One year ago, the wildfire situation in the region was significantly different than it is this year, and that’s good news. This time last year, 219 fires had been sparked in the Kamloops Fire Centre, scorching a total of 3,600 hectares. This year, according to fire information officer Max Birkner, there have been 92 fires…
When Pritzker Prize–winning architect Shigeru Ban was commissioned to build his first skyscraper in Canada, many predicted the structure would be akin to his other designs around the world: bold and innovative. Today, the Japanese architect unveiled his plans, and it appears he has, indeed, stayed true to form. Although Ban and Vancouver-based developer PortLiving…
Science and research are key to innovation and environmental sustainability in the natural resource sectors. The Government of Canada is making strategic investments in scientific research infrastructure to support the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resources industries, create jobs and to support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy. An investment of $3.3 million at the Laurentian…
Hopes of avoiding a new round of U.S. duties on imported softwood lumber are fading for companies like EACOM Timber Corporation which owns sawmills in Timmins and Gogama. “The American market is critical for us … the majority of our shipments are destined to the U.S.,” said Christine Leduc, EACOM’s director of public affairs. “If…
Over the last decade, fires have burned through some 15,500 square kilometres of B.C.’s forests and charred some 38 million cubic metres worth of trees from within the designated timber-harvesting land base, according to figures from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. In any given year losses to forest fires can swing from negligible to substantial. For example,…
A new forest management plan aimed at protecting caribou will prevent the logging of 223,000 hectares of forest for 20 years.The plan, which was recently approved by the provincial Ministry of the Environment, covers part of the Pasquia Porcupine Forest Management Area, a two-million-hectare area with the town of Hudson Bay at its centre, said Gord Vaadeland of the…
Last week, President Obama arrived in Ottawa to address Parliament. He spoke at length about the partnership, values and shared economic vision between Canada and the United States. Absent from his lengthy speech was an update on the March commitment made between himself and the Liberal government to put in place a framework within one…
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the B.C. government against Canadian Forest Products and one of its contractors over a 6,100-hectare forest fire on Crown lands near Vanderhoof in 2010. The province alleged that Canfor and the subcontractor, Barlow Lake Logging, were negligent in the blaze, which began on a cutblock granted by the government…
Emera Inc. is sinking $1 million into a new forestry innovation “hub,” based in an Innovacorp office in Dartmouth. Provincial and federal government partners are jointly contributing another $667,000 to this enterprise.But what is this hub? Who, exactly, is receiving the money? And why is Emera investing so heavily? The provincial funding partners, which are…
There is an old saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees, in essence that details can obscure the big picture. In light of the debate that has swirled around forestry-related policies and practices for far too long in Nova Scotia, it might be useful to adapt this saying to emphasize…