Canadian Home Builders' Association of Northern BC

09/25/2026

Thinking about a renovation? The decisions you make before work begins can shape the whole project. 🏠🛠️
CHBA’s Renovate Right Homeowner Checklist walks you through the questions to consider: what you want to change, what you can spend, how to check a contractor’s credentials, and what to look for in a written contract.
Whether you’re planning a kitchen update or a larger renovation, save this checklist and use it when you meet with a professional renovator. A good conversation is a great place to start. 📋

09/24/2026

September 24 is often called National Carpenters Day, and we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate the carpenters who help build Northern BC. 🛠️

From framing a home to fitting the final piece of trim, carpenters bring skill, care and experience to every stage of a build. Their work helps turn plans on paper into places where people can live, work and gather.

To the carpenters on our job sites and those teaching the next generation: thank you for the work you do.

09/24/2026

🔥 “CHBA-Northern BC” — it’s not just a logo. There’s a vetting process behind it.
• Applicants submit references, business credentials, and proof they meet industry norms (licences, warranties, etc.)
• They commit to the CHBA Code of Ethics — upholding honesty, fairness, respect, professionalism
• New members start with a one-year probationary term, during which the association reserves the right to review membership status if standards aren’t met
• Final membership is approved by CHBA-Northern BC’s board of directors
When you work with a CHBA-Northern BC member, you’re choosing someone who’s signed up to accountability — not just in words, but through structure.

09/22/2026

🏠 Meet the 2026/2027 CHBA Northern BC Board of Directors!

Following our Annual General Meeting in Prince George last week, we’re pleased to introduce the Board representing CHBA Northern BC for the year ahead.

Nathan Saarela of Ulko Contractors returns as President for his second year and also holds a seat on the provincial CHBA board, helping ensure Northern BC has a voice in conversations affecting residential construction across the province.

Our 2026/2027 Board brings together experience from home building, renovation, building performance, design, trades education, manufacturing, insurance and building supply:

🔨 Kaitlin Bardarson — Window to Wall, Prince George
🔨 Jason Blackman — Acera Insurance Prince George
🔨 Trevor Hedstrom — Winton Homes Prince George
🔨 Angèle Heinrichs — Angèle’s Drafting & Design, Fort St. John
🔨 Chris Kelly — College of New Caledonia trades Program, Prince George
🔨 Mike Kuemmerle — AWG Custom Doors, Prince George
🔨 Martin Lachapelle — Artistic Homes, Prince George
🔨 James Lambert — Lambert Built Ltd. Prince George
🔨 Wade Nicholson Nicholson Properties Prince George
🔨 Kaylie Ramsay — IDL Projects Inc. Prince George
🔨 Nathan Saarela — Ulko Contractors Ltd. Prince George
🔨 Garrett Turner — Central Builders' Supply Pg, Prince George
🔨 Shawn Wiebe — Holistic Building Performance, Williams Lake

Together, these industry leaders volunteer their time to share knowledge, advocate for housing affordability, support strong trades training, advance building science and energy efficiency, and help strengthen Northern BC’s residential construction industry. 🏡🛠️

Thank you to every Board member for stepping forward to serve our industry and our communities.

📸 Photo: 2026/2027 CHBA Northern BC Board of Directors
Not pictured: Jason Blackman, Shawn Wiebe and Garrett Turner.

09/22/2026

🔨 Thinking about a career where you can actually stand back at the end of the day and say, “I helped build that”?

Carpentry is one of the core trades behind residential construction. Carpenters build, install, maintain and repair everything from framing and structural components to finishes and other building elements.

It can be a great fit for someone who enjoys working with their hands, pays attention to detail, likes solving problems and doesn’t mind a little sawdust along the way. 🪚🏠

And there are plenty of directions a carpentry career can take — residential construction, renovations, finishing, framing, supervisory roles and even running your own business.

According to the Government of Canada Job Bank wage information used in this graphic, annual earnings can vary considerably depending on experience, location and type of work.

