Forestry

Adding value to forest products is necessary for future growth and diversification of northwestern Ontario.

Many distinguished representatives from across the North gathered to express their views, concerns, and hopes for the future of their forest industry at the Northwestern Ontario Forest Council’s (NOFC) conference in Thunder Bay on Nov. 20.

A weak softwood market, along with the impact of U.S.-imposed tariffs and nti-dumping duties are being blamed for the closure of a mill near Kirkland Lake. Tembec Inc.

Punitive softwood lumber duties have forced Tembec Inc. to scale back its operations in northeastern Ontario. The company is cutting its production of softwood pine lumber and shutting down its planing and drying operations at a sawmill in Mattawa.

Manitou Forest Products is continuing a trend to diversify its value-added forest products line in order to maintain a foothold in the U.S. markets.

Forestry companies in the Algoma area opened their woodlots and plantations for viewing and scrutiny as part of an effort to keep the public informed on forestry practices.

Crippling duties on Canadian softwood lumber forced Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.'s hand in announcing the indefinite closure of three sawmills and two production lines in Quebec.

Forest products companies such as Tembec are standing pat in the face of a proposed tariff of 19.3 per cent levied against the Canadian softwood industry by the United States Department of Commerce.

The lush woodlands of Northern Ontario have long been the vested interest of both the forestry and tourism industries. But their relationship has, at times, been as prickly as pine needles and as sticky as spruce sap.

With no increase in lumbering rates from large companies to help offset the escalating overhead costs, and no sign of the United States reducing tariffs on softwood lumber, Denis Deschamps has resorted to calling an auctioneer to sell his logging equ