It is touted as a renewable energy source, but there are still challenges facing Bio-Energy. In the Northern Interior of BC, the major challenge is access to fibre. In the wake of the Mountain Pine Beetle, all who depend on forestry are pressed to have access to the resource. As was witnessed just a week…
Shares in Richmond-based Catalyst Paper (TSX:CYT) jumped more than 700% Tuesday after the company announced that Indian papermaker Kejriwal Group International is interested in acquiring it. The Mumbai, India-based company has committed to paying $6 a share for Catalyst shares not held by the company’s four largest stakeholders, prompting the surge in price for Catalyst…
As the world’s nations work towards reducing their dependence on fossil fuels in favour of cleaner and more sustainable alternatives, industries must either adapt and innovate or face obsolescence. This fact is not lost on the Forest Products Association of Canada, which recently announced a plan for the sector to reduce its emissions by 30…
The Municipality of North Cowichan has provided the B.C. Forest Discovery Centre with a $25,000 grant. The money, which will come from the municipality’s Forest Legacy Fund, will go towards the centre’s Shay Locomotive Project. Alf Carter, president of the B.C. Forest Museum Society, told council at Wednesday’s meeting the money will be used to…
Thompson Rivers University has received a big grant towards creation of a chair position focussed on the future of our environment. The Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia has granted $150,000 to the university in support of a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) industrial research chair position. “This investment by the Real Estate…
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…
Air Canada today announced it will participate in Canada’s Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI), a three-year collaborative project with 14 stakeholder organizations to introduce 400,000 litres of sustainable aviation biofuel (biojet) into a shared fuel system at a yet to be determined Canadian airport. Previous Air Canada biofuel flights used biojet that was segregated and…
A long-awaited dedicated forestry centre that would educate people on the importance and history of forestry to Squamish’s history is a step closer to becoming a reality. Members of the Sea to Sky Forestry Centre Society presented their plan for the facility slated for south of the Squamish Adventure Centre at the committee of the whole…
Forest sector research and development is getting a boost with the help of Northern Development Initiative Trust’s new Forest Innovation Fund, says a news release on NDIT’s website. The fund will provide up to $1 million in grants over a two-year period for small and medium-sized companies and community forests engaged in resource extraction, resource…
The Canadian forest industry is on the verge of another watershed moment. The Softwood Lumber Agreement has lapsed, while efforts are underway to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership, creating both opportunities to take advantage of new markets and growing fears about future trade actions from the United States, its largest trade partner. The weak Canadian dollar…