Canadian Wood Council Announces Leadership Transition
OTTAWA, ON, June 18, 2026 – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) announces that Rick Jeffery will retire from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the CWC effective June 30, 2026, following a distinguished career of leadership and service to Canada’s wood products industry. “Rick Jeffery’s tenure at CWC has been characterized by strategic vision, consistent leadership, and an unwavering dedication to promoting wood construction across Canada,” says Board Chair, Philippe Clune. “Under his direction, the CWC advanced codes and standards, strengthened its partnership with the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), and raised the profile of the WoodWorks program from coast to coast. Rick leaves behind a more resilient, unified organization and an industry better positioned to help Canada achieve its housing and sustainability goals. He will be sincerely missed, but his legacy will continue to shape the future of wood construction for years to come.” CWC Past Chair, Kevin Pankratz, agrees. “Over the last 4 years, Rick has led the organization through very challenging times in our industry. The legacy of strong leadership that he leaves behind will ensure the future success of the CWC.” The Canadian Wood Council’s Board of Directors, staff, members, and partners extend their sincere gratitude to Rick for his many contributions to the organization and wish him every success and happiness in retirement. “It has been a privilege to serve as President and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council and to work alongside such a dedicated team of staff, members, partners, and industry leaders,” said Rick Jeffery. Together, we have advanced the use of wood in the built environment, strengthened the voice of our industry, and built a strong foundation for future growth. I am proud of what we have accomplished and deeply grateful for the relationships and friendships developed along the way. I leave knowing the organization is in capable hands and well positioned to continue creating opportunities for Canada’s wood products sector.” The CWC Board of Directors has appointed Derek Nighbor as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Derek currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of FPAC, a role he has held since March 2016 and will retain. He has worked closely with CWC leadership in recent years, and his appointment reflects the importance of increased collaboration across the forest sector and wood building construction value chains to deliver on affordable housing, increase the use of Canadian wood in building construction, and strengthen the domestic industry in the face of growing geo-political and trade challenges. “As an industry and as a country, we find ourselves in a critical moment – we need to build more affordable homes, accelerate innovation to develop future-ready building systems and communities, and protect and grow jobs to make our economy more resilient for the long-term,” says Nighbor. “In crisis there is always opportunity. We are fortunate to have among the best technical minds in the wood building construction space at CWC and across the regional WoodWorks and Cecobois networks. I’m excited to get to work with them to grow our on-the-ground partnerships and to build more Canadian homes and infrastructure with Canadian wood.” The Canadian Wood Council remains committed to advancing the use of wood in the built environment and supporting a strong, innovative, and competitive wood products industry across Canada. Under Derek’s leadership, CWC will continue delivering the programs, services, and results that members and partners rely upon. About the Canadian Wood Council The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is Canada’s unifying voice for the wood products industry. As a national federation of associations, its members represent hundreds of manufacturers across the country. CWC supports its members by accelerating market demand for wood products and championing responsible leadership through excellence in codes, standards, and regulations. CWC also delivers technical support and knowledge transfer for the construction sector through its market leading WoodWorks program. For more information, please contact: Sarah Hicks, Communications & Outreach Manager, CWC [email protected] | 1-705-796-3381
Canadian Wood Council Announces New Board Chair
Ottawa, ON – June 17, 2026 – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is pleased to announce that Philippe Clune was appointed to the role of Board Chair at the organization’s Annual General Meeting today. Clune succeeds Kevin Pankratz, who has completed his term as Chair after providing dedicated service to the organization and Canada’s wood products sector. “On behalf of the CWC, I would like to thank Kevin for his leadership and valuable contributions during his tenure as Chair,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the CWC. “Kevin has been a strong advocate for collaboration across the industry and has helped guide the organization through an important period of growth and alignment.” Nighbor also welcomed Clune to the role. “As Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Domtar, Philippe brings extensive industry knowledge, strategic insight, and a commitment to advancing the use of wood in the built environment,” said Nighbor. “I look forward to working with him as we continue strengthening CWC’s role as a national voice for the wood products industry and delivering value for our members and partners.” As a member of the CWC Board of Directors, Clune has been actively engaged in shaping the organization’s strategic priorities and supporting its work on behalf of Canada’s wood products industry. “I am honoured to serve as Chair of the Canadian Wood Council’s Board of Directors,” said Clune. “I would like to thank Kevin for his leadership and contributions over the past three years. I look forward to working with my fellow directors, member delegates, and the CWC team to continue advancing the use of wood in the built environment and supporting a strong future for Canada’s wood products industry.” About the Canadian Wood Council Founded in 1959, the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is Canada’s unifying voice for the wood products industry. As a national federation of associations, its members represent hundreds of manufacturers across the country. CWC supports its members by expanding market opportunities for wood products and championing excellence in codes, standards, regulations, technical support, and education. For more information, please contact: Sarah Hicks, Communications & Outreach Manager, CWC [email protected] | 1-705-796-3381
Canadian Wood Council Annual Report 2025
The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to share its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a year of strong performance, strategic collaboration, and progress advancing wood construction in Canada.
