Author: Russell Hixson

Key Takeaways:

• The Greater Toronto Airports Authority has begun the first phase of procurement for its LIFT program which will see billions of dollars spent on airport upgrades over the next decade and beyond.
• The first phase of a procurement process included an industry forum for 700 participants from design, construction, and technology industry companies.
• The first program of LIFT will focus on modernizing airport assets, including high speed taxi lanes to improve airfield performance, modernized airfield electric lighting and control system, interim terminal facilities, and investments in power generation to advance towards net-zero targets.

The Whole Story:

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has initiated discussions with design and construction companies on Pearson LIFT – Long term Investment in Facilities and Terminals (LIFT), a program that includes more than a decade of capital projects that include billions of dollars worth of upgrade work.

The discussion will cover the procurement, planning and vision of the program. LIFT’s goal is to prepare the airport for future challenges and opportunities.

Toronto Pearson executives launched the first phase of a procurement process at an industry forum for 700 participants from design, construction, and technology industry companies.

“Toronto Pearson has been meeting passenger needs by deploying extraordinary resources to many of its aged assets and facilities, which is not a sustainable solution with passenger traffic expected to grow to approximately 65 million annually by the early 2030s – a figure that takes the airport beyond its 45 million passengers in 2023,” said officials.

Officials added that Toronto Pearson Airport is making smart investments to accommodate increasing passenger demand with a focus on affordability, smart design and sustainability.

“Through LIFT, we will deliver a world-class passenger experience, integrate smart architecture, unlock the digital potential in air travel, and advance towards a net-zero future,” said Deborah Flint, president and CEO, GTAA. “These plans are anchored to our ambition to build an airport that will strengthen international competitiveness, leverage innovation, and advance sustainability, all which drive economic returns for Canada.”

The first program of LIFT will focus on modernizing airport assets, including high speed taxi lanes to improve airfield performance, modernized airfield electric lighting and control system, interim terminal facilities, and investments in power generation to advance towards net-zero targets.

“LIFT is an investment in Canada’s future economic prosperity and is poised to generate billions of dollars in economic benefits,” said Doug Allingham, chairman of the board, GTAA. These necessary investments will strengthen the supply chain, open the door to new opportunities for Canadian businesses, and create good jobs right here in the GTA. Together, they will enable sustainable growth and competitiveness on a global scale.”

These enhancements will pave the way for Toronto Pearson to become one of the greenest, technologically advanced, and passenger-friendly airports in North America and globally.

Major construction projects at Pearson Airport in recent years have focused on runway rehabilitation, baggage system upgrades, and infrastructure improvements at the nearby Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. These projects include:

• Runway 06L/24R Rehabilitation Project: In early 2022, Pearson temporarily closed its second-busiest east/west runway, Runway 06L/24R, for a full rehabilitation project. This was one of the largest runway repair projects in the airport’s history. The work was completed in phases and lasted until late 2022, extending the life of the runway by 30 years and enhancing safety.
• Baggage System Upgrades: Pearson has been working to revitalize its baggage operations system to accommodate rising passenger numbers. This has involved implementing new infrastructure and technology, such as a Baggage Control Centre, early bag stores, and real-time baggage information for employees.

Key Takeaways:

• Linesight’s latest Construction Market Insight report revealed a number of themes, including a sharp rise in data centre construction.
• Experts say much of this increase is due to the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence technology.
• These data centres are also getting larger, denser and more complex to build, requiring specialized contractors.

The Whole Story:

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform society in an unknown amount of ways at a pace that is blistering. This transformation is creating a massive new demand for construction.

Data centre facilities, which are utilized by AI and cloud service providers, are exploding in the U.S. and beginning to pick up steam in Canada. 

Global construction consultant Linesight, which works with some of the top hyperscale data centre providers in the world,  expects growth is likely to remain strong due to the increasing demand for cloud services and data-intensive applications. This was one of main takeaways from the groups recently released Construction Market Insights report for North America. 

AI is creating more demand

Padraig Leahy, vice president of Linesight in the Americas and Jonathan Scully-Lane, Linesight’s associate director in Canada spoke about the dramatic rise in demand for these centres and why the are far more complex to build than they appear. 

Leahy explained that while data centres aren’t new, the recent explosion of artificial intelligence has been creating much of the new work.

“The introduction of various AI tools has been a turbo boost for data centre requirements. Before that, it was extremely busy. And then it just took a hockey stick trajectory up,” he said. 

He noted that the density and complexity of these facilities is also growing. Clients are wanting to fit more racks into smaller spaces and draw larger amounts of power. There is also lots of overlap because AI is impacting so many parts of the economy, including life sciences operations. 

“The link between AI and life sciences is becoming more important because life sciences operate on drug development,” said Leahy. “So AI is helping with the scaling up of drug development. So they can do a lot more checking and calculations and clinical stuff in the background quicker now because of AI.”

Scully-Lane explained that there hasn’t been the same explosion in demand for AI data centres in Canada yet, but hyperscalers—large cloud service providers—are expanding, particularly out east. He is currently working on seven hyperscale facilities on the east coast with plans for many more. 

“Our schedules are tight, the work is concurrent,” he said. “It’s getting to the point where we are having to protect our general contractors a bit and ask them if they are going to be able to bid on four to six different projects. Canada has a limited number of tier one contractors with data centre experience.”

And even those that do have experience have often only have only worked on smaller, low wattage projects.

Data centre work requires skilled builders

Why is so much experience to build what is essentially a warehouse? Scully-Lane explained that the warehouse shape of the building is easy. The real challenges are the immense mechanical and electrical system requirements to power and cool what goes inside. 

The facilities require robust climate control and builders have large commissioning requirements due to the high extreme reliability needed by clients.

“You have to make sure all the equipment is interconnected and up and running. There can be no overheating,” said Scully-Lane. “Commissioning is probably one of the most onerous activities you can do within a data centre. It’s frequently underestimated.” 

He noted that data centre’s run so long without interruption that downtime is often less than one second each year. They systems must have multiple redundancies built in to ensure nothing stops even if there is an issue. Each hall is a standalone cell that can function independently if others go down. 

“It’s a multitude of huge amounts of mechanical cooling and electrical systems for such a  relatively small building,” he said. “And they’re often completed in a phase development where you have a live section operating and then the contractor is operating fitting out the other sections. You need experience in that how to do it. There’s safety, there’s massive power going in to make sure everything is safe and nobody, God forbid, has an accident.”

There is no room for error while working in a live data centre. Crews must be well versed in the sequencing, safety and design of data centre buildings making it specialized work. 

Equipment supplies are strained

The data centre boom and its equipment requirements could have an impact on supply chains. Scully-Lane and Leahy said lead time for some equipment pieces are already more than a year long and vendors are having difficulty keeping up. This includes air handling units, power distribution units and generators. 

“If you’re thinking about building a data center in two years’ time, you’ll want to start ordering your equipment for it now,” said Leahy.

Many clients have begun buying up equipment years in advance to try and mitigate these lead times, but this has its own risks. 

“Technology is moving so fast that equipment could become redundant before you know it/ YOu cannot have something sitting there for three years because three years could mean it’s redundant and there is something much more efficient.” 

The pair added that this large demand will impact other parts of the construction sector that want labour and equipment. 

Linesight’s report also touched on other key trends happening in construction: 

Macroeconomic overview: The U.S. and Canada demonstrated resilience in 2023, with the US maintaining a strong job market and Canada enjoying growth from job creation and population increase. Both countries look towards 2024 with cautious optimism, hoping for economic growth facilitated by potential interest rate adjustments in response to easing inflation. 

