Forestry is now one of the responsibilities of Minister of of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle after a cabinet shuffle, June 24.
The economically hard-hit sector was taken from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Natural Resources under Donna Cansfield and given to the newly created Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.
“I think this sends a very strong message in terms of the importance of the forestry sector to Northern Ontario and to Northern Ontarians and I do believe it makes sense to bring these two economic drivers – mines and forestry – together under one ministry,” said Gravelle, who is the MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North.
Being a northern MPP, Gravelle said he's in a good position to be in charge of Ontario's forest industry, which employs about 200,000 people directly or indirectly and exports $8.6 billion annually.
“I think it's fair to say that northerners will be pleased that a Northern Ontario minister is responsible for the forestry sector.”
Cansfield's riding is Etobicoke Centre in the Greater Toronto Area.
Gravelle said he's already familiar with many of the issues surrounding the struggling industry, but his first priority will be to catch up on reading files and start being briefed.
“There's no question – it's a large added responsibility, but it does send a strong message that the premier and the McGuinty government believe that certainly forestry and mining are two very key economic drivers in Northern Ontario. To have a northern economic development ministry, such as our ministry, just makes sense, but we all know there are many challenges in the forestry sector right now, as there are in the mining sector.”
Gravelle takes over in a difficult economic time for the Ontario forest industry, which has seen mill closures in recent years due to a high Canadian dollar and lower demand for newsprint.
“These are tough times, there's no question ... The reality is there will be probably very high expectations. I've got to be careful to manage them, to be perfectly honest.”
Gravelle said it is too early for him to have specific plans about what he'd like to change in Ontario's forestry industry.
“Clearly, he becomes a senior player, if not the senior player from the north,” said John Valley, an executive vice president at Tembec.
Although Valley said Cansfield was a “very strong and effective voice” of industry and the natural resource during her time in charge forestry, it makes the most sense to have Northern Ontario's two largest industries housed in one ministry.
“There are clearly a lot of challenges facing the industry, the north and the government. These come at a time when resources, and I'd say both human and financial, are strained. Clearly, I think this is a recognition that this is an important industry, in the north in particular, and that there are some serious challenges facing both the region and the industry.”
