Representatives of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce have recently returned from a successful weekend at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting in Windsor, Ontario. The theme of the two-day conference was “Bridges, Not Barriers: Building Connected Communities and Economies.” Presentations and discussions highlighted the power of collaboration in driving economic growth, emerging stronger from adversity, and securing our future competitiveness.

Thunder Bay successfully garnered support from OCC delegates for policy recommendations that urge the Ontario Government to invest in the future of a sustainable forest and biomass generation industry by:

• Developing a policy which encourages the development of additional biomass generation facilities as an alternative to the lengthy process for the creation of additional transmission and distribution facilities into communities currently served by radial lines. This would meet the concept of distributed generation as identified by the Independent Electrical System Operator (IESO).
• Renewing the existing Biomass Power Purchase Agreements through bilateral negotiations for a minimum of 10 years to enhance business certainty
• Ensuring that the extended PPAs see growth in volume of fibre as the current contracts to increase regional economic development, protect the jobs and the economy of neighbouring facilities and communities as well as the diversion of waste fibre from landfill facilities;
• Expanding the output of existing biomass generators to meet the electrical demands of the regions where they are located;
• Create enabling policy to support the development of cogeneration and district energy systems, including a framework for heat contracts, prioritizing government energy procurement and investment incentives for municipalities, generation facilities and building owner, creating conditions for new investment, job creation and revenue streams supporting provincial low carbon objectives; and,
• Developing a policy which encourages the development of additional biomass generation facilities as an alternative to the lengthy process for the creation of additional transmission and distribution facilities into communities currently served by radial lines. This would meet the concept of distributed generation as identified by the Independent Electrical System Operator (IESO).

During the awards ceremony, Thunder Bay Chamber President Charla Robinson, received the Burnie Gillespie Memorial Award. The award is presented to a chamber of commerce or board of trade manager who brings exceptional leadership to their organization and embodies a passion for community service.