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Access West is published byWestern Economic Diversification Canada.

Editor: [email protected]

WD OFFICES

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Suite 700, 333 Seymour StreetVancouver, BC V6B 5G9604-666-6256

ALBERTA

Suite 1500, Canada Place9700 Jasper AvenueEdmonton, AB T5J 4H7780-495-4164

Suite 400, Standard Life Building639 – 5th Avenue SWCalgary, AB T2P 0M9403-292-5458

SASKATCHEWAN

P.O. Box 2025, Suite 601119 – 4th Avenue SouthSaskatoon, SK S7K 3S7306-975-4373

MANITOBA

620 – 240 Graham AvenueWinnipeg, MB R3C 0J7204-983-4472

ONTARIO

Suite 500, Gillin Building141 Laurier Avenue WestOttawa, ON K1P 5J3613-952-2768

Disponible aussi en françaisISSN: 1495-6802 (print)ISSN: 1495-6543 (online)

IN THIS ISSUESTRENGTHENING INNOVATION 4

FEATURE 10

BUILDING STRONG BUSINESSES 13

ON THE COVER:Minister Yelich makesan announcement in Esquimalt, BritishColumbia as shipyard employees look on.

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CONTENTS

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10

8

14

Photo courtesy Seaspan Shipyards

Design: The Bytown Group, Ottawa

When faced with an unprecedentedglobal economic crisis, our

Government responded by focusing on job creation and returning to economic growth. At Western EconomicDiversification Canada (WD), we arecontinuing to do our part by helping tobuild a strong, dynamic, and prosperouswestern Canadian economy.

At WD, we are dedicated to ensuringwestern Canadian businesses have thetools they need to succeed, at homeand around the world. As you’ll read inthe coming pages of Access West, WDhas accomplished this by making timelyinvestments in a number of dynamicindustries.

I am especially proud of the work ourGovernment has done through WD withour Western Canada Shipbuilding Action

Plan. The Action Plan was launched toensure western Canadian businessesbenefit from our Government’s $33 billion shipbuilding initiative, and isplaying a key role in showcasing andsupporting Western Canada’s shipbuildingindustry. In the West, this role is moreimportant than ever. Economic activity inBritish Columbia’s shipbuilding industryis expected to bring up to 4,000 newjobs to the West Coast. With initiativessuch as our Shipbuilding Summit, wehave a plan to create jobs and securelong-term growth in an importantindustry.

But this is just the beginning. Withinvestments made across WesternCanada, we have created jobs andnew economic opportunities. FromBritish Columbia to Manitoba, WD has been an important partner in thewestern Canadian economy.

I am committed to ensuring that western businesses are well-positioned to remain internationallycompetitive and successful. Wedo this with investments in trainingand equipment to guarantee that ourworkforce and industries are preparedto adapt and grow. As well, WD linkssmall- and medium-sized businesses in the West with prime contractors and decision makers to ensure that they can take advantage of emergingmarket opportunities.

I am confident that WD’s range ofprograms and activities create a foundation that builds the prosperityand competitiveness of the West.Together, we are working to build astronger West for a stronger Canada.

ACCESSWEST | SUMMER 2012 3

Minister of State for WesternEconomic Diversification.

www.wd-deo-gc.ca

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MINISTER’S MESSAGE

MESSAGE FROM THE HONOURABLELYNNE YELICH

4 ACCESSWEST | SUMMER 2012

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INNOVATION

The Food Centre, as it’s more commonlyknown, recently received an investmentfrom WD to purchase new equipment foruse in product and process development,which will enhance domestic andinternational competitiveness.

The availability of the new equipmentwill aid users in finding ways to reducecosts, enhance food safety, increaseproduct lines and become more competitive. Investing in research anddevelopment facilities, such as theFood Centre, provides an integratedapproach to developing the food

industry in Western Canada.

“The new funding has allowed us toadopt new technologies that will diversifyour services and spur innovation in theindustry,” said Dan Prefontaine, Presidentof the Centre. “By giving local companiesaccess to the new technology, we’rehelping them focus their resources andreduce the risks that come with buildingtheir business and entering new markets.”

Prefontaine said the West can expect tosee long-term benefits for Saskatchewan’sagriculture industry as a whole. Newresearch and development activities are

now in progress for a wide variety ofvalue-added food products.

