Ottawa providing $340K in funding to Yukon Wood Products Association

Ottawa is investing up to $341,600 to support the forest industry in the Yukon.

Businesses that harvest timber or manufacture products from wood provide essential goods, such as heating fuel and lumber, to people and communities and contribute to a diversified economy, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) said in a press release.

“Wood products are a significant part of Yukoner’s lives. From heating to building to manufacturing, the forestry industry provides a variety of jobs, opportunities, and vital products to the territory,” said Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for the Yukon. “Through the Yukon Wood Products Association’s project, our government is supporting training and capacity building so the industry can respond to the current and future needs of Yukoners.”

The money is going to the Yukon Wood Products Association’s (YWPA) Yukon Forest Resources Capacity Support Initiative.

The YWPA is a non-profit association that has been representing forest industry businesses in the Yukon since 2007. Through this initiative, the YWPA will provide training, build new opportunities for Yukon’s forest sector, and expand its membership to include artisans, craftspeople, woodworkers and non-timber forest products, such as syrups, berries and mushrooms.

“No one enters Yukon forestry to get rich. Small business owners/operators are passionate about their communities, families, and the land they live on. The support from CanNor marks a pivotal opportunity to tackle challenges directly, focusing on a sustainable wood supply for all Yukoners,” said Peter Wright, executive-director of the YWPA. “Now is the time to unite our efforts to secure a thriving future for our livelihoods and the Yukon forest sector.”

This initiative builds on CanNor’s nearly $100,000 investment in the Government of Yukon’s Forest Management Branch for a one-year pilot project to deliver micro-grants to businesses in the Yukon’s forest industry in 2023-24, it sad in the press release. These grants aimed to improve operating efficiency, safety and productivity for local fuelwood harvesters.