Russell Hixson is an award-winning investigative journalist who spent the early parts of his career doing crime and courts reporting in the U.S. before stumbling into covering Canada’s construction sector. He spent eight years writing for the Journal of Commerce where he became well versed on the industry and its issues. He’s covered the federal budget from Ottawa and documented the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while locked down in his bedroom.
Hixson has developed a passion for the construction industry and seeks to convert others by sharing its stories through SiteNews. When he’s not writing stories, the East Vancouver resident enjoys kayaking, skateboarding and avoiding the neighbourhood skunks.
The measures would require menstrual products be provided on larger construction sites, keep washroom facilities clean and expand definitions of workplace harassment to include online environments.
If passed, Ontario would be the first province in Canada to have a menstrual product policy for women in construction.
Female construction leaders praised the changes but believe more work needs to be done to support underrepresented groups in the sector.
The Whole Story:
Ontario is poised to make Canadian history with new legislation that would require menstrual products on construction sites.
The province announced that it is introducing the Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 which contains a suite of measures to support workers, including requiring that menstrual products be provided on larger construction sites and mandating that washrooms are clean and sanitary. Officials say the legislation is the first of its kind in Canada and would make the skilled trades more accessible to women.
“Under Premier Ford, our government is tackling the generational labour shortage previous governments left in their wake. That means we need all hands on deck – but when women represent only one in ten workers in the skilled trades, we have one hand tied behind our back,” said David Piccini, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development. “That’s why our government is introducing first-in-Canada changes to encourage women to start a career in the skilled trades and reach their full potential. Because an economy that doesn’t work for women doesn’t work at all.”
Ontario’s proposed amendments would also add virtual harassment to the definitions of workplace harassment and workplace sexual harassment in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, ensuring that workplace policies to address harassment in the workplace also cover digital environments.
The government also plans to engage with survivors of harassment, legal experts and other stakeholders to identify the most effective legislative or regulatory means to create a duty to act for employers where investigations have identified workplace harassment has occurred.
Female construction leaders believe the conversation around women’s periods is long overdue.
“I think it is a bit alarming that in 2024 we are talking about this like it’s a breakthrough, like it is a luxury,” she said. “We need to start normalizing conversations around periods and menstrual products and start seeing that they are an unavoidable part of our life and access to these products should be like accessing toilet paper or soap, especially on a work site in tricky environments. Having access to these products can eliminate the stress and embarrassment women can feel.”
West explained that female health issues are rarely discussed in the industry, noting that most women do not know exactly when their period is coming which can leave them unprepared. As a result they are forced to improvise with Kleenex, toilet paper or whatever else is on hand.
She added that women also often hide when an issue arises and do not seek assistance for fear of being mocked or bullied. This is all compounded when working on a remote site where proper washroom facilities might not be available.
West also expressed support for measures that expand the definition of workplace harassment to include virtual spaces. She noted that this provides clarity around bullying and harassment through email, texts, chat services and other digital methods.
“Expanding that definition is important. It protects workers by ensuring labour laws and policies are applicable to all work settings,” she said.
West noted that it is just the start of the conversation around protecting minorities and vulnerable groups. She explained that another step in the right direction would be including menstrual products in all bathrooms: male, female or unisex. This would support transgender workers, adding that construction is one of the largest employers of transgender people.
“Once we normalize periods, have these conversations and have access to these products, we are going to mitigate some of the embarrassment and stress women face in the workplace,” she said.
Additional measures to address safety in construction will include a comprehensive review of critical injuries and fatalities in the construction sector and a consultation on expanding the types of life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators, to be provided on construction projects.
Government officials visit an Ontario construction site to announce new legislation that aims to support women on the job site.
Key Takeaways:
Stantec has signed a $186-million master services agreement with BC Hydro to help upgrade its electrical infrastructure.
Stantec will supply transmission and distribution services along with substation design, including electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering services.
The agreement is initially termed for seven years, with a potential total term of up to 20 years.
