Welcome to the 2025 Forest Nova Scotia AGM happening in person at the Halifax World Trade and Convention on Mon Feb 03 2025 at 09:00 AM! Join us for two days of networking, learning, and discussing all things related to the forestry industry in Nova Scotia.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with industry professionals and stay updated on the latest trends and developments.

Agenda

Day 1: Monday, February 3, 2025

Argyle Room, Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre

8:00 AM Board Meeting

8:00 AM Registration

9:30 AM Welcome/Remarks

Todd Burgess, Executive Director, Forest Nova Scotia and Jocelyn Taylor Archibald, CFO, Taylor Lumber, Chairman of the Board, Forest Nova Scotia

11:00 AM David Coletto, CEO and Founding Partner, Abacus Data

At the Centre of a Storm: The Impact of Inflationitis and Scarcity on Political Opinions in Canada and Nova Scotia.

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Stephen Crabbe, President, Crabco Inc.

Is Mass Timber a solution to the future of Nova Scotia? Unlocking Economic Growth, Infrastructure Potential, Forest industry transformation/diversification, Social Progress, and Carbon Mitigation

2:00 PM Panel Discussion:

Low-Grade Wood: A Key Component for Future Forest Health and Sustainability with Nancy Dicks from Heat New Glasgow, Andrew Parsons from Simply Blue Group, and David Boulard from Ensyn Technologies Inc. and Vyterra Renewables Inc.
Moderator: Tyler Cameron, Director, Iris Communications

5:00 PM Reception: Argyle Room, Halifax World Trade and Convention

Centre

6:00 PM Dinner & Awards

8:00 PM Hospitality Suite, Sutton Place Hotel Lounge

Day 2: Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Argyle Room, Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre

9:00 AM Breakfast & Business Meeting

10:00 AM Derek Nighbor, President and CEO, Forest Products

Association of Canada

Navigating Through Uncertainty: Forest Sector Perspectives from Ottawa

11:00 AM Dave Reynolds, Founder & CEO, The Rumin8 Group Inc.

Forestry in Focus: Legal, Tax and Succession Planning Essentials and Insights

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Rod Badcock, Executive Director at Greenspring

BioinnovationHub and Principal Partner, BioApplied

Innovation Pathways

Nova Scotia’s Bioeconomy: Insights and Opportunities

2:00 PM Dr. Jamie Stephen, Managing Director, TorchLight

Local Energy, Healthy Forests, Strong Communities: Strategy for a Nova Scotia Alternative Energy Future

3:00 PM Panel Discussion

The Future of Forestry: Education, Funding, and Collaboration with Matt Benzanson from the University of New Brunswick, Amanda Lynds, Nova Scotia Teachers Board
Moderator: Rod Badcock, Executive Director at Greenspring BioinnovationHub and Principal Partner, BioApplied Innovation Pathways

