Business View Magazine | January 2021

32 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JANUARY 2021 construction economy. “In terms of new opportunities for the building trades, in Toronto, Local 27 of the Carpenters & Allied Workers have some exciting programs and facilities that provide new skills in the fast- emerging trend of mass timber construction. Dealing with onsite installation and assembly of prefabricated mass timber CLT and glulam, getting to know and use different types of connectors, organizing crane work, etc, are needed site skills for mass timber buildings. It’s a huge opportunity for new types of jobs supporting the future of construction in Canada.” BVM: What does the landscape look like for the industry going forward? McKinley: “These are challenging times, full of uncertainties. Canadians are looking for greener and more biophilic spaces for where we live and work – healthier, more open, natural and beautiful. Relative to other types of construction, wood buildings are well positioned to excel. The Canadian Wood Council is also putting a lot of emphasis on sustainability and GHG issues. We’re a key contributor to the net zero objectives of the Canadian government for 2050, as well as the U.N. sustainable development goals. We have great stories to tell and opportunities to improve even more. That’s very encouraging.”