Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Building Canadian homes with Canadian wood

By Derek Nighbor, president & CEO, FPAC
National Post
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Canada is facing a housing crisis of historic proportions. With affordability slipping out of reach for millions and supply lagging far behind demand, we need bold, scalable and sustainable solutions. The federal government’s Build Canada Homes initiative is a promising start and an opportunity to scale up the use of Canadian wood in building construction.  Wood-based modern methods of construction … offers unmatched speed, quality and sustainability. …Traditional construction is slow, expensive and carbon intensive. Wood-based modern methods of construction flips that model on its head. …Mass timber stores carbon rather than emitting it and it’s easier to work with… A streamlined national approvals system and a library of pre-approved designs would immediately reduce permitting and design timelines. …Canadian forestry sees a path forward to transformation and growth. That path must be anchored in a new partnership with the federal government…

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Canada Wood Market Insights – October 2025

The Canada Wood Group
October 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

The October newsletter includes these headlines and more:

  • The Woodrise 2025 in Vancouver marked another milestone for global mass timber collaboration — and Canada Wood was proud to lead a delegation of architects, engineers, professors, and developers from China and Korea to explore the latest innovations shaping the future of sustainable construction.
  • Taisei Corporation has unveiled its new T-WOOD® Truss Floor, a hybrid system that combines light-frame trusses made from Canadian SPF lumber with CLT panels to achieve spans of up to 14 m. 
  • To promote 4-story wooden buildings in Japan, HOWTEC has published a new manual showcasing five exemplary construction methods — including a panelized light-frame system jointly developed by Canada Wood Japan and the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association.
  • Canada Wood Japan and the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association hosted Vancouver architect Robert Salikan for a seminar on B.C.’s midrise wood construction. 

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Eco-friendly Toilet Paper Brand Who Gives a Crap Rolls Into Canada

By Who Gives A Crap
Cision Newswire
October 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

TORONTO — Who Gives A Crap, the purpose-driven toilet paper brand that donates 50% of profits to help provide clean water and toilets for all, has officially landed in Canada – offering soft, stylish and sustainable household products that are good for your bum and great for the planet. New research commissioned by the brand found 83% of Canadians are unaware of the impact the traditional toilet paper industry has on the boreal forest. …Every year, more than a million acres of the boreal are decimated, threatening biodiversity and accelerating climate change. Simon Griffiths, Co-Founder of Who Gives A Crap, “By switching to 100% bamboo or recycled rolls, Canadians can help protect one of the world’s most important forests.” …Now sold in nearly 40 countries… it’s already one of Australia’s top toilet paper brands and is growing fast in the UK and US. [

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Could offsite construction methods be homebuilding’s saviour?

By Grant Cameron
The Daily Commercial News
October 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Prime Minister Carney has set a goal of building half a million homes a year nationwide for the next decade, while Premier Ford in Ontario has promised to erect 1.5 million homes between 2023 and 2031. However, both targets appear to be nothing but remote pipe dreams. Starts are trending in the wrong direction, with further declines expected. …The question is: Could innovative offsite construction methods be the saviour of the industry? A new report from C.D. Howe Institute… found while the approaches are not a silver bullet, they may offer valuable tools for increasing housing supply and dealing with construction workforce constraints. …The report, Building Smarter, Faster: Technology and Policy Solutions for Canada’s Housing Crisis… indicates factory-based approaches can shift up to 60% of the building process off-site… and that modular and panelized systems and mass timber could allow workers to produce more in the same amount of work hours.

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Woodrise 2025: Timber presents a ‘fabulous opportunity for architecture’ to enrich lives

By Warren Frey
Daily Commercial News
October 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

A panel of international experts see a wood-based-future that departs from traditional building beyond use of materials. Jarrett Hutchinson, of British Columbia’s Office of Mass Timber Implementation, moderated a panel titled Innovative Solutions and Paths to Success: Shaping the Skyline with Mass Timber at the Woodrise 2025 conference in Vancouver. The panellists, Brazil-Based Urbem’s sales director Ana Belizario, Steven Ware, an architect at Paris-based design firm Artbuild, and Waugh Thistleton Architects director Andrew Waugh all detailed innovative wood design from an international perspective. Belizario said termites were in a way an impetus for mass timber adoption in Brazil. …Ware said he sees timber as a way to “push things a little further,” and stressed the importance of recycling to the timber lifecycle. …Waugh cited design’s obsession with tall buildings as part of the problem. …All three panellists agreed an increased emphasis on biophilia… is a natural match with wood-based building.