Wood Design & Building Magazine, vol 25, issue 103
This issue of Wood Design & Building is, in many ways, about relationships. Relationships between materials and place, between education and practice, and between forestry and the built environment. And perhaps most importantly, the relationships being built by the people at all points along the path from forest to finished building who are sharing their knowledge, experience and passion for wood buildings. That exchange of knowledge is strengthening confidence, capability, and collaboration throughout the design and construction community. In our interview with Dr. Blériot Feujofack, Education Manager at the Canadian Wood Council, we explore how new learning opportunities and accessible industry knowledge are helping prepare the next generation of designers and builders. In Lloyd Alter’s article, A Treehugger Goes Logging, we are reminded that building with wood also means understanding where the material comes from and appreciating the depth of knowledge required to manage forests sustainably. By sharing perspectives across forestry, manufacturing, and construction, the article highlights the people and practices that shape the material long before it reaches the built environment. That spirit of collaboration and shared learning is also reflected in our featured projects. In Saskatoon, the misiwe-kisik | One Sky school demonstrates how a project team’s commitment to doing something special for the community helped foster the collaboration and innovation required to use century-old, reclaimed nail-laminated timber from decommissioned grain elevators. The project’s Cree name, reflecting connection, belonging, and relationship across communities, feels equally fitting for a sector increasingly shaped by collaboration and shared ambition. What makes this moment remarkable is not only what we are building, but how we are learning to build it together.
Explore the redesigned CWC eLearning Centre
To help support the next generation of building professionals, the Canadian Wood Council is proud to introduce the redesigned CWC eLearning Centre, a flexible online learning platform focused on advanced wood construction, engineered wood systems, and innovative building solutions.
Mass Timber Insurance Action Plan Phase 1 Report
Mass Timber Insurance Action Plan – Phase 1 Report examines one of the most significant barriers to scaling mass timber construction in Canada: access to affordable and reliable insurance. While mass timber offers clear advantages in sustainability, performance, and long-term value, course-of-construction insurance rates remain disproportionately high—often several times those of concrete and steel—driven largely by limited data and insurer unfamiliarity rather than demonstrated risk. Led by the Climate Smart Buildings Alliance and the Canadian Wood Council, and supported by Natural Resources Canada, this report summarizes the findings from Phase 1 of a national action plan developed in collaboration with insurance and building industry stakeholders. It evaluates the feasibility of four targeted solutions focused on data sharing, insurer-relevant research, contractor verification, and expanding insurance capacity. Bringing together technical insight and industry perspectives, the report outlines practical pathways to reduce risk perception, improve market confidence, and unlock greater adoption of mass timber construction across Canada.
Tall Wood Feasibility Study
Tall Wood Feasibility Study: Mass Timber and Concrete explores the economic, construction, and environmental performance of a proposed 12-storey residential development in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Developed through a side-by-side comparison of optimized mass timber and concrete schemes, this study examines how material choice influences project cost, schedule, financial returns, and embodied carbon. Beyond a direct cost comparison, it provides insight into how mass timber can support construction efficiency, earlier occupancy, long-term asset value, and meaningful product differentiation in the rental market. The publication includes detailed analysis of design strategy, risk mitigation, development economics, scheduling, and structural carbon impacts—offering developers, investors, designers, and project teams practical data that demonstrates the viability of tall wood construction at this scale.
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Stay connected to the ideas, projects, and technical insights shaping wood design and construction across Canada and beyond. Wood Design & Building magazine is published six times per year and delivers award-winning projects, expert perspectives, and practical guidance on all forms of wood construction.
2026 Wood Design & Building Awards Call for Submissions Now Open
OTTAWA, ON, April 15, 2026 – The Canadian Wood Council is accepting submissions for the 2026 Wood Design & Building Awards. The prestigious annual program, now in its 42nd year, invites architects, designers, and project teams from across North America and around the world to submit their most inspiring wood projects for consideration. “The program is a celebration of architectural excellence,” says Ioana Lazea, Senior Manager for the program at the Canadian Wood Council. “Year after year, it brings forward the creativity, ambition, and craft of the industry’s leading designers, those pushing wood to new heights and redefining what’s possible in the built environment.” In a time when technology is rapidly transforming how we design and build, wood architecture is evolving in remarkable ways. Each year, the program showcases some of the most compelling and beautiful buildings in the world, but increasingly, these projects are also defined by the sophistication of the systems behind them. Advances in wood products, engineering, and prefabrication are enabling new forms, greater efficiency, and expanded possibilities, while still delivering spaces that feel warm, natural, and deeply human. Wood design innovation is happening at every scale, from refined small projects to ambitious, city-shaping developments. Together they celebrate a material uniquely positioned to respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing the architectural profession today. Submissions will be reviewed by a distinguished jury of Canadian and American architects. Projects will be evaluated based on creativity, design excellence, and the innovative and appropriate use of wood to achieve project objectives. Award categories for 2026 include: Non-residential Residential Adaptive Reuse, Additions, and Renovations International Building Other (e.g. exterior structures, bridges) The program also includes several specialty awards: Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Award Real Cedar Award Wood Preservation Canada (WPC) Award Regional WoodWorks Awards for Ontario, British Columbia, and the Prairies Winners will receive a custom wood trophy and be recognized through a media announcement, social media, a feature profile on the Wood Innovation Network, and editorial coverage in Wood Design & Building Magazine (digital edition). Key Dates: Early Bird Deadline – May 31, 2026 Submission Deadline – June 26, 2026 For more information and to submit your project, please visit: https://cwc.ca/wood-design-and-building-awards/ For media inquiries, please contact: Sarah Hicks Communications and Outreach Manager Canadian Wood Council [email protected] | 1-705-796-3381 About the Canadian Wood Council The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is Canada’s unifying voice for the wood products industry. As a national federation of associations, our members represent hundreds of manufacturers across the country. Our mission is to support our members by accelerating market demand for wood products and championing responsible leadership through excellence in codes, standards, and regulations. We also deliver technical support and knowledge transfer for the construction sector through our market leading WoodWorks program.
