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Relative importance
of the lumber industry
The Canadian sawmills and wood preservation industry contributed nearly
$7.6 billion to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006. This
is the equivalent of 4.4% of the manufacturing sector’s GDP, and 0.7% of
the entire Canadian economy. This industry is also a key player in the
export market, accounting for more than 4% of total Canadian merchandise
exports.
In 2006, the sawmills and wood preservation industry sustained more than
54,400 direct jobs across Canada. In addition to direct jobs, it
generated significant economic benefits through the support of indirect
jobs. It is estimated that an additional 90,600 jobs in other industries
were related to the wood industry.1 So altogether the industry provides
over 145,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The sawmills and wood preservation industry is also at the heart of the
forest industry since it uses primarily Canadian inputs. In fact, its
raw material is logs harvested by logging companies. This sector of
activity directly employed close to 60,000 workers in 2006. In addition,
the wood chips produced by the lumber industry are used by the pulp and
paper sector which employed roughly 87,000 workers in 2006. Thus, more
generally, the wood industry plays a key role in the development of more
than 300 rural and remote communities, from which at least 50% of its
revenue is generated.2 It is, therefore, an essential component in the
economic prosperity of certain regions.
Indeed, Canada is known as a country with many natural resources. It has
up to 10% of the world’s forest coverage, 25% of the world’s wetlands,
and more than 20% of the world’s fresh water.3 In 2005, Canada was the
second largest producer of lumber in the world, with 16% of worldwide
production, and the top world exporter with 30% of the international
lumber trade.4 Canada sells its forestry products to over 100 countries;
its biggest export markets are the United States, the European Union and
Japan.
Not surprisingly, the health of the Canadian wood industry nowadays is a
key concern for many Canadians. This industry has to deal with many
basic trends such as market globalization, acceleration of technological
innovation and compliance with the principles of sustainable
development. As if this were not enough, it must also face protectionist
pressure from its main trading partner, the US, a strong Canadian
dollar, an increase in energy and raw material costs, as well as a drop
in the price of lumber.
See Statistics Canada for further information on the current situation.
History of the
Lumber Industry of America
By James Elliott Defebaugh (1906).
This book is in two volumes with the first volume concentrating on the
Canadian lumber industry with the second concentrating on the USA
industry. For this site we are providing the first volume for you to
read here.
Native Trees of Canada
By Boyd R. Morton
Logging History North Western
Ontario
A half hour video
Woodsmen of the West
By M. Allerdale Grainger (1908) (pdf)
Lumbering In Northern Ontario
(1923)
An old black & white silent film
Lumbering and
Wood-Working Industries in the United States and Canada
Together with notes on British Practice and Suggestions for India
by Frederick Alexander Leete (1919) (pdf) |
