Herb Shaw & Sons Limited is celebrating 175-years as a business and Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Petawawa to mark the occasion. The local lumber company was established in 1847 and Ford says they are a huge provider of hydro poles across Ontario.
The Premier had the opportunity to use some of the equipment at Shaw Lumber that strips the logs of all the bark to prepare them to be used for hydro poles. Ford says companies like Herb Shaw & Sons help provide power to thousands of homes across Ontario.
Ford says Shaw Lumber is a major part of the governments historic effort to build up high speed internet access across the province.
Rob Berardi, the Vice President of Shared Services and Broadband Strategy at Hydro One, says they have 1.6-million wood poles across Ontario that will be used to support internet service providers as they expand access to high speed and reliable internet.
Berardi says over 95% of Hydro One poles are made of wood adding they get anywhere from 60 to 80-years out of each pole. The Hydro One spokesperson says they will be purchasing about 25,000 wood poles in 2023.
Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith, says the province will ensure the forestry sector is planning for the future so companies like Shaw Lumber can operate for another 175-years.
Ford was also joined by Algonquins of Pikwakanagan Chief Wendy Jocko, representatives from the County of Renfrew, local mayors, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski and Minister of Energy Todd Smith.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)