Wood Design & Building Magazine, vol 25, issue 102
This issue of Wood Design & Building explores how intentional design can carry culture, support community, and foster connection. The projects featured here demonstrate how a clear vision can transform a building into an environment grounded in purpose, identity, and care, reflecting both people and place. Several projects in this issue centre Indigenous perspectives and priorities. The Membertou First Nation office building, the Weliankweyasimk Women’s Shelter, and the Chief Leonard George residential building each reflect cultural knowledge, respond to community needs, and create spaces of safety, continuity, and belonging. Wood is a consistent presence throughout. Long associated with shelter and refuge, it is also a material of gathering, warmth, and shared experience. It is no coincidence that projects grounded in human wellbeing so often turn to wood. This connection is present in many cultures. Our WoodWare feature on FinnFox, for example, highlights the part wooden saunas play supporting health and building community in Nordic (and Canadian) sauna culture. At the same time, building with wood is not simply a return to the past. While it reconnects us with cultural knowledge and longstanding practices, it also reflects a growing recognition of wood as a high-performance, renewable material for contemporary construction. This is evident in the Chief Leonard George Building, Canada’s first tall mass timber residential building constructed to the Passive House standard. It demonstrates how thoughtful wood design can both preserve cultural continuity and point toward the future of high-performance, low-carbon construction.
Exposed Mass Timber Calculator
The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to introduce a new design tool: the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator. Developed to support practitioners working with encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC), this tool helps determine whether a compartment design aligns with the 2025 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC). By entering key information about your compartment layout—including size, wall configuration, mass timber elements, and encapsulation details—the calculator evaluates whether the design meets code requirements for exposed mass timber elements. The tool allows users to: Evaluate permissible percentages of exposed mass timber elements (beams, columns, walls, and ceilings) Confirm compliance within suites or fire compartments Identify potential code issues through automated warnings Visualize compartment configurations with a generated 3-D model Review encapsulation requirements and supporting notes This practical calculator helps architects, engineers, and code professionals explore compliant design options more efficiently when working with mass timber construction. Try the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator Photo © Tom Arban
Federal Call for Proposals Opens Under $500M Forest Sector Transformation Investment
February 25, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) — The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) welcomes today’s launch of a national Call for Proposals by the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, under Natural Resources Canada’s forest sector transformation programs. Backed by a $500-million federal commitment, the funding is now open for applications from eligible businesses and organizations across Canada. The call supports projects through four key programs: The Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program The Green Construction Through Wood (GCWood) program The Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) The Global Forest Leadership Program (GloFor) “This strategic investment comes at a pivotal time for Canada’s forest sector,” said Rick Jeffery, President and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council. “These programs can help accelerate modernization, support innovation, and expand the use of advanced wood solutions—strengthening our industry and opportunities within our domestic market while positioning Canada as a global leader in sustainable construction.” Wood solutions are central to Canada’s built environment and economic future. Expanded use of wood in construction can support housing supply goals, reduce embodied carbon, and create new opportunities for growth and value-added manufacturing. The Canadian Wood Council encourages members, partners, and wood products manufacturers to explore these funding opportunities to: innovate and diversify production strengthen domestic demand expand the use of wood in construction support Indigenous participation access emerging markets About the Canadian Wood Council The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is Canada’s unifying voice for the wood products industry. As a national federation of associations, our members represent hundreds of manufacturers across the country. Our mission is to support our members by accelerating market demand for wood products and championing responsible leadership through excellence in codes, standards, and regulations. We also deliver technical support and knowledge transfer for the construction sector through our market leading WoodWorks program. For media inquiries, please contact: Sarah Hicks Communications and Outreach Manager Canadian Wood Council [email protected] | 1-705-796-3381
