The Canadian Wood Council’s goal is to increase the use of wood products in construction projects, and to showcase the manufacturing, design, and construction talent evident in both inspiring and practical examples of wood projects in Canada.
Wood WORKS! (cecobois in Quebec) is a Canadian Wood Council program, which is industry-led and intended to help increase the use of wood in non-residential, mid-rise, and tall building markets in Canada. The initiative seeks to build proficiency in using wood through training, networking, and direct technical support.
The group’s vision is as follows:
“We build pride in our wood culture through awareness and education.
We build proficiency in using wood through training, networking and technical support.
We celebrate ‘wood champions’ who inspire excellence in building with wood.”
The Canadian Wood Council looks to foster a culture where wood is valued as a sustainable and “first choice and best value” building material that is capable of producing sound structural products and building systems. It aims to show Canada as a global leader in designing and building with wood.
More than finished wood products, the Canada Wood Council says the country’s forests also offer an array of environmental, economical, social, and cultural benefits. Canada has abundant forest resources, which covers half of its land mass and represents 10 per cent of the world’s forests. As world leaders in forestry technology, and as responsible stewards of forest ecosystems, Canada’s economic fabric is strengthened through its forest economy. In 1999, the forest sector employed 840,000 Canadians—which can be translated into 1 in 17 jobs—and resulted in approximately $74 billion in goods and services. Forest products have long been Canada’s most important export. In 2001, exports to more than 120 countries around the world totaled $44.1 billion. Economic prosperity is not limited to traditional lumber products, but includes research and the development of new technologies, advanced engineered structural products, and manufactured building systems.
At the OAA Conference, join experts from Wood WORKS! for education sessions on mid-rise wood construction and the future of building with timber in Canada.