Registration for the 2024 Global Buyers Mission Opens Soon

Randi Walker | rwalker@bcwood.com

Thank you all for your patience as we waited for our funding approvals. The Global Buyers Mission will return to Whistler, BC, September 5th-7th, 2024 and Exhibitor registration opens in May!

If you are not sure you are registered to receive your invitation, please contact me at gbm@bcwood.com.

To recap a few nice comments from our 2023 Exhibitors:

“The GBM is a phenomenal event, allowing for good prospect conversation, current customer meetings, as well as meeting up industry peers …. all in a pristine, natural, environment.”

“We are big supporters of the GBM and will continue to invest time and energy in this show. In terms of time and cost, it is the best use of our marketing budget.”

"The GBM was well organized, right down to the smallest of details. The location and the venues were fantastic and overall, it was such a wonderful opportunity to meet some new folks and even more-so to re-connect with the familiar faces in our industry.”

See you all in Whistler.

BC Timber Sales - Category 4 - Value-added

BC Wood

BC Wood is pleased to share some important information regarding registration for the BC Timber Sales Category 4 – Value-added program. As you may know, the government has shifted its focus from simply harvesting volume to prioritizing value-added manufacturing within the forestry industry. This aligns with industry feedback and promotes the creation of higher-value wood products in BC. In response to this shift, the Category 2 program has transitioned to the new Category 4 – Value-added program (Category 4).

According to Allan Powelson, Executive Director of BC Timber Sales, the initial feedback on Category 4 has been positive, indicating it effectively addresses previously identified concerns within the industry. Furthermore, Category 4 fosters a more transparent system and is designed for ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement. This ensures the program continues to meet the evolving needs of BC's value-added wood industry.

New Staff at BC Wood! - Meet Michelle

BC Wood

Please join us in welcoming Michelle McCarthy to the BC Wood team! Michelle brings a ton of experience to her role as the “Marketing & Communications Associate” having previously helped numerous small businesses navigate their journey from private companies to going public. In her past positions, Michelle wore many hats – from supporting the very first employee to overseeing a team of 30, and everything in between. She’s also currently a business owner and possesses extensive experience in HR and even dabbled in event management. Michelle will be working very closely with the GBM team on delivery of the September 5th to 7th event.

Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her kids, hitting the trails on her bike, and travelling around the world with her friends and family. Her furry companion, Marty often joins her on these adventures! We're thrilled to have Michelle on board and can't wait for her contributions to BC Wood’s success.

New Staff at BC Wood! - Meet Tarah

BC Wood

Please join us in welcoming Tarah McLeod to the BC Wood team! Tarah is joining the BC Wood team in the capacity of a Controller. Over the last 15 years, Tarah has accumulated experience working in a variety of organizations spanning different industries. As a CPA-CA trained professional, she hopes to bring some new perspective to the finance function.

Outside of work, Tarah keeps herself sufficiently busy as an avid runner, aspirational gardener, and art-dabbler. On the weekends you can find her hiking, cycling, or camping with her husband and two young kids.  

Join TWIG at one of our regional events

TWIG BC | info@twigbc.ca

This month, TWIG is hosting events in Vancouver and Squamish. 

TWIG gatherings offer more than just professional networking; they provide a unique space for individuals to share knowledge, forge valuable connections, and embark on future projects. At TWIG, we believe in fostering a community of like-minded individuals, all driven by a shared passion for wood and a commitment to innovation to advance BC’s wood design industries. 

TWIG Vancouver

Wood-First-Wednesday

May 1st, 6-8pm

Location to be posted

Our Vancouver group brings together a diverse spectrum of participants, including designers, consultants, engineers, woodworkers, suppliers, builders, researchers, and specialists. This dynamic group gathers at a different brewery in Vancouver each month, attracting both new and recurring attendees.

Sea 2 Sky Wood Network

Wood-First-Wednesday

May 1st, 6-8pm

Location to be posted

In Squamish, the newest addition to the TWIG network, there's a keen interest in exploring the intersection between local economic development and the wood industries, from traditional to contemporary. The group has been actively discussing local wood-based projects and initiatives emerging in the Sea to Sky corridor, meeting at local establishments and doing shop tours of local companies.

