Vancouver Village to be Built in China

Sunday, November 16, 2008 09:20 AM

B.C. wood products will be used in "Vancouver Village," a new project to develop rural housing in an area of China that is recovering from heavy earthquake damage, says Forests and Range
Minister Pat Bell.

"Vancouver Village will showcase the durability and style of building with B.C. wood to the Chinese people and construction sector," said Bell. "The Qingchuan government is encouraging wood-frame construction as a safe and affordable means for rebuilding their community. This is an excellent opportunity to further increase our annual softwood lumber exports to China."

Under a memorandum of understanding between Canada Wood Group, with support from the B.C. government, and the Qingchuan County government, Vancouver Village will be a three-phase project in the Chinese Province of Sichuan. The project is a result of the growing relationship between the B.C. forest sector and local governments in China. It originated through discussions between Canfor and the Qingchuan government.

"It is through our combined efforts, expertise and co-operation that we are making possible the development of a wood-frame construction market in China," said Canfor president and CEO James Shepard. "We understand what a huge privilege it is for Canada to have the opportunity to participate in this vitally important undertaking for increased use of wood-frame construction, offering the advantages of seismic safety."

The first phase of the project involves the rural design and construction of three wood-frame demonstration homes this winter. The homes, funded by a $100,000 contribution from Forestry Innovation
Investment, will range from a 950-square-foot, single-storey to a 2,500-square-foot, two-storey low-cost rural home.

"These homes will form the blueprint for hundreds of families' lives and are designed to meet rural lifestyles and needs across China," said Bell. "Vancouver Village is a wonderful example of how forestry succeeds when we all work together."

The Canada Wood Group will create the rural house design for the three demonstration homes and provide technical support for the next two phases; the construction of 300 to 500 wood-frame houses as well as the construction of multi-family and public buildings after the success of the demonstration homes is recognized.

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Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008 09:20 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Bridge on November 16 2008 10:21 AM

"a 2,500-square-foot, two-storey low-cost rural home"

Sounds like we are also exporting our lifestyle to China. Wonder if they will buy it. My impression has always been that atleast two families would be living in a 950 sq ft home. Tewenty five hundred sounds like an apartment.

Cheers

Posted by: downnotout on November 16 2008 10:32 AM

Hope it works out. If it does money well spent. In this case I think that the benfit is greater than the risk as long as it invoves milled wood rather than whole logs.

Posted by: Harbinger on November 16 2008 10:39 AM

I wonder how the Chinese city's there deal with their homeless problem? A small town in China is two million people. Just extrapolate PG. Someone ask. Do they have homeless shelters too? I can't go. I have to stay home.

Posted by: The_grandinquisitor on November 16 2008 2:15 PM

They neglect to mention the money it will cost to grease a chinese politician's palm.

Posted by: Hindsight on November 16 2008 5:07 PM

"Vancouver Village" and "rural housing" kind of sounds funny together doesn't it?

Posted by: Palopu on November 16 2008 5:20 PM

Reminds me of when Canfor and other Canadian Firms got the Japanese to change their building codes so that SPF 2x4's etc could be used in home construction. This was in the late eighties and early ninetys.

Once the code was changed other Countries such as Russia, USA, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, etc; swooped in and took a major portion of the business. In addition because the Japanese produce Spruce and Pine in the Northern part of Japan they slapped an 8% duty on Canadian lumber. Canada fought this duty through GATT, but as far as I know they lost.

You can rest assured that if China starts to use Canadian Lumber it will only be a matter of time before our competition shows up.

Any new sales is better that no sales, however, there is only so much lumber that can be produced and shipped in Canada annually and I suspect that once this recession is turned around we will meet that point very quickly.

Posted by: slick-rick on November 17 2008 11:02 PM

Why not call it PG house and send the homeless there, after all "it sucks to be them" as one mayoral candidate put it.