MEDIA

Unnecessary Home Demolitions in Vancouver Worsening Environmental Impact

03.17.2025 | New policy recommendations from Renewal Development and Light House aim to keep building materials out of landfills.

Relocating and deconstructing homes as outlined in a recent report from the organizations would divert at least 60,000 tonnes of demolition materials away from landfills each year over the next decade, reduce carbon emissions, create jobs and stimulate "circular" economies. [Read More]

Conversations That Matter: B.C.'s Demolition Crisis

03.07.2025 | With B.C.'s new mandate allowing fourplexes on single-family lots, the region faces a growing demolition crisis that demands sustainable alternatives.

Glyn Lewis was recently featured in the The Vancouver Sun and on the podcast Conversations that Matter, speaking with veteran journalist Stuart McNish about relocation alternatives to demolition that protect the environment and provide new housing for growing urban areas.

Move it, don’t lose it: The business of repurposing homes

02.06.2025 | From environmental and economic perspectives, demolition is not a thrifty option. The average 1,500-square-foot home sent to the landfill contains 100 tons of raw materials and 23 tons of CO2 equivalent, not to mention they can still have substantial market value.

Renewal Development provides a one-stop shop removal service to developers or homeowners needing to clear homes from a property. Renewal relocates what they can, and they responsibly demolish and recycle what they can’t. [Read More]

Houses rescued from demolition are shíshálh Nation's 1st new homes in 10 years

02.03.2025 | What was an empty plot of land on the shíshálh Nation is starting to look more like a neighbourhood, with workers busy getting 10 houses ready for families to move in as soon as March. 

The houses were rescued last year from Port Moody, B.C., just east of Vancouver, where they were set to be demolished to make way for a high-rise development, and barged to the community about 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver. 

More housing could mean more demolition waste for dump in Delta

01.23.2025 | Cities across Metro Vancouver are recognizing the urgent need to shift from financially and environmentally wasteful demolition practices as the construction sector contributes one-third of regional landfill waste annually. With wood waste comprising nearly half of disposed construction materials and demolitions expected to rise due to densification, innovative solutions and better markets for reusable materials are critical. [Read More]

Port Moody wants to see more houses moved instead of demolished

01.23.2025 | Port Moody is taking meaningful steps to encourage the reuse and relocation of homes impacted by new developments, introducing measures like streamlined deconstruction permits and lower value thresholds for relocated homes.

With an estimated 2,800 homes demolished annually in Metro Vancouver, we continue to emphasize the economic and environmental advantages of moving homes over demolition. [Read More]

Homes set for demolition moved to where they’re needed

09.18.2024 | CBC’s The National recently explored our story and that of the Vancouver demolition epidemic.

"A Vancouver-based company is saving homes from demolition and moving them across the province where they are badly needed. CBC’s Lyndsay Duncombe explains the process of recycling homes and the benefits that come with it."

Councillor Lisa Muri calls for relocation of older homes to reduce waste

09.09.2024 | Councillor Lisa Muri is urging the District of North Vancouver to adopt new policies that promote relocating or deconstructing older homes instead of demolishing them. Her proposal, which will be discussed at the council today, aims to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions while preserving homes that could be repurposed. [Read More]

Burnaby councillor wants 'more concrete' plan to save homes from demolition

06.14.2024 | More than a year after Burnaby council asked staff to investigate a plan to save homes slated for the wrecking ball, staff came back with an answer this week: they’re working on it.

City staff responded to an action plan presented by Glyn Lewis, the owner and CEO of Renewal Home Development, in March 2023 outlining seven policy measures to encourage developers to relocate high-value homes instead of tossing them into the landfill. [Read More]

Kitsilano's landmark little yellow schoolhouse begins new life after move to Squamish Nation

02.06.2024 | After 110 years of serving the community in Kitsilano, a little yellow schoolhouse is entering a new life serving the Squamish Nation on the North Shore.

“The Yellow Schoolhouse is the home of our new Ta Tsiptspí7lhḵn (Language Nest), where our youngest ones will be learning our Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) language, culture and traditions,” said Sxwíxwtn-Wilson Williams, spokesperson and councillor of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation). “We are thrilled to have this new facility and look forward to welcoming our youngest community members through its doors for years to come.” [Read More]

The Little Yellow School House | Learning Nest

Discover the journey of the Little Yellow School House, a 1912 heritage building rescued from demolition and transformed into a Learning Nest for early childhood language immersion. In partnership with the Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) and Nickel Bros, this project highlights reconciliation, sustainability, and preserving cultural heritage.

This video showcases the dramatic relocation and the building’s meaningful new purpose. It’s a powerful example of how sustainable development and collaboration can create lasting impact for communities and the environment.

Monocle | Floating buildings and maritime architecture

Can floating cities be the solution to rising sea levels? Can architecture prepare in advance for coastal changes? We explore a few ways that our cities are, or should be, interacting with water. 

Featuring Glyn Lewis, Renewal Development’s Founder & CEO segment discussing how we have used the waterways around Vancouver to relocate, rather than demolish, houses that are cleared for development, as well as how to deliver them to communities in need. [Podcast]