News | December 23, 2025
For Immediate Release
Statement from Mackenzie County Reeve, Josh Knelsen
Today, I’m pleased to announce that we’ve finalized an agreement with Calgary-based PowerWood Canada Corp. that will bring two new wood pellet manufacturing facilities to the Mackenzie County region. This is a leading-edge, first-of-its-kind project in Canada that turns wildfire-damaged wood into clean energy and helps reduce reliance on coal.
These two facilities represent hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment and the potential for up to 300 direct jobs, with many more across forestry, construction, transportation, and local businesses.
This project builds on the energy resources we already develop in the region, adding a new, value-added energy stream alongside our long-standing oil and gas, forestry, and agricultural sectors.
One site, east of La Crete along the Highway 88 connector, is shovel-ready with services already in place and is expected to move toward construction by mid-2026. A second site, south of High Level along Highway 35, is to be used for shipping finished product by rail as well as a second production facility.
I also know this announcement comes at a time of uncertainty for some in our region. Recent announcements by West Fraser regarding future curtailments have raised understandable concerns for workers and families who have long been the backbone of our forestry communities. This project does not replace those jobs overnight, but it is encouraging news and a step toward diversification and long-term resilience in our forestry economy.
Thank you to Council, administration, industry partners, and the many people across our region whose hard work and commitment helped move this forward.
Josh Knelsen
Reeve, Mackenzie County