On the heals of BC’s old-growth deferral on Vancouver Island, the Squamish First Nation calls for a moratorium in its territory. In related news: seniors protest in Victoria, as pro-forestry groups counter-rally in Campbell River; ENGOs crowdfund to buy forests; mothers and mother trees are said to nourish us all; and a new study says planting trees could undermine the climate fight.
In other news: Canada combats truck driver fatigue with tracking device regulation; BC implements new rules for contractor rate negotiations; Resolute invests to expand lumber output; Paper Excellence gears up for Prince Albert mill restart; NorSask, Steelworkers reach 5-year agreement; and Mitsubishi partners with Drax on carbon capture.
Finally, architect Michael Green’s latest mass timber tower in Madison, Wisconsin.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
MEADOW LAKE, Saskatchewan–The United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-184 and NorSask Forest Products have concluded a groundbreaking, five-year collective bargaining agreement for members at the sawmill’s operation… However, the most impactful language negotiated between the two parties is the groundbreaking recognition and reconciliation language. It reads: “NorSask Forest Products LP and the United Steelworkers union enter into this Agreement recognizing and acknowledging that we operate on the traditional lands of the Cree and Assiniboine signatories of Treaty 6 dedicated to ensuring that the spirit of Treaty 6 is honoured and respected. The parties to this Agreement understand that a primary objective of MLTC ownership is to support economic and social development in Indigenous communities. The parties to this Agreement appreciate that the Company is a primary employer in our region, and must work proactively towards removing barriers that hinder appropriate participation of Indigenous peoples in the NorSask workforce.”
As Vietnam’s wood in manufacturing sector has seen incredible growth over the last few years, Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) continues to focus on opportunities for B.C. forest products within this market. As part of product trial strategies aimed at showcasing innovative furniture pieces made from B.C. softwoods, the FII Vietnam team has begun working with a leading local design group – Minh Chuong – that specializes in custom joinery and furniture pieces for retail, restaurant, resort, marine and high-end office projects. Together, Minh Chuong and FII Vietnam developed three aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically designed rocking chairs made from western hemlock, western red cedar and yellow cedar. The success of the trial was partly due to the favourable properties of western hemlock. …The success of this initial trial has led to FII Vietnam continuing to work with Minh Chuong on future projects, showcasing Canadian softwoods in a range of furniture and interior applications.
CAMPBELL RIVER, BC — Both sides of the old growth logging issue came to a head in Campbell River on Thursday morning. What was originally going to be a small demonstration against logging old growth in solidarity with the campers at Fairy Creek, expanded as a counter-protest of pro-forest industry supporters who came out in numbers. While tensions did not boil over into violence, many demonstrators from either side argued and debated their points in the street in front of Babchuk’s office. The old growth protectors took up the space in front of Babchuk’s office, while the counter protesters stood in the street in front of the building. The two logging trucks were parked in front of the office for some time, but moved on to allow traffic to flow.
The Board received a complaint from a resident of Grand Forks about motorized use and maintenance of the Columbia and Western Rail Trail. The Columbia and Western Rail Trail was an established recreation trail between Castlegar and Fife, but the designation was cancelled during the course of the investigation and it is no longer an established recreation trail. The Board looked at whether motorized use was allowed to occur on the established recreation trail, whether authorization of industrial use by Recreation Sites and Trails BC was reasonable, and whether replacement of an old culvert caused harmful materials to enter the stream. 
The B.C. government is delivering on its commitment to modernize the forest sector … by making regulation changes to help forest-sector contractors stay in business, improve competitiveness and prosper. Amendments to the Timber Harvesting Contract and Subcontract Regulation create transparency in contract negotiations and improve the dispute resolution process between forest tenure holders and the contractors they hire… One change to the regulation requires licence holders to provide contractors with clearer work specifications to understand the full scope of work to negotiate their rates. “…the TLA has advocated for fairer and more sustainable means to determine the rates B.C.’s loggers are paid for their services. …these changes …will rectify the current imbalance in negotiating such rates to the benefit of the contractors and the resource communities they and their families live and work in. …this is one critical step of many to protect jobs and advance our sector to benefit all British Columbians.”
SFU expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from heating by 80 per cent now that the new $33-million Corix biomass plant has begun operation. The GHG saved is equivalent to the emissions from 900 homes every year. By slashing direct emissions from operations and indirect emissions from energy purchased GHG emissions, SFU leads the way in sustainability with one of the smallest GHG footprints of any university in Canada. “This facility will allow SFU to achieve 97 per cent of the province’s 2050 greenhouse gas target, …” says Larry Waddell, chief facilities officer, SFU. Instead of using natural gas to heat SFU’s campus, the fully operational biomass plant, located on South Campus Road at SFU Burnaby, transforms clean wood waste, once destined for landfills, into a low carbon energy source. The plant now provides heat and hot water to most of SFU Burnaby and approximately half of the UniverCity community.
Japanese engineering giant Mitsubishi today pledged to move its carbon capture and storage operations to London after winning a major project to clean up emissions at the Drax power station in Yorkshire. Carbon capture and storage is seen as a key way for Britain to meet its emissions targets. …Successful implementation of CCS at major carbon emitting industries has proven elusive over the years but Drax says its tie-up with Mitsubishi would be one of the biggest projects in the world. Since the power station has moved from coal to burning pellets made from waste wood, Drax argues that, when combined with technology that takes the carbon out of the smoke it produces, the power station becomes one with “negative emissions”. …Greenpeace’s Dr Doug Parr… is concerned about how much damage is done to biodiversity of woodland and carbon emissions by the very fact of chopping down trees to create the pellets it burns.
