Message from the Associate Minister

The Honourable Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products

Ontario’s forest sector is a key economic driver for our province’s economy. Forestry and forest products generated close to $22 billion in revenue last year and provided more than 128,000 good paying jobs across Ontario, many in Indigenous, rural and Northern regions.

Our government developed Sustainable Growth: Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy, a long-term strategic roadmap to create jobs and drive growth in forestry and forestry-dependent communities to grow and strengthen this important sector.

Since we released this strategy, new hurdles and challenges have emerged in the sector. We are now facing uncertain global markets, which are putting pressures on industries across the province. As we navigate these uncertain times, we continue to take action to protect Ontario’s forestry and forest products by providing support through programs such as the Forest Biomass Program and the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program, as well as helping to unlock new opportunities for industry, cutting red tape, and increasing wood use.

We are carrying the forest sector’s long history of productivity and prosperity forward.

The Forest Sector Strategy was developed in collaboration with many partners including forest industry, Indigenous communities, academia, sectoral associations and municipalities. This collaboration continues and is evident in each of the new milestones we have achieved.

Now more than ever, it is crucial that we are working together to overcome new challenges and unlock any untapped potential in the forest sector.

Our government has been clear, we will continue to protect Ontario’s forestry sector and ensure Ontario’s forests continue to thrive and provide for the people of this province, now and in the future.

Honourable Kevin Holland
Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products

Overview

Ontario is recognized as a world leader in the production and distribution of material from its renewable, sustainable and responsibly managed forests. Sustainable Growth: Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy is our long-term (10–year) strategy to support modernization, burden reduction and sustainability in the forest sector.

As we continue to implement the strategy, the environment has evolved. There are several foundational challenges facing Ontario’s forest industry today. Lack of wood markets, mill closures, the US softwood lumber trade dispute, market and investment uncertainty and workforce shortages are providing headwinds that need continual assessment and a recalibration of measures to be effectively navigated.

Under the Forest Sector Strategy, Ontario has developed 2 key action plans to support the forest sector and leverage opportunities for Ontario.

  1. Forest Biomass Action Plan (FBAP): Focuses on increasing the use of forest biofibre (low-grade fibre) and mill residuals to produce bioproducts through new and existing industrial processes and energy production.
  2. Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan (AWCAP): Identifies means to increase the use of wood in construction.

While the current environment poses new and still emerging challenges, Ontario’s strategy, now in its fifth year, remains crucial to attracting critical forest sector investments that will support thousands of jobs in Ontario and set the stage for future economic prosperity and long-term growth while supporting the Indigenous, Northern and rural communities that depend on it.

This is the fourth progress update, following updates of September 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Ontario’s forest industry and the economy

Ontario’s managed forests are the main source of raw materials required by the primary sector. The forest industry provided $5.4 billion to Ontario’s overall gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 with total revenues of $21.6 billion. Ontario’s forest and wood products sector is unique in terms of having a large secondary and value-added sector, and high level of integration and dependency between mills.

Annual stats:

  • $5.4 billion contribution to the provincial GDP (2023 data)
  • $21.6 billion total revenue of the forest sector (2023 data)
  • $8 billion forest sector exports including $703 million wood furniture exports (2024 data)
  • over 128,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs (2024 data)

Achievements

This document highlights actions achieved in the strategy and groups them under the following 6 themes:

  1. Increasing wood utilization
  2. Reducing burden
  3. Improving cost competitiveness
  4. Strengthening Indigenous partnerships and capacity building
  5. Supporting workforce development
  6. Growing markets

1. Increasing wood utilization

We are continuing to lay the foundation for the forest industry to increase wood utilization and close the gap between actual and available harvest, while keeping sustainability at the forefront of forest management decisions. Increasing wood utilization will help the province’s mills, forest operators and the communities that rely on them.

Recent pulp mill closures have highlighted the importance of the forest bioeconomy in building a more robust and adaptable forest sector moving forward.

The FBAP is an important component of achieving the objectives identified in the strategy. By driving growth in Ontario’s forest bioeconomy, the action plan plays a key role in the development of new markets for sawmill residues and other forms of underutilized forest biomass.