S2S Festool End User Event

May 8th, 5-7pm

Rubenovitch Furnishings - 37831A 2 Ave, Squamish

Register on Eventbrite

Join S2S host Lenny Rubenovitch and Brad Veinot from Festool along with reps from Ultimate Tools to get hands-on and test out some of the latest gear from Festool. If you have been curious about incorporating Festool into your kit or adding some new gear to your sustainer stacks then this event is for you. The tools will be powered up and scraps will be on hand for you to cut, drill and sand to test out the features of Festool current offerings. 

If you haven't experienced the camaraderie at TWIG events, mark your calendar for the dates out and keep an eye on our TWIG Events Page for location details. Your participation contributes to the growth of our BC-wide innovation network and creates new avenues of growth for the industry. 

Stay connected! Each local network has its own WhatsApp group, allowing you to stay in touch with fellow guests and receive direct updates about future events.

TWIG is on a mission to plant and nurture regional wood networks across BC. If you already have a local group that meets or want to start something of your own, reach out to us at info@twigbc.ca. 

BC Wood Proposed International Event Schedule for 2024-2025

Brian Hawrysh | bhawrysh@bcwood.com

Canada Program Events

US Program Events

Mexico Program Events

Japan Program Events

Korea Program Events

BC Wood's Events

BC WOOD is inviting industry speakers for the WoodTALKS Lunch & Learn Program

Ken Hori | khori@bcwood.com

The 2024-25 program provides a limited number of BC value-added wood manufacturers the opportunity to provide accredited educational presentations directly to the important Specifier Community including architects, interior designers, engineers, developers and builders in British Columbia. It also provides opportunities to present to specifiers in Alberta, Ontario and the United States. The BC Wood Lunch & Learn program centers on increasing knowledge and experience related to designing and building with wood – with a desired outcome that the architectural community accelerates the adoption of existing and innovative wood-based products and building systems, as well as maximizing the appropriate use of wood in design and construction.

For more information on this opportunity, contact: Ken Hori at BC Wood Specialties Group C: 604-317-3161, 

E: khori@bcwood.com

Nikkei Architectural and Construction Materials Show 2024

Jim Ivanoff | ivanoff@bcwood.jp

BC Wood’s last major event for the fiscal year was the Nikkei Architectural and Construction Materials Show from March 12th to 15th at Tokyo’s Big Sight. It is the biggest construction industry trade show in Japan and covers everything from lumber to finished products. Nikkei attracts large numbers of architects and designers working on commercial projects, so it was a great event for us to promote high-value wood products and finishing materials. 

We were looking forward to taking part this year, as it was the first edition since all COVID restrictions were removed last May. This year’s show did not disappoint. As Japanese companies felt free to exhibit again with the end of the pandemic, all nine halls of the Nikkei Messe were sold-out and packed. The wide aisles and large meeting areas of the COVID days were gone. The number of visitors increased from 193,050 in 2023, to over 208,800 this year. 

Amongst both the exhibitors and visitors, we noticed a large increase in the number of overseas participants, particularly Koreans and Chinese. The Nikkei Show has not felt this energetic since 2018 (in 2019 the show was only held in the smaller West Halls as most of Big Sight was closed in preparations for the 2020 Olympics). On top of this, there was great interest from the visitors in our booth and products. This show’s main audience was made up of architects and designers, so with commercial construction in Japan doing well, we fielded many inquiries from this sector. 

As always, BC Wood organized the Canadian Pavilion at the show on behalf of our members and industry. We had a great representation of BC companies including several who were taking part with us in Japan for the first time. Overall, the response was great. BC Wood developed over 350 new contacts and gave out over 1500 pieces of literature promoting our industry and members. Members also saw great traffic through their booths, receiving a lot of new inquiries.

As we start planning delivery of our approved programs for the 2024/25 fiscal year, we are very enthusiastic about the trade show options in Japan that we can offer to members.

BC Wood's HR Toolkit - A Resource for BC Value-Added Wood (VAW) employers

workforce@bcvalueaddedwood.com

The BC Wood HR Toolkit is being developed to assist small to medium size employers by creating tools and supports to assist with their day-to-day HR needs. Human Resource Management refers to a range of functions needed to run a business: workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, health & safety, internal communications, compliance, DEI and employee engagement. HRM is the key to supporting a business’ most valuable asset – its employees. 

