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Accelerating Mass Timber Adoption in Canada (Panel Discussion)

  • George Brown College 51 Dockside Drive Toronto, ON, M5A 1B6 Canada (map)

Overview

In this session, panelists regional experts from WoodWorks, representing jurisdictions from across Canada, will offer insights into regional opportunities and lingering obstacles to mass timber adoption, and discuss the strategies developed and presented in the Mass Timber Roadmap recently published by FPAC, CWC, Energy Futures Lab and The Transition Accelerator.


Panelists

Scott Jackson, FPAC

As the Director of Conservation Biology, Scott works with member companies, governments and partners to develop and communicate policy positions on a range of files related to forest management, biodiversity conservation, including fish, wildlife and at-risk species, and climate change mitigation and adaption. He also supports FPAC’s efforts to promote the forest sector’s commitment to science-based sustainable forest management, as well as its contributions to Canada’s social and economic standing.

Scott has been working for over 20 years in the field of forest management and natural resource policy. Most recently, he has worked as an independent consultant and as the Director of Indigenous and Stakeholder Relations with Forests Ontario, a not-for-profit organization committed to forest restoration, stewardship, education and awareness. Scott has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science (Biology) from Queen’s University and a Master of Forest Conservation degree from the University of Toronto.

Steven Street, WoodWorks Ontario

In his current role as Executive Director of WoodWorks Ontario, Steven leads a dynamic team, bringing value and new opportunities to the program’s partners in the wood industry. With many high-profile projects moving wood construction into the mainstream, knowledge transfer and market acceptance have never been more important to the wood industry. The construction sector has entered a new era of rapid industrialization, shifting from site-built to factory-built methodologies. Building code advances in the last few years are catalyzing the types of materials, approaches and buildings available for development. In this age of great change we can influence how we build, with new sustainability targets and an obligation to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Shawn Keyes, WoodWorks BC

Shawn is an accomplished structural engineer and the Executive Director of WoodWorks BC. With a rich background in engineering, project management, and business administration, Shawn offers dynamic leadership, overseeing a multi-disciplinary team of experts advancing wood construction across the province. He joined WoodWorks in 2022 after a decade-long, distinguished career in consulting where he worked on pioneering timber projects across Canada at a leading design firm. Shawn is a licensed professional engineer in BC and ON. He holds masters degrees in both engineering and business, with a M.Eng. from Carleton University and an MBA from UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

Rory Koska, WoodWorks Alberta



David Porter, WoodWorks Atlantic

In 2019, David joined the Maritime Lumber Bureau as the Program Coordinator for the WoodWorks Atlantic program. He works with architects, engineers, developers, building/fire officials and government, to increase the use of wood in non-residential projects. He has been involved in the design and construction of many wood projects built in Atlantic Canada, providing technical support for both light wood frame and mass timber.

Simon Bellavance, Cecobois

Simon T. Bellavance holds a bachelor's degree in wood engineering from Laval University, specializing in wood structures. Before becoming a technical advisor at Cecobois, he served as the technical lead for value-added wood products at Chantiers Chibougamau. In addition to his responsibilities in quality control and continuous improvement, he participated in several research and development projects for the Nordic Structures division. As a technical advisor at Cecobois since 2018, he has contributed to the development of various training programs, technical guides, case studies, and the creation of the Cecobois Conferences program.

Simon T. Bellavance est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en génie du bois de l’Université Laval, avec une spécialité en structure de bois. Avant de devenir conseiller technique chez Cecobois, il a occupé la fonction de responsable technique des produits de seconde transformation aux Chantiers Chibougamau. En plus d’exercer des responsabilités au niveau du contrôle de qualité et de l’amélioration continue, il a participé à plusieurs projets de recherche et développement pour la filiale Nordic Structures. Conseiller technique chez Cecobois depuis 2018, il a contribué à l’élaboration de plusieurs formations, de guides techniques, d'études de cas et à la création de la programmation des Conférences Cecobois.


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Green Construction through Wood

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Lessons from "The Wooden City"