The Ontario government has released the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan to increase the manufacturing and use of high-quality, made-in-Ontario wood building products.

The use of prefabricated and modular wood-based building materials will help build more homes faster and create a more resilient forestry sector.

Locally made mass timber and wood construction can be used to build modular and prefabricated buildings, including mid-rise and tall multi-family homes and a variety of commercial and industrial buildings. Advanced wood construction can complete projects up to 50 per cent faster and cut costs by up to 20 per cent, making it essential to achieving the government’s goal of building more homes.

The plan focuses on four objectives:

• Support initiatives that create awareness and encourage the use of advanced wood construction
• Identify and remove barriers in codes, standards, and regulations for the use of advanced wood construction
• Stimulate innovation and investment in advanced manufacturing facilities to grow Ontario’s advanced wood construction sector
• Demonstrate and display examples of advanced wood construction to instill confidence in adopting new Ontario wood building products