Inflation and interest rates: After peaking in 2022, inflation is moderating, with stable yet elevated interest rates. The construction industry anticipates possible rate reductions later in 2024, aligning with easing inflationary pressures. 

Construction sector overview: Despite challenges from high interest rates and labor shortages, certain sectors like data centers, infrastructure and high-tech industrial remain robust, driven by significant investments. Supply chain and labor issues continue to be pivotal, with the industry focusing on strategic solutions to mitigate these challenges. 

Commodities market adjustment: 2023 saw a general easing in commodities prices, offering relief to the construction industry. This adjustment is particularly beneficial for materials with high energy requirements, providing a positive outlook for future projects.

Key Takeaways:

• The South Fraser Station Partners team has been selected as the preferred proponent.
• The team includes Aecon Constructors, Pomerleau and AECOM Canada.
• The scope of work includes designing and building eight new stations for the project, including cycling and walking paths around the new stations.

The Whole Story:

Plans for Surrey Langley SkyTrain have taken another step forward with the selection of a preferred proponent team to design and build eight new stations for the project, including cycling and walking paths around the new stations.

Following a competitive procurement process, the province has chosen South Fraser Station Partners to enter into contract negotiations. The South Fraser Station Partners team is comprised of:

• Aecon Constructors, a division of Aecon Construction Group Inc.;
• Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc.; 
• Pomerleau BC Inc.; and
• AECOM Canada Ltd.

“We’re proud at Pomerleau to be collaborating with our client, the province of British Columbia, and our partners on a project that will offer those who live, work, study, and play south of the Fraser River sustainable transportation options,” said Philippe, Adam, president and CEO of Pomerleau.

As the province enters contract negotiations with South Fraser Station Partners, the team will start early works on the project, such as pre-construction site surveys, locating utilities, geotechnical drilling and station design work.

The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project is a 16-kilometre extension of the Expo Line from King George Station to Langley City Centre, the first rapid-transit expansion south of the Fraser River in 30 years.

Other early works are underway along the Fraser Highway corridor. This includes work to relocate power lines and prepare for the start of major construction this year. Major construction is expected to begin this year.

The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project is being delivered through three separate contracts. Last month, the province announced that SkyLink Guideway Partners has been chosen as the preferred proponent to design, build and finance the elevated guideway and associated roadworks, utilities and active transportation elements of the project.

The competitive selection process for the systems and trackwork contract is ongoing. Requests for proposals for all three phases were issued in early 2023. Formal contract-award announcements are anticipated in the coming months.

Build a Dream is a national non-profit organization founded by workforce advisor, mentor, and influencer Nour Hachem. It advances diversity and inclusion initiatives for skilled trades and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) careers.

Since getting its start in 2014 in Windsor, Ont., Build a Dream has delivered programs to inspire young women to pursue work in historically male-dominated fields. We spoke with Hachem about how the industry can attract more women and what barriers they face in the construction sector.

SiteNews: Tell me about the work Build a Dream does and what motivated you to start it.

Nour Hachem: Build a Dream is committed to empowering women and underrepresented groups to explore diverse career paths, particularly in skilled trades, Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), Entrepreneurship, and Emergency Response fields. Through comprehensive mentorship programs, immersive career expos, and hands-on workshops, we strive to dismantle barriers and provide youth with the confidence and skills necessary for successful futures in these industries.

My journey into the skilled trades industry was deeply influenced by my mother’s determination to excel in a male-dominated field. Witnessing her perseverance ignited my passion for challenging societal norms and advocating for gender equality. Through my extensive career in workforce development and as a woman from a racialized community, I realized the urgent need to address the barriers preventing women from pursuing rewarding careers in skilled trades, STEAM, Entrepreneurship, and Emergency Response fields. This realization fueled my commitment to founding Build a Dream and we are thrilled to be celebrating our 10^th anniversary on April 27^th at Caesars Windsor. It’ll be a time to highlight the meaningful work we have accomplished over the last ten years with our community, partners, and supporters. Tickets are still available for purchase on our website. 

SiteNews: What do you think are some of the root causes of women not choosing skilled trades, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers?

Hachem: There are several factors, including limited access to training programs, deeply ingrained societal stereotypes, and pervasive biases within educational and workplace environments. To effectively address these challenges, it’s essential to advocate for comprehensive STEAM education from an early age, promote hands-on learning experiences that spark interest and confidence in young women, and establish robust support networks offering mentorship and guidance tailored to their unique needs. 

We were thrilled to see an investment in our young people in Ontario’s 2024 budget. We welcome these measures that support skills development and apprenticeships for Ontario’s youth, such as expanding access to skilled trades training centers and investing in programs like the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. By prioritizing access to mentorship and skills training programs for equity-deserving groups, including women, we can take significant strides towards building a workforce that reflects Canada’s rich diversity.

SiteNews: Why don’t we see more women in leadership roles in these fields?

Hachem: The underrepresentation of women in leadership roles is rooted in systemic barriers such as pervasive gender biases, limited accessible pathways for advancement, and a lack of representation at decision-making levels. To address this disparity, proactive measures such as implementing robust diversity and inclusion policies, fostering more mentorship opportunities for aspiring female leaders, and amplifying the success stories of women in these fields are crucial. We need to dismantle these barriers so that we can pave the way for more equitable representation. 

Our Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), funded by a grant from ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada), aims to boost women’s leadership through initiatives like the Apprenticeship Incubator, which uses virtual reality simulators for skills development, and the #PowerUP Skills program, which provides hands-on experiences. Additionally, our You’re Hired Road Show will facilitate connections between jobseekers and employers, particularly benefiting those without preexisting connections in the industry. 

SiteNews: What sort of impact did your mother have on your attitudes/thinking towards women in the workplace?

Hachem: My mother’s resilience and achievements in a male-dominated field deeply influenced my attitudes towards gender equality in the workplace. Witnessing her determination to succeed played a pivotal role in shaping my commitment to empowering women and creating opportunities for their representation in traditionally male-dominated industries, culminating in the establishment of Build a Dream—a platform dedicated to fostering gender diversity and equity.

SiteNews: As a working mom, tell me about some of the challenges female leaders face when they are starting a family. 

Hachem: Female leaders encounter numerous challenges when starting a family, primarily centered around balancing work and family responsibilities. Juggling demanding professional roles with childcare duties can often lead to feelings of guilt and stress. Supportive policies such as flexible work arrangements, comprehensive childcare assistance, and extended parental leave are crucial in easing this burden. That’s why, Build a Dream is urging both the provincial and federal governments to provide subsidies and incentives for businesses to establish on-site childcare facilities, recognizing the vital role affordable childcare plays in supporting women’s participation in the workforce. This aligns with the recently launched provincial budget’s focus on building, expanding, and renewing schools and childcare spaces, demonstrating a commitment to supporting working parents. Additionally, the federal government also recently announced measures from the upcoming Budget 2024 to build more affordable childcare spaces. This is another significant step toward addressing the childcare needs of tradespeople and supporting their continued participation in the industry.

SiteNews: What has your experiences as a workforce advisor, mentor and influencer taught you about motivating women to choose trades and STEM careers?

Hachem: I’ve learned that motivating women to pursue careers in trades and STEAM fields requires more than just encouragement—it demands tangible support, hands-on learning opportunities, and targeted mentorship programs. Our WAGE program addresses this need by offering a comprehensive mentorship program where participants are matched with experienced mentors who provide valuable insights tailored to their goals and challenges. Through networking opportunities and skill-building workshops, mentees gain the confidence and connections needed to feel empowered to explore their interests. Additionally, highlighting the real-world impact and opportunities for growth within these industries can inspire women to pursue rewarding careers in trades and STEAM. 

