Wood WORKS! BC congratulates four BC communities on adopting Wood First
Resolutions

VANCOUVER, Feb. 3 /CNW/ - Wood WORKS! BC executive director Mary Tracey today congratulated four BC communities which have become the latest to pass Wood First Resolutions. Prince George, Campbell River, Fruitvale and Castlegar have all recently adopted Wood First Resolutions, bringing the total number of communities with such resolutions in BC to seven.

Quesnel, Nakusp and Squamish have already passed Wood First Resolutions which support the province's new Wood First Act, aiming to generate demand for wood products to support forest-dependent communities while promoting climate-friendly construction. The Wood First Act requires provincially-funded projects to use wood as the primary construction material. Wood WORKS! BC is a recognized resource to help BC communities with the new "build with wood" requirements on publicly-funded projects.

"We congratulate these communities for taking a leadership role among municipalities by embracing this visionary legislation," explains Ms. Tracey. "It makes good sense from an economic and aesthetic point of view, and also from an environmental point of view, since wood is the most sustainable, natural, renewable and "climate friendly" building material."

Prince George adopted its Wood First Resolution on Monday night, February 8th. "As BC's northern capital and a community that continues to be very much dependant on the resources around us, it's extremely important for the City of Prince George to take a leadership role in promoting the benefits of building with wood culture both within our city as well as beyond our city limits", said Mayor Dan Rogers. "From an environmental perspective, this effort aligns well with our city's goals to become one of the most resilient and sustainable cities in the country. It is now evident that building with wood is a priority for us but it will also be backed up with policy changes that align with what the province is doing to maximize the use of wood in all public construction projects".

"Castlegar enthusiastically supports the use of wood as a primary building material and sees the Wood First Act as an excellent step in trying to stimulate our local wood industry and increase local jobs," states Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff.

"Fruitvale is a forest community which recognizes the economic impact of forestry on our prosperity, the value and strength wood products provide, and the simple and awesome beauty of wood used well. We are proud to declare ourselves a Wood First community," said Mayor Libby Nelson of Fruitvale.

In Campbell River, Councilor Ziggy Stewart, who was instrumental in setting up the Future of Forestry Task Force stated," This policy shows our true commitment to supporting the ongoing development of a wood culture in Campbell River that focuses on the structural and architectural use of wood. We need to develop new strategies that will enhance opportunities to develop a vibrant local forest industry."

Wood WORKS! BC has worked with municipalities for the past 11 years as they build a culture of wood in BC. Notable projects with Wood WORKS! BC's involvement include the international award-winning Richmond Oval - the largest of the 2010 Winter Olympics venues. The Oval's six-acre free spanning "wood wave" roof made with "beetle-kill" wood is a precedent-setting example of BC's and Canada's advanced wood engineering and prefabrication capabilities.

Wood WORKS! BC has provided cost-effective solutions and technical support for structural and architectural wood applications for projects ranging from firehalls to arenas and recreation centres. Wood WORKS! BC has been asked by the provincial government to assist municipalities in the development of Wood First Act wood resolutions, procurement policies, RFP wording, and design specifications. Wood WORKS! BC is able to provide technical assistance to staff, design teams and contractors as well as guidance in a variety of areas including procurement, sustainability, code and fire issues, communications and innovation in design.

Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood and wood products. Through workshops, seminars and case studies, Wood WORKS! BC provides education, training and technical expertise to building and design professionals involved with commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects throughout BC.

For further information: Mary Tracey, Executive Director - Wood WORKS! BC 1-877-929-9663 (1)