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How did we get here?. An examination of the factors that led to the provincial wood supply competitive process and Tenure and pricing reform. HISTORY. 1993-1998 Lumber, veneer and oriented strand board are all strong Pulp and paper are volatile in the marketplace and mergers are rampant
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How did we get here? An examination of the factors that led to the provincial wood supply competitive process and Tenure and pricing reform
HISTORY • 1993-1998 • Lumber, veneer and oriented strand board are all strong • Pulp and paper are volatile in the marketplace and mergers are rampant • Sawmill and pulp mill business alignments are critical • Hardwood markets exist for lumber, pulp and paper, veneer, chipboard and OSB • ALL WOOD SUPPLIES ARE BEING TESTED • Called it the War in the Woods
HISTORY • 1998 • ENGO’s are pressuring the Conservation government for more parks and protected areas • Wabakimi Provincial Park Expansion • Lands for Life • Forest sector fears the campaign will threaten current utilization levels
PAINFUL HISTORY • 2000-2004 • Lumber, veneer, chipboard, OSB are all experiencing steady declines • Energy and fuel prices continue to rise • Delivered wood costs become more of an issue • Past pressures on supplies limit the availability and options for inexpensive fibre • Softwood lumber trade dispute and countervailing duties • Waiting for your neighbour to fold • Closer, cheaper wood
EVEN MORE PAINFUL HISTORY • 2005 • Banks limit financing • Markets crash in lumber, veneer, chipboard and OSB • U.S. softwood lumber quota and tariffs • New mill closure each month • Government agrees to form a Minister’s Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness • Norampac Inc. • Red Rock
POSITIVE HISTORY • Minister’s Council was comprised of forest industry, government, ENGO, First Nation and municipal representatives • Provincial Roads Funding Program • $75 million per year fund established in an effort to reduce delivered wood costs • Forest Sector Competitiveness Secretariat • Prosperity Fund and Loan Guarantee Program • Energy subsidies for pulp and paper mills • Allow companies to convert to co-generation and get off of the grid
LITTLE MORE HISTORY • Pulp prices suddenly improve • Fourth quartile mills all around the world start to close • World pulp supplies are shrinking Northwest remains alive with the four biggest pulp producers operating • Domtar Inc. • Dryden
GREEN ASSISTANCE • Green Energy and Green Economy Act and Feed-in Tariff Program • Pulp mills can produce their own power and sell the excess • Opportunity to sell green and buy brown • Healthy pulp mills also need to realign hardwood supplies (or any underutilized species) to meet their cogeneration needs FIT + Black Liquor subsidies + high energy prices = Fast movement off of the grid
GREEN ASSISTANCE CONTINUED • OPG announces plans to moves towards green energy production at their coal-fired generating stations • Proposal requires wood supply • Atikokan is in the lead with other plants to follow • Helps meet political platform commitment to eliminate coal utilization • OPG releases a Request for Expression of Interest to purchase wood pellets (FOB) • Solicited hundreds of proposals to supply OPG at various plants across Ontario
WOOD SUPPLY IMPLICATIONS • Reduction in lumber, veneer, chipboard and OSB manufacturing caused a surplus of available wood supply • An opportunity for right wood to right mill realignments • Many closed mills maintained the authority to harvest (or not harvest) wood supplies • Healthy pulp mills needed to realign their wood supplies • Capture the opportunity to lower costs and remain viable in the long term
WHY DID WE NEED A WSC? • Government needs to meet commitment to clean fuels • OPG now needs wood supplies and majority of wood is encumbered by current SFL-holders • Pulp mills need to realign their wood supplies to pacify nervous investors and reduce wood costs into the future • Government needs to invigorate new businesses and maintain competitive facilities • Revenue associated with forest industry contributions to provincial coffers are at a historical low • Provide hope of a new industry in Ontario and demonstrate that the Province is open for business • Explore and attract new technologies for the utilization of Ontario’s wood supply
WHY DID WE NEED TENURE REFORM? • Forest sector is inundated with bankruptcies or CCAA protection • Bankruptcies resulted in SFLs being returned to Crown • Some companies closed their mills but maintained enough money to manage the SFL • Unencumber wood supplies to attract new technologies • Current tenure system allows companies to hoard wood in anticipation of market recovery • Need a system that encourages the sale of all available Crown timber • US lumber lobbyists continually suggest that the current pricing system in Ontario subsidizes sawmill operations
THANK YOU • For additional information please contact: