Value-Added Accelerators: Invitation to Virtual Regional Engagement Sessions

Government of BC | forestpolicy@gov.bc.ca

Government is working to grow value-added wood manufacturing in BC because we believe in maximizing value to families and communities from the trees we harvest.

We are inviting you to help us achieve that goal.

We have established the Value-Add Accelerators to bring together First Nations, value-added manufacturers, forest licensees and BC government staff to develop solutions, with a focus on increasing fibre flow to support value-added manufacturers. The partners leading this work are the First Nations Forestry Council, the BC Value-Added Wood Coalition, the Council of Forest Industries, and the Ministry of Forests and BC Timber Sales.

We need you! Come to a virtual regional engagement session to learn more about the work and share your thoughts.

 *  North – October 19th, 9-11am

 *  South – October 19th, 1-3pm

 *  Coast – October 24th, 1-3pm

Click to register: Register for the Value-Added Accelerator Regional sessions

If you are unable to attend the upcoming sessions but want to be involved, please click Value Added Accelerator’s survey link to provide input, and/or email forestpolicy@gov.bc.ca to sign up for email updates.

BC’s Secondary Manufacturing of Solid Wood Products 2021 Survey Results Released

Brian Hawrysh | bhawrysh@bcwood.com

We are pleased to announce the release of the latest report on “Secondary Manufacturing of Solid Wood Products in British Columbia 2021: Structure, economic contribution, and trends”. This report represents the continuation of a long-standing series of studies that began in the 1990s, with previous reports published in 2006, 2012, and 2016. The objective of this report is to provide a comprehensive and strictly professional analysis of the state of the sector, offering valuable insights into its economic impact, trends, and structure.

The foundation of this report rests on a detailed survey conducted to gather operational, employment, production, marketing, and financial data from various businesses within the BC secondary wood products manufacturing sector. The results reflect not only the profound transition BC’s Forest industry underwent and continues to experience, but also the unprecedented events that occurred in 2021 such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The report avoids any embellishments and offers a purely professional assessment of the sector's condition in 2021.

The primary purpose of this report is to provide vital information to forestry stakeholders, including policy makers, industry, forestry-dependent communities, and industry associations. Moreover, the report emphasizes the importance of the value-added manufacturing sector in maximizing the economic benefits and job creation opportunities derived from BC's lumber and forest products, including the utilization of forest residuals and waste streams.

For further inquiries or to obtain a copy of the report, please contact Brian Hawrysh at bhawrysh@bcwood.com

Timber Tech Connect — Timber Innovation Series 

TWIG BC | info@twigbc.ca

When: October 12 - 5:30 - 7:30

Where: Fast + Epp @ 397 West 7th Avenue 

We're excited to announce a collaboration between TWIG, Fast + Epp, and CAWP. Together, we're hosting a series of dynamic events at Concept Lab, an innovative R&D space located within Fast + Epp's Vancouver headquarters.

Timber Tech Connect offers an up-close look at the latest innovations in timber design and the individuals driving progress in wood-based design, engineering, architecture, and construction. Through these events, our aim is to provide a platform for networking, learning, and exploring the possibilities of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) in timber construction.

The inaugural event will take the form of an open house, featuring introductions from the teams at Concept Lab, CAWP, and TWIG. We'll share insights into the opportunities, programs, and services available to you. You'll have the opportunity to tour the facility, discover current projects at Concept Lab, and explore the ever-expanding library of timber-based components and materials. During this event, we're eager to hear from you about your endeavors and how we can assist you and your clients in realizing timber-based goals, ideas, and projects.

Our overarching goal with these events is to establish a consistent series that brings together experts from various fields. As the mass timber industry continues to grow, our mission is to support individuals and firms throughout the innovation process, equipping them with the knowledge needed to excel in wood-based construction. Additionally, we'll inspire you by showcasing timber projects from around the world, including those by local firms and manufacturers based right here in British Columbia.

Light snacks and drinks will be provided 

To attend this event, please register to attend on Eventbrite.

Wood First Wednesday

TWIG BC | info@twigbc.ca

October 4th - 6:30 - 8:30

Join us at our next Wood-First-Wednesday happening at Main Street Brewing - 261 E 7th Ave.

The event is simple. Meet on the first Wednesday of each month at a different brewery somewhere in Vancouver. It's an informal networking event to meet people who work in the value-added and wood-related industries.

If you live near Victoria, there is a group meeting on the same date and time, with the location to be posted soon at twigbc.ca/events.

2023 Global Buyers Mission™ (GBM) Review

Randi Walker | rwalker@bcwood.com

BC Wood celebrated our 20th Annual Global Buyers Mission held September 7th to 9th, 2023 and welcomed almost 700 delegates from all over the world to Whistler, BC Canada this year. Given the economic challenges faced by many international markets, we were extremely pleased with the efforts made by those buyers and suppliers that supported and participated in the 2023 Global Buyers Mission.  

Many thanks must also go to our government funding Partners, who without their continued support, we would not be able to deliver this world class event: Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. (FII), and Global Affairs Canada (GAC). Our main Corporate Sponsors this year included The San Group Ltd., the Waldun Group, Daizen, Glandell Enterprises, Silva Panel, Acera Insurance, Live Edge Design and Kuehne + Nagel. 

CEO Brian Hawrysh and our new Board Chairman John Gillis from Centurion Lumber welcomed our Opening Ceremony special guest speaker, the Honourable Premier Eby. This is the first time the Premier of BC has officially opened a GBM and his comments were well received. 

This year, we registered international buyers from as far away as Austria, China, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Pakistan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, nd the United States. Again, many thanks must go to the Federal Trade Commissioner Service and BC’s Trade & Investment Representatives from international markets that greatly assisted with the buyer recruiting again this year. With their continued dedication, there were many first-time Buyers to the GBM, opening opportunities for Canadian manufacturers to develop new business.  

