Forest NB 2024 Finland Delegation
October 19-27, 2024
Finland is celebrated as a global leader in forestry for its exceptional balance of sustainable practices, cutting-edge forest management techniques and technologies, and a deep-rooted cultural respect for forests. Our focus is on on creating new opportunities for growth, collaboration, and innovation to shape the future of forestry in Atlantic Canada.
Quotes from delegation participants
"The value of travel to other jurisdictions of not necessarily on the formal agenda. It’s the things you catch out of the corner of your eye or the conversations you have in between meetings. The trip to Finland provided plenty of both and has reframed my thinking about opportunities for the forest sector in Canada and New Brunswick. "
“My time in Finland was both rewarding and enlightening. Gaining firsthand exposure to progressive forestry models and networking with global experts has provided a new level of understanding and practical knowledge that I’m excited to share and apply."
"Finland and New Brunswick have a great deal in common: A reliance on the forest economy, care for the natural environment, and strong, connected communities. This mission helped us understand how New Brunswick could create a larger domestic supply of renewable energy on our path to net zero, and generate a bigger share of benefits for small forest owners, contractors and everyone who works in our forests. Thank you Forest NB for coordinating this trip - it is the start of a new way of thinking about our future. "
"Incredible learning experience! Well organized schedule with exactly the right mix of attendees for the most impactful series of presentations and field visits. The network built among the various stakeholders will support future collaborations for growth initiatives for the forestry sector in New Brunswick."
"This past week was an incredible experience, thoughtfully organized to provide a balanced and enriching insight into forestry. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to expand my understanding of the industry/sector while building meaningful connections both locally and internationally.
I was truly impressed by Finland’s approach to training in the forestry sector. Their emphasis on specialized, hands-on training seems to have shifted how the industry is perceived and embraced, even sparking interest among students at a younger age. While not without its challenges or complete acceptance, this model shows a growing appreciation for forestry in the broader community. I am excited to apply some of what was learned, with NS in mind, to our own systems at home."
"I recently had the incredible opportunity to visit Finland and explore their forest industry firsthand. The experience was both enriching and inspiring, as I gained a deep understanding of Finland’s sustainable forestry practices and the innovative technologies driving the sector. The knowledge I brought back is invaluable and will undoubtedly shape my perspective on forestry and environmental stewardship"
"I’ve been working with the Mechanized Forest Operator in NB for almost 3 years now, but I am still learning as much as I can about the industry as a whole. It was an incredible experience to visit Finland and learn from subject matter experts within the industry and to continue to absorb new information about the sector. I believe it was also a great benefit to have so much time to connect with internal stakeholders within NB that were on the trip- to learn and understand more about their roles, and how we can collaborate to move things forward upon our return home. "
Why Finland?
Finland is a global leader in sustainable forestry. Recognized as a ‘timber giant’ in Europe, Finland’s success can be attributed to detailed monitoring, state-of-the-art technologies, precise management objectives, constructive stakeholder engagement and strong social license resulting from transparent communication between industry, government and the public around forest assets.
Forests cover more than 74% of the land area in Finland with total volume of about 2 billion cubic metres, and for decades has exceeded harvest volumes and natural drain supply. Roughly 60% of Finland’s forested lands are privately owned and managed, with the average plot size of 30 hectares. Similar geography, climate, and land tenure make New Brunswick’s sector comparable with Finland. Because Finland also has a nearly 40% share of renewables in its energy mix, it also leads the world in transitioning its energy sector to a low-carbon future. Canada has recently recognized biomass technologies as necessary to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, making this an opportune time for New Brunswick to engage with a world leader in bioenergy.
Additionally, Finland ranked first in Robeco’s country sustainability rankings in 2021. Strong environmental protection policies have been effective at reducing pollution, promoting natural conservation and safeguarding biodiversity, proving that sustainably managed forests support sustainable development goals.
Delegation Daily Blog
Day 5 - Vieremä to Helsinki
The Canucks bid an early morning farewell to Vieremä to catch a flight to Helsinki for the final day of our official itinerary at the offices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Ministerial advisor Kaisa Pirkola shared an overview of Finland’s Forest Strategy 2035, including overall goals and values from a policy and governance perspective. These values are intrinsic in Finland’s forests and displayed throughout the week’s many visits and presentations. Finnish forest policy has evolved significanctly since their first Forest Act in 1886 (several decades before independence), but has always centred on improving the forests. Canada and Finland share many of the same goals and values for our forests, and comparing governance structures, communication, economic priorities, and environmental pressures made for great discussion. Finns have many reasons to be proud of their progress in bioeconomy, progress, climate change goals, adoption of new wood construction materials and other wood derived products, all a testament to world-leading research and innovation!
