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The Wood Innovation Group
TWIG creates opportunities for connections across BC's wood value system—from forest to finished product. Through events, workshops, and community gatherings, we create space for learning, exchange, and collaboration among the people inspired by the possibilities of BC Wood.
This newsletter is for those who see potential in BC’s forest resources and want to help shape what comes next—through creativity, design, hands-on work, or new ways of thinking. It’s about blending tradition with innovation and contributing to a more resilient, locally rooted future.
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Your voice matters. If you have events, projects, or ideas to share, reach out to us at info@twigbca.ca
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Wood-First-Wednesday
June 3rd, 6:00 - 8:00
Brewhall
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97 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver
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A monthly, agenda-free gathering for people working in and around wood to build relationships, exchange knowledge, and share experience. More Info+
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Wood-First-Wednesday
June 3rd, 6:00 - 8:00
Howe Sound Brewing
37801 Cleveland Ave, Squamish
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A casual monthly meetup for anyone interested in wood. Connecting professionals and community members to share ideas, ask questions, and build relationships. More Info+
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Timber Tech Connect
TWIG Vancouver x Concept Lab
June 11th, 5:30 - 8:00
Concept Lab
397 W 7th Ave #300, Vancouver
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We bring together three presenters to share current research exploring engineered wood products, reclaimed materials, and new approaches to wood utilization. More Info+
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More info for these events will be expanded on below, and the up-to-date TWIG events can be found online at twigbc.ca/events/
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Spring: A Season of Growth and Renewal
May was a vibrant month for TWIG, marked by new connections and events in Vancouver, Squamish, and Clearwater. We’re thrilled to welcome our fourth chapter, based in the Robson North Thompson Region. Part of our work at TWIG is bridging urban centers with the communities where forestry is a way of life. Innovation thrives when ideas travel from forest to city and among institutions across the province. New perspectives invigorate our sector, while shared experience and wisdom inspire the next generation, connecting the leaves and roots of our ecosystem.
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In mid-May, we hosted a tour and BBQ at the UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing. The event brought together new faces in our network and sparked lively discussions about harnessing regional resources, collaboration, and technology to advance the industry. Attendees experienced hands-on demonstrations of advanced equipment, seeing firsthand how the Centre propels innovation in product development, testing, and training.
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As summer approaches, we’re looking forward to outdoor events with our Sea2Sky chapter and the ever-steady WFW gatherings in Vancouver. Thank you to everyone, newcomers and returning members, for your continued engagement. The steady exchange of knowledge, experience, and passion is what allows TWIG to grow year after year.
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With forest-felt regards,
Patrick Christie and The TWIG team
info@twigbc.ca
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Material Futures for Timber Construction
June 11 – 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Concept Lab – 397 W E 7th Ave #300, Vancouver
$15 | Food + Drinks
Register
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Timber Tech Connect returns to the Fast + Epp Concept Lab for an evening focused on material innovation, engineered wood products, and circular wood systems. The speakers gathered for this event will present research from their fields and projects, demonstrating how this work leads to new applications and systems in the wood industry. A key theme is turning underused materials, industry by-products and waste streams into valuable products and advanced building systems. The presentations will cover a range of topics, including research and development, testing, engineering, fabrication, certification, commercialization, and circular material systems. Timber Tech Connect serves as a platform for professional exchange, offering opportunities to share knowledge, discuss case studies, and network with peers. Attendees can ask questions, connect with other professionals, and explore topics highlighted by our guest presenters in greater depth.
Brandon Sullivan - Concept Lab Manager
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Ongoing research on hybrid-species glulam systems investigates how underutilized hardwood and softwood species can be combined to create higher-performing structural members that span farther and support greater loads. The work includes extensive material and adhesive testing across dozens of species combinations, with the long-term goal of codifying hybrid-species glulam applications in Canada. The project also demonstrates how engineered timber innovation can support healthier and more diverse forest ecosystems.
Peter Moonen - Advocate for Wood
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New opportunities are emerging for the use of reclaimed wood from construction, renovation, and demolition within the timber building sector. Based on a recent study by the Canadian Wood Council, this work examines how recovered wood can be incorporated into new building systems through remanufacturing, engineered products, and circular-material approaches. Topics include barriers to reuse, grading and processing challenges, and the infrastructure required to expand reclaimed-wood systems across regions. It also considers how reclaimed wood can become a standard component of timber construction rather than a niche option.
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The research and development behind CureWood’s engineered wood products demonstrates how sawmill byproducts and underused fibre can be transformed into lightweight, high-performance structural systems through advanced joint design, hollow-core engineering, and precise manufacturing. This work brings together materials science, product testing, and code certification to enable the scalable production of wood products for modern construction. It also explores the challenges of commercializing new timber technologies within the North American building industry.
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Are you looking to hire someone? Do you have a new position opening up at your company? Let us know, and we can make a posting here to share it with our readers.
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Growing Connections Across our Chapters
TWIG is always looking for new ways to bring people together through regional events, project tours, workshops, and collaborations that highlight and support wood innovation in BC. If you would like to host or co-host with TWIG in Vancouver, Victoria, or Squamish, please let us know, and we can create an event together.
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Got an idea? Need some Testing?
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Do you have a concept, product, or prototype that you want to realize? TWIG can work with you to make this happen with financial support through The Wood First Program. Carried out through the Center for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) and its team of technical staff, we are able to provide an array of support on various wood-based projects.
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