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May 16, 2012

Where does labour law stand on ladder safety?

The Ontario Ministry of Labour recently issued a new position paper on the use of ladders in construction, and workplace safety experts warn employers need to train their workers and assess their sites for risk.

May 16, 2012

Dirt moves as Saskatchewan announces highway work

Major improvements and planned maintenance will be done on more than 1,200 kilometres of Saskatchewan highways.

May 15, 2012

Land & Sea Welding inks $1.7 million contract for Placentia, Newfoundland bridge repair

The Newfoundland and Labrador government has awarded Land & Sea Welding Ltd. a $1.7-million contract to repair the Sir Ambrose Shea Bridge in Placentia, about 130 kilometres southwest of St. John’s.

May 11, 2012

Revenue up for Montreal engineering firm Genivar

Montreal engineering firm Genivar Inc. released its first-quarter financial results Wednesday, reporting revenues of $163.736 million, up 9.7 per cent from the first quarter of 2011. New contracts awarded since January include an impact study for the railway interconnection between Labrador and the St. Lawrence River port of Sept-Iles, as part of the Plan Nord in Quebec.

May 11, 2012

Consulting Engineers of Ontario recognizes projects with awards

The Municipal Infrastructure Group Ltd. scored top honours in the 10th annual Consulting Engineers of Ontario awards for its design of an innovative stormwater management system at the Sherbourne Common park in Toronto.

May 11, 2012

Toronto seminar highlights infrastructure opportunities in India

The Canada-India Business Council and Aspire International Group are hosting Infrastructure Today — India Opportunity 2012, which showcases the opportunities in India’s infrastructure sector. India’s construction sector is expected to grow by 35 per cent between 2009 and 2013.

May 10, 2012

Weather impacts construction hiring in major U.S. centres: Associated General Contractors of America

Construction employment in the United States increased in 155 out of 337 metropolitan areas between March 2011 and March 2012, decreased in 134 and stayed level in 48, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.

May 10, 2012

Seminars aim to improve Ontario hot mix asphalt

As the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) has downloaded responsibilities for various roads onto municipalities, they the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association (OHMPA) has become involved in the seminars for the past three years, aimed at improving the quality of hot mix asphalt.

May 10, 2012

Toronto studies construction of new islands

The City of Toronto, Waterfront Toronto and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority will lead the Waterfront Landforms Environmental Assessment Study on a new landform south of Ashbridges Bay.

May 9, 2012

Bockstael celebrates 100 years

Construction is not just about assembling bricks and mortar, it is about building relationships. It is that attitude that has kept Bockstael Construction in business for 100 years.

May 9, 2012

Nova Scotia drafts regulations mandating LED highway lights

The Nova Scotia energy department has announced it has published draft regulations that, if implemented, would mandate the use of LED (light-emitting diode) roadway lighting.

May 9, 2012

Employees of firms implicated in Quebec construction scandals donated to federal Conservative party

The federal Conservative party received donations from dozens of employees at three engineering firms now implicated in high-profile police investigations into Quebec's construction industry.

May 8, 2012

Revenue decline but stronger resource performance: Aecon

Aecon Group Inc. announced May 2 it lost $19.5 million during the first three months of 2012, but noted provincial governments have included “substantial capital spending” in their budgets.

May 7, 2012

U.S. construction spending inches up in March 2012 says contractor association

Construction spending in the United States inched up in March 2012 to an annualized rate of $808 billion, up 0.1 per cent compared to the previous month and is now six per cent above year-ago levels, according to a new analysis of federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.

May 7, 2012

Granite blocks from Ambassador Bridge used for Ojibway centre in Windsor, Ontario

The new $1.5 million Ojibway Nature Centre in Windsor, Ontario made liberal use of granite blocks or “sets” that originated with the construction of the 80-year-old Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit. The installation was overseen by DeAngelis Construction Inc.

May 4, 2012

CAA survey respondents vote Dufferin Street in Toronto worst road in Ontario

Toronto’s Dufferin Street has the dubious distinction as Ontario’s worst road in this year’s Worst Roads campaign, organized by the CAA.

May 3, 2012

Hockey magnate Graeme Roustan proposes $325-million sports centre north of Toronto

A group of companies led by GTA Sports and Entertainment chairman Graeme Roustan has submitted a proposal to partner with the Town of Markham in funding the construction of a $325-million, 20,000-seat sports, entertainment and cultural centre near the community of Unionville north of Toronto. The group includes developer Remington Group Inc., PCL Constructors Inc., BBB Architects, Stadium Consultants International, Arena Design Services, Adamson Associates and Calthorpe Associates.

