Ontario Construction News
Natural Resources Canada is accepting applications for the Off-Site Construction Challenge, designed to improve productivity, shorten construction timelines and enhance building performance through innovative off-site approaches, including mass-timber construction.
The call for proposals comes as the federal government confirmed $580,000 in funding for Cecobois through the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program. The funding is administered by the Conseil de l’industrie forestière du Québec and was announced at Les Conférences Cecobois et le Forum construction bas carbone et biosourcée 2026.
Cecobois will implement projects aimed at documenting and promoting the benefits of using wood to decarbonize the construction sector. The initiatives will strengthen technical expertise and support knowledge sharing to increase the use of wood and bio-based insulation materials, while advancing carbon neutrality in non-residential and multi-residential buildings.
“Today’s announcement ensures that forestry remains a pillar of national strength, a source of good jobs for communities across the country and a major exporter of our products to the world and protecting what we have while building stronger for tomorrow,” said Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
The Off-Site Construction Challenge aims to support innovative building methods that can accelerate housing delivery and improve overall project efficiency. Mass-timber and other prefabricated systems are expected to play a central role in achieving those goals.
Both initiatives are part of the federal government’s broader strategy to prioritize Canadian materials and technologies in infrastructure and housing projects through its Buy Canadian Policy and Build Canada Homes initiatives.
“Increased use of local wood not only promotes local processing with higher added value — particularly through the development of secondary and tertiary processing products such as engineered wood, prefabricated panel components, modular systems and solid wood — but also contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of buildings,” said Louis Poliquin, director of Cecobois.
Canada’s forest sector supports nearly 200,000 workers, including more than 11,000 Indigenous workers, and contributes more than $20 billion annually to the country’s gross domestic product.
