It's a very integrated industry. Just two days ago, I was at the Gaston‑Ouellet forestry camp in northern Côte-Nord to meet with forestry contractors. Everything starts with the forest and the construction of roads by forestry contractors. These are often small family businesses involving a handful of people and passed on from parent to child. However, they have to take out millions of dollars in loans. We need these companies to harvest wood, which is then processed in sawmills and paper mills to make by-products such as paper. The wood is also used to produce energy in power plants. It quite quickly becomes clear just how integrated everything is.
There are 300 villages that depend on the economic activity generated by the forestry sector. It isn't just sawmills and paper mills. There are also all the small entrepreneurs who do business with other companies to buy parts or carry out repairs. Some examples were mentioned earlier. Mr. Dunn talked about a village in Ontario that has been greatly affected. I think it's important to keep those things in mind.
It has taken decades to build the forest industry in its current form. We're only as strong as our weakest link. Tomorrow morning, if there were no more forestry entrepreneurs or people to carry out those activities, I could try as much as I like to keep the sawmills and paper mills running, but it wouldn't work. It's crucial to take care of everyone in the chain.