The Mi'kmaq people of Pictou Landing have had enough of broken promises, and the stink of a toxic harbour that they have put up for over 40 years.

The province of Nova Scotia has promised to divert effluent from the pulp mill at Abercrombie Point and to clean up the Boat Harbour treatment lagoon, but it has yet to happen.

The Pictou Landing band made an agreement with Kimberley-Clark, who owned the mill, in 2001, agreeing to let the treatment plant operate there until 2030 if the pipeline diverted the effluent out to sea and if Boat Harbour was cleaned up.

By 2005, engineers told the province the cleanup of Boat Harbour couldn’t go ahead while the pulp mill was operating.

Nonetheless, in 2006, the Pictou Landing band signed an extension to the memorandum with Neenah Paper, the company that then owned the pulp mill, and a new cleanup date was set for 2008.

By 2008, Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp. owned the mill and the provincial licence it had for discharging waste into the ponds expired. Since then, the company’s licence has been granted on a month-to-month basis.

Brian Hebert, a negotiator for the Pictou Landing band, said, "The First Nation put the province and the mill on notice that as of July 1, they will be in a position to take legal action. The province gave the mill a licence to pour effluent into the harbour. The province could terminate that licence on a 30-day notice, but it’s unlikely the province would."

While Mr. Hebert said the band, province and the mill’s owner will continue to talk and negotiate, the community wants some guarantees, such as significant penalties if future deadlines aren’t met.

Source:
No fix yet for Boat Harbour - Pictou Landing native band threatens legal action against province, pulp mill over failure to clean up polluted lagoon (Chronicle Herald)

The Harmac pulp mill in Nanaimo, B.C. was bought for $13.2 million by Nanaimo Forest Products, a four-way partnership led by Harmac's workers.

A California based movie producer thinks the story of the little mill that defied the odds and predictions of imminent failure would make a great movie.

Harmac president Levi Sampson said the producer, who wishes to remain anonymous for now, read about the mill and the efforts of workers to buy it after its previous owner, Oregon-based Pope & Talbot, went bankrupt in the spring of 2008 and closed all of its pulp and sawmills, including Harmac.

Sampson said the producer has been visiting the mill during the past two months conducting interviews with the workers, managers and Nanaimo Forest Products's three private partners and is now preparing a script for the movie, which he isn't sure is intended for theatres or television.

Levi Sampson said, "It's very much in the early stages of the process but I guess we'll soon get to the point where they'll start interviewing actors for the parts. I expect a lot of the movie will be shot at the mill and the area, so the project will also be a shot in the arm for Nanaimo's economy."

Source:
Harmac will be focus of movie - Producer isn't sure whether flick will be for TV or theatres (Nanaimo Daily News)

The government of British Columbia wants to train 750 unemployed people to help fight their province's wildfires this year.

This year has the potential to be a record fire year in B.C. In case the summer continues to be hot and dry, Forests Minister Pat Bell wants to ensure they have enough personnel trained and ready, in case the military or help from other provinces is not available.

Bell said the province could use reinforcements on the fire lines, and laid-off forest workers and others who are unemployed would be perfect for the job.

The training program will pay people $15 an hour to take a two-day basic fire suppression and safety course, qualifying them for possible work this summer.

The $250,000 training program will have courses in Kamloops, Castlegar, Prince George, Smithers, Williams Lake and Parksville.

Are you interested? You can get more information at www.bcwildfire.ca.

Source:
B.C. to train unemployed to help fight forest fires - Laid-off forest workers would be perfect to help in hot, dry summer, minister says (The Globe and Mail)

Recently Ontario's Premier, Dalton McGuinty, decided to move the responsibility of the Forestry portfolio out of the Ministry of Natural Resources and into the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

The decision to give forestry to Michael Gravelle, the current Minister of Northern Development and Mines was met with praise by some forestry officials who believed a northern minister, no matter what the ministry, was best suited to handle forestry issues. Some, however, criticized the move and said that forestry belongs no where else but the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The current Minister of Natural Resources, Donna Cansfield, has said what is important is the industry and not the ministry it is under.

Early reaction from regional politicians indicates a belief that forestry will be better served in the Northern Development and Mines ministry with Minister Gravelle.

MP John Rafferty (NDP. Thunder Bay – Rainy River), who also serves as the federal NDP forestry critic, said he sees the move as a positive for the industry and the region.