SiteNews: What things are companies and leaders doing right when it comes to recruiting and retaining female workers in trades/STEM careers?

Hachem: Companies are making great strides in recruiting and retaining female workers in trades and STEAM careers by recognizing the importance of early outreach and education programs. Additionally, we have seen that offering more apprenticeship and training opportunities that are tailored to women’s needs, promoting inclusive policies that create supportive work environments, and providing ongoing mentorship, all contribute to attracting and retaining more female talent. However, there’s more to be done. 

Our industry case studies, a cornerstone of our Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) project, offer a unique opportunity for forward-thinking companies. With limited spots available, fifteen organizations across Canada will have a chance to showcase their commitment to gender equity and workplace inclusivity. We want to highlight inclusive hiring practices, supportive workplace cultures, and leadership development initiatives. These organizations are the ones leading the conversation and by showcasing their success stories, we aim to inspire other companies to adopt similar approaches, ultimately increasing the presence of women in Red Seal trades and reshaping the skilled trades landscape.

SiteNews: How can men support women who choose to enter predominantly male fields like construction?  

Hachem: Male allies can play a pivotal role by actively advocating for inclusivity and challenging gender biases within their workplaces. Beyond that, providing tangible support such as mentorship to female colleagues, fostering a culture of respect and equality, and actively creating opportunities for women to highlight their skills and leadership capabilities are crucial steps in breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive industry landscape. 

Key Takeaways:

• Technology adoption in construction will hinge on trust. The best way to boost this is having executives educate themselves on AI, robotics and more.
• Young people want to be part of companies that are on construction’s cutting edge and are technologically sophisticated. However, older workers still have a wealth of experience that they can share before retirement.
• When it comes to sustainability, we are getting better at tracking embodied carbon, reducing waste and being more efficient.
• A crucial part of any company’s tech strategy must be to not get distracted by trendy solutions. Only adopt tools that solve your business’s specific problems.

The Whole Story:

What are construction tech experts thinking about for construction’s near future?

We spoke with Kris Lengieza, Procore’s first global technology evangelist, about the different trends catching his attention as we get deeper into 2024. We reached him while he was attending the BIM World conference in Paris. 

Lengieza spent the last twenty years in construction, with ten years focused on how he could use technology to make construction work easier. To maximize his influence, he made the leap from working for a general contractor in Florida to working for Procore.

“I spent five years focused on improving operational excellence through optimizing tech stacks with more than just Procore,” he said. “Now I’m focusing more on the evolution happening in construction technology, educating the industry and being a guide to our customers on how to do things effectively or efficiently.” 

Technological progress hinges on trust

Lengieza noted that three technology trends have accelerated in 2024. The first being artificial intelligence.

“There are lots of risks and confusion around it and it has a tremendous amount of momentum,” he said. “It’s a global thing. Everyone is wondering how it will impact the industry. There are some great examples of wins now, but also lots of promises that are a lot further away.” 

The second is data. The Internet of Things, reality capture and more is changing how builders collect data and use it on sites. 

“This is incredibly important,” said Lengieza. “The more data we have, the more informed we can be. Our study last year showed that customers believe that if they could gain insight to get to a faster decision from their data, they could save 13% on a project.” 

The third is robotics, which Lengieza was previously not bullish on. 

“I was a naysayer on robotics and thought it was further out, but some of the more simple use cases—layout, some hanger installations, the Hilti Jaibot,” he said. “They are making humans superhuman. They are not going to replace a person on the job.”

He explained that when he first dealt with layout it was robotic total stations speeding things up, but now when they do layout, it’s still one person but they can layout much more and do it better.

“We are starting to get over pricing hurdles and how one can integrate these things into the jobsite. That is really exciting as we have such a labour shortage,” he said. “This will help with a significant portion of that. It’s more efficient.”

What is the key to increasing the adopting of these emerging technologies? Lengieza said it comes down to trust. 

“It’s the biggest barrier,” he explained. “The reason we don’t trust is we don’t understand how it works.” 

Lengieza has spoken to many construction CEOs who say they don’t understand how something like ChatGPT works, what it’s good for or what it is capable of. He believes that the first step one can take is simply educating yourself on new technology. 

Labour requires attraction and retention

Another major theme Procore is tracking is the shortage of workers in construction. Lengieza explained that Canada is not alone. It is a global problem. It’s among the top three things he hears from executives. 

“We need to make construction cool again. We must be advocates for industry in high school programs and university programs. We need to show them that it’s not the industry from 40 or 50 years ago,” he said. “It’s a new, modern industry.” 

He is also hearing about college recruits asking builders about their tech stack and how they are innovating. 

“The new generations coming to the industry want to make a difference, they want to be part of the change,” he said, adding that the outgoing generation’s wealth of experience and the incoming generation’s tech savvy creates a great opportunity to exchange knowledge.

Sustainability tracking has become more sophisticated

A major trend Procore has seen in sustainability is the ability to identify and track carbon emissions in the industry. There are systems like the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) that allows benchmarking, assessment and reductions in embodied carbon, focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials.

“We can understand the embodied carbon in a building, we can estimate what an unbuilt building’s embodied carbon will be. This allows us to iterate on the design and suggest alternative materials to control the impact,” said Lengieza. 

Another trend is around waste and tracking it. He explained that the better we can track waste and rework, the more we can minimize mistakes and use less sacrificial materials. 

“Tech plays a big role in this because we have a lot more 3D models to more easily understand what’s in a building from a carbon perspective and we have tools to collect data out in the field. This can help mitigate rework and prevent miscommunications,” he said.  

Lengieza’s big overall takeaway and what he has been telling executives is that technology is a piece of the puzzle. Technology just for technology’s sake isn’t necessarily useful. 

“It requires people and process with it, and you need to find technology that’s solving key business problems and that’s really important,” he said. “If you look at AI, robots etc. the question to ask is if it is solving a key problem at your business. Don’t try to implement something because it is cutting edge. Do it because it is solving a real problem, that’s pretty critical.”

Key Takeaways:

• The parliamentary budget officer says 1.3 million new homes must be constructed by 2030 to bridge the nation’s housing deficit.
• The achieve this, Canada must build 181,000 more homes annually compared to current construction rates.
• The total vacancy rate in Canada (the number of vacant units, for sale or rent, relative to the housing stock) reached a record low of 5.1 per cent in 2023

The Whole Story:

The latest analysis from the parliamentary budget officer (PBO) underscores the pressing need for additional housing in Canada.

According to the report, an estimated 1.3 million new homes must be constructed by 2030 to bridge the nation’s housing deficit. Officials say this figure is crucial for restoring Canada’s vacancy rate to its historical average.

Based on PBO estimates, the total vacancy rate in Canada (the number of vacant units, for sale or rent, relative to the housing stock) reached a record low of 5.1 per cent in 2023—1.8 percentage points below its 2000-2019 average of 6.9 per cent.

Under the PBO’s status quo baseline outlook, over 2024 to 2030, household formation outpaces net completions (272,000 households versus 255,000 units annually, on average). This imbalance pushes the total vacancy rate lower to 3.9 per cent in 2025, before stabilizing at around 4.0 per cent by 2030.

Yves Giroux’s office considered various factors, including the projected increase in households if adequate housing options were available. Consequently, the PBO suggests that Canada should aim to build 181,000 more homes annually compared to current construction rates.

