Domtar’s Windsor Mill has been a recognized leader in sustainable forest management for many years. The honors continued in November, when the mill received two more accolades: an award at the Fondation Estrienne en Environnement gala, and a Gold Award at a trade show celebrating best business practices, which was organized by the Quebec Quality Movement in Montréal.
The awards recognize 10 years of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for the Domtar forestlands in the region and the company’s innovation and engagement in sustainable forest management.
“Both awards recognize the cooperative work and the impact of the forest in the circular economy,” said André Gravel, fiber manager at the mill. “There is much more to the forest than wood, and the certification aims at a balance between the environment, social responsibility and the economy. Domtar is active in all stages, that is to say from the tree to the sheet of paper. Domtar drives, on a daily basis, the mobilization of Windsor employees and that of about 1,000 entrepreneurs, small-business owners and forest workers towards the same common objective: sustainable management of a renewable resource.”
“Receiving in one week two awards that underline the sustainable development efforts in our fiber supply and our forest management is so wonderful for our people who work hard and passionately to advance the practices,” said Windsor Mill Manager Eric Ashby. “These efforts resulted in an impressive increase in the volume of FSC-certified paper produced at Windsor, which now reaches close to 50 percent.”
The mill’s honors include the 2014 Environmental Strategy Award, one of the three national business awards handed out by the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada during PaperWeek Canada. This prize is awarded in recognition of the highest level of leadership and engagement with respect to environmental protection and sustainable forest management in the Canadian pulp and paper industry.
A Legacy of Sustainable Forest Management
Windsor is a small town in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec. Paper production has been a part of the town’s history since 1864, when the Windsor Mill became Canada’s first chemical pulp facility.
Today, Domtar is Windsor’s largest employer and a significant community partner. Through ecological donations totaling more than 12,000 acres, Domtar and the Windsor Mill have helped preserve some of Quebec’s prized forestlands, ensuring these unique ecosystems remain unspoiled for future generations
In Windsor and across North America, Domtar continues to promote sustainable forest management, particularly through third-party certification. To learn more about the positive environmental, social and economic impacts that the Windsor Mill has in the surrounding community, visit The Paper Trail.
