The building boom for new houses in the U.S., a jump in plywood prices and steady shipments of pulp and fibreboard to China spell good news for West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., one of Canada’s largest forest product companies. West Fraser earned $1.45 per share in the third quarter, compared with 42 cents a share…
The Truck Loggers Association of BC says there is still time for an agreement to be reached in the softwood lumber dispute. The United States became free to roll out trade action earlier this month, but Association President David Elstone says they haven’t started the process quite yet. He says any protective tariffs are usually…
Catalyst Paper, which owns the Crofton pulp mill, is now considering its options if the deal to sell the company to the Indian-based Kejriwal Group International falls through. The four principal stakeholders in Catalyst, who own 79 per cent of the B.C.-based company, announced on Oct. 26 that they are considering an alternative recapitalization proposal…
Ontario’s moose population is under threat with “rapid declines” in numbers over the past decade, warns the environmental commissioner in a new report that urges the government to take better care of the province’s wildlife and forests. “It matters that moose are in decline . . . moose are key forest species in most of…
Imagine what it would be like to buy or sell a house without the frame of reference provided by a real estate market. The value of your property would be unknown and you wouldn’t be able to price-check comparable houses, because that information wouldn’t be available. If someone knocked on your door and made you…
The Netherlands currently shares with Ireland the title of Europe’s least wooded country—trees currently cover just 11 percent of its surface area. But following an announcement Monday, Mainland Europe’s most densely populated country should start getting a lot leafier. Holland’s State Forestry Commission, the Staatsbosbeheer, just unveiled a plan to boost the country’s forested area…
Biofuels and bioenergy have now become an essential component in the world’s renewable energy mix. Last month, French multinational energy company, Total (NYSE: TOT) and Bill Gates recently invested $14 million in a new biomass conversion technology from clean tech start up Renmatix. Renmatix is focused on the economical production of biochemicals and biofuels as an alternative to petro-driven fuels. Their Plantrose technology…
Signs of a fir bark beetle outbreak are emerging in a forested area within city limits. About 200 trees at the Otway Nordic Centre are showing the telltale reddish-brown dust that marks the boring holes the insects leave as chew their way into the tree. Runners and cyclists are being asked to keep their eyes…
The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) today presented the 2016 Aboriginal Business Leadership Award to Chilcotin Plateau Enterprise Ltd. (CPE) owned by the Toosey Indian Band. The award was presented to Chilcotin’s Forestry & Economic Development Manager, Craig Kennedy, at the 2016 Aboriginal Economic Development Corporation…
Once upon a time, contractors in the BC Interior were the envy of Canadian loggers. Big wood, modern mills, large volumes, and conditions that lent themselves to efficient mechanization meant that a good contractor could expect to do relatively well here. Based on results from the 2016 Canadian Forest Industries Contractor Survey, Interior contractors have…