Forest Fires already?

We're not even into June, and already there have been large forest fires in Ontario and Quebec.

In Quebec, 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and there are 28 forest fires, with 5 out of control. Some of the fires in Ontario and Quebec are dozens of hectares in size, and the largest in Ontario is over 800 hectares.

BC has sent over 200 fire fighters to help out. It is probably only a matter of time before things heat up in our province too. The forecast for the next few weeks is warm weather, and we have thousands of hectares of dry, beetle killed pine that is very susceptible.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/05/27/quebec-fires.html

And we thought Grizzly Bears were Big...

Working in the woods, you sometimes think about running into bears, and how big they can get.

This hog would probably dwarf most bears in BC.

An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires.

Link to story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_monster_pig

Rising Canadian dollar and Forestry

Recent reports predict that the Canadian dollar will stay strong, and could reach parity with the US dollar. This ofcourse places pressure on Canadian forest companies who sell to the US, because they receive less in exchange when they convert their US sales to Canadian dollars. It could be a rough road ahead for lumber companies, as the outlook is not good for the US dollar, and the Canadian dollar is expected to stay strong as long as metals and oil remain in a bull market.

Signs that commodities are at all time highs?

When these kinds of things are happening you know that we are in a bull market for metals.

Police in New Westminster are investigating the theft of $10,000 worth of copper wire from the lamp standards at Mercer Stadium in the Lower Mainland city overnight.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/05/18/bc-wires.html

Unstable slopes and landslide risk

Be careful where you buy or build your home!

A new geotechnical report has concluded 27 North Vancouver homes were built on an unstable slope, and that nine of them are at very high or extreme risk from landslides.

Deputy City Engineer Douglas Pope said the nine homeowners at highest risk would have to spend up to $200,000 on slope stabilization work by fall.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/05/18/bc-slide.html

Raymond Royer - the Green CEO

Here is an interesting article about Raymond Royer, the CEO of paper company Domtar who recently attended the Green Living Show in Toronto to hear Al Gore speak, and to mix with the attendees.

He seems to enjoy hearing all sides of environmental issues, and talks about sustainability in forestry. I think he has a pretty good attitude and is dealing with the realities in today's markets, where many customers want a product from a sustainable forest.

Royer is quoted as saying "this is an industry that has been very traditional, where people have been doing the same thing successfully for 25 years. They figure: Why should we change? The difference I see now is the world market, but not everybody sees it"

Link to full article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070507.RROYER07/TPStory/Business

Continued Flood risk for BC

With warm temperatures forecast for the start of May, it looks like flood warnings are going up for the north and central areas of BC, and the Lower Mainland. A warm May could also bring an early start to this summer's fire season.

Low-level flooding has already begun in the Houston area of northern B.C. and some parts of the Peace River region.

This past week, the Federal government gave B.C. $16.5 million to help control flooding along the Fraser River.

Link to more on this story:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/05/04/bc-flooding.html