News From MTI
Hello Mass Timber Colleagues! This month we are very pleased to feature a stunning mass timber project in Ontario built with Canadian Mass Timber: The Orillia Waterfront Centre.
Project Feature: Orillia Waterfront Centre
When the previous building was destroyed by fire, the City of Orillia re-envisioned the new Waterfront Centre as a community hub to take advantage of its picturesque location and proximity to downtown. The new Orillia Waterfront Centre is much more than a utilitarian facility for boaters, and has become a popular amenity that establishes a sense of place on the waterfront.
The single-storey design features administration offices, washrooms and showers, and a large community space. The principal room, which features sweeping views of the water, marina, and park, can be divided by means of large cross-laminated timber (CLT) pivot doors cut and assembled to reflect a naval flag patterning. The building provides private services to boaters while also serving the general community; its inviting interior has attracted yoga classes, seniors’ exercise, art display, team bonding, municipal festivals, and weddings.
The Orillia Waterfront Centre was the first building to use CLT in Ontario. Its use of mass timber as a key structural element allowed the structure to be erected in a single day. The design-build project was a joint partnership between Brook McIlroy, Bradanick Construction, Steenhof Building Services, and CLT fabricators Element5. CLT led to further efficiencies in construction as it is used in this case both as structure and as interior finish.
The pavilion serves as a beacon for the community and features a lightbox sitting atop the community lounge. At night, the lightbox glows like a lantern on the waterfront – drawing the public towards its warm wood interior
Image Credit: Tom Arban
Updates from the Institute
1. MTI welcomes two new team members
We are very pleased to introduce the newest two MTI team members: Feiran Xu and Xincheng Li. Both are Masters of Forest Conservation students doing internship projects with the MTI. Feiran is building an economic model of a mass timber supply chain with the Whitefeather Forest Initiative in Northwestern Ontario and Li is assessing the viability of producing mass timber products from hardwoods in Southern Ontario. Welcome to Feiran and Li!
 
Feiran Xu (Left) and Xincheng Li (Right)
Other Updates:
- The Forest Business Network has released its 2020 report on the mass timber industry in North America. They are currently offering free digital access to the report, which includes growth projections for the industry and much more. You can access the digital version here.
- Natural Resources Canada has released the latest (2019) version of The State of Canada's Forests report. You can access the report here.
That's all for now -- thanks for reading!
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