Despite recent federal initiatives to boost housing supply and the implementation of Ottawa’s temporary resident cap, these efforts were not factored into the report’s calculations.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. echoed the urgency in their data as well, advocating for the construction of 3.5 million homes by 2030 to restore affordability levels to those of the early 2000s.

Giroux’s estimate diverges from CMHC’s, as he primarily focused on closing the gap between housing demand and supply. Meanwhile, the Liberal government has announced a series of housing measures ahead of the federal budget. These proposals primarily aim to increase rental construction by providing substantial low-cost loans and offering infrastructure funding to provinces and municipalities.

• Multi-Family-Site Superintendent – Vancouver, B.C. – Orion Construction
• Project Manager – Vaughan, Ont. – City of Vaughan
• Sr. Engineer – Field Maintenance, Site C – Fort St. John, B.C. – BC Hydro
• Civil Project Manager – Terrace, B.C. – Allnorth Consultants
• Construction Environmental Management Specialist – Vancouver, B.C. – Ecofish Research
• Senior Civil Engineer/EOR – Kamloops, B.C. – TRUE Consulting
• Estimating Manager – North Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Pile Driving
• Videographer – Abbotsford, B.C. – SitePartners
• Director of Field Operations – Vancouver, B.C. – VPAC Construction

Key Takeaways:

• The changes allow mass timber buildings to go to 18 storeys and be utilized in new building types, including schools, libraries, retail, industrial, care facilities and more.
• The BC Building Code changes for mass timber were developed by a national joint task group co-chaired by B.C. and Quebec.
• The changes come just days after Ontario announced their own plans to allow 18-storey mass timber buildings.

The Whole Story:

It’s official. B.C. is going tall with mass timber.

The province has adopted building code changes to permit the use of mass timber in buildings, such as schools, shopping centres and housing. The changes were proposed last December.

“These changes will help reduce carbon pollution, support the forestry sector, create jobs, build more homes and lead to more vibrant communities,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “We know mass timber looks great, and now we can use it in larger buildings and more types of buildings.”

The mass-timber updates to the BC Building Code, now in effect, will:

• enable taller encapsulated mass-timber construction (EMTC) buildings with as many as 18 storeys for residential and office buildings, an increase from the previous 12-storey limit;
• expand EMTC to new building types, such as schools, libraries, retail, light- and medium-industrial occupancies, and care facilities; and
• allow for more exposed mass timber in buildings, based on a building’s height and use, such as residential buildings with as many as eight storeys.

“This is another step forward for British Columbia’s world-class mass-timber sector as we continue to accelerate the adoption of this strong, clean building technology,” said Jagrup Brar, minister of state for trade, and chair of the Mass Timber Advisory Council. “Through our Mass Timber Action Plan, we are diversifying both our forestry and construction industries to build a strong, clean and sustainable economy that works for people.”

The BC Building Code changes for mass timber were developed by a national joint task group co-chaired by B.C. and Quebec. The code changes were reviewed by an expert technical advisory group that included representatives from multiple provinces, the fire services community, fire safety engineers, technical building code experts, regulators and industry.

Other provinces are expected to follow B.C.’s lead and adopt these changes into their building codes. The code changes will be submitted into the national code system for future consideration for the national building codes.

This month Ontario announced its own plans to expand the use of advanced wood construction like mass timber to new heights. Currently, Ontario’s Building Code allows Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction buildings to be up to 12-storeys tall. Officials said they intend to amend the Ontario Building Code in the coming months to permit encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys.

Advancing mass-timber technology is part of B.C.’s Homes for People action plan, to address the housing crisis through a variety of innovative approaches, including in the construction sector. This means embracing new technologies like digital design, mass timber and prefabrication to cut down on construction times and on-site labour needs to build more housing faster.

The province has also focused on increased density in urban areas through small-scale multi-unit housing and transit-oriented development, creating more mass-timber opportunities to build homes more quickly with a lower carbon footprint.

From precarious circumstances to the helm of one of Canada’s largest and most innovative general contractors, Tim Coldwell’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Now, he’s done something even more surprising—he’s reinvented himself once again.

“Over my years at Chandos, I have reinvented myself several times,” he wrote in a farewell message months ago. “Having the courage to do so has been an important part of my story. But this time, the reinvention could only happen outside of Chandos, the company that has given me so much. Having accomplished my goals at Chandos, it is time to reinvent myself once again. And so, I depart Chandos to write my next chapter.”

During his tenure, Coldwell was a driving force propelling the company to the forefront of progressive contract models such as IPD. His legacy includes working with the team to take the company national and more than doubling enterprise value all while pioneering social procurement and spearheading Chandos’ achievement as the largest B-Corp certified national technical builder in the world.

What prompted the urge to reinvent himself? Coldwell explained that as a 41-year-old man reconnecting with his Indigenous roots, he found his worldview beginning to change. He wanted to have an impact on the world that went beyond his seat in a corporate boardroom. 

Indigenous Roots

Coldwell didn’t know about his Indigenous heritage growing up. 

“It wasn’t something we talked about,” he said. “In 1985, Bill C-31 was passed to abolish enfranchisement and restore status to those who had lost status through enfranchisement. As a result, I gained status as a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. It was my aunt who told me stories about my ancestors. I am a direct descendant of several prominent Mohawk leaders who shaped Canada”

Coldwell explained that his family and many of my friends wanted him to follow in the steps of his father, uncle and grandfather to become a member of the clergy. 

“I’ve always had an appreciation for people who dedicate their lives in service to others,” he said. “But the clergy wasn’t for me. I wondered if I could be of service in other ways. Most importantly, I wanted to be true to myself.”

After finding work at a lumber mill, it was the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte that gave him his first big break: a scholarship to attend engineering at the University of Alberta which he used to launch his career at Chandos. But that disconnection from his Indigenous roots lingered from his childhood. 

“It’s like gravity. There is this pull that makes me want to learn the culture that I had been separated from,” said Coldwell. “Many Indigenous people have a spiritual connection to the land. I remember fly fishing in the Grand River for the first time and standing on Forester’s Island in Tyendinaga where my grandparents once lived. There is a powerful sense of connection to ‘this place’ that comes over me. It’s hard to explain.”

He explained that the folks at the First Nations Technical Institute in Tyendinaga treated him like a long lost family member.

“They introduced me to Chief Don Maracle who signed the letter that changed my life by telling me the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte would support my education,” said Coldwell. “I took my family to their first Pow Wow at Six Nations. I met cousins that I never knew I had. There is no question that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for help from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. I’ve got to pay that forward the best I know how.”

Coldwell is now on a journey to learn Indigenous values and ways of being. 

“A colonial worldview is rooted in the idea of ownership – ‘that’s mine’,” says Coldwell. “An Indigenous worldview says these things are shared – it’s ours. Colonialism measures status and prestige by what you own and what you accumulate. For traditional Indigenous people, status and prestige is about what you give away to your community. Think about that. I’m starting to get my head around it.” 

He explained that unlike Western society, which believes each child is born with rights, the Mohawk believe that each person is born with a number of responsibilities.

“To themselves, to their families, to their Nation and to the natural and spiritual worlds around them,” said Coldwell. “You don’t have any rights until you have fulfilled your responsibilities. A colonial worldview is ‘me first’ while an Indigenous perspective is ‘others first’.”

Make What Matters

When thinking about his reinvention, Coldwell had lots of options. But he knew he wanted to continue his mission to use business as a force for good. The answer came after meeting legendary businessman and “Dragon’s Den” investor Wes Hall who Coldwell got to know after being named a Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021. 

