On the eve of an expected announcement of significant Ontario government measures to assist the forestry industry, CPAWS is asking the provincial and federal governments to earmark any spending in this area for strategies that will benefit northern communities, improve environmental performance and build a competitive forest sector.
"The forestry industry is struggling in Ontario, and it's time for it to retool. Governments should not be spending their money bailing out an ailing system but instead focus investment in areas likely to succeed in the long term," says Tim Gray, National Conservation Director for CPAWS and the environmental representative on the Ontario Minister's Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness.
Ontario's forest sector is under stress due to a changing global market, with increased competition from developing countries coming on stream, declining demand for commodities such as newsprint and the rising Canadian dollar. At the same time, demand is growing for "green" products.
"Ontario needs to help the industry respond to the market for forest products by focusing on areas of growth, like value-added wood products, and demand for green products," says Gray.
"In the long term, our mission at CPAWS is to conserve Canada's wilderness, and forests are a critical element in that effort. To accomplish this, Ontario should improve its environmental performance, so that its forest companies can capture growing markets for sustainably produced wood," says Gray.
A recent study commissioned by the Ontario government concluded that investment in engineered wood products and pre-fabricated building components could increase jobs and sales revenues for the forestry sector.
"These are the types of investments that governments should be making to help northern communities transition into new forest and non-forest industries," said Gray.Canada News Wire
