Ontario Protecting Forest Sector Jobs and Workers

The Government of Ontario is protecting workers and jobs in the forest sector by investing over $9.1 million in five research, innovation and modernization projects in Eastern Ontario. The investments from the Forest Biomass Program will help boost Ontario’s forest sector’s competitive advantage by creating new jobs, increasing productivity and opening up opportunities for revenue streams in new markets.

“Our government is protecting the good-paying jobs and economic growth provided by our forest sector businesses,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products. “Ontario is facing times of economic uncertainty as we continue to work to protect this province, and this sector from unjust U.S. tariffs. These investments are good news for forest sector productivity and good news for the workers and communities powering forest sector success as we grow to continue to be world leaders in forestry innovation and forward thinking.”

The government’s investment is supporting projects related to underused wood and mill by-products, known as forest biomass:

• Haliburton Forest Biochar, which is receiving $4,643,100 to acquire new technology enabling greater and more efficient biochar production, a substance used in power generation, soil amendment and water filtration.

• Infinite Carbon, which is receiving $3,373,227 to create new markets for forest biomass and support cleaner steel production by building a pilot manufacturing facility for metallurgical biocarbon, a sustainable alternative used in steelmaking.

• Killaloe Wood Products, which is receiving $952,437 to improve industry competitiveness and reduce fossil fuel use by acquiring mobile equipment to make more forest biomass available for bioenergy production.

• McRae Mills, which is receiving $146,475 to increase efficiency and supply emerging biomass markets by acquiring an upgraded conveyer and log-loader, which will boost forest biomass production capacity.

• Bancroft Minden Forest Company, which is receiving $20,000 to attract investment and support regional productivity by completing a study of current and emerging forest biomass opportunities.

These projects will help create good-paying local jobs while supporting the delivery of high-quality, made-in-Ontario products to market at a lower cost. In addition, they will strengthen Eastern Ontario’s economy by creating added demand for the harvesting, hauling and trucking industries, and develop new opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in the growing forestry industry.

Under the Forest Biomass Action Plan released in 2022, the government is developing the untapped potential of forest biomass to create new opportunities for forest sector growth, including investing $40 million to-date under the Forest Biomass Program to support more than 50 projects.

Ontario’s Forest Biomass Program invests up to $20 million each year in projects to increase wood harvest, create forest sector opportunity and find new uses for wood in collaboration with stakeholders, industry and Indigenous communities.

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