Category Archives: Misc.

Town hall meeting
Thursday February 28, 2013
6pm – Nechako Room, Coast Inn of the North, 770 Brunswick St, Prince George, BC

Organized by the BC Federation of Labour, with the support of the BCGEU, United Steelworkers, CEP and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

BC’s unionized forestry workers are inviting concerned Prince George citizens to a town hall meeting on Thursday February 28 starting at 6pm to discuss and find solutions to the ongoing crisis in BC forests.

Continue reading »

The U.S. Lumber Coalition has released the following press release:

The U.S. Lumber Coalition is seriously concerned by the recent announcement of log export policy changes in British Columbia (BC), particularly an increase in the “fee in lieu of domestic manufacturing” applied to many log exports that will take effect on March 1.

Log export restrictions have the effect of insulating BC lumber mills from world market prices for logs, which have increased significantly in recent years as China and other countries have increased their demand for North American logs. The recent announcement of measures to tighten log export restrictions on the BC Coast will allow BC lumber producers to pay even further below-market prices for their log inputs.

Continue reading »

Lecours Lumber Company Ltd. and the Constance Lake First Nation have reached tentative agreements on the terms and conditions for a new land lease for the Lecours mill and related provisions on employment and business opportunities for the First Nation members.

These agreements give Lecours Lumber a greater sense of security.  In October 2012, the company announced it would have to permanently close after being unable to reach a successful land lease agreement with the Constance Lake First Nation.  The sawmill and lumber mill sit on land that is held in trust by the Crown for the Constance Lake First Nation.

The tentative agreements were reached with the help of a mediator.  Details of the agreements reached will not be available until both sides give a formal and final approval, expected by the end of March.

Continue reading »

The Board of Directors of Western Forest Products Inc. has appointed Don Demens as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective immediately.

Dominic Gammiero will continue his role as Chairman of the Board.

Continue reading »

Jim Blight, General Manager of the Domtar mill in Dryden, Ontario, has been named Mill Manager of the Year at the annual PaperWeek Canada industry conference in Montreal.

The award is given out by the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada, or PAPTAC, to recognize outstanding leadership and performance results in the Canadian pulp and paper industry.

Jim has worked at the Dryden Mill since 1998, and has been in the General Manager role since 2007.

Continue reading »

Pat Bell, British Columbia’s MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie, has released a statement saying he will not be running for another term as MLA.

Bell said he has been diagnosed with a “relatively rare type of aneurism”.  He is seeing a cardiac specialist who is monitoring the size of the aneurism.

“All of this has caused me to re-think my decision to seek another term as the MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. This is a critical and compelling time for our province and it’s equally critical that our team members are able to focus 100 per cent of their attention on the task at hand. With this diagnosis, I need to turn my mind to my personal health and this would take my attention away from my responsibilities as your MLA. For this reason I am announcing today that I have decided to withdraw my nomination as the BC Liberal candidate in the upcoming provincial election.”

Continue reading »

Tembec has announced the departure of Executive Vice President, Specialty Cellulose and Chemical Group, Yvon Pelletier and is pleased to appoint Christian Ribeyrolle as Executive Vice President, Specialty Cellulose.  Pelletier will leave the company on February 22, 2013.

Ribeyrolle, who holds a chemical engineering degree from l’École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand in France, has been with Tembec for ten years. He joined Tembec in 2003 as Manager of the pulp mill in Tartas, France, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 metric tons. In 2008, he was promoted to the position of Director of Sales, Specialty Cellulose, and in 2009, he became Senior Vice President, Specialty Cellulose, and President, Tembec SAS (France).

Under Ribeyrolle’s leadership, Tembec has invested more than 50 million euros in the Tartas site, transforming its process and product mix. When he joined Tembec, specialty cellulose accounted for just 20% of production at Tartas. Today, the Tartas site manufactures 100% specialty cellulose and has become the Company’s best performing asset.

Continue reading »

Dr. Michael Carlson, emeritus scientist with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, has been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal.

The medal, which commemorates the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, was presented to Carlson by Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson in a ceremony at the Kalamalka Forestry Centre today.

Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources said, “The Queen has chosen the theme of service for this milestone year, and no one is more deserving of recognition than Dr. Carlson. His work has been of tremendous service to the people of the province, and has had a lasting impact on forest genetics and forestry in British Columbia.”

Continue reading »

Cascades Inc.  has announced changes to its management team.

Suzanne Blanchet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tissue Group, is making the announcement on behalf of the company.

The President of Tissue Group is appointing Jean Jobin to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Jobin, who joined the ranks of Cascades in 1992, is currently Executive Vice-President of Away- from-Home Products in North America.

Continue reading »

Premier Kathy Dunderdale of Newfoundland and Labrador, has appointed Thomas W. Marshall, Member for Humber East, as Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency.

Marshall will also continue as Attorney General.

Tom Marshall is the son of the late Sylvia Marshall and the late Jack Marshall, former Senator and former Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Humber – St. George’s – St. Barbe.

Continue reading »