Sussex, New Brunswick
Natural Resources Canada
The Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), on behalf of the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, today announced an investment of almost $1 million to support the transformation of New Brunswick’s forest industry through the commercialization of an innovative technology.
Through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, the Government of Canada is investing $982,000 to enable Irving Pulp & Paper to complete construction of a state-of-the-art mechanized facility at its Sussex Tree Nursery that will produce up to four million improved seedlings per year through a process known as somatic embryogenesis. The process is a more effective way of creating and selecting the best trees for planting. This breakthrough could lead to higher-value Canadian planted trees and much faster regeneration of Canada’s managed forests — great benefits for jobs and growth in Canada’s forest industry.
The project is the first large-scale advanced seedling plant in Canada that incorporates both the somatic embryogenesis process and Irving’s patented Endophyte-Enhanced Seedling Technology. This technology enhances the seedlings’ resistance and will enable Irving to inoculate tens of millions of trees against attacks from insects and fungi.
The funding announced today is in addition to the $1.4 million provided to this project under the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Atlantic Innovation Program, for a total Government of Canada contribution of almost $2.4 million.
Through this support, Irving Pulp & Paper will be able to substantially increase its seedling production in a cost-effective way.
The Honourable Rob Moore
Regional Minister for New Brunswick and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
The Honourable David Alward
Premier of New Brunswick
Jim Irving
Co-CEO, J.D. Irving, Limited
Media may contact:
Alexandra Lemieux
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources and
Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Ottawa
613-996-2007
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447
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