Overview
A candid discussion on the labor challenges and opportunities in the mass timber industry, focusing on innovation and workforce transformation. This session will explore strategies for integrating offsite fabrication, along with the training methods and approaches used to upskill the workforce and meet the evolving demands of the mass timber market.
Panelists
Ryan Going, Project Manager, Pommerleau
Ryan Going, P.Eng. is a construction manager with experience delivering large-scale buildings and civil projects across industrial, institutional, commercial and healthcare markets in Canada and the UK. As a project manager with Pomerleau, Ryan is currently managing the delivery of the Academic Wood Tower for the University of Toronto, which at 14 storeys and 76m is the tallest wood structure under construction in Canada. Ryan is also a founding member of Pomerleau's National Wellbeing Committee which focuses on improving mental health supports for Pomerleau's 4000+ employees across the country. Ryan is a member of the Toronto Construction Association's Young Construction Leaders (YCL) Executive committee. Ryan was named as one of Canada’s top 40 under 40 construction professionals in 2023 by OnSite magazine.
Ryan Desjardins, Project Manager, Eastern
With nearly 25 years experience within the construction industry, Ryan has a profound ability to manage any given project exemplifying his leadership experience. Leaning on his past experience as an architectural designer, he innovatively approaches and has a practical appreciation for the perspective of all project stakeholders. Ryan has strategized and executed a broad range of mass timber, residential, institutional, retail and commercial projects, often with unique challenges and award-winning results.
This includes Ryan’s work on 80 Atlantic Avenue office complex in the heart of Liberty Village, the first mast-timber building constructed from the ground up in Ontario in almost 100 years. He and his team delivered exceptional and quality workmanship on this multi award-winning project, including the 2022 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, Mass Timber Wood Design Award by Wood WORKS!, the Wood Design Building Awards.
From Ryan’s experience on 80 Atlantic Avenue, he has gone on to regularly collaborate with WoodWorks Ontario and advising many industry partners, sharing his lessons learned for their mass-timber ventures. He is currently leading the construction of the new mass-timber Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) Headquarters and Multi-Tenant Commercial Building, also a multiple award-winning mass timber development.
Michael Krans, President, Timmerman Timberworks
Michael Krans is a Director of SilvaSpan Inc and Co-Founder and President of Timmerman Timberworks. Since Timmerman’s inception in 1999, Michael has worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of mass timber’s capabilities including designing and developing SilvaSpan’s Nail Laminated Timber Panel product, introducing an alternate mass timber panel product to the market. Through the years, Michael has helped to grow the mass timber industry with his keen design sense and his passion for innovation.
Michael oversees day-to-day business operations for both SilvaSpan Inc. and Timmerman Timberworks Inc. and acts as an industry resource, offering his expertise with respect to mass timber efficiencies and constructability. Under Michael’s purview, his teams have taken on some of the most intricate and innovative design projects in Eastern Canada and continue to welcome projects that challenge the capabilities of timber.
Moderator
Nicole Ross, Executive Director, College of Carpenters and Allied Trades
Nicole Ross is the Executive Director of the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades, where she spearheads initiatives to advance the construction trades and promote skilled workforce development. She holds a B.Sc.H in Chemistry/Psychology from Queen’s University, a Red Seal in Carpentry, and a B.Ed. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
Nicole began her carpentry career after moving to New Zealand, where she discovered her passion for the trade and her dedication to supporting women entering the field. Returning to Canada, she completed her apprenticeship and worked in the industry for nearly a decade before transitioning into education as a high school teacher. She later rejoined the Carpenters’ Union as a Project Manager for the Carpenters’ Regional Council, ultimately stepping into her current leadership role as Executive Director.