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 Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.