TORONTO — Ontario will spend more than $17.3 million on four northern forestry projects that the government says will create six jobs and protect more than 320 existing ones.Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products Kevin Holland made the announcement Wednesday at GreenFirst Forest Products’ Chapleau mill. He tied the spending to a 10-year forest-sector roadmap launched April 28 and to US tariffs. Ontario exported about $8.3 billion in forest products in 2025, 97% of it to the United States. Since the roadmap launch, Holland said, Queen’s Park has directed more than $40 million at the industry.Six new jobs against $17.3 million is about $2.9 million per created position. The province separately says the projects will protect more than 320 jobs already on the payroll, support more than 600 indirect roles, and have the potential to add yearly demand for over 500,000 tonnes of forest biomass.Interfor, which is taking more than $9.6 million at Elk Lake, indefinitely curtailed Gogama and Nairn Centre in April and has had Ear Falls idle since last fall. GreenFirst, the Chapleau recipient, extended a holiday shutdown at Hearst, Kapuskasing, and Cochrane last winter..Interfor is to receive more than $9.6 million to put a forest-biomass energy system into its Elk Lake sawmill. The province says that will raise production 27%, cut natural gas use 80%, and lower operating costs by nearly $3 million a year.GreenFirst is to receive more than $5.9 million for a new production line and high-speed planer at Chapleau, plus more than $1.6 million to plan a torrefied-pellet plant. In a September 2 company release, GreenFirst said the line and planer are already installed and ramping up, and that the $5.9 million is a performance-based loan of which up to 50% is forgivable. CEO Joël Fournier said the pellet study could later support 30 direct and 70 indirect jobs.Atlantic Power is to receive more than $180,000 to upgrade the steam-turbine control system at its Calstock biomass plant, which has generated power from mill residue since 2000.The Forest Biomass Program, launched in 2023, has committed over $83 million to 71 projects. The government says that pile created more than 115 jobs — about $720,000 per created job. The Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program has approved close to $90 million.Holland did not release the loan covenants, or a timeline for the six hires.
