The leading sawmilling/wood processing magazine in Canada, focusing on leading edge technology in this ever growing sector from British Columbia to Newfoundland.
 
 
 

In This Issue

Canadian Forest Industries Magazine Cover

Canadian Forest Industries Now Includes the Content of Canadian Wood Products

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All Bioenergy, All the Time

Okay, maybe not all the time, but can you blame us for focusing on this bright light in an otherwise dark time? Just consider the opportunity for the brave and ambitious. In Ontario alone, the government is calling for (and promoting) over $2 billion in investment in the next five years in 500 MW of biomass energy as part of its strategy to create 2,700 MW of energy from renewable resources by 2010. The landscape in the province looks like over 115 smaller plants (ave. 3 MW) and five or more larger plants (ave. 30 MW) - and that's just rural Ontario. Someone's going to get that action, and to my mind few are better placed than the forest industry to get a slice. There are similar incentive plans in BC and Quebec for starters.

   To get the ball rolling faster, the Canadian Bioenergy Association (CanBio), in cooperation with IEA Bioenergy Task 40, and Bioenergy Focus Ontario, is holding an international bioenergy conference and plant tour in Toronto in mid September. Realizing the Bioenergy Opportunity, September 12-14, includes a two day conference, a Finnish biomass technology trade show, and a one-day tour of two local, state-of-the-art bio-oil plants. It looks like a who's who of the emerging Canadian bioenergy sector, and a must-attend for anyone planning on capturing the many opportunities this sector affords the forest industry. You can be sure I'll be there, and I look forward to meeting many of you over the three packed days. Or would you rather sit in the office and dwell on the day's Random Lengths prices?
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