The Woodlands Division of Abitibi-Consolidated’s paper mill here made history last Thursday by seeing the Crossroute Forest recognized as the first woodland in Ontario to receive Canadian Standards Association certification for sustainable management practices.
It also was the first division to fulfill Abitibi’s pledge to receive CSA certification for its forests.
The response from Abitibi-Consolidated, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the CSA, and other organizations associated with the forestry industry—during a ceremony at La Place Rendez-Vous—clearly showed the achievement was a “milestone” in the pulp and paper industry.
“This clearly acknowledges the company as an industry leader,” said Guillaume Gignac, manager of the Forest Products Management Sector of the Quality Management Institute, just before presenting the CSA certificate to Jim Krag, manager of Woodlands East for Abitibi-Consolidated here, and Woodlands West manager Bob Cox.
“But it is only the beginning,” Gignac added. “As part of the CSA standard, there is an element of continued improvement—raising the bar.
“The commitment made by Abitibi-Consolidated, and in particular the Fort Frances Woodlands division, is not a one-shot deal, it’s commitment to a journey.
“The beginning of that journey begins today,” he pledged.
Peter Johnson, manager of the CSA International Forest Products Group, said that if the forefathers of the CSA in 1919 could see Abitibi today, they “would be proud of them.”
“Acknowledge yourselves as leaders, and now, mentors,” he remarked. “Share your experiences, share your insights.”
“You can be proud of the accomplishment—it’s a landmark,” echoed Don Hopkins, general manger of Abitibi’s Ontario-Newfoundland Woodlands Operations, to those on hand for last Thursday’s ceremony.
“It’s been a learning process for the company, but it will help other divisions follow suit,” Hopkins added. “We’re a long-term business. We take a long-term view.
“Our community, customers, and investors count on us to be responsible.”
Bill Darby, district manager for the MNR here, also stressed the importance of the CSA certification.
“It is an important milestone. It is a milestone MNR knows is worth recognizing,” said Darby.
“Why? Because it not only shows the world today that your forest management practices have satisfied CSA’s standards for forest sustainability, but it publicly indicated Abitibi’s intent to have their performance independently monitored and verified in the future, as well.
“This is good for shareholders, consumers of forest products, and the public of Ontario, who are concerned that their forests remain under sound, sustainable management,” Darby added.
“Abitibi and MNR are world leaders in sustainable forest management. Hence, we in MNR were not particularly surprised that Abitibi’s management of the Crossroute Forest met CSA standards.
“After all, not only do you have a sound track record on this forest, but MNR demands you satisfy the challenging sustainability requirements of Ontario’s forest legislation,” Darby stressed.
Darby also represented Gail Beggs, assistant deputy minister of Field Services for the MNR, Charlie Lauer, regional director for the Northwest Region, and Mike Willick, assistant deputy minister of Forests Division.
Willick, who also is responsible for MNR Aviation Services, couldn’t attend Thursday’s presentation here due to business he had regarding the fatal MNR helicopter crash that occurred last Tuesday north of Sault Ste. Marie.
But in a written statement, Willick congratulated staff and management of Abitibi-Consolidated on having the first forest in Ontario achieve CSA certification.
“We believe the MNR’s high standards for sustainable forestry play a significant role in helping companies like Abitibi-Consolidated satisfy certification systems, such as that of the CSA,” he noted.
Passing on a personal comment from Willick, Darby noted that when Natural Resources minister Jerry Ouellette announced in November the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding between the Standards Council of Canada and the MNR, “He did not expect to see it bear fruit so quickly in relation to CSA certification, but he couldn’t be happier.”
Geoff Gillon, the town’s economic development officer, spoke on behalf of Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “This significant achievement bodes well for our community,” he said. “The future has never looked so good.”
“It means a lot to us in the way we manage our business,” said John Harrison, who recently took over as general manager of Abitibi’s mill here.
Harrison added the effort to get all of Abitibi’s divisions CSA-approved potentially could open up the market to more sales overseas, where some countries demand their suppliers be CSA-certified.
Local Woodlands staff took part in the CSA registration of the Crossroute Forest, which is managed under a Sustainable Forest Licence issued by the MNR.
“Receiving certification validates our efforts to ensure the sustainability of our forests,” said Krag.
“These results are a testimony that our forest management practices are sustainable for the long run,” he added, noting the nearly year-long process was “a total staff effort.”
“The town is 100 years old, the mill is 100 years. And with a plan like this in place, we could still be running 100 years from now,” divisional forester Paul Jewiss said after the ceremony.
Certification under this standard demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement in forest management performance.
This certification requires that independent experts audit the company’s performance against a set of objective standards and procedures for sustainability.
The Quality Management Institute, which recommended the Crossroute Forest be registered under the CAN/CSA-Z809 Sustainable Forest Management Standard, conducted the audit of the area.
CSA certification is a voluntary process, which is consistent with the provincial government’s requirements for sustainable forest management.
Abitibi-Consolidated has made a corporate commitment to implement Sustainable Forest Management Standards in its North American facilities by the end of 2005.
Fort Frances Times
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