How have wildfires changed the way you capture Canada’s forests?

What role can photography play in showing the urgency of protecting forests from fire?

How can images of recovery help Canadians connect with wildfire-affected landscapes?

As Canadians, we are living with a lot of unknowns, especially amid the unprecedented fire seasons we’ve experienced over the last few years. What these scenes remind us of is that there can be hope and healing even amidst tremendous loss. Despite the destructive forces of fire, within it also lies the possibility that something new will emerge. Nature demonstrates to us that it’s never over; new life is born right there in the wreckage.

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With record wildfire seasons, Canada is expanding support for provinces, Indigenous communities, and first responders while building long-term resilience. We sat down with The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski to discuss. 

What supports are in place to help high-risk rural and Indigenous communities prepare for wildfires?

Beyond fire bans, how can Canadians directly support forest protection and wildfire resilience?  

Has the federal government considered new policies or frameworks that could centralize wildfire resources and expertise?  

What immediate federal support can be provided to help provinces manage wildfire more effectively?  

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Today is National Tree Day in Canada; the ideal opportunity to recognize Canada’s 369 million hectares of forest.

Nearly 9% of the world’s total forest area, they are more than just a ton of timber trees; they are home to more than 140,000 plant and animal species, they regulate the climate, and they filter the air and water we all depend on. 

Yet the forests of Canada, perhaps one of the defining symbols of the nation, are not fully protected. Last year Canada lost nearly 4 million hectares of natural forest, as the logging industry generated billions in revenue from timber. Often cutting down primary forests that until now have never been disturbed by humans. In Ontario alone, from 2016 to 2020, 30% of certified boreal forest logged was over 100 years old, destroying enough trees to cover New York City and Washington, D.C. combined. 

This sort of logging is happening even though Canada has more “sustainably certified” logging operations than any other country in the world. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), are meant to make this type of logging harder, but how effectively are they doing this? And how incentivized are the Canadian political parties to enforce conservation, when the forests are on public lands meaning they receive a cut of the billions of dollars made over the past decade. 

Cutting Trees Pumps Carbon Dioxide Into The Air  

Labeling logging “sustainable” can mislead consumers while allowing the destruction of ancient ecosystems and in the process releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. That’s because when trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it in their trunks, branches, leaves, and roots—a natural process called carbon sequestration.  

This stored carbon can remain locked inside the tree for centuries. However, when trees are cut down much of it is released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. This release happens because the carbon once held tightly within living tree tissue is exposed to air and microbes that break down the organic material, causing carbon to escape as CO2. Additionally, the machinery used in logging and transporting timber releases fossil-fuel carbon emissions, adding further to atmospheric carbon. 

Ancient or old-growth forests are especially important because they store huge amounts of carbon accumulated over long periods. So destroying these forests not only stops future carbon capture but also releases these large carbon reserves, accelerating climate change. In other words, logging is not just removing trees—it is effectively turning critical carbon storage sites into carbon sources, worsening the greenhouse effect and fueling climate change.  

Trees Are Good for Our Health 

That is not all, trees also catch air particulates through their plant pores or when particles stick to their “skin.” Which means trees are actually good for our health too. In fact, people who live around trees are healthier overall.  

Less trees means a decline in air quality which fuels asthma, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses. Water pollution caused by deforestation contaminates drinking sources, spreading diseases like cholera and dysentery.Plus, forest loss can increase outbreaks of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. 

Deep Roots Soil Stability  

Trees also play a vital role in protecting the environment by keeping the soil in place and helping manage the flow of water. Think of them as a sponge-and-shield system: their leaves and branches slow down rainfall on its way down to the ground, while tree roots help the soil soak up and hold onto that water. This prevents the ground from drying out or washing away, anchoring the soil and reducing erosion. 

When trees are removed, the soil becomes dry and loose. This makes it harder for plants to grow and easier for topsoil, along with pesticides and other pollutants, to be carried into rivers and streams and then our drinking water. Without healthy soil and tree cover, rainwater can’t soak in properly and instead flows quickly over the surface, raising the risk of flooding.  

Planting Seeds for the Future 

Restoration of these ecosystems is possible. Canada has a long history of replanting efforts, and Canada has committed to investing more than $3 billion over the next decade to plant two billion new trees. 

