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LATEST NEWS
Professional Development/Skills Training
March 18, 2010
Despite safety improvements, underground dangers still exist
The tunneling circumstances that resulted in the Hogg’s Hollow tragedy would be hard to replicate today, but dangers still exist despite safety improvements, says one tunneling expert.
March 18, 2010
Filling labour gap a top priority for incoming Canadian Construction Association chair
Engaging the aboriginal labour force in a more effective manner is a key priority for Regina contractor Wayne Morsky, chair-elect of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA).
March 17, 2010
British Columbia open shop association takes issue with Burnaby’s ‘fair wage’ policy
B.C.’s open shop association is criticizing the city of Burnaby’s fair wage policy for increasing construction costs and taxes, but the mayor said it is just good social policy with a 20-year track record of success.
March 17, 2010
1960 calamity has parallels to recent swing-stage accident
Fifty years after the Hogg’s Hollow tragedy, much has changed in Ontario workplace health and safety. But the recent Christmas Eve swing-stage tragedy is a reminder more still needs to be done.
March 16, 2010
Search continues for sustainable architecture
While sceptics and environmentalists duke it out for the final word on global warming, thousands around the world are investing time and money in renewable energy and sustainable architecture. Grass roots “sustainable” organizations are forming at an increasing pace, with the positive effect of raising public awareness.
March 15, 2010
Province holding information sessions on new Ontario accessibility standard
Although the deadline for private sector compliance with a provincial accessibility standard for customer service is 18 months away, the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario is on the road getting the message out.
March 15, 2010
Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation offering Gold Seal course for supervisors
Mechanical contractors’ associations in Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton have teamed up to host the Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation’s (CMCEF) first Gold Seal supervisory program.
March 12, 2010
Alberta team wins silver at U.S. bricklaying championship
Canadian bricklaying team was named among the world’s best at the 2010 Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 National bricklaying championship held at the Las Vegas Convention Center last month.
March 11, 2010
Plant Engineering and Maintenance Association establishes Fort McMurray chapter
The newest chapter of a national association for plant and facility maintenance has been established in Fort McMurray, Alta. to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry in the region.
March 11, 2010
Ground broken on the Cathedral Centre in Toronto
After a decade of planning, ground has been broken on a project that includes restoration and expansion of the St. James parish house in downtown Toronto.
March 11, 2010
Ontario General Contractors Association applauds plan for WSIB advisory committee
The call for creating permanent stakeholder advisory committees at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is a progressive move by the WSIB, says the head of a construction industry task force.
March 10, 2010
Niagara Construction Association award winner honoured for decades-long contributions
On the eve of his 79th birthday, industry veteran Jack Bell of Bell Contracting and Equipment shows little sign of slowing down.
March 10, 2010
Industry welcomes federal government’s commitment to labour-market tracking
The federal government’s recent commitment to provide up-to-date labour market information and innovation by colleges is music to the Construction Sector Council’s ears.
March 8, 2010
Is U.S. headed for a double-dip recession?
The big question in the United States concerns whether or not a double dip recession is in the cards. The main contributors to the speculation are the jobless nature of the recovery so far and both weak new home sales and low home prices. These problems spill over into many other areas.
March 5, 2010
Niacon wins Niagara Construction Association’s project of the year award
Niacon Ltd. Construction Co. has won the Niagara Construction Association’s (NCA) project of the year award for the new 54-storey Hilton tower in Niagara Falls, the tallest such hotel structure in Canada.
March 5, 2010
Genivar acquires Thompson Rosemount Group
Genivar has expanded further into the Ontario engineering services market with the acquisition of Thompson Rosemount Group Inc., a firm with more than 100 employees in the province.
March 4, 2010
Full text of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget speech
As I rise in this House today, our nation is at a crossroads. We have passed through some steep and rocky terrain. Much of the territory was uncharted. We were prepared, and we protected ourselves. We are making our way through, and our compass has not failed us.
March 3, 2010
Full text of the throne speech
The following is the unedited text of the speech from the throne delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Wednesday.
March 3, 2010
Tories vow to complete economic stimulus plan
A 6,000-word throne speech which outlined the Conservative government’s themes for governance on the eve of the federal budget delivered a commitment to complete its economic stimulus plan.
March 3, 2010
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board should establish industry advisory committees, chair says
Creation of permanent stakeholder advisory committees at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is a progressive agency recommendation, says the head of a construction industry task force.