The Whole Story:
Global engineering and design firm Stantec has been selected by BC Hydro to provide transmission and distribution engineering as well as project delivery services for the electrical infrastructure in B.C. The initiative is part of BC Hydro’s 10-year capital plan to modernize its electrical grid and provide reliable energy while driving the clean energy transition forward in the province.
The $186-million master services agreement (MSA) between Stantec and BC Hydro is initially termed for seven years, with a potential total term of up to 20 years. Stantec will supply transmission and distribution services along with substation design, including electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering services. Stantec will also oversee project management, scheduling, cost control, procurement, and contract management, as well as materials management, equipment management, and logistics.
This is the latest agreement between Stantec and BC Hydro, which allows Stantec to support any development from initial system studies, environmental permitting, Indigenous consultation, and engineering design to construction management and post construction monitoring.
“Stantec is proud to assist BC Hydro in this major endeavor to modernize and expand the electrical grid in British Columbia,” says Mario Finis, executive vice president of energy & resources at Stantec. “Renewable energy generation is only part of the transition to a clean energy future. We must also design, build, and maintain the transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to safely and reliably deliver clean energy to meet the needs of our communities. Stantec will be there to support these grid modernization efforts in British Columbia and around the world.”
BC Hydro released its 10-year capital plan in January. The plan, called Power Pathway: Building BC’s Energy Future, outlines the investments BC Hydro plans to make to sustain and expand the electricity system. It has three main objectives:
to support the electrification of the province and meet CleanBC emissions reductions targets;
to reinforce the system to enable customer connections and meet load growth;
and to sustain the system, ensuring the province can safely and reliably meet the needs of its customers while keeping rates low.
Stantec noted that it is no stranger to this type of work. The firm is currently serving as owner’s engineer for the SunZia Transmission Project, which is part of the largest clean energy infrastructure initiative in U.S. history and will deliver 3,000 megawatts of power to communities throughout the southwest US. Stantec’s teams are also providing specialist services for more than a dozen major high voltage direct current (HVDC) projects globally.
* Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a series of interviews conducted with winners of SiteNews’ recent awards program, Construction’s Most Influential People. Get tickets to our winners’ event in Calgary, May 15, here.
Tannis Liviniuk, digital advance executive for Zachry Group, has been on an epic professional journey. Her construction career started on the job site where she spent more than a decade as a tradesperson and doing construction planning. While her friends spent their weekends socializing, she was learning how to mobilize and demobilize cranes, rig material, and manage logistics.She went on to start a consulting firm Trillium, Advisory Group, which was eventually acquired by Zachry Group.
Liviniuk is also an outspoken voice in the industry. She regularly offers up her construction knowledge as a keynote speaker and podcast guest, giving her thoughts on leadership and technology. We spoke with her about her thoughts on digitization in the construction sector and how one can improve their communication skills.
SiteNews: As someone who started their career on the job site, how does this hands-on experience inform your digital strategies at Zachry Group?
Liviniuk: The great thing about having spent so much of my career on-site is that I am comfortable putting on a pair of work boots and sitting down with crews to have genuine conversations about digital opportunities. These conversations enable me to better understand the perspectives, needs, and expectations our employees have of or digital project delivery solutions.
Having worked on site, I have empathy for the challenges of on-site work (network access, changing project conditions, weather, etc.). Our employees who manage these challenges everyday have the best viewpoint for technology opportunities. No one wants to do a job in 10 steps when it can be done in 3. By spending time with these skilled professionals, and gaining their input, I can help identify timely and practical opportunities for digital enhancement.
Ultimately, my hands-on experience doesn’t drive our digital project delivery strategies at Zachry Group; the hands-on experience of our employees does. My focus is on helping our project teams identify and capture digital opportunities, then on building bridges with our technology teams. These bridges enable all of us to co-create strategies and solutions which help us continuously deliver the best value for our customers on every project we execute.
What is your advice for companies that want to sort out the “tech hype” from the real business solutions?
It’s so easy to get caught up in technology hype. In fact, it’s difficult not to. The technology space is moving so quickly; it seems almost daily I’m sent an article or video by someone which makes me say ‘wow, that is impressive!’ But some teams get too caught up in the hype and adopt a ‘whatever’s exciting’ approach to technology investment. This hype-focused approach can result in large expenditures with little noticeable benefit, and a team left wondering what went wrong.
