Visit Trade Contracting at Daily Commercial News

General and Trade Contracting

May 16, 2012

Panel appointed to oversee hearings into B.C. mine project

The federal government has selected a new panel to undertake the second environmental assessment for a proposed billion dollar gold and copper mine in central B.C.

May 16, 2012

Bockstael celebrates 100 years

Construction is not just about assembling bricks and mortar, it is about building relationships.

May 16, 2012

SNC-Lavalin hit with $1.5 billion class action lawsuit

Embattled engineering giant SNC-Lavalin is facing its second-class action lawsuit in months, after a Toronto firm said it is seeking $1.5 billion on behalf of investors outside of Quebec who saw the value of their asset plummet.

May 16, 2012

High School Construction

Construction work is well underway on Burnaby Central High School in Burnaby B.C.

May 16, 2012

Victoria bridge inches closer to construction

Three teams have been selected to compete in the Request for Proposal (RFP) to replace the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, B.C., which was recently dismantled using the largest barge and crane in Western Canada.

May 14, 2012

New ATCO Gas operations centre in Okotoks, Alta.

ATCO Gas has started construction on a new operations centre in Okotoks, Alta., which will consolidate the company's operations, construction and customer service in one location.

May 14, 2012

One dead and two injured in separate Alberta incidents

he construction industry in Alberta had two workplace incidents on separate jobsites at the same time, which resulted in one person being killed while relocating electrical wiring and two people getting injured in a trench collapse.

May 14, 2012

Run of river projects set to augment B.C.'s power grid

About seventy nine run of river (ROR) power projects are either planned, under construction or built in British Columbia.

May 14, 2012

Aboriginal-owned engineering firm launches in B.C.

A new Aboriginal company called Embark Engineering was formed recently in Prince Rupert, B.C. by the Lax Kw'alaams Band and Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. (KWL) consulting engineers.

May 14, 2012

$1.3 billion BC Hydro project set to start next year

Construction is slated to start on BC Hydro's largest capital project next year. The design-build contract for the $1.3 billion rebuild of the John Hart generating station is projected to start next summer.

May 14, 2012

Open shop set to meet in Ottawa

Merit Canada is holding the International Open Shop Conference in Ottawa, Ontario, to demonstrate its presence on the national scene and provide contractors with a chance to discuss critical issues for the non-union construction sector.

May 14, 2012

Biomass energy plant part of plan to restart B.C. sawmill

Canfor Corporation has started construction of a new planer and the installation of a biomass energy plant, as part of a plan to restart an existing sawmill in the southern Interior of B.C.

May 14, 2012

Sun shines on solar power innovation

Who says you can't have solar power when the sun isn't shining? Certainly not SolarReserve LLC, which is building a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant at Crescent Dunes in the Nevada desert.

May 14, 2012

Call for apprenticeship spots a smokescreen

Workers and taxpayers need to be worried when the B.C. and Yukon Territory Building and Construction Trades Council starts talking about project labour agreements, government work and boosting apprenticeships. (Call made for more apprentices on public projects - May 7, 2012 )

May 14, 2012

Union exec calls Merit statements "ridiculous"

I'm sorry, but these statements by Merit are patently ridiculous. (Merit Contractors surprised by union comments - Letter to the editor - May 7, 2012)

May 9, 2012

Owner liable for faulty assessment

An owner is typically expected to diligently review a bidder’s submission. In fact, the failure to ensure the proper review of bidder submissions has in certain instances been found to constitute a breach of the tendering rules.

May 9, 2012

Journal of Commerce Weekly Update May 14th, 2012

In this week's preview of the upcoming stories we're covering in the Journal of Commerce, Editor Bradley Fehr talks about our upcoming Energy feature, which highlights electrical and oil and gas projects across western Canada.

May 9, 2012

Unions take issue with Bill C-377

Construction union leaders are united in their opposition to the federal government’s Bill C-377, which would force labour organizations to publicly disclose their finances, but Merit Canada is throwing its full weight behind the proposed legislation.

May 7, 2012

Omicron works to restore operations after water leak at Bentall building

An integrated design and construction firm in downtown Vancouver, B.C. had to temporarily shut down operations, after a water leak in an office tower closed large parts of the building and caused extensive damage.

May 7, 2012

Call made for more apprentices on public projects

The B.C. and Yukon Territory Building and Construction Trades Council is calling for all public-sector project contracts to have a provision in the project labour agreement (PLA) ensuring apprentice training opportunities.

May 7, 2012

Last chance to nominate a Leader

Two weeks remain for the construction industry to nominate who they think are the leaders in Canadian construction for 2012.

May 7, 2012

Merit Contractors surprised by union comments

Re: Industry Weighs in on Alberta Election Result, Journal of Commerce April 30, 2012 I was both surprised and somewhat confused by CLAC Prairies Director Wayne Prins' comments respecting the labour proposals contained in the Alberta PC platform document during the recent provincial election.

May 7, 2012

Construction to start soon on potash mine

K+S Potash Canada is planning to start construction this summer on its multi-billion dollar Legacy potash mine project near Bethune, Saskatchewan.

May 7, 2012

Simultaneous but separate incidents in Alberta kill one and injure two workers

The construction industry in Alberta had two workplace incidents on separate jobsites over the weekend, which resulted in one person being killed while relocating electrical wiring and two people getting injured in a trench collapse.

May 7, 2012

Hammer Time in Vancouver

City of Vancouver construction crews were busy rehabilitating Yukon Street in Mount Pleasant.

