As part of their celebration of National Forest Week, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) announced the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence program. The program, established in 2020, recognizes the outstanding men and women across Canada who have made exceptional contributions to the forest sector and to forestry communities.

The following winners were announced in a FPAC news release on September 20, 2021: 

Forest Community Champion Award

• Mark Joron – Woodlands Supervisor, EACOM Timber Corporation

• Senator Diane Griffin – Chair, Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

FPAC Partnership Award

• Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP)

• Earth Rangers

FPAC Member of the Year Award

• Amber Armstrong – Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations, Mercer International Inc.

• Andrew de Vries – Manager, Indigenous Opportunities and Government Relations, Tolko Industries Ltd.

FPAC-Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Indigenous Business Leadership Award

• Agoke Development Corporation

FPAC-Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) Skills Awards for Indigenous Youth

• Kianna Bear-Hetherington – Stewardship Technician Intern, Nature Trust of New Brunswick. St. Mary’s First Nation, Fredericton, NB

• Tristian Flood – Woodlands Summer Student, EACOM Timber Corporation. Matachewan First Nation, Kirkland Lake, ON

• Krystle Leigh-Ann Hill – Greenhouse Assistant, Kayanase Ecological Restoration Centre. Six Nations Reserve of Grand River, Brantford, ON

FPAC Innovation Award

• Fabian Glowalla – Manager, Energy and Innovation, Mercer Celgar Pulp

FPAC Lifetime Achievement Award

• Janet Lane – Sustainable Forestry Team Leader, Domtar Corporation

• Marc Bédard – Vice-President Forestry, Resolute Forest Products

FPAC Women in Forestry Award of Excellence

• Kristin Dangelmaier – Manager, Technical, Quality & Environment, Domtar Corporation

FPAC Rising Star Award

• Aaron DesLauriers – Land Management Supervisor, Mercer Peace River

• Nikki Stein – Newsmill Shift Superintendent, Resolute Forest Products

“The FPAC Awards of Excellence program is the moment where we pay tribute to the remarkable people who help make our sector a world leader in sustainable forest management, and who advance the many environmental, social, and economic benefits of Canadian forestry,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC. “As we push through the pandemic and continue our transition to a low-carbon economy, Canada’s forest products sector is proud to honour the dedicated professionals who strengthen the benefits that sustainable forest management, forest products, and family-supporting forestry jobs provide to Canadians from coast to coast.”