Companies need to balance tech evolution with tech experimentation. Technology should augment business processes. Teams should be consistently refining their processes, identifying automation opportunities, defining business requirements to support those opportunities, and evolving their technology architecture to support. This is a defined process and one that most large organizations (and many mid-sized ones) already employ and execute well.
However, teams can be too rigid in their focus on evolution as well. To be competitive in today’s market, companies must be consistently scouting new and emerging solutions, and experimenting with new technology to identify the value potential. Teams can’t appropriately evaluate technology if they aren’t familiar with the technology that’s available. In some instances, team members may not even realize that there’s technology available to automate a process. Experimentation is a critical step in advancing the evolution of technology at a pace that doesn’t leave the team in the stone age.
My advice to teams is to be active in the technology ecosystem to be become better informed. Develop strong relationships with technology companies, attend industry events, seek out user stories to understand the experience of others, and read industry news updates. If your technology approach is to wait to explore until you need it, you’re going to be so far behind the industry knowledge base that it will be almost impossible to make good technology decisions. Being well informed is the best way for teams to sort out the ‘tech hype’ from real business solutions.
What sort of new or emerging digital tools have you excited?
I feel like the answer everyone wants to hear is AI. And don’t get me wrong. AI is going to have a big impact on our industry. But there are still foundational elements that the industry is working on establishing and deploying to support AI, and other advanced technologies.
I’m excited about technology that has the potential to positively impact teams today, addressing real pain-points through the application of practical software and hardware solutions. First is the significant shift toward platforms. The multitude of point solutions that teams are deploying is causing tech fatigue. And trying to tie them all together, and keep them connected, can be costly and create a resource strain on IT. The industry is moving heavily towards deploying platforms that serve as the foundation for project operations, where platform ecosystem applications can then be deployed or even developed. This approach supports the standardization of project management and execution processes, while enabling specific app deployments and citizen development to support each unique project’s needs.
The second technology I’m excited about is Bluetooth enabled tools, such as torque wrenches, hydro gauges, and handheld equipment. These tools, and their associated mobile applications, provide users with step-by-step coaching on each task, with visual aids. We keep hearing about skilled labor shortages, and the projected increases in resource shortages in North America. Bluetooth-enabled tools help support resource upskilling at scale. Further, these tools measure and record each action taken, therefore eliminating manual observations and paper-based workflows.
Third is incentive-based performance solutions. There is a startup working on aligning construction craft incentives with those of project contracts, thereby driving faster completion of tasks with improved quality and reduced safety incidents. This is the first organization I have seen really trying to tackle this incentive alignment challenge that is structurally rooted in the construction industry; they are making some bold moves in both the financial technology (fintech) and construction technology (contech) spaces.
And fourth is robotics. The advancement in the robotics space in the past two years has been remarkable. While I don’t see robots taking on full-time jobs on construction sites anytime soon, I am a huge advocate of their application in environments that pose hazards to people. Those are the activities that I expect to see robots tackling on a large number of construction sites very shortly.
As a keynote speaker and a podcaster, what would be your advice for someone in the industry who wants to improve their communication skills?
I do a lot of public speaking; I get asked this question often. And my answer probably sounds quite non-traditional. My first piece of advice to anyone wanting to improve their public speaking skills is to practice storytelling. Your entire presentation needs to tell a clear and succinct story if the audience is going to engage with and remember it. Start planning your presentation by framing a story (beginning, middle, and end) and then fitting all your highlighted key points onto a story board. Once you have all of that together, read it to someone and ask them to summarize the story back to you. If all they took away was a few key points and stats, and they can’t thread them together to summarize your story, then you need to keep working on your storytelling skills.
My second piece of advice is to take acting classes; improv classes are the best. I grew up on stage. I went to a performing arts school in junior and senior high. One of my most foundational communication skills is being able to speak to a live crowd and react to an audience on my feet. Whether you’re comfortable with public speaking or not, everyone can gain confidence, improve enunciation skills, and hone their ability to think and react in the moment by taking acting classes. Channel your inner thespian!
