The City of Hamilton is the first municipality in Ontario to issue a building permit for a mid-rise wood-frame building.
The changes to the Ontario Building Code allowing six-storey buildings, up from the previous limit of four, officially went into effect on Jan. 1.
Congratulations went out from the Canadian Wood Council.
"Canada's wood products industry continues to develop advanced building products and improved building systems that are designed to meet the rigorous standards of the building code – ultimately the design and build communities increased construction options,” said council president Michael Giroux in a March 27 news release.
North Bay-based Ontario WoodWorks executive director Marianne Berube also applauded the city.
"Wood-frame mid-rise buildings are redefining the way cities are built by meeting new densification targets, by making the best use of existing urban infrastructure, and by providing versatile commercial projects, mixed-use developments and more affordable options for housing. “It won't be long before these buildings are found in urban areas across the province."
The code changes are similar to that of British Columbia, the first province to adopt mid-rise wood-frame buildings in 2009. But in Ontario, there are more stringent safety requirements requiring the use of non-combustible materials in areas like stairwells.
At a recent building symposium in Vaughan, Alan Shaw, vice-president of the Ontario Building Officials' Association, said other municipalities ready to follow suit, namely Toronto, Markham, Burlington, St. Thomas and Clarington.
Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, said the legislative change has attracted a B.C. company to Ontario. Northland Properties is bringing its expertise in mid-rise wood construction in the form of a 209-unit hotel with two restaurants.
“It's great to see this mixed-use project get approved. We're excited as we anticipate the approval of the first building permit for a six-storey wood-frame residential building."
