Canada’s reputation as a nation of “hewers of wood and drawers of water” is at least half correct, historically. Forestry has always been one of the biggest industries in the country, economically, by reputation and by environmental impact. About 94 per cent of forests in Canada are publicly owned and about 70 per cent of Canada’s Indigenous population lives in forested areas.
Over half of the world’s boreal region is in Canada, which boasts a staggering 270 million hectares of boreal forest.
Increasing privatization of forest lands, however, combined with the threats of climate change, industrial activity, pine beetle infestations and wildfires, has put Canada’s forests at risk.
For weekly updates on our reporting, sign up for The Narwhal’s newsletter.
7 min. read
