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Thank you, Mr. Chair, and committee members for inviting me to speak today and making time on your agenda for this very important issue.
As noted, my name is Brian Fehr. I am speaking to you today in my capacity as chairman of Peak Renewables.
I would like to introduce you to the CEO of Peak Renewables, Mr. Brian Baarda, who is also on the line with us today and will assist me in answering your questions.
My opening remarks will be short and to the point.
First, I applaud the fact that this committee is examining the critically important idea of innovation in Canada's forest sector. The forest sectors have been an immense contributor to the prosperity of Canada for many decades. That is especially true in rural Canada, where good-paying jobs in harvesting, milling, pulp and paper, etc., have been the mainstays of rural communities for generations. But it is also true that those days are past. The industry is under immense stress from those who would prefer that all trees be left standing; from competitors in other countries who try to impose trade restrictions, rather than just compete; and from environmental and other changes that are affecting the profitability of traditional forest practices and fibre use. The days of easy access to cheap fibre destined for high-paying stable markets are done. This can be a problem or it can be an opportunity.
We created Peak Renewables and other companies in the value-added wood space, for example, cross-laminated timber for construction of green buildings, because I believe in opportunity. Peak Renewables will take distressed forest liabilities and turn them into assets that not only switch on the economic engine of rural communities by creating local jobs and investment, but also utilize the fibre in new and innovative ways. For example, our new mill that's under construction in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, will take an old OSB plywood site that has been idle for 12 years and turn it into a modern, renewable, biomass pellet mill. The pellets from that site will facilitate the renewal of the infrastructure for the entire area, which creates other economic growth opportunities for the region.
We are doing this in full partnership with the local Fort Nelson First Nation. They are partners in every sense of the word. The pellets will be part of an important and growing clean, renewable energy export business for Canada that is helping other countries meet their climate goals. Peak Renewables is also planning to develop other renewable energy products made from wood biomass like RNG, liquid biofuels, hydrogen, etc., all of which will be essential to helping governments meet their climate goals and targets for things like clean fuel standards.
Canada has done a credible job of creating the right plans. For example, the Pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change recognizing—