During National Forest Week, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) announced the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence program, which recognizes the outstanding people across Canada who have made exceptional contributions to the forest sector and to forestry communities.

 FPAC’s 2022 Awards of Excellence recipients include:

FPAC Community Champion Award (Sponsored by TELUS)

• Todd Doherty – MP for Cariboo-Prince George, BC

• Clara Reinhardt – Mayor, Village of Radium Hot Springs, BC

• Dale Bumstead – Mayor, City of Dawson Creek, BC

• Alberta Northwest Species at Risk Committee (NWSAR)

FPAC Partnership Award

• Indigenous Resource Network (IRN), Robert Merasty – Calgary, AB

• United Steelworkers (USW), Jeff Bromley – Burnaby, BC

FPAC Member of the Year Award

• Tom Ratz – Resolute Forest Products, Thunder Bay, ON

FPAC Lifetime Achievement Award

• Susan Yurkovich – Council of Forest Industries & BC Lumber Trade Council, Vancouver, BC

• Mark Tamas – Tolko Industries, Coldstream, BC

• Joerg Goetsch – Mercer International Inc., Vancouver, BC

FPAC Rising Star Award (Sponsored by MNP)

• Christa Campbell, Resolute Forest Products,
Thunder Bay, ON

FPAC Women in Forestry Award (Sponsored by Silvacom)

• Wendy Crosina – Weyerhaeuser Canadian Timberlands, Edmonton, AB

FPAC-Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)

Indigenous Business Leadership Award

• Dave Gill – Ntityix Resources LP, West Kelowna, BC

FPAC-Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM)

Skills Awards for Indigenous Youth

• Neepin Cook - Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids, MB)

• Sarah Dixon - Esketemc First Nation (Alkali Lake, BC)

• Jordan Germain - Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, QC)

“The FPAC Awards of Excellence program is an opportunity to 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, FPAC President and CEO. “As we 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.”

To learn more about FPAC’s Awards of Excellence recipients, visit www.fpac.ca.