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May 22, 2013

Winnipeg Southwest Transitway wins award

The Southwest Transitway Project in Winnipeg has been awarded an Award of Excellence by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) at a recent ceremony and dinner.

May 22, 2013

Vendor performance is key measurement

Many different public and private sector organizations take great care in the development of a proper vendor performance program.

May 20, 2013

Veterans battle barriers into the trades

Creating a link between military qualifications and provincial apprenticeship requirements is one of the ways Helmets to Hardhats Canada (H2HC) is trying to transition military veterans into civilian construction careers.

May 20, 2013

Saskatchewan bill passed

The Saskatchewan government has passed labour legislation that overhauls and melds 12 pieces of legislation into one omnibus law. The new Saskatchewan Employment Act allows for people to work either five eight-hour days a week or four 10-hour days a week

May 20, 2013

Worker at centre of union sign up allegations speaks out

The man targeted by allegations from the open shop contractors association that an electricians' union is signing up apprentices at the B.C. Institute of Technology says the story is a complete fabrication and is demanding an apology.

May 20, 2013

Taking a closer look at the risks in green building for contractors

As British Columbia's construction industry becomes more familiar with the principles of green building, questions are being asked about the roles and responsibilities of the builder in realizing sustainable building goals.

May 20, 2013

Feds pledge $5 million for Vimy memorial

The federal government has set aside $5 million to help in the construction of a permanent visitor centre at the Canadian war memorial in Vimy, France.

May 20, 2013

SNC-Lavalin maintains that new bribery allegations have been resolved

Embattled engineering company SNC-Lavalin says allegations in published reports that a subsidiary used a code to account for bribes on several projects across Africa and Asia have been resolved and are history.

May 15, 2013

Wood looking up in B.C. and Canada

Just as the 12th to 15th contemporary tall wood buildings are nearing completion in Milan, Italy, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is throwing its support behind this important global initiative here at home.

May 15, 2013

New partnership to bid on Fort McMurray transmission project

A new strategic partnership is being created between TransAlta Corporation and MidAmerican Transmission, which will participate in the competitive bid process for the construction of the Fort McMurray West Transmission Project.

May 15, 2013

Union threatens to sue over apprentice sign up allegations

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in B.C. is threatening to take legal action against the local open shop contractors association for making accusations that the union is signing up apprentices in classrooms at a publicly-funded technical institute.

May 15, 2013

Walterdale Bridge budget balloons

Edmonton city council has increased the budget for the construction of the new Walterdale Bridge by $19.5 million, which brings the total cost of the structure to $155 million.

May 13, 2013

Allegations of students signing union cards refuted

The B.C. Institute of Technology (BCIT) is denying allegations by the local open shop contractors association that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is being allowed to sign up apprentices in classrooms at the publicly funded school.

May 13, 2013

Piping trades recruitment

The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA) is launching a national marketing campaign to recruit 25,000 skilled piping trade professionals over the next five years.

May 13, 2013

Work begins on Saskatchewan kids' hospital

Work is underway to prepare the site for the eventual construction of the Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan (CHS), as the design development is approved.

May 8, 2013

Union threatens legal action over allegations of signing apprentices at BCIT

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in B.C. is threatening to take legal action against the local open shop contractors association for making accusations that the union is signing up apprentices in classrooms at a publicly-funded technical institute.

May 6, 2013

Manitoba unveils its new safety plan

Manitoba has a new five-year strategic plan to prevent workplace injury and illness that includes doubling the funding for prevention services.

May 6, 2013

Merit Canada seeks open tendering on federal projects

The national open shop association in Canada is calling for open tendering on all federal projects.

May 6, 2013

Saskatchewan labour laws radically overhauled in Bill 85

Updating labour legislation in Saskatchewan has become a contentious issue in the province.

May 6, 2013

Federal legislation rankles unions, but pleases open shop

If a divisive bill forcing Canadian labour unions to make public their finances and activities gets through the Senate and into law, expect a court challenge, says the second-in-command at the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

May 6, 2013

Saskatchewan open shop contractors honoured

Saskatchewan's open shop construction industry gathered recently at an awards ceremony in Saskatoon to honour and recognize employees, who demonstrate excellence.

May 1, 2013

Calgary mayor calls for an investigation after video surfaces

The mayor of Calgary is calling for an investigation into a video that appears to depict a plan to control city council's decisions on new housing.

May 1, 2013

Canadian demolition contractors need to be prepared

A future earthquake will inflict significant damage on a major Canadian city and demolition contractors will almost certainly play an important role during disaster recovery.

May 1, 2013

Fallen workers remembered across the country

The construction industry in Alberta and B.C. accounted for the highest number of work related deaths last year, as a number of ceremonies were held across Canada to recognize and mourn workers, who died on the job.

May 1, 2013

Feds start consulting on Canada Job Grant

The federal government has launched consultations on the Canada Job Grant, an initiative announced in the recent budget that is meant to transform the way Canadians receive skills training.

May 1, 2013

Saskatchewan company fined

A Saskatoon construction company has been fined for violating a labour safety law.

April 29, 2013

Montreal official says gifts are not a conflict of interest

The City of Montreal's former No. 2 admits he accepted gifts from businessmen and says there's nothing wrong with that as long as no rules are broken.

April 29, 2013

New student residences to take shape in Regina

The construction of a new $73.7 million residence for students at the University of Regina is scheduled to begin this spring, but current financing doesn't cover the cost of the project.

April 24, 2013

B.C. union leaders meet with Royal Bank CEO

B.C. trade union leaders met recently in Vancouver with the head of the Royal Bank of Canada to discuss their threat to withdraw pension funds over the practice of outsourcing and the use of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to replace Canadians.

April 24, 2013

Interim federal budget watchdog looks at the cost of infrastructure

The interim parliamentary budget officer (PBO) says spending commitments made by the government are more than enough to cover the costs of federal infrastructure for the next decade.

April 24, 2013

Saskatchewan passes mandatory asbestos registry law

Saskatchewan has become the first province to make reporting of asbestos in public buildings mandatory.

April 24, 2013

SNC-Lavalin faces 10 year penalty from World Bank

Alleged corrupt business practices by SNC-Lavalin in Bangladesh have resulted in the cancellation of a critical development project and the company being prohibited from bidding on World Bank construction contracts.

April 22, 2013

Manitoba budget slightly increases capital spending

The Manitoba Budget 2013 will change balanced budget legislation to increase the provincial sales tax (PST), in order to boost spending on critical infrastructure including flood prevention measures.

April 22, 2013

Resilient communities start with homes

The deeper one delves into the related concepts of resilience and sustainability of buildings and cities, the more apparent contradictions one finds.