Ontario Protecting Forest Sector Jobs and Workers

May 21, 2025

• Our government is making strategic investments to protect jobs, protect communities and protect Ontario.
• We’re investing over $11.3 million in five research, innovation and modernization initiatives that will develop the economic potential and environmental benefits of underused wood and mill by-products, known as forest biomass.
• These initiatives will ensure our forest sector businesses are ready to adapt, compete and thrive, putting made-in-Ontario wood products first in changing markets.  
• 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.
• The forest sector generated $22.8 billion in revenue from the sale of manufactured goods and services in 2022 and supported more than 137,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2023.
• Today’s investment will drive growth and strengthen regional economies in the Northeast and help accelerate the forest sector’s competitive advantage by increasing productivity, creating business opportunity and developing new revenue streams.