Federal support like this is particularlyuseful in Saskatchewan, where 300 foodprocessors create $2.5 billion in annualsales.

“We are pleased to promote increasedcompetitiveness and productivity inSaskatchewan’s food industry,” saidMinister Yelich. “WD’s investment willhelp food processors create high-valuejobs and stimulate economic growthacross the province.”

Canada’s food growers have always enjoyed a strong reputation world-wide. But as competitors race to bring new products to market, innovation is just as important as tried-and-true techniques. Leading that race in Saskatchewanis the Food Industry Development Centre, thanks in part to WD.

GROWING THEFOOD INDUSTRY

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Minister Yelich and Food Centre staff operates a bottling machine for sour cherry and apple juice.


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INNOVATIONwww.wd-deo-gc.ca

Looking for valuable mineral depositswhile making a minimal impact on theenvironment has inspired a team of scientists in Vancouver to come up witha way to use a free resource: cosmic rays.

The technique allows geologists to takethree-dimensional pictures of what liesbeneath the surface, in the same way aCAT scan records images of the inside

of a patient’s body. But instead ofusing artificially generated rays, thesegeologists record the paths taken bymuons, subatomic particles which areconstantly bombarding the Earth. Thedensity of the underground materialaffects each muon’s path through theEarth, and detectors translate that data into information about the locationand kind of ore.

A recent WD investment in AdvancedApplied Physics Solution (AAPS) for theirmuon geotomography project helpeddemonstrate new technology that will enable high precision mineral exploration of dense ore deposits.

Led by UBC Professor Doug Bryman,who patented the ore-locating technology,the AAPS team has already built one

prototype detector and tested it at amine on Vancouver Island.

“We’re now in the process of buildingadditional detectors thanks to the WDfunding, and we’re going to take themto areas of the province where no onehas looked for ore resources before,”said Konstantine Sarafis, Vice-presidentof Business Development at AAPS.

“Mining is a major contributor to ourresource-based economy. By investing inthis project, our Government is ensuringthat our key sectors develop the toolsnecessary to grow and provide highly-skilled jobs for Canadians,” saidMinister Yelich. “Our Government will continue to do its part to helpbuild a more globally competitive and productive mining sector.”

When it comes to the structural integrityof airplane or automotive parts, qualitycontrol is critical. At Red River College’snew Centre for Non-DestructiveInspection Technologies (CNDI) inWinnipeg, the objective is to detectflaws in solid metal and compositeobjects without damaging them.

With federal support from WD, the CNDIis providing access to state-of-the-artnon-destructive imaging equipment toinspect products before they reach theassembly floor. Aerospace companieswith access to CNDI’s new imager arenow able to detect hidden flaws inmaterials more efficiently and effectively,and with greater confidence.

“This exciting project will create acompetitive advantage for key sectors in Manitoba’s economy,” said MinisterYelich. “This technology will enablelocal companies to produce better andmore cost-effective products that will

help create jobs and growth in ourcommunities.”

The most sophisticated equipment atthe centre is the laser ultrasonic testingscanner, which uses one laser to generatean ultrasonic wave in the part beingtested and a second to measure thewave’s path. Any flaws will turn up in the form of changes to the path.

“The technology is incredibly sensitive,”explained Fred Doern, chair of thecollege’s Mechanical, Manufacturing and Communications program. “It wasoriginally developed to study a modernstealth jet fighter. But it could very wellbe used on bus, airplane or auto parts.”

According to Doern, there’s a criticalshortage of personnel trained in the useof these new imaging technologies,both at the senior and entry level.

Helping to address this shortage, an

education program will be created inpartnership with industry to train, certifyand upskill the non-destructive labourpool in Manitoba. WD funding was alsoused to purchase X-ray tomographyequipment (the technology behindhospital CAT scans) and data analysissoftware. The new facility, located at thecollege’s industrial campus at MagellanAerospace in Winnipeg, will serve asboth a testing facility for the local aerospace industry and a teaching and certification tool for the college.

TESTING STATE-OF-THE-ART IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

COSMIC RAYS TO IMPROVE MINING EXPLORATION

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Minister Yelich announces an investment towards theCentre for Non-Destructive Inspection Technologies.