Ontario has taken action to support the development of new products and technologies, revise policies to ensure fibre availability and promote increased wood utilization by:

  • Supporting initiatives through the Forest Biomass Program to help develop new and emerging uses of forest biomass, consisting of underutilized forest resources and mill by-products.
    • To date, the program has committed close to 50 million to more than 55 research, innovation and modernization initiatives developing the untapped potential of forest biomass, including:
      • The Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bioeconomy (CRIBE): $5 million to accelerate forest sector growth by developing and commercializing innovative forest-based products, assisting with technology development and fostering cross-industry collaboration
      • Haliburton Forest Biochar: $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
      • EACOM: $5 million to adopt new technology to modernize operations and increase productivity, while reducing wood waste and greenhouse gas emissions
      • Killaloe Wood Products: $952,437 to improve industry competitiveness and reduce fossil fuel use by acquiring mobile equipment to make more forest biomass available for bioenergy production
    • The Forest Biomass Program will invest an additional $40 million over the next 2 years in projects that will harvest more Crown wood, create forest sector jobs and regional economic growth and find new uses for wood in collaboration with stakeholders, industry and Indigenous communities.
  • Releasing the final AWCAP. The plan will create forest sector opportunity by positioning Ontario to use more wood in the construction of mid-rise and tall multi-family residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
  • Working with companies to implement and incorporate changes to the Forest Management Planning Manual (FMPM, PDF) as forest management plans are renewed. The revised Forest Management Planning Manual took effect on July 1, 2024, and identifies the need for enhanced emphasis on wood supply during the planning process.
  • Collecting 415,000 km2 (out of a total 455,000 km2) of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for Ontario’s managed forests, since LiDAR collection began in 2018. These data support the creation of LiDAR-enhanced forest resources inventories, which will inform forest management plans implemented between 2028 and 2037. Inventory production is in progress and is proceeding according to the forest management planning schedule.
  • Developing and implementing 4 consecutive Spruce Budworm Insect Pest Management Programs from 2020 to 2024 within northeastern Ontario through a collaborative effort with forest industry, Indigenous communities and affected and interested persons and organizations. Using a combination of single and double treatment applications of aerial insecticide, totaling approximately 850,000 hectares over the 4-year period, approximately 272,000 individual hectares of high priority or high value provincial forests were protected.

  • Administering the Ontario Sawmill Chip Support Program, designed to assist affected sawmills and other facilities in unprecedented challenges by managing large stockpiles of chips caused by disruptions in the pulp and paper market while the market undergoes recalibration. With a total funding allocation of $10 million in fiscal year 2024-25, the program successfully supported 15 affected facilities in transporting over 810,000 green metric tonnes (GMT) (approximately 21,000 truckloads) of chips to new alternative markets and more distant locations. This assisted in keeping operations running, protected jobs and ensured mill yards remained functional. In addition, the program:

    • prevented landfill disposal, reducing environmental impacts of mill residuals and chips, where applicable
    • maintained operational efficiency by freeing up space in mill yards
    • reduced fire hazards associated with stockpiled materials at the facilities and in the communities

    For fiscal year 2025-26, the Ontario Sawmill Chip Support Program will provide $10 million, further helping sawmills and other facilities to find short term uses for their by-products while they look to expand to new markets and find new uses for by-product wood chips in the long term.

  • Monitoring the harvest and movement of wood across Ontario from its forests to forest sector mills and publishing the provincial Available Wood Report. The quarterly report helps guide new and existing companies to take advantage of opportunities to grow Ontario’s harvest and utilization of available wood.
  • Developing Forest Edge in conjunction with CRIBE, an open-source geo-spatial tool that allows interested parties to map and cost Ontario’s available forest resources, to support investment attraction. The tool combines information from various sources, such as Ontario’s forest resource inventory, forest management plans, processing facilities, and road networks.
  • Hosting, through CRIBE, innovation forums bringing together stakeholders from the traditional forest products industry and from non-traditional sectors. Companies, startups, academia and government are collaborating to identify roadblocks and opportunities to accelerate innovation and commercialization within Ontario’s forest bioeconomy. The most recent forum, Growing our Forest Future, took place in May 2025.
  • Supporting the commercial development, investment, and deployment of next-generation forest-based solutions in Ontario through CRIBE’s Nextfor Funding Challenges. The most recent funding challenge was launched in May 2025 with the objective to increase unused forest biomass utilization.

