Not Your Grandfather’s Mill

Last week, Paper Excellence announced a settlement with the Province of Nova Scotia. If the BC Supreme Court approves the settlement, the company will begin a feasibility study to see if a new mill in Liverpool makes sense. If the mill moves forward, it will mean hundreds of good-paying forestry jobs and over $1 billion in investment.

This is massive news because a new pulp mill has not been constructed in North America for over half a century.

Images of North America’s aging mills paint an unflattering picture of what a pulp mill looks like today. Anyone who says a new mill will look, smell, or function like one of the old mills is lying to you. As Paper Excellence begins exploring the feasibility of a new, modern kraft pulp mill in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Nova Scotians need to know what a mill for the 21st century is like.

4 Things to Know About A New Mill

1. Goal is to eliminate odour

Modern kraft mills look very different from older mills. New technology minimizes odour so the surrounding community and workers do not have to live with the smell.

2. Reduce waste by turning it into a product

Wastewater treatment significantly improved, as well. Older mills only managed effluent by using screening and settling ponds. New mills use far-improved wastewater treatment plants. These facilities not only purify the wastewater but also repurpose byproducts into biogas and pellets, as seen in the Äänekoski bioproduct mill in Finland.

Turning waste into commodities changes a mill's economics, reduces its environmental footprint, and further shows how the sector is dedicated to creating green business opportunities.

3. Reduced water usage

Modern pulp mills also focus on reducing water usage, a critical aspect of sustainable operation. Water recycling and management innovations have allowed mills to reduce the amount of freshwater needed from natural sources drastically. This conserves precious water resources and lessens the strain on local ecosystems. By implementing these water-efficient practices, the new generation of pulp mills sets a precedent for industrial water conservation, further demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

4. Sustainably sourced fibre

The mill will also source its fibre from sustainably managed forests, ensuring adherence to the highest forestry practices. This move aligns with initiatives like the Lahey Report for ecological forestry in Nova Scotia, aiming to make sustainable forestry a lived reality.

Our sector prides itself on its sustainable practices. A new mill will adhere to the highest environmental standards. Modern mills are not just production facilities; they are clean, safe workplaces for skilled operators and a testament to the balance that can be achieved between industrial demands and environmental responsibility.

New Mill, New Jobs

New mills bring new, green jobs. These jobs are year-round jobs that pay well above the provincial average.

The Forestry Economic Task Force released an economic impact assessment for the forestry sector. It found that:

The direct employees at the mills are well-paid, with an average income of $66,500.
The average income for those employed in indirect activities, including forestry and support services, is $58,200.
Nova Scotia’s average income is just over $43,000.

Better still, these jobs are green. Research shows that our sector removes more carbon from the environment than it emits, and we plant over 12 million trees annually.

Don’t Fall for the Scare Tactics

Professional activists are spreading misinformation and turning their backs on ecological forestry and rural Nova Scotians. Environmental activists Ray Plourde and Mike Lancaster spoke to CBC, saying a new mill was unnecessary and the forests could not support it. Both statements are false.

Professor Bill Lahey produced a report that said markets for low-grade wood, the material that a new pulp mill will use, are essential to ecological forestry. Initially, activists endorsed the report. In 2021, Plourde, the Health Forest Coalition, and other environmental activists complained that ecological forestry took too long to implement.

Those same professional activists are trying to block efforts to bring ecological forestry to Nova Scotia.

When activists try to block new markets for low-grade wood, we harm the forest’s productivity and health. This means:

More downed trees will be left to dry out and rot, adding to wildfire risk.
More than 20,000 woodlot owners cannot make enough money to manage their woodlots properly.
Hundreds of jobs are lost, as are the opportunities created by those jobs.
The forestry’s ability to sequester carbon is limited.

Our forests can sustain a new mill.

According to the latest data, total harvests are dramatically down. In 2005, we harvested over 6 million cubic meters. In 2022, this number fell to 2.6 million cubic meters.

Source: 2023 Registry of Buyers Report (Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables)

In less than 20 years, harvest rates declined substantially. When placed in historical context, these harvest levels are nearly at all-time lows.

The last time we harvested this amount was in 1937.

New Mill, New Opportunities

Our province has one of the worst-performing economies in North America and some of the highest child poverty rates in Canada. You cannot watch the news without hearing about a cost-of-living crisis, a housing crisis, and an increase in food bank use.

Government spending cannot solve these problems alone. These problems get solved when good-paying jobs are created.

A new mill will bring new jobs. These jobs can lift families out of poverty, make buying a home a real possibility and help future generations of Nova Scotians stay here to live and work.