My third piece of advice is to just be yourself. Too many professionals think they need to create a public persona to be an effective communicator. Trust me; your audience wants to get to know you, not a carefully crafted version of you. Tell your story, be vulnerable, and share your real thoughts on topics that matter in your industry. The level of engagement in a presentation that is genuine is exponentially greater than a presentation that is canned or scripted to the point that you don’t feel like you’re getting to know the real presenter.
Key Takeaways:
Alberta is embarking on a journey to develop a Passenger Rail Master Plan that will assess the best path forward for building passenger rail services throughout the province.
The vision includes a province-led “Metrolinx-like” Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations.
Officials have released a Request for Expression of Interest for consultants as a first step. Following this process, a Request for Proposal will be issued to select a consultant to develop the plan. The plan is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
The Whole Story:
Alberta has announced a sweeping vision for passenger rail in the province.
This week officials announced Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan which will look forward decades and identify concrete actions to develop a passenger rail system. The Master Plan will assess the feasibility of passenger rail in the province, including regional (inter-city), commuter and high-speed services.
The government’s vision is for an Alberta passenger rail system that includes public, private or hybrid passenger rail, including:
a commuter rail system for the Calgary area that connects surrounding communities and the Calgary International Airport to downtown;
a commuter rail system for the Edmonton area that connects surrounding communities and the Edmonton International Airport to downtown;
regional rail lines from Calgary and Edmonton to the Rocky Mountain parks;
a regional rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a local transit hub in Red Deer;
municipal-led LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton that integrate with the provincial passenger rail system; and
rail hubs serving the major cities that would provide linkages between a commuter rail system, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems.
The vision includes a province-led “Metrolinx-like” Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations, fare collection/booking systems, system maintenance, and planning for future system expansion.
Officials stated that the master plan is designed to get government the information it needs to make the best decisions for return on investment. The plan will provide a cost-benefit analysis and define what is required by government, including a governance and delivery model, legislation, funding, and staging to implement passenger rail in Alberta. This work will include a 15-year delivery plan that will prioritize and sequence investments.
A large and efficient commuter rail network stretching across the province has incredible potential. It represents a forward-looking vision and is a mobility solution for our rapidly growing province and I’m excited to watch this plan take shape and bring us into the future.… pic.twitter.com/MclVtreTkv
“A large and efficient passenger rail network stretching across the province has incredible potential,” said Danielle Smith, Alberta premier. “It represents a forward-looking vision and is a mobility solution for our rapidly growing province and I’m excited to watch this plan take shape and bring us into the future. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m confident that we will build the network Albertans need to improve daily life and work, boost the economy and take away the stress of long-distance travel.”
The plan will take into account future growth, planning for the growing provincial population and considering the use of hydrogen-powered trains to ensure a robust and effective passenger rail system.
Development of the Master Plan will include engagement with Albertans to gain their perspectives for the future of passenger rail in Alberta.
Alberta’s government has released a Request for Expression of Interest to seek world-class knowledge and consultant services as a first step toward the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan for Alberta. Following this process, a Request for Proposal will be issued to select a consultant to develop the Passenger Rail Master Plan. The Master Plan is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
We aren’t aware of any art galleries for construction, but SiteViews is the next best thing. We have gorgeous shots of sunsets, icy plunges, big thumbs up and more for the latest edition of SiteViews. If you have a construction photo that you think deserve a spot on our next list, let us know.
Townline
Lemmy enforces safety rules at the shop for 40-year-old B.C. developer Townline. No PPE? Lemmy just might chew you out (literally).
Sideros Ironworks
Who said construction has to be so serious? The crew at Sideros hams it up for the camera after a rainy pizza lunch break.
Clark Builders
The Coronation Sports & Recreation Centre continues to take shape with the installation of the rose gold stainless steel shingles. The complex geometry, mimicking the shape of a twisting ribbon, has made for a challenging installation, but Clark says its cladding team has risen to the occasion. To date, crews have installed about 2,000 interlocking shingles over the curved surface.
