Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. During my recent tour of Nahendeh I met with the chief and leadership of Jean Marie River. They are very enthusiastic about becoming more self-sufficient by using their own natural resources. It was interesting to listen to their ideas about using alternative energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The community wants to install a biomass cogeneration unit in Jean Marie River to produce power for the community. This unit could also be designed to use residual wood from the sawmill to produce wood pellets. In turn, the wood pellets could be used as fuel through gasification, thereby virtually producing their own fuel.
Residual heat from this unit could also be used for a wood kiln to dry lumber from their sawmill. In addition, residual heat is also a good alternative to heat homes and other buildings.
I am pleased to see that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is developing a Biomass Strategy. ENR’s budget includes a number of alternative energy programs, including funds for new initiatives in biomass. This project in Jean Marie River is indeed very complementary to this strategy and is a practical fit and will provide a good news story for our government.
Logging has been part of the history of Jean Marie River’s economy since 1915 and a sawmill was built in 1965. The Jean Marie River Development Corporation would like the logs and the sawmill to be part of the project and they see many applications that will support this important aspect of their community. The support and implementation of this community-based initiative for installing a biomass cogeneration unit will provide many benefits for the community and the residents of Jean Marie, the most important of which is to create durable, long-term jobs, economic opportunities, and the potential of lower power rates.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
