Alberta
Alberta will now allow wood-building construction for up to 12 storeys
From the Province of Alberta
Reducing red tape for wood-building construction
Municipal Affairs Minister Kaycee Madu announced the change Friday, as part of Red Tape Reduction Awareness Week.
While other jurisdictions in Canada, like British Columbia, currently allow for 12-storey wood construction, Alberta will become the first province in Canada to allow the practice province-wide.
“Not only will this decision support the forestry industry and land developers, it will provide affordability to homebuyers, bolster employment, and give Alberta a competitive advantage. We made this change knowing that mass timber products are safe and that these buildings will meet all necessary standards.”
Current Alberta and national building codes allow wood-building construction for up to six storeys, but the next edition of the National Building Code – anticipated for publication at the end of 2020 – will allow for the use of tall wood construction with fire-resistant material for up to 12 storeys.
Alberta will issue a notice – based on technical provisions developed for the next edition of the National Building Code – to allow early use of tall wood or mass timber construction for up to 12 storeys using fire-resistant material in time for the upcoming construction season.
“We commend the Government of Alberta for advancing the use of wood-building construction of up to 12 storeys with this province-wide variance. By building with products that are made locally, we are supporting thousands of jobs in small communities and large cities throughout the province. From people working in sawmills, to value-add facilities, to jobs in construction and transportation, everyone benefits from this change. Moreover, because wood is fully renewable and has a low carbon footprint, our environment benefits, too.”
New technology makes taller wood construction feasible
Advancements in fire-protection and wood-product technology are allowing for the construction of taller wood buildings without compromising safety.
The building codes will require tall wood buildings to be built as encapsulated mass timber construction, where the solid or engineered wood has been surrounded by fire-resistive material. Buildings of mass timber construction will also be fully sprinklered.
“BILD Alberta is excited to see the Government of Alberta take steps to modernize construction, reduce red tape and address environmental needs by allowing innovative techniques to deliver the homes and buildings people need. This provides our industry and member companies with more options in meeting the housing affordability needs of Albertans.”
Quick facts
- Wood buildings taller than six storeys have been built in Vancouver (University of British Columbia’s 18-storey Brock Commons), Europe, the United States, and other jurisdictions around the world.
- Mass or laminated timber has excellent durability and seismic, fire, and acoustic safety performance.
- The encapsulated mass-timber construction component of the 2020 National Building Code has already been reviewed by the National Building Code committees and fire-safety specialists, structural engineers, architects, scientists, and builders.
Economic impact of tall wood buildings
- Potential to create about 60 jobs per construction site and up to 400 jobs per new sawmill and production sites.
- A growth in demand for lumber, for example, 100-million board feet, about $40-million worth of lumber, is the equivalent to about two mills the size of Boucher Bros Lumber.
Minister Madu tours Western Archrib with (L-R) Paul Whittaker, Scott Fash of BILD, Dale Beesley, Municipal Affairs, and Andre Lema, of Western Archrib.
EDMONTON — Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says COVID-19 case numbers in the province continue to recede.
But Dr. Deena Hinshaw cautions that the hospital situation remains precarious given the high number of patients.
And she says Albertans can’t afford to let up on health restrictions, particularly with Halloween coming up.
There were 770 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday for a new total of 10,434 active cases.
There were eight more deaths, bringing that total to 3,014.
Alberta Health Services says there are 912 people in hospital with COVID-19, and that 201 of them are in intensive care.
Alberta remains under gathering restrictions for indoor and outdoor events, and Hinshaw says it’s important to stick to those limits at Halloween.
Hinshaw urged those setting out candy for trick or treaters to not use bowls, but to set out the candy spaced apart on a surface like a blanket.
She says those who want to have a Halloween party should consider a small gathering of vaccinated people.
“This is not the year for large Halloween parties,” Hinshaw said.
“If you’re planning a Halloween gathering try to have it outdoors and make sure the limit of no more than 20 people is observed.”
Hinshaw noted that last Oct. 31 there were 5,600 active COVID-19 cases, about half the current total. There were 141 people in hospital with the illness a year ago.
Alberta continues to battle a fourth wave of the pandemic.
It has more than doubled the normal number of 173 critical care beds and has had to cancel thousands of non-urgent surgeries to handle the surge.
Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley says with winter coming and COVID-19 still circulating, the province needs to provide stable funding to social agencies for winter emergency shelters.
“All people deserve to live in dignity and have a safe place to call home,” said Notley. “These calls are urgent. It’s getting cold outside, and our northern winter will be here soon.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
The Canadian Press
CALGARY — Games that will determine the roster of Canada’s 2022 Olympic women’s hockey team will include nine against archrival United States.
Canada opens its pre-Olympic series against the U.S. on Friday in Allentown, Pa., followed by another clash Monday in Hartford, Conn.
The Canadians meet the Americans for the first time since edging them 3-2 in overtime for the gold medal in the women’s world championship final Aug. 31 in Calgary.
Canada’s women won four straight Olympic hockey gold medals from 2002 to 2014 before the U.S. beat the Canadians in a shootout for the title in 2018.
Twenty-nine Canadian players are centralized in Calgary training full time for Beijing’s Winter Olympics in February.
Goaltenders Ann-Renée Desbiens of La Malbaie, Que., Emerance Maschmeyer of Bruderheim, Alta., and Kristen Campbell of Brandon, Man., are Beijing-bound, but competing for coveted Olympic starts.
Six skaters will be released in December to get to the 23-player Olympic roster.
Canada travels to Finland for a three-game series against its women’s national side Nov. 11-14.
The Canadians host the Americans on Nov. 21 in Kingston, Ont., and Nov. 23 in Ottawa.
The series resumes in the U.S. with games Dec. 16 and 18 in St. Louis, and Dec. 20 in St. Paul, Minn.
The series wraps in Canada on Jan. 3 in Edmonton and Jan. 6 in Red Deer, Alta..
A pair of games against an all-star team of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA) are scheduled for December with dates yet to be confirmed.
The women’s schedule released Thursday by Hockey Canada also includes three more games against male Junior A clubs: Oct. 29 against the Olds Grizzlies; Nov. 3 against the Camrose Kodiaks; and Jan. 10 versus the Calgary Canucks.
The Canadian women lost two games to B.C. junior teams earlier this month and dropped another game to an AJHL club earlier this week.
“We believe we have put together a plan that will challenge us physically and give us a level of competition that pushes our team to be at our best,” said Gina Kingsbury, Hockey Canada’s director of women’s hockey operations.
“This is an opportunity to evaluate ourselves as we face high-calibre teams, and we are grateful to all the groups who are part of our journey.”
Canada opens the Olympic women’s hockey tournament Feb. 3 against Switzerland.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2021.
The Canadian Press
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