Wiky Going Green with Wood Pellet Program

Wikwemikong is in the process of investing in a wood pellet production plant that would use wood waste from the Eacom lumber mill in Nairn Centre, and manufacture wood pellets from locally sourced timber, to provide heat from wood pellet stoves throughout the community.  This will create employment for Wikwemikong, as well as being a sustainable economic project for the community, using renewable and recycled materials.

Wikwemikong Energy Planner Sioux Mantitowabi gives us a walk though, along with Mike Rudder from BioThermic Wood Energy Systems in Haliburton Ontario, on how exactly the furnaces work, the maintenance required, how they are more efficient than regular oil or electric heat, and which buildings in Wikwemikong have already made the switch over.  Also, by using the fibre byproduct from local lumber mills, they are keeping energy and transportation costs down, and using a local fuel source that was otherwise going to waste.  

Eventually, Wiky would like to see more homes and businesses make the conversion over from oil to pellets, getting the community off of petroleum products, and using locally sourced renewable fuels, which is not only more economical but safer for our environment.