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Industry Leaders Highlight Common Goals of North American Lumber Industry

By The Softwood Lumber Board
You Tube
August 5, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

To underscore the importance of this work, the Softwood Lumber Board is spotlighting industry leaders, programs, and partners who are advancing market growth. This month, Brad Thorlakson, Executive Chairman of Tolko Industries, and George Emmerson, Board Chairman of Sierra Pacific Industries, highlight how producers throughout North America share a common passion for the sustainability and growth of our industry.

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Wood Design & Building Awards Winning Projects Announced

The Canadian Wood Council
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to announce the winning projects of the 41st annual Wood Design & Building Awards program. This prestigious awards program recognizes and celebrates the outstanding work of architectural professionals from Canada and around the world for excellence in wood design and construction. “The diversity and creativity in this year’s winning projects demonstrate how wood can connect people with nature,” says Martin Richard, Vice President of Communications and Market Development at the Canadian Wood Council (CWC). “These designs not only showcase wood’s versatility, but also create spaces that enrich daily life and support community well-being. They are high-performance solutions that respond to today’s urgent need for housing, schools, and community spaces.” …In total, 38 projects from Canada and around the world were honoured at the Wood Design and Building Awards celebration hosted Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the Woodrise Conference in Vancouver, BC. View a video compilation of this year’s winners here: WoodDesignandBuildingAwards2025/

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Wood Connections Newsletter | October 2025

BC Wood Specialties Group
October 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

In the October newsletter you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) in British Columbia is part of the Government of Canada’s strategy to defend Canadian jobs, industries, and supply chains. It is part of a coordinated effort to protect Canadian businesses and workers from the impact of tariffs. This initiative is investing  $1 billion in targeted support nationally.
  • BFL CANADA, one of the largest employee-owned and operated Risk Management, Insurance Brokerage, and Employee Benefits consulting services firms in Canada, announces the launch of the BFL Forestry Insurance Program—a comprehensive insurance solution designed to protect and mitigate property and liability risks across Canada’s forestry industry.
  • Trade Accelerator Program – Greater Vancouver Cohort, November 5 – World Trade Centre Vancouver
  • KOREA BUILD WEEK 2026, Korea’s largest exhibition specializing in construction, architecture and interior, will be held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Korea from February 4 through 7,2026. 

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Mass-timber building adds affordable, energy-efficient homes in Kelowna

By Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs
Government of British Columbia
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

More families, seniors and people living with disabilities now have affordable, energy-efficient homes in Kelowna with the opening of Capstone, adding 122 rental homes to the Apple Valley community. “This is about providing people a better place to live,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These new homes at Capstone will make life more affordable for people, and with our partners we are helping build a more sustainable, vibrant and cleaner future for our growing community.” Capstone, at 2155 Mayer Rd., is the final building in the Apple Valley development. It’s a nine-storey building built out of mass timber, which has a lower carbon footprint than other traditional building methods. 

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Intake 4 projects announced for the Mass Timber Demonstration Program

naturally:wood
October 10, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Ronald McDonald House, BC-Yukon

Indigenous Affordable Housing Project

Nexus

Cube 2.0 Climbing Gym

The Mass Timber Demonstration Program (MTDP) supports select mass timber and mass timber hybrid buildings throughout the province. The latest round of funding, the 4th intake of projects, includes two-multi-family structures, an office building and a climbing gym. The MTDP helps British Columbia become a province that is more inclusive, resilient and innovative in the design, engineering, construction and product manufacturing sectors. It achieves this by providing funding for incremental costs in the design and construction of buildings that showcase emerging or new mass timber and mass timber hybrid building systems and construction processes, and sharing project learnings with the sector.

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B.C. construction sector has a plastics problem, says sustainability firm

By Jami Makan
The Victoria Times Colonist
October 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Construction plastics are a major source of plastic waste in the province, and they urgently need to be measured, tracked and upcycled, says a B.C. organization that promotes sustainable built environments. Canada’s Federal Plastics Registry is expanding in 2026 to include construction plastics, but industry efforts are already underway to gather data and pilot new ways of reducing and reusing them, said Vancouver-based Light House. Construction plastics include packaging; wrapping for lumber and mass timber products; film that goes around pallets.  A new study by Light House is “the first national effort” to gather and compile data about construction plastics in Canada, in order to lay a foundation for tackling the problem. …The case studies include the new PNE Amphitheatre, a bridge, a community centre and library, a school and a multi-unit residential building—“projects that really represent the diverse range of construction that happens,” Yaron said.

