Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore and council officials have endorsed a motion to advance mass timber as the central solution to the city’s housing crisis. At Tuesday’s meeting, Fillmore introduced a directive for the chief administrative officer to prepare a report exploring changes to bylaws and the city’s planning strategy. The goal: remove barriers and unlock opportunities for mass timber development.
Among the changes is an increase in the allowable building height for mass timber structures—from 10 to 12 storeys—aligning with updates to Canada’s building code. That motion passed without opposition: “The principal reason for supporting the mayor’s motion is that this unlocks newfound potential in local supply,” said Councillor Jean St-Amand (Bedford-Wentworth). “It can have a very positive impact on accelerating our capacity to build. Any opportunity that unlocks that potential, while staying within safety parameters and planning frameworks, is worth exploring.”
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The push comes amid a new wave of investment in Nova Scotia’s timber economy. In March, the federal government announced a CA$215-million investment in the Mass Timber Company, which plans to build a manufacturing facility in Elmsdale Business Park. Once operational, the plant is expected to employ up to 124 people and produce engineered wood products for construction.
“This is a remarkable thing for us,” Fillmore said. “Mass timber is emerging across Canada and globally as a sustainable, carbon-negative, and modular construction method. It can help address the housing crisis quickly and responsibly. We can make this innovative building approach a viable solution for our city’s housing needs.”
Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, who is pjshing to change plannig laws to acclerate low-rise and mid-rise construction in Nova Scotia’s largest city.
Fillmore emphasised that the national building code now permits mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys, reflecting advances in fire safety and structural engineering. “This small local change has big housing potential,” he said. “It allows taller mid-rise buildings on the same footprint, making mass timber more economically viable for developers. It’s smart, sustainable growth.”
“I see this as an alternative to steel and concrete construction,” added Councillor David Hendsbee (Lawrencetown – The Lakes – Chezzetcook – Eastern Shore). “With concrete at a high premium and ongoing issues with steel tariffs from the U.S., mass timber offers a strategic and cost-effective option.”
Councillor David Hendsbee on the potential for mass timber to capitalise on current tariffs on steel. In June, Wood Central reported that 25% to 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium could make mass timber better than cost neutral in more North American markets.
The motion coincides with an announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney to provide CA$1.2 billion support package to shield Canada’s timber industry from U.S. trade tariffs and duties, including CA$700 million in loan guarantees to stabilise the sector and protect jobs. The announcement comes as the United States prepares to hike tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber from just over 7% to more than 20%, intensifying a decades-long trade dispute.
Wood Central yesterday reported that the package also includes CA$500 million in long-term funding to help forestry companies diversify export markets and invest in innovation. Speaking at a lumber mill in West Kelowna, B.C., yesterday, Carney outlined a broader strategy to boost domestic timber consumption by positioning Canada as its own customer. Central to the plan is a push to accelerate housing construction, with a target of nearly 500,000 new homes annually over the next decade. “By implementing this plan, we could potentially double the consumption of Canadian softwood lumber in new residential projects—an increase of close to two billion board feet—and significantly boost demand for structural panels, which would rise by nearly one billion square feet,” he said.
