The Canadian Wood Council and Forests Ontario kicked off the start of National Forest Week with the launch of their new, interactive digital map featuring wood buildings across Canada. The map celebrates the benefits of building with wood by highlighting select projects from coast to coast.
“Forests are a central part of our heritage, of our culture in Canada, and this virtual wood map will inspire and educate people about the possibilities of wood in construction,” said Kevin McKinley, President & CEO of the Canadian Wood Council. “We were happy to partner with Forests Ontario on this map because we believe that without inspiration and proven examples all of the technical research and work that we do at the code level would never become the beautiful buildings where so many of us work, live, and play.”
Rob Keen, Forests Ontario’s CEO and a Registered Professional Forester noted that sustainable forest management in combination with the use of wood products is integral in fighting climate change. “Trees sequester carbon as they grow, and wood products continue to lock that carbon up – often for longer than the natural lifespan of a tree. By building with wood, we are maximizing the carbon benefit of our forests. It truly takes a forest to build the future.”
As an example, the total potential carbon benefit of the Meadows Community Recreation Centre in Edmonton, Alberta is equivalent to taking 1,875 cars off of the road for a year. In addition to being our greenest building material, wood construction is safe, strong, and sophisticated. Adding to these benefits is the proven fact that wood buildings have improved the productivity and concentration of their occupants.
The virtual wood map – which provides information on the structure, architect firm, wood supplier, and carbon benefits – will be continually updated as new buildings are constructed. Check out the wood projects featured in the virtual wood map at https://ittakesaforest.ca/building-with-wood/, which can also be found on the website for It Takes a Forest (ITAF).