Two Vancouver-based organizations are asking Oak Bay to adopt new bylaws aimed at keeping a growing number of demolished homes out of landfills.
Two hundred and eighty-nine single-family homes were bulldozed in Oak Bay between 2012 and 2022 to make way for higher-density developments, and this could increase, according to a recent report from Light House and Renewal Development. The report noted home demolitions could grow by 35 per cent over the next decade due to provincial and municipal upzoning policies.
Light House, a non-profit helping developers meet sustainability goals, and Renewal Development, which offers greener alternatives to traditional demolition methods, want the district to incentivize homeowners and builders to relocate and deconstruct homes, instead of tearing them down.
An estimated 20 per cent of homes being demolished are in "good to excellent condition," the report said. “These homes can be relocated and repurposed in communities that desperately need housing. Another 40 to 60 per cent of homes can be deconstructed, with the materials salvaged and reused in construction and other applications.”
Deconstructing and relocating homes can save municipalities and taxpayers money, said Light House’s manager of circular innovation Gil Yaron.
“From an economic perspective, we incur a lot of costs through solid waste management. People are paying through their taxes and through other fees to tip or dispose of the materials. Municipalities are paying to maintain landfills.”
According to the Capital Regional District’s 2022 waste composition survey, 13 per cent of material thrown into the Hartland Landfill in 2021 was non-wood construction and demolition waste.
Saving a 1,500-square-foot house can prevent some 50 tons of waste and avoid the release of 80 tons of CO2 associated with producing and transporting new materials, according to Renewal Development.
Why, then, are construction companies throwing out reusable materials?
“Contractors are under pressure to build quickly, and they can’t tolerate things that disrupt their building schedule,” Yaron said. “And so, making changes to the way they manage waste, they see it as a potential risk in terms of impacting their schedules.”
Cost is a concern, too.
“It currently costs less for a company to throw much of this material away than it would to divert it,” he said.
To mitigate these issues, the organizations have called on Oak Bay to establish pre-demolition assessments for all single-family homes built before 1970. These assessments would determine whether the structures are suitable for relocation or deconstruction, rather than demolition.
“Generally speaking, homes that were built prior to 1970 – the wood and the materials in those homes are of high quality,” Yaron said.
Light House and Renewal Development also recommended that a refundable deposit be required in cases where relocation or deconstruction is deemed feasible. In addition, they proposed the introduction of 'green removal permits' to allow for homes to be relocated or deconstructed before the issuance of a building permit.
“Right now, the paradigm is demolish first, and what we're saying is go into a home, look at it and determine whether it has good bones, whether it merits relocating,” said Yaron. “And then if you can't relocate it, then deconstruct it. And if you can't deconstruct it, then as a last resort, demolish it.”
Oak Bay wouldn’t be the first to establish some of these incentives.
Victoria’s demolition and deconstruction bylaw, for example, imposes a $19,500 refundable deposit that requires 40 kilograms of wood to be salvaged per square metre of finished floor space.
Oak Bay Coun. Hazel Braithwaite spoke in support of the bylaw proposals, telling Oak Bay News she believes they could align with Oak Bay's environmental goals and priorities.
"Oak Bay is known for its focus on maintaining the character of the community and embracing sustainability initiatives. Therefore, such measures could be seen as a positive step forward in preserving Oak Bay’s unique charm while contributing to broader environmental goals.”
Mayor Kevin Murdoch expressed a similar sentiment.
"There is a lot of interest in ways of diverting construction waste from landfill, and ideally seeing beneficial reuse of the materials where viable. Oak Bay does not have any current programs to incentivize reuse, although this is a project on the council priorities long list," he said, adding that there is currently work underway at the CRD to develop a model bylaw for demolition waste and deconstruction for municipalities in the Capital Region.
Braithwaite noted that implementing these rules would likely require public consultation, careful assessment of costs and benefits and alignment with Oak Bay's long-term planning goals.
“Local government policies and incentives could play a role in encouraging these alternatives," she said. "I believe that while demolition may sometimes be necessary, a balanced approach that includes more focus on deconstruction and relocation could significantly benefit Oak Bay's sustainability and preserve its heritage.”
