The Government of Canada is investing in a clean energy future while strengthening Canada’s forest sector from coast to coast to coast. By finding innovative ways to leverage new market opportunities, Canada is ensuring the global competitiveness of our forest sector.
Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $1-million contribution to the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario (WMCO) to support a study involving 10 collaborating wood manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across three industry segments (cabinetry, commercial millwork, and furniture). This study will highlight the importance of industry-led clusters to identify and leverage new opportunities for the wood manufacturing sector.
“Forests and the forest sector are playing an integral part in our fight against climate change,” said Bittle. “This investment will support the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario in the adoption of green, innovative technologies and processes. Investments like this will help small and medium-sized businesses in St. Catharines and Canada lead the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
This project aims to integrate Industry 4.0 technology to optimize the information and material flow to establish an industry roadmap for SMEs. This roadmap will enable future investments and demonstrates the role of Canada’s forest manufacturing enterprises in utilizing innovative technologies. This investment will allow Canadian businesses to diversify and can help to sustain Canada’s forest sector while creating best business practices on the road to net zero by 2050.
Funding for this project is provided through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program, which encourages the Canadian forest sector to adopt innovative technologies and processes to establish new product streams and emerging markets.
“Canada’s competitive and resilient forestry sector supports good, middle-class jobs in communities across the country — including in Indigenous, rural and remote communities,” said Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. “This represents the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. The funding announced today will support innovative Canadian SMEs, helping them to seize new opportunities for business and workers in the wood manufacturing sector while showcasing the benefits of industry-led collaboration.”
By investing in innovative forest sector technologies, the forest sector is providing greener solutions that help tackle climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy while increasing its competitiveness on a national and global scale.