QUESNEL – The City of Quesnel is leading the way for local governments in the province as it has committed to developing a Wood First bylaw designed to link to the Province of British Columbia’s Wood First Act.
Council approved a resolution last night stating the City will continue to support the ongoing development of its wood culture through a variety of means and that it is committed to crafting a bylaw to promote wood use in local construction.
“We are confirming our belief in the wood industry, the lifeblood of our community. I encourage other communities across the province to do the same,” said Quesnel Mayor Mary Sjostrom. “We want to strengthen existing markets and help create new ones. We want to develop new opportunities as a part of a strategy to ensure a strong wood industry. We will develop projects that are outstanding examples of what can be done when you are innovative while building with wood.”
“The City of Quesnel has shown tremendous vision in using the Province’s Wood First Act as an impetus to support and strengthen its local forest sector,” said Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell. “I hope more communities will follow Quesnel’s lead, and help promote B.C. wood products as the first and best choice for construction, interior design and daily living.”
“We applaud the BC government for recognizing that we can stimulate our wood industry here in B.C. by creating demand for our product, and we congratulate the City of Quesnel for taking a leadership role among municipalities by embracing this visionary legislation,” explains Wood WORKS! BC executive director Mary Tracey. “It makes good sense from an economic and aesthetic point of view, but also from an environmental point of view, since wood is the most sustainable, natural, renewable and “climate friendly” building material.”
Wood WORKS! is a national, industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood and wood products. The City intends to use Wood WORKS! as a technical consultant on potential wood construction projects.
The resolution passed by Council contained a number of clauses, including:
- Being a wood champion and supporting the BC government’s Wood First Act by adopting a Wood First Resolution and developing a Wood First Bylaw that will establish a long-term strategy for building with wood in Quesnel.
- Selecting wood champion designers and builders for municipal projects.
- Ensuring Requests for Proposals request excellence in building with wood.
- Seeking builders who find practical, efficient, versatile and cost-effective building and design solutions through the use of wood.
- Ensuring that all municipal construction projects in Quesnel receiving either public or wood industry financial support optimize the structural and architectural use of wood.
British Columbia’s Wood First Act requires provincially-funded building projects to use wood as the primary construction material. Currently, wood represents only 19 per cent of commercial or institutional buildings when it could be used in the majority of cases.
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