Wood Preservation Canada is dedicated to promoting and supporting a stronger Canadian wood treating industry. In this presentation, wood protection in Canada will be reviewed through the lens of IRG’s five sections. Canada has 10% of the world’s forests, harvests 155 million cubic metres annually, and exports more than $17.5 billion CAD of wood products. Decay is the primary cause of wood biodegradation in Canada, but there are some areas with termites, and marine borers can also be a factor. In Canada, preservatives are regulated by the federal government’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The CSA O80 standard covers most of the uses of preserved wood in Canada, though it is not always specified. There are more than 50 pressure treating plants in Canada. On the industrial side, CCA, ACZA, creosote and pentachlorophenol are used in specific applications. On the residential side, the most common preservatives are ACQ, CA-B and MCA. There is a small amount of thermally modified wood produced in Canada. No chemically modified wood is produced as most Canadian species are difficult to impregnate. Key industry challenges include treating refractory species, gaining regulatory acceptance for new protection systems, and reducing maintenance for appearance applications. Canada is a major global supplier of sustainable wood products. Effective protection of these products is critical for safety and sustainability.

Download document (121 kb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document