New provincial legislation introduced on Tuesday will increase demand for wood products by requiring provincially-funded building projects to use wood as the primary construction material.
The Wood First Act builds on recent amendments to the B.C. building code that allow for six-storey, wood-frame construction.
In a release, the Ministry of Forests and Range said wood is under-used in non-residential construction in North America, representing only 19% of commercial or institutional buildings.
In most cases, wood has the potential to be used in the development of the majority of such buildings, according to the ministry.
The provincial government will create new procurement standards to support the new legislation.
The act, according to the government, will support B.C. forest workers, showcase wood products and promote wood as the preferred choice for all construction and interior design.
B.C. is encouraging other provinces and the federal government to implement a pan-Canadian, wood-first policy.
Starting with Alberta and Saskatchewan, B.C. is trying to extend the six-storey wood-frame building code across the country.