West Canitest R&D Inc. (WestCaRD) isteaming up with two industry leaders toturn an aircraft winter certification facilityinto a year-round testing operation. WDfunds helped to purchase specializedequipment to refine aircraft engine performance, reduce pollution, andkeep products competitive.

The $50-million GE Aviation EngineTesting, Research and DevelopmentCentre opened this year at Winnipeg’sJames A. Richardson InternationalAirport as part of GE and Standard

Aero’s efforts to stay on the forefront of cold-weather engine development.Now, through the WestCaRD contribution,it is expanding into a range of new fields,including smart sensors, high-speeddata systems and emissions reductionequipment.

“Our Government’s support solidifiesManitoba’s place in global aerospace as the world’s leading cold weathertesting location,” said Minister Yelich.“Investments like this are vital to fosteringeconomic growth and creating high

value jobs for Western Canadians.”

The new centre will also be working withRed River College and the University of Manitoba, schools that specialize inaerospace technology.

By enabling this key sector to continueto succeed and thrive in a globallycompetitive environment, WD is helpingthe Manitoba aerospace industry contribute to a stronger and morediverse western Canadian economy.


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INNOVATION

A new engine-testing laboratory is poised tohelp keep Manitoba at the leading edge of aerospace technologydevelopment, thanks toan investment from WD.

DIVERSIFYING AEROSPACETECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Wind Tunnel Fans at the testing centre [L-R: Michael Kulkelko (WestCaRD), Brent Ostermann(StandardAero), Ross Hornby (GE Canada), Minister Yelich, Kim Olson (StandardAero), Vic Gerden (WestCaRD).

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KEEPING UP WITH THEMINING SECTOR

When a resource sector booms, the search for qualified workers is on.In Saskatchewan, the demand formining engineers trained on thelatest equipment has never beenhigher. Five new mines are expected to open in the province over thenext three years alone, and several more are expanding their operations.

Meeting that demand is the mission ofthe new Mining Engineering TechnologyProgram at the Saskatchewan Instituteof Applied Science and Technology(SIAST). Funding for the new program,including an investment from WD, is

now in place, meaning the first studentswill be in classes this fall.

WD funds were used to purchase a widevariety of training equipment, from geophysical survey gear to computersand bore-hole cameras.

“We’re buying the latest technologybecause we want to ensure our studentslearn on the type of equipment they’lluse when they launch their careers withthe mining industry,” said SIAST’s Deanof Technology, Jamie Hilts.

While other western provinces alreadyhave similar programs, the new SIASTcourses are the first of their kind inSaskatchewan.

“Our Government recognizes the rolethis key sector plays in job creation andeconomic growth,” says Minister Yelich.“We are proud to invest in equipmentfor this exciting new program, which will create jobs and support the rapidly-growing mining industry.”

Two years ago, the industry was lookingfor about 45 qualified mining technolo-gists in the province each year. By 2017,more than eight times as many will beneeded. When fully operational, the new course should be able to effectivelyaddress potential labour shortages andstrengthen Saskatchewan’s miningindustry, now and in the future. AW

Left: Minister Yelich announces significant investment towards specialized training equipment to be used by SIAST’s newMining Engineering Technology program.


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INNOVATION

GIVING CANADIAN ATHLETESA COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Sledding headfirst downhill at 130 km/h, chin just millimeters from an ice track, makes skeleton racing one of the most extreme and exciting sports. Winning takes more than courage and practice,though. That’s where the Sports andWellness Engineering TechnologyInstitute (SWETI) comes in.

The Institute is playing a critical role inkeeping Canada’s skeleton racers at the top of their game. Two years afterSWETI engineers took on the challengeof building a better sled in 2008,Canadians took four out of the top sixspots at an international competition in Calgary. An investment from WDallowed SWETI to apply the sameexpertise to the sports and wellness sector as a whole. The funding will helpthe Institute improve its capacity forprototype design and fabrication andmechanical design engineering.

“Our Government is committed to supporting Alberta’s growing strengthsin developing innovative new productsand technologies,” said Minister Yelich.“By enabling businesses in the sports,recreation and wellness industries toimprove their international competitiveness,this initiative will support economicgrowth and job creation in WesternCanada.”

