Canadian Wood Council

What Canadian Wood Council does

The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is a national non-profit trade association founded in 1959 and headquartered in Ottawa, representing manufacturers of Canadian wood products and advancing safe, sustainable, and innovative wood construction across Canada. The organization serves architects, engineers, developers, builders, building officials, students, and government policymakers through a portfolio of technical resources, education programs, and advocacy initiatives. CWC holds the Secretariat for Canada's CSA O86 'Engineering Design in Wood' standard and participates on National and Provincial Building Code Committees, giving it direct regulatory influence over wood product standards.

CWC's product and service portfolio spans four pillars: (1) certified design software including the WoodWorks Software suite and CDN WoodWorks Sizer (annual subscription at $210 CAD), conforming to CSA O86-24 and NBC 2020; (2) technical publications including the Wood Design Manual ($225-$275), specialized guides on mid-rise wood construction, encapsulated mass timber, and prefabricated timber tolerances, plus the bimonthly Wood Design & Building Magazine; (3) education and training through a redesigned eLearning Centre, the Wood Innovation Network, and the Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarship program; and (4) free technical support via a national help desk. The WoodWorks program delivers project-based technical assistance nationally through regional offices and provincial partnerships (Cecobois in Quebec, WoodWorks Ontario).

CWC's revenue model blends non-commercial public funding with modest commercial streams. Natural Resources Canada has provided $8.5 million since 2023 through the GCWood program to expand wood-based products education and National Building Code advancement, with larger federal commitments ($500M forest sector transformation programs, $1.2B Carney announcement, $13B Build Canada Homes backing) supporting the broader industry ecosystem. Commercial revenue derives from software subscriptions, publication sales (with student/bookstore/quantity discounts), magazine subscriptions, eLearning programs, and partnership contributions from national WoodWorks partners including Rothoblaas Canada, Nordic Structures, and BarrierTEK. Distribution occurs through an e-commerce webstore, direct technical support, eLearning platform, regional WoodWorks offices, provincial council partners, and industry events including the Wood Solutions Conference and WoodWorks at The Buildings Show.

Name

Canadian Wood Council

Legal name

Canadian Wood Council

Website

https://cwc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Canadian Wood Council is a national non-profit trade association representing Canadian wood products manufacturers, providing technical resources, design software, education, and code-standard leadership to architects, engineers, developers, builders, and policymakers across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wood Construction Industry Association

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Controlled Wood / Due Diligence / Risk Assessment Services (AFAMALAC)

Keywords

• Wood construction standards
• Timber engineering resources
• Mass timber design
• Wood building education
• Forest products advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Software Subscriptions: Annual subscription revenue from WoodWorks design software tools including CDN WoodWorks Sizer. $210 CAD per year subscription with 10-day trial period.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of technical books, manuals, and design guides through the CWC Webstore. Products include Wood Design Manual ($225-$275), Permanent Wood Foundations ($50-$65), and specialized guides.
3. Magazine Subscriptions: Wood Design & Building magazine published six times per year. Subscription-based revenue model with digital and print formats.
4. eLearning Programs: Online courses, workshops, and training programs on wood construction, standards, and best practices.
5. Government Program Delivery: CWC receives funding from Natural Resources Canada ($8.5 million since 2023) through GCWood program to expand wood-based products education and National Building Code advancement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Canadian Wood Council is a national non-profit association representing Canadian wood products manufacturers, providing technical resources, education, advocacy, and design tools for wood construction. Its core offerings include the WoodWorks Software suite (including CDN WoodWorks Sizer) for certified structural design conforming to CSA O86-24 and NBC 2020, the eLearning Centre for online wood construction training, the Wood Design Manual and other technical publications, free technical support services, and stewardship of the CSA O86 Engineering Design in Wood standard.

Product overview

Canadian Wood Council operates as a technical and educational resource hub for wood construction, offering a portfolio of design software tools (WoodWorks Software including CDN WoodWorks Sizer), educational services (eLearning Centre, Wood Innovation Network), and technical publications. The core product is the WoodWorks Software suite providing certified design tools and calculators conforming to Canadian building codes, supplemented by professional publications including the Wood Design Manual, specialized guides on mid-rise construction, encapsulated mass timber, and prefabricated timber tolerances, as well as the Wood Design & Building Magazine. Technical support services complement the product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WoodWorks: Technical resource program of CWC providing project-based technical assistance to architects, engineers, developers, and builders on wood design and construction, as well as education and training through specialized programs, conferences, webinars, and resources.