Locarno Legacy / Axiom Builders
Axiom‘s team install a crane at The Lydia, new rental housing and retail space to Main Street and East 24th Avenue. In case the iconic skyline and mountains didn’t give it away, the project is in Vancouver.
BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association
We hope they packed lots of snacks and tunes. The BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association embarked on an epic trip for its RoadShow last month. The journey will take a specially modified trailer across the province to help aspiring workers simulate careers in highway maintenance and road building.
WestEnd Connectors Construction
The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project has hit two major milestones – Rexy, one of the team’s tunnel boring machines, has completed 6 kilometres of tunnelling so far. The other tunnel boring machine, Renny, has completed just over 5.3 km.
Surerus Murphy Joint Venture
This heavy equipment operator isn’t just being friendly. He’s communicating to others on site that he can see them and they can enter the area. The Thumbs Up Program has been implemented on all of Surerus Murphy Joint Venture‘s sites.
Ledcor
Ledcor Construction’s Saskatoon team recently participated in the 2024 Polar Bear Plunge at Lac La Ronge to support Men’s Mental Health awareness. The event successfully fundraised $8,000 for outreach programs and essential resources for Northern communities.
Dawson Civil
This Dawson Civil worker isn’t standing near any old pile of dirt. Last summer, while working on a road rehabilitation and realignment project of Dunn Lake Road just north of Barriere, B.C., a damaged den filled with garter snakes was discovered. With the help of experts, crews began reconstructing a new den for the snakes, further away from the highway. All the snakes were saved.
Construction Foundation of British Columbia
Tradespeople were passing down their knowledge at the Young Women in Trades camp in Fort St. John, B.C.
Borger Group of Companies
A trio of equipment operators move earth under a moody sky at a Borger site.
Magil Construction
Magil‘s team takes in the solar eclipse from the 47th floor of its Le George project.
The Shot of the Month goes to:
Kiewit
Vancouver’s G3 Terminal, a next-generation grain export facility, soaks up some sunset rays. The facility was engineered, procured, constructed and commissioned by Kiewit.
* Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a series of interviews conducted with winners of SiteNews’ recent awards program, Construction’s Most Influential People.
Unke is relentless. Not only is he heavily involved in mentoring, networking, industry groups and events. His LinkedIn presence is staggering. He has amassed more than 33,000 followers and regularly posts his advice on how to navigate the construction sector as an engineer. After serving in senior-level roles at some of the largest engineering firms in the country, Unke was named CEO and president of Maven Consulting in 2023.
And if that wasn’t enough, he also climbs mountains every weekend while chatting with other industry professionals. Did we mention he even builds lowriders?
We caught up with Unke to chat about his passion for giving back to the next generation of construction professionals and what goes into building a personal brand.
SiteNews: You have built up a sizable following on LinkedIn. What would be your advice for others who are looking to grow their personal brand?
Unke: I think authenticity is key. Being true to yourself, and the content you put out on LinkedIn is important, as people can see through someone who is posting for the likes. I also try to share content that is interactive, and people can gain value from (industry news, events, and insights).
SiteNews: Are there any authors, leaders or colleagues that have influenced your professional life in a profound way? If so, who and why?
Unke: I have read a lot of Brian Tracy and Simon Sinek books, and had a very inspirational and supportive mentor when I started my career in engineering consulting at Binnie (Michael Richardson, past CEO, now retired). Michael was always there to answer my questions, and give me insight into what it means to be an executive leader. Michael’s guidance and friendship really helped set me up for success and making my way up the corporate ladder to now be a CEO of a consulting firm.
SiteNews: What are some ways that industry veterans like yourself can mentor and assist up-and-coming construction professionals?
Unke: Make time to have respectful, honest and real conversations with junior folks in our industry, and leverage your relationships in your network to make introductions for these folks.
SiteNews: If you could go back in time and talk to yourself early in your career, what advice would you give?
Unke: Trust your gut. Take more calculated risks. No one actually knows exactly what they are doing. Work smart, not hard.
Jesse Unke (right) hikes the mountains of B.C.