The Institute, which is based at SAITPolytechnic in Calgary, was establishedto work with companies and not-for-profit organizations to develop newmaterials and designs for sports andwellness products. Whether it’s fasterbobsleds, better-fitting hockey skatesthat reduce injuries, a bi-directional pedalling system for bicycles thatallows athletes to ride longer, or evenwheelchairs that can travel smoothlyover varied terrain, the initiative is helping

to transform a wide range of innovativenew concepts into reality. This enablesbusinesses in the sports, recreation andwellness industries to improve theircompetitiveness and access the expertiseneeded to successfully bring their ideasto market.

“Highly skilled graduates from SAIT willbe able to design and develop uniquelyCanadian equipment to give our Canadianathletes and industry a competitiveadvantage,” said Alex Zahavich, Directorof Applied Research and InnovationServices at SAIT. “Now we have moreopportunities to collaborate with partners in this growing industry.”

Meanwhile, the Institute is hard atwork making further refinements to the skeleton sleds that will be used byCanadians at the 2014 Winter Games inSochi, Russia. AW

Minister Yelich helps push new sports andwellness technology development with (from left) Mr. Claude Lemieux, CEO of Graf Canada;Dr. Jon Kolb, Director of Sport Science,Medicine, and Innovation for Canada’s Own the Podium; Mr. Troy Crowder, President of True Stride and (in driver’s seat) Brian Hughes,member of SAIT Polytechnic’s fabrication lab team.


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EXPANDING AGRICULTURALRESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

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Agricultural research can take a long time. Researchers can wait a full year for crops to materialize. But what ifyou want to grow three generationseach year? That is an advantage thatthe Phytotron is providing researchersat the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) in Saskatoon.

One of the largest research greenhousesworldwide, the artificial growing environment at the U of S, is goingthrough its own growth spurt, thanks tofunding from a partnership of industryand government agencies.

“Our Government understands thatinvestments in agricultural innovationcreate new crops for Canadian farmers,and help to strengthen our economy,”said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.“That’s why we are proud to be supporting the Phytotron and theimportant research it facilitates.”

The expansion will bring the complexup to 100 percent capacity later thisyear. The WD support is being used to purchase and install eight newrefrigeration units, which remove excessheat produced by the Phytotron lights,

and new computer controllers for mostof the 183 chambers.

The economic advantages of this projectcan be felt throughout Western Canada.Pulse and lentil crops grown in the Westproduced $2.2 billion in sales in 2009,and in 2008, export sales of canolareached $2.8 billion. Both of these cropswere developed at the U of S facility,resulting in an economic impact of$14.1 billion across Canada and provingthat the facility is instrumental in developing new varieties of crops thatare generating sales around the world.

Minister Ritz announces funding to enhance the capacity of the Phytotronresearch facility at the U of S.

Developed in support of the Governmentof Canada’s 30-year, $33 billion NationalShipbuilding and Procurement Strategy(NSPS), Western Canada’s ShipbuildingAction Plan ensures that the West‘s ship-building industry is well-positioned topursue opportunities presented by theNSPS.

“Our Government is committed tosupporting Western Canada’s maritime

and shipbuilding industry,” said MinisterYelich. “Our Action Plan for this industrywill create jobs and stimulate long termeconomic growth in Western Canada.”

When Vancouver Shipyards, part of theSeaspan group of companies, wasselected under the NSPS to build thenext generation of non-combat vesselsfor the Canadian navy, it didn’t takelong for the B.C. shipbuilding industry

to see the economic potential.

As a concrete first step in implementingthe Action Plan, WD made an investmenttoward the creation of the IndustrialMarine Training and Applied ResearchCentre (IMTARC) in Esquimalt. Whenoperational, it will supply entry-leveltraining as well as leadership andmanagement, technology transfer andrevitalized apprenticeship programs.


In February 2012, Minister Lynne Yelich stood before a crowd of western Canadian shipbuilders at the Esquimalt Graving Dock toannounce the launch of Western Canada’s Shipbuilding Action Plan.

This Plan supports the West’s shipbuilding industry and helps it toremain internationally competitive and sustainable.

BOOSTINGWESTERN CANADA’S

SHIPBUILDINGINDUSTRY

Minister Yelich makes an announcement in Esquimalt, British Columbia as shipyard employees look on.

