Question Period Note: Forestry and the Bio-economy – Quebec

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is calling on the federal government to recharge Quebec's forestry sector with an eye to its energy potential.
The Bloc is laying out a slate of proposals aimed at supporting the logging business and developing biofuels derived from wood, seizing on the province's vast forest tracts.
The proposals include a government procurement policy that encourages low emissions and a beefed-up research-and-development budget for the forestry sector focusing on bioproducts.

• More than two hundred thousand people and over 300 communities across Canada rely on the forest sector for employment and long-term prosperity.
• We are supporting the forest sector through investments in market diversification, innovation, and the bioeconomy to create and sustain good jobs and to enhance the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.
• We recently launched a call for proposals under the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program that resulted in 70 submissions from across Canada representing over $2.3 billion in total potential investments.
• Through Budget 2019, we have committed over $82 million for the forest sector to accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies and products.
If Pressed on Quebec Forest Sector Support:
• Quebec-based forest stakeholders receive significant support through various Government of Canada programs.
• Since 2015, the IFIT program has funded 15 different innovative projects across Quebec’s industry.
o We invested $4.9 million towards Uniboard’s Val D’Or particleboard facility to help install a new dryer and upgrade their production line.
o Just last year, we supported Resolute Forest Products’ advanced biomaterials diversification investment into cellulose filaments production.
• Our Forest Innovation Program continues to support FPInnovations’ targeted R&D activities serving the diversification and new products development needs of Quebec-based forest products facilities.
• Most recently, the support is enabling FPInnovations to accelerate the development of biodegradable, sustainable filter media for single-use face masks, in response to COVID-19.
• The Clean Growth Program has funded a number of projects related to innovative products from the forest sector, such as biofuels and bioproducts. Quebec companies funded include CRB innovations, Elkem, and TerraVerdae Biowworks.
If pressed on Clean Energy Investments:
• Switching to cleaner fuels – renewable natural gas, biofuels, and hydrogen – all have tremendous opportunity for Canada, and our government is making investments in cutting-edge processes and technologies.
• Our government has also moved quickly to create a $750-million Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).
• This Fund is a key part of our climate change plan, and our plan to position Canada’s energy sector to be more globally competitive in a post-pandemic environment.
If pressed on Clean Energy Jobs:
• A key pillar of the government’s climate plan is a commitment to create over one million jobs, restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels.
• For example:
o Retrofitting homes and buildings will create thousands of jobs in construction, manufacturing, sales, clean technology, and financial services and cut energy costs for Canadian families and businesses.
o Planting two billion trees will also create thousands of jobs for tree planters, technicians, nursery growers, field biologists, urban planners, and many others.
o The growing electricity sector will provide a wide range of jobs, from wind turbine and rooftop solar installers to software engineers developing new ways to improve Canada’s grids.
o The Hydrogen Strategy for Canada will strengthen Canada’s economic competitiveness and is expected to generate more than 350,000 high-paying jobs nationally by 2050.

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