Nova Scotia premier holds off commenting on Northern Pulp’s future until tomorrow, drawing opposition ire and pundit conjecture. Meanwhile, despite the efforts of BC’s labour minister and premier Horgan’s hopes, the forestry strike drags on; US housing starts fail to spur lumber prices, US homebuilders applaud NAFTA 2.0; and analyst’s revise Canfor’s target price up after failed takeover bid.
In Climate/Forestry news: Canada’s top ten weather stories point to more extremes; Australia experiences record temperatures, declares wildfire emergency; the Sierra Club’s take on old-growth logging and greenhouse gas emissions.
Finally, is your wrapping paper recyclable? Try the AF&PA scrunch test.
Kelly McCloskey, Editor
B.C. Labour Minister Harry Bains said Wednesday afternoon that he plans to meet with both United Steelworkers Union and Western Forest Products following the breakdown in talks Tuesday.“I am disappointed to learn that talks for a renewal contract have broken off between Western Forest Products (WFP) and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-1937,” said Bains.“I have arranged to immediately meet with representatives of both parties to discuss how to move forward and find a solution that helps the parties reach an agreement that supports sustainable forestry jobs in coastal communities.”On the picket lines on Wednesday, workers say they are frustrated but remain determined. …Port McNeill Mayor Gaby Wickstrom says families are suffering more and more every day. …The union says alternate shift schedules is one of its main outstanding issues and that contracting out is still a main issue for WFP.
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To prevent gypsy moth populations from becoming established and minimize the risk they pose to forests, farms, orchards and trees, government is planning aerial-spray treatments in three regions of the province in 2020. The Ministry of Forests has applied for a pesticide-use permit to aerial spray 241 hectares of residential and municipal parkland in North Surrey, 231 hectares in the centre of Lake Cowichan townsite and 167 hectares of semi-rural properties and wooded area north of Castlegar. Trapping and monitoring results over the past several years show clear evidence that gypsy moth populations are becoming established in the proposed treatment areas. If left untreated, the invasive moth could spread to new areas of the province via vehicles, containers, rail and marine vessels. The North Surrey area was hand sprayed in 2017 and 2018, and aerially sprayed in 2019. It is now apparent that the treatments did not completely eradicate this infestation.
Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales declared a seven-day state of emergency Thursday as oppressive conditions fanned around 100 wildfires. Around 2,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, half of which remain uncontrolled, with the support of U.S. and Canadian backup teams and personnel from the Australian Defence Force. The last state of emergency ran for seven days in mid-November amid “catastrophic” fire risk and was the first implemented in New South Wales since 2013. Central Sydney reached a maximum of 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) on Thursday, while outer suburbs scorched at 42 Celsius (108 F). …Around 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) of land has burnt nationwide during a torrid past few months, with six people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed. …Sydney’s air pollution levels on Thursday ranged from poor to hazardous.