Canada’s forest sector is transforming the materials we use in construction. Using mass timber in building construction helps lower emissions, advance innovation in forestry and supports local manufacturing and jobs.
Canada is investing in the use of mass timber in innovative and non-traditional building applications.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan on behalf of Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O'Regan announced an $800,000 investment to KF Aerospace, to build a multi-use airport hangar that will showcase a highly innovative and unique application of wood in its construction.
Located at Kelowna International Airport, the two-storey multi-use structure will be the first of its kind in Canada, using state-of-the-art floor and tall wall wood-based systems to accommodate the large spacing between columns — a typical design element for a hangar, but not yet done using this innovative building system.
Once built, the hangar will house an aviation museum and a conference centre. The total carbon benefits realized from the use of mass timber for this construction are an estimated 1,753 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Funding for the project is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction through Wood Program, which promotes the use of wood in non-traditional construction projects such as low-rise non-residential buildings, tall wood buildings and bridges.
The program positions Canada as a world leader in innovative wood construction technologies and the low-carbon economy.
Projects like this help Canada achieve its 2030 climate change goals by finding effective ways of building sustainably using Canadian wood products and lowering emissions.
“Wood is being used more and more in building bigger and taller buildings, and we’re leading the world at it. Creating new markets for Canadian timber supports our forestry workers, creates jobs and gets us to net zero,” O’Regan said.
