NorthStar Utilities Solutions signed an agreement with Hearst Power Distribution to implement MeterSense as their Operational Data Store. MeterSense is a comprehensive meter data management solution (MDMS) designed to provide utilities with long-term storage of billing and operational data, validation, and through its configurable Rules Engine, intelligent real-time event management.
MeterSense creates real, quantifiable business process improvements in the growing world of smart meters.
(1888PressRelease) December 11, 2009 - OTTAWA - Hearst Power Distribution (Hearst) has signed an agreement with NorthStar Utilities Solutions, a division of Harris Computer Systems, to implement MeterSense as their Operational Data Store. In conjunction with the Ontario government's provincial Meter Data Management Repository, MDM/R, MeterSense will provide Hearst with a comprehensive solution to immediately validate the health and status of their metering infrastructure. It will also improve operational efficiencies by allowing Hearst to understand how their assets are performing. Through advanced reporting MeterSense provides invaluable information on distribution system loading and assists utilities in optimizing their assets in the field.The Province of Ontario has embarked on a plan that will see the implementation of resident smart meters on every household by 2011 and the move to time of use billing. This program is part of the government's overall strategy to create and promote a conservation culture and encompasses over four million residential smart meters. The incorporation of both smart grid technology and smart meters will facilitate the use advanced information-based technologies to increase grid efficiency, reliability and flexibility.Hearst contracted with Util-Assist, a leading industry consultant, to issue a request for proposal and review vendors. After a thorough review Hearst chose NorthStar's MeterSense solution based on its ability to meet both their immediate and long term smart meter objectives. "We are thrilled with the addition of Hearst to the MeterSense user community." said Rob DiMurro, General Manager of NorthStar Utilities Solutions, "Our MeterSense initiative has huge momentum as more utilities realize that they can gain operational efficiencies from a comprehensive meter data management solution like MeterSense."About Hearst Power Distribution Company Ltd.:Hearst Power Distribution Company Ltd. distributes electricity to the residents and businesses of the Town of Hearst. Ms. Nicole LeducGeneral ManagerHearst Power Distribution Company Ltd.Hearst, Ontario(705) 372-2815 nleduc ( @ ) ntl dot sympatico dot caAbout MeterSense:MeterSense is a comprehensive meter data management solution (MDMS) designed to provide utilities with long-term storage of billing and operational data, validation, and through its configurable Rules Engine, intelligent real-time event management. MeterSense is designed to reduce or eliminate the need for manual intervention in handling the significantly increased volume of data utilities are now faced with and act as the central point for integrating meter data and events with other business systems such as CIS, SCADA, GIS, OMS, WMS, and other critical utility systems. About NorthStar Utilities Solutions:NorthStar has been serving the utility market for more than 30 years. NorthStar provides utilities with integrated solutions for customer information and billing, financial management and meter data management. Our 200 customer in North American and the Caribbean, benefit from our solutions that let utilities manage their revenues, deliver superior customer service and improve efficiencies while reducing total cost of ownership. For more information on NorthStar Utilities Solutions and the NorthStar product suite please visit our website at www.northstarutilities.com.To learn more about MeterSense please contact:Mike Foley, Senior Account ExecutiveNorthStar Utilities SolutionsA division of Harris Computer Systems(613) 868-5594mfoley ( @ ) northstarutilities dot com About Harris Computer Systems: Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public power and water markets as well as all levels of local government throughout North America. Harris' focus is on creating long-term relationships with our customers and ensuring that we meet the changing needs of our customers over time. For further information on Harris Computer Systems, please visit our website at www.harriscomputer.com or call 888-847-7747.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Four-Laning
Submitted by Editor on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 09:56.
Date: -->
Monday Dec 07, 2009
By
Temiskaming Speaker, Wednesday December 2 2009
Is it feasible to turn 1,650 kilometres of highways 11 and 17, stretching from North Bay to the Manitoba border, into a four-lane divided highway?“We can do it, fairly easily,” says Judy Skidmore, publisher of The Working Forest newspaper.“How much and when? A Vision for Ontario’s Trans Canada Highway, North Bay to the Manitoba Border” was commissioned by the newspaper, which is headquartered in Callander.The study concluded that the project — which would take in 85 bridges, 56 kilometres of road upgrades through urban centres, and almost 1,600 kilometres of highway — can be completed over 25 years, with work beginning in seven sections simultaneously.“The cost is only $600 million per year, an amount already in the budgets of provincial coffers,” the study concluded.What’s pushing the proposal?Safety, Ms. Skidmore said.“I’m sick of all the deaths,” she told the Temiskaming Municipal Association in Earlton last week.She said the stretch of the Trans-Canada through Northern Ontario is below standards elsewhere in the United States, Europe and even other parts of Canada.And yet, she said, “this is the permanent highway across Canada.”THE STUDYIt’s not the first time that the idea has been proposed.“Whenever we talked about it, it was always, ‘well, it’s going to cost too much, it’s going to take too long.’ So I wanted to know much is it going to cost and how long is it going to take.”The study was prepared by James Liddell of North Bay, and financed with support from the Manitoulin Group of Companies, headquartered in Gore Bay, and Villeneuve Construction of Hearst.Costing data for four-laning and major bridge replacements was drawn from Ontario Ministry of Transportation reports on ongoing Northern construction projects.The study came up with an average cost of $8.4 million per kilometre for road construction and $13.8 million per bridge.“We have not yet had anybody say those numbers are not good,” she said.“Construction people, ministry people have said, ‘sounds about right, sounds about the right amount of time.’”As early as the 1960s, she said Transport Canada identified divided highways as being the safest.The study cites a 2003 study commissioned by the federal department that came to the same conclusion, with the use of overpasses a second leading factor in reducing road crashes.In the European Union, she said it’s now understood that the designers of transportation systems are ultimately responsible for their operation, use and level of safety.“So those accidents that happen out there, the finger has to be pointed at the government who designed the road, who put us on 24 feet of pavement coming at each other at 100 kilometres per hour, separated by four inches of paint,” she said.The report outlines the work, cost and timeline in each of the seven sections.The 156-kilometre stretch from North Bay to Dymond would require the four-laning of several bridges, including crossings in Latchford, Net Lake and Granite Lake.Overpasses would be added at Highway 64 and the southern entrances to Cobalt and Haileybury.In communities split by the highway — such as Temagami and Latchford - -the roadway would be widened only enough to accommodate turning lanes.Total cost is pegged at $1.5 billion, with the work completed in under two and a half years.Looking north, the project would include overpasses at Highway 569, Highway 582 to Thornloe, the north and south entrances to Earlton, Highway 624 to Larder Lake and Highway 560 to Charlton.The study describes the four-laning of the bridge over the Englehart River as “a huge project,” and doubles the estimated cost to $27.6 million.RESPONSE“One of the biggest problems is you’ve got to get the guys in Toronto understanding that you can’t get from Toronto to Winnipeg through Canada without coming here,” she said.She urged that the route no longer be called “the Northern highway.”“Call it what it is — the Trans-Canada Highway. Then all of us in Canada have a stake in upgrading and making that a reasonable road.”A number of municipalities are reviewing the report and endorsing resolutions of support, she said.Further efforts to press the provincial government to move forward with the project are also planned.The Temiskaming Municipal Association donated $1,000 to help with the promotion campaign
Date: -->
Monday Dec 07, 2009
By
Temiskaming Speaker, Wednesday December 2 2009
Is it feasible to turn 1,650 kilometres of highways 11 and 17, stretching from North Bay to the Manitoba border, into a four-lane divided highway?“We can do it, fairly easily,” says Judy Skidmore, publisher of The Working Forest newspaper.“How much and when? A Vision for Ontario’s Trans Canada Highway, North Bay to the Manitoba Border” was commissioned by the newspaper, which is headquartered in Callander.The study concluded that the project — which would take in 85 bridges, 56 kilometres of road upgrades through urban centres, and almost 1,600 kilometres of highway — can be completed over 25 years, with work beginning in seven sections simultaneously.“The cost is only $600 million per year, an amount already in the budgets of provincial coffers,” the study concluded.What’s pushing the proposal?Safety, Ms. Skidmore said.“I’m sick of all the deaths,” she told the Temiskaming Municipal Association in Earlton last week.She said the stretch of the Trans-Canada through Northern Ontario is below standards elsewhere in the United States, Europe and even other parts of Canada.And yet, she said, “this is the permanent highway across Canada.”THE STUDYIt’s not the first time that the idea has been proposed.“Whenever we talked about it, it was always, ‘well, it’s going to cost too much, it’s going to take too long.’ So I wanted to know much is it going to cost and how long is it going to take.”The study was prepared by James Liddell of North Bay, and financed with support from the Manitoulin Group of Companies, headquartered in Gore Bay, and Villeneuve Construction of Hearst.Costing data for four-laning and major bridge replacements was drawn from Ontario Ministry of Transportation reports on ongoing Northern construction projects.The study came up with an average cost of $8.4 million per kilometre for road construction and $13.8 million per bridge.“We have not yet had anybody say those numbers are not good,” she said.“Construction people, ministry people have said, ‘sounds about right, sounds about the right amount of time.’”As early as the 1960s, she said Transport Canada identified divided highways as being the safest.The study cites a 2003 study commissioned by the federal department that came to the same conclusion, with the use of overpasses a second leading factor in reducing road crashes.In the European Union, she said it’s now understood that the designers of transportation systems are ultimately responsible for their operation, use and level of safety.“So those accidents that happen out there, the finger has to be pointed at the government who designed the road, who put us on 24 feet of pavement coming at each other at 100 kilometres per hour, separated by four inches of paint,” she said.The report outlines the work, cost and timeline in each of the seven sections.The 156-kilometre stretch from North Bay to Dymond would require the four-laning of several bridges, including crossings in Latchford, Net Lake and Granite Lake.Overpasses would be added at Highway 64 and the southern entrances to Cobalt and Haileybury.In communities split by the highway — such as Temagami and Latchford - -the roadway would be widened only enough to accommodate turning lanes.Total cost is pegged at $1.5 billion, with the work completed in under two and a half years.Looking north, the project would include overpasses at Highway 569, Highway 582 to Thornloe, the north and south entrances to Earlton, Highway 624 to Larder Lake and Highway 560 to Charlton.The study describes the four-laning of the bridge over the Englehart River as “a huge project,” and doubles the estimated cost to $27.6 million.RESPONSE“One of the biggest problems is you’ve got to get the guys in Toronto understanding that you can’t get from Toronto to Winnipeg through Canada without coming here,” she said.She urged that the route no longer be called “the Northern highway.”“Call it what it is — the Trans-Canada Highway. Then all of us in Canada have a stake in upgrading and making that a reasonable road.”A number of municipalities are reviewing the report and endorsing resolutions of support, she said.Further efforts to press the provincial government to move forward with the project are also planned.The Temiskaming Municipal Association donated $1,000 to help with the promotion campaign
Monday, December 7, 2009
It's Time to Rethink Forest Management
It's time to rethink forest management
More subsidies will not succeed
Susanne Ivey-Cook, Financial Post Published: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/feeds/story.html?id=2094614#ixzz0Z28sXiPz The National Post is now on Facebook. Join our fan community today.
Ontario's forest industry has changed fundamentally. Demand for newsprint has plummeted (U.S. consumption is down nearly 30% from last year) and lumber sales are doing even more poorly as a result of the slumping U.S. home-building sector. These factors, coupled with a high Canadian dollar and rising energy costs, have led to the shutdown of many of Ontario's pulp and paper mills.
