U.S. uncertainty positions Canada for more mass timber construction

By Jean Sorensen
The Daily Commercial News
March 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Peter Moonen

Yo-yo U.S. tariffs and chaotic White House policy clouding the next four years is making mass timber and wood construction a secure alternative in the Canadian construction market for builders planning downstream. “What can we do for ourselves?” asked Peter Moonen, the Canadian Wood Council’s national sustainability manager, a mass timber advocate. The answer is that Canada does mass timber construction well and is self-reliant with its own timber supply, mass timber manufacturing facilities and considerable construction expertise. “Vancouver has become a mass timber hotspot,” Moonen said, adding it is known for its innovative buildings and architectural and engineering expertise that has pushed the envelope in a region of Canada that has seismic concerns. If B.C. can employ that kind of engineering, architectural and constructionl expertise, it can be transferred to other provinces, according to Moonen. …Moonen said B.C. is currently working on a new value-added strategy for wood manufacturers.

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