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Home > Network Initiatives > Community Transition and Economic Development 
Community Transition and Economic DevelopmentGoal To develop practical tools for use by communities to help them in planning for the future Description
Mill shutdowns have become the norm in Canada, with Natural Resources Canada listing 46 specific mill closures from April 2005 to March 2006 across Canada. The industry is consolidating and streamlining to meet the challenges of the new economic realities.
2008 - 2009 Highlights In March 2009, the Canadian Model Forest Network received approval of a three-year project from Natural Resources Canada, Forest Communities Program to develop “Indicators for assessing the ability of forest-based communities to respond to transformative change”. |
© Canadian Model Forest Network
2010
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The past five years have been difficult ones for the forest industry and the rural communities it supports. The “perfect storm”— a combination of high energy costs, the decline in the United States economy, increased competition, and shifting demand for traditional commodities (especially newsprint) — have all conspired to create challenges like no other period in the industry’s history. 
Resource-dependent communities have taken the brunt of the downturn. As the industry closes facilities, single-industry communities are left to pick up the pieces. Canada’s model forests are working to provide tools to help communities assess their current status, plan for the future and take advantage of opportunities identified through those processes. In addition, Canada’s model forests are working with communities to identify and evaluate new value-added opportunities for economic development utilizing wood and the assessment and enhancement of long-term resource availability. 
By working in partnerships, the model forests will assist the forest dependent communities to assess their current status, their strengths, and their weaknesses and track progress. The Canadian Model Forest Network has established a national initiative that will identify and select indicators to assess changes in community capacity. 