August 11, 2014
Quebec City
Natural Resources Canada
The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, today announced new, additional support as part of Canada’s comprehensive strategy for enhancing innovation and competitiveness in Canada’s forest industry. The Minister made the announcement while delivering keynote remarks at the World Conference on Timber Engineering in Quebec City.
Minister Rickford launched the first ever Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Tall Wood Buildings in Canada, to be released by FPInnovations. The Technical Guide, funded by the Harper Government, provides peer-reviewed scientific knowledge and expertise on constructing multi-storey wood buildings. Increasing the number of tall wood buildings is a priority for economic growth opportunity identified by Canada’s forest industry and expands the range of choice in high-rise construction materials.
Minister Rickford also highlighted the $24 million our government is investing in FPInnovations, Canada’s national, industry-led forest research organization, through Economic Action Plan 2014. As a result of this 2014–15 investment, FPInnovations, a key player in transforming Canada’s forest sector, will undertake research to develop new products and increase the value of products created from Canadian wood fibre, supporting jobs and economic prosperity. The organization’s research was essential to the commercialization of cellulose filaments, a revolutionary, chemical-free, renewable and recyclable material being produced by Kruger in Trois Rivières that can dramatically improve the quality of pulp, paper, bioplastics, adhesives, paints and coatings.
The Honourable Greg Rickford,
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Pierre Lapointe
President and CEO of FPInnovations
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Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and
Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
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