Elk herds that were reintroduced to northwestern Ontario nearly 20 years ago have started to spread out and claim new territory, according to a retired wildlife biologist who continues to study the animals. Bruce Ranta was part of the team that brought elk back to the northwest in the Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls area, after they…
The power generating station in Cochrane could be started up again this spring, under a new district energy model, thanks to ongoing talks that are yielding progress between stakeholders and the province. The 42-megawatt cogeneration facility, currently majority owned by Northland Power, shut down in May of 2015 when a new contract could not be…
The City of Merritt is facing an estimated four to six per cent drop in overall tax revenue in 2018 due to the closure of the Tolko sawmill. Those numbers are based on two scenarios, with the city facing up to a six per cent drop if Tolko decides to demolish the offices they have…
Premier Christy Clark has promised logging contractors on B.C.’s coast some help with their most intractable problem, how to get consistent work at high enough rates from major forest companies to keep their firms viable. Contractors couch the discussion as “contractor sustainability,” and Clark, in a luncheon speech Thursday, said Forest Minister Steve Thomson has already…
The Supreme Court of BC gave the green light on Jan. 18 to major changes to the way Catalyst Paper does business. Catalyst Paper, which owns the Crofton pulp mill, is in the process of a recapitalization plan that would see the forest company switch from a publicly traded entity to a private enterprise. Company…
Aviation enthusiasts will be interested in catching a glimpse of the Kaman K-MAX 1200 aircraft at work heli-logging in and around the city for the next few weeks. “It is a very specialized aircraft,” said Clint Sarver, who owns and operates Sarvair Aviation with his wife, Karen Sarver. “I believe there are only three in…
Nova Scotia Trade Minister Michel Samson says he believes the province will be exempt from any new duties that could be placed on Canadian softwood lumber by the U.S. government. American sawmill operators are lobbying for a surcharge on Canadian lumber entering the U.S. because they say sawmills north of the border have access to cheap Crown timber…
Independent timber harvesting contractors—the economic backbone of BC’s rural communities—are struggling in a business climate that doesn’t support locally owned forestry businesses. The TLA’s 74th Annual Convention & Trade Show will take place January 18 – 20, 2017 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. Over this three-day event, we’ll find out what needs to…
An assessment of the total financial impact of last spring’s Fort McMurray wildfire is pegging the direct and indirect costs of the blaze at almost $10 billion. The $9.9-billion figure includes the expense of replacing buildings and infrastructure as well as lost income, profits and royalties in the oilsands and forestry industries, said MacEwan University…
The First Nation Forestry Council (FNFC) and four B.C. pulp and paper companies are pleased to announce they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote and support the growing role and influence of First Nations in the B.C. forest sector. The four companies include: Catalyst Paper, Nanaimo Forest Products (Harmac), Paper Excellence Canada…