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FEATURE


www.wd-deo-gc.ca

Above: A Frigate undergoes upgrades at theVictoria Shipyards. Photo courtesy SeaspanShipyards.

IMTARC will ensure the sustainability of British Columbia’s shipbuilding and repair industry by training highlyqualified workers. Programs will beboth broad and specific to the sector’srequirements, including entry leveltraining for new entrants, leadership and management skills, technologytransfer, and revitalized apprenticeshipprograms.

Economic activity in British Columbia’sshipbuilding industry is expected togrow from $450 million to $800 million,bringing up to 4,000 new jobs to NorthVancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and PortAlberni. Ensuring that Canadians fillthose jobs is the primary goal of thenew centre, which is being run by theB.C. Resource Training Organization.

Delivering on its goal to bring togetherwestern small- and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) with key players in

the shipbuilding industry, WD partneredwith Seaspan Marine to host a ShipbuildingSummit on May 23, 2012. This eventallowed western SMEs to meet withVancouver Shipyards and IrvingShipbuilding, as well as their first tiersuppliers, to discuss specific shipbuildingprojects and the opportunities theyoffer Western Canada. WD intendsto build on this summit by hostingsupplier development tours thatshowcase Western Canada’s shipbuilding capabilities and link western businessesto the key decision makers.

Over the coming months and years, WDwill continue to examine opportunitiesto link western SMEs with prime contractors, educate stakeholders andexamine investment opportunities thatwill further support Western Canada’sshipbuilding industry, create jobs andencourage economic growth in theWest.

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FEATURE

CONNECTING WITH NEW OPPORTUNITIES AT THEWESTERN CANADIANSHIPBUILDING SUMMIT

On May 23, 2012, as an important step indelivering Western Canada’s ShipbuildingAction Plan, WD partnered with SeaspanMarine to host the Western CanadianShipbuilding Summit in Vancouver.Minister Yelich delivered openingremarks, outlining the Government ofCanada’s ongoing support for WesternCanada’s shipbuilding industry.

“Events like the Shipbuilding Summit are crucial in helping western Canadianbusinesses showcase their expertise andcontinue to grow,” said Minister Yelich.“This is a valuable part of WesternCanada’s Shipbuilding Action Plan, which is creating jobs, economic growth,and long-term prosperity in the West.”

The event brought together over 350 small- and medium-sized businesses to connect with new business opportunitiesin British Columbia’s thriving shipbuilding industry.

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BEESare pollinators of countless crops around the world. Few species rival their importance to food production and the agricultureindustry. WD is helping improveour understanding of what beesneed to stay healthy with aninvestment in the new National Bee Diagnostic Centre.

Located at the Beaverlodge ResearchFarm, the Centre will make GrandePrairie Regional College (GPRC) and the province of Alberta a leader inbeekeeping diagnostic technology. The funding covers capital expenses,including the assembly of a three-piecemodular and mobile laboratory – theonly one of its kind in Canada.

“This is the ideal location for us,” saidthe Centre’s Director, Bruce Rutley.“The College already has the only commercial beekeeping training

program in the country and the leadingbee researchers.”

The need for comprehensive diagnosticservices for bees recently assumed anunprecedented level of urgency withthe advent of “colony collapse disorder,”a poorly understood and sometimesdramatic decline in bee populationsacross North America and Europe.

Addressing this problem is crucial tokeeping Western Canada’s beekeepingindustry healthy and competitive, whichis exactly what this project is helpingto do.

The Centre will focus on the detectionand diagnosis of diseases, providevaluable data to bee researchers, andhelp ensure beekeepers meet governmentregulations. By performing hundredsof tests each year for Canada’s 6,700commercial beekeepers, the Centre willalso help ensure the health of bee populations across the country.


STRENGTHENING ALBERTA’S BEE AND HONEY INDUSTRY

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POLICY, ADVOCACY AND COORDINATION

CANADA’S BEE INDUSTRYBY THE NUMBERS:

Annual honey production exceeds$100 million nationally.

Approximately 475,000 colonies are located in the prairie provinces and they produce 80% of Canada’scrop.

Bees, through their pollination of fruit, vegetables and canola,increase agricultural production by two to eight times, with an estimated value of $2 billiondollars annually across Canada.

There are approximately 7,000beekeepers in Canada, operating a total of 600,000 colonies of honeybees.

