The next federal budget is expected to include a radical overhaul of the way Ottawa spends some $5 billion annually on business innovation programs, sources say. Government officials say the 2017 budget will be heavy on measures to promote innovation and skills. Sources suggest the government has already reviewed the existing alphabet soup of grants and…
A former federal cabinet minister has been appointed the B.C. government’s trade envoy to try and reach a new softwood lumber deal with the United States. The province says David Emerson will also work with the federal government to get a new agreement. Emerson served in a number of federal cabinet portfolios for the Liberals…
The city wants you to help grow a new urban forestry strategy. Council signed off on $150,000 last year to hire a consultant to lead the creation of a strategy to grow, monitor and protect Hamilton’s urban tree canopy. The two-year study is expected to include plenty of public feedback and consultation with environmental groups…
The provincial government’s Throne Speech kicks-off the last session of the legislature before the May 2017 election. The speech, read by Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, lays out the Liberals’ agenda and hints at what’s to come in next week’s provincial budget. With a $2.25 billion surplus forecasted, the big news out of the Throne Speech…
The Canadian Institute of Forestry Annual General Meeting and 64th Annual International Night is Friday February 17th at the Canadian Ecology Centre in Mattawa, Ontario.
When Harold Alexander walks through the woods in Digby County, he sees untapped potential. The veteran forester has managed woodlots in this area for more than 35 years with an eye on the future. But it’s his concerns today about the state of the industry that took Alexander and four other people to Finland in September to…
The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry in Ontario is looking to her federal counterpart for help with the current uncertainty in the softwood lumber industry. Last week Kathryn McGarry wrote a letter to federal Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr asking for the creation of a temporary loan program to help forestry companies. It’s likely these softwood…
The Ontario Wood Award is presented to individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the support and promotion of local wood. The 2017 Award was presented at Forests Ontario’s Annual Conference, held at the Nottawasaga Inn in Alliston, Ontario. This year’s recipient was Jeff Muzzi, Chief Forester at Ensyn Technologies, in recognition of…
Interfor Corp. (TSX:IFP) posted record earnings in 2016 and expects 2017 to be another good year, thanks to strong demand for lumber in the U.S.In its fourth quarter financial statements, Interfor – B.C.’s third largest forestry company by market cap – said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in 2016 was $200…
Through its Bioenergy Producer Program, the government of Alberta has awarded $60 million to 31 different companies that have built or are in the process of constructing in-province bioenergy projects that lead to greenhouse gas reductions when compared to a conventional alternative. Out of a total of 36 projects, two are ethanol, two are biodiesel,…