The southern regions of Eastern Canada appear to offer excellent potential for the development of industries based on hybrid poplar as a raw material. These southern regions offer an abundant supply of marginal agricultural land suitable for growing hybrid poplars; wood-using industries are already established here and are experiencing shortages in raw material supply; road and rail networks provide established transportation facilities and there is an abundant supply of labour including a substantial number of workers currently unemployed. More than a decade of genetic and silvicultural research experience with hybrid poplars now exists in Eastern Canada. Programs to promote the planting and culture of hybrid poplars are established in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The most pressing need for research at present appears to be in evaluating properties of the raw material and in process and product development to optimize its utilization.