Atikokan mill positioned for European exports Atikokan mill positioned for European exports
Poised for pellets
Ian Ross
A Thunder Bay entrepreneur expects to have contracts in hand by early spring to start exporting wood pellets to major European customers.
Ed Fukushima, president of Atikokan Renewable Fuels, is focused on firming up an order book
Pellet maker looks overseas Pellet maker looks overseas
Ian Ross
Tom Logan can't sell from an empty fibre basket.
The Toronto wood pellet entrepreneur is hopeful that an upcoming meeting this week with Ministry of Natural Resources officials in Marathon will produce some “clarity” in forging ahead with a bio-coal project in the No
Resolute FP to invest $12 million to $17 million in operation Resolute FP to invest $12 million to $17 million in operation
The competitive edge
Patrick Demers
The town of Iroquois Falls was happy to learn that Resolute Forest Products (the former AbitibiBowater) is investing $12 milllion to $17 million in the thermomechanical pulp mill.
“This is certainly good new
Sudbury and Nipissing Forests have mixed species Sudbury and Nipissing Forests have mixed species
Trees in transition
Liz Cowan
Managing a forest involves much more than planting trees. Various users, ranging from commercial to recreational, have to be considered along with the flora and fauna.
“The issues and the forests here are unique in that they a
BioSila aims for 2012 startup at Mattawa site BioSila aims for 2012 startup at Mattawa site
Wood snafu leaves mill in mothballs
Liz Cowan
A failure to secure a wood allocation from the province has delayed plans for a wood pellet plant near Mattawa.
BioSila purchased the former Tembec facility in September last year from the Mattawa-Bonfield Economi
Caribou conservation plan limiting wood supply Caribou conservation plan limiting wood supply
Hullabaloo over caribou
Liz Cowan
The woodland caribou is becoming as controversial as it is elusive since provincial conservation plans for the species may result in drastic reductions of wood supply in the Abitibi River Forest.
Those conservation plans ar
Eacom president wants pro-jobs attitude in forestry policy Eacom president wants pro-jobs attitude in forestry policy
Stumped by forestry policy
Ian Ross
The president and CEO of Eacom Timber Corp. said his company will withhold making any major investments in its recently-acquired Northern Ontario sawmills until there is a change in Ontario's forest policy.
Eacom president miffed at Ontario forestry policy Eacom president miffed at Ontario forestry policy
Ian Ross
The president and CEO of Eacom Timber Corp. said his company will withhold making any major investments in its recently-acquired Northern Ontario sawmills until there is a change in Ontario's forest policy.
In an interview with Northern Ontari
AbitibiBowater poised to re-open Ignace sawmill AbitibiBowater poised to re-open Ignace sawmill
Ian Ross
Ignace may regain its moniker as a forestry town with AbitibiBowater poised to reopen a shuttered sawmill.
That's good news for Joanne Ratthe, president of Elk Construction, who's hopeful better times are ahead for the northwestern Ontario townsh
Hearst manufacturer wastes no wood Hearst manufacturer wastes no wood
Thinking outside the box
Patrick Demers
Normand Lacroix wants to say his company Industries LacWood is very busy, but he doesn’t want too many people to know it.
The Hearst forest products company counts international furniture maker, IKEA, as a major client as well as
Kenora Forest Products receives wood supply Kenora Forest Products receives wood supply
Waiting on the markets
Ian Ross
A black and white aerial photo in Rod McKay's office at Kenora Forest Products taken in the mid-1920s show stacks of lumber piled so high in the yard that workers scaled catwalks to cross over them.
That was back in the heydays
First Nation management company has inside track on consultation First Nation management company has inside track on consultation
A manner of speaking
Ian Ross
Conrad Tom has a versatile and complicated job
Officially, he's listed as an Aboriginal Liaison for Miisun Integrated Resource Management, but he has one core function: building trust.
The First Nations-owne
Hearst pays tribute to sawmill history with new museum Hearst pays tribute to sawmill history with new museum
Honouring its heritage
Patrick Demers
The forest industry played an instrumental role in the making of Hearst.