Key Takeaways:
The province is currently undertaking fieldwork, including borehole drilling and engineering, to evaluate soil composition and bedrock depth.
By mid-May, the province plans to host a market sounding event with key private sector experts to discuss ways to move construction forward quickly and efficiently.
The project is expected to contribute $350 million to the province’s real GDP and support 3,500 jobs each year, such as heavy equipment operators, drilling and coring contractors, concrete and steel workers, utility contractors, environmental specialists, laboratory technologists and safety inspectors.
Highway 413 is a proposed 52-kilometre highway and transitway that will include extensions to Highways 410 and 427.
The Whole Story:
The Ontario government announced it is moving ahead to get shovels in the ground on Highway 413 after having reached an agreement with the federal government for the project to proceed with environmental protections.
“We are delivering on our promise to build Highway 413 with a plan to fix gridlock and get drivers across Halton, Peel and York regions where they need to go faster,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Highway 413 will help meet the needs of our growing province as a prosperity corridor that will create thousands of good-paying union jobs during the construction phase and make life easier and more convenient for millions of drivers in the GTA and across Ontario. We’re getting it done.”
The province is currently undertaking fieldwork, including borehole drilling and engineering, to evaluate soil composition and bedrock depth. By mid-May, the province will be hosting a market sounding event with key private sector experts to discuss ways to move construction forward quickly and efficiently, taking advantage of new technologies and project acceleration strategies while maximizing opportunities for economic development.
The province will be meeting with property owners to acquire land and, if the Get it Done Act passes, will begin expediting land acquisitions in the fall. In addition, the province is planning for the release of the first early works construction contracts to begin building Highway 413 in 2025, subject to all necessary approvals.
“We have a responsibility to ensure Ontario drivers have more time to spend on the moments that really matter in life, not stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation. “Highway 413 will bring much-needed relief to drivers across the GTA and our government is proud to be getting it done.”
During construction, Highway 413 is expected to contribute $350 million to the province’s real GDP and support 3,500 jobs each year, such as heavy equipment operators, drilling and coring contractors, concrete and steel workers, utility contractors, environmental specialists, laboratory technologists and safety inspectors.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is reviving our construction sector with critical infrastructure projects like Highway 413, which will create thousands of well-paying careers,” said David Piccini, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development. “The skilled trades is a major driver of Ontario’s economic prosperity. As our government makes record investments in job-creating critical infrastructure, we’re proud to work with union and industry partners through our over $1 billion Skills Development Fund to create the talent highway for workers to land a better job with a bigger paycheck in the skilled trades.”
The team includes Surrey-based contractor and SkyTrain construction veteran Western Pacific Enterprises. It also includes design, engineering and project management firm AtkinsRéalis.
The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project is a 16-kilometre extension of the Expo Line from King George Station to Langley City Centre
It is the third and final contract for the project. Major construction on Surrey Langley Skytrain is expected to begin this year.
The Whole Story:
B.C. has selected a preferred proponent team to design and build the systems and trackwork for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension project.
Transit Integrators BC has been invited to enter into final contract negotiations. The team is comprised of:
Transit Integrators BC will start initial design work and planning for the systems and trackwork of the project. Western Pacific Enterprises Ltd. is a Surrey-based company that has contributed to previous SkyTrain projects, including the original Expo Line, Millennium Line, Canada Line and the Evergreen extension.
Works related to the guideway and stations components of the project are underway along the new SkyTrain route. This includes work to relocate power lines and prepare for the start of major construction this year.
A rendering shows one of the project’s station designs. – Province of B.C.
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.
Once complete, the project will provide transportation for people in Surrey, Langley and across Metro Vancouver. Officials say passengers will be able to travel between Langley City and Surrey Centre in approximately 22 minutes and between Langley and downtown Vancouver in just over an hour.
The Surrey Langley SkyTrain project is being delivered through three separate contracts. In April 2024, the province announced the selection of South Fraser Station Partners to design and build eight new stations for the project, including cycling and walking paths around the new stations.
In March 2024, 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.
