Creating a Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone
in Victoriaville, Québec
The principal feature of the Hemp Agro-Industrial Zone (“HAIZ”) concept is the proximity of the industrial plant to the supply of raw materials and final markets. This is particularly true with the choice of which is close to farming, available industrial park space, and is in the region where there is a desire to create affordable housing where manufactured products can be utilized. Global Hemp Group (“GHG”) has now assembled a team committed to the concept of durable construction to implement this project.
Victoriaville, Quebec (click on the picture to enlarge)
Project Focus
GHG is participating in a housing project with Inno-Habitat-Victo, the local affordable housing authority together with BGA Architects, a local architectural firm committed to energy efficient housing using natural materials. The city has donated the land for the project. The project consists of one three-apartment building that will be built with hempcrete blocks. The floors of the buildings will use cement-free, carbon-negative concrete panels made of industrial by-products and captured CO2 (eg. CarbiCrete products) to further reduce the carbon footprint of the building. The principal function of the pilot project will be to generate information on the construction process and performance of the building from thermal, hygrometric, and acoustic perspectives under real life conditions. Strength and fire-retardant properties will also be investigated. Promotion materials, highlighting the performance of the building, will be produced following the actual occupation of the buildings.
The project, currently under planning, will be submitted to the Green Municipal Fund a federal program to help local governments switch to sustainable practices in housing.
The proposed building will capture at least 8t CO2e in addition to avoiding 62t CO2e if a similar building was built with conventional materials, thus transforming affordable housing into a carbon sink. Imported blocks will be used in this first building.
The city has available space at an industrial park where hempcrete blocks could be manufactured, and more importantly, the city is surrounded by a thriving farming community suitable for hemp cultivation that can provide the raw material. Some of the lime required in the production process can be sourced within 75 km from Victoriaville. These three elements make for a good case for the establishment of a HAIZ in the region. While this initial project is important in terms information collected and visibility gained, it is expected to make the broader case for further investment to support the establishment of a much bigger project in Victoriaville.
The Local Housing Market
Victoriaville is part of Quebec’s central region, with a regional population of 250,000 within a radius of 65 km of Victoriaville. In 2021, there were 1,900 building permits issued for residential units, 55% of which were apartments. More importantly, Victoriaville is within 100 km of large population basins, Estrie (500,000) and Montérégie (1.5 MM) with a combined total of 16,800 building permits issued in 2021, two thirds of which were for apartment buildings.
Vacancy rates of rental apartments are at a near historical low (below 0.5%) in these regions, which has prompted public action by launching affordable housing projects, generally as apartment buildings. The creation of Innov Habitat Victo is evidence of this response, and is garnering strong support from the community. Public demand for affordable housing will come with an emphasis for durable housing in response to government commitments to improved energy efficiency in the housing sector and to reducing its carbon footprint. The city has demonstrated its commitment to durable construction by developing its own high standards, and providing financial incentives to those adhering to these standards. The program is gaining traction in several municipalities of the region.
In summary, Victoriaville is in a region with a large housing demand (12,000 apartments/year), a significant portion of which will come from public housing schemes in the years to come, with emphasis on durable housing. This is a market ripe for hempcrete construction.
Farming in the Area
Victoriaville is at the heart of Quebec’s dairy industry, with the three regions mentioned above accounting for half of the provincial dairy output, a significant portion of which is organic, requiring organic feed. Industrial hemp can fit well as a feed/cleanup crop at the end of the rotation cycle. GHG will seek support from Quebec’s Institut National d’Agriculture Biologique (National Institute of Organic Agriculture) to explore how the crop can best fit in current rotations. Such association will be beneficial to farmers who will be able to profit from the capacity of hemp to capture and sequester large amounts of CO2e in soils and claim credits accordingly. Hemp grown under such a rotation, where no inorganic fertilizers are used, will have a 50% lower carbon footprint. Consequently, hempcrete block houses will have an even lower carbon footprint.
Processing into hempcrete blocks.
Victoriaville has a long experience in light manufacturing particularly in the furniture sector, but also in farm and forestry machinery. It actively promotes industrial development through its industrial parks with attractive conditions. One such park, Ecoparc Industriel is located in the city, emphasizes clean industrial development which would fit well with hempcrete block manufacturing, as it is a no waste industry.
In addition to hemp hurd and water, hempcrete, under its current composition, requires a mixture of hydrated and hydraulic lime. One of the two sources of hydrated lime in Quebec is located in Marbleton, Quebec less than 75 km from Victoriaville. Discussions are underway with Université de Sherbrooke’s department of civil engineering to find a suitable substitute to hydraulic lime. Until such alternative is found, hydraulic lime could be imported by sea transport through deep water ports of Sorel or Trois-Rivières less than 70 km from Victoriaville.
Partners in the project
The core team of this first HAIZ in Quebec includes:
Innov-Habitat-Victo (IHV), a municipal housing authority
Innov Habitat Victo was created in 2023 by Victoriaville's housing authority, as a non profit organization specifically dedicated to acquiring, renovating or building affordable housing for the region. The Desjardins cooperative movement provided the initial funding of IHV.
Bourassa Gaudreau & Associés Architectes (BGA Architectes) has built its reputation by offering personalized and quality architectural and project management services. They have more than 30 years experience in durable construction, the use of natural or non-polluting materials and energy efficiency in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
ALTE is an engineering cooperative dedicated to the design and implementation of alternative and affordable technologies in the development of energy efficient and environmentally sound building projects.