Ontario Launches Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan
June 27, 2025
Province protecting forestry jobs and building homes and buildings faster by promoting the use of advanced wood construction
June 26, 2025
KITCHENER — The Ontario government has released the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan to increase the manufacturing and use of high-quality made-in-Ontario wood building products. To support the government’s plan to protect Ontario, the use of prefabricated and modular wood-based building materials, known as advanced wood construction, will help build more homes faster and create a more resilient forestry sector in response to U.S. tariffs by attracting investment, increasing revenues and providing economic opportunities that create and sustain local jobs.
“We’re harnessing forest sector innovation to enhance how we build our homes, businesses and communities,” said Kevin Holland, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products. “Our government recognizes the potential of advanced wood construction – and our action plan is bringing its benefits to Ontario.”
Locally made mass timber and wood construction can be used to build modular and prefabricated buildings, including mid-rise and tall multi-family homes and a wide variety of commercial and industrial buildings. Advanced wood construction can complete projects up to 50 per cent faster and cut costs by up to 20 per cent, making it essential to achieving the government’s goal of building more homes.
The Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan focuses on four objectives:
- Support initiatives that create awareness and encourage the use advanced wood construction
- Identify and remove barriers in codes, standards and regulations for the use of advanced wood construction
- Stimulate innovation and investment in advanced manufacturing facilities to grow Ontario’s advanced wood construction sector
- Demonstrate and display examples of advanced wood construction to instill confidence in adopting new Ontario wood building products
“As our government delivers on its plan to protect and build Ontario, this action plan will help promote and prioritize wood-based building with made-in-Ontario wood construction products,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. “Advanced wood construction is a new opportunity that can help get more homes built faster and build a stronger, more competitive forest sector that can withstand whatever comes our way.”
To date, Ontario has committed over $13 million to enhance the province’s advanced wood construction capacity, including:
- Over $8 million to establish and scale up production at Element5: Ontario’s first state-of-the-art, fully-automated manufacturer of cross-laminated timber
- Close to $3M for wood-based construction education, research and training led by organizations such as the Canadian Wood Council and Canadian Wood Construction Research Network, to support building with wood
- Over $1.5 million towards the construction of educational buildings incorporating mass timber at George Brown College and the University of Toronto
- Over $750,000 to support FPInnovations’ research and testing of wood-based construction materials and development of technical resources
- Over $300,000 to help the University of Toronto’s Mass Timber Institute develop ways to use more underused wood for advanced wood construction and study modular housing deployment to maximize environmental and economic benefit
Releasing the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan advances Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy commitments to increase wood use, grow markets and encourage forest sector innovation. To learn more about the plan, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/advanced-wood-construction-action-plan
Quick Facts
- The Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan complements the government’s ongoing actions to increase wood-based building, including supporting building code amendments, developing technical resources and engaging with fire services, insurers and other key stakeholders to build acceptance of wooden construction.
- A draft of the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan was posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario for review and public comment in July 2024.
- The forest sector generated $21.6 billion in revenue from the sale of manufactured goods and services in 2023 and supported 128,000 direct and indirect jobs in 2024.
Quotes
“Coupled with the acceleration of traditional construction methods, advanced wood construction presents an opportunity to leverage Ontario’s leading solid wood manufacturing facilities to address housing availability and affordability challenges. Members of the Ontario Forest Industries Association are excited to work with Premier Ford, Minister Harris, and Minister Holland to implement the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan, drive change, strengthen domestic supply chains, and provide economic growth opportunities for all Ontarians.”
– Ian Dunn, R.P.F.
President & CEO, Ontario Forest Industries Association
“Kitchener is pleased to see the Ontario government promoting the use of lumber in construction while also embracing innovative and sustainable building practices that will help us to achieve our mutual housing goals and build a thriving economy. This initiative, coupled with other investments from the province of Ontario, is helping Kitchener and builders in our community exceed its housing targets while protecting local jobs and accelerating economic activity.”
