For nearly two centuries, the Gatineau Valley has been recognised for its vast forest land. With a forest harvesting potential of over 2 million cubic metres per year, the MRC is one of the most important logging area in Québec.

Like many other resource regions in Québec and Canada, the Gatineau Valley owes its existence to forest companies that came in the 19th century and initiated the development of a community on its territory.

Forest companies have been mainly and for a long time interested in softwood while hardwood, representing over half the available resources, was only marginally exploited.

Until recently, the region essentially had forest harvesting companies only. Raw material was sent to the Gatineau or Montreal areas to be processed into lumber or paper.

In the late fifties and increasingly in the seventies, the forest industry started to expand in the Gatineau Valley. However, the volume of timber processed outside the region remained clearly more important than locally processed timber.

Since the early nineties however, things have completely turned around. The wood processing industry developed at an increased rate and today, only small quantities of wood leave the region without having gone at least through one processing phase.

With the variety of species currently used, regionally based mills now allow for an integrated utilisation of the regional forest. Practically all available species on the territory are harvested and processed locally, which allows for a much better management than in the past.

Forest industry operations are supported by a multitude of service companies providing harvesting, transport and other related and auxiliary services. Also active in the region are forest management companies and one major tree nursery. The region has also developed an expertise in forest fire control recognised world-wide.

Although the Gatineau Valley maintains a status of single-industry region, the proliferation of industries and the diversification of their markets will contribute in the coming years to a better protection of the region against economic swings.

Now that primary processing activities are well implemented and better integrated, the next development step will focus on establishing secondary processing and finished product industries that will add more value to raw materials and will contribute to further consolidate the region’s economic structure.

Favourable fiscal incentives contained in the recent Quebec government’s strategy on resource regions development come as timely measures for the region, providing an additional major asset to attract local or outside entrepreneurs..

Many small service sawmills are also found in the region.