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$34 million aid
The New Brunswick provincial government is expected to announce
later this month a more than $34-million investment in Fraser
Paper's pulp and sawmill operations. Natural Resources Minister
Donald Arseneault said the money will bring much-needed upgrades
to the firm's Plaster Rock sawmill and Edmundston pulpmill.
Biofuel firm eyes Miramichi
properties
A Fredericton, N.B.-based firm, Arcadia EcoEnergies, is in negotiations
with UPM-Kymmene to purchase the forestry giant's Miramichi properties
and build a $1-billion biofuel refinery. The project, if given
the go-ahead, would employ about 1,500 people in a refinery producing
20,000 barrels of biofuels per day. The company would transform
UPM's groundwood pulpmill in Nelson into a recycling plant for
disposed materials, including wood from dilapidated barns and
used clothing. The recycling plant would produce pellets to fuel
the refinery, which would be located at UPM's current Newcastle
site.
$750-million loss
Canada's wood products industry is headed for a second straight
year of $750-million losses, says the Conference Board of Canada.
Pine beetles, biofuels driving up costs, and the U.S. housing
collapse have combined to severely hurt the industry. "2007
will be remembered as one of the most difficult years for Canada's
wood products industry, with business conditions resembling a
bad horror movie," says Conference Board Economist Valerie
Poulin.
Forestry reports on their
way
Two reports on the future of the New Brunswick forestry industry
are expected by the end of the summer. One of the two reports
is being done by UNB researcher Thom Erdle on wood supply and
the other is being done by Don Roberts of CIBC World Markets
and covers the future markets for New Brunswick forest products.
Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault said once the reports
are released the province will be in a better position to take
action to help the industry in the fall. In the meantime the
government has been re-examining the way it calculates royalty
rates on Crown wood.
Investing in the future
Comeau Lumber in Meteghan, N.S., has received a $350,000 loan
from Nova Scotia's Industrial Expansion Fund to help it maintain
the jobs of 60 employees. The century-old company produces quality
lumber products that are used around the world and Economic Development
Minister Angus MacIsaac says the loan is an investment in the
company's continued success. It is also repayable, with interest,
over two years. (NSBJ, June'08)
Brooklyn Power, business as
usual
Officials at AbitibiBowater say the 22MW biomass electrical
cogeneration facility directly across the street from the Mersey
newsprint mill in Brooklyn, N.S., continues to operate at normal
capacity following the company's acquisition of the Brooklyn
Power Corporation and South Shore Power Services on April 22.
Biomass for Brooklyn Power comes primarily from wood waste from
the Mersey sawmill in Oakhill, Lunenburg Co., the paper mill,
and other sawmills throughout western Nova Scotia. The plant
continues to sell excess electricity to Nova Scotia Power at
the same rate as before the sale.
Loonie eats profit
Paying for raw materials in Canadian dollars while selling the
finished product in U.S. dollars has made it unprofitable for
NewPage's Port Hawkesbury, N.S., mill to export paper to the
United States, according to the company. The Canadian loonie
has been steadily rising for some time. NewPage bought the mill
last year as part of a deal to take over Stora Enso North America.
(NSBJ, June'08)
CIF celebrates 100 years
The 100th annual general meeting and conference of the Canadian
Institute of Forestry (CIF) will take place in Fredericton from
Sept. 7-10. Several hundred CIF members from around the region
and across the country will make the trek to New Brunswick to
celebrate a century of achievement in advancing forest science,
promoting professional competency, positively influencing Canadian
forest policy and practice and successfully networking forest
professionals both socially and in the sharing of knowledge
and passion of our country's forests. With the University of
New Brunswick's Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management
also celebrating 100 years, it will undoubtedly be a birthday
party to remember!
"There is tremendous excitement about this meeting and
conference," said John Pineau, national executive director
of the CIF. "Our Maritime Section has been working very
hard with the university to put together a top-notch event with
excellent speakers as well as a number of interesting field tours,
and of course plenty of fun and entertainment."
The conference will include special guest speakers, technical
presentations and discussions, the Institute's national awards
banquet, several forestry field tours, and the much-anticipated
launch of a rejuvenated Institute a member-driven initiative
that promises to prepare the CIF for its next 100 years.
"The conference kick-off on the evening of Sept. 7 will
include an exciting forestry-student competition called a Quiz-Bowl,
and the premiere of our 100th anniversary video," said Pineau.
"The theme of the conference Canada's Forests: Manage
for Change is proving to be very timely for all who are
concerned with forest management, a changing forest sector, and
the need to balance the social, environmental, and economic values
of our forests. The conference theme, as always, is very relevant
to what the CIF is all about."
A detailed agenda and early registration information is now
available through the conference website (follow the CIF AGM
2008 link at www.AtlanticFarmer.com).
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