March 1, 2010
With Olympics over, B.C. turns focus to budget
The Olympics party is over and now it’s time to get down to business for British Columbia’s Liberal government as it prepares to table the province's budget.
February 25, 2010
Industry groups prepare members for new disability training requirements
Associations in the province’s design and construction sector are alerting their members to a pending provincial requirement to train staff to meet the needs of customers with disabilities.
February 25, 2010
Roofing contractor inducted into Grand Valley Construction Association Hall of Fame
Roofing contractor Dave Walden, a newly minted member of the Grand Valley Construction Association Hall of Fame, is an ardent supporter of education in the skilled trades.
February 25, 2010
Canadian government might skip public tendering process for Haiti relief contract
The Canadian government suggests it might skip tendering process in awarding a multimillion-dollar contract to build a temporary shelter for the Haitian government.
February 25, 2010
B.C. Industry Training Authority retains roadbuilding veteran
Over the past four years, Kent Orrock has made a name for himself in the roadbuilding industry by creating, managing and overseeing the development of training programs for the B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association.
February 19, 2010
Economic diversification paying off during Vale Inco strike in Sudbury
Three decades ago, a nine-month miners’ strike in Sudbury devastated the northern Ontario city’s economy and drove home the perils of being a one-industry town.
February 19, 2010
Construction worker’s fatal fall didn't involve swing stage
A construction worker is dead after falling as much as six storeys from a building in east Toronto Thursday. Police say a piece of metal may have fallen and hit the worker, knocking him off the building.
February 18, 2010
First Nation plans to build hotel, water park in Truro, Nova Scotia
A multimillion-dollar hotel and water park will be built on Nova Scotia’s Millbrook First Nation.
February 18, 2010
REpower Systems, Renewable Energy Systems complete construction of Quebec wind farm
REpower Systems AG and Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. have successfully completed the construction of a test wind farm in the Gaspé region.
February 18, 2010
Jon Hobbs leaves Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in stronger position
When Jon Hobbs took over as executive director of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in January 2001, the institute was grappling with a small deficit as well as declining membership.
February 18, 2010
Construction Sector Council unveils jobsite mentoring program
A new Construction Sector Council mentorship tool will help the industry retain the skills and expertise found at jobsites as large retirement numbers loom over the next eight years.
February 18, 2010
Water research centre planned for Delta, British Columbia
Metro Vancouver is planning to build a research centre at the site of the Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Delta to improve treatment operations at the plant.
February 17, 2010
Qualified tradespeople can go in many directions, Algonquin College students told
Qualifying in one of the construction trades can lead to a satisfying career, high school and college students were told recently. But being a tradesman doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll spend your working life on the jobsite.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
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- 20 Most Popular Stories
| TODAY’S TOP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS |
These projects have been selected from 378 projects with a total value of $3,604,490,024 that Reed Construction Data Building Reports reported on yesterday.
$63,800,000 Markham ON Prebid
RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
$50,000,000 Thorold ON Prebid
$40,000,000 Etobicoke ON Negotiated
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Pride, sadness as Hogg's Hollow memorial unveiled
- Despite safety improvements, underground dangers still exist
- ‘Sandhogs’ who perished had diverse personal stories
- Commemorative quilt also a story of victims’ families
- Filling labour gap a top priority for incoming Canadian Construction Association chair
- Niagara Construction Association president worked her way up
- Pursuit of LEED could result in professional negligence, insurance executive warns
- Nova Scotia officials ‘comfortable’ covering cost of $60-million wind plant
- New Brunswick plans to install wildlife fencing for construction season
- Venues decommissioned in Olympic afterglow
- Canadian Construction Association chair bids farewell
- Hogg’s Hollow tragedy changed Ontario’s construction industry
- Wood being considered as preferred building material for federal projects
- Grizzly Oil Sands seeks approval for project near Fort McMurray
- Search continues for sustainable architecture
- Seven British Columbia communities sign Wood First agreements
- U.S. construction employment declines in January
- Ottawa unveils plan to cut red tape
| 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.
- Sub-sector investment spending intentions from Statistics Canada’s latest survey (March 17, 2010)
- A dozen incredible measurement sets on Canada’s changing ethnic mix (March 9, 2010)
- How fragile is recovery around the world? (March 3, 2010)
- More