These relaxed and informative discussions continued into our final presentation from Sustainable Development Manger, Antti Otsamo, of Metsähallitus, the state-owned enterprise responsible for managing Finland’s national land and water areas. Their role is to ensure land management for multiple uses, including timber production, recreation, property development, and management of national parks and protected areas. The presentation, like many throughout the week, quickly turned into a conversation about our shared challenges and opportunities, presenting yet another fantastic opportunity to learn from one another. We share vision and many goals for the future of our forests, bioeconomy, environment, and our communities. We share optimism and enthusiasm for the future of our forests.
As we enjoy a final group meal this evening, we’ll be reflecting on the learning, conversations, and friendships formed over the course of 5 engaging, busy days and will no doubt continue for years to come.
Day 4 -Vieremä
The Canadian crew awoke to day 4 as changed people, with many having experienced their first Finnish smoke sauna the evening prior. Situated beside the beautiful lake Sotku, perfect for alternating cold plunges with sauna sweats, Ponsse Club, who hosted us for the duration of our visit to Vieremä , boasts incredible amenities that gave our crew an unmatched Finnish experience. The group celebrated the memories and friendships cemented over these shared experiences through breakfast as we prepared for another full day learning about Finnish forestry, beginning with a tour of the Ponsse factory.
To understand the ethos and culture of Ponsse today, we need a brief look back at their history. The company started when entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén, frustrated with the unreliability of farming equipment being used in the winters for logging, created his own forwarder by combing parts from various pieces of machinery from different industries. The town’s stray mutt at the time was known as Ponsse, and upon seeing Vidgrén’s machine, a friend exclaimed “what kind of Ponsse is that?”, and a name was born! In 1970, Ponsse began manufacturing similar machines, and has continued manufacturing machines exclusively for the forest industry ever since. They’ve recently celebrated their 20,000th machine delivered, with more than 15,000 of those still in operation around the world. They employ more than 2100 people globally, with all machines being manufactured in the company's birthplace in Vieremä.
We began our visit with a presentation from communications specialist Marika Ryytty who guided us through the history, values, and future of Ponsse. What is immediately evident from the first 5 minutes of her presentation, or the first minute you spend with any Ponsse employee, is how valued they feel and how proud they are to be a part of the team. The slideshow included tour photos from the day before of sponsorship partners, recent employee events, production milestone celebrations, and day-to-day work, all proudly wearing the Ponsse logo and a genuine smile.
Following our introduction, customer visit specialist Petri Rissanen guided us through the factory, from parts manufacturing to final assembly. Their processes and technology implementation is truly cutting edge, pun intended, and has continuously evolved over the last 54 years. The tour concluded in the “history room” where the very first Ponsse machine is displayed proudly (it still runs!) and stands ad a testament to innovation found in the modern technological marvels manufactured here in Vieremä.
It’s impossible to discuss the culture and values embodied by Ponsse and not give a special mention to area director Eero Lukkarinen, who has not only been our phenomenal guide throughout the week, but was also responsible for the entire delegation agenda. It’s hard to imagine that the presentations and tours could be any more immersive, varied, or motivational. We owe immense thanks to Eero for his graciousness and for all of the connections, ideas, and experiences.
The afternoon brought us to a bioenergy thinning operation, something truly unique to the area thanks to the utilization of forest biomass as a major contributor to Finland’s energy portfolio. There, forest owner Juha Juntunen and contractor Aleksi Pesonen explained how the bioeconomy provides mutual benefits to the landowner, contractor, and industry. Thinning programs provide fuel stocks to support bioenergy and creates economic benefits for the owner and contractor, while making the woodlot more productive through the sustainable active management.
A final stop at Ponsse’s Logistics Centre, a huge parts distribution centre that was staggering in sheer scale of millions of parts ready for immediate dispatch.
We rounded out the day with supper in Harju’s Barn, an historic barn converted to a restaurant by one of the Ponsee family members.
Day 3 - Joensuu to Vieremä
Our third day was our last morning in Joensuu, and began with another excellent presentation from Janne Nissinen who shared insights from his long career focused on forest service and wood supply with Metsä Forest.
Metsä presents a very unique business case from a Canadian perspective, as they are a cooperative that represents over 90,000 forest owner-members. Their unique setup and integration into the larger Metsä Group of businesses creates responsibility to sustainability, best business practices, and increases the value of forest resources. The members of the collective represent over half of Finland’s family forests.
Through the advanced digitalization of the industry, silviculture services, and profit-sharing incentives for responsible wood trade, Metsä Group has worked diligently to create a win-win-win situation that provides value to the environment, the owner, and the industry.
