Following the lead of British Columbia, the Ontario Building Code was amended in late September to allow wood-frame construction for buildings up to six storeys. The former maximum height for a wood-frame building was four storeys. The change to the Ontario code comes into effect on January 1, 2015.
In B.C., six-storey wood-frame buildings have been allowed since 2009 after the BC Building Code was changed as part of the B.C. Wood First Act, which encourages the use of wood as a primary construction material.
Unfortunately, the first six-storey wood-frame residential building in B.C., the Remy in Richmond, burnt to the ground in 2011 as it neared completion. It has since been rebuilt, also using wood. Since 2009, more than 50 wood frame buildings of six-storeys have been built across B.C.
Ontario’s safety requirements for wood frame buildings include constructing stairwells with non-combustible materials and roofs with combustion-resistant materials.
"Our made-in-Ontario model for mid-rise wood construction provides the highest requirements for fire safety in Canada," said Ted McMeekin, Ontario's minister of municipal affairs and housing.
"Wood mid-rise construction is a safe, strong and sophisticated building solution. We are very happy with the code changes announced for Ontario," said Michael Giroux, President of the Canadian Wood Council.
