Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

168 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 incorporating Kapuskasing Energy. Under this corporation, the town has set up solar systems that generate a total of five megawatts of solar power. These sites are based throughout the local areas and within the town limits, there are another 30 solar projects. The company is all about collaboration and getting support from the locals. Since March, the company has received funding from the Ministry of Northern Development Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry, as well as the Ministry of Labor Training, Skill and Development, to the approximate total of CA$1.6 million. Green First Forest Projects has had to start an entirely new machine to handle a new grade of paper, what the industry calls Envirosmart paper, which is a standard paper for packing applications like food bags. This is where the 45 new employees will be working. “We believe there’s a good future in this grade of paper moving forward, with demands not being met in the USA,” says Champoux. This need for Envirosmart paper is because it is a natural alternative to plastics used in food packaging. And because Kapuskasing is dedicated to its partners, they have already started a local campaign to replace all the plastic bags in the town with locally produced paper bags. Green First Forest Projects also supplies the Toronto Star with their newsprint, along with timber products and more. Looking towards the future economically, the town would like to become the hub of Northern Ontario, attracting business and tourism to the town. While from a community standpoint, the town has truly diversified due to COVID, with individuals moving from all corners of the globe to call the town their home. And businesses like Green First Forest Projects would like to see their mill in operation for another 100 years and seize a market share of the Envirosmart paper industry. PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Action Group Inc www.actiongroupinc.ca n EXP www.exp.com