Source:
Cansfield OK without forestry (TbTelevision)

We were expecting to hear a decision from the Superior Court of Justice today as to the fate of Marathon Pulp and who will be responsible for its environmental cleanup.

That decision has been postponed until Tuesday.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the receiver of the mill, is asking the court hat they be absolved of all responsibility for the bankrupt mill, including environmental liabilities.

Source:
Marathon Pulp decision delayed (TbNewsWatch)

Domtar has won its tax appeal in Cornwall, Ontario. Domtar will receive a refund amounting to $700,000 of the roughly $2.8 million in taxes it paid on the mill property during its last three years of operation.

The amount of the tax rebate - which was agreed upon by the city, Domtar and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) - was much less than what the paper company had originally been seeking.

Several months ago, Domtar launched an appeal of the assessment value for the mill property for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, arguing the values didn't accurately reflect the property's actual market value. The original assessment values for the mill during those years were $22.7 million, $22.6 million and $17.8 million respectively.

The Domtar Cornwall mill closed in March 2006 and was sold to Paris Holdings for $4 million several months later.

Read the full story:
$700,000 tax refund for Domtar (Standard Freeholder)

Atikokan Renewable Fuels is now in full control over the former Fibratech Mill in Atikokan, Ontario.

Fibratech went into receivership in November of 2007.

Atikokan Renewable Fuels plans to invest an initial $15 million to renovate the plant to produce industrial wood pellets. The company also hopes to set up an assembly plant in Thunder Bay to manufacture pellet machines for export.

When the wood pellet operation is up and running, the company anticipates 40 jobs will be created.

Source:
Atikokan Renewable Fuels Busy at Work (CKDR Dryden)

AbitibiBowater has announced that the Company has appointed Mr. Bruce K. Robertson as Chief Restructuring Officer.

Mr. Robertson's primary responsibility will be to support Company efforts in the restructuring process stemming from AbitibiBowater's creditor protection filings. He will work closely with the Executive Team and report to David J. Paterson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

"We are pleased to have Bruce Robertson on board and to share his expertise in corporate finance and restructurings," stated David Paterson. "I look forward to working closely with Bruce and the Company's Board, Management and creditors to move, as quickly as possible, towards a negotiated settlement of claims and a comprehensive restructuring plan that will make AbitibiBowater a stronger, more sustainable organization."

Mr. Robertson recently served as Senior Managing Partner at Brookfield Asset Management Inc. At Brookfield, he held a number of operational roles, managing over $7 billion in North American distressed private equity, bridge lending, and real estate finance strategies. In his capacity as a senior executive of Brookfield, Mr. Robertson served on a number of private and public boards. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University.

AbitibiBowater has obtained a court order in the U.S. authorizing the appointment of Mr. Robertson.

Source: AbitibiBowater Press Release

The British Columbia government is accepting applications again from forestry workers for early retirement assistance.

Through the Community Development Trust's transition assistance program forest workers 60 year or older, and who meet the program eligibility requirements, may be able to access up to $35,000 as a bridge to retirement or other activities.

The program has already helped thousands of workers in the troubled forest sector.

The trust was created with $129 million in funding from Ottawa last year, and although 5,700 workers have been assisted by the fund, there is cash still remaining, including about $20 million in the transition assistance program.

For more information on the Community Development Trust visit http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt.

Applications will be accepted by the government until August 31st.

Source:
Another round of aid for forest workers (Prince George Citizen)

It is Canada Day and in Fort Frances, Ontario AbitibiBowater is taking 24 hours of downtime so they will not have to pay their workers holiday wages.

Times are tough in Fort Frances. Last week AbitibiBowater let 14 management personnel go from the mill, and the local word on the street is there may more restructuring announced on July 2nd (tomorrow).

My favourite Forestry journalist, Gordon Hamilton, has been looking into the tightening grip majority shareholder Brookfield Asset Management is exerting on the coastal forest company.

Yesterday, Western Forest Products announced Monday that chief operating officer Duncan Kerr is history. This seems to be an on-going occurrence. All three top executive positions Brookfield engineered in 2005 when it dumped Doman scion Rick Doman from the CEO spot are now gone.

First it was Doman's replacement as CEO, Reynold Hert, who was fired in January. Then Murray Johnston, who had been chief financial officer for less than two years, was dismissed in March. Now Duncan Kerr.

