The relaunch of the Davidson industrial site: company still seeking supply guarantee

The relaunch of the Davidson industrial site: company still seeking supply guarantee

CHIP 101.9 spoke with the promoters of the relaunch at the Davidson industrial site to have them explain the state of the project and the actions they have taken in recent months. The principal man behind the project, Bruno St-Cyr was joined by fellow promoter Pascal Dupuis, the president of JR Mécanique Group, the owners of Énergie JPB in Valleyfield.

St-Cyr, the co-owner of the defunct sawmill, and his partners are trying to restart the site as a cogeneration plant, which will produce electricity as well as lumber products. They have long been seeking lumber supply guarantees from the provincial government and St-Cyr said that he had recently pleaded his case to Pierre Fitzgibbon, the Minister of Economy and Innovation.

The Davidson project currently has an agreement with the Municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract concerning unpaid taxes over the years, which total at least several hundred thousand dollars. The municipal council hopes that a relaunch will make it possible to recoup what they’re owed and create jobs in the community.

“In the Pontiac region, we see that the region has suffered for many years from a lack of local development. Davidson’s project is an anchor project that will bring a multitude of ways to develop the local economy,” St-Cyr said (translated).

Dupuis worked on the start up his company’s cogeneration plant in the Valleyfield region last May. He said he’s learned a lot and says a plant at the Davidson site could take about three years to get started. He also listed the reasons why he believes the site is still in a position to be able to start.

St-Cyr said that some potential partners want the site to have some sustainable development components as well, and discussed some possibilities.

The full (French-language) interview with Bruno St-Cyr and Pascal Dupuis, is available here.