“Wes’ story is amazing,” said Coldwell. Hall grew up in a tin shack in Jamaica. Every day, he went to school barefoot because his family couldn’t afford to buy him shoes. After moving to Toronto as a teenager, Hall got a job in the mailroom of a prominent law firm and went on to found Kingsdale Advisors and many other businesses. Beyond his business success, Hall has used his connections and influence to combat systemic racism. 

“I knew I would learn a lot from Wes, so I sought him out and we started chatting about the idea of a real estate advisory business that would use the power of real estate supply chains to build a more inclusive society, a society where nobody is left behind,” said Coldwell. “What if we could reduce development costs for our clients and address Canada’s skilled trade shortage by using supply chains to bring hope and opportunity to thousands of youth? What if we did that?”

The result is Énska Advisors, a new venture the pair are launching this week. The word Énska means “one” in Mohawk and has layered meaning. He explained that a fundamental Mohawk value is being of “one mind” when making decisions, the idea of having one life to live, the realization that we are all one. “We chose this name because one person, project, or company can start a movement and because we recognize that we can’t do it alone,” said Coldwell. “True systemic change only occurs when we do it together, as one.”

Building a Legacy

Coldwell explains that the value proposition of the firm is simple. Énska reduces development costs while simultaneously delivering third-party verified social and environmental outcomes at zero premium cost. This allows the firm’s clients to confidently report project benefits. “Doing the right thing often comes with a price tag,” says Coldwell. “Énska plans and governs the project so there is no premium.” Énska Advisors has three primary service offerings:

• Real Estate Advisory – Site selection, project business case development, obtaining funding and developing supply chain strategies to reduce costs and maximize impact.
• Project Governance – Assembling high-performing teams and governing projects with visionary leaders who have executive presence and industry knowledge. 
• Indigenous Capital – Accelerating economic self-determination by advising First Nations entering the real estate, construction or clean energy businesses.

The firm has also adopted what they call the “Fifty by 50” initiative to address Canada’s skilled trades shortage. Coldwell and Hall’s goal is to start a movement that provides 50,000 youth by 2050 with the same life-changing opportunities they received. Coldwell believes that he isn’t just trying to build a company. He is trying to build a legacy that will be making a difference long after he is gone in keeping with Indigenous teachings. 

“There is a concept called the Seven Generation Principle,” says Coldwell. “It’s this idea that the decisions you make today should benefit your descendants seven generations in the future. “I’m a big fan of the musical Hamilton. There’s this line at the end, ‘And when my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell my story?’ I’m interested in asking, ‘what must we do today so people living seven generations from now will tell our story in a good way?’”

Coldwell wants to measure his life by impact.

“This idea of impacting 50,000 youth by 2050 is the kind of life goal I can get behind,” he said. “I’d like my tombstone to say, ‘loving husband, father and business leader who proved that you can be wildly successful by using business as a force for good.’ Too many people get trapped in either/or thinking. Purpose or profit. There is a way to have both. Purpose and profit. We only have one life to live. Let’s make it matter.”

When you’re trying to navigate the municipal requirements, zoning, setbacks and consultant requirements, the nuances can be overwhelming.

You can get tied up in bureaucracy and red tape. It seems to get more complicated every year, and things don’t seem to be getting any easier.

“It used to be a lot simpler when I started, but the times have changed and we have to adapt to the new environment,” explained Dave Krahn, president and CEO of Krahn Group. “The number of consultants that are required for development permits and building permit applications—and the number of applications and submissions that need to be made, for something as simple as an industrial warehouse—have increased significantly. This is a combination of more governing bodies, increased regulations and the complexity of the sites and projects that we now work on.”   

Vast experience 

Dave knows this better than most. After founding Krahn engineering in 1984, he spent decades working as a structural engineer and saw how his projects would be held up by permit wait times and all the upfront consulting and coordination work that needed to be done.  

“If we started to provide these other consulting services and have more of them in-house we could at least make this consulting work be as fast and efficient as possible, making the process simple for our clients, while also helping build our relationships with the cities and governing bodies,” said Krahn.

Over the years, Krahn started to add different disciplines to form the Krahn Group, which now encompasses Architecture (with KP Architecture Ltd), Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Landscape and Building Performance. They are a multi-disciplinary consulting company providing services to the development and construction industry across Canada. They have decades of experience in industrial, self-storage, commercial, multifamily and institutional projects.

“I wanted to provide a truly simple process for developers and contractors,” said Krahn. “They already have such a demanding and difficult job, we wanted to make the design, engineering and consulting process as easy and simple for them as possible, give them solutions and not headaches.”

Currently, Krahn has offices in B.C., Alberta, Ontario for Canada and an office in Arizona for the U.S. Why expand across Canada and now into the States? Their clients operate in different regions and countries and want to leverage Krahn’s experience and services.

“We are able to service the entire west coast and the prairies out of our B.C. and Alberta offices, with the east coast being handled out of Ontario. We also opened our Phoenix, Arizona office to expand and service the clients there. We simply went where our clients were going and doing work and continued to pick up new ones in the different markets we entered,” Krahn noted.

Understanding the industry

“We also understand that although we can provide fully integrated services, we don’t always need to, nor do our clients always want us to,” said Krahn.

Many contractors and developers might already have their preferred team of consultants or individuals that they work with on certain projects. They may have worked with these groups for many years and have strong relationships with them. 

“That is why I set up our disciplines to be their own individual companies.,” said Krahn. “For example, a client may have an architect already and now needs us just to do the structural, electrical and mechanical engineering. We can do this no problem and allows us to work with all different types of consultants, instead of just our own internal team, which helps our teams better understand the construction market and different techniques for design and engineering.”

This openness and collaboration within the industry has allowed Krahn to work with other great architects and engineers on a varying array of projects, building their knowledge and relationships along the way.

“I sometimes think that since we do this, our clients don’t even know the full scope of services and value that we provide,” Krahn explained. “They will have worked with our engineering department on many projects and will be telling us that they love working with us but are now doing a project that their current architect does not have the expertise in, we say, we can do the architectural work. really, they say. you guys do that as well?”

Krahn Group focuses on providing these services for small to medium-sized projects. There are extremely large engineering firms with tens of thousands of employees, but these are focused on extremely large institutional and infrastructure projects.

“There was no real multi-disciplinary firm that was doing this for small to mid-sized projects, say for a townhouse, six storey apartment or warehouse project,” Said Krahn.” I wanted our clients to have this simplicity, but also have the services of a smaller firm, where they were dealing directly with the engineer of the project and there weren’t layers of bureaucracy. I always said that if we ever started to act like a ‘big’ organization, I would quit, and we could shut everything down.” 

Service, Service, Service

This attitude emanates through the Krahn group and can be seen in their company culture and how they approach their work and clients. 

“I have always said to our team, the three most important things that you can provide as a consultant are ‘Service, Service, Service,’” Krahn noted. “Even if  it’s texting your client on the weekend with an update, our team wants to go above and beyond to ensure that we are providing real value and service to our clients.”

This attitude also leads into their collaborative solutions they provide on their projects. 

“We understand that the contractor/developer usually knows the best way to build things and the cost implications, so asking them what they would want to do and what the implications of this are. We are just here to verify and make sure we can design/engineer what they want,” clarified Krahn.

This has led the Krahn Group to become a trusted client partner in the projects they work on.

“We want to be the ones the clients know that they can turn to” Krahn explained. “They know we have the experience and expertise to deliver on their projects. We let our people, projects and work for itself. It’s worked for me for 40 years and is why we have such great relationships in the industry.”