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Peace River MP, Chris Warkentin, announcesfunding towards Grande Prairie RegionalCollege to establish the National BeeDiagnostic Centre.

There aren’t many places where industry can test a natural gas pipeline, butthe Centre for Frontier EngineeringResearch (C-FER) Technology’s operation at the Edmonton Research Park can do just that. Now, thanks to support from WD, the list of tests the Park canaccommodate is getting longer.

“The funds from WD have increased ourcapacity to match the growing need fortests in extreme environments in theArctic and undersea,” said Brian Wagg,Manager of New Technology Initiativesat C-FER. “This is giving Canadianindustry the chance to get at the gasthat people know is there, but has beentrapped because of a lack of transportinfrastructure.”

Arctic and subsea environmentsimpose great stress on pipelines.C-FER’s labs allow engineers to bendand pull lengths of pipe to find out howcracks will behave under the most tryingconditions on land, and test whetherthey can tolerate the high pressures ofthe seabed. Without that knowledge,assuring regulators that pipelines aresafe in the far north could be difficult.

“Our government’s investment in this initiative will support C-FERTechnologies in continuing to meet the growing demand for innovative technologies, materials and processes,”said MP Mike Lake.

C-FER is a not-for-profit appliedresearch organization that helps manufacturers and service companiescarry out full-scale testing of large components used in undersea, arcticand oil sands operations before takingthem to the field. Its testing facility isunique in Canada and is one of only ahandful of such facilities in the world.

The WD support is also expected tohelp generate spin-off business andenable companies to more efficientlydevelop oil and gas resources acrossCanada.


www.wd-deo-gc.ca

ENSURING ECONOMIC GROWTH ANDSAFETY OF RESOURCE EXTRACTION

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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Left to right: Dr. Francisco Alhanati, Acting Managing Director of C-FER Technologies; Brian Wagg, Manager of New Technology Initiatives for C-FER Technologies; MP Mike Lake; and Mel Johnson, TransCanada Pipelines.


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The vast majority of the cranberries grown in Canada – and about 12percent of North America’s entire supply – come from the lowerFraser Valley and Vancouver Island. Protecting and expanding thatindustry is the mission of a newresearch centre funded in part by a contribution from WD.

The Cranberry Research Centre, locatedin Delta, B.C., will be the first of its kindin Canada, and just the fourth on thecontinent. Once complete, researcherswill experiment with both established

and new varieties of cranberries inhopes of increasing yields.

“We’ll be trying to determine which varieties have the best characteristics togrow in our climate and environment,”said Todd May, President of the BCCranberry Research Society, which manages the new facility. “What we’rebuilding should be able to test justabout everything that could affect acranberry farm.”

“Cranberry farmers play a vital role inkeeping the region’s economy strongand creating jobs,” said ParliamentarySecretary Kerry-Lynne Findlay. “Our

Government recognizes the importanceof safeguarding and strengthening thisindustry, which in turn will bring thepotential for job creation and economicgrowth.”

The creation of the research centre will bring both short- and long-termeconomic benefits to the region: the construction of the facility will create immediate local jobs and,further down the road, the B.C.Cranberry Growers Association estimates that for every 80,000 pounds of berries grown annually in BC, one full time job is created or maintained.

ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS IN THE CRANBERRY INDUSTRY

Workers harvest a crop of cranberries in Delta, BC.

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www.wd-deo-gc.ca

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HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT BY BURNING WASTE

Through an innovative, ground-breaking technology, wood andagricultural waste materialcan now be burned to create aform of charcoal called biochar,which can be used to storecarbon in the soil rather thanreleasing it into the atmosphere.

With an investment from WD, a team atLakeland College in Alberta is preparingto apply the technique on a wider scale. Biochar is the end product of pyrolysisand a soil additive that can help soilretain water and nutrients and increasecrop productivity. It can even enhancerevegetation rates on reclaimed land.Though the chemistry of pyrolysis is wellunderstood, the industrial application of what is essentially a form of charcoalis still a relatively new concept to mostfarmers.

”People have played with this for awhile. Our goal is to get some hardnumbers on what’s feasible,” saidMelvin Mathison, Dean of EnvironmentalSciences at Lakeland College. “It’s got a lot of potential.”

