Right now there is a window of opportunity to change forest management planning north of Kenora. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is looking at the possibility of establishing an Enhanced Sustainable Forest Licence (ESFL) for the Whiskey Jack Forest. Gaining local community input into how the forest is managed, one of the benefits…
Five years ago Norm Goodell cut down trees he wasn’t supposed to. It was a mistake a hundred years in the making. McBride’s community forest contracted with Walter Jervis, who contracted with Goodell, to log a block of forest about 20km up Hwy 16. The community forest gave straightforward instructions to log the young wood…
How much subsidy is too much? Two American pulp and paper mill owners are alleging that Nova Scotia has unfairly subsidizedPort Hawkesbury Paper Corp. In documents filed with the United States International Trade Commission, they state that the subsidies have allowed the mill to dump supercalendered paper on the American market at prices far below…
Domtar Corporation announced today an investment by Schlumberger in CelluForce, a joint venture between Domtar and FPInnovations that manufactures wood-derived nanocrystalline cellulose (NCCTM). The investment is a collaboration to explore the use of NCC to enhance the productivity of oil and gas wells. Schlumberger is the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information…
Amendments to forestry legislation introduced today will enhance the effectiveness of BC Timber Sales and allow the transfer of pulpwood agreements to increase fibre supply to pulp mills. Acting on recommendations from the BC Timber Sales effectiveness review, the amendments will encourage more accurate timber pricing, help BC Timber Sales generate more revenue, and improve…
Intelescope Solutions is a forest analytics company that utilizes drone and satellite imagery to transform the massive forestry industry. Intelescope provides their clients with automated services at speeds of 50-100x faster than those of current processing techniques. This enables more efficient management and a richer knowledge of timber assets. To date, the company has raised $8.3…
The Invasive Species Centre has launched a comprehensive new website on invasive species in Canada’s forests. Forest Invasives Canada (www.forestinvasives.ca) provides an easily-accessible portal for information regarding the invasive species that threaten Canada’s urban and working forests and green spaces. The website features profiles of target species, recent research and management strategies, and in-depth discussions on the overall ecological, social,…
Ontario is investing in two projects to help Rentech Inc., a Northern Ontario fibre company, to convert two idle wood product mills into facilities that manufacture wood pellets, a sustainable energy source. The two facilities have created over 60 jobs in Northern Ontario, as the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines said in the press release…
If the 20th century was the century of the skyscraper, then the 21st century is shaping up as the century of the “plyscaper.” Despite its historical reputation for great city fires — London in 1666, the Great Chicago fire of 1871 and San Francisco in 1906 — wood is making a comeback as a construction…
The Northern Pulp mill is here for the long haul. “Rumours that our mill is closing any time soon are simply not true,” said Bruce Chapman, general manager of the Pictou County kraft pulp mill. Emphatically denying that the Abercrombie Point mill is considering such a drastic step, Chapman said it is rumour mongers who…