The scale of the decline is staggering. Close to 8,000 jobs have disappeared in the past five years, forest-dependent communities are facing serious distress and best estimates suggest that wood extracted from public forests is down 40% from 2004 harvest levels. For Ontario's pulp-and-paper industry, this is not a cyclical downturn, but part of a larger industrial transformation caused by the rise of electronic media, declining newspaper use, and competition from places where trees grow more quickly and labour costs are lower. Consequently, waiting for a global economic recovery is not the answer; the structural changes are permanent.
Closed and idled mills mean lost jobs, towns without a sufficient tax base, and a province that is paying more to manage the forests than it can collect in logging fees.
So what can be done? The provincial and federal governments have tried grants, loan guarantees, road-building subsidies and special breaks on electricity prices, all with little success. Industry fundamentals have shifted dramatically and Ontario needs to rethink how to secure economic, social and environmental benefits from its forests and forest industry. More government subsidies will not succeed.
There is hope, and Ontario still has an opportunity to lead in new uses of forests that are better-suited to future demand. Our forests, all 50 million hectares of them, are, for the most part, healthy. Moreover, Ontario is a leader in forest sustainability with extensive areas certified to the rigorous Forest Stewardship Council standard, meaning green consumers from around the world will choose our forest products over those of other countries and regions. This tremendous public asset can provide a great place to invest and there are several promising industrial opportunities, such as biofuels, wood-based plastics and specialized structural and finish-wood products. Manufacturers of these products require access to wood supplies that are now tied to historical uses.
There will also be new markets for ecological services, notably carbon-intensive industries in the west paying for Ontario's forests to absorb some of the carbon they emit. Finally, Ontario's forests contain globally significant wilderness areas and all evidence points to growing demand for wilderness, while in most countries this asset is being decimated at unprecedented rates.
Unfortunately, new business ventures are prevented easy entry into Ontario because our publicly owned forests are locked into long-term licences to forest companies, some of which are no longer operating. Potential investors are therefore unable to access forest areas or wood supplies; placing constraints on resourceful individuals or communities eager to explore new ways to sell goods or services from the forests nearby.
We must replace the almost 100-year-old system under which forests are managed largely as supply departments for large integrated pulp-and-paper companies. Within the current licencing arrangement, forest companies have a business interest in keeping the cost of wood, labour and long-term investment low. After all, they don't own the forest and their profits are, in good measure, dependent on how low they can keep their costs.
In place of this antiquated system, Ontario needs to make room for new business opportunities by reforming the licencing system to provide citizens (the owners) with market-based prices for the wood cut, the carbon stored and the ecological services provided. The forests themselves would then become the asset and the centre of wealth creation. Retained profits could be invested in improved forest management, greater resource productivity, new recreational amenities and a stronger management infrastructure. These activities will create new and better jobs with more employment per cubic metre of wood harvested.
This new system would be easier to administer, increase citizen participation in the management of the forests, let the marketplace determine the best use of the wood harvested, and allow new companies to manage forests for multiple products and services of the highest value. Furthermore, it would undercut one of the key arguments made by the United States against Canadian lumber exports, namely that our logging fees are not set in a competitive market and therefore constitute a government subsidy.
We are at an important juncture; the Ontario government has launched a process to review forest tenure, licencing and pricing. Ontario's forests and forest communities will be much better off with a market-based licencing model. A decision is expected in the spring of 2010 and we encourage and support the Premier in doing what is best for all of Ontario.
--- - Susanne Ivey-Cook is the director of the Ivey Foundation, a philanthropic charity that supports environmental causes in Canada.Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/feeds/story.html?id=2094614#ixzz0Z29KnVUd The National Post is now on Facebook. Join our fan community today.
More subsidies will not succeed
Susanne Ivey-Cook, Financial Post Published: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/feeds/story.html?id=2094614#ixzz0Z28sXiPz The National Post is now on Facebook. Join our fan community today.
Ontario's forest industry has changed fundamentally. Demand for newsprint has plummeted (U.S. consumption is down nearly 30% from last year) and lumber sales are doing even more poorly as a result of the slumping U.S. home-building sector. These factors, coupled with a high Canadian dollar and rising energy costs, have led to the shutdown of many of Ontario's pulp and paper mills.
The scale of the decline is staggering. Close to 8,000 jobs have disappeared in the past five years, forest-dependent communities are facing serious distress and best estimates suggest that wood extracted from public forests is down 40% from 2004 harvest levels. For Ontario's pulp-and-paper industry, this is not a cyclical downturn, but part of a larger industrial transformation caused by the rise of electronic media, declining newspaper use, and competition from places where trees grow more quickly and labour costs are lower. Consequently, waiting for a global economic recovery is not the answer; the structural changes are permanent.
Closed and idled mills mean lost jobs, towns without a sufficient tax base, and a province that is paying more to manage the forests than it can collect in logging fees.
So what can be done? The provincial and federal governments have tried grants, loan guarantees, road-building subsidies and special breaks on electricity prices, all with little success. Industry fundamentals have shifted dramatically and Ontario needs to rethink how to secure economic, social and environmental benefits from its forests and forest industry. More government subsidies will not succeed.
There is hope, and Ontario still has an opportunity to lead in new uses of forests that are better-suited to future demand. Our forests, all 50 million hectares of them, are, for the most part, healthy. Moreover, Ontario is a leader in forest sustainability with extensive areas certified to the rigorous Forest Stewardship Council standard, meaning green consumers from around the world will choose our forest products over those of other countries and regions. This tremendous public asset can provide a great place to invest and there are several promising industrial opportunities, such as biofuels, wood-based plastics and specialized structural and finish-wood products. Manufacturers of these products require access to wood supplies that are now tied to historical uses.
There will also be new markets for ecological services, notably carbon-intensive industries in the west paying for Ontario's forests to absorb some of the carbon they emit. Finally, Ontario's forests contain globally significant wilderness areas and all evidence points to growing demand for wilderness, while in most countries this asset is being decimated at unprecedented rates.
Unfortunately, new business ventures are prevented easy entry into Ontario because our publicly owned forests are locked into long-term licences to forest companies, some of which are no longer operating. Potential investors are therefore unable to access forest areas or wood supplies; placing constraints on resourceful individuals or communities eager to explore new ways to sell goods or services from the forests nearby.
We must replace the almost 100-year-old system under which forests are managed largely as supply departments for large integrated pulp-and-paper companies. Within the current licencing arrangement, forest companies have a business interest in keeping the cost of wood, labour and long-term investment low. After all, they don't own the forest and their profits are, in good measure, dependent on how low they can keep their costs.
In place of this antiquated system, Ontario needs to make room for new business opportunities by reforming the licencing system to provide citizens (the owners) with market-based prices for the wood cut, the carbon stored and the ecological services provided. The forests themselves would then become the asset and the centre of wealth creation. Retained profits could be invested in improved forest management, greater resource productivity, new recreational amenities and a stronger management infrastructure. These activities will create new and better jobs with more employment per cubic metre of wood harvested.
This new system would be easier to administer, increase citizen participation in the management of the forests, let the marketplace determine the best use of the wood harvested, and allow new companies to manage forests for multiple products and services of the highest value. Furthermore, it would undercut one of the key arguments made by the United States against Canadian lumber exports, namely that our logging fees are not set in a competitive market and therefore constitute a government subsidy.
We are at an important juncture; the Ontario government has launched a process to review forest tenure, licencing and pricing. Ontario's forests and forest communities will be much better off with a market-based licencing model. A decision is expected in the spring of 2010 and we encourage and support the Premier in doing what is best for all of Ontario.
--- - Susanne Ivey-Cook is the director of the Ivey Foundation, a philanthropic charity that supports environmental causes in Canada.Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/feeds/story.html?id=2094614#ixzz0Z29KnVUd The National Post is now on Facebook. Join our fan community today.
Lumber could be the new oil
Submitted by brett h on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 08:57.
Date: -->
Thursday Dec 03, 2009
By
CBC News
Shares of several of Canada’s largest lumber exporters have skyrocketed in the past two months as new building codes in China allowing wood in construction have cracked open a previously inaccessible market for Canada’s long-suffering forestry industry.
Since Oct. 1, shares in International Forest Products Ltd. have soared 58.3%, while Canfor Corp. and West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. shares jumped 31.4% and 28.4%, respectively.
The advances come in the wake of quiet implementation of new wood-frame construction codes in Shanghai in September. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, later attended a launch in the city in early November. “We are confident that the Shanghai Local Code provides a framework that will be easily adaptable to other cities and provinces across China,” she said.
David Watt, a currency strategist with RBC Capital Markets, sees this development as a breakthrough for both the lumber industry and the loonie. “This is an opportunity the Canadian lumber industry has been dreaming about for years,” he said. “This gives us a chance to take advantage of a huge market that has suddenly overcome an aversion to your product.”
And the price of lumber has so far reflected that excitement, with lumber futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for January 2010 rising 21% since October, closing Wednesday at US$231.
Lumber exports are also on the rise, with Pat Bell, B.C. Minister of Forests and Range, estimating that exports will reach a new high of 1.5 billion board feet for 2009, and top four billion in 2011.
Canadian lumber exporters have had a difficult time convincing the Chinese that wood-frame buildings could be as stable as concrete buildings. However, deadly earthquakes in China in the past few years have likely forced the Chinese government to reconsider their stance on using the material.
“With the earthquakes, it was clear some of the buildings made of wood held up a lot better,” Mr. Watt said. As for ties to the Canadian dollar, he suggests lumber could be the “oil of the next decade” in how it lifts the loonie.
“It may seem dramatic, but consider in 1999 a barrel of oil was US$12, so who would’ve thought oil would be the oil of the past decade?” he said. “Will there be an oil-like rise in lumber? Who knows? Why not?”
A Vancouver-based analyst said the news is positive for Canadian lumber, but warned it was too early to know how it would affect exports.
“It’ll definitely help fix the supply-demand balance, so any news out there will help, but in the next year or two it won’t be a huge driver,” he said, noting it will take at least a year to educate construction companies about wood frames.
Related Links:
CBC News
Date: -->
Thursday Dec 03, 2009
By
CBC News
Shares of several of Canada’s largest lumber exporters have skyrocketed in the past two months as new building codes in China allowing wood in construction have cracked open a previously inaccessible market for Canada’s long-suffering forestry industry.
Since Oct. 1, shares in International Forest Products Ltd. have soared 58.3%, while Canfor Corp. and West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. shares jumped 31.4% and 28.4%, respectively.
The advances come in the wake of quiet implementation of new wood-frame construction codes in Shanghai in September. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, later attended a launch in the city in early November. “We are confident that the Shanghai Local Code provides a framework that will be easily adaptable to other cities and provinces across China,” she said.
David Watt, a currency strategist with RBC Capital Markets, sees this development as a breakthrough for both the lumber industry and the loonie. “This is an opportunity the Canadian lumber industry has been dreaming about for years,” he said. “This gives us a chance to take advantage of a huge market that has suddenly overcome an aversion to your product.”
And the price of lumber has so far reflected that excitement, with lumber futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for January 2010 rising 21% since October, closing Wednesday at US$231.
Lumber exports are also on the rise, with Pat Bell, B.C. Minister of Forests and Range, estimating that exports will reach a new high of 1.5 billion board feet for 2009, and top four billion in 2011.
Canadian lumber exporters have had a difficult time convincing the Chinese that wood-frame buildings could be as stable as concrete buildings. However, deadly earthquakes in China in the past few years have likely forced the Chinese government to reconsider their stance on using the material.
“With the earthquakes, it was clear some of the buildings made of wood held up a lot better,” Mr. Watt said. As for ties to the Canadian dollar, he suggests lumber could be the “oil of the next decade” in how it lifts the loonie.
