Founded in 1897
Year 118 No.27 - DRYDEN, ONTARIO - WEDNESDAY, julY 8, 2015
Growing up right
InSIdE
Local 4-H Club volunteer Christel Kamm helps kids at Sunday’s Teddy Bear Picnic transfer a variety of flowers into pots which they could take home with them. The flowers were donated by Schmidt Greehouses. The event deftly avoided the day’s afternoon thunderstorms and enjoyed excellent participation from local families and organizations serving children in the community. For more, see page three.
Amphibious ultralite pilots buzz Dryden See pg. 3 Teddy Bear Picnic See pg. 3 Nickles new owners of local A&W See pg. 6
SPORTS
Photo by Chris Marchand
Funding to support new premium pulp products By Michael Christianson
Quarter-horse fans join the herd at Dryden event See pg. 10 Dryden’s Pronger to be inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame See pg. 9 Ladies Soccer See pg. 9
A&E
Summer Songs: Inside Thunder Bay Blues Fest See pg. 12 Go-Getters recognize nonagenerians See pg. 11
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Last week Greg Rickford spoke at the Dryden mill to announce an investment of $2 million to support Domtar Inc. in developing and commercializing new premium grades of pulp at the facility. As a result of this investment Domtar will launch this first of its kind, commercial-scale manufacturing facility for these new grades of Northern Bleaches Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp, which can be used in non-traditional and valueadded applications of fibrereinforced materials. The use of modified fibres will also lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. “This is a significant investment for Domtar and the next step,” said Rickord. “Earlier in 2010 we saw major upgrade to their capacity around taking residual liquors and creat-
ing energy source for that. I think recently they had an opportunity to demonstrate that they could pull off the grid if they had to and be self-sufficient. They next important piece and this is where the forest sector is as a whole is to invest in, particularly in pulp, new fibre opportunities, commercializing and diversification of fibre mixes so that new products can be made. This puts Domtar here in Dryden out on the cutting edge across Canada and this is a project that we’ve been working on with Domtar for some time. It’s part of four other announcements across the country in mills, pulp and lumber that I think takes us a big step forward to diversifying our product offering from good Canadian forest product.” Support for this project comes from Natural Resources Canada’s Invest-
ments in Forest and Industry (IFIT) program. The idea of IFIT is to support the transformation of Canada’s forest sector in becoming more economically competitive and environmentally sustainable. “Commercialization has always been the key challenge,” said Rickford. “Canada has great ideas, we can get them into the laboratory, but we’ve struggled a little bit over the course of time turning them into products that we can actually make here. Sometimes those great ideas get commercialized but they get commercialized somewhere else. We’re making a strong stand here in the forest sector by today’s announcement ensuring that our fibre, which is world class, out ideas, which are world class turn into products that are made here, which will be world class.”
Kenora MP and Federal Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford announced $2 million in support for Domtar’s efforts to develop and commercialize new premium grades of pulp at the Dryden Mill, June 28. Photo by Michael Christianson
Vigilante gardening Residents tackle overgrown flower beds at Duke St. Dock By Chris Marchand A group of residents is taking the beautification of the city into their own hands in recent weeks with an effort to rehabilitate the landscaped area surrounding Duke St. Dock. “My friend Tammy Oliphant and I walk by the river every morning and we noticed both last year and this year that it’s so neglected, so we thought we should do something about it,” said Kristine Shields-Grandmont. Shields-Grandmont says she proceeded to form a work party via social media and con-
A work party of residents makes an effort to rehabilitate the landscaping at Duke St. Dock last Photo courtesy Kristine Shields-Grandmont/Facebook week. tacted the city’s parks department who she to put in another this week. With in-ground says has been very appreciative of their efforts irrigation already in place, and a variety of as they contend with budget constraints. perennials and other low maintenance plants “Short of cementing it over, I think they were in place, she says she like to see some group at a loss of what to do with it,” said Shields- take over responsibility for it. Grandmont. “They don’t have the money for “It’s a beautiful spot, a tourist attraction,” the manpower it would take to get it cleaned she said. “If we just pruned some of it up, out. They gave me the bags and will pick them maybe take some out. There’s some dead trees up. Once we get it cleared out the parks man- in there — the deer have been in there. I’m hopager Eric is going to come down and see what ing that some organization or some mentor we can do. It’s such a big project.” could get student volunteers to keep it up. Shields-Grandmont and her friends have We’re so lucky to have that walkway along the logged two nights at the site already and plan Wabigoon River, I just thought it was a shame.”