Products and services

• WoodWorks Software Certified design tools and calculators for wood construction, including structural design applications that conform to CSA O86-24 and NBC 2020 standards. Sold by annual subscription to engineers, architects, and design professionals across Canada.
• CDN WoodWorks Sizer Structural sizing software for Canadian wood construction, conforming to Canadian building codes with a yearly subscription model priced at $210 CAD per year with a 10-day trial period.
• eLearning Centre Online learning platform offering courses, workshops, and training on wood construction, standards, and best practices. The redesigned platform focuses on advanced wood construction, engineered wood systems, and innovative building solutions.
• Wood Innovation Network Professional network connecting members to explore cutting-edge ideas driving innovation in wood construction and sustainability across Canada.
• Wood Design & Building Magazine Award-winning magazine published six times per year featuring projects, technical innovations, and best practices in wood construction. Available in digital and print formats by subscription.
• Wood Design Manual 2020 Comprehensive technical reference manual for wood design and construction. Available in digital or paper format priced at $225.00 - $275.00 CAD depending on format selected.
• Permanent Wood Foundations 2016 Technical book covering standards and building practices for permanent wood foundations, updated to CSA S406-16, CSA O86-14 and NBC 2015. Available in digital or paper format priced at $50.00 - $65.00 CAD.
• Timber Bridge Inspection, Maintenance, Restoration and Design Detailing Guide Technical guide covering timber bridge inspection, maintenance, restoration, and design detailing practices, sold through the CWC webstore.
• Wood Design: A Guide for Architects and Educators eBook guide for architects and educators on wood design principles and practices, available through the CWC webstore.
• Manuel de calcul des charpentes en bois 2021 French-language technical manual for wood frame calculation and design, sold through the CWC webstore to serve francophone professionals in Canada.
• Technical Support Services Free technical support providing tailored assistance with codes, design tools, and wood construction questions from CWC's technical team, available to architects, engineers, developers, and builders nationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• CWC has received $8.5 million since 2023 to expand wood-based products education and National Building Code advancement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered national partner, strategic partnership, government partnership, core partnership and regional partnership.

• Rothoblaas Canadanational partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025New national partner of WoodWorks program. Collaboration aligns two organizations committed to advancing wood construction through education, technical support, and strategic market development. Leverages Rothoblaas's international leadership in structural connection technologies, envelope systems, and on-site safety solutions alongside WoodWorks' national expertise.
• Nordic Structuresnational partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025New national partner of WoodWorks program. Longstanding Gold Level Sponsor of Cecobois (Quebec). Brings exceptional technical expertise and commitment to responsible forest stewardship. Partnership extends Quebec leadership impact nationally to advance engineered wood products as structural solutions.
• BarrierTEKnational partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025New national partner of WoodWorks program. Collaboration supports safe, innovative, and low-carbon construction through education, technical excellence, and strategic market development. Partnership raises awareness of fire-retardant treatments enabling expanded wood application without compromising performance.
• Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC)strategic partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025Strategic partnership to accelerate adoption of steel-timber hybrid structural solutions in Canada. Established joint Technical Steering Committee to develop technical guidance, best practices, and publications for hybrid systems. Combines strength of steel with renewable, low-carbon benefits of wood.
• Ontario Advanced Wood Construction Working Groupgovernment partnershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025CWC joined Ontario's Advanced Wood Construction Working Group guiding implementation of the province's Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan. Collaboration identifies ways to expand use of Ontario-made wood products in homes, businesses, and communities. Supports mass timber adoption and code modernization.
• Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)core partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership strengthened under Rick Jeffery's leadership. Joint advocacy for forest sector transformation and submission of recommendations to Build Canada Homes agency on prefabricated building components.
• Cecoboisregional partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWC's sister organization in Quebec focused on commercial wood construction. Nordic Structures maintains Gold Level Sponsorship. Collaboration enables coordinated regional support for wood construction across Canada.
• Natural Resources Canadacore partnershipOthersFederal government partner providing $8.5 million since 2023 through GCWood program. Also backs $500 million forest sector transformation programs including IFIT, IFI, and GloFor. Partner in housing affordability initiatives through Build Canada Homes agency.
• Toronto and Region Conservation Authorityregional partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in federal funding announcement at Toronto location supporting projects that strengthen Canada's forestry sector and foster innovation in wood-based solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDNWoodCouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CanadianWoodCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-wood-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdnwoodcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Wood Council