However, tree planting must be strategic: native species and long-term care are key to ensuring their successful regrowth. Community-based tree planting programs can help increase the chances of success. For example, between 2015 and 2020, over 250,000 trees were planted in Manitoba’s Boreal Forest, through EARTHDAY.ORG’s community based The Tree Canopy Project. Reforestation not only restores the environment; it protects community health and creates green jobs.  

The good news? You can help restore forests. Since 2010, EARTHDAY.ORG has planted tens of million more trees across the globe, focusing on regions hit hardest by natural disasters and climate change. Whether you’re an individual, a business, or a government group, you can support this work by donating, getting your hands dirty and planting trees, or spreading the word.

Visit EARTHDAY.ORG’s The Canopy Project map to learn more and find a planting project near you.  

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New Brunswick is quietly becoming Canada’s global forestry innovation leader thanks to many decades of forestry expertise.

On a crisp autumn morning in New Brunswick, a drone hovers above a canopy of spruce and fir, transmitting real-time LiDAR scans that reveal the forest’s health down to the centimetre. On the ground, University of New Brunswick (UNB) researchers walk through permanent study plots, some having been monitored continuously for decades. In their labs, researchers merge field notes with satellite imagery, creating models that can predict how forests will respond to pests, fire, or climate change.

This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening right now in New Brunswick, a province where forestry has long been the backbone of the economy — and where a quiet revolution in digital forest innovation is underway. It also builds on more than a century of expertise: UNB’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management (ForEM) has been educating foresters since 1908.

A legacy industry meets new technology

Forestry has shaped New Brunswick for centuries, supporting tens of thousands of jobs from sawmills to paper plants to high-tech analytics firms. What’s changed is how the province manages its most important natural assets.

New Brunswick was the first jurisdiction in North America to comprehensively map its forests using LiDAR. Combined with one of Canada’s most extensive permanent sample-plot networks, this has produced an exceptionally rich foundation for research and management. The province also led early forest inventories: a province-wide aerial survey in the 1950s and GIS adoption in 1982 made New Brunswick a pioneer in forest management.

UNB’s ForEM is home to world-class researchers whose scientific contributions in silviculture, remote sensing, sustainable forest management, and forest health evaluation are helping shape how Canada protects its forests today.

Building the forest’s digital twin

The vision is bold: to create a “digital twin” of New Brunswick’s forests. By integrating LiDAR, satellite feeds, climate projections, and field data, such a platform can simulate scenarios — from invasive species to wildfire behaviour to harvesting impacts.

Building upon the success of the Healthy Forest Partnership’s Early Intervention Strategy (EIS), which has focused on protecting forests from the impacts of spruce budworm, researchers in New Brunswick are demonstrating how early detection and predictive analytics can protect forests from pests and diseases. The vision is to extend this model to other major disturbance risks, from wildfire detection and prevention to increasingly severe wind events such as hurricanes and large-scale windthrow. At the same time, climate change is reshaping the growth patterns of key tree species, with long-term implications for wood supply, carbon storage, and biodiversity. Together, these challenges underscore the urgency of developing data-driven tools that help anticipate change and guide sustainable management.

Forests are more than an economic driver. They’re vital to Canada’s climate resiliency, biodiversity, and cultural identity.

The implications are global. A digital twin of New Brunswick’s forests will guide sustainable management at home while providing a model for other regions and a foundation for Canadian companies to commercialize new tools in international markets.

An ecosystem of innovation

This work doesn’t happen in isolation. UNB researchers collaborate with federal scientists at the Canadian Forest Service, Indigenous knowledge holders, colleagues at l’Université de Moncton and New Bruns­wick Community College, and local firms like Remsoft, a global leader in forestry analytics. Large companies such as Acadian Timber and J.D. Irving Limited, are embracing digital methods that improve both environmental stewardship and economic performance.

Equally important is collaboration. Governments, universities, industry, and Indigenous communities are shaping Canada’s most advanced forest innovation ecosystem. With support from the McKenna Institute, UNB is positioning itself as a national hub where natural resource management and digital innovation meet.

The rising toll of wildfire

The urgency of this work has never been clearer. In recent years, wildfires have scorched millions of hectares across Canada, destroying homes, displacing families, and threatening wildlife and ecosystems. New Brunswick has not been immune — communities here have faced evacuations and habitat loss as fire seasons grow longer and more unpredictable. Across the country, from the boreal north to the coastal west, species that rely on intact forests are under mounting pressure. Protecting Canada’s forests is no longer just about timber supply or recreation — it’s about safeguarding biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions, and protecting communities from escalating risk.