4:00 PM Adjourn

David Coletto is CEO and a founding partner of Abacus Data a full-service market research and strategy firm based in Ottawa, Toronto, and Halifax. With over a decade and a half of experience in the industry, David and his partners founded Abacus eleven years ago and since then it has grown into one of Canada's most respected market research firms.
David has worked with many of Canada’s leading associations, corporations, and non-profits including Cooperation Canada, Oxfam, Shaw Communications, the Canadian Medical Association, the Bank of Canada, and the Canadian Real Estate Association.
He earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2010 and is an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He is the host and producer of inFocus with David Coletto a new podcast that explores the intersection of public opinion, politics, public policy, and consumer behaviour.
He’s a Millennial, a foodie, a cyclist, and an avid traveler. He’s been tracking Canadian public opinion and consumer trends on technology, news consumption, and public policy for years and is one of Canada’s leading experts on generational change and Millennials in particular.
Presentation: “At the Centre of a Storm: The Impact of Inflationitis and Scarcity on Political Opinions in Canada and Nova Scotia.”
Stephen Crabbe: Stephen’s career spans five decades in wood products manufacturing and distribution. A visionary in creating value from wood, his work has taken him across the globe in search of innovative technologies and processes to address industry challenges.
Stephen has held senior management roles across multiple manufacturing plants and global distribution groups. His experience includes managing start-ups, overseeing capital programs, operations, labor relations, plant engineering, and environmental affairs.
Growing up in a sawmill family in New Brunswick, Stephen developed a lifelong passion for enhancing the value of wood products. After graduating from Husson University in Bangor, Maine, he built an impressive career spanning both family businesses and multinational organizations, including:
- Labrador Linerboard, Goose Bay, NL – CFO, Goose Bay Operations (4 years)
- ITT Canada - Rayonier, Blackville, NB – Start-up Manager and later General Manager (3 years)
- ITT Southern Wood Piedmont, South Carolina – Director of Operations, Engineering, and Environmental Affairs (6 years)
- St. Stephen Fence Co. Ltd. – General Manager (3 years)
- SWP Industries Inc., St. Stephen, NB – CEO and Founding Partner (22 years)
- Crabco Inc. – President and Current Owner
In the past decade, Crabco Inc. has co-founded eight high-tech companies, holding 24 patents. Stephen also serves as a director for five companies.
Derek Nighbor was born and raised in Pembroke – in the heart of the Ottawa Valley – and has been President and CEO at Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) since March 2016. He is proud to represent Canada’s forest products sector and its workers, families, and communities nationally and internationally.
In addition to his role at FPAC, Derek serves as the industry representative and advisor to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and is the Past President of the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) – an organization of forest sector leaders from 28 countries around the world. Derek is also a member of the Board of Directors of FPInnovations, Canada’s leading forest sector research institute.
Presentation: “Navigating Through Uncertainty: Forest Sector Perspectives from Ottawa”
With over 18 years of business development expertise, Dave is a serial entrepreneur and author known for his ability to transform companies' growth trajectories. From leading sales teams to launching innovative products featured on Dragon’s Den, Dave has proven his capacity to build robust strategies that ensure businesses not only survive leadership transitions but thrive because of them.
Dave’s work is grounded in measurable success—creating systems that empower leaders and their teams to adapt, grow, and succeed. His passion for coaching and communication equips the next generation of business leaders to navigate challenges with clarity and confidence. As an author, his insight on coaching and communication guides the next generation of business leaders, as a thought leader in business development and sales strategy.
Presentation: Forestry in Focus: Legal, Tax and Succession Planning Essentials and Insights
Rod is deeply committed to advancing the bioeconomy and promoting renewable resources. Early in his career, he honed his expertise in forest management through operational roles with Alberta Pacific Forest Industries and Bowater Mersey Paper Company. In 2010, Rod launched a consulting business focused on commercializing forest-based bioproducts. Three years later, he co-founded BioApplied with Greg Maloney, providing specialized business services to clients in the bioeconomy sector.
Rod's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and an MBA from Saint Mary’s University. As an entrepreneur, he has played a key role in launching multiple ventures that drive product and process innovation within the Canadian bioeconomy. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Greenspring Bioinnovation Hub, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth of Nova Scotia’s bioeconomy.
Presentation: Nova Scotia’s Bioeconomy: Insights and Opportunities
Dr. Jamie Stephen is the Managing Director of TorchLight, a bioenergy strategy advisor and project developer providing value to governments, utilities, large industrial emitters, the transportation sector, property owners, and investment funds. Projects range from the development of energy facilities to national Net Zero strategies. Jamie has over two decades of experience in the bioenergy and carbon management industry, working at the interface of the energy, forestry, agriculture, and waste sectors. He holds a PhD in Forest and Energy Economics and a Masters in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia. After growing up in the prairies and spending over a decade in Ontario, Jamie now resides with his wife and four daughters in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.
Presentation: “Local Energy, Healthy Forests, Strong Communities: Strategy for a Nova Scotia Alternative Energy Future.”
Bioenergy is Nova Scotia’s largest source of renewable energy but its contribution to the province’s energy mix has been declining due to reduced demand for industrial process heat and a policy prioritization of electricity and natural gas imports. In this session, Jamie Stephen will summarize the findings of a new report assessing the potential role for biomass combined heat and power (CHP) and district heating in Nova Scotia’s energy future. The socio-economic, provincial cash drain, and environmental impacts of a strategy including biomass CHP and district heating are contrasted to those of Nova Scotia Power’s electricity-heavy strategy. The analysis reveals an energy strategy that prioritizes local forest fuels creates substantially greater job and macroeconomic benefits than one excluding biomass CHP. In addition, the benefits are more widely distributed across the province, with rural regions showing a significant boost in long-term employment and economic performance.