For more than 90 years, families from across Ontario and Quebec made their way to the small northeastern community of 5,800 and contributed
Optimism rises around forest tenure modernization Optimism rises around forest tenure modernization
Marathon tapped for pilot project
Lindsay Kelly
There is new optimism in Marathon following the creation of the Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation, the first pilot project to be established under the province's overhauled forest tenure system.
Thunder Bay ice cream stick factory finally opens Thunder Bay ice cream stick factory finally opens
Ian Ross
Call it a fortuitous Google search for Thunder Bay.
An Internet hunt for white birchwood, which led a British Columbia ice cream stick manufacturer to northwestern Ontario, has led to a factory that is now open for business.
Almost two years
Weyerhaeuser taking offers for Wawa OSB mill Weyerhaeuser taking offers for Wawa OSB mill On the block Ian Ross If an idled Weyerhaeuser oriented strandboard mill (OSB) in Wawa ever resumes production again, it will be under new ownership. The Washington state pulp and paper giant has the northeastern Ontario mill on the selling block to anyone t
Sawmill operator frustrated by wood competition Sawmill operator frustrated by wood competition
Struggling in Dubreuilville
Ian Ross
One of Canada's last great company towns will not go down without a fight, said its sawmill general manager.
Dubreuil Forest Products (DFP) mill manager Dave Jennings said despite the government's rejection of his comp
Iron ore explorer moves toward processor decision Iron ore explorer moves toward processor decision
Ignace or Atikokan?
Ian Ross
To Mayor Lee Kennard, Ignace will always be a forestry town in his heart.
Logging has been the historic economic staple of this northwestern Ontario community of 1,400 since the late 1800s. It's what lured Kennard here in 1978
Mill manager calls wood competition “anything but fair” Mill manager calls wood competition “anything but fair”
Struggling in Dubreuilville
Ian Ross
One of Canada's last great company towns will not go down without a fight, said its sawmill general manager.
Dubreuil Forest Products (DFP) mill manager Dave Jennings said despite the government's rejection of h
Marathon optimistic about forest tenure pilot Marathon optimistic about forest tenure pilot
Lindsay Kelly
There is new optimism in Marathon this week, following the creation of the Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation, the first pilot project to be established under the province's overhauled forest tenure system.
Nawiinginokiima, which mea
Wood supply winners and losers Wood supply winners and losers
Northern Ontario Business staff
Marathon mayor Rick Dumas is not happy with the Ontario province following a decision to transfer the area's wood allocation to a proposed jet fuel refinery project in nearby community.
The northwestern Ontario town of 3,800 on the shores o
Animosity builds over forestry legislation Animosity builds over forestry legislation
Ian Ross
Community and industry rancor continues to build against the McGuinty government over the refusal to stage a final round of consultation meetings in Northern Ontario before a new forestry bill is passed into law.
Hearings on Bill 151 – Ontario's Fores
Atikokan pellet proposal gets nod for Crown wood A Thunder Bay businessman has received the first allotment of Crown fibre in the province's wood supply competition.
Wood council wants to go ever higher The Canadian Wood Council wants Ontario wood used in the framing of mid-rise buildings.
Dryden pellet developer miffed over wood supply competition Bryan Tardiff had high hopes that his company's biomass wood pellet plant would create hundreds of wood harvesting and manufacturing jobs in northwestern Ontario.
Toronto wood pellet maker eyes former Marathon pulp mill A Toronto biofuel company has innovative plans to use Northern Ontario woody biomass to make a specialty pellet that European power producers may be eager to snap up.
New Ontario biomass energy group to lobby for better incentives Some small forestry-related companies are banding together to make a case to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to offer greater incentives to get the bio-economy off the ground.
Hearst builds its green tech brand The foundation has been laid for the Town of Hearst to attract clean technology companies and expand the community’s forest-reliant economic base.
Marathon mayor wants faster results in wood supply competition The mayor of Marathon is calling out Queen's Park over its glacial bureaucratic pace in awarding unused Crown fibre to Northern Ontario communities and companies.
