The Government of Canada today announced a series of important investments, totalling $88 million, to protect jobs in Canada’s forest industry. Bernard Généreux, Member of Parliament for Montmagny–L'Islet–Kamouraska–Rivière-du-Loup, was in Cabano today to announce that Cascades’ Norampac-Cabano mill will receive $3 million under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program to substantially improve the environmental performance of the mill.
“Our Government's top priority remains the economy,” said M.P. Généreux. “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 Cabano.”
“The Norampac-Cabano mill is pleased with the support from Natural Resources Canada,” said Luc Pelletier, the mill’s director. “With this contribution, the mill will be able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and the particulate matter emissions from its two biomass boilers.”
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 announcement will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while substantially shifting energy use to renewable sources. This initiative is part of the Government of Canada’s plan to improve the environmental performance and competitiveness of Canada’s forest industry.
“With this investment in Cabano, our Government is continuing to implement our plan that supports the transformation of Canada’s forest sector for the benefit of all Canadians,” said MP Généreux. “Our investments 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 announcement builds 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.