Goodbye, Crown wood supply

Ontario's Crown wood supply competition has come to a close.

But not before three companies in northwestern Ontario accepted the last of the provincial government's wood offers.

AbitibiBowater in Fort Frances received 317,500 cubic metres annually of merchantable and unmerchantable spruce, pine, fir, white birch and poplar. The company plans to increase pulp and paper production and generate power at the mill which employs 584.

Roger Barker, AbitibiBowater's fibre resources general manager for Ontario operations, said the allocation “is crucial for the future of our Fort Frances operations, and is an important element as we build a sustainable future for this facility.”

Weyerhaeuser's Kenora plant will get 72,000 cubic metres of merchantable white birch and poplar to boost production of at its laminated strand lumber plant. The company will add 43 jobs to its current workforce of 157.

Anne Giardini, president of Weyerhaeuser's Canadian mills, said the wood will help the company move on opportunities in the North American market as it edges toward recovery. “Any additional fibre security enhances the long-term viability of our Kenora Timberstrand plant.”

Kenora's fledgling Wincrief Forest Products will use 17,000 cubic metres per year of merchantable spruce, pine and fir for its ongoing construction of modular homes. The company recently moved onto the site of the former Abitibi mill where it employs 12.

Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield said the announcement is step toward rebuilding the community's devastated forestry industry and helps redevelop a mill into a small industry incubation space.

“We plan to turn the old Abitibi site into a value-added cluster of forest-based business. This site could become the blueprint of the new forest products industry in Ontario.”

The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry said 34 offers were accepted during the wood competition, creating 613 jobs in the process and putting more than 4.7 million cubic metres of wood back in use.