Overview
This panel will explore how the strategic adoption of innovative biomass district heating systems in urban settings can reduce the carbon footprint of cities while delivering both economic and environmental benefits to rural communities. Experts from Sweden and Canada will discuss how utilizing forest residuals for urban energy needs not only cuts carbon emissions in cities but also supports sustainable forest management and strengthens rural economies. The discussion will explore how Sweden’s successful implementation of biomass district heating can be replicated in Canadian cities like Toronto, providing a renewable, low-carbon energy solution that bridges the needs of both urban and rural communities.
Panelists
Katherine Sparkes, VP Grid Solutions, EnWave
Katherine joined Enwave in 2024 to lead the launch of a new business platform focused on integrating clean electricity solutions with Enwave’s district networks, customer sites and electrical grids. Katherine brings over 15 years of experience in Ontario’s electricity sector, most recently as the Director of Innovation, Research & Development with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Katherine is recognized across the Canadian energy sector for her leadership in advancing innovative clean electricity solutions, and for her ability to broker productive, effective partnerships between the private sector, utilities, and provincial and federal government. Katherine teaches in the Master of Law, Energy & Infrastructure program at Osgoode Hall and is a member of the Clean 50. Enwave is Canada’s single largest owner and operator of district energy, providing heating and cooling services to buildings through networks in Toronto, Windsor, London and PEI. Leveraging innovative solutions such as deep lake water cooling, biomass, energy from waste, sewer heat recovery, solar PV and storage, Enwave provides affordable, reliable, clean thermal energy and electricity to its real property and utility customers and partners.
Dr. Fredrik Lindblad, Linneaus University
Fredrik Lindblad is an accomplished leader with a distinguished career in international business management, strategic development, and logistics. Throughout his career, Fredrik has held key leadership positions globally, including roles at Danzas, DHL, and as the Global Head of Supply Chain at Aramex. Most recently, he serves as CEO of Växjö Linnæus Science Park, where he played a crucial role in forging strategic partnerships, driving business growth, and fostering innovation. In addition to his executive roles, Fredrik has held several board-level positions and has been actively engaged as an international consultant, working on projects for governments, NGOs, and non-profit organizations.
Fredrik holds a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering and a Licentiate in Economics from Linnaeus University, where he also serves as an Associate Professor. He is a prolific author, with numerous publications in journals such as the Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, Forest Products Journal, Management and Technology, Wood Material Science and Engineering, and Construction Management and Economics. His research has made contributions to the fields of logistics, supply chain management, and wood construction technology.
Ian Dunn, President and CEO, OFIA
Ian has a long history in Ontario's natural resource sector. Before the OFIA, he worked as a consulting forester and environmental scientist, undertaking projects for clients in the oil and gas, mining and exploration, nuclear energy, government, and forestry sectors. Since joining the OFIA in 2015, Ian has served in various forestry, manufacturing, and environmental policy roles. Appointed as the OFIA's President & CEO in 2021, Ian currently oversees Association strategy, governance, public relations, and business administration. Working closely with Association membership, Ian developed a comprehensive strategic plan for the OFIA, representing a new direction and approach for the Association. Ian championed the development and continued implementation of Ontario's Forest Sector Strategy and Biomass Action Plan, focusing on competitive measures designed to attract capital investment and strengthen the sector.
He represents the OFIA softwood lumber producer's interests in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States, developing strategies with members, and coordinating legal efforts with counsel. He actively engages in forest management planning and conservation-related files, including parks and protected areas, species at risk, carbon markets and pricing, and Indigenous relations. Serving as a public appointee to Ontario's Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee (SARPAC), and the Boreal Caribou Conservation Agreement Working Group, Ian provides strategic advice to the province on its species at risk program.
In 2019, Ian was recognized by Canadian Forest Industries magazine as one of the "Top 10 under 40" within the forest sector. He frequently speaks on behalf of the Association to the media, including interviews with the CBC, CTV News and Consumer Alert, Toronto Star, Northern Ontario Business, and many other local radio stations and newspapers. He has provided guest lectures at the University of Toronto and Lakehead University on forest policy and current issues in forest management. Ian is a registered professional forester and has been a full member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association since 2013. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.
Tom Antle, Director of Engineering, TorchLight Bioresources
Tom Antle is the Director of Engineering at TorchLight Bioresources. He holds a BASc in Mechatronic Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a dual MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from KTH in Stockholm, Sweden, and Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland. He has been a Development Engineer at Stockholm Exergi, one of the world’s largest low carbon heating utilities, and a Project Manager and Reliability Engineer in British Columbia’s pulp industry. At Torchlight, he focuses on developing new biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants and integrating BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) into both new facilities and existing pulp mills. His major projects include the Rocky Mountain Carbon BECCS plant and the Heat New Glasgow district heating CHP. Tom is dedicated to leveraging biomass fuels to drive national decarbonization while promoting economic growth in Canada’s forestry economy. He is based in Coquitlam, BC.