‘I’ve never seen anything like this’: Heat dome, flooding wreak havoc on B.C. Christmas tree supply
Global News
Chilliwack Christmas tree farmer Arthur Loewen said B.C.’s summer heat dome was unforgiving and he expects to lose up to 1,000 trees that were “burnt” in 45 degree temperatures.
Unless you start the Christmas tree hunt early this season, securing that perfect slice of holiday tradition may be a challenge.
The Canadian Christmas Trees Association said there’s a supply shortage across North America, driven by increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christmas trees are a $100-million a year industry in Canada with $49-million worth of product exported mostly to the U.S., according to executive director Shirley Brennan.
Wholesalers can’t keep up with the retail demand and even IKEA will not be selling real trees at its Canadian stores this holiday season.
The world’s biggest furniture brand wasn’t able to secure the necessary local supply of live Christmas trees to meet the needs of its Canadian business this year.
Brennan said we’re losing Christmas tree farms to owners aging out or retiring while growers in the Pacific Northwest are also battling a lack of cooperation from their silent partner: Mother Nature.
“Unfortunately B.C. has been hit very hard this year with weather extremes,” Brennan told Global News.
The summer heat dome and now a flooding disaster, have wreaked havoc on crops which take a decade to cultivate.
B.C. health authorities have announced the first case of a human avian flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition in hospital.
People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.
The Liberal government and the NDP negotiated the substance of a pharmacare bill as part of their now-defunct supply-and-confidence agreement.
Kennedy ran as an independent presidential candidate but gave Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the next Trump administration.
Emergency services are at the scene of a train derailment Thursday morning on Montreal's south shore, where they are urging citizens to stay away from the area.
"I was yelling at them saying get the F** away it’s a wild animal," resident Josh Merrin told Global News. "Sorry about my language."
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.
The Calgary Zoo announced that one of its lowland gorillas unexpectedly passed away on November 12, 2024.
Edmontonians have had mixed feelings and now the city is asking people to share their thoughts officially. The findings of a survey could bring some changes.
Dr. Anna Wolak, a family physician in Vancouver, said many parents are likely having flashbacks to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite this flu being a single case.
WHO acknowledged that testing for mpox is still not widespread, making it difficult to understand how exactly the virus is spreading.