TORONTO — The Ontario government has announced it is seeking input into its recently released Draft Forest Sector Strategy, a proposed policy document that includes several initiatives supporting greater use of lumber in construction.
The Forest Sector Strategy aims to “stimulate job creation, promote economic growth and reduce unnecessary burden and costs for businesses, all while ensuring our forests continue to be managed sustainably,” stated a Dec. 4 release.
“Our government has a plan to build Ontario together to help this industry, which is so critical to communities across this province, to grow and thrive,” said John Yakabuski, minister of natural resources and forestry, in the statement.
“We have worked hard over the past year to develop the proposed strategy released today. We listened to what was working and more importantly, what was not — and we are continuing the conversation with Indigenous partners, affected communities and industry as we work towards finalizing the strategy.”
The components of the strategy targeting the use of wood in construction are in sections titled Promoting Innovation and Increasing Wood Use. As part of the former, the province states it is working with industry leaders, the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bioeconomy, FPInnovations, and universities and colleges to support the commercialization of innovative forest products and processes.
“For example, a northern sawmill converts logs into lumber, the lumber is sold to a southern mass timber producer, the mass timber will then be used in tall wood buildings, and therefore renewable products are supporting job creation across Ontario,” the document explained.
The province is aiming to increase the use of wood in construction where it has not traditionally been used such as in low-rise and taller residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
The government statement said it is working, through efforts such as the Housing Supply Action Plan, to harmonize the Ontario Building Code with national codes to expand opportunities to use mass timber, opening new markets for manufacturers and providing stimulus to the forest sector.
Consultation on the draft Forest Sector Strategy through the Environmental Registry will close Feb. 5, 2020. Additional comments received will be considered as the government completes further consultations with Indigenous partners and municipalities. The final strategy is to be released in the spring of 2020.
Ontario’s timber harvest is almost half of what it was in 2000, the release noted. The forest sector generates over $16 billion in revenue and supports approximately 155,000 direct and indirect jobs across Ontario.
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