OTTAWA/CNW/ – The Canadian wood industry marked the second annual World Wood Day on Friday, March 21, with a significant initiative aimed at ensuring Canadians, from builders, contractors and architects to environmentalists and policymakers, have the information they need to make informed decisions about building five- and six-storey mid-rise buildings with wood.
The Canadian Wood Council and its partners have developed the new online resource WoodFacts, aimed at providing relevant, easily understandable and timely information related to safety, building codes, environmental impact and the economic benefits of building with Canadian wood products. The website provides easy to use fact sheets, case studies and relevant reports at the click of a mouse.
Over the course of the coming year, changes will be recommended around the way Canadian homes and businesses are constructed. The website compiles information on the new wood mid-rise opportunity, including images, videos, press releases, backgrounders and more.
“The truth about building with wood is that it is safe, costs less, is versatile, meets code and has a lighter environmental impact,” says Michael Giroux, president of the Canadian Wood Council. “It’s incredibly important for Canadians across a wide spectrum to understand these facts, particularly as we find the construction industry evolving and incorporating new and exciting wood technologies into buildings.”
The initiative comes at a time when competing industry has questioned wood construction, but a number of new studies in both Canada and the United States show that wood is as safe as any other material in completed construction projects.
“We know from in-depth research that there is little difference in fire spread, death and injury rates across general construction types, provided the buildings are properly equipped with smoke alarms and sprinklers,” says Len Garis, City of Surrey, B.C. fire chief and University of the Fraser Valley adjunct professor, who led the February 2014 report Fire Outcomes in Residential Fires by General Construction Type.
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is the national association representing manufacturers of Canadian wood products used in construction. CWC is a strong advocate for the use of life-cycle assessment and communication about the environmental attributes through the use of Environmental Product Declarations. Visit us at www.cwc.ca.
