Ontario's wood supply competition was fair, went to 'top performers,' says forestry minister; critics claims wood supply promise to Dubreuilville, Ontario, was broken

Audrey Dixon

June 20, 2011 – The Ontario government's Provincial Wood Supply Competitive Process was fair, consistent, and aimed at selecting the strongest candidates for job creation, said the province's forestry minister Michael Gravelle in a statement June 13.

The government process denied a wood supply application from the Dubreuil Forest Products Ltd. sawmill, Forestweb reported last week.

Gravelle was responding to a June 13 press release from the Township of Dubreuilville, Ontario. The township criticized the province for denying the company a wood supply and said that, without a mill, the town will die.

Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry, said his ministry reviewed all 115 applications for wood supply with the same scoring system, and oversight by an independent Fairness Commissioner.

Dubreuilville Mayor Louise Perrier said Gravelle had earlier promised the forest-dependent town the sawmill would not lose its wood supply, the township statement said.

The province is attempting “to build an industry of top performers,” Gravelle said in his release.

The competition has already led to almost 3.5 million m3 of wood supply being allocated to help maintain or create more than 1,500 jobs across Northern Ontario, said Gravelle.

The primary source of this article is a press release from Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry, Ontario, on June 13, 2011.

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