Greg Dionne

PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan — Six months after he announced a massive forestry manufacturing facility was “ready to build” in Prince Albert, Mayor Greg Dionne says the project is still waiting for provincial approval. “The City of P.A. and the developer, we’re all on side”. “What we’re doing is we’re 100 per cent waiting for the province.” Dionne announced the facility, which he said could employee upwards of 750 people, during the fall municipal election campaign. At the time he told paNOW there was just one final condition that needed to be complied with to make the project a reality and he expected it be completed imminently – as early as the beginning of November. Half a year later, Dionne said the facility continues to be his ‘number one priority’ but the province is still working out issues with the timber supply for the potential facility.

The former C&C Wood Products mill in Quesnel, B.C., that closed in May 2020 will reopen this month as new owner Kandola Forest Products hopes to cash in on a building boom that has swept the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.   “We see enormous potential in this facility,” said Kandola Forest Products president and CEO Neal Kandola.   “C&C is famous in the industry for panelling and shiplap products and we’re looking to build upon that.”  Kandola, which is based south of Quesnel in Williams Lake, expects to employ at least 90 local people by the end of 2021, including some former employees of the C&C mill, many of whom haven’t had work since the mill shutdown last spring.  In the coming years he expects they could employ upwards of 185 people.  

EDMONTON, Alberta — 17 technology innovations will receive funding from the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA). Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Parks, Jason Nixon, announced the winners on Tuesday. …“This investment, driven by the TIER regulation, will help advance innovative processes and technologies to support the province’s bioeconomy and reduce emissions.” …They include:

• West Fraser – Product and Production Innovations for Using Alberta’s Surplus Poplar to Enhance Carbon Sequestration. Total project value: $1,600,000 | ERA commitment: $500,000.
• Flash Forest  – Commercial Pilots and Demonstrations of Rapid Drone. Reforestation Technology. Total Project value: $5,450,000 | ERA commitment: $1,800,000. 
• Steeper Energy Canada Ltd. The Conversion of Forestry Residue to Advanced Biofuels in Alberta. Project value: $12,610,000 | ERA commitment: $5,000,000. 
• ATCO — RNG from Pulp Mill Waste. Project value: $18,670,000 | ERA commitment: $5,000,000. 
• FPInnovations — Bio-sourced asphalt from the Canadian forest industry. Project value: $1,250,000 | ERA commitment: $350,000.
• Millar Western Forest Products Ltd. — Application of Artificial Intelligence at Pulp Refiners to Optimize Energy Usage and Product Quality. Project value: $1,460,000 | ERA commitment: $730,000. 

An Edmonton-based forestry company is one of 17 businesses benefiting from a $33-million investment from the Alberta government aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry, agriculture and farming industries. Millar Western Forest Products is receiving a $730,000 grant from the province, through Emission Reduction Alberta to incorporate artificial intelligence into their pulping process in an attempt to reduce their energy consumption at a Whitecourt mill. Janet Millar said the artificial intelligence will help place large metal plates involved in separating fibers in wood chips into pulp. …“This project will allow us to better and more rapidly reposition those plates as needed to make sure that they are more energy efficient in the way they operate.” …She said the streamlined process will also result in a better quality product for their customers. Overall, the project is expected to remove 23,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year from the process.