Faculty and graduate students in the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University and the Northern Ontario Sustainable Communities Partnership (NOSCP) hosted a one-day workshop for researchers and community representative to collaborate about research and practice regarding community-based forest management (CBFM) as a new forest management model to promote resilience in forest-based communities. The workshop was held in the context of a new forest tenure system being established for Ontario. The workshop focused on the emergence of First Nation/municipal partnerships for CBFM as a means to achieve sustainable forest-based economic development. Associated with these initiatives is the desire for local control of forests, employment, self sufficiency and best end use of forest resources.