As we left Joensuu behind and drove through the Finnish countryside, the forests and towns managed to feel both familiar and new at the same time. We passed many trucks hauling wood to one of more than 150 mills around the country, which feels immediately familiar to anyone driving between communities in rural New Brunswick. While I’m not making a point to mention many of our meals throughout the trip, we will certainly remember the local specialities on offer at the traditional-style log cabin at Bomba House, where we dined next to on one of Finland’s many, many beautiful lakes.
In the afternoon our group was inspired when we learned more about Finland’s present and future forest equipment operator workforce. The first stop took us to Nurmes, where one of Finland’s top contracting companies, Motoajo Oy, is based. With an impressive fleet of 54 forest vehicles and 87 employees, they offer high-quality reliable harvest, thinning, site preparation and forest road services. Foreman Ossi Heikkinen gave us a thorough and interesting look at the industry from the perspective of those working directly on the forest floor.
A short drive to Valtimo brought us to Riveria Vocational School, one of the world’s leading forest operator training schools. There, manager Tommi Anttonen shared his philosophy that “Training makes dreams come true”. Tommi has worked at Riveria since 1998, in which times he’s seen substantial evolution in training technology, theory, and application. Their vocational training is quite advanced, with students using 24 simulators along with custom training machinery for on-site practical skill development. What also sets Riveria apart is their appreciation that while technology and digitalization is a great tool, it does not replace hands-on experience and practical one-on-one instruction from experienced educators.
The sun set beautifully across the lakes and forests as the bus full of curious Canadians packed up once again, headed for the next leg of their journey in Vieremä.
Day 2 - Joensuu
The Canadian crew were in high spirits beginning day 2, having at least mostly adapted to our time change. Dr. Lauri Sikanen, Principal Scientist with the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) kicked off the morning discussions on a wide variety of topics. The overall theme of the day was centred on bioenergy, an area of interest to many in the room and many more across Canada.
Bioenergy at its core aims to replace fossil fuels with renewables. The forest industry has been using bioenergy for decades, using what would otherwise be waste products for energy to run mill processes and heat their facilities, balancing their reliance on electricity and fossil fuels. In Canada, as we move towards net zero, and in particular the phasing out of coal, there is a lot of focus on opportunities to learn from our European friends about implementing biomass as a part of a resilient, low-carbon energy portfolio.
Finland generates a staggering ~20 TWh from forest biomass annually, utilizing fibre from thinning and harvest waste, as well as mill residues (like bark, chips, and sawdust). A deep appreciation for sustainability and maximizing the value of forest resources has also lead to “Heat Entrepreneurship”, a new term to many in attendance. Many cooperatives and small independent business dot the country, providing local district heating fuelled by forest biomass. This provides not only clean, on-demand heat, but also creates employment and economic opportunity across the country. The group has the chance to visit one such site later in the day, where a small woodchip-fueled heating system provides heat for a complex that houses a school, gym, community centre, and nursing home.
A quote stood out from Lauri’s presentation that perfectly highlighted the morning’s topics: “Forest Resources can generate remarkable business and local welfare”. Regardless of location, making the best use of our natural resources is a benefit to all of us. These values were further reinforced during our follow-up presentation from Business Joensuu development manager, Ville Kortelainen, who further highlighted and celebrated the region of Joensuu as an innovation hub for advancing forestry, that contributes to a truly circular economy.
After lunch, a short bus ride took us to a large local biomass power and heating plant run by Savon Voima, where we were given a tour by operation manager Veli-Matti Keronon. The 200 MW generating facility sources biomass locally, and the plant has evolved significantly over the years to meet energy demands, higher environmental standards, and changing biomass sources. One such on-site evolution is Joensuu Biocoal, a brand new and innovative torrefied biomass plant that is under construction with plans to be operational early next year. Project manager Iiro Tiilikanen showed us around the site, highlighting how biocoal contributes to the overall carbon reduction of the energy sector and enhances the forest product value chain. These facilities are integrated, making use of flue gases and a common biomass supply to create power, heat, and biocoal. CEO Matti Karjula of KME Oy further explained the biomass value chain, which sparked many discussions about the similarities and differences between Atlantic Canada and Finland.
With another full day ahead of the group, we enjoyed a final supper in Joensuu together to round out the night.
Day 1 - Joensuu
As the sun rose behind clouds in Joensuu, the silver birches outside our conference room windows bathed the room in a golden glow. Our crew ranged from barely awake to bubbly, but everyone was eager to learn from the days presenters. The energy in the room quickly grew in the first minutes of a presentation from Leena Leskinen of the Finnish Forestry Centre, Metsäkeskus. Operating under the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Metsäkeskus provides expert advisory services to Finland’s 60,000 family forest owners, coordinating harvest and regeneration plans, ensures implementation of state forest policy, amongst many other duties and responsibilities.