Requests for proposals for all three phases were issued in early 2023 and formal contract announcements are anticipated in the coming months. Major construction on Surrey Langley Skytrain is expected to begin this year.
Key Takeaways:
As projects get more complex, collaboration and technology are becoming more of a necessity to achieve success.
Some industry leaders are moving towards standardizing components so the process can be sped up and industrialized.
Panelists strongly encouraged government officials, trade contractors, project owners, general contractors and more to engage with each other early, listen and better understand each other’s needs.
Having a consistent regulatory framework that is not constantly being changed would assist builders in finding more efficiencies and industrializing processes.
The Whole Story:
B.C. builders and aspiring tradespeople got a glimpse into the future of construction this month as industry leaders gathered at Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical’s massive industrialized construction headquarters in Maple Ridge, B.C. for the second annual Future of Work event.
The festivities included a panel of experts sharing their thoughts on how collaboration can help accelerate innovation and improve the construction process. Attendees heard from Massive Canada CEO Gaetan Royer, Pitt Meadows Plumbing’s owner Steve Robinson, Turner senior project manager Kristine Szeto, City of Vancouver plumbing and mechanical inspections manager Phil White and ETRO Construction president Mike Maierle.
Robinson, who has led Pitt Meadows to embrace prefabrication, robotics, digital design and other technology, spoke about the role these innovations can play in the process.
“I think the big thing that the industry generally—whether it’s the mechanical industry, electrical or even the big GCs—needs to understand is that some of these next-generation technologies are allowing for a very quick, easy and fast generation of a totally collaborative model. And that’s without multiple layers of management by multiple people,” he said. “The reality is there is a huge opportunity available to totally collaborate on what the finished system looks like. This is what the reality is today, and we need to just embrace it.”
The off-site construction approach has been embraced by B.C. based prefabricated mass timber company Massive Canada. Royer explained that his goal at Massive Canada is to move as much of MEP off-site and he believes that plumbing contractors, mechanical contractors and electrical contractors should try to do the same.
“Why? Well it’s the highest cost item for a project in most multi-family buildings like a six-story, apartment building. It’s 50% of the cost and It’s mostly repeatable stuff,” explained Royer. “We need to standardize and industrialize. The only way to do that is to simplify MEP at the very base of designing the building. There should not be 20 different unit types in a 100 unit condo apartment or rental apartment. So industrialization in standardization has to be as important as aesthetics.”
White noted that municipalities are often seen as the villain in construction but stressed that Vancouver wants to support innovation and help builders build.
“In the city Vancouver is, the codes are so outdated a lot of the time, industry changes so fast and to get that into account is very, very difficult,” he said. “If you have a great product that meets or exceeds what is in today’s code, it’s very difficult to bring that into the national code, to the provincial code and then into the city of Vancouver code.”
He added that Vancouver has its own charter and own building code and is committed to making sure those innovations can be included rather than ge held back.
ETRO Construction is looking to lead the way for other general contractors by encouraging trade contractors to embrace collaboration and by developing their own standardized products.
Future of Work attendees tour Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical’s Shop XL in Maple Ridge, B.C.
“For us, it’s a collaborative model. We don’t hard-bid any work. What we need are capable contractors of every form who can come in and collaborate on the design assist basis,” said Maierle. “If you are a mechanical contractor, it doesn’t matter. If you’re a 10-person sheet metal company or a 200-person contractor, we need you to have expertise in your office. It’s not just pricing. And second, you must have the ability to produce work off-site.”
ETRO has big plans to be a leader in collaborative, industrialized construction. Their team intends to open a collaborative trade prefabrication centre at their warehouse in Burnaby and create standardized construction products that can be used by the entire industry.
“We’re creating a space where we can bring an actual mechanical drywall steel together to build work collaboratively and so that model we think is going to help show some of these smaller medium-sized Companies how they can start to scale,” said Maierle. “If we all just continue to work the way we have from the last 100 years, we’re never going to get anywhere.”
He added that ETRO expects to have 20 to 30 products in the coming decade that other builders and contractors are going to use.
