Mass timber buildings are set to reach new heights in Ontario. The provincial government has announced plans to allow encapsulated mass timber construction of up to 18 storeys.
Promised pending amendments to the Ontario building code will lift up the allowable height threshold from the current 12 storeys. This follows a recent joint consultation process with the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec.
“Modern building techniques, including mass timber and modular construction, are part of our multi-pronged approach to boost housing supply and make homes more affordable,” says Rob Flack, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Housing.
“Advanced wood construction will help bring long-term investments to northern communities that will create new, good-paying jobs while increasing housing supply and supporting Ontario’s largest renewable natural resource sector,” adds Graydon Smith, Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The recently released 2024 Ontario budget confirms modular housing is part of the government’s planned “attainable housing program,” which will seek to boost homeownership and Ontario-based industry. The budget also commits $60 million over three years to extend the forest biomass program, which was launched with $19.6 million in 2023.
The latter program is focused on finding productive uses for peripheral materials such as bark, shavings, sawdust and low-grade trees, and supports research, development and commercialization related to converting biomass: to mass timber products; biodiesel and other biofuels; bioplastics; 3D printing; and medicine. Thus far, 41 projects have received funding.