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Fort St. James startup creates unique housing system for rural communities

By Brendan Shykora
The Vanderhoof Omineca Express
October 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

When Nak’azdli Development Corp. (NDC) unveils its inaugural Timber House later this month — a unique prefabricated home in Canada that uses stud lumber from local saw mills and an innovative panel construction system by local forestry startup Deadwood Innovations — visitors will see firsthand what’s possible when academia partners with business to solve pressing challenges. The new home-building system could be a salve to Canada’s housing crisis in remote communities, while mitigating challenges faced by the forestry industry. “There has been… very little focus on supporting regional housing, tailored to the specific needs of remote and rural communities,” said Owen Miller, Deadwood Innovations CEO and co-founder, explaining that these large projects primarily use high-cost dimension lumber. “Our approach is all about tapping into local lumber, resources and expertise to build housing that aligns with community and cultural needs, is sustainable and delivers affordable homes built to last,” Miller said.

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Ronald McDonald House expands with new facility

The Remi Network – Construction Business
October 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new facility for Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon will increase capacity to accommodate more families, following an investment of up to $18.8 million from the federal government. …Funding will provide for the construction of a second facility, Willow House, which will double the number of families accommodated and enhance support services for those with extended hospital stays. …Willow House will be a fully accessible, 130,000-square-foot facility featuring 75 family suites… This new net-zero building designed by Michael Green Architecture, will feature 12 storeys of structural mass timber, including CLT floor and roof panels, glulam columns and beams and an innovative CLT shear wall system. Willow House will be, at the time of its construction, the tallest building in a high-seismic zone to use mass timber for gravity and lateral force resistance.

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Bringing Truth and Reconciliation to life – The Centre for Indigenous Laws honours traditions and the land

By Cheryl Mah
The REMI Network
September 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Centre for Indigenous Laws at the University of Victoria is a groundbreaking project. Opened in September 2025, the building – formerly known as the National Centre for Indigenous Laws – sets a benchmark for how thoughtful design and construction can bring the truth and legacies of Indigenous peoples to life. Spanning 26,000 square feet, the new wing of the Fraser Building is culturally significant – built in the spirit of truth and reconciliation principles to house the world’s first joint degree in Indigenous legal orders and Canadian common law. …The building incorporates mass timber construction, including exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and Douglas-fir glue-laminated timber beams. Trees felled were blessed by local Elders to honour their significance and connection to the land before being reused. Yellow cedar, western red cedar and Douglas-fir are used extensively. …It has already been recognized with an industry award, earning a 2023 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.

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Kalesnikoff wins construction association award

Castlegar News
September 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Kalesnikoff has been recognized with a 2025 Manufacturer and Supplier Award from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA). The recognition was presented for Kalesnikoff’s work on the Oceanfront Squamish Presentation Centre and Public House. Kalesnikoff says this project showcases the potential of mass timber in creating welcoming, community-centred spaces. Kalesnikoff offered special thanks to their project partners including SLA (architect), Matthew West (owner), Naikoon (general contractor) and RJC (engineer of record). “We’re proud to see our work recognized alongside so many outstanding projects in B.C. – and even prouder of the people and partnerships that make achievements like this possible,” said Kalesnikoff in an online statement.

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Mass timber applications include multi-family and schools, says expert

By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
September 25, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

©FPInnovations

Mass timber construction can help address the shortage of housing and schools in B.C., said one speaker at a wood conference in Vancouver this week. Multi-family residential is one particular area where the mass timber industry can quickly deliver new homes on a large scale, said Andrew Stiffman, vice-president of construction services with Castlegar, B.C.-based Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc. His Wednesday remarks at the Woodrise 2025 5th International Congress come as Canada’s federal government pledges billions in housing investment. “The need, especially here in Canada, is to deliver housing units fast,” Stiffman said. “We cannot deliver on those using conventional construction. It’s going to take too long, it’s too risky, it’s too costly, so we’re really excited to bring these [technologies] forward as a solution.” Mass timber construction involves the prefabrication of panels and “modules” that can be swiftly assembled on construction sites. 