Why it matters for Canada

Forests are more than an economic driver. They’re vital to Canada’s climate resiliency, biodiversity, and cultural identity. As wildfires grow more severe and global supply chains more uncertain, Canada needs regions that can lead with new approaches.

New Brunswick offers a unique combination of scale (big enough to matter, small enough to be agile), expertise, and collaboration. Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean gives the province a special vantage point to study the effects of fire, hurricanes, and large-scale wind disturbances as climate change intensifies. With one of the highest proportions of private forest land in the country, New Brunswick also provides a rare laboratory for examining how policy, landowner engagement, and science intersect. Situated in the boreal-temperate ecotone, the province hosts some of Canada’s richest intact forests, with over 32 tree species. This distinctive mix, coupled with leadership in wildfire detection, early spruce budworm intervention, and sustainable management, is attracting attention far beyond its borders. New Brunswick is emerging as Canada’s global leader in forest innovation, with UNB providing education and expertise now and for the future.

To learn more visit unb.ca/fredericton/forestry/research.

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Canada’s emerging bioeconomy innovators are turning forestry waste into products that cut emissions, reduce wildfire risk, and create economic growth.  

Every year, British Columbia’s forests alone generate millions of cubic metres of wood waste that are either burned in slash piles or left to rot. For decades, Canada’s forestry model has been based on volume: harvest, sort, export. The result? A staggering amount of resources — branches, tree tops, lower-grade logs, and, surprisingly, even good-quality logs — are wasted.  

Not only does this release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but it also represents a massive missed economic opportunity. 

The good news is that Canada’s emerging bioeconomy innovators are poised to tackle both of these issues. By turning forestry waste into new products, cleantech companies across the country are developing promising solutions that can cut emissions, reduce wildfire risk, and transform underused fibre into jobs, housing materials, and economic growth. This isn’t just about protecting the environment, it’s about building a more resilient and efficient economy.  

Collaboration is key to unlocking potential 

Canada’s ability to capitalize on this opportunity hinges on collaboration. The National Bioeconomy Communications Strategy, led by Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, is convening key collaborators across the country to realize our bioeconomy’s potential. Organizations like Foresight Canada are working to identify, promote, and accelerate these solutions to market. As Canada’s largest cleantech accelerator, Foresight’s BioAcceleration Program helps bioeconomy innovators refine their go-to-market strategy, prepare for investment, scale their production, and deploy their solutions in real-world environments. 

Some of the homegrown bioeconomy ventures already adding value include NULIFE GreenTech (Saskatoon), HEJMAS (Calgary), and Carbon Lock Tech (Winnipeg). NULIFE GreenTech converts both wet and dry biomass into a sustainable bio-oil while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, lowering disposal costs, and improving sustainability reporting — all at no capital cost. HEJMAS transforms hemp waste into sustainable alternatives to traditional wood and cotton-based fibres used in numerous products like feminine hygiene products, bandages, retail packaging, and furniture, while using 60 per cent less fresh water and 85 per cent less energy, generating 90 per cent less CO2, and avoiding harsh chemicals. Carbon Lock Tech, meanwhile, converts organic matter into a stable form of biocarbon, which can be sequestered and utilized as a value-added product in agricultural soils, construction materials, green infrastructure, and other manufactured goods.  

And these are only a few examples. A recent report mapped over 140 cleantech companies operating in Canada’s forest bioeconomy, representing nearly seven per cent of our national cleantech sector.  

A systemic shift for a prosperous future 

Across Canada, massive economic opportunities are literally decaying in waste piles. Luckily, some of Canada’s brightest minds are working on solutions. By moving beyond a simple resource extraction model, we can transform waste into a driver of national prosperity.  

With the right investment and collaboration, turning traditional waste streams into new products can create high-quality jobs, fortify our supply chains, and ensure Canadian companies stay competitive in a rapidly changing global economy.  

It’s time to turn our waste into a win-win for our environment and our economy. Find out how Foresight is accelerating innovation in the Canadian bioeconomy at foresightcac.com/bioeconomy.  

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Canadians are invited to celebrate National Forest Week from September 21–27, 2025 — a one-week national campaign led by the CIF-IFC. 

This year’s National Forest Week theme of “Roots of Resilience: From Seed to Canopy” is a fitting celebration of Canadian forests and the foundational role they play in Canada’s economy, environment, culture, identity, and well-being.

