New London Drugs 'steels' itself in Squamish, B.C.

RICHARD GILBERT

The structural steel is going up fast at a new London Drugs at Garibaldi Village Shopping Centre in Squamish, B.C. The $3 million, one storey, 30,000 sq. ft. commercial project is owned by Wesbild Holdings Ltd. and the architect is Wensley Architecture Ltd. Consultants on the project include: RF Binnie & Associates Ltd. (civil), Weiler Smith Bowers (structural), SRC Engineering Ltd. (mechanical), Nemetz (S/A) & Associates Ltd. (electrical) and Thurber Engineering Ltd. (geotechnical). Construction began in March and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. More

Twists and turns for U.S. housing markets

- RCD Digital Media

Despite the shaky economy, now might be a good time for Americans to buy a home, says Reed Business Data’s chief economist Alex Carrick. More

Engineering

Non-technical skills development a priority for engineers

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Senior leaders in the technical world of engineering are paying greater attention to essential non-technical skills, due to changing demographics in the workforce. More

Public Private Partnerships

National P3 office focuses on education

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Canada’s new public-private partnership (P3) office is as much about educating provinces and municipalities about the project model as it is about building itself. More

Federal Government Contracts

Understanding security clearances for Federal Government Contracts

Richard Gilbert

staff writer

Defence Construction Canada is holding a series of seminars across B.C. to help contractors and consulting engineers understand the process of gaining security clearance for work on federal government contracts. More

Smart grids key to alternative power

Alternative power — especially wind power — has been in the news quite a bit lately, which is good news. After all, anything that can provide non-fossil energy is welcome. More

Concrete canoe race floats their boat

Canada’s École de technologie supérieure (ETS) from Montreal placed second in this year’s concrete canoe race in their hockey-themed canoe called Vintage. The University of California, Berkley finished first overall at the “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering,” the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) 22nd Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition. The three-day competition was held on Lake Nicol in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The winning canoe called Bear Area weighed 230 pounds, was 20 feet long and featured multi-colored murals on a white background. The ETS canoe weighed 190 lbs. and also was 20 ft. long. Berkley earned $5,000 in scholarship money and ETS received $2,500. More

Engineering

We need to be more engaged: International engineers

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

The consulting engineering industry needs to become more engaged in the public arena if it is to exert real influence on government policies, says veteran Canadian engineer John Boyd, president of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). More

Canadian Construction Association

Some tax relief on employer provided vehicles

Richard Gilbert

staff writer

As a result of lobbying from the Canadian Construction Association, the federal government will allow a reduced benefit calculation on employer provided vehicles. More

Green Technology

Availability limiting biofuel adoption

SAUL CHERNOS

correspondent

With a cast that includes green slime and assorted fats and oils, biofuels seem like perfect low-budget, B-level sci-fi movie material. More

Calgary's Red Sky Court is a Sailor’s Delight

PAUL PERRY ARCHITECT

Paul Perry Architect is proceeding with the design-build of Red Sky Court, a new five-unit apartment in Calgary. The development will include three storeys and about 8,394 sq. ft. of space in the wood structural frame. Construction is expected to get underway shortly. More

Economy at a Glance — July 2, 2009

Office building construction markets in Toronto and Calgary

Prepared by Alex Carrick, Chief Economist, CanaData

The most recent peak for office building starts in Canada occurred two years ago, in 2007. At that time, 16.0 million square feet of work was initiated across the country. This is a category of construction that can be highly cyclical. The figure this year is expected to be only 4.4 million square feet. While this is quite a drop in activity levels, the recovery phase in this market is likely to be shorter than during previous times in history. More

New name for engineering association

The association promoting the business and professional interests of the Canadian consulting engineering firms has changed its name for the second time in two years. More