“It may seem dramatic, but consider in 1999 a barrel of oil was US$12, so who would’ve thought oil would be the oil of the past decade?” he said. “Will there be an oil-like rise in lumber? Who knows? Why not?”
A Vancouver-based analyst said the news is positive for Canadian lumber, but warned it was too early to know how it would affect exports.
“It’ll definitely help fix the supply-demand balance, so any news out there will help, but in the next year or two it won’t be a huge driver,” he said, noting it will take at least a year to educate construction companies about wood frames.
Related Links:
CBC News
Biorefining research facility opens
Submitted by Editor on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 09:50.
Date: -->
Saturday Dec 05, 2009
By
The Working Forest staff
A new research facility in Thunder Bay will strengthen the North's emerging green energy and chemicals sector and create at least eight jobs within its first year of operation.
Developed with the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Lakehead University's Biorefining Research Initiative (BRI) officially opened today. BRI will focus on developing new technologies for converting forest biomass into chemicals and biofuels that could be commercialized as green energy and chemicals alternatives.
For example, BRI could develop new processes for making bioethanol from forest residue such as tree tops, wood bark and irregular limbs. Ethanol is added to gasoline to make car engines work more efficiently.
. The NOHFC has invested $1 million for equipment and renovations for Lakehead University's new biorefining research facility.
. Over the next few decades, as fossil fuel supplies decrease and prices rise, biorefining technology will play a leading role in replacing petro-chemicals.
. A biorefinery is much like a petroleum refining system, except that forest biomass replaces crude oil as a resource to produce chemicals.
. Biomass is renewable plant material from agricultural (corn cobs, wheat
stalks) and forestry (trees, branches, sawdust, wood chips) residues that can be used to produce bioenergy.
. Northwestern Ontario has 18 million hectares of productive forest - about 45 per cent of the provincial total.
Add new comment
Date: -->
Saturday Dec 05, 2009
By
The Working Forest staff
A new research facility in Thunder Bay will strengthen the North's emerging green energy and chemicals sector and create at least eight jobs within its first year of operation.
Developed with the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Lakehead University's Biorefining Research Initiative (BRI) officially opened today. BRI will focus on developing new technologies for converting forest biomass into chemicals and biofuels that could be commercialized as green energy and chemicals alternatives.
For example, BRI could develop new processes for making bioethanol from forest residue such as tree tops, wood bark and irregular limbs. Ethanol is added to gasoline to make car engines work more efficiently.
. The NOHFC has invested $1 million for equipment and renovations for Lakehead University's new biorefining research facility.
. Over the next few decades, as fossil fuel supplies decrease and prices rise, biorefining technology will play a leading role in replacing petro-chemicals.
. A biorefinery is much like a petroleum refining system, except that forest biomass replaces crude oil as a resource to produce chemicals.
. Biomass is renewable plant material from agricultural (corn cobs, wheat
stalks) and forestry (trees, branches, sawdust, wood chips) residues that can be used to produce bioenergy.
. Northwestern Ontario has 18 million hectares of productive forest - about 45 per cent of the provincial total.
Add new comment
Sunday, November 15, 2009
1st Annual OSEA Community Power Conference
I am currently participating at the 1st Annual OSEA Community Conferene in Toronto. The main theme of the conference is community power. There many benefits of Community power, espacially for communities in Northern Ontario. Despite the opportunity there are many challenges to overcome, such as grid transmission capacity in the Kapuskasing Sudbury Corridor. This grid line capacity is scheduled to be upgraded in 2017 only, but a number of projects are in jeopardy because of that. David Suzuki said "The future looks brighter if we can navigate the political paperwork".
Now that we have the legislation in place, we must make projects happen, but this could take long since the process and infrastructures are not in place. Lets hope we can find solutions sooner!
Daniel Sigouin
Now that we have the legislation in place, we must make projects happen, but this could take long since the process and infrastructures are not in place. Lets hope we can find solutions sooner!
Daniel Sigouin
Monday, October 19, 2009
Canada’s worst government - Comment
Canada’s worst government - Comment
Submitted by greg_g on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 09:56.
Date: --> Monday Oct 19, 2009
By Financial Post
Every now and then a province falls into the hands of blundering politicians so inept that their government ends up deserving of the title “Canada’s Worst Government.” It’s a rare award. At any time somebody has to be the worst, but no award for routine bottom-of-the-barrel performance seems necessary. Occasionally, however, the metric of incompetence is so large and conspicuousit demands special recognition. The Liberal regime of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, now slipping into deep deficits that are likely to exceed $30billion over two years and continue into the future, has hit the tipping point and triggered its candidacy as Canada’s Worst Government.
The new deficit outlook, announced yesterday and to be documented in a fiscal statement next week, comes in the wake of Ontario’s $1-billion eHealth fiasco. That followed the province’s Green Energy Act, a plan to force electricity users to pay 80 cents for a kilowatt hour of solar power and subsidize scores of industrial rent seekers. The province is also a leading promoter of endless nanny state rules and regulations that serve no purpose except to give the premier an opportunity to issue a statement and deliver one of his patented sanctimonious speeches.
Below the radar of media attention, there is more. This is about one of those so-far unrecognized bits of McGuinty Liberal bungling. Next week, the Ontario legislature will begin taking another look at two monster pieces of legislation allegedly aimed at bringing new order to the province’s shambling mining legislation. First is Bill 173, the Mining Amendment Act, which among other things is an attempt to bring Aboriginal communities into the administration of the province’s scatter-brained mining laws. Second is Bill 191, the Far North Act. It also attempts to bring Aboriginal participaton into decision-making over resource development of Ontario’s far north. What these two bills actually do, however, is trample on everybody’s property rights, from First Nation rights to the rights of cottage owners caught in the murky legislation that sets out mineral rights across the province.
The only happy campers here are green activists — theWorld Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense, various Wildlands groups — whose concern for property and other individual or corporate rights is as deep and sincere as a beer commercial. Under the Far North Act,all territory north of the 51st parallel — a 450-square-kilometre mass of land north of Timmins and Thunder Bay that makes up about 40% of the province — is set to become permanently out of bounds for all exploration and development. About half of that territory, 225,000 square kilometres, will be locked down as conservation lands. The other half will theoretically be open to exploration and development, but nobody looking at Bill 191 sees any hope that any mine or any other kind of development will ever take place.
Only about 24,000 people live in First Nation communities in Ontario’s Far North. One of those First Nations, the Nishnawbe Aski, declared its total opposition to Bill 191 after it was introduced last summer. Grand Chief Stan Beardy called for immediate withdrawal of the bill. He said the 225,000square-kilometre conservation area, established without consultation or consent, will prevent his people “from achieving economic independence by preventing development needed to build our communities and strengthen the Ontario economy. ”
Under Bill 191, in other words, Ontario confiscates half the far north and declares it a no-go zone, killing all development in the conservation area. But not much will happen on the other half of the far north territory under the convoluted “community-based land use planning” system set up under the draconian provisions of the bill. The province’s mining groups say the planning structure is a perverse attempt to carry out convoluted legal provisions that guarantee First Nations be consulted before development takes place on Crown lands.
All of this is fallout from the Supreme Court’s famous Haida decision and other rulings that force governments in Canada to consult with First Nations when dealing with the possible existence of treaty rights. Whatever the merits of those decisions, Toronto lawyer Neil Smitheman,with Fasken Martineau Du Moulin, says the Ontario government appears to be setting up structures that effectively allows the government to side step its duty and pass the burden of consultation on to the mining and mineral development industry. “To the extent that the legislative ammendments ‘download’ or delegate to industry what is properly the Crown’s duty, the new legislation could be deemed ultra vires, or beyond the scope of the Province’s legislative power. ”
Industry officials say that under Bill 191 no exploration or development will ever take place in Ontario’s far north. Jon Baird, executive director of the Prospectors and Developers Association, said yesterday “no self-respecting MPP should vote for this.” Bill 191, and its sister Bill 173 (which applies to territory south of the far north region) grant massive arbitrary power to the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and bureaucrats. Rulings are not appealable, no hearings need be called, environmental assessments are suspended.
The two bills are making their way through the legislature, with the government using closure to close down debate and bending the rules to get them through the legislative process. The Minister, Donna Cansfield, seems to be carrying out orders, even as nobody supports the bills except the greens and groups like the Canadian Borealis Initiative. They welcome the land set-aside as a new carbon sink, as one of the “largest ecosystems on earth” and the home of caribou and other wildlife.
The mining industry may not like that. On the other hand, the Canadian Mining Association is a member of the Canadian Borealis Initiative. No wonder Ontario’s far north will soon be out of bounds.
Submitted by greg_g on Mon, 10/19/2009 - 09:56.
Date: --> Monday Oct 19, 2009
By Financial Post
Every now and then a province falls into the hands of blundering politicians so inept that their government ends up deserving of the title “Canada’s Worst Government.” It’s a rare award. At any time somebody has to be the worst, but no award for routine bottom-of-the-barrel performance seems necessary. Occasionally, however, the metric of incompetence is so large and conspicuousit demands special recognition. The Liberal regime of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, now slipping into deep deficits that are likely to exceed $30billion over two years and continue into the future, has hit the tipping point and triggered its candidacy as Canada’s Worst Government.
The new deficit outlook, announced yesterday and to be documented in a fiscal statement next week, comes in the wake of Ontario’s $1-billion eHealth fiasco. That followed the province’s Green Energy Act, a plan to force electricity users to pay 80 cents for a kilowatt hour of solar power and subsidize scores of industrial rent seekers. The province is also a leading promoter of endless nanny state rules and regulations that serve no purpose except to give the premier an opportunity to issue a statement and deliver one of his patented sanctimonious speeches.
Below the radar of media attention, there is more. This is about one of those so-far unrecognized bits of McGuinty Liberal bungling. Next week, the Ontario legislature will begin taking another look at two monster pieces of legislation allegedly aimed at bringing new order to the province’s shambling mining legislation. First is Bill 173, the Mining Amendment Act, which among other things is an attempt to bring Aboriginal communities into the administration of the province’s scatter-brained mining laws. Second is Bill 191, the Far North Act. It also attempts to bring Aboriginal participaton into decision-making over resource development of Ontario’s far north. What these two bills actually do, however, is trample on everybody’s property rights, from First Nation rights to the rights of cottage owners caught in the murky legislation that sets out mineral rights across the province.
The only happy campers here are green activists — theWorld Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense, various Wildlands groups — whose concern for property and other individual or corporate rights is as deep and sincere as a beer commercial. Under the Far North Act,all territory north of the 51st parallel — a 450-square-kilometre mass of land north of Timmins and Thunder Bay that makes up about 40% of the province — is set to become permanently out of bounds for all exploration and development. About half of that territory, 225,000 square kilometres, will be locked down as conservation lands. The other half will theoretically be open to exploration and development, but nobody looking at Bill 191 sees any hope that any mine or any other kind of development will ever take place.
Only about 24,000 people live in First Nation communities in Ontario’s Far North. One of those First Nations, the Nishnawbe Aski, declared its total opposition to Bill 191 after it was introduced last summer. Grand Chief Stan Beardy called for immediate withdrawal of the bill. He said the 225,000square-kilometre conservation area, established without consultation or consent, will prevent his people “from achieving economic independence by preventing development needed to build our communities and strengthen the Ontario economy. ”
Under Bill 191, in other words, Ontario confiscates half the far north and declares it a no-go zone, killing all development in the conservation area. But not much will happen on the other half of the far north territory under the convoluted “community-based land use planning” system set up under the draconian provisions of the bill. The province’s mining groups say the planning structure is a perverse attempt to carry out convoluted legal provisions that guarantee First Nations be consulted before development takes place on Crown lands.
