Canada grows on trees. And as Canadians gear up to celebrate our nation’s birthday on July 1st Forest Products Association of Canada will be counting down 150 days by sharing 150 daily facts about our industry on Facebook and Twitter.
The forest sector has played a vital role in Canada’s history since before Confederation and is leading the way towards a prosperous future. Our industry has provided jobs to sustain our economy and has helped define Canadian culture. For example, did you know that at the first organized indoor hockey game in Montreal not only were the sticks made of wood, but they ditched the traditional ball and used a “flat round piece of wood” – the first iteration of the puck we know today?
Forestry was already in full bloom before Confederation when our nation was just a seed. It fuelled the economy and provided the materials that our new homeland was built on. Transforming the physical terrain to get products to market – villages, roads, and railways sprang up in its wake.
To this day, the forest products industry remains a vital part of the Canadian economy, and is a global environmental leader for our sustainably managed forests. We are embracing new technologies to expand our markets and are developing innovative world-first products. New uses of wood are being discovered everyday – from cellulose being used in cosmetics, to lignin acting as a substrate for 3D printers, and many mills now powering themselves through biomass.
“Canada’s forest industry continues to serve as part of the country’s economic foundation, providing 230,000 direct jobs and nearly 1 million indirect jobs in 200 communities across the country.” says FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. “It is recognized internationally for its environmental stewardship and responsible forest management practices. 2017 is the perfect time to honour our industry’s achievements and to position ourselves for the future.”
Canada’s forest products industry is clean, green, and growing. We’ll be here for the next 150 years as Canada’s renewable industry providing jobs, products, and prosperity for Canadian families.
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FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $65-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 2 per cent of Canada’s GDP and is one of Canada’s largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.
For more information please contact:
Fiona McDonald
Communications Coordinator
Forest Products Association of Canada
Phone: 613 563 1441 ext. 318
Email: fmcdonald@fpac.ca
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