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Sites across Canada
Doug Turner has been at the heart of DIVERSE before the project even started, being one of the first partners to develop the project with the research team. In the spring, we had the chance to ask him a few questions about his involvement in the project and the value he sees in engaging in research projects such as DIVERSE.
Can you provide a brief overview of your organization and its role in the Canadian forest industry?
West Fraser is a leading global manufacturer of renewable wood building products, and the largest lumber manufacturer in Canada. Founded in 1955 in Quesnel, British Columbia, when three brothers – Sam, Bill and Pete Ketcham – the Ketcham brothers purchased of a small planer mill with 12 employees.
From there, West Fraser has grown to encompass more than 50 facilities in Canada (B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec), the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. As a company, West Fraser produces lumber, engineered wood products (oriented strand board, medium density fibreboard, particle board, plywood, and laminated veneer lumber), pulp, newsprint, woodchips, forest products manufacturing residuals, and renewable energy.
West Fraser’s lumber is made from either spruce, pine and fir, or southern yellow pine in our U.S. operations, and the principle raw material for our OSB is trembling aspen. West Fraser directly employs approximately 10,000 people, and many more are employed in resource sourcing and service, supply, and support roles. West Fraser is also steward of 8.2 million hectares of Government-owned forest land in western Canada, under various tenure arrangements.
| Year established | 1955 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver |
| Hectares of forest managed | 10.8 millions |
| Number of employees | 10,000 direct employee |
| Favorite tree | Impossible to say |
Why is your organization excited to be involved in the DIVERSE project?
As stewards to a significant forest area, West Fraser recognizes the impacts of climate change upon the forest, from changing and more extreme wildfire behaviour, through severe wind events, hail events, episodes of extreme heat, insect outbreaks (mountain pine beetle, spruce bark beetle, Douglas-fir bark beetle, forest tent caterpillar) and disease issues, to the impacts of drought upon the forest.
DIVERSE offers an opportunity for West Fraser to learn more about the challenges that we
face on the land base, and how to build resilience in response to the challenges that climate change presents. DIVERSE is also part of a number of climate initiatives that West Fraser is conducting to assess vulnerabilities and develop solutions to mitigate climate impacts and adapt to a changing climate.
What research question or topic are you hoping the DIVERSE project can answer?
To assess the four West Fraser managed areas that are committed to the program for their resilience to climate change and to seek opportunities to build climate resilience for these areas. We can then explore what knowledge may be transferred to other areas under West Fraser’s stewardship. Of particular interest is the question of novel silvicultural methods, tree provenances, and tree species and how these might be used to inoculate the forest against future climate extremes.
What innovative practices or technologies does your organization use to support forest management?
Research, applied research, and integration of current state of knowledge and innovation into our forest stewardship policies and practices.
What are the biggest challenges your organization faces in the forest industry today?
As with all forest products companies, the biggest challenges are those presented by uncertainty in forest products markets and the challenges presented by climate change.
What do you expect from your collaboration with DIVERSE?
West Fraser anticipates research-informed insights on how to improve the resilience of the forests we manage. As important, this research is also identifying new questions that will require further investigation, particularly as climate change presents such a continually evolving and dynamic challenge.
What are your organization’s goals for the next 5–10 years?
Continual pursuit of West Fraser’s climate strategy, and ongoing improvement of West Fraser’s environmental performance and climate resilience, while producing sustainably sourced forest products necessary to meet society’s construction needs.
Can you share a unique or little-known fact about your organization?
Approximately, 77% of West Fraser’s energy comes from renewable sources, and we generate 72% of our energy requirements from carbon-neutral biomass fuels sourced from our wood processing operations.
West Fraser continues to invest in projects to increase our energy efficiency and to generate electricity from the biproducts of manufacturing process, such as wood residues.
West Fraser also invested in a 10-year power purchase agreement for energy generated at the Lanfine wind turbine project in Alberta, receiving 50% of the project’s 75 megawatts (mw) capacity, generating 284,000 mw/year, equivalent to the power required to power 39,000 homes, helping reduce the carbon footprint of both the Alberta electrical grid and West Fraser’s Alberta operations (see figure below)
Thanks a lot Doug for taking the time to answer these questions and for all your precious help diversifying the Canadian forests!