2. Reducing burden

We are amending and improving key operational and administrative processes. This will allow the industry to save time and money, bringing products to market with greater efficiency while maintaining high standards of sustainability. Ontario has reduced red tape and regulatory burden in the forest sector by:

  • Reducing forest management planning costs by $1.2 million annually. The FMPM, Forest Information Manual (PDF), and Scaling Manual (PDF) have been revised and took effect on July 1, 2024. Ontario is working with companies to implement and incorporate the changes as forest management plans are renewed.
    • The revised FMPM is also reducing costs by providing guidance for a smaller scale, flexible, forest management planning process for the preparation of community-based forest management plans in the Far North. Where there is interest from First Nation communities in the Far North, Ontario will work with the communities to prepare community-based forest management plans.
  • Releasing the Wood Measurement Modernization Plan (WMMP). With a vision to continually modernize wood measurement in Ontario, the plan prescribes actions to reduce regulatory burden, grow talent in the forest sector, and encourage the adoption of new technologies. A Wood Measurement Modernization Committee, consisting of representatives from forest industry and the Ministry of Natural Resources, has been established to collaborate and advise on implementation of the modernization plan and on the development and implementation of wood measurement policy.
  • Revising the policy for independent forest audits under Ontario’s Independent Forest Audit regulation (Ontario Regulation 319/20 under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994). The policy was revised based on a fiscal year 2022–23 review of the implementation of the regulation completed by the Ontario Internal Audit Division (OIAD). The revised Independent Forest Audit Process and Protocol (IFAPP) took effect for the 2025 audits. The new IFAPP improved efficiency and effectiveness by:
    • aligning the IFAPP to Regulation 319/20
    • clarifying roles and responsibilities of participants
    • increasing opportunities for First Nation and Métis community participation
    • refocusing audits on results rather than process
    • reorganizing and removing outdated or redundant direction and making all remaining audit procedures mandatory
  • Amending the 2024 Ontario Building Code, effective January 1, 2025, to allow the use of more wood in construction.
    • The 2024 Ontario Building Code has been amended to allow Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC) up to 18 storeys.
    • A greater number of building occupancy types are also now permitted to be of EMTC including assembly, care, residential, business and personal services, mercantile, and low and medium hazard industrial occupancies. Before the amendment, mass timber construction as the primary structural material could only be used for residential and office buildings (up to 12 storeys).
    • The code amendments also include provisions to allow more wood to be exposed within EMTC buildings, maximizing the aesthetic and biophilic benefits of wood construction.
  • Amending the Building Code Act, 1992, effective July 1, 2025, to eliminate secondary approvals for products already evaluated by the federal Canadian Construction Materials Centre, which will make it faster and easier to use innovative construction products across the province.
  • Improving the regulatory environment for bioheat technologies in Ontario, with the development of a new National Standard of Canada (NSC) for small solid biomass combustors (SSBC). Working with CSA Group, this new NSC is intended to harmonize standards for SSBC between the European Union and Canada. The standard is intended to:
    • improve the affordability of SSBC
    • enhance energy security in Indigenous, rural and northern communities that adopt SSBC heating
    • support forest sector productivity and resource use efficiency
    • maintain public safety
  • Introducing the Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act, 2025, which supports the province’s goal of cutting red tape to make Ontario the most competitive place in the G7 to invest, create jobs and do business. As part of the Act, Ontario is exploring changes to forest management policy to improve Ontario’s cost competitiveness. These changes include updating forest management guides, and exploring changes to improve processes and increases in financial incentives for salvage harvesting, among others.
  • Continuing with revisions to the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales that would simplify direction around the classification of bird nests, lake and stream sensitivity and wildlife tree retention.
  • Updating the Boreal Simulated Ranges of Natural Variation in support of the implementation and review of the Forest Management Guide for Boreal Landscapes. The draft model has newly incorporated considerations for spruce budworm impacts.
  • Accelerating the use of new technologies and supporting growth of a strong carbon management sector through the development of the Carbon Management Framework. This initiative builds upon the government’s ongoing efforts to enable geologic carbon storage, while opening new export markets, attracting investment, and reducing industry’s carbon footprint.

