Victoria passes demolition waste and deconstruction bylaw
Board by board, nail by nail, oak floors are being removed from a 1940s home in Victoria. Soon, those boards will be packaged up for resale.
“It will get used by another third-party person, whoever is looking for – in this case – 2.5-inch oak flooring,” said Peter Worden, who works for Unbuilders Deconstruction.
Unbuilders Deconstruction was hired by the contractor renovating the home.
“We come into a building and look at what’s of value and those items we salvage,” said Adam Corneil, the company's founder and CEO.
Corneil says 90 per cent of the materials salvaged from a construction site are either resold, donated or recycled, keeping them out of the landfill.
The business is set to grow as the City of Victoria has just passed its demolition waste and deconstruction bylaw.
“Really, what this bylaw is aiming to do is address a major source of waste that goes to our landfill every given year,” said Rory Tooke, manager of sustainability for the City of Victoria.
It’s estimated that one-third of the material ending up in the Hartland Landfill is construction junk.
The new bylaw means that, in Victoria, contractors must now unbuild buildings and salvage what they can, rather than demolishing the structure and sending the waste to the landfill.
“We know there’s lots of demand in this market already for this type of salvaged wood,” sad Tooke.
Doors, bricks and wood, will all be reused by someone.
Development permit holders will now have to put down a refundable deposit of $19,500.
“If the material is salvaged to meet the targets that are in the bylaw, then that full fee goes back to the permit holder,” said Tooke.
But not everyone thinks the new bylaw is a good idea.
“The outcome of this is going to be higher prices that are unnecessary,” said Casey Edge, executive director of the Victoria Residential Builders Association.
The association says the bylaw will slow projects down and could add up to $20,000 to the cost of a home in a region where real estate prices area already sky-high.
“Every time you add a regulation – which the City of Victoria is prone to do, they’ve never met a regulation they didn’t like – they add costs to housing,” said Edge. “This in a market that is already one of the highest in Canada.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Police in Paris detain a man wearing fake explosives vest at Iran's Consulate
A man wearing a fake explosive vest and making threats was detained Friday outside the Iranian Consulate in Paris after police locked down the area, authorities said. His motive was unclear.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.