To read the full GBM review, please click the button below for the full article.

Join BC Wood at the WoodWorks! Summit 2023 (formerly Wood Solutions Conference)

Ken Hori | khori@bcwood.com

Presented by the Canadian Wood Council/ WoodWORKS BC, the WoodWorks! Summit is dedicated to design and construction with wood products and building systems, including mass timber. This year’s theme is Shaping the Future of Sustainable Construction.

This two-day educational event will include building tours and a networking reception, in addition to the educational program and exhibitor displays which will showcase wood uses in commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-unit residential construction. A keynote lunchtime speaker and an evening reception provide exciting networking opportunities with industry leaders and peers.

The WoodWorks! Summit is tailored for architects, engineers, builders, contractors, building officials, technologists, planners and developers. They have estimated attendance in excess of 500 delegates.

If you would like to participate in the BC Wood cost-shared space, please contact Ken Hori at khori@bcwood.com.

Meeting Korea's Wood Industry Weekly Newspaper 'Namu Shinmun' CEO, Mr. Seo Bum-Seok

JC Lee | jclee@bcwood.com

Founded in 2006, Namu Newspaper celebrates its 16th anniversary this year.

Namu Newspaper is the only weekly newspaper related to the wood industry in Korea that is sent and delivered by mail to more than 5,000 subscriber companies related to the wood industry. Since the establishment of the BC Wood Korean Office in 2006, it has been actively promoting BC Wood’s events such as the Canadian Wood Industry Hall at the exhibition, the Canadian Resort Construction Seminar, and various network meetings.

This Vancouver Designer Crafts Story-Rich Furnishings From Reclaimed Wood

Business of Home

Brent Comber may not have taken a direct path to his woodworking practice, but since the beginning of his winding design career, his native Pacific Northwest landscape has been a constant variable in all that he does.

About four decades ago, Comber’s career began in garden design. After a few years in the industry, Comber founded his own Vancouver-based design-build firm in 1998, specializing in artful landscape design, with a mostly residential client base. The foundations of his artistic perspective, which now inform his wooden furnishings and other designs, were laid during this time. Inspired by the natural surroundings of British Columbia and Japanese design principles, Comber’s gardens were serene compositions in their own right.

Indigenous Scholarship Program Supports Forestry Employment

Merrit Herald

A new scholarship program is open to First Nations, Inuit, or Métis-decent students interested in attending full-time forestry-related studies in a designated post-secondary institution. 

Supports from the BC First Nations Forestry Council’s (BCFNFC) Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program (IFSP) include tuition and living expenses scholarships, paid summer work-term experience, one-on-one mentorship with a program partner, and support from a local Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program centre. 

“The program is designed to grow and connect Indigenous talent to BC Forest Sector Workforce opportunities,” said the BCFNFC in a release announcing the program. 

“It is a work and study mentorship program that provides the opportunity for Indigenous students to access funding and enter into forestry-related training or educational programs plus a mentored summer work experience in their field.”

7 Fascinating Wood Houses Around the World

Architectural Digest

When a wood house reaches the end of its life, it has the advantage of being more easily recycled than steel or concrete. Wood houses can usually be broken down into their individual parts, which can then be reused or recycled more efficiently. Ideally, this produces minimal waste. The production of concrete, on the other hand, requires considerable amounts of water, gravel, cement, and sand—raw materials that can only be reused as fillers and rubble after demolition. Of course, the natural building material can also be aesthetically pleasing—just take a look at the following examples of particularly impressive wood houses. 

New Elementary School Being Built in Langford Inspired by Tree Houses Eliminating Misconceptions, Filling Gaps Focus of National Mass Timber Project

Construct Connect

The goal of a new research program is to generate technical information that supports the use of mass timber products beyond traditional low-rise construction in tall and large structures.



The Canadian Wood Construction Research Network’s major initiative, the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)-Alliance Grant Next-Generation Wood Construction research program, is being led by principal investigator Prof. Ying Hei Chui of the University of Alberta.

Why Western Red Cedar is a Builders Choice

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association

Likely due to its high awareness, WRC rates well on the attributes and benefits that builders (and architects) deem most important: beauty; durability, and the character it adds to projects. Factors such as installation and maintenance are also key, as of course is cost. It is interesting to note, however, that while the majority of builders researched stated that cost was important in influencing the buying decision, it wasn’t critical, and “... if the material wasn’t seen as providing value, it wasn’t valuable to [them] as a homebuilder.”

The Start-up Solving Food Scarcity by Turning Sawdust into Meals

World News Era

Would you eat industrial byproducts? One food tech company from Estonia certainly hopes so. 

Think about sawdust. 

“What we have developed is very similar to brewing beer, where yeast is used to convert sugars from barley into alcohol, and hops are added for taste,” co-founder Petri-Jaan Lahtvee told Euronews Next, explaining how it works in the simplest terms. 

Kamloops-based Artist and Forester Turns Wood from Wildfires Into Art

Radio West with Sarah Penton

A Kamloops-based artist and forester has turned wood burned in the 2021 wildfire in Logan Lake into two tables that are returning to the community as art.

Seeing the Forest for the Future: The Forest Sectors Commitment to Sustainability

The Globe and Mail

In forests across the country, Canadian foresters are leading the charge toward a greener future. Clad in hard hats and safety vests, they traverse revitalized landscapes with a sense of purpose: moving from areas once devastated by wildfires to thriving clusters of saplings that have been replanted and are now flourishing.



It’s a living testament to the power of sustainable forestry, a commitment that not only restores landscapes, but also secures the legacy of forests for generations to come.