3. Improving cost competitiveness

We are reducing the cost to access wood supply and investing in innovative technologies to modernize and strengthen our forest sector. Ontario has improved forest sector competitiveness by:

  • Continuing to deliver the Provincial Forest Access Roads Funding Program to support rural road infrastructure in Crown forests used by the forest industry, mining companies, utilities, railways, hunters, campers, anglers, and Indigenous communities, and to support emergency preparedness. In fiscal year 2024-25, Ontario provided $59.2 million to reimburse the forest industry for the government’s proportional share of the costs to build and maintain public access roads in Crown forests to enable harvesting. For 2025-26, the annual allocation for the Provincial Forest Access Roads Program has been increased to $79.2 million.
  • Investing more than $3 million in fiscal year 2024-25 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to create and retain forestry jobs by providing financial support for equipment, expansion and productivity across 18 projects. Examples include:
    • $312,535 for Norquay Trusses Ltd., a manufacturer of prefabricated wood building products, to expand its business and create a dedicated facility focused on the production of panel products
    • $150,000 for Cedric Lacroix to purchase forestry equipment
    • $123,000 for Boissoneault Logging Inc. to buy equipment for its harvesting and skidding services
    • $12,576 for Little John Enterprises Ltd. to build a dual truss storage shelter to increase its storage capacity and maintain an inventory of in-demand dimensional lumber
  • Releasing Energy for Generations, the province’s first-ever integrated energy plan. The energy plan brings together energy sources under a single coordinated strategy to ensure the province has the affordable, secure, reliable and clean energy needed to support a growing economy. The plan recognizes bioenergy as a low-carbon option to help meet energy needs and diversify the province’s energy supply.
  • Permanently cutting the gasoline and fuel (diesel) tax rates to help fight inflation affecting households and businesses in Ontario. This cut assists trucking companies dealing with cash flow challenges as fuel is typically the second leading cost behind labour for the trucking industry. Ontario temporarily cut the gasoline tax rate by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel tax rate by 5.3 cents per litre on July 1, 2022, and extended the cuts 4 times, before making the tax cut permanent as of July 1, 2025, keeping the provincial Gasoline Tax and the Fuel Tax rates at 9 cents per litre.
  • Providing $525,000 annually to FPInnovations for projects that assist with reducing costs in harvesting and transportation operations, including:
    • expanded implementation of 9-axle B-trains, including an implementation guide, a revised corridor map with new approved routes, and improved trailer design on the 7-axle truck
    • conducted field calibrations with logging contractors in Northern Ontario on machine precision, processor knife calibration, data collection or analysis setup, and best practises
  • Making strategic investments in the forestry sector that improve productivity and innovation, enhance competitiveness, support new market access, strengthen regional economies, and provide benefits to Ontario’s broader forest sector. Since the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program was established, Ontario has approved 22 projects for $72 million, creating 358 new jobs, retaining 3,356 existing jobs and leveraging $425 million in new investment, including:
    • $3.46 million to Element5 to help the mass timber manufacturer expand its operations. The company is Ontario’s first certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, part of the fast-growing field of advanced wood construction which builds faster and more efficiently than traditional building materials. Ontario also invested close to $5 million to help establish Element5’s St. Thomas facility in 2019, via the Forestry Growth Fund (now known as the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program).
    • $2.5 million to DSI Industries to help the office furniture manufacturer modernize its operations, thereby cutting production time in half and boosting plant capacity.
    • $1 million to Diamond CNC to help the kitchen cabinet manufacturer install new technology to modernize its operations, improving quality control and increasing production.
  • Researching the use of LiDAR technology to assess the growth performance of regenerating stands. A canopy height model-based performance analysis tool has been developed that enables forest managers to confirm regeneration growth assumptions while minimizing survey requirements. An associated user guide is also under development. The tool will ensure planning teams have accurate and timely information to evaluate yield expectations and inform the implementation of silviculture policy direction.