Top Five Newsmakers of 2010: Northern communities, companies wait for wood tenure Breathing new life into the near-dead forestry industry has turned into a two-pronged effort by Queen’s Park with a wood supply competition to free up 11 million cubic metres of unused fibre, and even more ambitious plans to totally overhaul the forest tenure system.
Feds invest in environmental upgrades at Domtar's Espanola site The federal government is investing $700,000 in Domtar's Espanola mill in northeastern Ontario to improve the pulp and paper maker's environmental performance.
Terrace Bay Pulp resumes operations A sense of relief and satisfaction washed over council members and the people of Terrace Bay following a Sept. 16 announcement that the local kraft mill would officially resume operations.
Northeast forestry group pursues non-timber forest products The general manager of the Northeast Superior Forest Community (NSFC) came from an economic development background and never seriously believed hundreds of jobs could be created by harvesting low-bush blueberries and bog cranberries, fiddleheads and ox-eye daisies, birch syrup and morel mushrooms.
No wood wasted at Kirkland Lake's Rosko Forestry More than a year after the completion of a nearly decade-long plan to establish a new forestry mill in Kirkland Lake, Rosko Forestry is seeing success amidst challenging times.
West Coast green cutlery company eyes Dryden Dryden is poised to open a new chapter on value-added wood. A British Columbia cutlery company is ready to set up shop in the northwestern Ontario community if government funding comes through.
Province unveils new forest tenure plan When Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle took over the business side of Ontario’s forests, tenure reform was a top priority.
Sault entrepreneurs jump in the carbon pool A forestry scientist and bush pilot are partnering to form a Sault Ste. Marie company focused on developing and selling carbon credits to overseas clients.Bio-Carbon Systems International Inc. is the creation of Luc Duchesne and Rob Cormier who have global plans to do aerial surveys of tropical forests and create biological carbon pools for commodity trading.
Wood export group sets up Mark Angelini returned this winter from international wood product shows with a bushelful of business ideas for Ontario wood producers and he’s anxious to share them with the industry.
Wood supply key for mill start-up Momentum is building toward re-starting a dormant White River sawmill and expanding it with wood pellet technology and value-added products.
White River mill manager hopeful of 2010 start-up Momentum is building toward re-starting a dormant White River sawmill and expanding it with wood pellet technology and value-added products.
New owners of Grant Forest Products to keep status quo The intention is to leave everything as is for now at the Grant Forest Products' (GFP) mills in Ontario.
Georgia-Pacific looks to acquire Grant Forest Products Atlanta, GA-based Georgia Pacific (GP) has signed an agreement to acquire several of Grant Forest Oriented Strand Board (OSB) facilities.
Ontario puts forest resource to work A provincial plan to open up Ontario’s Crown forests to new and more diversified industry players should help John Hockenhull cut down on his freight bills.
Studying biomass economics Harvesting Crown biomass from Ontario forests remains a speculative market.
Thunder Bay will be test-bed for new forest products Thunder Bay's push to become a leading edge bio-economy research and innovation hub in value-added forestry received an early Christmas gift from government.
Debate over cutting rights fires up in the North The battle over forestry tenure has long raged through Northern Ontario, but rarely has it become more heated than in 2009 as government, municipalities and private industry struggle to create real change.
Province launches bid process for Crown wood The McGuinty government is launching a second leg of a process to give forestry companies and community organizations access to millions of cubic metres of unused Crown wood.
Thunder Bay entrepreneurs have wood pellet expansion plans Thunder Bay businessman Ed Fukushima is hoping for a spring launch of a wood pellet manufacturing operation in Atikokan.
Granting 'expressions of interest' under CCAA There are very few forestry companies in Northern Ontario that have not changed hands, said Bob Fleet vice president of woodland operations for Earlton-based Grant Forest Products.
Domtar to sell remainder of $150M in assets soon Domtar to sell remainder of $150M in assets soonPaper maker plans to focus on core paper productionAndrew Low Domtar's plan to divest about $150 million in assets will be hitting Northern Ontario soon as the 12 month deadline approaches at the