– Berry Vrbanovic
Mayor of Kitchener
“RESCON is pleased to support the Government of Ontario’s latest initiative to make more housing available in our province. Effectively meeting the challenge of housing affordability and supply requires investment in all forms of housing options including cross-laminated timber, a major component of advanced wood construction. The Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan will help build homes faster and we congratulate the province for this strategy to improve housing affordability.”
– Richard Lyall
President, Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON)
“It is inspiring and deeply meaningful to me to see the Province step forward with such a clear and confident endorsement of advanced wood construction—a technology whose time has truly come. This strategic investment supports a smarter, more resilient approach to building in Ontario. By backing industrialized construction processes, the government is not only helping to unlock the means to deliver urgently needed housing supply, but also accelerating private investment, generating high-quality skilled jobs, and positioning Ontario as a leader in next-generation construction. This is about solving today’s challenges while laying the groundwork for long-term economic growth—with industrialized wood construction driving that transformation forward.”
– Steven Street
Executive Director, WoodWorks Ontario, Canadian Wood Council
“Fueled by over 100,000 workers, Ontario’s forestry industry has earned a proud reputation of excellence in developing and manufacturing innovative and affordable wood-based products. As countries around the world look for fast, sustainable, and high-quality building solutions, our government’s Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan provides the blueprint to meet the moment. Alongside our industry leaders, we look forward to utilizing this plan to strengthen our province’s leadership in advanced wood-based construction and seize new global opportunities for our forestry workers and businesses.”
– Vic Fedeli
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
“In every corner of our province, we need more homes. Our government is addressing this challenge head-on by investing in infrastructure and making legislative changes, and wood construction is just one more tool in our toolbox to get shovels in the ground. Together, we are supporting local economies while bringing the dream of homeownership back within reach for more people.”
– Rob Flack
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
“Through the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan’s roadmap, Ontario has outlined objectives to increase the use of Ontario wood in the province, accelerate home construction, and support one of Ontario’s largest natural resource sectors. FPInnovations is proud to work with the Province of Ontario to provide applied science for advanced wood construction.”
– Stéphane Renou
President and Chief Executive Officer, FPInnovations
“The increased use of wood products in building construction will help reduce carbon footprint of building construction, enhance economic growth in the forestry sector and address the affordable housing crisis in Canada. The Canadian Wood Construction Research Network (CWCRN) manages over 40 research projects on mass timber construction at 14 Canadian universities, including 5 from Ontario. This multi-institutional research network is developing crucial science-based information to support the use of wood products in non-traditional applications, such as tall buildings. Funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, and other partners, including federal and provincial government departments and industry, is instrumental in supporting the research program managed by CWCRN.”
– Ying Hei Chui, PhD, P.Eng., FCAE
Lead of the Canadian Wood Construction Research Network and Director of the Nasseri School of Building Science and Engineering, University of Alberta
“We enthusiastically endorse Ontario’s measures to support modular housing deployment, including the release of the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan. These initiatives promise scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective responses to the province’s most pressing housing challenges. Emphasizing resource efficiency, construction innovation, and integrated community planning aligns precisely with our mission to foster a resilient, equitable bioeconomy—one that supports both environmental stewardship and inclusive growth.”
– Rasoul Yousefpour
Director of the Mass Timber Institute and Assistant Professor in Forestry at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
“Ontario’s investment in projects like the Academic Tower and the release of the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan signal a bold commitment to sustainable design and innovation in the built environment. By advancing a wood-first policy, supporting Ontario-based mass timber manufacturing, and ensuring the sustainable management of our Crown forests, the province has a unique opportunity to become an international leader in low-carbon, high-performance wood construction.”
– Professor Robert Wright
Principal Investigator, Mass Timber Institute, Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto
“We are grateful for the Government of Ontario’s support toward the construction of Limberlost Place, a landmark project that marks a bold step forward in sustainable building design and education. As one of Ontario’s first institutional buildings made from mass timber and designed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, it strengthens George Brown College as a leader in green innovation and workforce development while supporting the province’s Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan. Together, we are building a cleaner, stronger, and more resilient future for all.”
– Dr. Gervan Fearon
President of George Brown College
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