The province now boasts more than 5, 000 native-owned businesses, some of them joint-ventures, ranging from pipeline construction and timber production to hotels and boat-building.

ECONOMIST: Canada

Timber is sold either for pulp used in paper processes or as saw-timber for construction.

WSJ: Wealthy Investors Discover Timberland

Since then, despite strong demand for lumber from the U.S. construction industry, Timber Group shares are off 3% --even as the parent's stock climbed 37% .

FORBES: Trick or Track?