Canada’s forests are an incredibly important contributor to our country’s economy, environment and natural heritage. Both our urban and woodland forests are an integral component of our roots as a nation and an even bigger part of our future.
Did you know?
- that 94% of Canada’s forests are publicly owned?
- that Canada’s forest represents 9% of the world’s forests?
- that more than 65% of Canadians get their water from river systems, lakes and reservoirs – sources that largely originate in forested areas?
- that Canada has over 340 million hectares of forest?
- that Canada’s boreal forest covers almost 60% of the land mass which covers 2,000,000 mi²?
- that Quebec City was once the largest timber port in the world?
- that Canada is home to 30% of the world’s boreal forest?
- that Banff National Park was first Canadian National park, and was established in 1885? It was the 3rd national park established in the world.
- that Canada has the world’s largest beaver dam? You can find it in Wood Buffalo National Park?
- that a little over 5 million people visit Banff National Park each year?
- that Castle Mountain, in Banff National Park once was the home to Western Canada’s largest city? The town of Silver City once had 2,500 residents in the 1880’s.
- that it takes approximately 500 full-sized trees to absorb the carbon dioxide produced by an average car that is driven 20,000 km/year?
- that there are approximately 60 million ties in the tracks of the Canadian Pacific Railway and its Canadian subsidiaries? Each made of timber.
The future of wood
Thank you to our friends at Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. for sharing this incredible innovation.
Brock Commons Phase 1 is an 18-storey hybrid mass timber residence under construction at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The building will be comprised of 17 storeys of mass timber construction above a concrete podium and two concrete stair cores. The floor structure will consist of 5-ply cross laminated timber (CLT) panels supported on glue laminated timber (glulam) columns. The roof will be made of prefabricated sections of steel beams and metal decking.
Brock Commons will have capacity for just over 400 students with floorplans ranging from single bed studios to 4-bed accommodations. Study and social spaces will be located on the ground floor with a student lounge on the 18th floor, where the wood structure will be left exposed for demonstration and educational purposes.
Wood, a renewable material, was chosen in part to reflect the university’s commitment to sustainability. The building was also designed to meet LEED Gold certification.