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British Columbia provides $500K to new Nelson climbing gym

By Tyler Harper
Nelson Star
September 24, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

©Studio9

Plans to use mass timber for a new climbing facility in Nelson have earned the project $500,000 in provincial funding. The Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth announced Sept. 23 that it would provide $2 million in funds to build four new buildings it says will showcase the benefits of mass-timber construction. One of those buildings will be Kootenay Climbing Association’s Cube 2.0, a new facility to be constructed on an empty site next to Selkirk College’s Tenth Street Campus. The estimated $11-million project will be 1,004 square metres in size and feature an Olympic-standard climbing wall. “Mass timber represents a transformative, locally sourced solution that’s generating significant employment opportunities, spurring cutting-edge innovation, and revitalizing rural economies across British Columbia,” said Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon. …Mass timber companies Spearhead and Kalesnikoff are each involved in the construction of the new building. 

Related News in Vernon Matters: A six storey mass timber project in Penticton gets $500K from province

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B.C. advances new mass-timber demonstration projects

By Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth
Government of British Columbia
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Four new buildings in B.C. are each receiving $500,000 — totalling $2 million — to demonstrate and showcase the benefits of mass-timber construction. “Mass timber represents a transformative, locally sourced solution that’s generating significant employment opportunities, spurring cutting-edge innovation, and revitalizing rural economies across British Columbia,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. …The four projects were announced at the 2025 International Woodrise Congress. …Delivered through the Province’s Crown corporation Forestry Innovation Investment. The four projects are:

  • Nexus, a six-storey mass-timber project in Penticton that includes four storeys of office space, a daycare and retail space;
  • An Indigenous affordable housing project in Surrey that will be an eight-storey tall mass-timber hybrid building
  • Cube 2.0, a three-storey climbing gym in Nelson that will be an Olympic-level facility that showcases sustainable practices
  • The Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon’s Willow House, a 12-storey build that will provide 75 units

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Mass timber should be Canada’s first choice for buildings, architect says

By Tyler Choi
Sustainable Biz Canada
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Martin Nielsen

An architect and engineer behind some of Canada’s most iconic mass timber buildings has high hopes for the material as a sustainability enhancer and a boost to the country’s economy. Martin Nielsen, a partner at Calgary-based DIALOG, is an advocate for the engineered wood product that is made by gluing lumber into panels. His mass timber portfolio includes the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CRIS) and its Campus Energy Centre, the 10-storey office building The Hive being built in Vancouver, and the Brentwood and Gilmore Skytrain stations. Quoting one of his former bosses, Nielsen said timber is a natural and renewable material, “the only building material made by the sun.” …Nielsen added, when people see wood in a building it lowers a key stress hormone. He also envisions it as a way to support Canada’s forestry industry amid shaken-up trade with the US.

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Middle-income rental mass timber tower proposed for Kelowna

By Kirk Penton
Castanet
September 23, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

A proposed 18-storey residential tower on St. Paul Street in downtown Kelowna will be constructed using mass timber, according to applications recently submitted to city planners. The city announced earlier this year that it was partnering with non-profit developer Housing Okanagan Foundation on the project for middle-income earners. Now a development permit and variance applications have been submitted for the property at 1428 St. Paul St. “If completed today, it would be the tallest mass timber residential building in Canada,” according to the application from project architect Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture. “The use of mass timber also offers significant reductions in embodied carbon emissions. “This design aligns with the provincial and federal housing objectives while also incubating a building construction methodology that creates local manufacturing jobs.” Above the three-storey podium will be 15 residential floors and a rooftop terrace for all tenants.

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Mass timber takes centre stage at North Bay’s eco-friendly rec centre

The Bay Today
October 7, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

As Ontario updates its building code to allow taller wood structures, the City of North Bay is leading by example with a state-of-the-art recreation centre built using nail-laminated mass timber panels. The City hosted WoodWorks and the Canadian Wood Council today for a site tour at the new North Bay Community and Recreation Centre, which highlighted the use of mass timber construction. …Steven Street, Executive Director of WoodWorks Ontario… “Mass timber construction not only supports local jobs and communities, it also highlights the region’s manufacturing expertise and strengthens forest industry supply chains, demonstrating how homegrown, renewable resources can deliver high-performance, low-carbon buildings that benefit people, the environment, and regional economies.” …Updates to the Ontario Building Code became effective January 1, which now allow mass timber buildings up to 18 storeys, making wood a viable low-carbon alternative to traditional building materials such as steel and concrete.

