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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.