If you’re looking for design and engineering consultants for your next project, explore all the services  Krahn Group offers today. They’re your partner in navigating the architecture and engineering sector.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to turbocharge construction technology. Last week he announced a $600 million package to encourage construction innovation as part of the upcoming federal budget.

“We’re changing the way we build homes in Canada,” said Trudeau. “In Budget 2024, we’re supporting a new approach to construction, with a focus on innovation and technology. This will make it easier and more cost-effective to build more homes, faster. You should be able to live in the community you love, at a price you can afford.”

These measures include:

• Launching a new $50 million Homebuilding Technology and Innovation Fund that will seek to leverage an additional $150 million from the private sector and other orders of government to support the scale-up, commercialization, and adoption of innovative housing technologies and materials, including for modular and prefabricated homes. The Fund will be led by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada, one of Canada’s Global Innovation Clusters.
• Delivering $50 million to modernize and expedite home building through the regional development agencies. This builds on the success of dozens of existing innovative projects already funded and underway in communities across the country, including those modernizing building practices through modular housing, mass timber construction, robotics, 3D printing, and automation.
• Delivering $500 million to support rental housing. With low-cost financing through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, this will support new rental housing projects using innovative construction techniques from prefabricated and modular housing manufacturers as well as other homebuilders.
• Launching a modernized Housing Design Catalogue to standardize up to 50 efficient, cost-effective, and liveable home blueprints. With $11.6 million in Budget 2024, this will include frames for modular homes, row housing, and fourplexes – that housing manufacturers, provinces, territories, and municipalities will be able to use to simplify and accelerate their housing approvals and construction timelines.

This is the kind of innovation that’s going to help solve the housing crisis. pic.twitter.com/LZ5lZi0I4O

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 6, 2024

Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance, noted that the design catalogue idea is something Canada implemented decades ago with great success.

“After the Second World War, Canada built new homes at a pace and scale never seen before,” said Freeland. “This happened with the help of a housing design catalogue which included cost-effective, simple-to-build designs that meant people could quickly move into a new home. Our new Housing Design Catalogue will make it possible to build more homes faster, and our new support for innovative construction methods means we can even further accelerate timelines so more Canadians can move into new homes even faster.”

Kelowna, B.C.

Kelowna isn’t just breaking new ground in Canada, they are breaking new ground globally. The city has partnered with Microsoft to be one of the first cities in the world to use artificial intelligence to speed up its project development process. The project includes two areas of focus. The first is an information bot and the other is AI assistance for applications. The information bot can receive inquiries and, based on what is written, give answers comparable to what a human would. Rather than having to pore over bylaw documents, users can simply ask the bot. The AI assistance tool shadows applicants as they fill out their forms and tells them in real time if they are compliant or not.

Burlington, Ont.

Following the lead of Kelowna, the City of Burlington became the second municipality to integrate artificial intelligence into its building permit process. They ran a pilot program to accelerate the permitting process for industrial-commercial buildings. But they are the first city in Canada to use the technology specifically for development on employment lands. The AI the platform used in the pilot digitizes the rules in Burlington’s zoning bylaws, relating to industrial-commercial buildings. Once applicants have submitted a proposed design, the platform automatically evaluates the design’s compliance against the relevant rules. The solution checks to ensure requirements are met for things

Edmonton, Alta.

Thanks to a city council vote late last year, property owners in Edmonton will be able to build three-storey apartment buildings, townhouses, rowhouses or duplexes with up to eight units in any residential area citywide. It’s just the latest move that cements Edmonton’s reputation for people wanting to build. They ranked first in a benchmarking list of major Canadian cities for their permitting times and costs. The city’s online portal services have advanced functionality, including the ability to apply for pre-application meetings for rezoning, subdivision and development permits. There are also online services for submitting various actual planning applications, in addition to building permits. They were also the first jurisdiction in Canada to cut minimum parking requirements.

Montreal

Montreal is using technology and data to identify the sore spots in the city and come up with solutions to improve them. Several neighbourhoods have been selected for improvement following an assessment of the area by the Living Environment Equity Index, which is available online for residents to consult in order to determine whether their neighborhood is considered vulnerable or high priority. This includes determine what infrastructure is need most and where. Officials say they want to use the tool to help the city grow and change in ways that benefit residents.

Calgary

Calgary not only ranked third among major cities for their ability to get building permits approved fast and affordably, they have undertaken a plethora of other innovative projects themselves and supported others. Most recently they lent their support to the Emissions-Neutral Building Information Exchange (ENBIX) which brings industry together to advance emissions-neutral buildings in Alberta. And rather than lament their high downtown office vacancy rates, the city rolled up its sleeves to use digital tools that helped identify opportunities for converting those towers into housing.

Key Takeaways:

• The province intends to amend the Building Code in the coming months to permit encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys.
• Officials say mass timber provides an opportunity to shift housing construction offsite and into factories, supporting more efficient and rapid construction.
• As part of its review, Ontario participated in a national consultation on proposed changes to Ontario’s Building Code that would allow for expanded use of mass timber in the province. The feedback will be analyzed by a multi-province Joint Task Group that will share a report of these findings that will be used to implement this change.

The Whole Story:

Ontario wants to go big with mass timber.

This month the province announced plans to expand the use of advanced wood construction like mass timber to new heights. Currently, Ontario’s Building Code allows Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction buildings to be up to 12-storeys tall. The province intends to amend the Building Code in the coming months to permit encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys.

“The use of mass timber can help the sector build more homes faster, keep the cost of construction down and boost our northern economy,” said Paul Calandra, minister of municipal affairs and housing. “As we work to cut red tape in order to increase housing supply, we’re taking an innovative approach to help our partners get shovels in the ground.”

Officials argued that Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction offers an environmental solution for quieter and faster construction with the same fire and structural protection as other building methods. They added that provincial initiatives that support advanced wood construction, such as Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy, offer a significant opportunity to shift housing construction offsite and into factories, supporting more efficient and rapid construction from renewable forestry resources.

“Our abundant natural resources and highly-skilled forestry sector are helping to meet the demand for housing across the province,” said Graydon Smith, minister of natural resources and forestry. “Advanced wood construction will help bring long-term investments to northern communities that will create new, good-paying jobs while increasing housing supply and supporting Ontario’s largest renewable natural resource sector.”

As part of its review, Ontario participated in a national consultation on proposed changes to Ontario’s Building Code that would allow for expanded use of mass timber in the province. The feedback will be analyzed by a multi-province Joint Task Group that will share a report of these findings that will be used to implement the change.

The announcement comes after similar efforts on the west coast. Late last year, the province of B.C. is proposed code changes that expand what builders can do with mass timber, including constructing structures up to 18 storeys. The changes in B.C. would also allow for more exposed mass timber or fewer layers of encapsulation in buildings, depending on a building’s height. These changes could be adopted sometime this spring.

B.C.’s 7th annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month has begun. It will serve as an opportunity to recognize excellence across the industry in two areas of priority: culture change and leadership.

This year’s celebration highlights the importance of the industry’s mentors in shaping the new generation of construction workers, and marks five years of Builders Code culture training, policies and commitments, making construction a more welcoming and inclusive career choice.

“Construction Month allows us to shine a bright light on the impact our industry has on the lives of British Columbians,” said Chris Atchison, president of the BC Construction Association (BCCA). “92% of construction owners are small businesses who employ fewer than 20 employees. Day after day, they deliver the important housing, institutional, commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects our province needs. They work hard, and they get the job done. We welcome this opportunity to give them the recognition and respect they deserve.”