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Ontario Investing $10 Million in Forest Sector Innovation at Daiken North America

By Ministry of Natural Resources
Government of Ontario
October 6, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

HUNTSVILLE — The Ontario government is investing $10 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program to help Daiken North America upgrade its laminated board production line at its manufacturing facility in Huntsville. This investment will help the company bring a first-of-its-kind wood panel product to market, create jobs and boost productivity. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is making strategic investments to help forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of U.S. tariffs. …Daiken’s $70 million project will equip them to manufacture a new type of wood panel used in flooring, recreational vehicles and modular housing, while supporting 128 existing jobs and creating 10 new jobs. This made-in-Ontario forest product is the first of its kind in the world, offering a higher-performance, lower-cost alternative to imported material. 

 

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Canada’s last hockey stick factory survives in face of tariff threats, globalization

By Kelvin Chan
The Chronicle Journal
October 6, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

BRANTFORD, Ontario — In the Roustan Hockey production line, workers are busy shaping, trimming, sanding, painting and screen printing as they turn lumber into a Canadian national symbol. The 15 workers at Canada’s last major hockey stick factory, are located 100 kilometres southwest of Toronto. The operation has origins that date back to the 1800s and has survived decades of trade globalization to hang on as the last North American commercial manufacturer of traditional wooden hockey sticks. Now it’s facing fresh headwinds from the trade war launched by U.S. President Donald Trump …Bo Crawford, the factory’s general manager, said shipments to the U.S. have been held up for manual inspections at the border, where they’ve been hit with surprise tariffs, which the company’s customs broker has managed to get waived. …CEO Graeme Roustan acknowledges that the wooden hockey stick market is not a growth industry and, at best, production will hold steady.

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The Buildings Show 2025: Setting the stage for Canada’s construction future

By Robin MacLennan, Editor, Ontario Construction News
Ontario Construction News
October 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

For more than 35 years, The Buildings Show has been the gathering place for Canada’s building industry, bringing together leaders, innovators and practitioners for three days of learning, networking and discovery. This year’s event — running December 3–5 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre — is shaping up to be the most dynamic yet. …New for 2025, the Canadian Wood Council joins forces with The Buildings Show to introduce WoodWorks, integrating technical expertise and sustainable material innovation directly into the event. With new Friday programming and offsite WoodWorks education, the conference line-up is stronger than ever. To mark the countdown to The Buildings Show, Ontario Construction News is launching a video series featuring expert voices from across the industry. …In this first video, Clive Thurston, President of Thurston Consulting Services, talks about what makes Canada’s construction industry unique compared to its global counterparts.

Additional coverage from The Buildings Show: WoodWorks at The Buildings Show – incredible opportunity for all professionals of the built environment to immerse themselves in the latest innovations in wood-based design and construction.

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Inside an office building that mirrors its mission with construction

By David Israelson
The Globe and Mail
September 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

The design and construction of the new headquarters of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is a nod to the agency’s environmental work. The $56-million structure, which took nine years to complete – partly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic – officially opened in April. It’s an airy, open-concept, four-storey building that’s 86,000 square feet and made with mass timber – a low-carbon, fire-resistant construction material. …Mass-timber construction is on the uptick in Canada, with a recent report revealing that nearly 700 projects have been completed across the country, while more than 140 are either under construction or in the planning stages. Nature Resources Canada says mass-timber buildings can meet or exceed fire code safety requirements and they are capable of lasting hundreds of years, proving their resilience and longevity. …At a time when many workers are being ordered to return to office, an attractive, eco- and user-friendly building can be motivating for them to show up…

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The Mass Timber Tipping Point Is Closer Than You Think

By Vincent Martinez and Scott Francisco
ARCHITECT Magazine
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Mass timber is gaining momentum as a structural material that, along with many other attributes, can reduce the embodied carbon in new buildings and retrofits. Despite this potential, and widespread enthusiasm in the design community, the uptake of mass timber has been relatively slow. Architecture 2030 and Pilot Projects Collaborative’s new report, Mass Timber Tipping Point, provides a cross section of experiences from design firms of all shapes and sizes and uncovers the most common challenges that hinder design firms in delivering these innovative construction systems. Authors Vincent Martinez, CEO of Architecture 2030, and Scott Francisco, Founder and Director of Pilot Projects, provide their insights on the findings. ….The report shows that architects and engineers are eager to innovate, collaborate, and drive change—but they cannot do it alone. The shift will demand new levels of awareness, coordination, and skills across all sectors and stakeholders delivering our built environment.