May 3, 2012

Sealing the world’s longest immersed tunnel in China

In 2009, construction began on a project to link Hong Kong with Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. The link will be one of the region’s most technically complex engineering projects ever.

May 3, 2012

Montreal consortium selected for EA of new bridge over St. Lawrence

The Dessau|Cima+ consortium of Montreal has been selected to conduct the federal environmental assessment for the new bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

May 2, 2012

U.S. highway work-zone crashes a major concern

Sixty-eight per cent of highway contractors in the United States had motor vehicles crash into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results of a new highway work-zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America.

May 1, 2012

Construction Sector Council forecasts shift to resource projects

This year’s Construction Sector Council (CSC) labour market forecast highlights a major shift in non-residential construction in projects such as mining, oil and gas, pipelines, and electrical generation and transmission. The Canadian Construction Association president notes the work environment will not appeal to everyone.

May 1, 2012

Detroit pier demolition begins after court rules

Work got underway almost immediately after a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling upheld the right of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to complete the so-called $230 million Gateway Project for vehicles entering and exiting the United States at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit. Crews from Detroit-based Dan’s Excavating were on site the next day for 24 hours.

May 1, 2012

Yukon infrastructure receives $37 million in joint funding

Over $37 million in joint federal and territorial funding toward was recently committed to 15 Yukon infrastructure initiatives.

April 30, 2012

Wellington County bridges study to compare delivery methods

In Wellington County, which is east and north of Kitchener, Ontario, a study will compare traditional versus alternative construction delivery methods to determine how best to minimize long-term bridge renewal costs.

April 30, 2012

Metrolinx fleshes out procurement proposals for Toronto light rail transit construction

Staff from Ontario government transit agency Metrolinx are recommending the province restart design work for part of a rapid transit project in Scarborough, review the cost of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit project and work with Infrastructure Ontario on procurement on other LRT projects in Toronto.

April 30, 2012

Bot Construction tops in ORBA green awards

Bot Construction Group is the winner of the 2012 ORBA Green Leadership and Sustainability Award.

April 30, 2012

Iron Ore Company proposes road construction in Labrador

The Newfoundland and Labrador department of Environment and Conservation recently announced that the Iron Ore Company of Canada has submitted a proposal to construct 34 kilometres of roads in 2012 and 2013.

April 27, 2012

Nova Scotia highway plan earmarks $363 million for roads

In 2012-13, $363 million will be invested in Nova Scotia roads, announced Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Bill Estabrooks as he released the province’s Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan, 2012-13 edition.

April 25, 2012

Nova Scotia court rules against province where government awards construction contract against staff advice

A fairly run process is key to the integrity of the tendering system. In a formal binding bidding process, owners are required to conduct a fair competition and fair evaluation process.

April 24, 2012

Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating launches new website in honour of Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) launched a website created to educate Canadians about the crucial role plumbing plays in water conservation and to highlight trends and technology in the plumbing industry.

April 20, 2012

Manitoba budget includes rapid transit funding, $4 billion over 10 years on highway renewal

The Manitoba provincial budget includes $4 billion over 10 years on highway renewal, funding of one third of future phases of rapid transit in Winnipeg and an increase in the gas tax to support extensive rebuilding after last year’s floods.

April 19, 2012

Stepping up for Helmets to Hardhats

Helmets to Hardhats, which helps military veterans transition to the construction trades, is expected to run “full blast” by January 2013. A fund raising dinner is scheduled at the Paramount Conference and Event Centre. Employer responses have been positive, says an executive with the Canadian Executive Board of the Building and Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The Interior Systems Contractors Association (ISCA) is a lobbyist for the Canadian program.

April 18, 2012

Can green and grey infrastructure collide with benefits for Ontario?

The Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition released a report, Health, Prosperity and Sustainability: The Case for Green Infrastructure in Ontario. Co-authored by Ecojustice, the document promotes urban forests, greenways and waterways, and amenities such as green roofs and walls, engineered wetlands and stormwater ponds, and porous paving and ground surfaces. John Mollenhauer, president of the Toronto Construction Association, says green infrastructure makes perfect sense.