The start of 2015 will usher in a happy new year for both new-home buyers and the building industry with the province’s approval of six-storey, wood-frame construction in Ontario.

On Tuesday, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Ted McMeekin stamped a date on what our industry had anticipated — an amendment to the Ontario Building Code, allowing taller wooden building frames, that will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2015

This past April I told you that the province was on the verge of approving a landmark amendment to the building code, raising the height standard for wood-frame construction up from four storeys.

There are three reasons that this will be a game changer for the province’s building and land development industry.

First, this building code amendment gives new-home buyers more options in choosing a home. Adding to the housing mix will also add vibrancy and character to our new neighbourhoods, which is great news for consumers.

Some buyers will like this option because wood is aesthetically pleasing, while others will appreciate that their carbon footprint is being reduced. Still others may prefer it because the construction of their new home will be fast, efficient and can occur year-round.

Second, this change has the potential to give our economy a much-needed boost in a few ways: more residential construction means more jobs are created and additional tax revenue is collected to support Ontario’s cities and towns. Using wood is a homegrown solution for building new homes and businesses, and employs the use of local resources — which is great news for the forest industry.

Third, amending the building code to allow wood-frame construction up to six storeys will enable our members to continue implementing the objectives of the provincial growth plan, Places to Grow, across the GTA. This change provides our industry with more options for building midrise homes and office buildings.

“Communities across Ontario, from London to North Bay, will all benefit from the housing, rental and office opportunities that this provincial proposal provides,” said Joe Vaccaro, CEO of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, which led the provincial discussion and advocacy.

It’s been five long years of saying “wood is good” for the OHBA, BILD and many other organizations. Our outpouring of support started in 2009 after British Columbia adopted legislation allowing six-storey wood: there are now more than 100 building projects in the western province, with more than 5,000 new housing and rental options.

Along the way, BILD commissioned the May 2013 release of a report called “Unlocking the Potential for Mid-Rise Buildings: Six-Storey Wood Structures.”

Former City of Toronto chief planner Paul Bedford, who authored the report, wrote that six-storey, midrise buildings could fill gaps in areas that are well served by infrastructure and transit. This could help meet the demands of the increasing population of the GTA, with up to 100,000 people moving here ever year.

Among the many other voices that have been making a push for six-storey, wood-frame construction are: the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON), the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), the Ontario Forestry Industries Association (OFIA) and Wood WORKS! They all deserve credit for working tirelessly so that this amendment would be approved.

Our provincial partners should be praised, too, for their great display of leadership on this issue, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, Housing Minister McMeekin and Bill Mauro, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

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BILD now looks forward to working with our municipal partners to ensure the implementation of this exciting initiative. It’s going to be a great New Year!

Bryan Tuckey is president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association and a land-use planner who has worked for municipal, regional and provincial governments. Follow him at twitter.com/bildgta , facebook.com/bildgta , and bildblogs.ca.

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