A new report on the Fort McMurray wildfire suggests that if Alberta Forestry officials had used “high risk/high reward” fire ignition techniques to fight the wildfire before it hit Fort McMurray on May 3, 2016, they might have had some success quelling it, according to a story in the Edmonton Journal. The critique has some…

OTTAWA — The first-ever nationwide assessment of Canada’s freshwater resources found significant evidence of disruption to watersheds across the country as a result of human activities. The results, released June 12, suggest the need for an ongoing, standardized national freshwater monitoring and reporting system in order to make evidence-based decisions about this valuable resource, say…

AMSTERDAM AND NEW YORK – The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, two global sustainability certification organizations, have announced their intention to merge later this year. The new organization will be named the Rainforest Alliance, and will tackle environmental and social issues, including climate change, deforestation, poverty and unsustainable farming. It will create a single global certification…

MOLINE, Illinois – Deere & Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Wirtgen Group, a privately-held international company that manufactures road construction equipment. The purchase price for the equity is EUR 4.357 billion in an all-cash transaction. The total transaction value is approximately EUR 4.6 billion (USD 5.2 billion based on current exchange…

The effort to get Fort McMurray back to normal following last spring’s massive wildfire continued Saturday, as volunteers lined up to help plant trees in the region. Tree Canada president Michael Rosen told the Alberta Morning News that they’re starting by planting trees in the city itself. “We’re not going to have a chance to…

An almost century-long endeavour to preserve and enhance York Region, Ont.’s managed forests reached another milestone earlier this year with the LEED Platinum certification of the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre. Set in the Hollidge Tract in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, the 362-square-metre (4,000-square-foot) single-storey building is the first regionally owned facility to…

A fairly wet spring has meant fewer wildfires than normal on the Prairies. Saskatchewan has had about 65 wildfires, well below the province’s five-year average of about 120 by this time. Alberta is reporting about 220 wildfires, compared to more than 500 by this time last year. “This spring, we’ve received a lot more rain,…

In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA), alongside the Honourable Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, will be rolling up their sleeves to help Habitat for Humanity GTA build 15 homes for working, low-income families.  As the Official Wood Sponsor for these 15 homes, OFIA is proud that these homes will…

Officials with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry say a new base for forest firefighting efforts at the airport in North Bay will better protect northern communities and firefighters. Representatives from the province and the City of North Bay were on-hand Friday to officially open the new fire management headquarters at the Jack Garland…

Natural Resources Canada is forecasting an average wildfire season for much of the country this year. Researchers say dry conditions and low precipitation in areas of Alberta, British Columbia, southern Yukon and the Northwest Territories may cause a gradual increase in fire threat in the coming weeks. The danger for these areas — which include…