Category Archives: Funding Announcements

Nova Scotia is announcing $1.7 million in funding for silviculture projects by small, private woodlot owners.

“Nova Scotians asked for positive change in the forest sector and government is delivering with more silviculture investment to help the environment and the economy,” said Charlie Parker, Minister of Natural Resources.

“This funding was committed to implement the Natural Resources Strategy. It will help create healthier forests, promote growth of quality wood, improve wildlife habitat, protect water quality, and create productive and sustainable forest stands.”

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Edmundston, New Brunswick today to announce federal support to establish the Northern Hardwood Research Institute at the Edmundston campus of the Université de Moncton (UMCE).

The Institute will support the diversification of the industry and the economy by carrying out research that will lead to a more profitable and sustainable hardwood sector with the capacity to export highly competitive products to the global marketplace, thus generating jobs and contributing to the province’s long-term economic growth.

Specific benefits will include:

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Slave Lake Pulp will receive $10 million from the province of Alberta for its new biogas facility.

The biogas facility will treat processed pulp waste, converting it into a gaseous fuel (biogas) that will be used to generate electricity (7 megawatts).

The system is expected to be operating by late 2014.

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The governments of New Brunswick and Canada are providing more than $17 million to Arbec Forest Products to restart the Miramichi OSB mill that was closed 5 years ago by Weyerhaeuser.

Provincial Funding

$15.3 million will be coming from the province of New Brunswick, including:

• $1.5 million payroll rebate
• $5.6 million term loan
• $1.2 million contribution for capital expenditures and start-up costs
• $7-million loan guarantee

Federal Funding

The $2 million from the federal government will being called a “repayable contribution” for necessary upgrades.

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The Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources, today addressed representatives of Canada’s forest industry at a luncheon speech at PaperWeek 2012 in Montreal.

The Minister highlighted the importance of partnerships, innovation and market expansion to the future of Canada’s forest industry in helping to sustain jobs in rural communities across the country.

“Our Government’s top priority remains the economy,” said Minister Oliver. “We continue to invest in communities and initiatives that will make Canadian forest products even more attractive in the global marketplace. With the economic recovery still fragile, we continue to take action to protect and create important forest sector jobs across Canada.”

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The Government of Canada is spending $500,000 over two years to encourage the use of Atlantic Canadian wood in regional construction projects.

The money will go towards Atlantic WoodWORKS!, an initiative led by the non-profit Maritime Lumber Bureau.

Atlantic WoodWORKS! is an expansion of the Canadian Wood Council’s successful WoodWORKS! program into the Atlantic region. Its objective is to encourage the expanded use and consumption of made-in-Atlantic Canada solid wood products in commercial and municipal construction projects.

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“The Government of Nova Scotia has shown leadership and commitment to the people it represents by stepping up to the plate to save hundreds of jobs at the Bowater Mersey Pulp and Paper Mill in Liverpool,” says Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter announced today that over the next five years the province will invest millions to help reduce the mill’s energy consumption, increase production efficiencies, and focus on innovation for the future, including training and other initiatives.

CEP’s Atlantic Regional Vice-President Chuck Shewfelt had high praise for the members of Locals 149 and 251 “who took the first step and made a very tough decision regarding their contract and manning levels. It is good news that the government has been able to take the next step to give the mill a viable future,” he says.

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Premier Darrell Dexter was in Liverpool, Nova Scotia this afternoon to make a multi-million dollar announcement for the Bowater Mersey mill.

$50 million deal details:

• $25 million capital loan through the Nova Scotia Jobs Fund over 5 years for a long-fibre refining project that will reduce the mill’s electricity consumption
• capital loan will also be used to build a topping turbine at the nearby Brooklyn Energy Power Plant, to produce additional renewable electricity.
• $1.5 million in workforce training for workers losing their jobs, through the Productivity Investment Program, part of jobsHere, the province’s plan for economic growth.
• Bowater Mersey will sell $23.75 million worth of land back to the province (about 25,000 acres). The land sale will be finalized by March 31.
• The company has agreed to allow public access to some of its land, as requested by the province.
• Agreement also provides a five-year option to purchase an additional 50,000 acres of company-owned land.

Richard Garneau, CEO of Resolute Forest Products (co-owner of the Bowater Mersey mill) signed an agreement Thursday to maintain the mill for five years.

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Nova Scotia‘s Premier Darrell Dexter is heading to Liverpool, Nova Scotia tomorrow to make an announcement.

Dexter has hinted to media that he will be making an announcement of a multimillion dollar support package to keep Bowater Mersey running.

Resolute Forest Products, as controlling co-owner of Bowater Mersey, recently said it would close the mill without serious cost reductions. Since then, the following cost reductions have been achieved:

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FIBRE, or Forest Innovation by Research and Education, is the newly created organization that has been structured to build synergies among eight Forest Sector University R&D Networks funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Together, FIBRE will work within the Forest Sector Innovation System contributing to the transformation of the Canadian forest sector.

The mandate comes from a partnership comprised of:

• FPInnovations
• Natural Resources Canada
• NSERC
• Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)

The University R&D networks are comprised of seven NSERC strategic initiatives, which are:

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