Keyword Forestry

In August 2018, British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency due to forest fires. At its peak, there were over 560 wildfires burning in the province. The smoke from the fires travelled thousands of kilometres, causing air quality warnings to be issued across BC, Alberta, and as far away as southern Manitoba.[1]

Canada’s forests are some of the largest in the world. They have enormous economic, cultural, environmental, and recreational value for Canadians of all walks of life. [1]

The Climate Atlas allows you to explore how climate change is likely to impact Canada’s vast and diverse forest ecosystems. Much hotter summers, milder winters, and changes in precipitation will likely lead to more frequent and intense forests fires, new invasive species, and an increase in pest outbreaks. Climate change may also make it possible for trees to thrive in previously inhospitable areas, like north of the current treeline or near the tops of mountains. Understanding the magnitude of these various changes and risks allows forest managers, emergency response coordinators, citizens, politicians, and planners to take meaningful action to mitigate and adapt.

Terry Teegee is Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, Tribal Chief of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, and the former forestry coordinator for Takla Lake First Nation. He's seen first hand how unsustainable forestry practices and disregard for traditional indigenous knowledge about forest ecosystems have worsened the impact of climate change. "We’ve lost that real connection with the land, and I think we’re seeing the result of that," he says. “That's why we’re seeing here, not only in British Columbia but around the world, climate change."

Many of Canada’s most notorious forest pests and diseases have become household names in recent years:

In her work as Winnipeg’s City Forester, Martha Barwinsky talks to a lot of people about trees. “People love trees,” she laughs, saying that many people tell her “cool stories about trees: they remember this tree, and they climbed that tree, or their grandfather planted a tree and now they go and pick apples from it.”