Saskatchewan celebrates National Forest Week with a focus on growth and employment.
REGINA — The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed Sept. 17 to 23 as National Forest Week, with the theme, Canada's Forests: Supporting Biological Diversity .
The week will highlight the important role Saskatchewan's forestry sector plays in the provincial economy and environment.
Saskatchewan’s forestry sector has grown by more than $700 million in sales over four years, according to Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter said.
"That keeps us well on track to reach $2.2 billion in sales by the end of the decade."
The forestry sector produces mostly pulp, lumber and oriented strand board, 70 per cent of which was exported internationally, worth $1 billion.
The province's forests are home to many Indigenous communities and represent nearly 8,000 jobs, of which 27 per cent are Indigenous.
On the development side, Meadow Lake Tribal Council's NorSask Forest Products is showing what's possible for longevity and sustainability by Indigenous-owned businesses in the sector. NorSask's sawmill recently began supplying product to the Tribal Council's Bioenergy Centre, which re-uses sawmill waste like sawdust and bark to create renewable power. This allows NorSask to power its sawmill and sell excess electricity back onto the power grid, while cutting its greenhouse gas emissions.
More than half of Saskatchewan is forested, an area measuring 34.3 million hectares.
Learn more about Saskatchewan forestry at saskatchewan.ca.
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