Ontario announces $10 million for Georgia-Pacific OSB plant upgrade in Englehart

Ontario will provide $10 million toward a $191 million modernization and expansion project at Georgia-Pacific North Woods’ oriented strand board (OSB) plant in Englehart, with the funding flowing through the province’s Forest Biomass Program. The province announced the funding May 12.

The project outlines changes at one of Englehart’s major industrial sites, including upgrades that Ontario says will affect jobs and output at the plant.

Ontario says the project will protect more than 220 jobs at the Englehart facility and “hundreds of indirect jobs” in the region. The province also says the upgrades are expected to increase production by 14 per cent once completed.

The project includes upgrades to log-processing operations, construction of new facilities, an expansion of on-site storage, and new equipment, according to the provincial release.

It also includes a thermal energy system intended to use wood by-products for heat and power.

The Forest Biomass Program provides up to $20 million a year for projects aimed at increasing biomass use, the province said. Ontario also said the program has committed more than $65 million to more than 55 projects since it launched in 2023.

In the announcement, Ontario linked the funding to the impact of U.S. tariffs on the forest sector.

Ontario released its “Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector” on April 28, calling it a 10-year plan.