Reinventing Red Pine:
A Forest-Based Solution for Canada’s Housing Future

In eastern Ontario’s Limerick Forest, a new solar-powered Discovery Centre – built with red pine cross laminated timber (CLT) sourced from the same forest – showcases a breakthrough approach to timber innovation in Canada
SOURCE: CABN

A collaboration between Canadian builder CABN, the Ontario Woodlot Association, the University of Toronto’s Mass Timber Institute, Limerick Forest, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the project’s success highlights untapped potential for CLT panels made from local and historically overlooked species to meet the urgent need for prefabricated homes in Canada – sustainably.

Traditionally sourced for large hydro poles and home finishes, red pine has long been considered more difficult to process for conventional lumber uses due to its higher sap content and variable sizing. CABN harvested and dried small-diameter red pine from Limerick Forest, transforming it into cross-laminated timber panels that were validated through research, scanning, and testing, and realized using advanced lamination techniques.

CABN then designed and fabricated the HUTT at their advanced manufacturing facility, located just 40 kilometres from the procurement site. Committed to sustainable forest management throughout the project life-cycle, reforestation was a key element of site preparation for the project team.

The results are promising: red pine CLT has proven to perform on par with structural panels made from more traditional species. Across Ontario alone, red pine dominates more than 280,000 hectares of forest; with strong potential for scalability, advancing the use of red pine CLT has equal potential to reduce material costs, improve forest utilization, and create a more environmentally friendly supply chain for homebuilding.
While the Limerick Forest project highlights the potential of red pine, CABN’s broader ambition stretches further. At its advanced manufacturing hub, CABN’s comprehensive wood lab is dedicated to scanning, analyzing, and categorizing underutilized timber species for building.

CABN’s research spans red pine, poplar, and other local varieties, focusing on moisture content, density, and structural composition. The goal is to create precise strategies for turning low-value or unmarketable timber into high-performing building materials. By aligning with local sawmills and forest managers, CABN is working to establish a closed-loop system where Canadian timber can be harvested, processed, and used within a 500-kilometer radius – minimizing transportation emissions and strengthening local forestry economies.

The launch of Build Canada Homes prioritizes factory-built construction, mass timber optimization, and Canadian industries, while research into local wood species could promote sustainability, strengthen supply chains, and cut costs and timelines. By embracing these innovations, Canada has the opportunity to transform overlooked forests into vital assets for housing, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic resilience.

For More Information:
www.cabn.co