The information and best practices included in this toolkit will help VAW employers who don’t currently have an HR resource, or who may want quick and easy access to HR information.  Employers will be able to use these tools to implement new initiatives that will attract and retain qualified workers, as well as identify opportunities that could improve the performance of employees and lead to increased productivity and profitability. 

The toolkit is under development and is set to launch soon.

Direct to Work 2024 - Program Outline

workforce@bcvalueaddedwood.com

The Direct-to-Work program is designed to prepare participants for an exciting career in BC's Value-added Wood Products Industry. The Industry is a diverse collection of manufacturers creating a variety of products such as: Kitchen Cabinets, Furniture, Millwork, Remanufactured Wood, Log Homes & Timber Frame, Factory Built Homes, and Engineered Wood Products which includes Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) & Trusses. The Program is designed to be delivered over 4 weeks (140 hours) in both a classroom- and shop-setting.

Participants will learn:

• Health & Safety inclusive of some First Aid;
• The correct, safe use and maintenance of entry-level hand- and power-tools which in turn will be used to create a project;
• Interpretation of Shop drawings inclusive of measurements and layout;
• Work communications and collaboration techniques;
• Recognition of wood grades and species, types of fasteners and finishes used.

These will be complemented with Industry tours and presentations. Upon completion, participants will receive a First Aid Certificate as well as Certificate of Completion recognizable by Industry Members.

Program Benefits:

• Tuition is free
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) included
• Course materials (like readings) included
• Industry site tours and introductions to industry organizations are included

Space is limited. Register today at the Partner near you!

North Island College (2 sites)

Port Alberni, Courtenay

Contact: Sabrina Rose

Tel: (250) 923-9770 ext 7770

Email: sabrina.rose@nic.bc.ca

Click here to Register

The College of New Caledonia

Prince George

Tel: (250) 561-5846

Email: continuinged@cnc.bc.ca

Click here to Register

Okanagan College

Salmon Arm

Contact: Mandie Belle

Tel: (250) 832-2126 ext. 828

Click here to Register

One of a Kind Creative Woodcrafting encompasses three unique sub-companies, each specializing in crafting exceptional wooden structures.

Nestled in the “One of a Kind” umbrella, there is: 

• “Canadian Sleeping Barrels”: Specializing in creating Sleeping Barrels & Glamping Barrels. They take overnight accommodations to the next level by creating unique, natural spaces that co-exist with nature.
• “High-R-Logs”: Revolutionary insulated logs for wooden home construction. 
• “Cedar Yurts”: Imagine a Log Cabin Home, with you or your family in it. Cedar Yurts make handcrafted Cedar Yurts including Micro-Log Yurt or Well-Insulated Yurts.

Cedar Yurts has dedicated a significant amount of resources to crafting these innovative yurts. Over three years, a team of engineers, architects, and builders invested 7,000 hours to develop a well-insulated yurt (a round house) that caters to diverse needs and budgets. These unique structures offer the beauty of a log cabin with the functionality of a round house and can even be constructed with vertically or horizontally positioned logs to suit various preferences. Cedar Yurts recently embarked on an exciting new project: supplying 14 insulated log cedar yurts for a large resort on Vancouver Island. This significant contract highlights the exceptional quality and affordability of their Cedar Yurt product line. With a legacy spanning nearly 50 years, Cedar Yurts refuses to compromise on quality. Their yurts are built to withstand even the harshest Canadian winters - truly a one-of-a-kind product that is hard to find anywhere else. 

The driving force behind One of a Kind Creative Woodworking is Dave Byers. After a devastating setback in 2015, when his 34,000 sqft woodworking shop in New Brunswick collapsed due to heavy snowfalls, Dave and his wife relocated to Vancouver Island with a positive spirit and an abundance of experience. Dave's passion for woodworking began at a young age, building his first cabin with his father at just six years old. Now, at 70 years old and with over five decades of experience under his belt, Dave is currently looking for a successor...Someone willing to take over a profitable value-added woodworking business.

The FESBC-Impact on B.C.’s Forests and Forest Industry

Steve Kozuki

As a Crown agency established in 2016, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) has played a pivotal role in enhancing the environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia’s forests. 

Since its inception, FESBC has supported 384 projects with $312 million in funding, in collaboration with the governments of B.C. and Canada. These initiatives have focused on reducing wildfire risk and mitigating impacts, as well as enhancing wildlife habitat. Additionally, FESBC's funding has facilitated the utilization of fibre from damaged or low-value forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases. 

