AGM & CONFERENCE 2014 Welcome to Vancouver On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to welcome you to the second Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), again in the beautiful city of Vancouver. The jam-packed program over the next two days will provide informative sessions with international and local experts, along with plenty of opportunities to network with colleagues covering the full spectrum of the industry. Highlighted in this year’s conference is a focus on workplace safety. As the industry grows, the size and complexity of the facilities has also grown. This has put a significantly greater emphasis on the need for collaboration amongst industry, engineering/design organizations, equipment suppliers and regulatory bodies to provide a fundamentally safe workplace. As the industry provides a cost-effective and renewable-energy source to world markets, it is imperative to do so in a workplace that is safe through the entire supply chain. This has been a key collaborative focus of WPAC member companies over the past year and this year’s conference is intended to provide some detailed insight into this important area. No wood pellet conference would be complete without broad-ranging discussion on raw material from the fundamental policies of government on crown lands to the evolution of international sustainability certification. This year’s conference provides delegates with the opportunity to participate in a “hands-on” workshop on the “Sustainability Biomass Partnership” which is designed to provide a common internationally recognized sustainability certification scheme unifying a number of the current customer-specific sustainability audit processes. This again is a key part of the international growth and unification of the market allowing the product to be openly traded and branded internationally while providing the end users with the key assurance that the product meets strict and internationally recognized sustainability requirements. Conferences of this nature would not be complete without the participation of our sponsors and trade show participants. I would strongly encourage the delegates to take the time to learn about the newest in equipment evolution and share your experiences with others. Finally, on behalf of the WPAC members, I would like to thank our Executive Director Gordon Murray for his tireless efforts in putting this event together and more importantly supporting the growth of the sector in Canada and the products’ presence in the market. Canada continues to be one of the recognized leaders in supplying the world and domestic markets with quality, sustainable wood pellets. Thank you for the support of all the delegates and for making this conference another success and most importantly, enjoy the show! BRAD BENNETT Chairman and President – Wood Pellet Association of Canada NOVEMBER 18-20 MARRIOTT PINNACLE VANCOUVER BC WWW. PELLET .ORG Canadian BIOMASS 19
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