According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, in 2021, there were 215,800 workers in B.C. employed in construction, representing 8.1% of provincial employment. Within the subsectors 121,300 workers were employed in trade contracting, 67,300 workers in construction of buildings, and 27,300 in heavy and civil engineering construction.

Construction Month is a celebration of the collective success of BC’s construction industry, as well as an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding leadership of those companies who inspire by example. The following companies are being recognized this year:

Awards for construction industry culture

The Builders Code Champion Awards recognize four employers who are leading the way in advancing the culture of BC’s industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-unit residential housing construction industry. Recruiting and retaining a diverse range of talent is critical to alleviating BC’s construction workforce shortage. By exemplifying Builders Code principles in their workplace culture, these BC companies have positioned themselves as employers of choice.

The 2024 Builders Code Champions are:
• Turner Construction Company (Vancouver) – Workplace Culture Champion
• Houle Electric (Victoria) – Recruiting, Hiring and Retention Champion
• CGI Constructors (Victoria/Vancouver) – Recruiting, Hiring and Retention Champion
• EllisDon (Vancouver) – Community Champion

For more information about Builders Code Champion Award winners, visit builderscode.ca.

Awards for leadership

The Leadership Awards are an annual acknowledgement of outstanding contributions by BC construction companies, highlighting the important legacy from which future generations can benefit. This year’s recipients were selected in partnership with BC’s Regional Construction Associations: the Northern Regional Construction Association (NRCA), the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA), the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) and the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA).

The 2024 Leadership Award winners are:
• Westcana Electric Ltd. (Prince George)
• Acres Enterprises (Kamloops)
• Heritage Masonry (Victoria)
• Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Ltd. (Maple Ridge)

The BC Construction Association is also celebrating Construction Month with 50 grants of $250 and 50 grants of $500 each for companies to buy their workers lunch as part of the #LunchBoxChallenge. Currently, all grants have been claimed.

Even without a grant, the association is encouraging companies to still treat a crew to lunch this month and challenge other construction employers to do the same. Be sure to tag #lunchboxchallenge.

The Leadership Awards are sponsored by LNG Canada, BCCA, and the National Construction Council, as Title and Platinum Sponsors of Construction Month 2024.

For more information about Leadership Award winners, visit constructionmonth.ca.

Senior Construction Estimator – Surrey, B.C. – Western Pacific Enterprises

Project Manager, Construction – Mississauga, Ont. – Bird Construction

Senior Project Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Govan Brown & Associates

Director of Capital Projects – Halifax, N.S. – Government of Nova Scotia

Preconstruction Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Wesgroup Properties

Director, Building Services – London, Ont. – City of London

Operations Vice President – Vancouver, B.C. – Gryphon Development

Director of Construction – Calgary, Alta. – FLINT Corp

CEO – Edmonton, Alta. – Award Construction

Key Takeaways: 

• The design features a new 1,000-seat theatre and 200-seat studio theatre.
• Behind the design is team that includes Toronto’s KPMB Architects, Calgary’s Hindle Architects, and Arizona’s Tawaw Architecture Collective.
• Supported by project manager Colliers and construction manager EllisDon, construction is anticipated to begin in late 2024, and the building is expected to open in Arts Commons’ 2028/2029 season.

The Whole Story:

After two years of planning and design work, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and its partners at Arts Commons and The City of Calgary have revealed the architectural design for the Arts Commons Transformation expansion.

The new building, which will feature a 1,000-seat theatre and 200-seat studio theatre, is the largest arts-focused infrastructure project currently underway in Canada.

“The transformation of the Arts Commons campus is a more than half-billion-dollar investment in Calgary’s arts and cultural future,” said Kate Thompson, president and CEO of CMLC, and the project’s development manager. “Together with our partners at The City of Calgary and Arts Commons, CMLC has been working with the prime design team since early 2022 to advance the concept and schematic designs for this extraordinary city-building project. Today we’re ecstatic to reach a monumental milestone: the public unveiling of the new building’s design.”

Thompson noted that the team, through their collective experience, local knowledge and proven expertise in major arts and theatre projects, has delivered an  inspiring design—a spectacular three-level building with 162,000 sq ft of modern features and amenities that will elevate Calgary’s growing arts community.”

Behind the expansion’s design is a team of internationally recognized architects and designers from Toronto’s KPMB Architects, Calgary’s Hindle Architects, and Arizona’s Tawaw Architecture Collective.

“At the heart of the Arts Commons Transformation project is an intention to create a new performing arts space that is ‘of and for Calgary’– a place where everyone is welcome,” said Kevin Bridgman, partner at KPMB, representing the prime design team. “This simple yet powerful idea inspired our design for a purpose-built facility that reflects the spirit of the community it serves, is thoughtfully connected to its history and culture, and is designed with respect for its surroundings.

“The expansion building’s curved form, exterior cladding, and interior finishes are inspired by Alberta’s dramatic landscapes and the regional lodge typologies,” continued Bridgman. “With a naturally lit, fully transparent ground floor, the design team placed importance on the southeast corner where a gathering circle with a skylight provides space that welcomes Calgarians and encourages visitors to come together and share stories.”

The expansion will boost Arts Commons’ seating capacity by 45%—space the city says it urgently needs to meet burgeoning demand for arts and culture and to facilitate the aspirations of its arts community.

“Building on the momentum of the investment and work already underway through The City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy, the Arts Commons Transformation is at the heart of how we bring Calgary’s downtown to life with the creative economy,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “A thriving creative sector is essential to making the city more resilient and diverse, for both economic and community-building reasons. The expansion of Arts Commons will further elevate Calgary’s stature on the world stage and draw even more people to the downtown core.”

Officials say the expansion’s design was supported by specialists in theatre planning and acoustic design to ensure the new theatre spaces exceed best-in-class technical requirements. The 1,000-seat theatre has the capacity to alter the floor layout to several unique configurations to accommodate the broadest variety of productions, and the 200-seat studio theatre’s design will enable multiple configurations with retractable and demountable platform seating and an opening out to the plaza.

The prime design team also included an accessibility consultant to ensure the spaces are inclusive and accessible for all. The main floor entry and both stages are set flush to the adjacent pedestrian realm to allow for barrier free access to the performance spaces, and boast theatre seating at all levels and multiple central elevators.

The $660-million project includes the Arts Commons expansion and modernization, the transformation of Olympic Plaza, and a $50-million Arts Commons endowment. The $270-million expansion of Arts Commons is fully funded by The City of Calgary and CMLC’s Community Revitalization Levy. The modernization, which is still in design stages, has an anticipated project cost of $270 million and will require additional funding prior to construction commencing.

The adjacent Olympic Plaza Transformation is still in conceptual design and has an anticipated project cost of $70 million, of which $40 million is already committed through the city’s 2023-2026 budget for downtown revitalization. With the recent announcement from the Government of Alberta of an additional allocation of $103 million toward the overall campus vision, the project has made significant progress towards achieving its funding objectives.

Supported by project manager Colliers and construction manager EllisDon, construction on the expansion is anticipated to begin in late 2024, and the building is expected to open in Arts Commons’ 2028/2029 season.

As the expansion site is prepared for construction through 2024, the city will relocate the Famous Five sculpture and Parks Depot.

To facilitate construction on both the Arts Commons expansion and the Olympic Plaza Transformation, events and programming in Olympic Plaza will be paused at the end of 2024. The City of Calgary says it will work with event organizers to identify alternate locations for their events during construction.

Key Takeaways:

• The preferred bidder is Capital Line Design-Builders, consisting of team members Ledcor and AECOM.
• The city will now enter into negotiations with Capital Line Design-Builders with the goal of awarding the contract by the end of May.
• The entire project is expected to cost around $1.1 billion. 

