{"id":53185,"date":"2025-03-20T23:19:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T02:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=53185"},"modified":"2025-03-20T23:19:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T02:19:22","slug":"this-is-transformational-for-east-hants-mass-timber-company-elmsdale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=53185","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThis is transformational for East Hants.” Mass Timber Company setting up in Elmsdale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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ELMSDALE:<\/strong> You could forgive Municipality of East Hants Warden Eleanor Roulston for smiling ear-to-ear like it was Christmas morning on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes after the official announcement that the federal government would be investing $10 million conditionally into the Mass Timber Company so it can locate a $215 million facility in the Elmsdale Business Park, Roulston was still brimming with excitement at what that would mean for the municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once constructed and in operation, the Mass Timber Company would employ upwards of 124 people at good paying jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roulston was asked if the announcement left her feeling like Christmas came early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt sure is,\u201d she told The Laker News in an interview. \u201cChristmas in March, July, and December all rolled together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Group photo of the officials who took part. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Kody Blois made the announcement to a crowded council chamber on March 20 at the Lloyd E. Matheson Centre in Elmsdale. It was one of two funding announcements he made for the Municipality of East Hants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForestry is an absolute heart and a foundation of the economy in Nova Scotia,\u201d said Blois. \u201cOf course, here in Hants County, it is crucial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We can talk about Ledwidge Lumber. We can talk about Elmsdale Lumber. Those are important employers right here in East Hants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow we’re strengthening not only their existence, but we\u2019re also building in more value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Kody Blois makes the announcement of the $10 million investment by the federal government to the Mass Timber Company. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He said he was proud of the Mass Timber Company\u2019s Patrick Crabbe and his crew at MTC and thrilled that there is a strong indigenous component as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is, I believe, the largest indigenous equity project in forestry in the province’s history,\u2019 said Blois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also said while Crabbe couldn\u2019t give all the details, a global player in the mass timber wants to come invest in Canada, invest in Nova Scotia, and ultimately, East Hants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Roulston told the crowd that the news of MTC setting up shop in the Elmsdale Business Park is big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is transformational for East Hants,\u201d said Roulston. \u201cTo have a commercial entity as large and as and influential and impactive as the Mass Timber Company locate here, it\u2019s big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe jobs that it will bring, the benefit to the province, the impact on local businesses. We are just so beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hants East MLA John A. MacDonald ensured the province supported both the projects as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $10 million in federal support is conditionally subject to the required due diligence measures, and the negotiation of a final agreement by both parties, to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Work with local forest sector partners and First Nations to integrate their operations into a high-specification manufacturing business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Use technology-driven manufacturing to open a facility that can use Eastern Spruce \u2013 currently undervalued in the lumber industry \u2013 to create high-value products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and glue-laminated beams and columns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Diversify their product lines by maximizing the value of wood fibre products, which will contribute to the local economy by increase income per unit and growing operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    Leno Ribahi and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development Kody Blois share a chuckle as he arrives at the announcement. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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    Ultimately, this project would add value to the lumber products produced by the company in Nova Scotia, using next-generation technology to strengthen the forest sector in the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The project would also create 124 new local jobs while opening new economic avenues for the use of locally grown Eastern Spruce lumber in manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Patrick Crabbe from the Mass Timber Company. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Crabbe was asked how they chose Elmsdale to setup MTC. He said it came down to a comprehensive investigation and having built a mass timber project, the East Hants Aquatic Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe did a very comprehensive investigation of all of the large sites, within the Nova Scotia area,\u201d he said. \u201cWe needed roughly 60 acres. There had to be traffic studies. There had to be the local municipal infrastructure and servicing required, like water and sewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWith us having built the Aquatic Centre, there was an existing relationship here and working with Graham Scott, here with the East Hants Municipality, they’ve supported us every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He said they are still working through their final stages of capitalization with their investment partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe anticipate by mid to late April that that we will be in a position to start breaking ground,\u201d said Crabbe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Gioia Usher, CEO of We\u2019koqma\u2019q First Nation (Waycobah) speaks at the announcement. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The project is being done in partnership with We\u2019koqma\u2019q First Nation (Waycobah) and other First Nation communities will have a role in the forestry sector with the MTC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gioia Usher, CEO of We\u2019koqma\u2019q First Nation (Waycobah), said they are deeply honored to be invited to participate in such a significant project alongside their fellow Mi’kmaq communities and potential partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis opportunity to be a major player in the in the forestry industry in Nova Scotia is a monumental step towards self sufficiency for our nations,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt represents a profound commitment to economic reconciliation, allowing us to contribute and benefit from sustainable forestry practices and ultimately end products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis collaboration not only strengthens our community’s economic foundation but also honors the traditional knowledge and stewardship of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Crabbe said it was indeed an exciting day for East Hants. He said the funding from the federal government was critical as they are their first public partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThat is really going to increase the confidence, demonstrating the public support behind it, and certainly help with some of those final investment negotiations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut really what it means personally, as I mentioned in my remarks, it has been more than 10 years of talking about this and pursuing the dream with some really strong partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cNow it feels like, we’re turning the dream into reality here in East Hants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    [adrotate banner=”111″] [adrotate banner=”87″] ELMSDALE: You could forgive Municipality of East Hants Warden Eleanor Roulston for smiling ear-to-ear like it was Christmas morning on Thursday. Minutes after the official announcement that the federal government would be investing $10 million conditionally into the Mass Timber Company so it can locate a $215 million facility in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[965,12,957],"tags":[1923,196,5785,7995,845,1975,7996,7997,1101,48,7998,7999],"class_list":["post-53185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-hants","category-featured","category-news","tag-canada","tag-east-hants","tag-eleanor-roulston","tag-elmsdale-lumber","tag-indigenous","tag-ledwidge-lumber","tag-mass-timber-company","tag-minister-kody-blois","tag-municipality-of-east-hants","tag-n-s","tag-patrick-crabbe","tag-waycobah-first-nation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}