According to Rose Leslie, a spokesperson for Mercer Celgar, at least 215 of the workers laid off during the temporary shutdown of the Castlegar mill in the beginning of July, have returned to work as of July 31st.
Wood Markets News
No COVID-19 Cases Reported During British Columbia’s Seedling Planting Season
The Western Forestry Contractor Association (WFCA) is reporting that summer seedling planting season in British Columbia is in the process of winding down. There are just 20 million fall seedlings out of the 300 million trees planned for this year remaining to be planted.
Construction Activity Accelerated in July in the United Kingdom
Construction activity in the United Kingdom in July accelerated, led by another strong showing in housebuilding. New orders increased for the second month in a row, as lockdown measures eased, and jobsite activity was able to restart.
Canadian Consumer Confidence on the Rise
According to the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, (BNCCI), a composite that measure the financial health and economic expectations, consumer sentiment in Canada turned positive for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with wide spread gains being experienced across regions and age groups.
Higher Lumber Prices Could Slow Housing Growth
Since mid-April 2020, the average lumber prices have surged an amazing 80%. Moving from a low of $348 per thousand board feet (MBM) to $ 627 MBM as of July 31st.
Canadian Housing Starts Jump 16% in July
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) is reporting that the annual pace of housing starts in July rose nearly 16% when compared with June.
Redfin Reports Bidding War on Homes Intensified in July
Redfin, the Seattle-based real estate brokerage is reporting that for the third straight month, more than half of its home offers faced competition (bidding war) in July.
Consumer Credit Debt Increases in June
According to the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit Report, which tracks trends in consumer credit, excluding loans secured by real estate, in June consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 2.6% from the month of May.
Truckload Freight Rates for Spot Loads Continue to Increase
Typically, spot truckload freight rates decline in late July. However, this year has been anything, but typical and spot truckload rates have increased for the second week in a row according to DAT Solutions, which operates the DAT One Load Board Network.
Can Mass Timber Constructed Buildings Survive an Earthquake – Even “The Big One”?
The use of timbers in the building industry has been growing over the past decade.