and jobseekers, preparing them for careers in in-demand jobs such as millwright, welding and electrical trades. …United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 1916 is receiving $248,338.86 for a project to build a new mezzanine level to improve Local 1916’s existing training centre in Hamilton. This will increase available training space by 15 to 20 per cent, growing Local 1916’s capacity for apprenticeship programs and training certifications for safety training and technical and leadership skills…
Headlines this month include:
SACRAMENTO, California — Swaths of California sweltered Tuesday and things were only expected to get worse during the Fourth of July holiday week for parts of the United States, with nearly 90 million people under heat alerts. The torrid conditions were being caused by a ridge of high pressure just off the West Coast and a separate ridge that spawned heat warnings and advisories from Kansas and Missouri to the Gulf Coast states, according to the National Weather Service. California’s capital, Sacramento, was under an excessive heat warning expected to last until Sunday night, with temperatures forecasted to reach between 105 degrees and 115 degrees. …About 70 miles north of Sacramento, crews working in scorching conditions were battling a wildfire in Butte County that forced the evacuation of about 13,000 people in and around Oroville. The governor’s office announced late Tuesday that federal funding had been approved to help with firefighting efforts. 
As of June 28 there were only 88 active wildfires in B.C. — mostly in the northeast part of the province — with none considered to be wildfires of note (a fire that is highly visible or poses a threat to public safety). Seventy-four of those fires were under control, and 12 (all in the northeast) were out of control. Two were listed as “being held”, one of them the Tiffin Creek wildfire near Lillooet, which was discovered on June 24 and listed at 151 hectares as of June 28. Rains in May and June have helped the drought situation, but snowpack levels are very low. …So far this year, B.C. has recorded 285 wildfires, with 57 (20%) caused by lightning. Fifteen fires (5%) are of undetermined origin. The remaining 213 wildfires — 75% of the total — were human-caused.
