Leadership in structural and architectural wood use by local governments was recognized at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention in Vancouver last week. Five local governments were presented with 2021 Community Recognition Awards for use of wood in their community projects by Wood WORKS! BC. The province-wide awards are presented annually to communities that have been exemplary advocates for wood. This may be demonstrated through the specification of wood in a community project and/or through developing policies that
strongly encourage wood use.

The 2021 recipients are:

LMLGA – Lower Mainland Local Government Association: City of Richmond for the Minoru Centre for Active Living

AKBLG – Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments: City of Fernie for the Fernie Memorial Arena Truss Repair

NCLGA – North Central Local Government Association: City of Prince George for the Prince George Fire Hall #1

SILGA – Southern Interior Local Government Association: Town of Princeton for the Princeton Revitalization and Branding Initiative

AVICC – Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities: Township of Esquimalt for the Esquimalt Town Centre and Library

“We congratulate these five local governments for their visionary initiatives that truly enhance their communities and streetscapes,” said Lynn Embury-Williams, executive director of Wood WORKS! BC. “These new structures connect us with the wood culture of our province and contribute to community pride and prosperity, especially when using local labour and BC wood products. Wood’s many benefits are showcased in all of these structures, including reduced carbon impacts and increased building performance, and demonstrate that traditional as well as technologically advanced wood systems can be used effectively and distinctly in many types and sizes of civic structures,” she added.

“As communities work toward goals such as net zero energy buildings, lower building costs and higher urban density, wood will increasingly become the building material of choice in civic projects. We applaud these communities for further advancing wood use in design and construction, leading us to a more sustainable future,” she concluded.

New initiatives such as the province’s Mass Timber Demonstration Program will support the advancement of mass timber projects by financially assisting local governments in their quest to expand wood use. The second intake of this funding opportunity has a deadline of October 8: MassTimberBC.ca – Local governments may contact Wood WORKS! BC for resources such as technical expertise, training and education when considering their next civic project.

For more than 20 years, Wood WORKS! BC has worked extensively with municipalities on all aspects of project planning from RFP wording to specification of structural and architectural wood products. Wood WORKS! BC is a recognized resource to help BC communities follow the Wood First Act, which requires provincially funded buildings to feature wood as the primary construction material within the BC Building Code. Wood WORKS! BC’s technical services are available free of charge.

wood-works.ca/bc