The District of North Vancouver council will consider changes to its Demolition Waste Reduction Bylaw later this month.
At its September 29 meeting, council will vote on proposed amendments recommended by staff to strengthen the bylaw, which has been in place since January 2023.
The bylaw currently applies to single-family homes built before 1950. It requires applicants to salvage 3.5 kilograms (2.6 board feet) of lumber for every square foot of finished floor space. According to the District, this has resulted in the recovery of about 27,000 board feet of lumber since the bylaw took effect.
Staff say the amendments would make compliance clearer and improve enforcement. The proposed changes include requiring a mid-deconstruction site visit, standardized photo documentation, and updated exemption rules. The “Green Demolition Permit” would also be renamed the “Salvage Permit” to avoid confusion with conventional demolition.
“These changes will provide greater clarity for applicants, strengthen compliance processes, and support higher rates of demolition waste diversion,” staff wrote in their report.
If adopted, the amendments would come into effect on January 1, 2026. Staff noted that while some extra hours will be needed for inspections, no significant cost impacts are expected. They also said the changes would help cut waste and emissions while supporting a more circular economy.
