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Canada Railway Car Loadings: May 2016
Read more: Canada Railway Car Loadings: May 2016The volume of rail freight carried in Canada totalled 27.7 million tonnes in May, an 8.2 per cent drop last year, said StatsCan Wednesday. In contrast, from May 2011 to May 2016, the total volume of rail freight carried in Canada increased 5.4 per cent. Canada Rail Car Loadings In May, freight originating in Canada…
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Softwood Lumber Smack Talk
Read more: Softwood Lumber Smack TalkIn a new development best received with foreboding, 25 US Senators this week sent a signed letter to US Trade Representative Michael Froman alleging “Canadian lumber is subsidized, unfairly traded and has had decades worth of well-documented adverse economic impacts in the US.” As a result of this communication, Canada’s ambassador to the US, David…
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Conference Board of Canada 2016 Growth Forecast
Read more: Conference Board of Canada 2016 Growth ForecastA new Conference Board of Canada report has downgraded its projections for Canada’s economic growth in 2016 from 1.6 per cent to 1.4 per cent, despite a strong start to the year. The wildfires that damaged much of Fort McMurray, AB, and the surrounding areas, a weakening global economy, and the ongoing and significant deterioration…
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US Existing Home Sales
Read more: US Existing Home SalesTotal US existing-home sales climbed 1.1 per cent to 5.57 million in June, from a downwardly revised 5.51 million in May, said the National Association of Realtors Thursday. US Existing Home Sales Total existing-home US sales climbed 1.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million in June from a downwardly revised 5.51…
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North America Rail Traffic: July 2016
Read more: North America Rail Traffic: July 2016The Association of American Railroads reported Thursday that US rail traffic for the week ending July 16, 2016, totalled 520,222 carloads and intermodal units, a 5.6 per cent decrease compared to the same week in 2015. North American Rail Traffic Update: July 2016 US railroads’ traffic slump continued for the week ending July 16. Total…
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Housing Starts, US: June 2016
Read more: Housing Starts, US: June 2016US housing starts for June surged 4.8 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.19 million units, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. May’s starts were revised down to a 1.14 million-unit pace from the previously reported 1.16 million-unit pace. US Housing Starts Housing starts in 2Q were a touch higher than the…
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US Home Builder Share Prices Increase
Read more: US Home Builder Share Prices IncreaseVery positive moves by share prices of two of the biggest US home builders, DR Horton and PulteGroup, Thursday — even before US housing starts data came out — provide further indication that the long-suffering US housing market is slowly continuing to improve. US Home Builder Share Prices Rise Even before new US housing start…
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US Real Estate and Housing Market: Mid-2016 Update
Read more: US Real Estate and Housing Market: Mid-2016 UpdateThe latest data out of the US this week shows sales of new single-family homes likely grew at a rate of 530,000 units in June, up 8.6 per cent from a 488,000 annualized pace in May, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday. June’s estimated pace of sales was up 7 per cent from a year…
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Lumber Production, Sawmill Capacity: WWPA
Read more: Lumber Production, Sawmill Capacity: WWPAThe Western Wood Products Association, out of Portland, OR, this week released it’s latest monthly Lumber Track, highlighting Canadian and US lumber production and sawmill capacity. This latest issue also contains nal revisions for the WWPA’s 2015 Annual Mill Operating Survey results. Western Wood Productions Association Lumber Track: April 2016 Softwood lumber production by US…
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Housing Starts Canada: May 2016
Read more: Housing Starts Canada: May 2016Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp said Monday the seasonally adjusted annualized rate of Canadian housing starts rose to 218,333, or 17 per cent, in June from a revised 186,709 in May. Canada Housing Starts Housing starts in Toronto totalled an annualized 45,848 in June, the highest since March, said CMHC. Vancouver re– corded a…
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Japan Housing Starts: May 2016
Read more: Japan Housing Starts: May 2016Japan’s housing starts in May were 78,728 units (up 9.8 per cent from the same month in the previous year), surpassing the previous year’s results for five consecutive months, according to Japan Lumber Journal Thursday. Housing Starts, Japan Compared with the previous month, Japan housing starts decreased by 4.5 per cent due to Golden Week…
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Nova Scotia Natural Resources Funding and Projects
Read more: Nova Scotia Natural Resources Funding and ProjectsNova Scotia provincial funding partners the Department of Natural Resources and Innovacorp are jointly contributing $667,000 to Halifax, NS-based energy giant Emera Inc’s $1 million into a new private-public partnership forestry innovation “hub,” based in an Innovacorp of office in Dartmouth, NS. Nova Scotia Forestry New PPP Innovation Hub Nova Scotia provincial funding partners the…
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More Softwood Lumber Talks Transparency Urged
Read more: More Softwood Lumber Talks Transparency UrgedThis week Eacom Timber again went on public record requesting more progress, and updates, on the important Canada-US Softwood Lumber trade issue. “The American market is critical for us … the majority of our shipments are destined to the US,” said Christine Leduc, EACOM’s director of public affairs to Timmins Press Monday. “If you’re (a…
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New Swedish Biomass-Fired CHP Plant
Read more: New Swedish Biomass-Fired CHP PlantThe Swedish biofuel-fired combined heat and power plant was inaugurated in early May 2016, and it is an important step in developing a sustainable energy supply for Stockholm. The plan is for district heating in Stockholm to be entirely produced from renewable and recovered energy by 2030. Fuelling with forest residuals is expected to decrease…
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Streptomyces Bacteria to Break Down Cellulose
Read more: Streptomyces Bacteria to Break Down CelluloseSome very exciting breakthroughs have been made recently in using fungii and sugars to break through tough wood cellulose cell walls and access the abundant energy inside to make various types of fuel. New research carried out on a specific group of bacteria known as Streptomyces shows how certain bacterial strains developed improved abilities to…
