Colleagues, I would like to take this time to talk about the Canadian Biomass and their awards.
On April 19th, 2024 they announce this year's winners. Their awards program celebrates outstanding individuals, companies, and communities working passionately to advance the country's bioeconomy. Inaugural winners will be celebrated in the spring 2024 issue of Canadian Biomass. Awards will be given out in the following categories:
Champion of the Year, individual award
Company of the Year, company award
Thought Leader of the Year, individual award
Community Project of the Year, community award
Lifetime Achievement, individual award.
I would like to focus on the Community Project of the Year winner today. The award is given to an outstanding community biomass project in Canada, brought online within the last three years. The award recognizes the community and its stakeholders who worked to bring a project to fruition. It is open to bioheat, biofuels, and bioproducts projects from municipal and Indigenous communities as well as community groups and associations.
This year's winner was the village of Fort Simpson. They made a commitment to heat all municipal buildings with wood pellet heating and this year they underwent two biomass projects:
A new wood pellet boiler in the water treatment plant; and
Connecting the community pool and gym to an existing biomass-fueled district heating system.
In speaking with the mayor, he talked about the two biomass projects done last year and will be looking at doing more municipal buildings in the future. They are working closely with the Arctic Energy Alliance regional office in Fort Simpson who helped the village with professional advice and financial assistance.
The village dug a steam line from our community hall to the swimming pool fitness centre and have been tied into the main steam plant which normally runs on wood pellets. As well, they are just finishing off putting a wood pellet system into the water treatment plant with a big hopper for wood pellet supply. Both projects came up to be around $250,000 and they will be a major cost saving moving forward. The village is very proud and excited to be using renewable energy in place of carbon fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.
I would like to congratulate the village on winning the award and for helping to reduce the CO2 emissions. Thank you.