Kerr had some strong disagreements with Brookfield, which controls the company over operational decisions. What those disagreements were remains unknown. Maybe one day Brookfield or a former executive will talk. In the meantime, the company that was formed from the once-mighty forestry empires of both Macmillan Bloedel and B.C. Forest Products is virtually shut down.

Read Gordon Hamilton's latest blog post:
Brookfield dumps another executive at troubled Western Forest Products (Out on a Limb)

The pulp mill in Marathon, Ontario has been closed since the company filed for bankruptcy protection in February. 230 people are out of work.

Last Friday, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment issued an order for site remediation, stating that the mill's owners permitted the discharge of contaminants and also controlled sewage works that discharged effluent into the Marathon harbour.

On Thursday, the receiver of the mill, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, will be asking the Superior Court to absolve them of all responsibility for the bankrupt mill, including any environmental liabilities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Environment is asking the court to require the receiver to address environmental matters at the site, including financial assurances, before divesting itself of the facility.

Union officials, and the area's MP, Bruce Hyer, want the court to keep alive the possibility of someone purchasing the mill. To do that, the mill's wood supply needs to stay in the region.

Source:
Mill owners look to dump facility (TbNewsWatch)

The city of Vancouver is facing a waste management crunch. One of its main landfills is expected to be full at the end of next year. As preparation, Vancouver is looking at 8 proposals right now to handle the bulk of the city's solid waste for the future.

One of the proposals involves the old pulp mill in Gold River.

Covanta Energy and Green Island Energy are proposing to convert Gold River's long closed pulp mill into a garbage incinerator.

The proposal would see 700,000 metric tonnes of Metro Vancouver's garbage each year taken to Vancouver Island by barge, burn it and convert it into 90 megawatts clean, renewable power each year. The mill already has the power infrastructure required to send power back into the grid.

The plan would be a boom to the very economically depressed area on Vancouver Island. The incinerator project could created 130 permanent jobs, $30 million in annual economic activity and a $500-million boost during construction. Many people had to move away from Gold River when the mill closed.

In addition to providing economic opportunity, the project would significantly reduce Metro Vancouver's need to export waste to the United States, reduce the amount of waste landfilled, and reduce traffic congestion and emissions in the Lower Mainland.

The project has received the endorsement of the Village of Gold River, Strathcona Regional District, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and the Council of Chiefs of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations.

There are some critics who think incinerators have the potential to emit dioxins, furans, and heavy metals like mercury.

Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized owner and operator of 52 renewable energy projects, 37 of which are energy from waste facilities. Critics points out that Covanta has been fined $68,278 for emissions violations in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

"We are in compliance 99.9 per cent of the time," said Brian Bahor, Covanta's vice-president of sustainability. "Our goal is 100, but it's undeniable that at some points in time you exceed your stack limit."

Covanta said the Gold River facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art emission control systems and will meet or exceed federal and provincial emissions standards.

About Gold River

Gold River first starting appearing on maps in the 1870's. The area was the traditional territory of the Mowachaht and Muchalaht peoples. Chinese miners were attracted to the area for its promise of gold.

In the 1960's the Tahsis company began logging in the area and selected the flat delta at the mouth of the river as the site for a kraft mill because of its deep-sea access too oceangoing freighters. The only problem is that area was already used for the site of the community.

In 1965 the town was relocated to a site 8 miles from the mill. The town was Canada's first all-electric town, and the first in Canada with underground wiring. The mill opened in 1965 as a 750 ton-a-day bleached kraft pulp-mill.

In 1984, Canadian International Paper Company (CIP) acquired full ownership of the mill from the Tahsis Company. A paper manufacturing component was added to the mill, thus creating a short-term building boom and increasing employment. However, newsprint prices soon collapsed amid a glut of new supply, the cost of wood chips increased, and high interest rates proved so crippling that in 1993 paper production shut down. The mill continued to lose money.

Over the years the company name of the mill changed as CIP was sold to Canadian Pacific Forest Products in 1989, which later became Avenor Inc. in 1994.

In 1998, Bowater took ownership of the mill when it acquired Avenor. In August of 1998, Bowater ceased operations at the mill, saying the mill was not strategic to its plans. The mill had no fibre agreement tied to it and was plagued by high production costs. Bowater closed the mill permanently in February 1999.