4. Strengthening Indigenous partnerships and capacity building

We are engaging and consulting with Indigenous communities and their members — they are important contributors, economic participants and leaders in Ontario’s forest sector, with constitutionally-protected rights that are exercised in forests. In support of Indigenous communities, Ontario has built capacity and created meaningful partnerships by:

  • Working with Indigenous communities and providing funding support to build forest economic development strategies, wood supply plans, business plans, fibre supply planning for biomass heating systems, worker training, and Indigenous business capacity building. Nine Indigenous projects were funded in fiscal year 2024–25 to a total of $238,000, leveraging a further $182,000.
  • Supporting Indigenous inclusion and participation in governance of managed forests. Currently over 50% of management units include Indigenous community shareholders or board directors on their sustainable forest management companies.
  • Sharing over $163 million in forestry resource revenues with 44 First Nations and 2 Métis organizations since 2018.
  • Supporting Indigenous businesses and communities to become more active participants in the forest sector and lead the development of a forest bioeconomy through the Indigenous Bioeconomy Partnerships stream of the Forest Biomass Program. Under this stream, more than $3.7 million in funding has been provided to 17 projects with total project costs of more than $5.5 million. Examples include:
    • Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sand Point First Nation): $250,000 to support the development of a community heating system by funding a study of local biomass supply and purchasing equipment to convert forest biomass to fuel
    • Lake Nipigon Forest Management Inc.(Hurkett): $250,000 to secure an accessible supply of forest biomass for local development by supporting licensing, planning and development of a wood storage and merchandising yard for a regional biohub
    • Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninugug First Nation (Big Trout Lake): $249,544 to increase community forestry capacity by funding training activities, purchasing equipment and developing a 10–year operational plan for forestry
    • Pikangikum First Nation: $160,996 to develop a 10–year operational forestry plan and train community members on forest health, sustainable harvesting practices, equipment maintenance and safety protocols

5. Supporting workforce development

We are supporting forestry education and encouraging careers in the forest sector to address labour shortages. This includes highlighting the vast array of career opportunities and building awareness that Ontario’s forests are managed sustainably and responsibly. Ontario has supported workforce development in the sector by:

  • Continuing the Forestry Heavy Equipment Simulator Loan initiative, which saw the simulators used in 6 school boards and at several events and career fairs over the past year, exposing hundreds more young Ontarians to careers in the forest sector.
  • Developing pilot educational resources to complement the Forestry Heavy Equipment Simulator Loan initiative. Over the past year, approximately 400 students across the province were reached through a forestry career pathways presentation, and interactive modules on tree identification and tree measurement.
  • Supporting key forest sector partners in advancing education and career promotion efforts to highlight the diversity of meaningful careers in forestry and its downstream sectors by:
    • reaching over 6,000 students through outreach events, presentations, and tours
    • connecting with over 1,700 educators to share accurate information and practical resources around sustainable forest management, and forest sector careers
    • developing a beta-version of a new Advanced Wood Construction course for use in relevant high school classes
  • Highlighting wood measurement opportunities and offering scaler licensing at 4 forestry-themed colleges.
  • Providing more than $307,000 through the NOHFC in fiscal year 2024–25 to support 8 forestry-related internships. NOHFC’s People and Talent Program is designed to attract, retain and develop Northern Ontario’s workforce, offering internships through an Indigenous stream and a workforce development stream through business partnerships.

6. Growing markets

We are maintaining and growing markets for Ontario-manufactured wood products, reaching new markets to maximize the use of available wood supply, promoting increased wood use in construction and raising awareness of Ontario’s sustainable forest management. Ontario has expanded to new markets and helped grow the forest sector by:

