Every time forestry comes up I'm always at the risk of digressing, so jump in any time if my answer reflects that.
Let me say this, Mr. Chair, obviously there is considerable forestry potential in the great Kenora riding, for example, as there is in many regions of Canada. In particular, in Kenora one of the challenges that we face is that even though our markets, the traditional ones that we've served, are showing signs of life—there is a pulse there—the forestry sector was in fact decimated.
The question on its return is how is that going to happen? We cannot have our machines dusted off to cut board-foot or just continue with primary pulp. In Kenora's case we make world-class pulp that's being tested in a number of ways. In nanocellulose technology, for example, testing confirms the quality of our pulp. But that's all we're making with it, right in our riding.
The residual questions and the ones that the main estimates have to address, in my view, have got to focus on innovation. We have to make the forest sector in the regions where our trees come from more competitive for sustainable jobs that are not subject to things like we had just experienced with the recession of 2009. In the end, for example, in Kenora all we were left with was 160 direct jobs at a value-added facility in Kenora and a couple hundred direct jobs making pulp. Everything else had been eliminated, Mr. Chair.
The main estimates have to, and I'm pleased to report do, focus on investing in industry transformation. The IFIT program itself offers $90.4 million over four years. It's focused on Canada-first technologies that foster innovation in the forestry sector. It's projected to support more than 12 and possibly up to 15 innovation projects over the next four years.
The main estimates also provide $93 million over three years for the forest innovation program. This will generate advanced high-value products and processes in the industry. It's helping to make Canada a world leader in several key technology areas.
I should add as well that the main estimates provide support for expanding market opportunity programs to increase offshore exports in the use of wood in non-residential and mid-rise construction in North America.
Certainly, as well, in my capacity as the minister responsible for FedNor, our targeted manufacturing initiatives are focused obviously on mining and some forestry activities that go to support—since the regional economic agencies and/or programs can be a little bit more nimble to respond to the scale of manufacturing that could occur, particularly with respect to forestry—efforts to become manufacturers instead of just raw producers. That involves participation with colleges potentially to bring innovation centres to key areas across northern Ontario.
I see potential in northern Saskatchewan as well and I know some of that's being done, so that people who come from those regions, who go to college in those regions, can come to better understand what the products that are naturally occurring in their regions actually do.
I'm stealing a page from my time as the Minister of Science and Technology, where over at NRC we do a myriad of things with residual pulp product and by-product, but I don't think it's as well understood as it could be by people in regions where trees are cut for the purposes of materials manufacturing and pulp and the like.