Update on Green Initiatives

The following are green initiatives projects undertaken by the community of Hearst.

The construction of our Green Business and Technology Center has begun. It is a 2.8 million dollar project that will house a bioscience lab, a multimedia space and a Green Business Incubator Space. The Regional Information Utility Network office will also be located in that building. The Center will be a green building and will be powered by solar wind, biomass and geothermal energy, and a 10 kW MFIT. The Center will focus on education, small scale research, demonstration, partnerships, business development and incubation in the green business sector.

A total of 10, 10 kW solar PV MFIT projects or installed or being installed, and we have approximately 5 that we know of, that are under review.

The fast growing willow plantation research project with NRCan and SSIC is coming to an end. Results of the research will be released at a tech transfer event being held in Hearst September 28th, 2010.

A 10 MW solar farm will be constructed in 2010.

A 10 MW biomass energy plant (Hearst Bio Energy LP) is awaiting Economic Connection Test from Ontario Power Authority. The owners have developed a process to burn heritage piles in the area.

A district heating study to provide heat to Columbia Forest Products to replace natural gas, and to heat municipal and school buildings along the river is near completion.

The municipality is currently evaluating the possibility of using some roof tops of their own buildings for energy production.

The Municipality has three trained energy auditors, which conduct energy audits in the community.

The local Green House will be installing geothermal energy in one green house for growing vegetables destined to the local market.

Lac Wood Industries is now producing bio fuel in the form of premium wood pellets for the domestic market.

2 local contractors offer solar PV, solar thermal and geothermal supply and installation services and several retailers of renewable energy products.

As part of our Community improvement plan, phytoremediation remediation (using plants to decontaminate) of the former shell bulk plant brown field will be performed.

The town now recycles all plastics (1 to 7), paper, metal, oil, tires, paints and stains (water & oil based), batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and electronic devices.

AGRIVA, a local organization that promotes local food and local products in the area, are very active in the community thanks to a very dynamic group of volunteers. They hold a market every two weeks on Saturday mornings. On average they have 25 local producers that sell their products.

Several green initiatives are being proposed under our Sustainable Development Plan that will be presented to the community in the next month. Such as community composting, bio gas production initiatives, carbon sequestration initiatives, carbon foot print tool for local businesses and industries and eco-industrial network strategy to name a few.

Mot du Directeur et du Président - Réunion annuelle 2007

Si nous avions à décrire en un mot l’année 2007, nous pourrions utiliser le mot continuité. Continuité, puisque la Corporation de développement économique poursuit avec ardeur le développement de plusieurs projets déjà entrepris dans les années ultérieurs. Malgré cela, la situation précoce de l’industrie primaire demeure la préoccupation principale.

L`année 2007 a été une autre année difficile pour l’industrie forestière. La crise hypothécaire américaine, le dollar canadien à parité au dollar américain et la monté en flèche du prix du pétrole sont tous des éléments qui amplifient la crise forestière au Canada. Rien n’indique que 2008 sera plus facile. Certains parlent de recouvrement des marchés du bois d`œuvre vers la fin 2009, d’autres en 2010 et parfois ont s’entend à dire 2011. Peu importe l’exactitude de ces prédictions, nous sommes tous unanimes pour dire que l’industrie forestière flamboyante que nous avons jadis connue, ne sera probablement plus la même.

Mais où est-ce que Hearst se situe dans tout ce chambardement de l’industrie forestière? Bien sûr il y a toujours espérance que le secteur minier vienne prendre la relève et soulager le décroissement économique actuel. Une situation qui serait souhaitable, sans aucun doute. Néanmoins, les forêts demeurent la plus importante source de matière première renouvelable qui existe dans le monde. Chose que nous ne pouvons assurer avec des minerais.
La Corporation de développement économique reconnaît cet aspect et demeure optimiste face à la renaissance de produits dérivés de la forêt boréale. Jugeant par les nombreux projets entrepris par la CDÉ, il est clair que l’avenir de l’industrie repose sur l’introduction de la bio économie dans l’équation forestière actuelle.

