Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

VICTORIA, BC — On the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed Lytton, the New Democrats predicted that the village would soon begin to re-emerge from the ashes… predicted that most of the 150 homes, businesses and other buildings destroyed in the fire would be rebuilt by the time the second anniversary rolls around this June 30. It didn’t happen. There’s been no rebuilding to date. Not even a building permit. …As to why B.C. hasn’t done better, excuses abound. When I asked the government for a response, I got back a statement that tried to put the onus back on poor, beleaguered Lytton. …Notwithstanding the vow that “we want to see Lytton rebuilt and rebuilt quickly,” the provincial bureaucracy has contributed to major delays. Others were attributed to the destruction of village records, supply chain issues and the havoc caused on local highways and bridges by record floods in the fall of 2021.

The provincial government in BC is looking at ways to bring housing online faster and more sustainably. Prefabrication and mass timber construction make up only a small portion of the housing built in the province and the housing minister sees regulations ripe for change to make them a more attractive option for builders. “It means you can get projects done at double the speed of traditional methods,” said Ravi Kahlon of pre-fab construction. “We (also) need to look at the building code to find ways to make the ability to use mass timber in housing much more smooth. We know there’s a bias against mass timber in the building code.” …In B.C., houses and townhomes are essentially built from scratch on-site but in much of the world panels are pre-fabricated more efficiently in warehouses and assembled on-site.

People will get a say in how future buildings are constructed in B.C. … as the Province launches a survey on proposed changes to the BC Building Code. …The proposed changes to the BC Building Code are based on the 2020 National Model Codes with some B.C.-specific variations to reflect the province’s geography, climate, local government needs, industry practices and provincial priorities, such as accessibility. A four-week public review invites interested parties to comment on proposed building code changes, including … mass timber construction and earthquake design… People can learn about the proposed changes and provide feedback through an online survey. The Province anticipates adopting the updated BC Building Code this year and bringing it into force in December 2023. The transition period will give local governments, the construction industry, education providers and others governed by the code time to adjust their practices and training materials.

In partnership with the University of British Columbia, Foresight Canada and FPInnovations, the Province of BC will host keynote speakers from international and B.C. organizations on topics such as sustainability, Indigenous leadership and future opportunities in the forest bioeconomy. The Forest Innovation and Bioeconomy Conference (FIBC) will take place in Vancouver from June 19-21, 2023. …The forest bioeconomy is a part of B.C.’s forestry sector and is estimated to create approximately 17,000 new direct and indirect jobs by 2030. B.C.’s bioeconomy uses wood such as bark and branches to make new, innovative products such as textiles, wood-based graphite for electric cars, alternatives to plastic packaging and much more. By 2030, the global market for forest bioproducts is estimated to reach $670 billion. 

If California has its Silicone Valley built on a concentration of tech products, the Quesnel Future of Forestry Think Tank (FFTT) asked why the Cariboo couldn’t be the wood equivalent? …Matyas Kosa is the byproducts lead for West Fraser and is in the thick of those activities. …Kosa explained that Amallin is in the test phase of being an ingredient in asphalt, but most commonly it is in use already as a plywood glue. “I’m happy to report we are on track to fully commercialize it. In fact, we’re pretty much there.” …It takes a company like West Fraser, with large-scale wood inventories, a variety of applications already underway, and the financial resources to invest in the research. Where the science gets done will inevitably be in a number of places, but… “We would like to scale up, here in Quesnel, eventually,” he said.

The Annual GBM is approaching, and we are happy to announce that this September 7th to 9th, we will invite international buyers and specifiers to meet our Canadian suppliers in Whistler, to celebrate our 20th Anniversary!  As most of the world is back to traveling safely, we expect many new Buyers this year, and with the help of our overseas staff, the continued assistance of the federal International Trade Commissioner Service and the provincial Trade & Investment Representatives abroad, we expect a good showing from across the globe. As usual, we can’t just do one thing at a time, so along with the GBM Trade Event, we will host BC Wood’s AGM, deliver WoodTALKS at the GBM – this year featuring the Mass & Heavy Timber Symposium – and the Building Connections program. All these activities are designed to expand our Canadian wood products industry’s international business opportunities.

NEW WESTMINSTER, BC — Aragon has launched Timber House, what it calls North America’s largest residential CLT project in New Westminster, B.C. Kalesnikoff, a Canadian CLT company will provide the material for the project. While the Ascent building in Milwaukee — a hybrid concrete and timber builing — was designated in 2022 by the Council on Tall Buildings as the tallest timber building at 284 feet, Aragon says its 77-unit Timber House residential project is the largest in North America when considering the issue in terms of “most amount of exposed CLT in the interior of any residential project in North America.” …Kalesnikoff offers a mass timber kit-of-parts solution that could be fabricated off-site and installed on-site that the company says provides “complete efficiency.” Kalesnikoff said its CLT materials are shipped and off-loaded on-site in sequence, which is critical for quick and efficient installation that minimizes time and labor costs, the company says. 

WINNIPEG, MB – ‘Let’s Go Build’ is an invitation by the Western Retail Lumber Association’s 1100+ member organizations to future employees. The lumber, building materials and hardgoods industry offers opportunity, growth, stability, and work-life balance and believes in investing in and elevating its people. The ‘Let’s Go Build’ recruitment campaign brings together job opportunities from members based in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Northwest Ontario, Yukon, and Nunavut. The industry is committed to increasing awareness of the opportunities and benefits a career in the industry offers among traditional and non-traditional audiences. The ‘Let’s Go Build’ website is a dedicated hub that will address job seekers’ queries about these industries and clear misperceptions. It will bridge the gap between employers and employees; the ‘Build Your Career’ page will list job openings at the 1100+ member organizations and will be continually updated.