The Ford government is betting on wood to help meet its housing goals and strengthen the provincial economy.
According to the province, the newly launched Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan will boost the use of made-in-Ontario wood products, including mass timber and modular building components, to speed up construction timelines and reduce costs.
Ontario says advanced wood construction can cut building times by up to 50 per cent and save as much as 20 per cent in costs, making it an essential part of meeting provincial housing targets. The plan also aims to protect jobs and increase investment in Ontario’s forestry sector, which generated $21.6 billion in revenue last year.
The province has already committed over $13 million toward the initiative. That includes more than $8 million for Element5, Ontario’s first fully automated cross-laminated timber facility, and nearly $3 million for education and research with groups like the Canadian Wood Council and the University of Toronto’s Mass Timber Institute.
Additional investments are supporting demonstration projects at post-secondary institutions and research on modular housing and sustainable forest use.
Ontario says the action plan is part of a broader strategy to grow domestic supply chains, create skilled jobs and promote environmentally responsible building practices across the province.
More information is available online.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
