Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer With Ontario joining B.C. in allowing builders to con- struct wooden structures up to six-storeys high, many, in- cluding the Ontario Wood Truss Fabricators Association (OWTFA), are reviewing their mandates to become more all encompassing associations to the Ontario structural wood marketplace and to assist in unifying the stakehold- ers in mid-rise construction. WHY BUY YOUR EWP FROM A BOISE CASCADE DEALER: BETTER ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS DEPENDABLE DELIVERY TOOLS AND GUIDANCE EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH © 2015 Boise Cascade Wood Products, L.L.C. BOISE CASCADE, the TREE-IN-A-CIRCLE symbol and “Great products are only the beginning” are trademarks of Boise Cascade Company or its affiliates. 36 – Winter 2015 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report OWTFA executive director Mike Phillips says the con- struction industry is generally fairly conservative. He says adaptability will be the key to changing the paradigm under the new code. “Mid-rise construction is just part of the pic- ture. Wood pieces and components made from wood will also come into play.” He says decisions will have to be made about how in- dustry suppliers will serve smaller property builders. Will truss fabricators for instance take on supplying other com- ponents for the builder, or will they partner with another company who can? He says deciding which course to take will be a challenge. He said the OWFTA decided at its last annual general meeting to explore these issues. “Many truss fabricators sell other engineered wood products already; some sell lumber and other elements,” Phillips said. “From an engi- neering and wood design perspective then it might not be a big leap to jump into producing other components.” Phillips says the association hopes to have a plan on ex- panding its scope early in the new year. He says, as with U.S. counterpart Structural Building Components Associa- tion, the industry may need to take on a broader mandate to meet changing demands. The Canadian Wood Truss Association (CWTA) is an um- brella association representing, on a national level, six re- gional truss industry associations, and the Truss Plate Institute of Canada. Executive secretary Jerry Cvach says the organization works with authorities and other organi- zations, including the Canadian Wood Council (CWC). “The strength of our industry has always been the regional in- fluences so we represent the industry nationally but work to maintain the regional influences.” CWTA focuses primarily on the industry’s engineering goals. “We listen to the regional associations and their is- sues and concerns, fund research and development and work closely with the CWC to provide solutions.” Some of that research and development is aimed at supporting the industry in moving into more mainstream commercial projects. The industry is looking at designs for commercial applications, investigating whether there are