The Whole Story:

The City of Edmonton has selected its preferred bidder to design and build Phase 1 of the Capital Line South Extension from Century Park to just north of Ellerslie Road. 

The preferred bidder is Capital Line Design-Builders, consisting of team members Ledcor and AECOM.

The city will now enter into negotiations with Capital Line Design-Builders with the goal of awarding the contract by the end of May.

Construction of the 4.5-kilometre extension is scheduled to begin later this year. Construction is expected to take four to five years, followed by testing and commissioning. 

“We’d like to thank the bidding teams for participating in our procurement. We’re confident our fair and rigorous competitive process will ensure Phase 1 of the Capital Line South Extension will result in excellent value for Edmontonians and further strengthen our mass transit network,” said Bruce Ferguson, Branch Manager of LRT Expansion and Renewal with the City of Edmonton.

The city launched its Capital Line South procurement process in June 2022 and shortlisted two bidders in March 2023. Both bidders provided technical submissions, including draft designs and plans, to demonstrate their ability to meet the city’s technical requirements. Both bidders passed and were invited to submit a financial proposal. The city evaluated these proposals to ensure they met financial requirements, and the team with the highest combined technical and financial score was selected as the preferred bidder. 

Early works construction for Phase 1 of the Capital Line South extension is well underway and will continue throughout 2024. Major LRT construction along the alignment is anticipated to start later this year.

An economic assessment of the project estimates construction will generate $330 million in wages in Alberta and another $100 million throughout the country. The project is expected to generate 3,700 jobs in the province and another 1,700 across Canada.

The $1.1-billion project has funding commitments from the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton.

Capital Line was Edmonton’s first LRT. Planning for the line started in 1962, and service from Belvedere Station to Central Station began in time for the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Between 1981 and 2006, six more stations opened, expanding the LRT line in the Northeast to the University area. Progress on the South portion of the Capital Line has occurred in stages. Preliminary Engineering from Century Park to Ellerslie Road was completed in 2010. 

Key Takeaways:

• The federal government plans to top-up its Apartment Construction Loan Program with $15 billion to build at least 30,000 new apartments. They hope to build more than 131,000 in the coming decade.
• There are also plans to reform the program with extended loan terms, easier access to financing, introducing a “portfolio approach” to eligibility requirements and fast-tracking applications for proven builders.
• Trudeau says he will be launching Canada Builds. Similar to BC Builds, it will be a program that partners with provinces and territories to build more rental housing.

The Whole Story:

Canada’s upcoming budget will include billions for apartment construction, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced.

Trudeau says the budget will deliver a $15 billion top-up to the Apartment Construction Loan Program to build a minimum of 30,000 new apartments. With this top-up, officials say the program’s financing is on track to build over 131,000 new apartments within the next decade.

Trudeau also announced a series of new reforms to the Apartment Construction Loan Program to increase access to the program and make it easier for builders to build. These reforms include:

• Extending loan terms;
• Extending access to financing to include housing for students and seniors;
• Introducing a portfolio approach to eligibility requirements so builders can move forward on multiple sites at once;
• Providing additional flexibility on affordability, energy efficiency, and accessibility requirements; and
• Launching a new frequent builder stream to fast-track the application process for proven home builders.

“With Budget 2024, we’re making it easier, cheaper, and faster to build more homes in Canada. Today’s announcement will cut red tape, speed up development, and build more homes, so that Canadians – from teachers, to nurses, to construction workers – can afford to stay in the communities where they work. It’s making the housing market fairer for every generation,” said Trudeau.

The federal government also has been taking note of efforts in B.C. Trudeau says he will be launching Canada Builds – a program that will partner with provinces and territories to build more rental housing across the country. The federal government is leveraging its $55 billion Apartment Construction Loan Program by making it available to support partnerships with provinces and territories that launch their own ambitious housing plans, similar to the recently announced BC Builds initiative. In order to access federal financing, provinces and territories will be expected to meet the benchmarks set by BC Builds and deliver action to build even more homes. These actions include:

• Complementing federal funds with provincial or territorial investments into housing;
• Building on government, non-profit, community-owned, and vacant lands;
• Streamlining the process to cut development approval timelines to no longer than 12 to 18 months; and
• Meeting all criteria included in the Apartment Construction Loan Program, including affordability requirements.

The announcement comes just one day after officials revealed a new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund and a $400 million top-up to the Housing Accelerator Fund.

“Today’s announcement marks another step in our work to end Canada’s housing crisis once and for all,” said Sean Fraser, minister of housing. “ It will speed up development, make construction cheaper, get projects off the shelves, and shovels in the ground. It will mean more homes for middle-class Canadians at prices they can afford.”

Key Takeaways:

• Officials have released several key budget items ahead of the full budget release, including a new $6 billion fund to speed up home construction and upgrade critical housing infrastructure.
• The government also plans to top up the Housing Accelerator Fund with $400 million.
• However, officials noted that to access the new fund and other funds, local governments will have to agree to bold changes designed to encourage housing development.

The Whole Story:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Halifax this week to announce plans to launch a new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction and upgrade critical housing infrastructure. The news comes just weeks before Ottawa is set to release the full federal budget.

These measures include topping-up the Housing Accelerator Fund with an additional $400 million and launching the new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction and upgrading of critical housing infrastructure. This includes water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure to support the construction of more homes.

“We need more affordable homes, and we need the infrastructure to help build these homes,” said Trudeau. “That’s why in Budget 2024, we’re building more infrastructure, building more homes, and helping more Canadians find a place to call their own. This is about fairness ‒ making sure communities have the safe, quality housing they need to get ahead.”

The new fund will include $1 billion available for municipalities to support urgent infrastructure needs that will directly create more housing and $5 billion for agreements with provinces and territories to support long-term priorities. Provinces and territories can only access this funding if they commit to key actions that increase housing supply.

These actions include:

• Broadly adopting four units as-of-right and allow more “missing middle” homes, including duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and other multi-unit apartments.
• Implementing a three-year freeze on increasing development charges from April 2, 2024, levels for municipalities with a population greater than 300,000.
• Adopting forthcoming changes to the National Building Code to support more accessible, affordable, and climate-friendly housing options.
• Requiring as-of-right construction for the government’s upcoming Housing Design Catalogue.
• Implementing measures from the Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights and Renters’ Bill of Rights.

Provinces will have until January 1, 2025, to secure an agreement, and territories will have until April 1, 2025. If a province or territory does not secure an agreement by their respective deadline, their funding allocation will be transferred to the municipal stream. The federal government says it will work with territorial governments to ensure the actions in their agreements are suitable to their distinct needs.

Trudeau also announced that the upcoming budget will include requirements to access the federal government’s forthcoming public transit fund. This includes measures to:

• Eliminate all mandatory minimum parking requirements within 800 metres of a high-frequency transit line.
• Allow high-density housing within 800 metres of a high-frequency transit line.
• Allow high-density housing within 800 metres of post-secondary institutions.
• Complete a Housing Needs Assessment for all communities with a population greater than 30,000.

“Since we launched the Housing Accelerator Fund last year, we have cut enough red tape to build 750,000 new homes over the next decade,” said Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance. “It is working, so we are investing another $400 million to build even more homes, faster in more communities across the country. Alongside these essential zoning reforms, we are helping communities build the infrastructure needed to build more homes, by investing $6 billion through our new Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund. We are putting homeownership back within reach for every generation, and especially for Millennials and Gen Z.”