When the mill closed 382 people lost their jobs. The town, being a company town, derived 82% of its taxation revenue directly from the mill. As many of Gold River's working families moved away, many of the houses in the town were sold at auction-- some to Europeans. Since then Gold River has reinvented itself as a west-coast tourism hub. Affordable housing, a friendly small town atmosphere, excellent civic amenities and a paved all weather road connecting it to the more populated eastern coast of Vancouver Island have helped fuel a rebirth of the community.

Sources:
Companies have big plans for Metro's garbage - One proposal would burn waste in a long-closed pulp mill in Gold River to generate electrical power (Vancouver Sun)
Gold River (GoldRiver.ca)
History of Gold River (GoldRiverMyHome.BC.ca)
Covanta Energy Releases Economic Study of Proposed Gold River Energy-From-Waste Facility - Proposed Facility Would Generate More Than $500 Million in Economic Activity (Covanta Press Release)
Bowater shuts Gold River mill for good (Pulp & Paper)

The employees of Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership in Prince George, B.C. were more than a little worried when they were called to a meeting this past week, with their significant others.

It was a relief when they heard that Canfor Pulp is actually in pretty good shape.

“They told us they have about $500 million dollars worth of capital projects on their three year wish list” says one employee. “It looks as though they are in much better shape than anyone thought.”

During the session, employees were told there are no plans for curtailments and no plans for any cuts to pensions or wages. The company indicated some confidence in being able to qualify for up to $120 million dollars over the next three years through the environmental package being offered to Canadian Pulp and Paper producers.

Source:
Canfor Pulp Employee Huddle Good News (Opinion 250)

The Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia (FPANS) is very concerned about a report released yesterday by Global Forest Watch Canada. The Association is more concerned that the report will generate misinformation for the public, rather than helping to answer any questions about the future of the forests in our province.

“While studying the report, we are finding it to be quite misleading,” comments Steve Talbot, Executive Director of FPANS. “And that’s already happening, with people viewing the topic of this report as clearcutting – and this report is not on clearcutting, it’s a report on man-made changes to resource land.” FPANS does not dispute that harvesting is a part of the ‘change’ measured in the report, but it certainly is not the only cause of change.

The report refers to measuring a 12% ‘change’ in the forest land of Nova Scotia over a 17 year period, but does not make clear what these ‘changes’ are. FPANS is concerned that the report leads a reader to believe the ‘change’ that is measured is based solely on the harvesting of trees. There is no mention of the measure of deforestation (i.e., land that is developed and will never return to forest land, for example a parking lot) or of forest land that is currently re-growing after harvesting and how either of those situations are measured.

It is interesting to note that if this 12% change was due only to forest management activity, this would be similar to managing our forests on a 126 year rotation. For example, if a person cut trees in their wood lot at the rate given in the report, it would take the land owner 150 years before they would have to return to the area cut in the first year - promoting a sustainable, uneven aged forest in Nova Scotia.

The report does clarify one measure of change – the effects of Hurricane Juan on our forests. Because a great number of sites across the province were cleaned by harvesting crews after that devastating storm in 2003, the report considers this a man-made change to the forests. The report actually cites Halifax’s Point Pleasant Park as an example of this unique measure. Talbot’s comments to that were, “I don’t see how any person in Nova Scotia caused that hurricane damage, nor was it a responsible act to leave the forests in the mess they were, so to include it in this report just makes no sense.”

FPANS is also concerned how some data has clearly been left out of this report. The report uses data from a 1912 report by B.E.Fernow and a 2008 State of the Forests report by the NS Department of Natural Resources, showing that agricultural use of land in Nova Scotia has declined substantially from the turn of the last century. What is missing from the Global Forest Watch report is that comparing the forest land base in 1912 and 2008 reports would show that there is more forested land today in Nova Scotia then there was in the 1912 report.

“It will come as no great shock that we are not supporting this report. We can’t support it, as we feel this report is of no help to Nova Scotians with respect to discussions about our forests,” says Talbot. “It provides no direction, and I’m a little surprised the folks from Canada Parks and Wilderness would be a part of this report.”

The Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia (FPANS) is the largest organization of forest interests in the province. Since 1934, the association has served as "the voice" of the forest industry. The association, through a volunteer Board of Directors and numerous technical committees, cooperates with industry, federal, provincial and municipal governments and other interested stakeholders to ensure that forest management and stewardship policies are adhered to.

Source: Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia Press Release