What sparked so many great conversations (we could have turned this 75 minute presentation into a 7.5 hour talk if we had fewer commitments throughout the day) was just how similar the forest environment compares to that in New Brunswick, and just how much the differences impact our respective forest industries. Roughly one in five Finnish adults own a family forest, averaging rough 30 hectares each, and those family forests contribute to the country’s robust forest industry. Similarly, 30 % of New Brunswick forests are small, private woodlots and held by more than 40,000 owners, and private wood is utilized by mills in every corner of the province. Discussions ranged from management to succession planning, communication to land usage rights, and the country’s robust digitalization of the entire industry. The Finn’s are proud to make the best use of their natural resources, ensuring their sustainability.
The morning continued with another engaging discussion with Ari Karhapää with Tornator, one of Finland’s largest private land owners. Tornator’s business revolves around sustainable timber harvest and silviculture coordination, and their key focus is to generate sustainable wellbeing from the forest. Whether discussing specifics of soil quality and regeneration, to sharing exploring our shared challenges, the first morning provided a lot of food for thought!
A brief bus ride from Joensuu brought us to a tour of a commercial thinning operation with Seppo Vihreäpuu with Stora Enso, and a team of experts in harvest, management, regeneration, and marketing. We received several demonstrations, and while harvest operations are fairly similar to those that we are used to, there are also some significant differences and in species, silviculture practices, and final products specifications from the Finnish industry. A special treat awaited our crew after the demonstration, with some delicious coffee brewed on a wood fire and Karelian pies, a local pastry baked fresh that morning. A final presentation echoed this morning’s themes of sustainability, a forward-focused outlook on forestry, and a commitment to growth and improvement.
A key stand out of all discussions during a packed day of learning was the subtle, yet impactful, language differences in how everyone talks about forestry. For example, rather than private woodlot, they’re known as family forests. There’s such an appreciation of what a small woodlot can offer; for recreation, the environment, and economically. There’s an excellent understanding of how forestry supports communities across the country, something we certainly share but might not celebrate enough.
As I write this on the drive back to our hotel, I can hear a lot of excited ideas being shared and refined. I can be certain that this has already been an exceptionally valuable trip, and I’m eager to see what ideas tomorrow brings.
Day 0 - YQM to JOE
An eclectic mix of professionals from across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia gathered bright and early in the Moncton airport. Offerings of maple syrup were packaged amongst socks, greeting exchanged, and the first (or second, or third) of many coffees over the next 40 hours of travel were consumed. Our intrepid collection of 17 delegates from the forest industry, NGOs, provincial & federal government, education, and private businesses buckled in for an long journey headed to Finland, all aiming to learn from the world’s forestry laboratory (their words) on opportunities to grow and improve Atlantic Canadas forest industry.
After 6 time zones, 4 flights, and 9 total coffees (in this authors case anyways), we arrived for the first leg of our visit based in Joensuu, Finland, where we shared one more meal as a group (now of 18 having picked up one more delegate along the way), eager to start early the following morning, but at the moment, more eager to sleep.
How can we create new opportunity in the Atlantic Provinces?
Growing a future for our communities through forestry.
Engagement with European leaders in sustainable forestry can significantly benefit the sector in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia through innovative forest management practices, state-of-the-art technology, and precision-driven approaches supported by advanced information systems. By emphasizing environmental responsibility and carbon neutrality, we can strengthen forestry as a key sector for the provinces' social and economic well-being. We will explore opportunities for learning, engagement and creating mutual opportunities for investment and trade with the Finnish forest sector while advancing shared goals in sustainable practices and green economies.
The 2024 Forest NB Finland Delegation is made possible through the support of:
A.L.P.A. Equipment Ltd. is a family-owned company serving Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec. Each location offers full service for forestry and construction equipment, with field technicians offering service on-site. A.L.P.A.'s extensive parts inventory has all the essential parts, with a 24/7 emergency parts ordering system and customer support representatives dedicated to keeping equipment running. Their training department helps get new operators up and running and provides experienced operators with the latest information on new technologies and they have also partnered with the NBCC "mechanized forest equipment operator program," offering the latest forestry equipment and simulators.
Ponsse is a globally recognized Finnish company specializing in the development and manufacture of cut-to-length forest machines and related services. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Vieremä, Finland, Ponsse has grown into one of the world's leading manufacturers of forestry equipment, known for its innovation, quality, state-of-the-art technology and information systems, training systems and simulators, and customer-centric approach. The company emphasizes sustainability by developing equipment that minimizes environmental impact through fuel efficiency and reduced soil disturbance.