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U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities administers $5 million in Wood Innovation Grants

US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

As National Forest Products Week is observed each October, the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities is highlighting one of its partner programs that supports and advances US-based manufacturing. The Endowment is administering $5 million of the USDA Forest Service’s $80 million Wood Innovation Grants program, overseeing 18 individual projects across the country. Each project includes matching funds from subaward recipients, resulting in a total impact of approximately $10 million. Together, these investments will advance wood product manufacturing, strengthen forest management and foster energy innovation for timber-producing communities. …“Our forests are only as strong as the markets that sustain them. Through programs like the Wood Innovation Grants, we’re creating new opportunities for innovation while reinforcing the resilience of both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Strengthening U.S. wood products manufacturing is necessary to achieve these goals.”

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Climate-friendly wooden buildings rise across U.S. and Europe

By Adam Kaminsky
Trellis (formerly GreenBiz)
October 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

While sustainable solutions are facing drastic funding cuts, mass timber as a sustainable construction material is steadily gaining traction across the US. Construction using mass timber began in 2015 in the US, and since then the number of projects has grown about 20% annually. Today, over 2,500 mass timber projects are built or in progress in the US, including corporate offices for companies such as Google, Microsoft and Under Armour. …“We have lots of tech firms and big companies that say, ‘Hey, we’re battling it out for workers. We want the best space possible,’” said Bill Parsons, COO at WoodWorks. …Legislation that promotes and programs that fund mass timber, such as the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act and the Wood Innovations Grant Program from the USDA, are still progressing. …Studies have shown that living or working in a mass timber building improves occupants’ mental health and well-being, even lowering their blood pressure and heart rates.

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The Softwood Lumber Board’s Impact—Now and in the Years Ahead

The Softwood Lumber Board
September 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The September monthly update from the Softwood Lumber Board includes these headlines and more:

  • The SLB Generated 438 MM BF of Incremental Lumber Demand in Q2: Q2 Report highlights strategy to drive long-term demand for lumber through education, code advancements, project support, and compelling content—efforts that will protect, expand, and diversify markets.
  • The SLB’s Strategic Plan to Grow Light-Frame by +1.4 BBF Annually:  new strategic plan sets a bold target: 2.9 BBF in new annual lumber demand by 2035.
  • Industry Leaders Highlight Common Goals of North American Lumber Industry: This month, Brad Thorlakson, Executive Chairman of Tolko Industries, and George Emmerson, Board Chairman of Sierra Pacific Industries, highlight how producers throughout North America share a common passion for the sustainability and growth of our industry.
  • The SLB Backs Global Framework to Increase Lumber Demand: Built by Nature’s Principles for Responsible Timber Construction is a first-of-its-kind global framework to ensure building with wood benefits climate, nature, and people.

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Ironworkers: The Best Kept Secret in Mass Timber Construction

By International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
Globe Newswire
September 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Washington, D.C. – When most people think of ironworkers, mass timber is not the first thing that comes to mind. But that perception is changing fast. The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (Iron Workers), is proving that ironworkers are not only part of the mass timber conversation, but they are the best equipped trade to erect these projects. From landmark projects like the Walmart Headquarters in Arkansas, erected by Iron Workers’ signatory contractor Foust Fab & Erectors, to countless hybrid timber-and-steel structures across the United States and Canada, ironworkers are quietly setting the standard for mass timber erection. Ironworkers have proven that their structural steel expertise, efficiency, and safety culture make them the #1 choice for this growing market. …Our mass timber training is in partnership with WoodWorks, and therefore, third-party validated,” said Iron Workers Executive Director of Apprenticeship and Training James Owens. 