All of this is fallout from the Supreme Court’s famous Haida decision and other rulings that force governments in Canada to consult with First Nations when dealing with the possible existence of treaty rights. Whatever the merits of those decisions, Toronto lawyer Neil Smitheman,with Fasken Martineau Du Moulin, says the Ontario government appears to be setting up structures that effectively allows the government to side step its duty and pass the burden of consultation on to the mining and mineral development industry. “To the extent that the legislative ammendments ‘download’ or delegate to industry what is properly the Crown’s duty, the new legislation could be deemed ultra vires, or beyond the scope of the Province’s legislative power. ”
Industry officials say that under Bill 191 no exploration or development will ever take place in Ontario’s far north. Jon Baird, executive director of the Prospectors and Developers Association, said yesterday “no self-respecting MPP should vote for this.” Bill 191, and its sister Bill 173 (which applies to territory south of the far north region) grant massive arbitrary power to the Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and bureaucrats. Rulings are not appealable, no hearings need be called, environmental assessments are suspended.
The two bills are making their way through the legislature, with the government using closure to close down debate and bending the rules to get them through the legislative process. The Minister, Donna Cansfield, seems to be carrying out orders, even as nobody supports the bills except the greens and groups like the Canadian Borealis Initiative. They welcome the land set-aside as a new carbon sink, as one of the “largest ecosystems on earth” and the home of caribou and other wildlife.
The mining industry may not like that. On the other hand, the Canadian Mining Association is a member of the Canadian Borealis Initiative. No wonder Ontario’s far north will soon be out of bounds.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Speech for the Community Forum on Tenure Reform in Ontario
By Daniel Sigouin – Economic Development Officer for Hearst Economic Development Corporation
HEARST October 3 2009 – I am speaking today not only as the Economic Development Officer but also as a resident who chose to live and invest in Hearst. I would like to share the concerns I have for the future of our community and to share some fundamental principles for a new tenure approach for the forest. What is currently taking place in Hearst and in other Northern communities is without precedent. We are experiencing a crisis in the forestry sector that persists, a crisis that started in 2003 but most importantly, a crisis that risk changing the landscape in northern Ontario forever. Luc Bouthillier says “IT WILL NEVER BE LIKE BEFORE”, and he is not the only one saying it. It is not a question of BOOM and BUST but unfortunately, many have yet to realise it. This crisis is structural, not cyclical but have we started to restructure in response to these changes? Well I believe a tenure reform is part of that restructuring process. Are we too late? Many people will say that it is never too late yet the most important question is, to what degree communities will be listened to or considered (ask Smooth Rock Falls)? Maybe it will be someone else who will decide which communities will survive and which ones will be eliminated. Can we take that chance?
Many say that Hearst is holding its own during this crisis. But are we really holding our own or living off an artificial economy? What I mean is; are we living off borrowed time? Are we living off the prosperity we generated in the past? Are we generating new wealth and prosperity in Hearst, for our community? We have to ask ourselves the right questions.
I will give you a concrete example. We are currently operating our mills at a loss and we have been for a few years now. We are not talking about thousands but rather of millions of dollars in losses. Every time you see a rail car or transport truck filled with lumber leaving our community, there is lost revenue attached to every container of wood. That is the community’s, businesses’ and workers’ money ... money that is lost to the community and most importantly money that could be invested differently.
When you eat at your capital, you impoverish yourself more and more. More importantly, it is the proof that our communities are not sustainable.
There exists much imbalance in the principles for sustainable communities. What is a sustainable community? Are communities in Northern Ontario Sustainable? Ask Smooth Rock Falls they will tell you, or ask Longlac, Marathon, White River, etc… Sustainability is a big word and one that is often overused and can have conflicting connotations. Sustainable Forest Management, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable technologies…but what is a sustainable community?
It’s defined as achieving a healthy community and quality of life by addressing economic, environmental, and social issues through a long term integrated systems approach.
Economic issues include good jobs, good wages, stable businesses, appropriate technology development and implementation, business development, etc. If a community does not have a strong economy, then it cannot be healthy and sustainable over the long term.
From an environmental standpoint, a community can be sustainable over the long term only if it is not degrading its environment or using up resources. The impacts of climate change (warming is part of climate change) are pressing issues that also need to be addressed locally. Not only are they important challenges for our communities, but they can also provide important opportunities for the future, like carbon sequestration…the cap and trade issue.
A community must also address social issues. If a community has significant social problems such as serious crime and social inequities, it cannot be healthy and stable over the long term.
A major assumption of the sustainable community definition is that trying to address such issues in isolation, eventually ends up hurting some other part of the community's health.
Well tenure reform makes no exception… it has to be developed in an integrated manner. Tenure can influence all three pillars of sustainability. It’s not only about the size of the forest management unit, the method of wood allocation, the pricing and so on. It’s about considering who occupies the territory and who is living of it?
A tenure system ... regulates interactions between companies, communities, stakeholders and government while also determining who has authority and access.
The existing system is structured so as to ... expand on commodity production with the anticipation of offering larger returns for the province (Robinson 2008, Zhang & Pearse 1997) which has resulted in a system that primarily serves the primary commodity sector in pulp and paper and dimensional wood, sectors that have been in decline in the past decade.
Presently ... the tenure system has failed to provide a framework for the conversion of natural resources for economic development. Furthermore, the existing tenure system provides very little flexibility or capacity for communities and the forest industry to respond to changing markets and economic conditions as well as innovation in the forest sector.
Markets are shifting ... towards value-added products and environmental services. Nous sommes choyés parce que nous vivons dans une grande forêt en santé et qui offre un potentiel immense de services écologiques sur l’échelle internationale.
But where tenure change should be headed…to achieve sustainability in our communities?
• The economy is not only shaped by economic factors. Infrastructure and strategic planning go a long way to offer a stable and promising place for investments. However, until communities have access and have a form of decision-making authority on the forest, very little can be done in this regard.
• Decision-making capacity and access for communities in forest management is necessary to build sustainable and adaptive communities, businesses and forest sector.
Decentralized models such as community forests provide the principles necessary to a tenure system that allows for the necessary flexibility and control to respond to the changing landscape of the forest sector and world markets.
Finally, as a community, we owe ourselves to make a return to our core values that enabled the development of our regions and take root in our territory.
Northern Ontario is perceived as a resource base, only interesting because it can be extracted. We must counter this approach and repatriate our territory through a sustainable development process. Offer balance between the environment, the economy and the social. We also have to mend our ties with First Nations and Aboriginal peoples who were our first guides. They will help us restore our understanding of being part of the territory. We also need to restore principles of coexistence in order to build a stronger economy together.
The solution is not to do more of what brought us in this crisis.
The solution is to do things differently and to do things that will enable our community to prosper in the future.
We must accomplish this for the future of our children.
Merci,
Thank You
Meegwetch
HEARST October 3 2009 – I am speaking today not only as the Economic Development Officer but also as a resident who chose to live and invest in Hearst. I would like to share the concerns I have for the future of our community and to share some fundamental principles for a new tenure approach for the forest. What is currently taking place in Hearst and in other Northern communities is without precedent. We are experiencing a crisis in the forestry sector that persists, a crisis that started in 2003 but most importantly, a crisis that risk changing the landscape in northern Ontario forever. Luc Bouthillier says “IT WILL NEVER BE LIKE BEFORE”, and he is not the only one saying it. It is not a question of BOOM and BUST but unfortunately, many have yet to realise it. This crisis is structural, not cyclical but have we started to restructure in response to these changes? Well I believe a tenure reform is part of that restructuring process. Are we too late? Many people will say that it is never too late yet the most important question is, to what degree communities will be listened to or considered (ask Smooth Rock Falls)? Maybe it will be someone else who will decide which communities will survive and which ones will be eliminated. Can we take that chance?
Many say that Hearst is holding its own during this crisis. But are we really holding our own or living off an artificial economy? What I mean is; are we living off borrowed time? Are we living off the prosperity we generated in the past? Are we generating new wealth and prosperity in Hearst, for our community? We have to ask ourselves the right questions.
I will give you a concrete example. We are currently operating our mills at a loss and we have been for a few years now. We are not talking about thousands but rather of millions of dollars in losses. Every time you see a rail car or transport truck filled with lumber leaving our community, there is lost revenue attached to every container of wood. That is the community’s, businesses’ and workers’ money ... money that is lost to the community and most importantly money that could be invested differently.
When you eat at your capital, you impoverish yourself more and more. More importantly, it is the proof that our communities are not sustainable.
There exists much imbalance in the principles for sustainable communities. What is a sustainable community? Are communities in Northern Ontario Sustainable? Ask Smooth Rock Falls they will tell you, or ask Longlac, Marathon, White River, etc… Sustainability is a big word and one that is often overused and can have conflicting connotations. Sustainable Forest Management, sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable technologies…but what is a sustainable community?
It’s defined as achieving a healthy community and quality of life by addressing economic, environmental, and social issues through a long term integrated systems approach.
Economic issues include good jobs, good wages, stable businesses, appropriate technology development and implementation, business development, etc. If a community does not have a strong economy, then it cannot be healthy and sustainable over the long term.
From an environmental standpoint, a community can be sustainable over the long term only if it is not degrading its environment or using up resources. The impacts of climate change (warming is part of climate change) are pressing issues that also need to be addressed locally. Not only are they important challenges for our communities, but they can also provide important opportunities for the future, like carbon sequestration…the cap and trade issue.
A community must also address social issues. If a community has significant social problems such as serious crime and social inequities, it cannot be healthy and stable over the long term.
A major assumption of the sustainable community definition is that trying to address such issues in isolation, eventually ends up hurting some other part of the community's health.
Well tenure reform makes no exception… it has to be developed in an integrated manner. Tenure can influence all three pillars of sustainability. It’s not only about the size of the forest management unit, the method of wood allocation, the pricing and so on. It’s about considering who occupies the territory and who is living of it?
A tenure system ... regulates interactions between companies, communities, stakeholders and government while also determining who has authority and access.
The existing system is structured so as to ... expand on commodity production with the anticipation of offering larger returns for the province (Robinson 2008, Zhang & Pearse 1997) which has resulted in a system that primarily serves the primary commodity sector in pulp and paper and dimensional wood, sectors that have been in decline in the past decade.
Presently ... the tenure system has failed to provide a framework for the conversion of natural resources for economic development. Furthermore, the existing tenure system provides very little flexibility or capacity for communities and the forest industry to respond to changing markets and economic conditions as well as innovation in the forest sector.
Markets are shifting ... towards value-added products and environmental services. Nous sommes choyés parce que nous vivons dans une grande forêt en santé et qui offre un potentiel immense de services écologiques sur l’échelle internationale.
But where tenure change should be headed…to achieve sustainability in our communities?
• The economy is not only shaped by economic factors. Infrastructure and strategic planning go a long way to offer a stable and promising place for investments. However, until communities have access and have a form of decision-making authority on the forest, very little can be done in this regard.
• Decision-making capacity and access for communities in forest management is necessary to build sustainable and adaptive communities, businesses and forest sector.
Decentralized models such as community forests provide the principles necessary to a tenure system that allows for the necessary flexibility and control to respond to the changing landscape of the forest sector and world markets.
Finally, as a community, we owe ourselves to make a return to our core values that enabled the development of our regions and take root in our territory.
