Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot and who's not. Today's list includes tho...
It’s the first of it’s kind in Canada.
That is what Red Leaf Pulp Ltd., is saying about building a $350-million facility in Regina to process wheat straw before converting it into pulp for paper products.
The company has secured land on the west side of the Queen City and shovels will go in the ground in 2022, creating 250 jobs during the construction phase and 110 permanent full-time jobs once the plant is operational.
Roughly 182,000 tonnes of pulp from waste wheat straw from local farmers is expected to be produced annually from the plant.
“Red Leaf is delighted to be locating in Regina and we look forward to working with the community, local businesses and the region’s growers,” Martin Pudlas, the CEO of Red Leaf Pulp, wrote in a release.
“Our project provides an opportunity to enhance the utilization of existing resources and diversify revenue sources in the ag-industry while creating a lower carbon future.
“We want to thank communities across Saskatchewan for their support, interest and assistance during the location evaluation process. Ultimately, Regina’s proximity to major infrastructure and a significant workforce were key considerations in our choice for the initial plant site.”
Regina Mayor Sandra Masters is equally as excited for the plant to be built in Regina after Cargill and Viterra both announced plans in April to build canola processing facilities in the region.
“I am very pleased Red Leaf has chosen to locate Canada’s first non-wood pulp mill in Regina. This facility allows our city continued diversified growth in the urban-agricultural economy,” said Masters.
“It will highlight innovation in one of our core industries, maximize crop value in an environmentally sustainable way and provide valuable jobs in the low carbon energy sector. This is exciting news for Regina and our Province.”
We are thrilled to announce Regina, Saskatchewan as the location of our initial wheat straw pulp facility: https://t.co/XOoyUEbdOn #Saskatchewan #Innovation pic.twitter.com/VZ1M8jHWxE
— Red Leaf Pulp (@RedLeafPulp) June 1, 2021