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Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation debuts forest products interactive map

By Anita Hollier
Montana Right Now
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) has launched an online interactive map showing forest product manufacturers across the state. The new tool helps landowners, contractors, and community members locate nearby mills and connect with partners for forest management and wood processing projects. Each facility listing includes details such as product types, wood species used, and company size, with direct links to their websites. “Beyond helping Montanans find nearby mills, the map highlights manufacturing capacity that supports forest restoration, fuels reduction, and local jobs,” said Marc Vessar, DNRC forest practices program manager.

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Developer faces $25M shortfall on Milwaukee mass timber tower

By Ethan Duran
Finance & Commerce
October 10, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

MILWAUKEE — Madison-based Neutral, the developer behind the Neutral.Edison timber tower, which paused work in downtown Milwaukee, was found to be short $25 million of its project budget. The developer and city officials discussed how to ensure the project can move forward. …The tower would be the tallest mass timber building in North America. However, construction paused unexpectedly in September, and Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith Construction has been absent from their site. Neutral cited rising costs and tariffs as reasons behind the project’s pause. Much of the foundation has already been poured and some C.D. Smith workers were seen dismantling the site. With winter a few months away, city officials discussed potential outcomes for the development. …Bauman wants the DCD to issue a new request for proposal for the parking garage. At the same meeting, the commissioner asked for time until Neutral could sort out its issues at the Edison site. 

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Clemson institute works with industry on new markets for South Carolina timber

By Jonathan Veit
Clemson University News
September 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

CLEMSON, S.C. — With South Carolina’s forestry and forest products industries facing significant headwinds, Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D) convened industry, government and academic leaders Sept. 24 at the Madren Conference Center to explore new products and markets for the state’s abundant timber. The meeting took place amid a series of high-profile mill closures, including those of International Paper in Georgetown, the WestRock plant in Charleston, International Paper in Savannah, and the Containerboard Mill in Riceboro, which have reduced market capacity and disrupted the wood supply chain. …The open house showcased how WU+D and its partners hope to transform wood side-streams, which are by-products from pulp mills and sawmills once considered waste, into valuable materials such as lignin-based asphalt binders, advanced wood pulp adjuvants for agriculture, multifunctional bio-based coatings for mass timber and high-performance oriented strand board.

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Pulp mill waste becomes green solution to remove toxic dyes

By University of Arkansas
Phys.Org
September 26, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Dyes like Congo red and methyl orange create brightly hued shirts, sweaters and dresses. But these commonly used azo dyes can be toxic, carcinogenic and are hard to remove from wastewater. David Chem, a University of Arkansas Ph.D. candidate, developed an environmentally friendly solution to remove these dyes using a common byproduct of the pulp and paper industry. Azo dyes are used in 60%–70% of commercial textile production. The dyes dissolve easily in water and resist biodegradation, which makes them an environmental hazard. …To remove azo dyes from water, Chem started with lignin, a low-cost, widely available biopolymer derived from plant cell walls. …The modified lignin removed 96% of the Congo red dye and 81% of the methyl orange dye. With this method, both the dyes and the lignin can be reused. “The process is really scalable. It’s a relatively green process. And it is highly effective,” Chem said.

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The Annual Australian Timber Design Award winners for 2025 were announced in Melbourne

Australian Timber Design Awards
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

MELBOURNE, Australia — The 2025 Annual Australian Timber Design Award winners were recently announced at Rydges Melbourne CBD. Actress and sustainability campaigner Rebecca Gilling announced Archer Office as the winner of the Grand Prix for their outstanding Boot Factory in Bondi Junction, NSW. The Boot Factory is a striking example of how timber can breathe new life into a heritage structure. Originally built in 1892 and condemned before works began, the building has been transformed into a civic innovation hub using an adaptive reuse methodology. The designers have retained the original brick perimeter walls, and completely reconstructed the interior and roof with a new glue-laminated Australian hardwood structure. …Timber Development Association CEO Andrew Dunn said the awards “continue to affirm timber’s place at the forefront of contemporary architecture. this year’s entries not only display extraordinary design quality but also highlight timber’s evolving role as a driver of sustainable, resilient, and human-centred spaces.”