Northern Ontario is perceived as a resource base, only interesting because it can be extracted. We must counter this approach and repatriate our territory through a sustainable development process. Offer balance between the environment, the economy and the social. We also have to mend our ties with First Nations and Aboriginal peoples who were our first guides. They will help us restore our understanding of being part of the territory. We also need to restore principles of coexistence in order to build a stronger economy together.
The solution is not to do more of what brought us in this crisis.
The solution is to do things differently and to do things that will enable our community to prosper in the future.
We must accomplish this for the future of our children.
Merci,
Thank You
Meegwetch
Massive north-south divide in province
Massive north-south divide in province The Ottawa Sun Wed Oct 7 2009 Page: 11 Section: Editorial/Opinion Byline: BY CHRISTINA BLIZZARD Column:
Queen's Park I sometimes think Dalton McGuinty's government has given up on northern Ontario. With record unemployment rates and with EI claims soaring in northern communities, you'd think the brain trust in the premier's office would be trying to find new ways to bolster the ailing forestry and pulp and paper businesses. That's not the case. As New Democratic Leader Andrea Horwath pointed out in question period this week, the number of people receiving Employment Insurance in northern communities has risen by a staggering amount. In greater Sudbury, StatsCan figures show a 152% increase. Northern Development Minister Mike Gravelle responded by reporting Thunder Bay is about to become the "Popsicle stick capital of the world." I'm sure it's wonderful that Global Sticks is investing there, but popsicle sticks won't lick the problems of the dying forestry and pulp and paper industries. There's a massive north-south divide in this province. You can see the frustration in politicians like Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson and Howard Hampton, from Kenora-Rainy River. Forestry giant Tembec recently closed its pulp mill in Smooth Rock Falls -- a one-industry town north of Timmins. Make that a no-industry town if the government doesn't act. A consortium has raised $50 million to build a multi-purpose plant on the Tembec site. They've got everything they need -- except the wood allocation and the government is dragging its feet, even though the ministry has the authority to allocate timber rights. "It literally means the survival of our community," said Smooth Rock Falls Mayor Kevin Somer, who came to Queen's Park to see Gravelle Tuesday. The project would provide 100 direct jobs, plus 200 indirect jobs. And it would revitalize the local tax base. But Gravelle was on the defensive. "Unfortunately, the reality is that much of the wood supply is licensed and allocated to another company, which is also fighting to survive in Ontario," he told the House. Bisson says Tembec, which now owns the wood rights, has agreed to the allocation. Hampton, the former NDP leader, brings a unique, northern perspective to this. As the north bleeds jobs, who profits? The south does -- from the excess hydro the north generates through its fast-running rivers. Hampton points to a recent "green energy" announcement, in which the government said it would spend $2.3 billion on transmission lines. "What it's about is building transmission lines to take the electricity surplus that's been created in northeastern and northwestern Ontario and bringing it to southern Ontario," Hampton told me. He says the government needs a vision for beleaguered northern communities. "You could simply say, 'If you are an industry that cares about having a clean, green image, we have the cleanest, greenest energy on the planet and it also happens to be the lowest cost energy on the planet. Come and locate here. Create jobs and economic activity here,' " he said. In other words, instead of paying $2.3 billion to ship the electricity south, invite the world to the north. Every time a mill closes in the north, it frees up energy for the south. Hampton rattles off 10 paper machines that have shut down. "You've probably created 300 MW or more of surplus electricity right there," he said. A cynic might say that's the new Liberal vision for the north: Turn off the lights in the forestry and pulp and paper business -- and ship the electricity, and the jobs, south.
Queen's Park I sometimes think Dalton McGuinty's government has given up on northern Ontario. With record unemployment rates and with EI claims soaring in northern communities, you'd think the brain trust in the premier's office would be trying to find new ways to bolster the ailing forestry and pulp and paper businesses. That's not the case. As New Democratic Leader Andrea Horwath pointed out in question period this week, the number of people receiving Employment Insurance in northern communities has risen by a staggering amount. In greater Sudbury, StatsCan figures show a 152% increase. Northern Development Minister Mike Gravelle responded by reporting Thunder Bay is about to become the "Popsicle stick capital of the world." I'm sure it's wonderful that Global Sticks is investing there, but popsicle sticks won't lick the problems of the dying forestry and pulp and paper industries. There's a massive north-south divide in this province. You can see the frustration in politicians like Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson and Howard Hampton, from Kenora-Rainy River. Forestry giant Tembec recently closed its pulp mill in Smooth Rock Falls -- a one-industry town north of Timmins. Make that a no-industry town if the government doesn't act. A consortium has raised $50 million to build a multi-purpose plant on the Tembec site. They've got everything they need -- except the wood allocation and the government is dragging its feet, even though the ministry has the authority to allocate timber rights. "It literally means the survival of our community," said Smooth Rock Falls Mayor Kevin Somer, who came to Queen's Park to see Gravelle Tuesday. The project would provide 100 direct jobs, plus 200 indirect jobs. And it would revitalize the local tax base. But Gravelle was on the defensive. "Unfortunately, the reality is that much of the wood supply is licensed and allocated to another company, which is also fighting to survive in Ontario," he told the House. Bisson says Tembec, which now owns the wood rights, has agreed to the allocation. Hampton, the former NDP leader, brings a unique, northern perspective to this. As the north bleeds jobs, who profits? The south does -- from the excess hydro the north generates through its fast-running rivers. Hampton points to a recent "green energy" announcement, in which the government said it would spend $2.3 billion on transmission lines. "What it's about is building transmission lines to take the electricity surplus that's been created in northeastern and northwestern Ontario and bringing it to southern Ontario," Hampton told me. He says the government needs a vision for beleaguered northern communities. "You could simply say, 'If you are an industry that cares about having a clean, green image, we have the cleanest, greenest energy on the planet and it also happens to be the lowest cost energy on the planet. Come and locate here. Create jobs and economic activity here,' " he said. In other words, instead of paying $2.3 billion to ship the electricity south, invite the world to the north. Every time a mill closes in the north, it frees up energy for the south. Hampton rattles off 10 paper machines that have shut down. "You've probably created 300 MW or more of surplus electricity right there," he said. A cynic might say that's the new Liberal vision for the north: Turn off the lights in the forestry and pulp and paper business -- and ship the electricity, and the jobs, south.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Exclusive in depth report - Are Liberals Selling out Towns Like Smooth Rock Falls
Ontario's new Minister of Forestry isn't prepared yet to take a position on who should control the province's forest assets. Michael Gravelle, the Minister of Northern Development, Mines and now Forestry, was in Timmins today for a $1000 a plate Liberal fundraiser. In an exclusive interview with TimminsToday.com, Gravelle refused to say whether he'd reverse a Harris government decision, made in the late 1990's, to give control (referred to as tenure) to private enterprise - the forest companies who harvest Ontario trees. TimminsToday.com asked Gravelle several times whether he was personally comfortable with Ontario resources, wood fibre and lumber specifically, going to Quebec. "We're working as best we can with with individual companies and corporations that are involved and we're trying to find some solutions," Gravelle said over and over. The Minister pointed to a tenure review process that the government initiated that includes eight public hearings on the issue, one of which was held in Timmins today. That process winds up in late October.
However, that timeframe seems to be too little too late for the town and people of Smooth Rock Falls who feel the McGuinty Liberals have abandoned their community in favour of Tembec, the town's former major employer. Mayor Kevin Somer told TimminsToday.com that he is "fuming mad" that the McGuinty Liberals won't step in and tell companies like Tembec that they can't take Ontario forest assets out of the province. "How many (Ontario) jobs are being lost to Quebec?" Somer said. "The bottom line is this - fibre and other wood assets belong to the people of Ontario and this government refuses to stand up for towns like ours."
The town of Smooth Rock Falls (SRF) has been working for two years on a multi-faceted "cluster" of new business ventures that could have created more than 100 full-time and as many as 200 spinoff jobs - a $5 million a year payroll the community desperately needs. The plan included the town's takeover of the deteriorating Tembec operation in SRF - which was permanently shut down by the company several years ago. The $55 million project is all but dead in the water because, according to TimminsToday.com sources, a senior official in Gravelle's ministry, Mark Speers, Project Director, Tenure and Pricing Review (MNDMF's Industry Relations Branch), told town officials in a private meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, that the ministry (McGuinty Government) "doesn't have the legal authority to help you" when it comes to granting the town tenure to fibre and other forest assets now controlled by companies like Tembec.
Which begs the question, if the government doesn't control Ontario's forests, who does?
TimminsToday.com asked Minister Gravelle, the MPP for Thunder Bay - Superior North, how he would feel if a load of wood fibre or Ontario logs were being transported through his riding into Minnesota or Manitoba, how would he react?
"We need quite frankly, to give everyone an opportunity to give their point of view ... and I'm looking forward to hearing what people have to say," is all Gravelle would say.
In March of this year, Tembec quietly announced a private deal with a Cochrane-based First Nations group (the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, TTN) in which they agreed to share their Northern Ontario (Cochrane area) timber licence. The full text of that news release is below.
The Mayor of Smooth Rock Falls, Kevin Somer, says his residents are steaming mad that the Ontario government refused to intervene because the agreement between Tembec and the TTN meant Ontario forest assets could be shipped to and processed in Quebec. Somer says his community has been sold down the river by the Ontario Liberals who won't reverse the Harris government decision.
The Tembec/TTN deal, which the company says they struck in the year 2000, politically handcuffed MP Charlie Angus and MPP Gilles Bisson, who, as New Democrats would commit political suicide if they ever spoke out publicly against a deal that, on the surface, appears to benefit a First Nations community.
"It was a brilliant move on Tembec's part," said one source close to the whole Tembec/Smooth Rock Falls scenario. "Brilliant but transparent at the same time," he added.
To complicate matters even further, Mayor Somer confirmed to TimminsToday.com that TTN and a smaller private company are entangled in a legal matter over the timber rights that further illustrates the need for the Ontario government to step in.
Mayor Somer confirmed to TimminsToday.com that the people of Smooth Rock Falls are fed up and a major expression of that anger is being lined up for next week although he wouldn;t say what form it would take.
"The bottom line is this - who does the Ontario government represent? The people of Ontario, or a Quebec-based corporation?" said Somer.
The government's tenure review process wraps up in late October. Minister Gravelle would only say that he understands the process is important.
Text of March 2009 Tembec News Release
IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, TEMBEC AND THE TAYKWA TAGAMOU NATION USE THEIR UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP TO CULTIVATE NEW GROWTH
Introduction
Cochrane, Ontario March 28, 2008. A Multinational Forestry Company and First Nation prove that even the most trying times the forest industry has seen in decades isn't enough to get in the way of determined innovation and their propensity to find success where it is least expected.
Tembec Industries Inc. of Montreal Quebec and The Taykwa Tagamou First Nation of Cochrane, Ontario (TTN) have progressively chosen to use the trying times as motivation to succeed as opposed to justification for becoming defensive of each others interests. The two have combined each of their strengths to forge a ground breaking tenure (Timber Rights) sharing arrangement which not only helps each survive down turns in the economy like what we are living now, but provides each with increased long term viability as well.
Details
The arrangement sees Tembec take the bold move of sharing its timber licensing rights with TTN whenever there is a down turn in the economy which may be preventing their Mill(s) from utilizing the respective timber. This in turn allows TTN to market the timber at their discretion maintaining a $22 Million dollar per year business venture for the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, while also maintaining a $46 Million dollar per year local economy for the Town of Cochrane alone; much of which otherwise would have been negatively impacted or even shut down without the arrangement. Regionally (Cochrane, Timmins, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls and Iroquois Falls) the agreement can contribute $54 Million to the economy each and every year. As a result, this arrangement provides economic stability when the region needs it most - during current and future economic crisis's.
