A number of communities in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding are grappling with the loss of large industries, and the jobs that went with them. Candidates running in the riding during this federal election each have their own take on the issue. Conservative candidate Moe Comuzzi said she’s committed to creating jobs, and there’s potential in the…
Communities in Alberta will have access to $800,000 in funding this fiscal year for wildfire protection projects through the FireSmart Community Grant Program, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry announced last week. Municipalities, municipal districts, counties, Métis Settlements and registered non-profit societies located within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta are eligible to apply for FireSmart grants to a…
The American Wood Council (AWC) and Canadian Wood Council (CWC) have partnered with Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) to develop an online North American directory outlining reuse and recycling options for wood and wood products. The website can be found at: ReuseWood.org. “For wood products, there has historically been a lack of awareness of the…
When local forager Scott Moran talks about his work you can’t help but think of how romantic and daring it is — the ability to live off the bounty of the land and be self-sufficient — but the reailty is he puts a lot of hard work into creating this charming life. With names like…
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) and its partners across North America set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title, planting 202,935 trees in one hour. SFI partnered with 29 teams of 25-100 people each to plant trees in locations from New York City to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. “As SFI celebrates…
A Surrey-based company has been given the go-ahead to start logging a previously untouched piece of Vancouver Island old-growth forest. The move could spark protests and even a blockade as environmentalists say they’re ready to defend one of the battlegrounds of B.C.’s War in the Woods. “People are willing to occupy the forest,” said Gwen…
A witch’s brew of misfortune has cast a spell on Montana’s timber industry, staggering the beleaguered market as mills pare back hours and lay off employees with little relief in sight. The multifaceted problem is complex, compounded by the looming expiration of the softwood lumber agreement – the Canadian tariff that former U.S. Sen. Max…
The gravel patch nestled in a bend of the Saint-Charles River along Rue de la Pointe-aux-Lièvres is not particularly remarkable. The construction office parked there on a rainy summer day, though, offers a sign of what’s to come at the site, a 10-minute drive from Old Quebec. It’s plastered with renderings of a 13-storey red-and-white…
BC Timber Sales and the City of Revelstoke are hosting an open house to allow people to review and provide feedback on logging plans for Mt. Macpherson. BCTS plans on harvesting a cutblock on Macpherson in 2016 that would impact several mountain biking and Nordic ski trails. Last month, BCTS presented detailed harvesting plans, including…
Protesters fighting plans to log an old-growth forest on the Sunshine Coast are celebrating a temporary victory after construction of a logging road was halted temporarily. The protesters, who have set up camp near Roberts Creek, say the area is an important bear habitat that will be destroyed if the trees come down. Hans Penner has…