VANCOUVER, BC, April 9, 2026 /CNW/ - For generations, Canada's vast forests and the economic opportunities they provide have sustained and powered Canadian towns, economies and communities from coast to coast to coast. In 2026, Canada's forest sector continues to face a watershed moment due to the pressure of unjust U.S. tariffs — but as we centre our new Buy Canadian policy and look to be our own best customers as we build major infrastructure and affordable, new homes at scale, it is also facing real opportunity. The Government of Canada has a clear, confident strategy: protect what we have built and transform the sector so it can grow stronger, more resilient and more competitive for decades to come.

Today, Corey Hogan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, attended the BC Council of Forest Industries' Annual Convention, where he announced a federal investment of over $4 million under Natural Resources Canada's Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program for a project that will strengthen the wood construction supply chain and expand Canada's capacity to produce high value, made-in-Canada building materials.

With the funding announced today, Atlas Engineered Products Ltd. will build a new, cutting-edge wood manufacturing facility, powered by advanced robotics. Robotics will boost precision and efficiency and reduce waste while delivering strong, reliable wooden trusses made with care for the environment.

Through projects like these, Canada is retooling its forest sector to go beyond traditional products into wood-based bioproducts, advanced biofuels and diversified pulp and paper products while also scaling up production of advanced building materials like mass timber. Through the Buy Canadian Policy, federal procurement is now prioritizing Canadian wood and engineered wood products. Through Build Canada Homes, Canadian lumber, mass timber and other advanced wood-based products are helping address Canadian housing needs while driving demand back into Canadian mills and manufacturing facilities.

Canada's forest sector is more than an industry. It is a lifeline for communities, a source of good jobs and a driver of sustainable prosperity. By defending forest sector workers today, partnering with industry to modernize the sector for tomorrow and opening new markets at home and around the world, the Government of Canada is ensuring that the forest sector remains a pillar of national strength for generations to come.

Quotes

"In communities across the country, the forest sector serves as an economic backbone — which means the health of the sector and the strength of Canada are inseparable. This is why our new government is investing in industrial-scale innovation that helps mills stay in operation, support and create jobs and diversify into advanced, value-added products. By ensuring Canadian forest products remain competitive, we're building a stronger, more self-reliant forestry sector for the next generation of Canadians."

The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"Canada's forest sector has always been built on innovation and hard work, and today we are investing in the next chapter. By combining Canadian resources with cutting-edge technology, projects like this are creating good jobs, strengthening our supply chains and helping us build more homes and diversify our exports. This is how we make sure Canada's forest industry remains strong, competitive and proudly Canadian for generations to come."

Corey Hogan 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

Quick Facts

• Atlas Engineered Products Ltd. is a Canadian company based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, with a network of small to medium-sized businesses in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. The project highlighted in today's announcement is based in Clinton, Ontario.
  
  
• The IFIT program supports the adoption and scaling up of transformative technologies and products in the Canadian forest sector. The program supports projects that make the forest sector more resilient and sustainable by bridging the gap between development and commercialization of new and innovative products and processes.
  
  
• Since August 2025, the Government of Canada has introduced over $2.35 billion in measures designed to protect and transform Canada's forest sector, including the renewal of the IFIT, FIP, GCWood and GloFor programs; enhanced access to financing, liquidity supports and worker protections; and tools to help companies modernize and invest for the future.
  
  
• To make it easier for forest sector businesses and employees to navigate and apply to federal programs, NRCan has launched a new, single-window pathfinding service, which includes a new website with information on all programs available to forest sector businesses and direct access to NRCan experts on eligibility and program applications.
  
  
• Canada's forest sector is a major economic driver, supporting nearly 200,000 workers, including over 11,000 Indigenous people, and contributing more than $20 billion to our GDP. In 2024, 66 percent of Canada's total softwood lumber production was exported, of which nearly 90 percent was exported to the U.S.

Related Products

• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to transform Canada's softwood lumber industry (August 5, 2025)
• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and transform Canada's steel and lumber industries (November 26, 2025)

Associated Links

• Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Program
• Canada's softwood lumber industry
• Support for Canada's Forest Sector Employers and Workers
• Buy Canadian
• Build Canada Homes initiative

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada