Building with Wood: A Solution for Housing and the Low-Carbon Transition

The 11th edition of the Cecobois Conferences, organized by Cecobois, wrapped up at Hotel Bonaventure. Source: v2com

The event was held in conjunction with the 3rd edition of Forum Construction bas carbone et biosourcée, a major event dedicated to reducing the embodied carbon content of buildings. More than 400 participants were on hand to listen to some 25 speakers, presenting various examples of large-scale projects built with wood and sharing their expertise in sustainable and bio-based construction.

Four keynote presentations

The four keynote presentations at the 2026 Forum construction bas carbone et biosourcée and Cecobois Conferences highlighted various critical aspects that will shape low-carbon construction in Quebec.

Invited experts took turns discussing the circular economy as a lever for reducing embodied carbon, with Anthony Thiselton (Waugh Thisleton Architects), building with wood on a city-scale to accelerate the climate transition, as well as Geoff Denton (White Arkiteker), topographical architecture that integrates buildings into their natural environment, Jean-Luc Sandoz (CBS-CBT) leveraging integrated architectural collaboration to optimize the environmental performance of projects right from the design stage, and Robert Jackson (Fast + Epp) and Ryan McClanaghan (MG Architecture). These conferences collectively demonstrated that innovation, integrated planning, and increased use of bio-based materials are concrete solutions for building a more resilient, low-carbon environment.

Renewed government support for building with wood in Quebec

Cecobois also welcomed Jean-François Béland, Associate Deputy Minister for Forests at the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, who announced that funding for Cecobois’ program of activities would be renewed in the amount of $3 million over three years.

This support reaffirms the government’s commitment to promoting the increased use of wood, a local and renewable resource, in Quebec’s construction industry. It also demonstrates the government’s confidence in Cecobois and the recognition of its strategic role in promoting and developing the use of wood in construction in Quebec.

This funding will enable Cecobois to continue and increase its technical support activities for building professionals, strengthen its training and knowledge transfer activities, and support the development of tools that promote the integration of wood in non-residential and multi-residential construction projects. It will also help consolidate Cecobois’ initiatives in line with the objectives of the Quebec government’s Policy for the Use of Wood in Construction.

“Prioritizing the use of wood helps strengthen jobs in our regions and reduce the impact of trade tensions between Canada and the US in the forestry sector, while contributing to the decarbonization of the building sector,” says Jean-François Simard, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and Minister Responsible for the Capitale-Nationale Region. “The Policy for the Use of Wood in Construction creates favourable conditions for the use of wood as a building material. Our partnership with Cecobois will help to better inform, support, and guide builders committed to this approach.”

The government reaffirms the importance of the forestry sector and positions wood at the heart of sustainable construction in Canada

On the second day of the event, Cecobois welcomed Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, who spoke of the central role of the forestry sector in the economy and in the fight against climate change. He also highlighted the government’s strategy to strengthen the industry’s resilience and competitiveness.

By prioritizing the use of Canadian wood in federal infrastructure and multi-residential projects, the government is creating a favourable environment for the growth of wood construction. This recognition of wood as a strategic material will help stimulate local purchasing and reduce dependence on the US market, where nearly 50% of Quebec’s softwood lumber production is currently exported.

“The increased use of local wood promotes higher value-added processing, particularly through the development of secondary and tertiary processing products such as engineered wood, prefabricated panel walls, modular systems, and solid wood,” says Mr. Louis Poliquin, director of Cecobois.

Cecobois also believes that, in a context marked by a significant housing shortage, the adoption of prefabricated wood systems appears more than ever to be a key solution for accelerating housing starts and effectively addressing housing needs. And, as a local, renewable, and low-carbon resource, the use of wood is an effective solution for reducing the climate impact of the construction sector.

“Analyses carried out using Cecobois’ Gestimat tool show that replacing high-carbon materials with wood can reduce the carbon footprint of building structures by 25% to 70%,” adds Mr. Poliquin.

In addition to the presentations, a number of participants also joined two building tours organized in collaboration with Créneau Écoconstruction and Guimond Construction, providing concrete examples of the principles presented during the presentations.

We would like to thank our major partners, Guimond Construction and Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ, for making this event possible and enabling us to offer a top-notch program. Thank you also to all the speakers and exhibitors for generously sharing their knowledge.

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