Forestry and Mining are strategic economic contributors to Nova Scotia’s GDP.
In 2007, the province’s forestry industry generated more than $900 Million in exports – over 17% of Nova Scotia’s overall exports. Approximately 65% of these went to the United States, the remainder to the United Kingdom, Europe, South America, Asia and other global markets.
The province has three pulp/paper mills, a hardboard mill, paper packaging, wood pellet producers and several hundred sawmills. The mills process cut logs into softwood and hardwood lumber, flooring, siding & wood molding, newsprint and printing paper, and wood pulp. The major sawmills are able to produce in accordance to internationally accepted product grades and phytosanitary requirements. Secondary manufacturers can provide wood products up to and including complete manufactured homes.
The forests also provide over 1.5 million Christmas trees each year and 118,000 litres (30,000 US gallons) of maple syrup.
Mineral exploration, production and related manufacturing provide more than 6,300 direct and spinoff jobs. Mineral exploration investment in 2008 will exceed $13 Million, the greatest in two decades. The contribution to GDP associated with all mineral industry activities is approximately $488 million.
Gypsum provides about 38% of the value of the province’s mineral production. It is the province’s most valuable mineral export, selling principally to markets in the eastern United States. Nova Scotia produces 85% of Canada’s gypsum and about 7% of the world’s gypsum.
Salt is produced for both domestic de-icing and for table salt. Coal has been mined in Nova Scotia since the mid-1700's and still accounts for about 7% of the province's mineral resources output. With the recent opening of the Scotia zinc-lead mine at Gays River, Nova Scotia has returned to the ranks of metal producing provinces.
A wide variety of industrial minerals are produced in Nova Scotia, some for more than 200 years. These include limestone, anhydrite, dolomite, barite, celestite, quartz, silica, clay, shale, slate, marble, building stone, sand and gravel, and crushed rock. Various metals including gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, zinc and tin have also been mined.
A variety of processed mineral products are manufactured in Nova Scotia, including clay products, Portland cement, ready-mix concrete, building stone, brick, slate and marble products.
Trade Team Nova Scotia Representative: the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.
Industry Associations: the Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia (FPANS), the Maritime Lumber Bureau, the
Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia (CTCNS), the
Maple Producers of Nova Scotia and the
Mining Association of Nova Scotia
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