The history of forest research in Canada dates back to the early 1900s when the Canadian Forest Service was founded. Up until that time, the prevailing attitude of the day seemed to be that Canada's vast forest resources would last indefinitely - hence forest research was not seen as a priority. However, concerns about the conservation of forests began to emerge in 1899, around the time that Elihu Stewart was appointed superintendent of the forest branch of the federal Department of the Interior. His first task was to organize the Canadian Forest Service, Canada's national forest research organization. The Petawawa Forest Experiment Station opened in 1917, and by 1918 there were two forest products research laboratories in Canada - one in Montreal and one in Vancouver.
Although some forest research did occur during the first half of the century, Canada showed lagging progress in this area, especially when one considers the vastness of her forest estate. By the 1950s, however, it was becoming widely recognized that Canada's forests were becoming seriously depleted. In response to this, research quickly became a major priority. The Canadian Forest Service began to expand in most regions of the country, opening up six research laboratories.