Sault Ste. Marie's Forestry Sector

For over 100 years, Sault Ste. Marie was the home of St. Mary’s Paper, which closed in 2013. But Sault Ste. Marie remains a significant forestry centre with mills like Arauco producing high quality MDF, Interfor producing engineered wood products, Boniferro Millworks (hardwood lumber), Bioforest Technologies, and many more.

Surrounded by managed northern forest lands, Sault Ste. Marie also maintains a significant capacity of forestry expertise and knowledge as the headquarters of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ Forest Division staff, and three forest research centres including the Ontario Forest Research Centre, Great Lakes Forestry Centre (federal) and provincial Invasive Species Centre.

Valuable cutting-edge research and development in Sault Ste. Marie at these institutions builds knowledge for growing healthier and more valuable forests, fighting invasive species on land and sea (which can cost hundreds of millions in damage), climate change science and more.

If your company is looking to grow and locate in a City that has access to wood fibre and a significant forestry cluster, please reach out to Joe Turpin, Manager Business Attraction, at [email protected] to learn more about the City, available programs and incentives.