THUNDER BAY – The province is hoping changes to its building code can play a role in revitalizing the beleaguered forestry industry.
Effective 2015, the Ontario Building Code will be modified to allow for wood frame buildings to be constructed up to six storeys. Current regulations had only allowed for wood frame buildings to go as high as four storeys.
Local MPPs Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle made the announcement Tuesday morning at the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce office, joined by a large contingent of municipal officials from the city and across the region.
Mauro, the Minister of Natural Resources, said the change is good news for a forestry sector still looking to rebound after the collapse of the past decade.
“There really is a lot of support for this,” Mauro said. “I think by enabling it we will see significant pickoff and there will certainly be a benefit in terms of job creation.”
Gravelle, the current Minister of Northern Development and Mines, was also once responsible for forestry and is optimistic it can return to being a thriving industry for many communities.
“I think we all understand how important the forestry sector has been and can be in the future for so many municipalities in Northwestern Ontario,” Gravelle said.
“You look at the forestry sector now and AV Terrace Bay reopening the operation there, the sawmills that are now reopening as a result of that large operation and some of the opportunities in the forestry sector something like today’s announcement can only add to the resurgence of the forestry sector.”
The new standards will allow contractors to have more flexibility in building materials, which can help lower construction costs.
Making the changes to the building code had been in the works for a number of years, with Mauro introducing a private member’s bill in 2012 that helped put the issue on the radar of the provincial legislature.
The move follows the lead of British Columba, which allowed for six storey wood frame construction in 2009. More than 50 such buildings have been built in those five years. The practice is also fairly common in different parts of the European Union.
Mauro said part of the delay for enacting the changes was making sure the fire marshal could be consulted for new safety requirements.
Under the changes, stairwells must be made of non-combustible materials and roofs must be built to be resistant to fire.
“We wanted to ensure we were doing all we could to ensure public safety,” Mauro said. “We’ve put in place a series of public safety pieces that would be required for six storey construction that are the safest in North America.”