The agreement sees the First Nation receive unfettered access 300,000 cubic meters of timber to harvest each and every year. This in turn enables some 75 workers to perform the work regardless of the usual mill's capacity to take the timber or to run at all. Tembec maintains the first right to purchase the timber in the arrangement effectively ensuring that the local milling facilities are the primary beneficiaries. The whole arrangement will take place in the form of a timber license issued directly to TTN satisfying a long historical interest to take a more direct role in the management and guardianship of their resources.
The unique partnership established by the two parties in March of 2000 is the pioneering force behind them embracing each others interests in a forest composed of many competing interests. The partnership continues to pioneer new and exciting examples of how parties with different interests can work together to find new successes where success is least expected.
Quotes
Chief Dwight Sutherland states, "This agreement sees TTN take a large step toward reaching its goal of equality and justification relating to industrial natural resource development and tenure sharing. I'm excited to see the hard work of generations of TTN members pay off for our children and future generations to come, as we will no longer have to sit idly by and watch others benefit from our resources". Sutherland goes on to say, "We're excited to continue the hard efforts of our forefathers in working with our neighbours to build a mutually beneficial and collaborative relationship for all generations of all people to enjoy".
TTN's negotiator Peter Politis of For Evergreen Innovative Strategies Inc. states, "while Towns in Northern Ontario are being decimated and forced into economic ruin, Tembec and TTN have completely gone against the trend and forged a truly unique good news story. As a result of this inventive effort, the towns in this region are realizing an economic shot in the arm, at a time when most others are suffering a much worse set of circumstances". Politis goes on to say "It just goes to show that when two partners show the will to be innovative and get past historical differences, while concentrating on finding successes where they are least expected, there is no mountain too large to climb, no matter how different their general interests may be".
About The Taykwa Tagamou Nation
The Taykwa Tagamou Nation has a reserve located 14 km west of the Abitibi Canyon Hydro Generation Station between Cochrane and Moosonee. Due to the isolation of the reserve and lack of employment opportunities, the reserve was never occupied. In the early 1980's initiatives were taken by the TTN to find a new home for the Taykwa Tagamou Nation. In 1984, a new site was chosen and this has become the current location for Taykwa Tagamou. The community is located on a 177 hectare site in Bower Township, approximately 20 km west of Cochrane on Highway 574. Of the 335 members in the community, some 108 members live on reserve and while some 227 members live off reserve.
The Taykwa Tagamou Nation has aggressively pursued economic development since signing a pioneering relationship agreement with a large multinational forestry company in March of 2000. Currently, TTN owns a forestry company with an average annual sales of $16 million and a series of Hydro development companies pursuing hydro development opportunities estimated at over $5 billion.
About Tembec Inc.
Tembec is a large, diversified and integrated forest products company which stands as the global leader in sustainable forest management practices. With operations principally located in North America and in France, the Company employs approximately 8,000 people. Tembec's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TBC. Additional information on Tembec is available on its website at http://www.tembec.com/.
CONTACT
For Evergreen Innovative Strategies Inc.
Peter Politis
Senior Consultant,
705-272-8564
705-272-4816
mailto:p.politis%20@%20forevergreen.ca (no spaces)
Island Falls Forestry GP Inc.
Bryan Gelinas
Manager,
705-272-4290705-272-4370
However, that timeframe seems to be too little too late for the town and people of Smooth Rock Falls who feel the McGuinty Liberals have abandoned their community in favour of Tembec, the town's former major employer. Mayor Kevin Somer told TimminsToday.com that he is "fuming mad" that the McGuinty Liberals won't step in and tell companies like Tembec that they can't take Ontario forest assets out of the province. "How many (Ontario) jobs are being lost to Quebec?" Somer said. "The bottom line is this - fibre and other wood assets belong to the people of Ontario and this government refuses to stand up for towns like ours."
The town of Smooth Rock Falls (SRF) has been working for two years on a multi-faceted "cluster" of new business ventures that could have created more than 100 full-time and as many as 200 spinoff jobs - a $5 million a year payroll the community desperately needs. The plan included the town's takeover of the deteriorating Tembec operation in SRF - which was permanently shut down by the company several years ago. The $55 million project is all but dead in the water because, according to TimminsToday.com sources, a senior official in Gravelle's ministry, Mark Speers, Project Director, Tenure and Pricing Review (MNDMF's Industry Relations Branch), told town officials in a private meeting in Sault Ste. Marie, that the ministry (McGuinty Government) "doesn't have the legal authority to help you" when it comes to granting the town tenure to fibre and other forest assets now controlled by companies like Tembec.
Which begs the question, if the government doesn't control Ontario's forests, who does?
TimminsToday.com asked Minister Gravelle, the MPP for Thunder Bay - Superior North, how he would feel if a load of wood fibre or Ontario logs were being transported through his riding into Minnesota or Manitoba, how would he react?
"We need quite frankly, to give everyone an opportunity to give their point of view ... and I'm looking forward to hearing what people have to say," is all Gravelle would say.
In March of this year, Tembec quietly announced a private deal with a Cochrane-based First Nations group (the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, TTN) in which they agreed to share their Northern Ontario (Cochrane area) timber licence. The full text of that news release is below.
The Mayor of Smooth Rock Falls, Kevin Somer, says his residents are steaming mad that the Ontario government refused to intervene because the agreement between Tembec and the TTN meant Ontario forest assets could be shipped to and processed in Quebec. Somer says his community has been sold down the river by the Ontario Liberals who won't reverse the Harris government decision.
The Tembec/TTN deal, which the company says they struck in the year 2000, politically handcuffed MP Charlie Angus and MPP Gilles Bisson, who, as New Democrats would commit political suicide if they ever spoke out publicly against a deal that, on the surface, appears to benefit a First Nations community.
"It was a brilliant move on Tembec's part," said one source close to the whole Tembec/Smooth Rock Falls scenario. "Brilliant but transparent at the same time," he added.
To complicate matters even further, Mayor Somer confirmed to TimminsToday.com that TTN and a smaller private company are entangled in a legal matter over the timber rights that further illustrates the need for the Ontario government to step in.
Mayor Somer confirmed to TimminsToday.com that the people of Smooth Rock Falls are fed up and a major expression of that anger is being lined up for next week although he wouldn;t say what form it would take.
"The bottom line is this - who does the Ontario government represent? The people of Ontario, or a Quebec-based corporation?" said Somer.
The government's tenure review process wraps up in late October. Minister Gravelle would only say that he understands the process is important.
Text of March 2009 Tembec News Release
IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, TEMBEC AND THE TAYKWA TAGAMOU NATION USE THEIR UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP TO CULTIVATE NEW GROWTH
Introduction
Cochrane, Ontario March 28, 2008. A Multinational Forestry Company and First Nation prove that even the most trying times the forest industry has seen in decades isn't enough to get in the way of determined innovation and their propensity to find success where it is least expected.
Tembec Industries Inc. of Montreal Quebec and The Taykwa Tagamou First Nation of Cochrane, Ontario (TTN) have progressively chosen to use the trying times as motivation to succeed as opposed to justification for becoming defensive of each others interests. The two have combined each of their strengths to forge a ground breaking tenure (Timber Rights) sharing arrangement which not only helps each survive down turns in the economy like what we are living now, but provides each with increased long term viability as well.
Details
The arrangement sees Tembec take the bold move of sharing its timber licensing rights with TTN whenever there is a down turn in the economy which may be preventing their Mill(s) from utilizing the respective timber. This in turn allows TTN to market the timber at their discretion maintaining a $22 Million dollar per year business venture for the Taykwa Tagamou Nation, while also maintaining a $46 Million dollar per year local economy for the Town of Cochrane alone; much of which otherwise would have been negatively impacted or even shut down without the arrangement. Regionally (Cochrane, Timmins, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls and Iroquois Falls) the agreement can contribute $54 Million to the economy each and every year. As a result, this arrangement provides economic stability when the region needs it most - during current and future economic crisis's.
The agreement sees the First Nation receive unfettered access 300,000 cubic meters of timber to harvest each and every year. This in turn enables some 75 workers to perform the work regardless of the usual mill's capacity to take the timber or to run at all. Tembec maintains the first right to purchase the timber in the arrangement effectively ensuring that the local milling facilities are the primary beneficiaries. The whole arrangement will take place in the form of a timber license issued directly to TTN satisfying a long historical interest to take a more direct role in the management and guardianship of their resources.
The unique partnership established by the two parties in March of 2000 is the pioneering force behind them embracing each others interests in a forest composed of many competing interests. The partnership continues to pioneer new and exciting examples of how parties with different interests can work together to find new successes where success is least expected.
Quotes
Chief Dwight Sutherland states, "This agreement sees TTN take a large step toward reaching its goal of equality and justification relating to industrial natural resource development and tenure sharing. I'm excited to see the hard work of generations of TTN members pay off for our children and future generations to come, as we will no longer have to sit idly by and watch others benefit from our resources". Sutherland goes on to say, "We're excited to continue the hard efforts of our forefathers in working with our neighbours to build a mutually beneficial and collaborative relationship for all generations of all people to enjoy".
TTN's negotiator Peter Politis of For Evergreen Innovative Strategies Inc. states, "while Towns in Northern Ontario are being decimated and forced into economic ruin, Tembec and TTN have completely gone against the trend and forged a truly unique good news story. As a result of this inventive effort, the towns in this region are realizing an economic shot in the arm, at a time when most others are suffering a much worse set of circumstances". Politis goes on to say "It just goes to show that when two partners show the will to be innovative and get past historical differences, while concentrating on finding successes where they are least expected, there is no mountain too large to climb, no matter how different their general interests may be".
About The Taykwa Tagamou Nation
The Taykwa Tagamou Nation has a reserve located 14 km west of the Abitibi Canyon Hydro Generation Station between Cochrane and Moosonee. Due to the isolation of the reserve and lack of employment opportunities, the reserve was never occupied. In the early 1980's initiatives were taken by the TTN to find a new home for the Taykwa Tagamou Nation. In 1984, a new site was chosen and this has become the current location for Taykwa Tagamou. The community is located on a 177 hectare site in Bower Township, approximately 20 km west of Cochrane on Highway 574. Of the 335 members in the community, some 108 members live on reserve and while some 227 members live off reserve.
The Taykwa Tagamou Nation has aggressively pursued economic development since signing a pioneering relationship agreement with a large multinational forestry company in March of 2000. Currently, TTN owns a forestry company with an average annual sales of $16 million and a series of Hydro development companies pursuing hydro development opportunities estimated at over $5 billion.
About Tembec Inc.
Tembec is a large, diversified and integrated forest products company which stands as the global leader in sustainable forest management practices. With operations principally located in North America and in France, the Company employs approximately 8,000 people. Tembec's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TBC. Additional information on Tembec is available on its website at http://www.tembec.com/.
CONTACT
For Evergreen Innovative Strategies Inc.
Peter Politis
Senior Consultant,
705-272-8564
705-272-4816
mailto:p.politis%20@%20forevergreen.ca (no spaces)
Island Falls Forestry GP Inc.
Bryan Gelinas
Manager,
705-272-4290705-272-4370
Monday, August 17, 2009
State of the Hearst Economy
Since its inception in the late 1920’s the Community of Hearst has grown around the forest industry. All other elements of the local economy, such as secondary industry, transportation, the retail and service trades, etc. are reliant on consumer dollars and business that are generated by the forest industry. Hearst has always faced the challenges of surviving the “boom and bust cycles” that is typical of a natural resource-based economy. This is no longer the case however as the global market situation changes. The Forest Industry in North America is perceived as a mature declining market that requires significant restructuring. Nordic Europe is also seen as mature and declining, but unlike North America restructuring has begun years ago. In addition, the Scandinavians are world leaders in technology development which eases the negative effects of a world economic downturn.
