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General and Trade Contracting
August 2, 2010
Lack of local workers on Wuskwatim Dam project riles Manitoba union
A carpenter’s union in Manitoba is upset that workers from outside the province are being given preference on the $1.3-billion Wuskwatim Dam project.
August 2, 2010
Contractor default insurance catches on in Canada
It’s called contractor default insurance or sub-contractor default insurance and provides general contractors with an alternative to traditional surety bonds.
August 2, 2010
Hamilton ready to work with all general contractors, union-affiliated or not
All general contractors, whether affiliated or not with Hamilton Ontario’s local carpenters union, can now bid on the city’s industrial and commercial projects.
August 2, 2010
Roadwork continues in Burnaby, British Columbia
Workers with Cobra Electric were busy installing new traffic sensors at the intersection of Willingdon Avenue and Hastings Street in Burnaby recently.
July 28, 2010
Work continues on Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg
The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is taking shape in Winnipeg. PCL Constructors Canada Inc. are the construction managers on the $320-million project. The architects are Antoine Predock Architect and Smith Carter Architects and Engineers.
July 28, 2010
Georgian College expansion goes green in Collingwood, Ontario
Construction is expected to get under way early next month on Georgian College’s permanent home in Collingwood Ont., a 20,000-square-foot facility to house nine classrooms as well as a student lounge.
July 28, 2010
Pine beetle spurs infrastructure construction in British Columbia
The spread of the mountain pine beetle epidemic in B.C. and the decline of the forest industry is stimulating investment in the construction of infrastructure to support the expansion of the mining, energy and transportation industries.
July 26, 2010
British Columbia’s electronic bidding system gets new name, services
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) has changed the name of its electronic bidding system to BidCentral to create a new brand as well as an online center for a suite of services and documents.
July 26, 2010
Canadian construction industry grows slightly in April
The Canadian economy didn’t grow or contract in April with real gross domestic product unchanged, while the construction industry experienced extremely moderate growth.
July 21, 2010
HST implementation shuffles the deck for surety industry
Canadian surety companies have historically issued construction bonds according to contract values plus sales tax — GST and PST. That won’t change now that the harmonized sales tax (HST) was implemented in British Columbia and Ontario on July 1.
July 21, 2010
Capital Power’s wind project gets environmental approval
Capital Power’s proposed wind project in northeastern British Columbia has received an Environmental Assessment Certificate from the provincial government.
July 21, 2010
Team approach, risk sharing necessary for BIM
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a powerful design and planning tool that can make construction speedier, more efficient, and reduce construction disputes, said James LeBer, a London Ontario-based litigation specialist and vice-president of the London and District Construction Association.
July 21, 2010
Ledcor to build Westside Road interchange in British Columbia
Construction of the Westside Road Interchange in B.C. is set to begin early next month. Preliminary construction activities on the interchange started in 2009.
July 19, 2010
Saskatchewan contractors adjusting to new labour relations rules
The competition between union contractors in Saskatchewan is beginning to heat up, as the controversial Bill 80 takes effect in the province.
July 19, 2010
Enbridge partners with TransAlta on carbon capture project
Enbridge Inc. will participate in the development of Project Pioneer, which will be Canada’s first fully-integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) project involving retro-fitting a coal-fired electricity plant.
July 19, 2010
Saskatchewan Construction Association honours province’s best projects
For his efforts in spearheading the Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship Industry Scholarship program, longtime industry “heavyweight” Paul McLellan was honoured with the Saskatchewan Construction Association (SCA) Person-of-the-Year Award.
July 14, 2010
Work continues on Parissa Laboratories building in North Vancouver, British Columbia
A worker cuts expansion joints into the concrete slab for a two storey, 27,000 square foot tilt-up structure, that is being built for Parissa Laboratories on Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver.
July 14, 2010
Calgary procurement code puts ethical onus on suppliers
Environment-friendly criteria have long been a part of the landscape in government procurement policies. but the City of Calgary, however, is going one step further with its Sustainable, Environmental and Ethical Procurement Policy (SEEPP).
July 12, 2010
Olympic Village housing project designed to achieve net zero
Occupants of a new housing complex that’s the legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics stand to save considerably on their energy bills.
July 12, 2010
Forrest Kerr plans hydroelectric project in British Columbia
Forrest Kerr, a subsidiary of AltaGas Income Trust, is planning to invest $700 million in the construction of a 195-MW run-of-river hydro-electricity generation project located in northwest British Columbia, about 100 km north of Stewart, B.C.
