“Lisa and John represent the very traits and spirit of Canadians who work in forestry” says FPAC’s Nighbor
With the conclusion of National Forest Week and as Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and its partners continue to celebrate the best and brightest in Canada’s forest sector through the annual FPAC Awards of Excellence program, FPAC is proud to announce a new partnership that brings together two things that Canada is proudly known for around the globe – forestry and curling.
FPAC is excited to announce that it is getting behind two people who are known and respected for their hard work and winning ways both on and off the ice – the Canadian mixed curling doubles team of John Epping and Lisa Weagle.
Lisa Weagle is a Canadian Olympian, World Champion, and three-time Canadian women’s curling champion. She lives in Ottawa and currently plays on Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones’ women’s curling team.
John Epping skips the number two ranked men’s curling team in the world and is the defending Ontario men’s curling champion out of the Leaside Curling Club in Toronto.
Epping and Weagle are playing together this year on the mixed curling doubles circuit and kicked off their season this weekend in Kitchener, Ontario.
The following is a statement from FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor:
“The connection between forestry and curling runs deep and I see it as I attend events and visit forestry operations, mills, and curling clubs in our rural and northern communities across the country.
Just as forestry is the lifeblood to over 600 communties across Canada, curling is an important part of the community fabric. Curling clubs are a place where people come together to compete and have fun in our shared cities and towns.
Lisa and John represent the very traits and spirit of Canadians who work in forestry – talented, thoughtful, and committed to being a force for good in what they do and for causes in their communities.
Their winning ways on the ice are well known to those who are curling fans, but it’s their work off the ice that we at FPAC are even more proud of. From John’s efforts to support and be a role model for LGBTQ2 youth to Lisa’s advocacy to secure equal payouts for women at national curling events, we couldn’t pick two better professionals and simply good people to sport the FPAC logo.
And, the fact that Lisa’s late grandfather, Jack Chapman, was an engineer and mill manager at the pulp mill in Terrace Bay in Northwestern Ontario makes this partnership that much more special.
It is our honour to be part of Team Epping-Weagle.
FPAC’s Board, members, and staff wish Lisa and John every success on tour this season.”
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FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $73.6-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 12 per cent of Canada’s manufacturing GDP and is one of Canada’s largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 230,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.
For more information contact:
Kerry Patterson-Baker
Vice President, Communications
e : kpatterson-baker@fpac.ca
t : 613-563-1441 ext. 314
Follow us on Twitter: @FPAC_APFC
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