OTTAWA, Ontario – Encapsulated mass timber construction up to 12 stories tall will be allowed under national codes released March 28. The 2020 National Model Codes provide an updated set of model construction codes that will make Canadian homes and buildings “safer and more accessible while responding to climate change,” said Kevin Griffiths, Chair, Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC). The new Codes include the National Building Code of Canada 2020, the National Fire Code of Canada 2020, the National Plumbing Code of Canada 2020, and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2020. …Current provincial and territorial building, fire, plumbing and energy regulations will remain in effect until the 2020 Codes are adopted, with or without modifications, by the provincial or territorial authorities having jurisdiction. The 2020 Codes are available through the NRC’s Publications Archive.
Additional Coverage: New National Model Building Codes Released – Prioritize Safety, Accessibility, Climate Readiness
The federal government has announced 2030 GHG reduction targets covering a broad range of industry sectors. …The construction sector itself was not specifically named in the announced breakdownof GHG emitters, despite the fact 40 per cent of global GHGs come from the creation and operation of buildings. …Although not singled out, construction is nevertheless part of the overall solution sought by the federal government. It’s simply hidden deep in the report’s details. …“Building codes are key enablers of a net-zero buildings sector. Strong building codes set the baseline for building performance and lock in best practices in construction,” the report says. …Ambitions for “wide-scale adoption” will likely fall short. Energy efficiency and building experts say the newly released 2020 National Building Code (NBC), two years late and seven years in the making, represents a very small improvement over the 2015NBC.”
Construction using mass timber remains a viable option for addressing the labour and productivity challenges builders face, but unpredictable costs have made it a tough proposition in the current environment. According to a panel discussion hosted by the B.C. chapter of the Urban Land Institute mass timber checks several boxes, including environmental, economic and human resource factors. “The annual growth in productivity for the construction sector post-World War Two is 0.1 per cent per year,” said Peter Moonen, with the Canadian Wood Council. “Mass timber will play a role in enabling the construction sector to have industrialized production.” …But the dramatic escalation in the price of wood and other materials over the past year has thrown a wild card into the deck. …Supply chain issues also play a role, underscoring the need for a guaranteed route to market for mass timber. …Moonen said the global demand for CLT is anticipated to reach upwards of 3 million cubic metres by 2025. 
BC Wood is pleased to announce that Provincial funding for the Wood First Program has been approved for the coming year. Beginning April 1st, 2022, we will be coordinating and delivering an exciting lineup of activities to assist you in your marketing and business development! These activities include: Marketing and Business Assessments; Company Projects; and Workshops. 
CORNWALL, Ontario — So, what are you going to finish the surface of your backyard deck with? Most retail markets will offer three choices, with those options being treated lumber, western red cedar, and composite (PVC) planking. Sure, there are other products to choose from, such as vinyl roll-on decking… cooked pine …and, IPE. …A treated lumber deck will cost about $2.50 per square foot. A cedar deck will cost about $5 per square foot. And, a composite deck will set you back about $8.50 per square foot. Now price isn’t always everything, but it probably accounts for the fact treated lumber is still the most chosen decking product. …Cedar decking, même chose. Although cedar is a terrific specie to use on your deck, it’ll look even more spectacular if you fasten it from underneath.
The rules have changed in Ontario in order to make it easier for firefighters to be aware of lightweight construction of roofs before they go into a burning building. Local fire chiefs are welcoming the announcement.On March 17, 2011, firefighters Ken Rea and Ray Walter were killed in Listowel, Ontario when the roof of a burning commercial building collapsed. …In 2017, MP Randy Pettapiece introduced a private member’s bill in Ontario called the Rea and Walter Act. Rather than adopt the changes through legislation, the Ministry has announced amendments to the Ontario Building Code which will require municipal Chief Building Officials across the province to notify local fire departments when buildings other than houses will be constructed or renovated using lightweight materials. …Pettapiece also announced that the Ontario government has requested that lightweight construction identification be harmonized and required in building codes across Canada.
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Early in the pandemic, toilet paper shortages pushed weary Americans to the fringes. Out of necessity, millions tried rolls made from recycled paper or bamboo. And what they found surprised them. These alternatives were actually soft, far from the sandpaper-ish versions they grudgingly used at their office or in a public restroom. That revelation is shaking up what had been a stable — even boring — category that racked up about US$10 billion at U.S. retailers last year. Purchase patterns for toilet paper have historically been simple and lucrative: Shoppers found a brand, like Charmin, and bought it like clockwork every few weeks for years, even decades. But all those empty shelves … opened them up to emerging brands — some backed by venture capital — making claims about softness similar to those that had dominated the category for half a century, while adding a benefit for this era: saving the planet.
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