The value of wood as a building resource was the theme Thursday for a FedNor announcement made by Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota.
Fittingly, Rota made the announcement in the award-winning North Bay Woodlands school, which received the Northern Ontario Excellence Award from Ontario Wood Works back in 2016.
The FedNor investment of $854,480 was made to help the Canadian Wood Council boost job creation and industry growth by facilitating the increased use of wood in construction.
“I’m pleased that FedNor is investing in the Canadian Wood Council to strengthen our forestry and wood-related industries," said Rota.
Rota estimates that in the next two years, Wood Works is expected to support 115 construction projects and create 750 jobs on top of potentially increasing wood sales by nearly $75 million.
"This is great news for families and businesses in Nipissing-Timiskaming and communities all across Northern Ontario that rely on the success of these key industries."
Ian Dunn, president and CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association, believes it is fitting the announcement was held in North Bay at Woodlands.
"It is incredibly important for us to be here in North Bay and so fitting to be in this beautiful wooden structure and I think that is where the real opportunity is connecting the Greater Toronto Area urban areas to the forest resources," said Dunn.
"There is a sea of concrete in Toronto and then you see a golden wooden structure on the skyline and what we want to do is make that connection between that beautiful material and sustainable forest products along with the sustainable forest management that creates it, and that is where the opportunity lies within the region for North Bay as the real leaders of management of Ontario's forest resource."
This non-repayable funding will support the ongoing delivery of the Canadian Wood Council's highly successful Wood Works program in Ontario for a two-year period. Designed to position wood as an efficient, innovative, and sustainable material ideal for all types of construction, Wood Works provides free technical support for wood construction projects.
Over the next two years, Wood WORKS! will focus onhelping the forest products sector capitalize on new and expanding market opportunities in Ontario including: encapsulated mass timber construction, wood solutions for the rapid delivery of affordable housing, sustainable procurement policies from all levels of government, and workforce development.
Rick Jeffery, president and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council made the trip from Victoria, B.C. to North Bay for the announcement.
“Northern Ontario’s forest products industry is an important economic engine in the province and destined to be a central pillar of the emerging green economy," he said.
"The Canadian Wood Council’s Ontario Wood WORKS! program is instrumental in turning potential into opportunities for the sector, driving demand for sustainable, low-carbon wood products in construction markets that directly support jobs and economic growth in the north. We deeply value our partnership with FedNor which enables the CWC to deliver valuable results for our industry, communities, and workers."