May 2, 2012

Lost workers remembered at ceremonies

The construction industry accounted for the highest number of work related deaths in B.C. and Alberta last year, as labour unions and the provincial health and safety authority held ceremonies across the country to recognize and mourn workers, who died on the job.

May 2, 2012

Building a Sustainable Substation

The new Mount Pleasant Substation is taking shape in Vancouver B.C. PCL is the prime contractor on the project.

May 2, 2012

Unions decry temp worker rule changes

Union leaders in B.C. and Alberta are upset with changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program that reduces the time it takes for employers to hire skilled trades people, but the Merit Contractors Association is applauding the federal initiative.

May 2, 2012

Construction sector council predicts shift to resource projects

This year's Construction Sector Council (CSC) labour market forecast highlights a major shift in non-residential construction, as the number of energy projects rise and infrastructure projects shift away from institutional work.

May 2, 2012

VRCA launches learning forum

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) is taking a new approach to education by hosting its first-ever Construction Learning Forum in Whistler.

May 2, 2012

Digital Media Centre in Vancouver takes form

The Centre for Digital Media is under construction in Vancouver, B.C. and is a joint venture between the University of British Columbia, Emily Carr University of Art and the B.C. Institute of Technology.

May 2, 2012

Journal of Commerce Weekly Video Update May 7, 2012

Welcome to the first weekly video update from the Journal of Commerce, where we look at the news and features in the newspaper and online in the coming week.

April 30, 2012

BC Hydro works to improve its contracts

BC Hydro has completed a consultation process with representatives of the construction industry to identify problems with their contracts and provide realistic incentives for contractors to undertake work for them.

April 30, 2012

Manitoba boosts rural trades training

The Manitoba government announced its Rural and Northern Apprenticeship Training Strategy, which increases the tax credits available to companies that hire apprentices and journeypersons.

April 30, 2012

Community Centre Construction in Burnaby

A construction worker is busy helping build the Edmonds Pool & Community Centre in Burnaby, B.C. Smith Bros. & Wilson (B.C.) Ltd. is the general contractor and foundation contractor on the $32 million project.

April 30, 2012

More trades training needed in Prince George

The training facility is a very good idea and drastically required.

It reminds me of the early 1960s, when the government opened the trade school in Prince George and I was in the first Heavy Duty Mechanic Pre-Apprenticeship class.

April 30, 2012

Skills Canada competition heats up

Competition is heating up across the country as the 2012 Skills Canada National Competition swiftly approaches and students vie for a spot on Team Canada.

April 30, 2012

Industry weighs in on Alberta election results

The Progressive Conservative (PC) party in Alberta won a majority in the recent provincial election and received a mandate to implement their political platform, which includes changes to labour legislation that will affect the construction industry.

April 25, 2012

British Columbia construction industry observes Day of Mourning

The construction industry accounted for the highest number of work related deaths in B.C. last year, as the province's occupational health & safety authority and labour unions held ceremonies across the province to recognize and mourn workers, who died on the job.

April 25, 2012

Telephone poll sets off firestorm before Alberta election

Merit Alberta and the Wildrose Party have filed complaints with government officials claiming that the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) broke election rules with a province-wide telephone poll.

April 25, 2012

Haiti trade school rebuild moves forward

Steady progress is being made on the Ecole Lakay trade school rebuild the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has tackled in earthquake-stricken Haiti.

April 25, 2012

PCL's new industrial headquarters taking shape

PCL has started construction on a new $10 million industrial headquarters in Nisku, Alberta, which is the location of its manufacturing operation that produces modules for oil and gas, mining and electricity generation projects in western Canada.

April 23, 2012

Healthcare telephone poll sets off a firestorm before Alberta Election

Merit Alberta and the Wildrose Party have filed complaints with government officials claiming that the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is violating election rules with a province-wide telephone poll.

April 23, 2012

Canadian technologies enable industry to treat liquid waste

As the number of industrial plants in Canada and the rest of the world increase, so does the volume of liquid waste that needs to be treated before being discharged safely.

April 23, 2012

Getting Ready for Groceries

Construction workers with Tony's Masonry Company Ltd. are busy with the bricks for the facade for a new Thrifty Foods in Haney Place Mall in Maple Ridge, B.C.

April 23, 2012

Alberta election results indicate continuity for provincial construction industry

The Progressive Conservative party in Alberta won a majority victory in the provincial general election, which provides a mandate to move forward with their political platform to introduce new labour legislation that will affect the construction industry.

April 23, 2012

Saskatoon undertakes major expansion of water reservoir system

Seeking to increase water storage capacity during peak summer months, the City of Saskatoon has started work on a major expansion of its water reservoir system that will take two years to complete.

April 23, 2012

Replacement work commences on hydro electric turbines

BC Hydro will soon start replacing the first of five turbines at the Gordon M. Shrum (GMS) generating station, with the largest turbine project award costing $247 million.

April 23, 2012

Expandable water treatment plant takes shape in Fort McMurray

The innovation behind a new water treatment facility in Fort McMurray, Alberta, has engineering firms suggesting the design for other communities.

April 18, 2012

Port Coquitlam restaurant on the menu

A new Swiss Chalet restaurant is taking shape in the massive Freemont Village development in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

April 18, 2012

Controversial $5 billion pipeline expansion planned for Vancouver

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners is moving forward with a $5 billion proposal to expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system that carries crude oil from the Alberta oilsands to Vancouver for export on tanker ships.

April 18, 2012

Researchers work on 3-D printing app for construction

Few new technologies have evolved as quickly as so-called 3-D printing. It has the potential to revolutionize manufacturing or it could become the next big fad in the field of consumer electronics.