A northern Alberta timber project is on hold after an independent investigation found the deal between three Métis Settlements and a London-based energy group violated a provincial law. The KPMG investigation found that the East Prairie, Paddle Prairie and Peavine Métis Settlements violated the Métis Settlements Act by entering into a joint venture agreement with Active Energy…
Catalyst today announced the sale of approximately 250 hectares of surplus land in Powell River, British Columbia, for $4.5 million. The forested land is adjacent to the Powell River mill site. While the land was previously harvested by predecessor companies, it has never been the site of manufacturing activity. Catalyst had no plans to use…
Northern Pulp has released a study which they hope clears the air about the economic value of the mill to Pictou County, and the province. But some say the mill’s environmental impact has created an issue of trust with the community, especially the Pictou Landing First Nation. The economic study found Northern Pulp is responsible…
New Democrat candidate Bill Sundhu is supporting a plan to help forestry communities after what he says are years of neglect by Conservative and Liberal governments. Sundhu was echoing a plan put forth by NDP House Leader Peter Julian, a Lower Mainland MP who met with workers at a Nanaimo mill Wednesday to discuss the…
UBC Forestry students can now enrol in the new Bachelor of Urban Forestry degree program. According to UBC Forestry’s website, “Urban forestry is about planning and managing urban green-spaces and ecosystems for human welfare, ecological health and protection of our cities’ support systems.” Approved seven weeks ago by the Ministry of Advanced Education, the program…
In Alberta’s $4-billion a year forest products industry, concerns about the ending next month of the Canada-United States softwood lumber agreement have never been higher. “If you look at the significant challenges facing Alberta’s forest sector, if Item 1 is the mountain pine beetle, Item 2 is the future of the softwood lumber agreement,” Paul Whittaker, president and…
The federal NDP says it will take measures to boost B.C.’s forestry sector should it win the upcoming Canadian federal election. At a campaign stop at Harmac Pacific mill in Cedar Wednesday, Peter Julian, NDP House Leader, andSheila Malcolmson, NDP Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate said the NDP will work to lessen the amount of raw log exports. Julian said…
A fibre action plan announced today will help generate more value from the province’s forest resources. The plan contains actions that will support forestry-related jobs in British Columbia and increase the efficiency of fibre utilization in the short-term while durable longer-term solutions are developed. The actions are designed to increase efficiency of utilization of lower-quality…
Amid weak commodity markets and a shaky domestic economy that have hammered freight volumes, Canada’s largest railway is counting on the resilient U.S. economy to help it post double-digit earnings growth. Luc Jobin, chief financial officer of Canadian National Railway Co., said forestry carloads for the U.S. housing industry and automotive shipments are helping offset poor…
A laser-based instrument for mapping the 3-D structure of Earth’s forests has passed a major milestone toward deployment on the International Space Station (ISS). The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), led by the University of Maryland, College Park, and built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, successfully transitioned to “Phase B,” moving…