The mountain pine beetle has had a huge impact on B.C.’s forest industry, but it’s not the only issue facing the industry. The Council of Forest Industries held its annual general meeting in Kelowna this week. One of the issues discussed was how the forestry industry can be competitive in the face of the pine beetle and other threats. The…
Alberta’s $4-billion forest products sector enjoyed solid growth in 2015, offering a bit of relief to struggling resource towns that have been slammed by the downturn in the oilpatch. The Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA), which represents most of the province’s key industry players, says its members generated revenues last year of more than $3 billion year. That was up more than $150 million or 5.2 per…
New rules around biomass production in Nova Scotia will reduce the number of trees being cut down in the province for a plant in Port Hawkesbury. When it opened in 2013, the plant was billed as a renewable energy facility that would help the province meet clean energy targets. Now government is scrapping regulations requiring…
The Ministry of Natural Resource’s 2016 Forest Fire program officially launched on April 1 and preparations for the upcoming season are now underway at the Northwest Region Fire Management Centre in Dryden. Fire information officer Jonathan Scott confirmed fire crew leaders are on site undergoing mandatory training and readying equipment ranging from hose packs, pumps,…
Canadian truck drivers can start throwing away their pens and pencils over the next few months. Traditional paper logs used to track hours will be phased out in favour of electronic logging devices (ELDs). A Canadian Press report in February said that Transport Canada intends to introduce legislation to mandate electronic logging devices. The Canadian…
New York Heartwoods (NYH) began in 2010, with the help of Dave and Steve Washburn, Hugh Herrera, myself, and a Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill. Our plan to manage and harvest trees ourselves was scratched when we realized how many were falling over, dying and being removed by arborists. Multiple severe storms and several invasive…
A forest certification advisory committee working with the Algonquin Forestry Authority on sustainable forest management within Algonquin Provincial Park in south-central Ontario, has been recognized with the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Canada Stewardship Award for their leadership and personal commitment. “The Algonquin Park Forest Certification Advisory Group is one of many…
The West Fraser Timber Co.’s pulp mill in central Alberta has begun making more than just wood pulp for paper. The forest products company has completed work on Canada’s first commercial-scale lignin recovery plant, which is designed to extract a natural wood byproduct called lignin and repurpose it for use in a range of new…
Forest products are big business in B.C. The sector contributes more than $12 billion to the GDP of British Columbia and employs 145,000 people in the province directly or indirectly. “Government and industry have a shared interest in making sure the industry remains competitive,” says Susan Yurkovitch, president and CEO of the Council of Forest…
B.C.’s forests minister says while the once mighty forest industry in this province is currently very healthy, more needs to be done to keep it competitive in the face of challenges from both inside and outside B.C. Steve Thomson, who spoke to delegates at the annual Council of Forest Industries convention in Kelowna Thursday, said…