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Alternative building materials are on the rise, but some people are not happy

By Bevin Liu
The Fifth Estate Australia
October 15, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Several parliamentarians, key industry players and alternative materials start-ups in hemp, engineered bamboo and engineered timber attended an event designed to focus a spotlight on the new world of possibilities in building materials. The WWF and Forest Alliance NSW event was intended to showcase sustainable alternatives to timber products …with the protection of the proposed Great Koala National Park at the centre of conversations. The event was further by the Parliamentary Friends of Forests. Attending as exhibitors were House of Bamboo, Hemp Inside, Bamboo Society Australia, Australian Hemp Council, iHempNSW, BVN Architecture and betti & knutt. While XLAM … was originally on the list of presenters, an industry source says the pressure from forestry sources had forced the company to pull out. …Susie Russell was particularly inspired by House of Bamboo, realizing that similar products to timber can be made from bamboo, which only takes five years to grow.

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Osaka Expo’s Grand Ring timber to be reused for housing in Ishikawa

The Japan Times
October 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

OSAKA – Timber used in the Grand Ring, a symbol of the World Exposition in Osaka, will be reused for public housing to aid recovery from last year’s strong earthquake and heavy rain in Ishikawa Prefecture, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Suzu, an Ishikawa city heavily damaged in the disasters, will receive the dismantled timber from the world’s largest wooden architectural structure free of charge after the expo closes on Oct. 13. “We want to carry on the expo’s legacy and make it a symbol of our recovery,” a Suzu city official said. The ring structure was built with wood including Japanese cedar and cypress. A portion of the roughly 2-kilometer loop measuring about 200 meters will remain on the expo ground as part of the site’s preservation plan.

From the EXPO 2025 Blog: The Grand Ring was recognised by Guinness World Records on March 4, 2025 as “The largest wooden architectural structure”.

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U.S. stamp of approval paves way for Japan cedar exports

By Japan Wood Products Export Association
The Japan Times
September 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

In April, the American Lumber Standard Committee’s Board of Review approved the design values of two-by-four dimension lumber for sugi (Cryptomeria japonica, or Japanese cedar). This follows approval granted in April 2024 for hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa, or Japanese cypress). This latest approval allows Japanese cedar to be used for building in the United States… Until now, exports of domestic timber have been on the rise, but roughly 50% of it had been exported as logs to countries such as China. Given that two-by-four construction is the standard method for homebuilding in the U.S., this new approval is expected to lead to an expansion of exports. …Sugi and hinoki are widely used as building material in Japan. However, gaining broader acceptance in other countries requires building trust. The U.S. recognition of its design strength is a significant step because it provides numerical evidence that Japanese cedar is suitable for architectural use.

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Wood pulp-based foams can be used to create smart packaging, research finds

Packaging Insights
September 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

FINLAND — Scientists are investigating the use of nanocellulose-based porous foam materials in stimuli-responsive smart packaging, water purification, and wireless communications. The doctoral dissertation of Mohammad Karzarjeddi at the University of Oulu, Finland, highlights how cellulose applications can help reduce reliance on fossil-based materials. Stimulus-responsive materials react to external cues, which allows for intelligent and active packaging that adapts to humidity, temperature, light, and pH. Karzarjeddi’s work focuses on a kind of lightweight foams known as aerogels. …“Cellulose is converted into hydrogels consisting of thin and strong cellulose nanofibers, which are then dried and reassembled into aerogels: ultra-light, highly porous solids made mostly of air,” explains Karzarjeddi. “Aerogels can be engineered for multiple high-end applications, such as removing pollutants from water, creating smart packaging that reacts to moisture or temperature, and serving as lightweight materials in wireless and radio-frequency telecommunication technologies.”

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Construction of Mass Timber Building T3 RiNo Now Complete

Mile High CRE
September 24, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building

©LinkedIn Eric Laignel

T3 RiNo, a groundbreaking six-story mass timber, Class-A, mixed-use office building in the heart of Denver’s vibrant RiNo (River North) neighborhood, has reached substantial completion. T3 RiNo was developed in collaboration with Hines, McCaffery, and La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), and sets a new standard for sustainable, innovative, and community-centric design. The “T3” stands for Timber, Transit, and Technology, elements woven into the building via thoughtful timber design, proximity to multiple transit options, and building systems focused on the needs of today’s tenants. All timber utilized was sourced from supplier Nordic Structures and manufactured by Chantiers Chibougamau in Québec, Canada. Pickard Chilton, an award-winning architecture studio best known for its innovative and cutting-edge design of corporate headquarters and campuses, served as the building’s design architect; the project team also included DLR Group, Whiting-Turner, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Alvine Engineering, and S.A Miro.

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