Canadian softwood lumber negotiators held a one-day meeting with their U.S. counterparts in Ottawa this week but there was no report of progress on the contentious trade issue. Alex Lawrence, a spokesman for International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, described the meeting, held Thursday, as “an informative exchange.” Officials said they expect talks to resume shortly,…
The search for ways to build greener, more sustainable buildings has sparked a brand new skyscraper race, but these contestants aren’t made of concrete and steel. Coming first in the global green race is the Brock Commons, Phase 1, in Vancouver, Canada, which is one of the tallest mass timber buildings in the world and currently under construction at…
An environmental advocate says the wood pellet industry is damaging ecosystems in the United States and wants emerging jurisdictions like the Northwest Territories to proceed cautiously. Sasha Stashwick, a senior advocate with the National Resource Defense Council in New York City, said the international demand for wood pellets is growing dramatically, and weak regulations allowed clear-cutting in the southeast…
Simmering tensions between B.C. and Quebec, and between large and small Canadian lumber producers, will frame formal Canada-U. S. negotiations to take place in Ottawa next week. The internal conflict adds to the challenge facing the Trudeau government as it tries to put together a unified approach against an adversary that has often tried to…
A proposed wood pellet venture in Enterprise, Northwest Territories, has acquired land for its mill, bringing a six-year slog of development one step closer to reality. Aurora Wood Pellets Ltd. president Brad Mapes said the company purchased 320 hectares of land from the hamlet, or about four square kilometres. The site is about two kilometres…
Two-thirds of the way through the 100-day countdown set in March by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Barack Obama to agree on the parameters of a new bilateral softwood lumber deal, time is fast running out to reach an agreement before U.S. election fever overwhelms the negotiations. The Canadian lumber industry is still hoping…
After an initial flurry of optimism, Premier Christy Clark is now anxious about Canada’s prospects for a renewed agreement with the United States to manage the softwood lumber trade. “I am worried about softwood, period,” Clark told The Vancouver Sun in a recent interview. “I think we are going to have to work incredibly hard…
The Ontario Biomass Producers Co-Op is taking steps to add some structure to their industry. The Co-op is implementing Central Desk Selling and a Check Off Collection Mechanism. The Check-Off will generate funds to promote the co-operative. Central Desk Selling is going to be used to develop an advertising strategy on behalf of the co-operative….
North America exports of wood pellets reached record-highs in 2015, with the US Gulf States increasing shipments by 70% from 2Q/15 to 4Q/15, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review.Exportation of wood pellets from North America totaled 6.1 million tons in 2015, which was 2% higher than in 2014 and almost four times as…
Following on the heels of last year’s successful Guinness Book World Record tree plant, this year’s Rivers, Ocean and Mountain School (ROAMS) students planted 3,800 Douglas-fir seedlings in Northwest Bay with Island Timberlands. “Island Timberlands goes above and beyond supporting local youth,” said ROAMS teacher Darin Carmichael. This is the third year in a row…