Changes in the National Building Code  (NBC) in 2020 laid the foundation for the rise of taller timber buildings, and the market has responded. According to a Natural Resources Canada (NRC) 2021 report,1 there were more than 750 completed or under-construction mass timber projects from 2007 to 2022, with a gross area of 2.9 million m2 (31 million sf). B.C., Ontario, and Quebec are the leaders, hosting 87 per cent of Canada’s mass timber projects.

Sustainability is the primary driver of the shift to mass timber, since it is a low-carbon construction solution. The building sector is Canada’s third most carbon-intensive industry, accounting for 22 per cent of emissions in 2022. Adopting more mass timber could cut embodied emissions in buildings by as much as 25 per cent. More progressive building codes, new products, and more innovative design possibilities are also driving the interest in wood.