The Government of Canada is investing $6 million into four green construction projects across Ontario, supporting low-carbon building materials and mass timber innovations.
The funding, part of Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) and Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) programs, aims to reduce emissions, promote sustainable construction and increase housing supply.
According to Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, this investment will help address both the housing crisis and environmental concerns.
“Investing in Canadian timber supports forestry jobs, increases housing supply and lowers emissions,” Wilkinson said. “By encouraging low-carbon wood in construction, we’re strengthening communities while driving sustainability.”
Projects Benefiting from the Investment
The funding will support over 300 new housing units while advancing sustainable building methods.
- Assembly Corp. in Toronto will receive $900,000 to develop a seismic system for an eight-storey, all-wood residential building. The 62-unit mixed-use rental project will serve as a repeatable model for sustainable construction across multiple sites.
- Sean Mason Homes in Barrie will receive $1 million for the Rainwater Condominium project, a five-storey, 38-unit development combining cross-laminated timber (CLT), cold-formed steel walls and geothermal energy.
- Post Office Limited Partnership in Oshawa is receiving $1 million for a nine-storey addition to a historic post office, adding 219 rental units using sustainable wood-based materials.
- Timmerman Timberworks will receive over $3 million to develop Canada’s first fully automated, precision-engineered nail-laminated timber (NLT) production line, accelerating mass timber innovation and certification.
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Green Construction’s Role in Emissions Reduction
The building sector is Canada’s third-largest source of emissions, accounting for 92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (13 percent of national emissions) in 2022. The adoption of mass timber in apartment buildings, condos and office towers could cut sector emissions by 9 million tonnes by 2030.
NRCan’s GCWood program has funded 16 demonstration projects since 2017, supporting mass timber buildings, hybrid construction and timber bridges. Meanwhile, IFIT has funded over 60 projects since 2010, helping develop bio-based construction materials and energy-efficient building solutions.
Expanding Mass Timber Construction
Canada has already completed 661 mass timber projects, with 87 percent concentrated in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
The global mass timber market is expected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $4.9 billion by 2030, and Canada’s share is projected to reach $1.2 billion, according to the Transition Accelerator Mass Timber Roadmap.
With investments like these, Canada is positioning itself as a global leader in sustainable building practices, reducing emissions and enhancing housing affordability while supporting forestry jobs and local economies.
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