As part of an emerging corporate partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Interfor Corporation has made a significant contribution to Habitat for Humanity Southeast BC in support of two important projects. In Castlegar, Habitat for Humanity Southeast BC is currently building a 4-family housing complex on 8^th Street, and Interfor has contributed $20,000 to help build what will be highly sustainable and energy-efficient homes for partner families when they are completed in early 2023. In Grand Forks, Interfor will contribute another $20,000 to go towards a renovation project of a current Habitat home in need of improvement and repair before a new family moves in. …Jim Tazelaar, Mill Manager at Interfor’s Castlegar Division, and Dave Parsons, Mill Manager at Interfor’s Grand Forks Division, are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in their local communities…

Kamloops council has approved an aerial easement to allow the Kruger Kamloops Pulp Mill to construct an overhead conveyor system over Mission Flats Road.  The decision to approve the easement for the conveyor system — which will allow wood chips to be more efficiently transported to the mill — was made during a closed meeting in   February.  CAO David Trawin announced the decision during council’s June 14 meeting.  In a statement, the City of Kamloops said the enclosed conveyor system is a joint business venture with Arrow Transportation and the pulp mill, and will see wood chips transported from Arrow’s River City Fibre chipping plant to the pulp mill.  Ryan Kazakoff, Kruger’s project manager, said wood chips are currently moved using diesel-powered loaders and trucks, and a conveyor system will be better for the environment. 

Regina-based Prairie Clean Energy has announced it’s opening a new production plant in the city, turning flax straw into pellets for markets overseas. The facility, which is pegged to open by the end of this year, plans to employ 24 people and produce 60,000 tonnes of pellets per year, said the bioenergy company’s CEO Mark Cooper. …The company began as a start-up 2020, initially piloting the straw-to-pellets process before going forward with the production facility. …Cooper hopes production at the processing facility can double to 120,000 tonnes by mid-2023. The company also plans to have multiple facilities across Saskatchewan and other Prairie provinces by 2026. He explained demand for biomass has grown in Asia and Europe, where it has become an increasingly common source of energy. …The company has added wood pellets to its product line-up to help meet this demand. It’s looking to secure a wood pellet mill in northern Saskatchewan, likely in the Prince Albert region.

Richmond, BC – Paper Excellence announced today that it has donated a total of $10,000 towards two separate bursary funds that support Indigenous students at the College of the Rockies (COTR). Paper Excellence has provided $5,000 towards the Agnes McCoy Memorial Bursary, and $5,000 to the Engineers Canada Indigenous Access to Engineering Bursary. “On behalf of Paper Excellence, it’s a real privilege to support these two bursary programs at College of the Rockies and the students that will benefit as a result,” said Graham Kissack, Vice President EHS & Corporate Communications for Paper Excellence. The Agnes McCoy Memorial Bursary was created in honour of the late Agnes McCoy, an elected Ktunaxa Chief and respected elder from ?aqam. The bursary is awarded to an Indigenous student at COTR who has shown dedication to their studies and has demonstrated the preservation of their First Nations culture and values.

Richmond, BC – Paper Excellence announced today that it has partnered with Vancouver Island University (VIU) to create a new scholarship fund that aims to financially support Indigenous students enrolled in trades programs at VIU. Paper Excellence has contributed $60,000 to the fund, which will be distributed over three years. “We are very excited to be working with VIU on the Paper Excellence Indigenous Success Fund to support Indigenous students in British Columbia,” said Graham Kissack, Vice President, EHS & Corporate Communications for Paper Excellence. Indigenous trades students will be eligible to receive up to $2,000 each academic year through the fund, which began disbursements to students in January 2022. “This gift will support students who are on the verge of not being able to continue their studies due to financial constraints. Paper Excellence is supporting students when they need it the most,” said Richard Horbachewski, Executive Director of the VIU Foundation.