The Espanola Pulp and Paper Mill site – Closed Nov 2023, Purchased by BMI Group Oct 2025.
March 13, 2026 — Ecostrat Inc. and the BMI Group have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the redevelopment of legacy pulp and paper mill assets across Canada into next-generation biorefinery platforms using the BDO Zone Ratings framework.
The initiative will support the transformation of former industrial sites into multi-product facilities capable of producing biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, engineered wood products — including mass timber — and other advanced bio-manufacturing outputs.
Industry leaders say the partnership addresses a critical gap in investment readiness across Canada’s forest regions by providing developers and investors with consistent, investment-grade regional intelligence.
“Canada has legacy mill assets, abundant fibre resources, and communities seeking new economic opportunities,” said Jordan Solomon, CEO of Ecostrat. “What is often missing is standardized, reliable intelligence that helps investors evaluate where projects can advance with confidence. When that clarity is established, investment tends to follow — as demonstrated by more than $10 billion in plant announcements within BDO Zones to date.”
The BMI Group has assembled a portfolio of nine former pulp and paper mill sites with the goal of repositioning them for new industrial development. Through the collaboration, selected assets will undergo BDO Zone assessments led by Ecostrat to enhance site readiness, reduce early-stage development risk, and strengthen Canada’s competitiveness in attracting global bioeconomy investment.
“Canada has the opportunity to lead globally in transforming legacy forest-industry infrastructure into next-generation biorefineries,” said Paul Veldman, CEO of the BMI Group. “Putting wood back to work enables every part of the fibre stream to support new products, industries, and economic renewal for forestry communities.”
A key example of this redevelopment strategy is BMI’s Bioveld North project in Espanola, Ontario, where a former pulp and paper facility is being repositioned as a full-fibre bioproduct hub. The project is focused on advancing opportunities in renewable energy, advanced materials, and next-generation fibre manufacturing.
By applying the BDO Zone framework, stakeholders can better evaluate critical factors such as feedstock availability, infrastructure capacity, and overall site readiness, helping to accelerate investment decisions for projects like Espanola.
The companies noted that the collaboration represents an early private-sector signal supporting the broader adoption of BDO Zone assessments across Canada, while also encouraging policy alignment and government support for market diversification initiatives in forest-dependent regions.
As federal leaders consider strategies to attract new manufacturing investment and strengthen economic resilience in forestry communities, tools such as BDO Zone assessments are increasingly viewed as essential to identifying regionally competitive opportunities.
About the BMI Group
The BMI Group is a redevelopment firm focused on “ready-stating and re-futuring” legacy pulp and paper infrastructure for high-impact, multi-use developments spanning industrial, commercial, residential, and hospitality sectors. With more than two decades of experience and a portfolio of 10 former pulp and paper sites across North America, the company works to deliver new economic and environmental outcomes for host communities.
About Ecostrat and the BDO Zone Initiative
Ecostrat is a North American leader in biomass due diligence supporting the development of biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, and other bio-based manufacturing projects. The company established the BDO Zone rating framework, which helped inform Canada’s national assessment standard, CSA TS-005:25. Over the past three years, 61 rated BDO Zones have been associated with more than $10 billion in plant announcements across North America.