  • Managing potential new barriers to trade through early engagement and advocacy related to introduction of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Ontario continues working through the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) to develop a made in Canada definition for the term “forest degradation”, an approach to its measurement and reporting, and socializing its acceptance into global markets.
  • Continuing to address barriers to trade through ongoing participation in the CCFM Forest-in-Mind Program to implement a Team Canada advocacy campaign with other provincial, territorial, federal and industry partners. Ontario led 3 projects designed to gather intelligence about issues of concern to environmental mass media reporters, consumer goods companies that utilize forest products, and financial sector organizations that invest in forest sector companies. Based on the intelligence gathered, the Forest-in-Mind Program initiated efforts to develop targeted communications products that will more impactfully address issues of interest to these audiences.
  • Connecting small and medium-sized enterprises to growing global export markets by providing strategic advice, market intelligence and market access support. Examples include:
    • working with the Embassy of Finland to create a networking and business development opportunity for Ontario companies in association with an incoming Finnish delegation
    • hosting an Ontario pavilion at the 2024 Global Buyers Mission. Four companies attended and reported significant new business opportunities that included new export opportunities in Japan (housing) and in Southeast Asia (White Pine lumber and hardwoods)
    • hosting an Ontario pavilion at the 2025 Montreal Wood Convention. The 4 companies that attended reported potential growth in sales, principally to the United States, however significant market uncertainty existed due to the current trade environment
  • Introducing the Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act, 2025, which supports the province’s goal of protecting Ontario and making Ontario’s economy more competitive and open to trade and investment by removing barriers to trade in goods and services, to labour mobility and to investment between Ontario and other jurisdictions. The Act also establishes a “Buy Ontario, Buy Canadian” day held annually on the last Friday in June to help consumers support local businesses and workers through programs such as Ontario Made, Ontario Wood, and Foodland Ontario.
  • Promoting wood products grown and crafted in Ontario through the Ontario Wood The program now has 524 partners, 483 of whom are individuals and businesses that source, produce, and sell these goods. Ontario Wood supports partners’ marketing activities and facilitates participation in key trade events. Over the past year, the program supported a total of 54 business appearances at 3 consumer-focused trade shows in southern Ontario. The program also helps consumers and businesses identify Ontario-made products by promoting the “Look for the Leaf” brand identifier on social media and at public events, reinforcing the value of buying local.
  • Working collaboratively with Forests Canada and industry partners on the It Takes a Forest (ITAF) initiative to provide the public with fact-based information on Ontario’s forest sector. Provincial funding contributed to 6,000 web views on ITAF-related pages, almost 500,000 people reached by posts, and over 2,850 new followers over the past year.
  • Providing over $345,000 to the Canadian Wood Council to advance education, outreach, and technical knowledge of advanced wood construction. The work included delivery of over 30 technical presentations and 15 in-house education sessions to architects, municipal officials, and construction professionals, reaching more than 7,000 participants, and hosting 18 guided tours of mass timber buildings such as Limberlost Place and the Academic Tower at the University of Toronto for key stakeholders. New promotional and technical content has been developed to support prefabricated and modular wood construction adoption across Ontario.
  • Supporting the Canadian Wood Council in the development and dissemination of multiple technical resources, such as:
  • Developing a new investment attraction resource for offsite construction, titled Ontario Offsite Construction Opportunity Study. The study examines the business case for establishing new or expanding existing prefabricated building operations in Ontario.
  • Supporting WoodWorks Ontario in building upon past mass timber demonstration fire testing through the development of new fire performance education materials. The materials have now been launched online, including the Unlocking Insights: Mass Timber Fire Performance module, which has been completed over 50 times.
  • Providing $525,000 annually to FPInnovations for projects that develop expertise for the wood-based offsite construction sector, including:
    • development of the Offsite Wood Construction Handbook
    • fire testing to investigate the structural performance of an innovative cross laminated timber (CLT) floor system, to accelerate adoption and inform insurance analytics
  • Supporting the University of Waterloo’s Structural Timber Applied Research Team to help validate the structural, fire and vibration performance of hollow-core mass timber panels, an innovative and highly efficient mass timber flooring system.
  • Providing continued funding to the Canadian Wood Construction Research Network to support over 35 research projects advancing wood-based building systems and expanding provisions for wood use in building codes and standards.
  • Supporting the University of Toronto’s Mass Timber Institute and the Ontario Woodlot Association investigation into the feasibility of using red pine wood, obtained from plantation thinning harvests in Ontario, to produce CLT. The result was the construction and installation, using red pine CLT panels, of a warming cabin on the Limerick Forest (PDF).
  • Working with the steel industry to conduct a lifecycle assessment quantifying the greenhouse gases emissions to produce biocarbon from multiple sources of forest biomass. Two scientific articles were published:
  • Conducting a lifecycle assessment quantifying the greenhouse gases emissions reduction associated with the substitution of using fossil fuels to generate heat by forest biomass in northern and remote communities in Ontario.
  • Working with the University of British Columbia to develop a life cycle assessment model for accurately assessing Ontario’s forest sector potential contribution to climate change mitigation.