From the tiniest seedling to the tallest tree, every stage of a forest’s life reflects resilience. Across the country, Canadians are playing a vital role in supporting forests as they grow and evolve to help these ecosystems thrive despite the pressures of changing climate, wildfires, and other environmental challenges.

“National Forest Week is a time to reflect on the roots of resilience that connect our forests, communities, and cultures across Canada,” says Curtis Cook, Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC). “By working together to protect Canada’s forests and biodiversity, we help ensure that these vital ecosystems continue to support current and future generations — from seed to canopy.”

Forests are part of Canada’s identity and a foundation for a sustainable future. Through science and innovation, collaboration, and shared knowledge, we can ensure our forests continue to thrive for years to come. 

Join us for National Forest Week, September 21–27! As Canada’s oldest forestry society (established in 1908) and the proud Voice of Forest Practitioners, the CIF-IFC invites you to celebrate our forest heritage and help raise awareness about this valuable and renewable resource.

Visit cif-ifc.org to learn more about participating in #NationalForestWeek.

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Forests Canada has hit an exciting milestone this year, but this is just the beginning of much more to come.

We’re celebrating National Forest Week with a very special milestone — Forests Canada has proudly supported the planting of 50 million trees on more than 10,400 project sites across Canada.

The collective environmental and economic impact of all those new and restored forests is an important part of our history, but we also know our work has only just begun. Faced with increasing wildfires, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather events, it’s more important than ever to continue with the movement we started. 

Our forests do so much for us — we need to keep working hard for them

Forests Canada would not have been able to reach this milestone without the expertise and dedication of our 100-plus planting partners, including seed collectors, nurseries, field advisors, forestry specialists, and conservation and community partners, as well as the thousands of people from coast to coast to coast who have participated in our planting program.

This achievement would also not have been possible without the support of countless individuals and organizations, including donors, corporate partners, First Nations communities, and all levels of government.

It takes a community to grow forests

As we celebrate our 50 million tree milestone, we’re doing so together with the many people and organizations that also believe in our mission to conserve, restore, and grow Canada’s forests to sustain life and communities. 

On behalf of all of us at Forests Canada, thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible. Together, we are growing something truly beautiful.

To support Forests Canada’s vision for diverse, resilient, thriving forests today and for future generations, visit forestscanada.ca.

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Emerging technologies are helping to reduce the risk of wildfire-related damage to buildings and homes in high-risk areas. 

Population growth is accelerating in wildfire-prone areas of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. “It’s important that these home and business owners recognize the risks of living in these regions,” says Stefan Toivonen, co-founder and COO of B&T Wildfire Technologies Inc. “We help our clients proactively prepare themselves and their structures, so they’re ready for any scenario.” 

B&T Wildfire Technologies is on a mission to empower communities to protect properties against wildfires. Bringing expert knowledge in wildfire management, forestry operations, and urban firefighting, the company provides critical defence systems for buildings. Its sprinkler protection kits are engineered to target ember-caused fires on homes and buildings. Creating a humidity barrier at the apex of a structure, these systems are easy to set up and deploy. Plus, all of its high-quality products are Canadian-made with resources sourced in North America. 

Be ready for anything

The company complements these tools with consultation services, delivering customized structural protection solutions for businesses and homeowners alike. With over 40 years of combined expertise, the B&T team provides unmatched guidance and crafts tailored emergency response plans, sprinkler deployment strategies, and comprehensive risk mitigation plans.

The company is proud to be leading this important industry forward, delivering innovative equipment and vital resources. “Wildfire safety isn’t something to start when a fire is approaching your home. It’s something you factor into your property and mindset today and every day moving forward,” says Ryan Burlingame, B&T’s co-founder and co-owner. “Our kits are a great way to start. They’re built to be accessible, practical, and effective.”

Empowering homeowners to mitigate the property damage caused by wildfires. Learn more at btwildfire.ca. 

^{B&T WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGIES INC. MAKES NO WARRANTY WHATSOEVER WITH RESPECT TO THE GOODS, INCLUDING ANY (A) WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF MERCHANTABILITY;  (B) WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE;  (C) WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF TITLE; OR (D) WARRANTY AGAINST INFRINGEMENT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF A THIRD PARTY; WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AND WHETHER ARISING BY LAW, COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE OF TRADE OR OTHERWISE. BUYER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS NOT RELIED UPON ANY REPRESENTATION, CONDITION OR WARRANTY MADE BY B&T WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGIES INC., OR ANY OTHER PERSON ON SELLER’S BEHALF.}

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