Restoring the Ogoki Forest

A unique project in northwestern Ontario will replant three million native trees in an area devastated by wildfires that destroyed critical wildlife habitat and impacted adjacent Indigenous communities in 2023. Forests Canada is providing funding and strategic support to Integrity Reforestation and Agoke Development LP to aid in a large-scale, post-fire restoration project in the Ogoki Forest, an important boreal ecosystem located 400 km north of Thunder Bay. 

Together with our partners, we will work to restore ecological balance and help rebuild critical wildlife habitat for a variety of species, including two vital caribou ranges.  

“Supporting this project with Integrity Reforestation and Agoke Development LP contributes to our vision of diverse, resilient, thriving forests now, and for future generations,” Jess Kaknevicius, CEO, Forests Canada, says. “We are thrilled to work alongside our partners to support planting in the Ogoki Forest. This project is critical to rebuild habitat that is integral to the survival of important and valuable species. It is also an important way for us to gain better insight into post-fire restoration approaches to better guide future planting projects.” 

Working in partnership with Integrity Reforestation and Indigenous-led Agoke Development LP, the planting project will focus on the most critically impacted areas of 40,188+ hectares of forest that burned two years ago. 

“Restoring the Ogoki Forest is not just about planting trees—it’s about healing a landscape that is vital to biodiversity, climate resilience, and the cultural heritage of the people who call this region home.” Matt McKernan, Founder of Integrity Reforestation, says.  

With a focus on enhancing biodiversity, stabilizing soils, and sequestering carbon, the long-term health and resilience of the Ogoki Forest isn’t the only goal of this important project, it will also provide critical employment opportunities for local communities. 

“The backing from Forests Canada and other organizations reflects a profound commitment to environmental restoration and climate action,” McKernan adds. “These organizations play a pivotal role in advancing Canada’s reforestation goals, ensuring that critical ecosystems like those found in the Ogoki Forest are not only restored but strengthened for the future.”   

Over the next two years, the Ogoki Forest restoration project will restore forested landscapes and ecological balance, and is a critical response to the impacts of the environmental crisis. You can learn more about this project by visiting www.integrity-reforestation.com/wildfire.