Forestry Sector
	Mining; Forestry; Tourism; Professional Services; Environmental Services

Timiskaming Forestry Alliance

Forestry is the second traditional pillar of Kirkland Lake’s economy. With the opening of the railroads in the early 1900’s, the vast softwood forests became accessible. Today, the district is a major supplier of softwoods as well as pulpwoods. Major companies operating in the area include Tembec Industries, Domtar and Grant Forest Products. Smaller firms include other product producers such as Chemins Lumber Inc. as well as logging operators like Rosko Forestry Operations Ltd .

Forestry operations today are managed largely through the offices of the Timiskaming Forestry Alliance (TFA), a consortium of forest industry companies, ranging from small independent logging operators to large forest-products producers. Established in 1994, the TFA is responsible for forest management planning, forest renewal and maintenance, forest resource inventory collection and maintenance, and operational compliance monitoring and reporting in the area known as the Timiskaming Forest: a 10,000 square kilometre land base extending westward from the Ontario/Quebec border for 116 kilometres, and northward from Lake Timiskaming to Lake Abitibi.

Market and pressures and environmental concerns have forced changes in the industry. Punitive duties imposed by the United States have stimulated an interest in developing value-added products in the district. The realization that our forests are our greatest renewable assets has lead to the development of more technology intensive and high-tech approaches.

• Tembec, in partnership with Domtar, will transform its existing Kenogami sawmill into a value-added centre for the manufacturing of finger-jointed lumber. The new centre, expected to open at the end of 2005, will employ between 70 and 92 workers. The new facility is valued at over $9 million, and will be managed and operated by Tembec.

• The Kirkland Lake campus of Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology has taken a lead here with its Timber Operations Technician course; a unique training programme developed in cooperation with the TFA and industry players.

• Reforestation has emerged as an important industry sub-sector. PRT North Gro in Swastika produces 10 million seedlings, ranging from Black Spruce, White Spruce, Jack Pine, Red Pine and White Pine. The nursery has the ability to produce all species required in the reforestation industry in North Eastern Ontario, the Great Lakes Region and the Northeastern USA. KL is also home to North Sun Gardens/Swastika Tree Nursery.

• Lastly, the extended use of forestry by-products is rapidly emerging as an important sub-sector. Northland Power established the world's first combined-cycle integrated-fuels plant in Kirkland Lake in 1987. This plant produces 103 MW of electricity by burning natural gas and wood waste in a single cycle.