Thunder Bay Pulp & Paper Welcomes Provincial Commitment to Forest Sector
3-year Biomass Program Funding Key to Jobs in Northwestern Ontario
Thunder Bay, ON – Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper (TBPP) today praised Ontario’s Provincial
Government announcement of a new, $60 million commitment to the Forest Biomass Program.
“This is exactly the kind of initiative and public-private partnership that will support people
throughout the forest supply chain, and a strong statement by our provincial government that
we intend to compete and win in this vital sector for Ontario,” said Kent Ramsay, President of
Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper and longtime forestry industry leader. “Our hundreds of
employees here at Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper are working to strengthen and grow a world class mill, and thus we understand how important this announcement is for our industry.”
“We are proud to drive our economy forward and do so in a way that underscores our
commitment to environmental stewardship. These dollars will help us and others make that
happen in the years to come,” said Ramsay.
Ramsay singled-out local MPP Kevin Holland for his steadfast advocacy and support of the
sector, and particularly his work on this provincial program.
“Kevin understands the broad and vital economic impact of the forest sector, and of a large
anchor biorefinery, pulp and paper mill like TBPP,” says Ramsay. “He worked with Ministers
Smith, Rickford and Pirie to advocate for this program to become a long-term initiative – and
our region will benefit greatly from that.”
Last month, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Graydon Smith was at TBPP to
announce an investment in TBPP’s electrical infrastructure as part of the funding from the pilot
funding under the Forest Biomass Program.
“The Thunder Bay Mill has been a landmark of Northwestern Ontario for a century,” says
Ramsay. “We are proud of our legacy and confident in what the future holds. To know that our
government has our back and wants to help us succeed with real policy change and steadfast
financial commitment is a great thing. It will benefit thousands of people across Ontario.”