Markets Overview

Ontario’s wide variety of coniferous and deciduous trees support a healthy forest-products industry.

Forests have always had a central role in the cultural, economic and social development of the province. Ontario’s First Nations depended on the forest for their food, shelter and clothing as well as for their spiritual needs. When the Europeans first arrived, they viewed the forest as a source of furs or an obstacle to agriculture and industry. As time went on, the forests of Ontario were used as a source of wood for the development of the great European navies of the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the 20th century, the forests supported rapid development of the pulp, paper, veneer and sawmill industries, providing a growing array of high quality forest products.

Today, Ontario’s forests play a critical role in the provincial economy. Ministry of Natural Resources figures show that forests contribute to a good standard of living, by supporting more than 80,000 direct jobs in the industry. Another 300,000 people in 250 communities throughout Ontario owe their livelihood to Ontario forests. These jobs include employment in forest-based tourism businesses, fishing and hunting, equipment manufacturing, transportation, trapping and retail and service industries.

The OLMA plays an important role in representing the interests of Ontario’s independently operated non-integrated sawmills on various market and trade-related bodies.