Canada’s WoodWORKS initiative to promote the economic and environmental benefits of wood is being expanded to the east coast.
The Canadian government and the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador announced their support for Atlantic WoodWORKS, led by the Maritime Lumber Bureau.
“We continue to invest in industry and initiatives that will make Canadian Forest Products even more attractive in the global market,” said Bernard Valcourt, minister of state for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie.
“With this investment, we are helping the forestry industry in Atlantic Canada to meet its market challenges and pursue strategic opportunities for growth through training, education and innovation.”
“This joint initiative is a wonderful opportunity to help promote our forest products industry to the rest of the world,” added New Brunswick economic development minister Paul Robichaud.
The initiative complements government proposals to further the forest industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, including assisting in the development of niche markets and diversifying the solid wood products industry.
Atlantic WoodWORKS’ objective is to encourage the expanded use and consumption of made-in-Atlantic Canada solid wood products in commercial and municipal construction projects.
Various promotional activities will be carried out under the programme, including technical support and seminars, the development of a newsletter and website, among other activities.
The goal is to demonstrate to project decision-makers that wood, as a building material, is a renewable and responsible choice that meets their environmental objectives by lowering a project’s carbon footprint.
The Canadian government is contributing C$500,000 over a two-year period to the project, while the provinces are investing a combined total of C$134,096. The Canadian Wood Council is investing C$159,317.
The Maritime Lumber Bureau, based in Nova Scotia, will lead the project. It has more than 100 members in the four Atlantic provinces.
In 2010, the forestry sector contributed C$1.9bn to Atlantic Canada’s economy, employed close to 21,000 Atlantic Canadians, and exported C$2.6bn worth of products.
