Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program helps commercialize innovative process
TÉMISCOUATA-SUR-LE-LAC, QC, April 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Member of Parliament for Lotbinière–Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, on behalf of the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of $10 million in an innovative project with Cascades Inc.'s Norampac-Cabano mill in the Lower St. Lawrence region.
Funded under Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, the project will enable the mill to commercialize a first-in-Canada technology to extract hemicellulose from hardwood chips. Hemicelluloses are used in a variety of applications, including biofuel.
Fostering innovation and expanding markets are a key part of an economically viable forest sector. As a result of this investment, as well as a $4.4-million investment from the Government of Quebec, the mill will diversify its product line and become more resilient to changes in the marketplace, while protecting jobs. Norampac will continue to manufacture container board at the facility, as it has done since 1976.
Quick Facts
- This investment is part of the $1.8 billion that the Government of Canada has committed to Canada's forest industry since 2006. Of this amount, approximately $700 million has supported projects in Quebec.
- Economic Action Plan 2014 invested $90.4 million to renew the IFIT program, in addition to the $92 million announced in Economic Action Plan 2013 to support the ongoing transformation of the forest sector through innovation and market development programs.
- Canada currently has close to 150 million hectares of forest land certified as being sustainably managed by one or more of three globally recognized certification systems — more than anywhere else in the world. Independent, third-party certification demonstrates the integrity of forest management practices.
Quotes
"Our government is proud to support innovative projects like this one that will provide economic benefits to local communities. This new process may be replicable by other pulp mills across Canada over time, providing other mills the opportunity to increase productivity and competitiveness."
Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Member of Parliament for Lotbinière–Chute-de-la-Chaudière
"This investment is another example of how our government is helping Canada's forest industry bring innovative, high-value products to the marketplace, increasing Canada's global competitiveness and protecting jobs in the local community."
Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
"Once again, Cascades is proud to be a pioneer in innovation and sustainable development, particularly inside the walls of one of its first mills. The project constitutes a unique advance in the development of biorefining technology. The new process will help improve the profitability of Norampac's corrugated paper production and, in so doing, secure existing jobs."
Mario Plourde,
President and CEO,
Cascades Canada
"This investment reflects the importance of the diversification of forest products for the industry and, at the same time, for various government jurisdictions. These are the kind of technological advances that will enable our forest industry to differentiate itself and that will also create prosperity for our regions."
Laurent Lessard,
Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Government of Quebec
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Associated Links
Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program
SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
Media may contact: Chris McCluskey, Director of Communications, Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, 613-996-2007 or Media Relations: Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 613-992-4447; The general public may contact: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT, Telephone: 613-995-0947, TTY: 613-996-4397, (teletype for the hearing-impaired), E-mail: [email protected]; Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan); NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media
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