BUILDEX and Canadian Wood Council Bring Cutting Edge Wood-Based Design and Construction to All Professionals of the Built Environment
Vancouver, BC, September 19, 2024 – Informa Connect and the Canadian Wood Council announce their collaboration, WoodWorks at BUILDEX, integrating WoodWorks’ technical expertise and wood products industry representation into BUILDEX Vancouver, February 26 – 27, 2025. This initiative builds on a shared commitment to advancing Canada’s built environment and expands BUILDEX’s focus on innovative materials, design, and construction practices. WoodWorks at BUILDEX offers an exceptional opportunity for all professionals of the built environment to immerse themselves in the latest innovations in wood-based design and construction through: Rick Jeffery, President and CEO, Canadian Wood Council, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “Working with Informa Connect to bring WoodWorks to BUILDEX Vancouver in 2025 allows us to concentrate on one of our core strengths—delivering industry-leading educational content, technical support, and access to leading wood product providers—at Canada’s most progressive design, construction and real estate event.” Sherida Sessa, SVP for North America at Informa Connect, added “British Columbia is recognized as a global leader in wood-based design and construction, and this partnership solidifies BUILDEX as a key destination for technical expertise, innovation and leadership in the wood products industry.” WoodWorks at BUILDEX amplifies BUILDEX Vancouver’s core offering to Canadian and North America’s design and construction leaders: timely market insights, respected technical knowledge, transformative networking, and exposure to the materials and technologies at the forefront of Canada’s built environment. BUILDEX Vancouver will take place February 26 – 27, 2025, at the Vancouver Convention Centre West, attracting over 8,500 developers, architects, engineers, builders, designers, suppliers, and real estate professionals. Register now at www.BUILDEXVancouver.com to secure your place and witness the latest in progressive design and construction trends.
Mass Timber Insurance Action Plan Phase 1 Report – Test
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.
Canadian Wood Council and George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute to co-host WoodWorks Summit in Toronto
Ottawa, Toronto | 27 March 2024] – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) and George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI) are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership aimed at fostering education in sustainable construction practices. Under this partnership, the CWC and BSI will join forces on various initiatives dedicated to accelerating the adoption of sustainable wood construction. Central to this effort is the WoodWorks Summit, which the organizations will co-host in Toronto October 21-25, 2024. The Summit promises to be a dynamic collection of events that will bring together industry leaders, practitioners, academics, and policymakers to explore the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in wood construction and sustainability. “We are excited to embark on this collaborative journey with the Brookfield Sustainability Institute,” said Martin Richard, VP of Market Development and Communications at the Canadian Wood Council. “Together, we aim to drive innovation, share knowledge, and accelerate the adoption of sustainable wood construction.” The WoodWorks Summit will feature an engaging lineup of events, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, tours, and networking sessions. Attendees can expect to engage with cutting-edge research, best practices, and real-world case studies, all aimed at demonstrating the use of wood as an innovative, high-performance, sustainable building material. “Our partnership with the Canadian Wood Council underscores our commitment to advancing sustainability in the built environment,” remarked Jacob Kessler, Director of Business Development & Account Management at the Brookfield Sustainability Institute. “By combining our expertise and resources, we can make significant strides to empower the design and construction community with the practical knowledge and technical resources needed to create healthier, more resilient communities with a reduced carbon footprint.” Through this collaboration, the CWC and BSI aim to catalyze positive change within the construction industry. For more information about the WoodWorks Summit, please visit www.woodworkssummit.ca.
Fire Fighting in Canada Article – Timber Tower
Article by Len Garis and Karin Mark.
When assistant deputy fire chief Ray Bryant heard about construction of the tallest wood building in the world in Vancouver, his reaction was predictable. “I thought it was an insane idea,” Bryant said. But once Bryant learned about the compartment-style construction of the student residence at the University of British Columbia, his opinion changed. “I couldn’t believe how safe it is,” he said. Read the article.
Community Resource Centre
The Greenfield Community Resource Centre and Elementary School is located in a small, isolated forestry community in Nova Scotia where 16.1 % of employment is provided by the forestry sector. This forestry based community is proud of its local heritage. Indeed, in 1987 it was dubbed the “Forestry Capital of Canada” and to this day has a “Build First with Wood” policy in place for new construction. The Resource Centre, valued at $1.3 million Canadian dollars, was built by a non-profit community group to replace an insufficient and outdated building that was over 60 years old.
