Harper Government Invests in Canada's Forest Sector
Natural Resources Canada
2011/35
March 14, 2011
KINGSEY FALLS, QUEBEC —The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced $88 million in important investments across the country to protect jobs in Canada’s forest industry. The projects being funded through the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program and the Transformative Technologies Pilot Scale Demonstration Program will use innovative technologies to make operations more efficient, bring forest products into new industries and provide exciting environmental benefits.
Minister Paradis was in Kingsey Falls today to announce that Cascades' East Angus mill will receive $3.1 million under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program. This funding will allow Cascades to build a modern pulp recycling facility, substantially improving the environmental performance of the mill.
“Today’s announcements highlight key investments in the transformation of the forest industry and confirm that our Government's top priority remains the economy,” said Minister Paradis. “With the economic recovery still fragile, we will continue to take action to protect and create jobs in Canada, including the important forestry jobs in East Angus.”
“The East Angus mill is one of the oldest in Canada, and the federal government’s support provides real help for upgrading the equipment, but most of all for maintaining quality jobs locally,” said Mario Plourde, Chief Operating Officer of Cascades.
Despite signs of recovery in some segments of the forest sector, there remains a need to find new and more efficient ways of using wood, wood fibre and its byproducts. Today’s project announcement is expected to save the mill nearly 600,000 gigajoules of energy a year — enough to power almost 14,000 homes. This initiative is part of the Government of Canada’s plan to improve the environmental performance and competitiveness of Canada’s forest industry by focusing on innovation and new product development that will ultimately expand market opportunities for both traditional and novel Canadian wood, pulp and paper products.
“With today’s investments, our Government is continuing to implement our plan that supports the transformation of Canada’s forest sector for the benefit of all Canadians,” said Minister Paradis. “We are supporting expansion of market opportunities for Canadian forest products, reducing our environmental footprint, improving the competitiveness of the forest industry and helping protect the jobs of the families who depend on our forest sector for their livelihood.”
Today’s announcements build on the success of many initiatives that are helping to sustain and enhance Canada’s forest industry and the communities that depend on it. Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth established the $100-million Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program to promote the development, commercialization and implementation of advanced technologies in the forest sector — helping create a world-class industry able to compete in the clean energy economy of tomorrow.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis announced today that the Government of Canada is investing $3.1 million in Cascades' pulp and paper mill in East Angus, Quebec, to help transform the Canadian forest industry while enhancing environmental performance and competitiveness.
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