Since the 1960’s, Hearst has experienced the net loss of four (4) major mills. Two of the 3 remaining operations are now owned by larger North American consortiums, so local control is no longer a factor in their destiny. The three remaining wood manufacturers in the immediate Hearst area (Columbia Forest Products, Tembec Industries Inc. and Lecours Lumber) directly employed 765 people in 2006 and 171 in secondary industries and services, involving 43% of the local labour force overall. In 2006, Les Industries Tri-Cept (Hearst) Inc. permanently closed its planning mill with a loss of 40 jobs. In November 2007, Columbia Forest Products terminated their particle board plant and 83 more jobs were lost. In July 2003 Columbia Forest Products had 453 employees at their facility in Hearst, today they employ 198, a net loss of 56% of the work force. The lingering troubles of the forest industry have had a negative impact on an estimated 451 job opportunities on the plant floors, in wood operations and support industries during the past 2 years, through permanent job reductions, delayed harvesting or non-renewal of contracts. All indications are that this trend will continue through to 2011. A recent announcement by Tembec to schedule a 13 week shutdown of its saw mill in Hearst starting November 2009 supports this trend. The recent collapse of Buchanan Forest Products has affected many local workers who contracted equipment and labour to this company. Last winter, when harvesting activities are normally at their peak, Lecours Lumber and Tembec had combined lay-offs of 275 employees. Today, Forestry workers have not returned to work. Columbia Forest Products has recently removed its melamine laminating equipment from its plant, resulting in a further loss of 8 job positions. The remaining jobs at Columbia are far from secure, as the company is operating on a week to week basis, and is in need of a rapid economic turnaround. The forest industry is Hearst’s livelihood and the driving force behind our whole economy. As the forest sector suffers, its symptoms spread throughout the community. Countless families are affected, not because they work in the industry, but because they supply goods and services to the forestry sector and its employees. The effects of the forest sector downturn are evident from the closure of 5 businesses in the downtown core since July 2008, including the Downtown’s anchor “Northern Store”. Smaller retail outlets have since closed due to lack of patronage. Over 80 houses are now listed on the market and countless number of commercial, industrial spaces are listed as vacant and for sale.
Despite these challenges, the community is posed on the brink of a new economy and is actively pursuing prospects in bio-fuels, renewable energy, value-added wood products, wood pellets as alternate heating sources, a potential phosphate mine and numerous other avenues. The integration of economic networks/clusters that will contribute to closing the loop in the current life cycle of a resource based economy is also a catalyst to the future success of the above projects. Promising sectors such as biotechnologies and nanotechnologies also need to be developed further to become part of the restructuring process.
Despite these very promising sectors Northern Ontario communities need overcome important hurdles in order to facilitate economic development. Current government policies and governance mechanisms for access to land and forest resources often discourage new investment, including a lack of participation in decisions surrounding Crown land. Natural resources tenure models need to take in consideration communities as far as revenue sharing and management control. This will help communities become self sufficient and increase revenues from within the community and provide capital investment capacity for new ventures.
In the short term, stimulus projects are necessary to maintain and boost community confidence and to provide local employment to labourers and equipment operators until a new economy is developed and functional. Projects such as municipal infrastructure development, enhanced forest sylviculture and inventory, alternative crop development for food and biomass need to be actively pursued without delay. These projects will not only send back to work unemployed forestry workers, they will help prepare the ground for a new bio economy.
Since the 1960’s, Hearst has experienced the net loss of four (4) major mills. Two of the 3 remaining operations are now owned by larger North American consortiums, so local control is no longer a factor in their destiny. The three remaining wood manufacturers in the immediate Hearst area (Columbia Forest Products, Tembec Industries Inc. and Lecours Lumber) directly employed 765 people in 2006 and 171 in secondary industries and services, involving 43% of the local labour force overall. In 2006, Les Industries Tri-Cept (Hearst) Inc. permanently closed its planning mill with a loss of 40 jobs. In November 2007, Columbia Forest Products terminated their particle board plant and 83 more jobs were lost. In July 2003 Columbia Forest Products had 453 employees at their facility in Hearst, today they employ 198, a net loss of 56% of the work force. The lingering troubles of the forest industry have had a negative impact on an estimated 451 job opportunities on the plant floors, in wood operations and support industries during the past 2 years, through permanent job reductions, delayed harvesting or non-renewal of contracts. All indications are that this trend will continue through to 2011. A recent announcement by Tembec to schedule a 13 week shutdown of its saw mill in Hearst starting November 2009 supports this trend. The recent collapse of Buchanan Forest Products has affected many local workers who contracted equipment and labour to this company. Last winter, when harvesting activities are normally at their peak, Lecours Lumber and Tembec had combined lay-offs of 275 employees. Today, Forestry workers have not returned to work. Columbia Forest Products has recently removed its melamine laminating equipment from its plant, resulting in a further loss of 8 job positions. The remaining jobs at Columbia are far from secure, as the company is operating on a week to week basis, and is in need of a rapid economic turnaround. The forest industry is Hearst’s livelihood and the driving force behind our whole economy. As the forest sector suffers, its symptoms spread throughout the community. Countless families are affected, not because they work in the industry, but because they supply goods and services to the forestry sector and its employees. The effects of the forest sector downturn are evident from the closure of 5 businesses in the downtown core since July 2008, including the Downtown’s anchor “Northern Store”. Smaller retail outlets have since closed due to lack of patronage. Over 80 houses are now listed on the market and countless number of commercial, industrial spaces are listed as vacant and for sale.
Despite these challenges, the community is posed on the brink of a new economy and is actively pursuing prospects in bio-fuels, renewable energy, value-added wood products, wood pellets as alternate heating sources, a potential phosphate mine and numerous other avenues. The integration of economic networks/clusters that will contribute to closing the loop in the current life cycle of a resource based economy is also a catalyst to the future success of the above projects. Promising sectors such as biotechnologies and nanotechnologies also need to be developed further to become part of the restructuring process.
Despite these very promising sectors Northern Ontario communities need overcome important hurdles in order to facilitate economic development. Current government policies and governance mechanisms for access to land and forest resources often discourage new investment, including a lack of participation in decisions surrounding Crown land. Natural resources tenure models need to take in consideration communities as far as revenue sharing and management control. This will help communities become self sufficient and increase revenues from within the community and provide capital investment capacity for new ventures.
In the short term, stimulus projects are necessary to maintain and boost community confidence and to provide local employment to labourers and equipment operators until a new economy is developed and functional. Projects such as municipal infrastructure development, enhanced forest sylviculture and inventory, alternative crop development for food and biomass need to be actively pursued without delay. These projects will not only send back to work unemployed forestry workers, they will help prepare the ground for a new bio economy.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Ontario Tenure System Review
Submitted by Brett H on Tue, 05/05/2009 - 10:50.
Tags:
Newspaper
13
03
Date: -->
Thursday May 07, 2009
By
Ron Grech
A revision of Ontario’s forest tenure system will hinge largely on the findings of a task force comprised of individuals "with no vested interest" in the management of Crown forests says Minister of Natural Resources.
"Their role will be to have that initial discussion and examine different options," said The Honourable Donna Cansfield in an interview with The Working Forest. "There are people with experience in world markets, advisors to the forest industry, people who have been in business and are now retired, academics – we have a wide range of experts to choose from, who have no vested interest but can provide valuable input.
"We want to bring in experts who know the industry, who understand the climate change perspective, silviculture, different types of products and requirements from the industry. We want people who are knowledgeable of the industry but can look at it without having a particular bias."
While speaking at the annual conference of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association in Sudbury in late April, Cansfield announced plans to conduct a review Crown tenure and pricing systems.
While the task force members may be independent of industry influences, Cansfield said she would be seeking input from industry as well as organizations such as the OPFA.
She said members of the association have been asking for such a review and her government has decided "now is the time" to do it.
"While our current (tenure) system has changed incrementally over time, it is not as flexible as it should be. That makes it hard for new entrants to get access to forest resources."
One of the fundamental goals driving this change is Cansfield’s view that the forest industry needs to be more diversified. She said she also wants to encourage forest sector investment, innovation and employment.
"This is the first real slump in the industry’s history. Those communities that have a mill and nothing else to fall back on are feeling the brunt of this. With diversification we could create more opportunities. There’s no reason why we can’t use the skills of people in this industry in a variety of ways."
Through this review, a variety of possibilities appear to be up for discussion.
Asked whether the MNR is considering taking back full control of forest management, Cansfield said it’s another matter which will have to be discussed by the task force.
"Some land may come back to the Crown … It’s hard to know how certain things are going to play out, for example with AbitibiBowater."
The task force will also be examining pros and cons of having either a uniform tenure system across the province or variations from one region to the next.
Not up for discussion, however, is the privatization of currently managed provincial forests.
"We are not selling Crown land," Cansfield said.
The review raises questions about the future of the reorganization of SFLs into co-operatives.
Again, Cansfield was non-committal. She said that’s a matter which will have to be discussed by the task force. However, her comments didn’t suggest a ringing endorsement of the progress that’s been made so far.
"It’s been a slow process. We’ve had a couple of SFLs convert to cooperatives. But that’s part of what we’ll be discussing."
Cansfield said she isn’t sure how long the review will take or when a revised tenure system may be finalized and implemented.
One thing Cansfield is sure of, she doesn’t want to see the process dragging on for years and years.
"I don’t want to make this my life’s work," she said. "I want this completed within a reasonable time frame. We want to emerge from the recession and be able to look at resources differently to attract investment." <>
Tags:
Newspaper
13
03
Date: -->
Thursday May 07, 2009
By
Ron Grech
A revision of Ontario’s forest tenure system will hinge largely on the findings of a task force comprised of individuals "with no vested interest" in the management of Crown forests says Minister of Natural Resources.
"Their role will be to have that initial discussion and examine different options," said The Honourable Donna Cansfield in an interview with The Working Forest. "There are people with experience in world markets, advisors to the forest industry, people who have been in business and are now retired, academics – we have a wide range of experts to choose from, who have no vested interest but can provide valuable input.
"We want to bring in experts who know the industry, who understand the climate change perspective, silviculture, different types of products and requirements from the industry. We want people who are knowledgeable of the industry but can look at it without having a particular bias."
While speaking at the annual conference of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association in Sudbury in late April, Cansfield announced plans to conduct a review Crown tenure and pricing systems.
While the task force members may be independent of industry influences, Cansfield said she would be seeking input from industry as well as organizations such as the OPFA.
She said members of the association have been asking for such a review and her government has decided "now is the time" to do it.
"While our current (tenure) system has changed incrementally over time, it is not as flexible as it should be. That makes it hard for new entrants to get access to forest resources."
One of the fundamental goals driving this change is Cansfield’s view that the forest industry needs to be more diversified. She said she also wants to encourage forest sector investment, innovation and employment.
"This is the first real slump in the industry’s history. Those communities that have a mill and nothing else to fall back on are feeling the brunt of this. With diversification we could create more opportunities. There’s no reason why we can’t use the skills of people in this industry in a variety of ways."
Through this review, a variety of possibilities appear to be up for discussion.
Asked whether the MNR is considering taking back full control of forest management, Cansfield said it’s another matter which will have to be discussed by the task force.
"Some land may come back to the Crown … It’s hard to know how certain things are going to play out, for example with AbitibiBowater."
