Quebec expertise in wood construction is attracting increased interest from large American institutions, now keen to reduce their carbon footprint, says a forestry company manager.
“Tech companies in California, infrastructure developers in Colorado and major universities have an appetite for mass timber in the name of decarbonization,” says Frédéric Verreault, executive director, corporate development, at Chantiers Chibougamau, which owns the one of the largest engineered wood manufacturing plants in the world.
“They tell us, ‘We have new infrastructure. We want it to be contemporary and efficient to meet the most demanding standards in terms of carbon footprint. We have seen the projects you have made and we want to meet you. » »
In addition to its forestry capacity and its state-of-the-art factory, the Quebec company draws its strength from a team of 60 specialized engineers, brought together within its design subsidiary, Nordic Structures, in Montreal.
His role ? Develop wooden structures capable of replacing traditional steel or concrete systems, but also more attractive, economical and less harmful to the environment.
Nearly 3,000 projects around the world bear the signature of Chantiers Chibougamau, according to Mr. Verreault. Even the U.S. Army used his expertise to build massive timber military housing on a military base in Alabama.
“There is a reflex in Quebec where we reject wood for reasons that seem questionable to us,” he says.
“We have had successes over the years in public infrastructure, such as building schools and seniors’ homes out of solid wood. These are the repercussions of government policies in Quebec over the last 15 years,” he first emphasizes.
“That said, very recently, our technology for the construction of a flagship infrastructure, namely a multi-storey parking lot in Montreal for the government of Quebec, was not deemed “competent”. However, the same material proved successful for a similar project in Dijon, France, two years ago. This leaves us perplexed. »
“No one is a prophet in his own country, but we do not complain about that,” he said.