One of the significant achievements of FESBC has come from grants to the forest industry for projects that have utilized over 5.8 million cubic metres of low value fibre, most of which would have been slash-burned in the forest. This initiative prevented the release of harmful greenhouse gases into the environment. Overall, FESBC's investments in nature-based climate solutions through the funding of tree planting, forest fertilization, and slash-burning avoidance projects will yield a measurable carbon benefit of 4.5 million tonnes of CO2e by 2050. This is equivalent to removing over 1,000,000 cars off the road for a year. The results of these activities will help BC achieve the goals set out in CleanBC and assist Canada in meeting its international commitments to reduce net carbon emissions.

FESBC is in alignment with the Province of BC, the Government of Canada and the United Nations in recognizing that forestry is a significant nature-based tool we can use to take meaningful action against climate change. To learn more about FESBC, visit our website at www.fesbc.ca and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the innovative and collaborative forest enhancement projects happening throughout the province.  

Timber Tiles to Become An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Ceramics?

Jason Ross

Timber tiles could soon replace ceramic tiles, with legacy manufacturers grappling with a global crackdown on construction-based carbon emissions. Not only are timber tiles cleaner, greener, and more circular, but thanks to new technology, more than 250 boxes of tiles can now be produced from a single felled Hemlock tree.

That is according to Mark Anson, a former researcher at FP Innovations – a Canadian R&D lab focused on the wood, paper and pulp industry, who is behind Timber Tiles, a Canadian First Nations-owned start-up now making waterproof and compostable tiles for kitchens, bathrooms, foyers and other high-traffic areas.

Mr Anson said the new tiles, which are now eying the Japanese market, offer an alternative to climate-harming ceramic tiles, which are often manufactured through a carbon-intensive process and end up in landfills. 

‘It’s about education and getting our story out there to designers and architects,’ Mr Anson told British Columbian The Tyee, who has big plans to build on a new distribution market with Mihasi Co, a large Japanese-based distributor and manufacturer of crown mouldering and other decorative finishing materials.

Considered a “dirty business,” modern ceramics are used in decorative tiles, roofing, artificial joints and brake pads and are part of a global industry forecast to reach US $415 billion next year, according to a 2022 Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews study.

In 2012, researchers estimated that China, the world’s largest tile industry, emitted 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from 50 billion cubic metres of ceramic tiles in...continue reading

BC Building Code update:

Mass timber buildings allowed up to 18 Storeys

Naturally Wood

British Columbia has updated their building code to expand opportunities for mass timber construction allowing greater heights than previously permitted and new building types.

The following changes are now included in the BC Building Code:

• Mass timber buildings built to 18-storeys
• Encapsulation requirements tailored to the scale of the building
• New building types permitted in mass timber, such as restaurants, shops, warehouses, and care facilities.

Visit naturally.wood.com website for more information on taller wood and building with mass timber.

B.C. continues investments to support forest sector

Canadian Forest Industries

British Columbia is partnering with forestry manufacturers to build a strong forest products sector and support good jobs in B.C. through significant capital expansion in their operations.

“While workers and businesses in the forest sector have faced significant challenges over the past few years, there are tremendous opportunities out there in producing made-in-B.C. sustainable forest products,” said Premier David Eby.

'Factory-built housing' linchpin in solving Canada's housing crisis, says former mayor

Times Colonist

The linchpin for solving Canada’s housing crisis will be found on the factory floor. 

That was the message former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson gave politicians and leadership in B.C.’s forestry industry Friday at the annual meeting of the BC Council of Forest Industries in Vancouver. 

Iveson, who now works as Executive Advisor of Climate Investing and Community Resilience at Co-operators Insurance, described how a 2004 flood in the City of Edmonton opened his eyes to the risk climate change would have on cities. 

“For years, we were just reacting,” he said, “Playing whack-a-mole.”

Improving Wood Products Could Be a Key to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions - New Study

NC State University

This week, over 700 business, government, First Nations and community leaders have gathered in Vancouver for the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) annual convention. Greg Stewart, President, Sinclar Group Forest Products and COFI Chair opened the conference by welcoming the many provincial, municipal, First Nation and industry leaders present. Referencing the sector’s current challenges, Stewart said, “this is a pivotal time for the sector because there is no going back. Our collective focus is on what we need to do differently to reshape the industry in the short and long term”.