The Number of Communities Participating in B.C.’s Tall Wood Initiative Continues to Grow

The City of New Westminster, British Columbia has joined 20 other B.C. communities — along with the City of Vancouver, which has its own similar initiative — in participating in the province’s Tall Wood Initiative. The program allows for the construction of 12-story mass timber buildings.

The Tall Wood Initiative advances the Province’s CleanBC climate goals by encouraging the construction of more sustainable buildings with smaller carbon footprints. In addition, building with mass timber is faster, with less site noise and traffic associated with construction. The initiative provides the opportunity to create innovative and greener housing options.

In 2019, British Columbia introduced the Tall Wood Initiative. Local governments were invited to submit an expression of interest in being early adopters of mass timber buildings up to 12-storys, ahead of the National Building Code. When the next version of the National Building Code is released this year, it is expected to include provisions to allow 12-story mass timber construction across Canada. These will then be reflected in the next edition of the BC Building Code, enabling the construction of 12-story mass timber buildings throughout British Columbia.