Patrick Poulon

ST. THOMAS, Ontario — Wooden buildings are on the rise and a St. Thomas business is bracing for its own growth, as a result. The province is about to alter the building code for mass timber towers that use all wood in construction, allowing them to go as high as 18 storeys from the current limit of 12. Element5 on Dennis Road supplies wood panels used in mass timber construction. The more than 30 per cent increase in building height for wood towers may mean greater demand for its products, chief executive Patrick Poulin said. The Ontario government announced April 8 it is expanding the use of advanced wood construction like mass timber to help speed construction and reduce costs. Other jurisdictions such as British Columbia and in the U.S. now allow mass timber building as high as 18 storeys and it is becoming more accepted as a construction option, Poulin said.