Interested in learning more about carpentry or other careers in residential construction?

Visit chba.ca/careerconstruction

The homes being built across Northern BC need skilled people behind them — and your career might just start with a tool belt. 👷‍♀️👷‍♂️

09/21/2026

🔧 Think you know your trades?

Take a good look at this tool collection. 👀 Some are easy to recognize, while a few might give away exactly who carries them.

Can you guess the trade just from the tools?

Drop your answer in the comments — and if you work in the trades, tell us which tool gave it away. 🛠️

Bonus points if you can name a few of the more specialized tools in the photo!

09/21/2026

09/20/2026

🏠🍂 Built for the North means thinking about water before it becomes ice.

In Northern B.C., good drainage is a big part of protecting a home through the changing seasons.

Proper grading helps direct water away from the foundation. Eavestroughs and well-placed downspouts keep roof runoff from collecting beside the house. Foundation drainage helps move groundwater away before it can create moisture problems around the structure.

Why does that matter here?

Because once temperatures start dropping, water that sits where it shouldn’t can freeze, expand and contribute to movement, cracking, frost-related damage and moisture issues.

A well-built home doesn’t just deal with winter when the snow arrives. It is designed to manage water all year long — before that first hard freeze ever shows up. ❄️🔨

That’s part of what it means to build for the North.

09/18/2026

🏠🔨 BEHIND THE BUILD: WHAT DID WE USE BEFORE DRYWALL?

Drywall is everywhere in today's homes — but it wasn't always the standard.

Before drywall became common, interior walls and ceilings were often built using plaster and wood lath. Thin strips of wood were fastened across the framing, then several coats of wet plaster were applied. It was durable, but required considerable skill, labour and drying time. 👷‍♂️

Then came gypsum board.

Early versions appeared around the turn of the 20th century. Instead of constructing a wall surface layer by layer, large factory-made sheets could be fastened directly to the framing and finished at the joints. Over time, drywall became a standard part of North American home construction.

🏭 So how is drywall made?

Gypsum is processed, heated and mixed with water and other ingredients to create a slurry. It's formed between sheets of facing material, allowed to set, cut into panels and dried.

🔥 And here's the cool part: gypsum naturally contains chemically bound water. When exposed to intense heat, that water is released as steam, absorbing heat and helping slow the transfer of fire through an assembly.

Today's builders can also choose gypsum boards designed for different applications, including increased moisture, mould, impact and fire resistance.

Something that looks pretty ordinary on a jobsite actually represents more than a century of changing materials, manufacturing and building practices. 🏠🔨

What should we go Behind the Build on next? 🤔

09/17/2026

🏢 — DID YOU KNOW OUR BUILDING IS PART OF PRINCE GEORGE HISTORY?

Known as the Professional Building, it was constructed in 1953 by brothers John and Joe Schlitt, local sawmill proprietors who were part of Prince George’s growing forest industry.

According to the City of Prince George Heritage Register, the Professional Building was the first office building in Prince George constructed specifically to cater exclusively to professional clientele..

The building was designed to make an impression.

The City’s heritage documentation notes that the public areas were finished to a “particularly high quality” in order to attract professional tenants. One of the original features that remains especially distinctive is the terrazzo-finished staircase.

The heritage assessment goes so far as to describe the building’s design as being “a notch above the vernacular of the day.”

In 1995, CHBA Northern BC purchased the Professional Building.

More than 30 years later, we still own it and 1705 Third Avenue remains our home.

The building has since been recognized by the City of Prince George and added to the Heritage Register, preserving the story of a building that represents an important stage in the development of the city’s downtown and professional community.

It was built in 1953 by two Prince George sawmill proprietors, during an era when forestry, construction and rapid growth were transforming the city.

And today it belongs to an association representing the builders, renovators, contractors, suppliers and tradespeople who continue to build communities throughout Northern B.C.

Source: City of Prince George Heritage Register, Professional Building Statement of Significance; CHBA Northern BC historical records.