Daily Archives: December 6, 2019

It’s uncanny how some amateurs know so much more about forestry than those in the business. Or at least they think they do. The Nova Scotia forest industry drives over $2 billion in annual economic activity. The closure of the Northern Pulp mill would be devastating, not only for the forest industry but for the province as a whole. There are about 11,500 Nova Scotians deriving their livelihood directly or indirectly from forestry… Many thousands of them could be about to lose their jobs.  …This is not economy vs. environment: we can have both. There is no reason to sacrifice thousands for a vocal few offering simplistic, naïve solutions. We all use paper, wood and forest products every day. The green economy will demand more of these renewables in place of hydrocarbons, plastics, concrete and steel. We should continue to make them here in Nova Scotia.

After a year spent talking to forestry folks, the Ford government rolled out a draft of its anticipated Forest Sector Strategy, Dec. 4. According to Natural Resources and Forestry Minister John Yakabuski, the proposed strategy is geared toward stimulating job creation, promoting industry growth and access to wider markets, cutting “unnecessary” regulation and costs for businesses, while ensuring Crown forests are sustainably managed. The strategy is a compilation of the feedback gathered … during roundtable discussions held across the province in 2018 and 2019, as well as from surveys and emailed submissions. The government is now consulting with Ontarians by digitally posting it on the Environmental Registry. The commenting period closes Feb. 5. A final strategy is coming out sometime next spring. …Innovation that will diversify the forest products mix has also captured the government’s attention, particularly the emerging mass timber movement and use of lumber for construction of tall wood buildings.

FPInnovations applauds the Ontario government’s support of the forest sector, and the continued advancement of traditional and innovative wood products, with the release of its draft Forest Sector Strategy. The Strategy promotes job creation, encourages economic growth and reduces unnecessary costs for businesses while ensuring Ontario forests are sustainably managed. Among many proposed benefits, the Strategy highlights opportunities for non-traditional and innovative uses of wood fibre, promotes forest-sector growth and aims at creating new markets for innovative and sustainable products. The research of FPInnovations and its partners delivers solutions that address the challenges of the entire Canadian forest-sector value chain. The research is aligned with the Ontario government’s overall strategy to increase the competitiveness of its forest industry to meet the demanding realities of the 21 century. FPInnovations and its partners are well-positioned to assist in its implementation across Ontario.

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to bring clarity today to the question of who should pay for cleaning up a mercury-contaminated site near Ontario’s Grassy Narrows First Nation. Eight years ago, the Ontario government ordered Weyerhaeuser Co. and Resolute Forest Products to do remedial work on the former pulp-and-paper mill site in Dryden, Ont., where about 9,000 kilograms of toxic effluent was dumped in the English-Wabigoon River system in the 1960s. The two companies claim that an indemnity granted in 1985 to the company that owned the facility at the time applies to them as well, something the province disputes. An Ontario judge ruled in favour of the companies in 2016, saying the language of the indemnity should cover the two subsequent owners as well, but the decision was largely overturned on appeal.