Short-Rotation Woody Crops Field Day and Exhibition

Short-Rotation Woody Crops Field Day and Exhibition
Hearst, ON, September 28, 2010


Staff from Natural Resources Canada and the Town of Hearst co-hosted a one day event showcasing concentrated woody biomass (short rotation coppice) for bioenergy and bioproducts on September 28th, in Hearst, Ontario. They played host to upwards of 75 participants and guests from all over Ontario and Quebec. People in attendance included the staff from the OMNR, NRCan, energy and manufacturing sector, regional municipalities, forest consultants and their affiliates, private growers, interested NGO’s, and researchers. Presenters included staff from both organizations hosting the event as well as industry, consultants and owner-operators.

The host site is owned by Villeneuve Construction Ltd. and is one of four sites established under the Bioenergy Plantation Project for Northern Ontario. Funding for this 4-year project is provided in large part by Natural Resources Canada, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and FedNor, with each of the 4 partners contributing funding as well. Clients were given presentations in the morning at the university auditorium on a variety of topics including: short rotation coppice willow/hybrid poplar establishment; growth and yield; site and clone suitability; propagation options, methods and techniques for maintenance; input costs and economics (feasibility of such plantation ventures); carbon measurement and monitoring practices and protocols; biomass production systems; and harvest and recovery systems. Other topics included presentations by an owner-operator in southern Quebec, Cochrane Power Corporation and Anderson Group (commercially available bio-baler harvester). Demonstrations of mechanized approaches to establishment, cultivation techniques and harvesting systems were also included in the afternoon field visit of the plantation site.

For lunch, participants were served locally made burgers and sausages cooked on-site under a very welcoming tent. The weather was rather cool and windy. However, a great day was had by all.

La CDE à Syracus NY

Hearst, le 22 octobre 2010

Le directeur général de la Corporation de développement économique de Hearst revient d’un congrès à State University of New York College of Environment Science and Forestry SUNY-ESF à Syracus. La conférence portait sur les plantations de saules à croissance rapide; les défis et opportunités. La récolte de saules existe depuis plusieurs décennies en Europe et commence tranquillement à faire son apparition en Amérique du Nord. Le saule est utilisé comme approvisionnement de bois pour produire de l’énergie renouvelable. Le marché de biomasse provenant de plantations énergétiques est pour l’instant très restreint au pays. Malgré cela, la Corporation de développement économique de Hearst s’y intéresse depuis 2006. Elle croit fortement que l’énergie renouvelable constitue une opportunité de diversification économique prometteuse et que l’approvisionnement de bois à proximité d’usines de transformation sera la clé du succès de cette industrie.
SUNY-ESF a développé à travers les ans une expertise reconnue en Amérique du Nord dans la production d’espèces de saules propices à une multitude de climats et de sols. Ed White de SUNY-ESF avait présenté un atelier sur la plantation énergétique lors de la conférence BES en 2006. Le voyage a permis de renouer avec Ed White et celui-ci affirmait être agréablement surpris du cheminement de la communauté de Hearst depuis 2006. La Corporation de développement économique possède depuis 2007, en collaboration avec ses partenaires locaux et régionaux, une plantation énergétique à croissance rapide. Utilisée à des fins de recherche, elle a pour but d’aider à développer l’expertise locale et trouver les meilleures espèces propices à notre climat ardu. « Nous désirons développer cette industrie comme moyen de produire de la biomasse proche de notre communauté en utilisant des terres en friches » affirme Daniel Sigouin, directeur général de la Corporation.
En plus d’en apprendre plus sur les défis et les opportunités de cette industrie encore en développement, le congrès a permis d’établir de bons contacts avec des chercheurs et intervenants dans le domaine. Nous pouvons voir une photo de M. Sigouin avec Renato Pacaldo, Philippin et candidat au doctorat à SUNY-ESF. Renato Pacaldo est scientiste et étudie les sols et est aussi spécialiste du carbone provenant de la biomasse. Il affirme être très impressionné par le concept du Centre de technologies vertes et de nos efforts pour développer la bioéconomie dans le Nord de l’Ontario.
Des représentants de l’entreprise Villeneuve Construction étaient également présents lors du voyage. Ceux-ci s’intéressent grandement par ce nouveau produit et ont bien apprécié le voyage. Villeneuve Construction étudie actuellement la possibilité de planter 15 acres en saules à croissance rapide le printemps prochain. La compagnie possède plusieurs acres de terres en friches dans le Nord de l’Ontario et aimerait bien les exploiter.

Lumberjacks' goaltender Joel Vienneau enjoying life 'down south'

Published: Thursday, October 21, 2010, 10:19 PM Updated: Thursday, October 21, 2010, 10:24 PM
Ron Rop | The Muskegon Chronicle
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When you live as far “up north” as Joel Vienneau, there are certain things you can be assured of finding in your hometown.

Cold weather, plenty of snow, pond hockey, good hunting and excellent fishing are all traits of Hearst, Ont., a small town of less than 6,000 people and a “long drive to everywhere.” Hearst is a 12-hour drive north of Muskegon.

Vienneau, the No. 1 goaltender for Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League, is pursuing his dream of playing hockey, but he also misses his time back home in the great outdoors.

“I love to be in the bush to hunt and fish,” Vienneau said.

Among his targets while fishing are walleye, pike and smallmouth bass. Hunting season brings moose, birds and bears. At the age of 14, he bagged a calf moose that tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds.

“The last three years I’ve been playing juniors so there’s no time to hunt and fish,” said Vienneau, who started playing goaltender at the age of 5.

Vienneau is expected to be in net at 7:15 p.m. Saturday when the Jacks host the Indiana Ice.

“We’re only five games into the season,” Vienneau said. “It would be good to get that first home win.”

Vienneau has his sights set pretty high in hockey. He’s commited to playing at the University of Minnesota and he’s hoping to hear his name called next summer when the National Hockey League conducts its annual Entry Draft.

Vienneau, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, reached as high as No. 14 on the NHL Central Scouting report, but his name wasn’t called during this past year’s draft. That was a disappointment, but he’s determined to keep working.

“I need to play good to be ranked and Muskegon is the place to do it,” Vienneau said. “I just have to play good and keep winning.”

Last season, he led the Kingston Voyageurs to the playoff finals, where they lost in overtime of Game 7. During the regular season, he was 27-4-1 with a .928 save percentage.

“We did good, I think we lost eight games all year,” said Vienneau, who attended an offseason goaltender’s camp in Nashville, Tenn.

That success prompted a phone call from the expansion Lumberjacks.

“We firmly believed when we recruited him and offered him a tender that he had the talent and the ability to be our starter,” Lumberjack coach Kevin Patrick said. Vienneau was one of six players who were signed prior to the USHL draft.

Thus far, Vienneau has played in every game and posted a 1-3-1 record and a 3.98 goals-against-average. Despite the elevated GAA, the last two games have been stellar.

He blanked Sioux City last Friday on 19 shots and allowed two goals in a 2-1 setback the next evening in Fargo.

“His timing and his confidence continue to grow,” Patrick said. “Joel is a talented goaltender who has excellent size and athletic ability in the net. We look for him to be the backbone of our defense.”