Mathison said that several companieshave wood-based by-products thatdon’t have a lot of economic uses, buthis team is working hard to turn thatwaste into a revenue stream.

The funding is being used to purchase a pair of mobile pyrolysis units, whichwill convert wood and other agriculturalwastes into biochar at a rate of onetonne a day. The goal is to helplandowners convert their agriculturalwaste into biochar and apply it totheir fields. AW C

WHAT IS PYROLYSIS?

The burning of wood andother organic materials without oxygen is known aspyrolysis. Like combustion, it is a high-temperature chemical process. Unlike combustion, it takes place inthe absence of oxygen and so does not produce carbondioxide. The main end product of pyrolysis is charcoal, orbiochar, which when buried,stores carbon in the soil ratherthan releasing it into theatmosphere.

Carbon

COMPOSITES: THE WAY OF THE FUTURE IN MANUFACTURING


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Composites are found everywhere, frombathtubs and shower stalls to gas stationsand amusement park water slides. Andcomposite technology is behind manyfascinating advances; for example,research involving reinforced carbon and glass fibres is producing significantinnovations that are revolutionizing aerospace, shipbuilding, sports equipment and industrial products.

And with both of the world’s largestaircraft manufacturers – Boeing andAirbus – shifting away from traditionalmaterials in aircraft manufacturing in favour of carbon fibre reinforcedcomposites, it’s clear that compositesare the way of the future. In fact, composite materials make up over 50 percent of the new Boeing 787Dreamliner aircraft.

WD recognizes that Western Canada’scomposite industry, researchers andservice providers could use a little ofthat kind of synergy themselves. To help with this, the department has contributed more than $9.8 million to the creation of a Pan-WesternComposites Research Network.

“Investments like this are key in furthering our goal of creating jobsand growth,” said Minister Yelich. “It will go a long way toward creatingthe conditions that will help westernCanadian aerospace, automotive,and marine manufacturing sectors succeed. Businesses in those sectors are increasingly using composite materialsbecause they represent a durable, light-weight, lower cost alternative to use intheir manufacturing processes.”

The new network, led by ProfessorAnoush Poursartip, a composites expert

who has received global recognition forhis work on process design software andthe aerospace industry, will be based atthe University of British Columbia inVancouver. Network nodes will be set up at the University of Victoria, theUniversity of the Fraser Valley, and atthe Composites Innovation Centre inWinnipeg. Additional nodes are expectedto come online very soon in Albertaand Saskatchewan. Staff will work withbusinesses at each node, distributingimportant information, training, and networking.

Poursartip said composites present bothopportunities and challenges.

“When you get it right, you are a hero,and the benefits are huge,” he said.“Simply, you can make lighter structuresmore cheaply. Lighter means less fuelconsumption, less environmentalimpact.”

“Other countries are investing significantamounts in the field,” added Poursartip.

“But we believe the Pan-WesternComposites Research Network isdifferent. We’re creating something thatbridges the gap between academicresearch and commercial development.”

Poursartip said that already, the networkhas had “huge buy-in” from the westernCanadian industry, and internationalfirms have also expressed strong interest. But the arrival of the newfunding marked a critical turning pointfor the network. “WD is really beingvisionary in understanding the need of the composite industry,” he said.

Sean McKay, Executive Director ofWinnipeg’s Composites InnovationCentre, said the network will help theWest prepare for the challenges ofindustry competition as it will furtherindustry’s understanding of compositemanufacturing processes.

McKay emphasized the importance of assimilating the necessary scienceand fundamental understanding of manufacturing issues into everydayoperations to reduce defects andimprove efficiencies. These measures are “essential to remain competitive in today’s global market place,” saidMcKay.

The network complements other ongoinginitiatives aimed at developing anddemonstrating composite manufacturingtechnologies in Canada, said McKay.One example is the CanadianComposites Manufacturing R&Dconsortium, which was created to promote national collaboration on composite manufacturing and is proving how partnerships can creategreater opportunities for success.

WHAT ARE COMPOSITES?

The guiding principle of composite material is creating strength through diversity. Composites, which are alsocalled reinforced plastics, can be usedto create a vast array of high qualityproducts with significant marketdemand. They are the combination of two or more substances to createsomething that does the job better than either part can do on its own.

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ACCESSWEST

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