A small Temagami-area First Nations cedar sawmilling operation was one of a slate of 11 forestry companies receiving Crown fibre from Ontario's wood supply competition.
In a Feb. 14 announcement, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry awarded Temagami Cedar 7,000 cubic metres of white birch roundwood annually from the Temagami Management Unit.
Proprietor Alex Paul said he has a proposal to use the allotment for bagged fire wood and to make pallet-grade lumber. “Hopefully we'll get into pellet making.”
A member of the Temagami First Nation, Paul makes and installs cedar decks and docks for the cottage market, as well as doing some custom milling.
He hopes to add two jobs to his three-person operation, located just off Highway 11 on the Lake Temagami Access Road.
The Ontario government has been steadily releasing the names of the winning bidders in the provincial wood supply competitive process.
Among those receiving an annual allotment include Thunder Bay's AbiBow Canada (formerly Abitibi Bowater), who were awarded 221,000 cubic metres of conifer and Garden Lake Timber with 10,000 cubic metres of conifer and hardwood.
Capitol Power Income LP in Calstock is using 173,000 cubic metres of sawmill waste to produce electricity, while their cross-town neightbour, Lecours Lumber is using 82,000 cubic metres of conifer to produce softwood lumber. Sudbury's Gervais Forest Products is receiving 21,000 cubic metres of red and white pine for mining timbers and specialty mining products, while Millson Forestry Service in Timmins is receiving 57,000 cubic metres of unmerchantable spruce, pine and fir to establish a mobile wood briquette plant.
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