Ford’s forestry re-announcements fall short of real long-term strategy for Northern mills and workers

TORONTO – Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Forestry, MPP Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk – James Bay) is calling out the Ford Government for the lack of real long-term forestry strategy following the latest announcement:

“Recognizing the crisis in Ontario’s forestry sector, is a good first step, but we all know it is not enough. We have already seen the consequences — job losses across the industry, most recently at Interfor’s Nairn Centre, with mills shutting down across Ontario, including in Ear Falls, Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper, and Gogama.

“While the government points to programs like the Sawmill Chip Support Program, these are not new solutions — they are re-announcements with no concrete strategy to underpin them. Despite industry urging this government to extend this funding to provide long-term certainty to the sector, these programs were left out of the 2026 budget, only to be re-announced a week later as though they were new supports. Why is forestry still an afterthought for this government?

“There is a clear opportunity for the government to use public infrastructure projects and long-term contracts to create certainty for fibre markets. Tools like Power Purchase Agreements and coordinated procurement strategies could help promote forest biomass as an energy source to heat schools and hospitals in Northern Ontario.

“Cross-ministry coordination and other bold solutions would provide stable, long-term market signals, while strengthening energy resilience and job creation.”