Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) Conference April 28/29, 2026

Forest History Ontario was well represented at the OFIA recent annual conference in Toronto with Board members Mike Willick and Jim Farrell in attendance. The very well attended reception was held at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Walker Court in the shadow of the iconic and beautiful staircase designed by renowned architect, Frank Gehry in 2008.

The OFIA's Forest Industry Hall of Fame was established to recognize those whose expertise and leadership have fundamentally shifted the landscape of the Ontario forest sector. It is tradition that the OFIA names their Hall of Fame awards at these evening receptions and this year they named two. Much like the smaller scale cousin, the Academy Awards, recipients are unaware of their award until the news is unveiled at the event. The first award was given to our very own Mike Willick for his decades of committed service to the forest products industry as a senior executive at OMNR and in the last couple of decades as a valued and respected advisor on the softwood lumber file. I was standing beside Mike in the congregation at the time and can attest to the fact that this was secret right up until the ‘envelope’ was opened. He was very surprised and touched. Congratulations Mike.

The second inductee to the OFIA Hall of Fame was Gaston Malette who passed away in 2025 (Gaston Malette Obituary | 1928 - 2025 | Timmins Daily Press). Gaston’s story in the industry began in 1951, 30 miles west of Timmins. He started with a single sawmill producing 4.8 million board feet a year. Through the decades, he expanded, acquiring nearly every mill in the Timmins area. By 1968, he moved operations into Timmins itself, and by 1995, that single mill was producing 140 million board feet annually. Gaston was never content with the status quo. He was a pioneer in diversification long before it became a buzzword. In 1971, he built the second Waferboard (OSB) mill in Canadian history. In 1985, he stepped into the pulp sector, purchasing the Smooth Rock Falls mill (formerly an Abitibi-Price mill) and transforming it into Malette Kraft Pulp and Power. In 1990, he expanded further into Quebec with the acquisition of St-Raymond Paper (50 kms northwest of Quebec City).

Gaston owned the first sawmill to have a Forest Management Agreement in the Romeo Malette Forest - named after his father. His influence extended far beyond the borders of Ontario, including assets in Quebec. He was twice selected by the Ontario Premier to attend the Global Economic Summit in Davos. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Bank of Canada and Forintek and was even invited by the United States to speak on the wood industry in Alaska.

When Malette Inc. was eventually sold to Tembec in 1995 (Frank Dottori was also in attendance) , Gaston remained on the Board, continuing to offer the insight that had built an empire from a single small mill in the bush. Gaston Malette represents the very best of the forest sector a respected member of that select special breed of entrepreneurial businessman who also had a deep respect for the forest. Gilles Malette, Gaston's son, accepted the honour on behalf of the family.

The next day the conference, hosted at the Grand Banking Hall of 1 King West (formerly the HQ of former The Dominion Bank … now TD Bank) and was a full house. The OFIA (Ian and team) once again did a terrific job getting provincial politicians out to open the day. Almost half a dozen Cabinet Ministers attended, including Premier Ford who provided passionate and well-informed support for the forest products industry ..which was very much appreciated. Speakers included very well-developed presentations on the state of the industry, forecasts on the future, opportunities for partnerships and advice going forward.

This event was also a celebration of the 83rd anniversary of the OFIA and by all accounts, it is getting stronger every year.

AGOFrank Geerys Staircase