The task force will also be examining pros and cons of having either a uniform tenure system across the province or variations from one region to the next.
Not up for discussion, however, is the privatization of currently managed provincial forests.
"We are not selling Crown land," Cansfield said.
The review raises questions about the future of the reorganization of SFLs into co-operatives.
Again, Cansfield was non-committal. She said that’s a matter which will have to be discussed by the task force. However, her comments didn’t suggest a ringing endorsement of the progress that’s been made so far.
"It’s been a slow process. We’ve had a couple of SFLs convert to cooperatives. But that’s part of what we’ll be discussing."
Cansfield said she isn’t sure how long the review will take or when a revised tenure system may be finalized and implemented.
One thing Cansfield is sure of, she doesn’t want to see the process dragging on for years and years.
"I don’t want to make this my life’s work," she said. "I want this completed within a reasonable time frame. We want to emerge from the recession and be able to look at resources differently to attract investment." <>
Monday, March 23, 2009
In honour of Canadian Army Trooper Jack Bouthillier / En l’honneur du soldat Jack Bouthillier de l’Armée canadienne
Date : 23 mars 2009
En l’honneur du soldat Jack Bouthillier de l’Armée canadienne
En l’honneur du soldat Jack Bouthillier de l’Armée canadienne qui a servi son pays et perdu sa vie pour la paix de l’humanité dans la guerre en Afghanistan vendredi le 20 mars 2009, la communauté de Hearst exprime ses sincères condoléances et son immense peine. En reconnaissance du dévouement, du courage et de l’inspiration dont le soldat Jack Bouthillier a fait preuve pour la paix de ce monde, les citoyens de Hearst expriment leur fierté et leur gratitude. Les citoyens de Hearst sont invités à venir signer un livre de condoléances à la Réception de l’hôtel de ville. Ce lundi 23 mars 2009 à Hearst.
En l’honneur du soldat Jack Bouthillier de l’Armée canadienne qui a servi son pays et perdu sa vie pour la paix de l’humanité dans la guerre en Afghanistan vendredi le 20 mars 2009, la communauté de Hearst exprime ses sincères condoléances et son immense peine. En reconnaissance du dévouement, du courage et de l’inspiration dont le soldat Jack Bouthillier a fait preuve pour la paix de ce monde, les citoyens de Hearst expriment leur fierté et leur gratitude. Les citoyens de Hearst sont invités à venir signer un livre de condoléances à la Réception de l’hôtel de ville. Ce lundi 23 mars 2009 à Hearst.
Date : March 23rd 2009
In honour of Canadian Army Trooper Jack Bouthillier
In honour of Canadian Army Trooper Jack Bouthillier who has served his country and lost his life for the peace of humankind in the war in Afghanistan on Friday, March 20, 2009, the Hearst community expresses its heartfelt sympathies and sorrow. In recognition of the dedication, the courage and the inspiration Trooper Jack Bouthillier has pledged for worldwide peace, the people of Hearst conveys its pride and gratitude. Citizens of Hearst are invited to come and sign a book of condolences at the Town Hall Reception Desk. Monday March 23, 2009 in Hearst.
In honour of Canadian Army Trooper Jack Bouthillier
In honour of Canadian Army Trooper Jack Bouthillier who has served his country and lost his life for the peace of humankind in the war in Afghanistan on Friday, March 20, 2009, the Hearst community expresses its heartfelt sympathies and sorrow. In recognition of the dedication, the courage and the inspiration Trooper Jack Bouthillier has pledged for worldwide peace, the people of Hearst conveys its pride and gratitude. Citizens of Hearst are invited to come and sign a book of condolences at the Town Hall Reception Desk. Monday March 23, 2009 in Hearst.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Activités du Sommet
Hearst, Ontario
30 avril, 1er et 2 mai 2009
J'ai un mot à dire
Le projet J'ai un mot à dire vise à donner la parole à nos jeunes en les encourageant à nous faire connaître leur vision de l'avenir. Initier dans le cadre du sommet Pour l'avenir de nos enfants qui aura lieu à Hearst du 30 avril au 2 mai prochains, le projet comprend des montages faits à partir de dessins, de collages, d'assemblages, de lettres, de rédactions, ou de poèmes et un film qui sera fait à partir de vidéo-clips produits par les jeunes. Le film et les montages seront présentés lors de la soirée d'ouverture du sommet le jeudi 30 avril. Pour plus d'informations consultez le site web http://www.hearst.ca/
Luc Bouthillier de l'Université Laval à Québec
Luc Bouthillier fera une deuxième visite à Hearst dans le cadre du sommet Pour l'avenir de nos enfants. Dans une présentation ayant pour titre La Culture forestière: La saveur suédoise, il décrira comment la Suède, pays au climat similaire au nôtre, gère ses forêts. M. Bouthillier s'arrêtera notamment aux valeurs qui animent les Suédois et Suédoises dans la gestion de leurs forêts.
Inscrivez-vous! Nous comptons sur votre présence.
Tél: 705-372-2838
Courriel: sustainable-durable@hearst.ca
Site web: Hearst.ca
Our Children, Their Future Summit
Activities
Hearst, Ontario
April 30th, May 1st and 2nd 2009
I have something to say
The project I have something to say aims to encourage youth in our community to share their vision of the future. Initiated within the frame work of Our Children, Their Future Summit that will be held on April 30th to May 2nd, the project includes drawings, crafts, letters, essays, poems or even video clips from YouTube made by our youth. The video clips will be presented at the Summit's opening night April 30th. For more information visit our website http://www.hearst.ca/
Luc Bouthillier at the Laval University of Québec
In Hearst for a second time, noted forestry professor Luc Bouthillier will be speaking at the upcoming Our Children, Their Future Summit taking place in Hearst. Entitled "Culture forestière: La saveur suédoise" or Forestry Culture in Sweden, M. Bouthillier's presentation will describe how Sweden, a country similar to ours in climate, manages and values its forests.
Register now! Hope to see you there.
Tel: 705-372-2838
Email: sustainable-durable@hearst.ca
Web site: Hearst.ca
30 avril, 1er et 2 mai 2009
J'ai un mot à dire
Le projet J'ai un mot à dire vise à donner la parole à nos jeunes en les encourageant à nous faire connaître leur vision de l'avenir. Initier dans le cadre du sommet Pour l'avenir de nos enfants qui aura lieu à Hearst du 30 avril au 2 mai prochains, le projet comprend des montages faits à partir de dessins, de collages, d'assemblages, de lettres, de rédactions, ou de poèmes et un film qui sera fait à partir de vidéo-clips produits par les jeunes. Le film et les montages seront présentés lors de la soirée d'ouverture du sommet le jeudi 30 avril. Pour plus d'informations consultez le site web http://www.hearst.ca/
Luc Bouthillier de l'Université Laval à Québec
Luc Bouthillier fera une deuxième visite à Hearst dans le cadre du sommet Pour l'avenir de nos enfants. Dans une présentation ayant pour titre La Culture forestière: La saveur suédoise, il décrira comment la Suède, pays au climat similaire au nôtre, gère ses forêts. M. Bouthillier s'arrêtera notamment aux valeurs qui animent les Suédois et Suédoises dans la gestion de leurs forêts.
Inscrivez-vous! Nous comptons sur votre présence.
Tél: 705-372-2838
Courriel: sustainable-durable@hearst.ca
Site web: Hearst.ca
Our Children, Their Future Summit
Activities
Hearst, Ontario
April 30th, May 1st and 2nd 2009
I have something to say
The project I have something to say aims to encourage youth in our community to share their vision of the future. Initiated within the frame work of Our Children, Their Future Summit that will be held on April 30th to May 2nd, the project includes drawings, crafts, letters, essays, poems or even video clips from YouTube made by our youth. The video clips will be presented at the Summit's opening night April 30th. For more information visit our website http://www.hearst.ca/
Luc Bouthillier at the Laval University of Québec
In Hearst for a second time, noted forestry professor Luc Bouthillier will be speaking at the upcoming Our Children, Their Future Summit taking place in Hearst. Entitled "Culture forestière: La saveur suédoise" or Forestry Culture in Sweden, M. Bouthillier's presentation will describe how Sweden, a country similar to ours in climate, manages and values its forests.
Register now! Hope to see you there.
Tel: 705-372-2838
Email: sustainable-durable@hearst.ca
Web site: Hearst.ca
Nouveau service offert - Prorpiétés à vendre
Corporation de développement économique de Hearst
523 route 11 est, HEARST ON P0L 1N0
La Corporation de développement économique de Hearst développe une liste de propriétés à vendre à Hearst et veut la rendre disponible aux gens qui nous appellent de l’extérieur et qui visitent le Centre Touristique
Vous n’avez qu’à venir nous voir et remplir le formulaire avec les details de votre maison et vos coordonnées. Voici les details qu’on demande:
Adresse, nombre de pieds carrés, nombre de chambres à coucher, salles de bain, garage, prix demandé, grandeur du terrain, année de construction, renovations récentes, attraits particuliers (piscine, etc).
· http://www.hearst.ca/
Shana Verrier 705.372.2839
sverrier@hearst.ca
Veuillez noter qu’il s’agit tout simplement d’une liste que nous fournirons aux personnes qui la demande. La Corporation ne s’engage aucunement à la vente des propriétés.
On demande aux gens de bien vouloir nous aviser de la vente de leur maison pour que la liste demeure à jour.
523 route 11 est, HEARST ON P0L 1N0
La Corporation de développement économique de Hearst développe une liste de propriétés à vendre à Hearst et veut la rendre disponible aux gens qui nous appellent de l’extérieur et qui visitent le Centre Touristique
Vous n’avez qu’à venir nous voir et remplir le formulaire avec les details de votre maison et vos coordonnées. Voici les details qu’on demande:
Adresse, nombre de pieds carrés, nombre de chambres à coucher, salles de bain, garage, prix demandé, grandeur du terrain, année de construction, renovations récentes, attraits particuliers (piscine, etc).
· http://www.hearst.ca/
Shana Verrier 705.372.2839
sverrier@hearst.ca
Veuillez noter qu’il s’agit tout simplement d’une liste que nous fournirons aux personnes qui la demande. La Corporation ne s’engage aucunement à la vente des propriétés.
On demande aux gens de bien vouloir nous aviser de la vente de leur maison pour que la liste demeure à jour.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Summit - “Our children, their future”
Over the last decade, Northern Ontario communities have been, and are still, feeling the repercussions of global economic transformation. Since 2003, in Northern Ontario alone, approximately 7,000 jobs have been lost solely from the forestry sector. These disruptions create uncertainties, concerns and instability which are forcing us to reconsider the premise our economic development is based on. It has also had an impact on our way of life. We now have to rethink the future based on new parameters and develop strategies to put in place structures that will ensure not only sustainability but also, our socio-economic development and the well-being of all communities. The Summit “Our children, their future”:
A unique opportunity to participate in the reinvention of our local and regional economy
An opportunity to contribute to the sustainable and equitable development of our communities.
An opportunity to transform ourselves by maximizing the use of our human and natural resources and enhancing community involvement.
The Summit will be held this coming April 30th, May 1st and 2nd 2009, at l’Université de Hearst located at 60 9th Street, within walking distance of the downtown area.
A unique opportunity to participate in the reinvention of our local and regional economy
An opportunity to contribute to the sustainable and equitable development of our communities.
An opportunity to transform ourselves by maximizing the use of our human and natural resources and enhancing community involvement.
The Summit will be held this coming April 30th, May 1st and 2nd 2009, at l’Université de Hearst located at 60 9th Street, within walking distance of the downtown area.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
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