The Ontario government is investing an additional $30 million to support businesses, workers, and communities dependent on the province’s forest sector. This funding will focus on building and maintaining forestry access roads and providing immediate assistance to sawmills in finding new markets for their woodchips. These measures aim to strengthen the forestry sector, create jobs, and enhance competitiveness, particularly in the context of increased U.S. softwood lumber duties and potential tariffs.
Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products, emphasized the importance of forestry to Ontario’s economy and communities. He highlighted that these investments aim to ensure the sector remains resilient against trade threats and called on the federal government to support Ontario’s forestry workers.
The Provincial Forest Access Roads Funding Program will receive an additional $20 million, bringing its total funding to over $79 million in 2025. These Crown forest roads provide safe access for businesses to harvest and transport wood, and they also support recreation and northern tourism economies.
The Ontario Sawmill Chip Support Program will receive $10 million to help sawmills find innovative markets for woodchips, such as energy production or alternatives to single-use plastics. This initiative is designed to protect sawmill workers while helping the sector adapt to global market changes.
Minister of Natural Resources, Mike Harris, highlighted that the investment builds a stronger, more adaptive, and resilient forestry sector. These actions complement previous initiatives, including over $72 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program and nearly $50 million through the Forest Biomass Program, aimed at expanding markets, advancing innovation, and enhancing sector competitiveness.
Ontario continues to call on the federal government to join in supporting forestry workers and businesses to ensure the province receives its fair share of national forestry support. The forest sector contributes significantly to the province’s economy, generating nearly $22 billion in revenue in 2023 and providing approximately 128,000 jobs, including in Indigenous, rural, and Northern communities.
The investments support sustainable forestry practices, reinforce infrastructure, and create opportunities for economic growth across the province. Stakeholders, including municipal leaders and industry representatives, welcomed the funding, noting its benefits for communities, recreation, emergency services, and long-term stability of the forestry sector. The sawmill chip program and forest road investments are particularly praised for protecting jobs, maintaining operational capacity, and ensuring the broader socio-economic wellbeing of Northern and rural Ontario.
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