Log home construction has been continually growing in B.C. over the last decade. Many economic development strategies addressing the value-added sector consider the log home industry.

There were over 130 log-home builders operating in British Columbia in 1998, the majority of which were hand crafters. We supported an annual payroll of CDN $50 million and employed some 1,800 full time employees. Annual gross sales of B.C. built log homes in 1998 were CDN $114 million and of which, approximately CDN $20 million were for products such as flooring, cabinets, windows, roof trussing and framing packages tailored to the log home building industry.

WP/CIB are interested in pursuing value-added opportunities in forestry related to creating log components with a First Nations theme and components that can also be used to decorate regular homes.

These would all be produced on the Reserve in a small milling plant. Some of the components could be made available to the Kamloops Indian Band, which is undertaking a housing development project.

Aboriginal Log Home Components

Log home popularity is rising. There is a market demand for accessories for log homes, where those accessories integrate Aboriginal designs and symbols. Components can include furniture, shelving, panels for doors and doorframes, carved poles and support beams etc.

Eventually this can lead WP/CIB to buy into an existing log homebuilder. Handcrafted log homes, built with logs individually crafted by handheld tools, account for 10% of the log home market. The remaining 90% are built with milled logs, systematically designed for the home. Either way, augmenting the overall construction with unique Aboriginal handcrafted log home components adds an element of uniqueness to any home.

Log homes are generally sold within 500 - 700 miles of our production site but components could be transported further a field. This opportunity will help establish working relationships with a number of log homebuilders in the region. Capable and successful WP/CIB carvers already practice our craft within the community.

Expanding our market to log homes will build upon our economic potential. The prominent and wealthy baby boomer population is willing and able to pay for unique carved products and have created a demand for one-of-a-kind additions to our homes.

•WPCIB © 2007 •