Ontario Investing Nearly $1 Million to Unlock New Markets for Forest Biomass
NORTH GRENVILLE — As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is investing $865,000 in the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) to enhance private forest management and establish new supply chains for mill by-products and underused wood known as forest biomass. This investment will support healthy, productive forests, protect good-paying jobs and build a strong, self-reliant economy by testing a business model that could double sustainable private harvesting over the next 10 to 15 years.
“Ontario is a G7 forestry leader, with forest products backed by world-class sustainable forest management,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products. “Under our forest sector roadmap, our government is helping landowners protect private forests while unlocking the untapped value of forest resources to create jobs and build stronger communities.”
Ontario is investing $790,000 through the Forest Biomass Program to help the OWA create three new jobs and acquire equipment for the Wood Stewardship Program (WSP). This initiative will increase forest sector productivity by connecting businesses to biomass in privately owned forests. By creating new revenue streams for landowners, the project will offset forest management costs, encouraging active stewardship to support strong forest ecosystems.
The project will use up to 100,000 cubic metres of forest biomass over five years, creating new markets to maximize the value of wood and increase the industry’s diversification into value‑added manufacturing, including bioproducts such as biochar, compost and mulch.
Ontario is also investing $75,000 to support OWA workshops, conferences, publications and collaboration to promote sustainable forest management on private lands. The investment will also help the OWA develop an inventory of private forests using remote-sensing technology, providing highly accurate information to reduce business burdens, support forest management and attract investments that will drive productivity and deliver economic growth.
These investments are the government’s latest action under the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, the province’s plan to Defend, Adapt and Grow the industry by protecting forestry jobs, advancing innovation and developing new markets for Ontario-made forest products.
Quick Facts
The WSP will establish three regional networks to build partnerships among landowners, forestry services and forest sector businesses. The project builds on the OWA’s Community Forest Owners Cooperative Pilot, which was supported by a $91,000 Forest Biomass Program investment in 2023.
The OWA is a non-profit organization with a network of 21 regional chapters and nearly 3,000 members. It supports sustainable forest management and silvicultural restoration in Ontario’s privately owned forests.
Ontario invested over $100,000 in research to validate the use of red pine in cross-laminated timber, an advanced wood construction product, which was used to build a rest stop in Limerick Forest. The project was a collaboration between the OWA, CABN, Limerick Forest and the University of Toronto.
Since its 2023 launch, the Forest Biomass Program has committed over $65 million in targeted investments to 66 projects, securing over $250 million in additional external funding and creating more than 110 new jobs.
The government released the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector on April 28, setting out a 10-year plan to maintain Ontario’s position as a G7 leader in making and selling wood products, with the competitive excellence and transformative technologies to unlock new global markets.
The forest sector is an essential industry, generating close to $21 billion in business revenue and supporting close to 155,000 jobs.
Wood produced from Ontario’s Crown forests is sustainably sourced and renewable. Wood is a renewable resource, a clean energy source, and a sustainable – and biodegradable – alternative to single-use plastics.
Quotes
"Today’s investment will help ensure Ontario’s privately managed forests remain healthy and productive while supporting good-paying jobs and creating new opportunities for our forestry sector, including right here in Eastern Ontario. I welcome our government’s additional investment in the Ontario Woodlot Association, as it builds on their innovative work in Limerick Forest to demonstrate how underutilized species can increase the supply of Ontario wood. Thank you to Minister Holland for his leadership in strengthening sustainable forest management and building a stronger, more self-reliant Ontario."
- Steve Clark
MPP, Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
"The OWA’s members are committed to forest stewardship and care deeply about the health of their woodlots and local communities. This funding will allow them to implement important stewardship activities in their woodlots while producing sustainable forest products for local and regional use. OWA members have worked for many years to get to this point and we are excited to get to work."
- Glen Prevost
Executive Director, Ontario Woodlot Association
"North Grenville has a proud tradition of responsible forest stewardship, supported by landowners, organizations and businesses that understand both the environmental and economic value of healthy forests. This investment in the Ontario Woodlot Association will help strengthen that work by creating new opportunities for private woodlot owners, supporting innovation in the forest bioeconomy and making better use of a valuable renewable resource. We are especially pleased to see this investment supporting an organization with such strong roots and partnerships here in Eastern Ontario."
- Nancy Peckford
Mayor, Municipality of North Grenville
"There are a lot of underutilized plantations and woodlots on private land in our area that will benefit from this investment. The Ontario Woodlot Association has been valuable and reliable partner and we are pleased to see they will be implementing the Woodlot Stewardship Program. Increased market access for underused wood will allow for more sustainable forest management that will be beneficial to everyone."
- Rob Ross
Owner of Limerick Forest
"The OFIA applauds the provincial government and Associate Minister Holland for this investment in Ontario's private forests. By supporting the Ontario Woodlot Association and expanding the forest biomass supply chain, we are unlocking an untapped and sustainable wood supply that is vital to the future of our industry."
- Ian Dunn, R.P.F.
President & CEO, Ontario Forest Industries Association
Additional Resources
MEDIA CONTACT
Stephen Lecce, MPP for King—Vaughan
Constituency Office
Tel.: 647-560-9700
Email: Stephen.Lecce@pc.ola.org
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