July 12, 2010
Construction continues on Eighth Avenue Place in Calgary
The final steel beam was put into place on the 51-storey Eighth Avenue Place in Calgary during a topping off ceremony recently. The tower includes one million square feet of space and is the first high-rise office building in Canada to be pre-certified LEED CS Gold.
July 7, 2010
Vancouver Regional Construction Association members to build house for first responders
Members of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) are pulling together to work on a unique project. Honour House will provide temporary accommodation for first responders and their families, when they need to travel to the Lower Mainland for medical treatment.
July 7, 2010
British Columbia’s construction industry dependent on stimulus, private investment
The construction industry in B.C. emerged from an abrupt and deep recession in 2009, but the strength of the upturn will depend on the timing of government stimulus and the recovery of private investment.
July 7, 2010
Green roofs need adequate leak test systems
The growing popularity of green or living roofs is underscoring the need to have an adequate test system in place to detect leaks that may occur in the protective roof membrane during or after construction.
July 7, 2010
Work continues on Pinnacle Living condos in Vancouver
Construction workers are busy building the Pinnacle Living townhouse and condominium project in Vancouver. The developer is Pinnacle International and the architect is IBI/HB Architects. Mondiale Developments Ltd. is the general contractor.
July 5, 2010
Construction Sector Council releases British Columbia forecast
The Construction Sector Council released today a labour supply and demand outlook for British Columbia, forecasting that stimulus funding targeting renovations will help to offset the sudden collapse of new residential construction.
July 5, 2010
Bachelor degree in construction management offers flexibility
A construction management program is offering graduates a change to earn a degree, in addition to increasing their job prospects.
July 5, 2010
Yukon Energy’s Mayo B Dam project aims to boost power generation
Construction on the $160 million Mayo B Dam project in the Yukon is underway after Yukon Energy received all the permits necessary to start groundwork on the project.
July 5, 2010
Suncor Energy wins approval for Wintering Hills wind power project
Suncor Energy Products Inc. has received regulatory approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to proceed with its Wintering Hills Wind Power Project.
July 5, 2010
Construction starts on Saskatchewan’s Red Lily Wind project
Construction on Saskatchewan’s newest wind power facility officially got underway on June 17.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
- Sinkhole threatens Calgary building’s stability
- Highrise tool toss lands Calgary contractor in hot water
- Mike Holmes partners with First Nations on community-building pilot project
- Pine beetle spurs infrastructure construction in British Columbia
- City of Vancouver report slams botched demolition
- 20 Most Popular Stories
| TODAY’S TOP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS |
These projects have been selected from 372 projects with a total value of $3,335,585,749 that Reed Construction Data Building Reports reported on yesterday.
$1,200,000,000 Calgary AB Negotiated
$520,000,000 Grande Prairie AB Prebid
$75,000,000 Edmonton AB Negotiated
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Lack of local workers on Wuskwatim Dam project riles Manitoba union
- Roadwork continues in Burnaby, British Columbia
- Contractor default insurance catches on in Canada
- Construction firms learn to get ‘Bear Smart’
- Qualifications-based selection gains traction with Defence Construction Canada
- Hamilton ready to work with all general contractors, union-affiliated or not
- Worker survives crane rollover in Victoria
- Encana negotiates with China National Petroleum
- Rigger acquitted in New York crane collapse
- Work begins on Lynn Creek Rail Bridge project in Vancouver
- Archaeological assessments an integral part of pre-construction
- Outland Camps offers flexibility from coast to coast
- City of Vancouver report slams botched demolition
- VIDEO: Canada’s economy is slowing down
- Australian Labor government defends stimulus after allegations of political bias
- Western Construction wins contract for Bonnybrook Waste Treatment Facility
- Stimulus spending on U.S. national parks a major job creator
- Fences provide first line of defence
- Directional drilling less disruptive for locals
- Ontario Brownfield Act to change remediation rules next year
- High-tech surveillance protects construction sites from thieves
- Market grows for energy efficient construction trailers
- Site photographers focus on staying in the picture
- Fast Wrap asset protection firm coming to Canada
| ALEX’S ECONOMICS BLOG |

Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in the North American economic environment with emphasis on the construction industry.
- Canadian railway freight traffic on a better track (July 28, 2010)
- Waiting to see if the other shoe drops in Canada (July 16, 2010)
- Who wants Canada’s oil? (July 7, 2010)
- More



















