[KELOWNA, BC] April 29, 2011—Tolko Industries Ltd. has again donated products to help Habitat for Humanity Kelowna build homes for low-income working families with children.
Tolko is supplying lumber from their Nicola, Lavington, and Kelowna mills and plywood from their Armstrong mill to frame a duplex on Elk Road. This is the second of two duplexes being built by HFH Kelowna on the Westside. Tolko provided lumber and oriented strand board to the first duplex, which is almost ready for the families to move in.
“Thanks to Tolko, we can keep our building costs down,” explains Brian Williamson, chair of the building committee. “And that means more of the proceeds from selling the house will go toward building more homes in the future.”
“We are very pleased to again be partnering with Habitat for Humanity on such a great project,” says Greg Maralia, Kelowna Plant Manager. “It is very satisfying to contribute back regionally grown and manufactured product to help these two local families own homes.”
Special thanks go to Banner Transport, Vandokk Transport, DSN Transport and Rothport Transport who delivered the materials from Tolko’s mills to the build site at no charge. As well as to Okanagan College whose carpentry students are supplying all the labour for the build as part of their spring curriculum.
This partnership with Habitat for Humanity renews a relationship that grew in 2006, following donations and a team of Tolko employees who travelled to take part in the international associations rebuild efforts near New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
Background: Habitat for Humanity Kelowna was founded in 1992. It is a non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Their mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. The volunteer organization has provided 22 families with safe, decent and affordable housing in the Central Okanagan. Habitat for Humanity Kelowna is one of 72 Canadian affiliates and is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which has built or renovated more than 400,000 houses worldwide, providing shelter for more than 2 million people since it was founded in 1976. For more information on Habitat for Humanity Kelowna, please visit www.habitatforhumanitykelowna.ca.
Tolko Industries Ltd. is a private, Canadian-owned forest products company based in Vernon, British Columbia. Tolko produces lumber, veneer, plywood, oriented strand board, and kraft papers for customers around the world. The company’s Woodlands operations have received third-party certification of their sustainable forest management systems.
Contact:
Lona Manning Habitat for Humanity Kelowna Executive Director
250-762-7303
Sheri Greeno Tolko Industries Ltd. Communications Advisor
250.549.5341