Quelle stratégie devrions-nous adopter pour développer cette nouvelle bio économie? Certains diront que l’énergie à partir de la biomasse est la solution. Mais quel type d’énergie devrions-nous développer? La crise alimentaire mondiale actuelle vient en quelque sorte brouiller les cartes. Les biocarburants issus de produits alimentaires ne font pas l’unanimité et d’énormes pressions se font mondialement pour adopter des politiques favorables au développement de biocarburants de deuxième génération. Même les États-Unis, grand producteur d’éthanol à partir de maïs, approuve cette stratégie et le président Bush multiplie l’investissement dans le développement de nouvelles technologies : un carburant issu de ligno-cellulosique (bois, feuilles, paille, etc.). Voilà la grande opportunité pour une région comme Hearst. Imaginez avoir une ressource comparable aux sables bitumineux à l’exception qu’elle est totalement renouvelable, quelle richesse. Il en demeure qu’à nous, les citoyens de Hearst, de réaliser ce potentiel. La CDÉ de Hearst ne peut tout faire seul et se doit de continuer d’obtenir l’appui de la communauté. Ensemble nous devons nous assurer que des politiques publiques soient favorables au développement local tout en répondant aux demandes régionales, provinciales et globales.

A Visit at Phoscan Martison Mine

By: Daniel Sigouin

Hearst, Ontario - February 7, 2008, it is 10h00 a.m. and we are preparing to leave for the Martison Mine site about 100 km Northwest of Hearst. I am travelling with Steve Dominy Chief Programs Section for Natural Resources Canada, Bertha Sutherland, Economic Development Officer for Constance Lake and Jocelyn Blais a local consultant currently conducting research for La Maison Verte of Hearst.

The Martison Phoscan Project is currently being examined for its potential as the key supplier of phosphate concentrate for a vertically integrated phosphoric acid plant to de developed near Hearst. The plant would utilize the Martison phosphate deposit as well as sulphuric acid. Phoscan is currently conducting a major 6.5 million, 80 holes drilling program focused on moving the project towards a bankable feasibility study.

At our arrival we were greeted by Janet Lowe Executive Vice President and Tim Horner Senior Project Engineer for Phoscan. After a 15 minute safety orientation session we enjoyed a nice lunch concocted by Chef Jeremy Theriault of Hearst and Sous-Chef Wayne Baxter of Constance Lake. Fabulous Italian wedding soup, supper sized hamburgers and the famous poutine are on the menu. Now I understand why weight gain is a concern for some of the workers on site.
The purpose of our trip is to investigate the possibility of conducting research in collaboration with Phoscan to potentially explore possible usage of peat considered as a waste product for Phoscan. The possible deposit of peat at the Phoscan site is significant, as much as 3 meters deep in some places. If you feel like doing the math, the proposed dimension of the excavated area is 700 meters by 1.5 kilometres. While there is a lot of peat in the north, in other regions, wetlands are smaller and there is greater pressure for their preservation as habitat and other values such as protection of water supply.

The properties of peat depend very much on its botanical origin and state of decomposition. Sphagnum peat decomposes slowly and remains quite fibrous. It is probably the material used to make the seedling pots. Peat that is more decomposed, and maybe formed more from other mosses, shrubs, and wood is darker, in smaller fragments, and probably higher in nutrients. Peats are usually acidic and are widely used as peat moss (basically sphagnum). During our visit at Phoscan samples were retrieved at different layers up to 2.5 meters deep. Clay samples were also collected.

Local construction Companies use decomposed peat (black muck) excavated as part of construction, quarrying, and road-building in topsoil mixes. The phosphate mine will provide a new source of peat.

Peat is also used as a potting mix and topsoil ingredient, or as mulch around plantations. Other possibilities to explore are production of peat pellets for fuel, and utilization of peat for Jiffy-type peat pots, possibly with added enhancements such as nutrients or humic fractions.
Although peat is generally treated as a non renewable resource because of its slow rate of renewal, mining represents an opportunity to use the peat as a carbon stock.

References;
Caroline Preston, Hearst Organics Preston revised0108.doc, January 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat
http://www.imcg.net/
http://phoscan.ca/

Hearst Ontario

Welcome to my new economic development blog for Hearst, Ontario Canada. My name is Daniel Sigouin and I am the Economic Development Officer for the Town of Hearst.

Located in Northeastern Ontario, the Town of Hearst functions as a regional service centre, providing post-secondary education, health, social, business, financial and transportation services to wide variety of smaller northern communities. Its employment base is comprised primarily of forestry related firms. Columbia Forest Products, Tembec Inc. and Lecours Lumber, three local forestry operations, are the Town’s largest employers.

Based on a review of industry concentration and an analysis of the economies of agglomeration and linkages in Northeastern Ontario, the Town of Hearst is well positioned for future business investment in the following sectors;

1. Forest related bio-industries producing bio-products such as fuel/energy, specialty chemicals and biomaterials or polymers;


2. Agri-products: livestock, greenhouse products and agriculture products;


3. Wood products and value-added wood products including building products, furniture manufacturing and custom millwork.

I strongly encourage you to visit our community web portal http://www.hearst.ca/ to find out more about our community.

Stay tuned for future postings!

Daniel Sigouin