“I want to build a manufacturing machine that can not only support us, not only our local industry but a national industry that really needs progressive change,” he said.
Szeto spoke about how collaboration is becoming more and more of a requirement for big sites but can also be applied at a smaller scale.
“The projects are getting more and more complex, they’re taking up more and more physical space. There’s more systems. There’s more integration required. So collaboration is not just an advantage anymore. It’s absolutely necessary for the success of contracts,” she said. “The more and more that you do this collaboration. When you run into unforeseen problems which are bound to happen on any projects. You’re going to work through and deal with those issues far earlier than when it’s going to be too costly.”
The two-day event also sought to address construction’s workforce shortage. It included an educational showcase for students across Metro Vancouver considering a career in the trades and what the future of construction looks like.
Canada’s next great construction tech boom is in full swing.
But not every construction company is ready for it.
With the rise of technology like artificial intelligence, many companies are ramping up their efforts to digitize their processes and modernize their operations. This has positioned industry software leaders like SiteMax for major growth as they stand ready to assist.
The company offers field management software designed to meet the needs of a general contractor or subcontractor on a commercial, multi-family residential, hi-rise or light industrial project. The complete jobsite management platform has generated millions of daily logs, safety reports, photo records, time entries and more worldwide.
Keeping pace with industry needs
Braden Barwich, SiteMax’s vice president of sales, has seen significant expansion in the past few years and the platform has grown and evolved to keep pace.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth both on the product side as well as on the customer side,” said Barwich. “Over the last couple years a big kind of jump that we’ve made is moving into the project management and document management process side of the software. So we’ve added RFI tracking, change order tracking, submittals and purchase orders into our mix of tools.”
This connects all external stakeholders, like consultants, engineers, architects and sub trades to the general contractor so documents can flow amongst the entire project team.
“That’s been a big step and brought us into a different domain,” he said. “Especially since COVID, we saw a huge uptick in companies switching to technology. I think it just sped up what was inevitable.”
He explained that the development of SiteMax has been led by our customers and their feedback, but also their team’s ultimate goal of SiteMax being the digital hub of a jobsite.
Technology gaps are widening
Not all companies are at the same point in their technology transformation. Barwich noted that he is seeing two camps: Those who are still in the early stages of digitizing their processes and those who have already digitized and are looking to take bigger steps.
“You have people talking about using AI and then others who would just love to have digital time cards and not use paper every week, so there is a huge gap there,” he said. “I think that gap is just going to widen and the people that know how to use technology and adopt it are going to speed off ahead. I don’t think it’s too late at this point, but it’s really going to accelerate growth on the AI side.”
AI has been on SiteMax’s radar for years and they have been strategizing about the best ways to integrate it into their platform. The technology has already become a boon to site superintendents and project managers, especially for repetitive tasks, like filling out daily or weekly reports.
“It’s not going to replace these people on site, but it’s going to make their job a lot better because it can do that mundane paperwork,” said Barwich.
SiteMax will grow with you
While Canada’s large contractors have big budgets to spend on technological advancement, SiteMax’s goal is to assist small and medium-sized contractors who want to advance their journey as well.
“That is our target market and our advice is to just get in the game,” said Barwich. “It’s not too late.”
But when it comes to picking a technology platform, many options are pricey and offer extra features that go unused for smaller contractors. Or there are one-off options that only address one issue a contractor faces.
“There’s enterprise software solutions that are very high end, very all inclusive and expensive and then there’s one-off software that you’ll outgrow very quickly. So you’re kind of caught between these two worlds,” said Barwich. “What we’re trying to provide is right in the middle, for small to medium-sized businesses who are thinking ‘maybe I’m late to the game’. Maybe they aren’t ready to go into the AI world, but they want to be there at some point.”
He explained that getting your foot in the door with a package that you can adopt and that your business is ready for is key as then you can continue to grow and adapt with it.
“Don’t wait for people to retire, don’t keep waiting for external events to push you, because then it will be too late. This shift is going to happen very quickly so you want to start laying the digital groundwork in your business.”
It’s a missing middle that only SiteMax is stepping up to fill. Their ideal customer is agile, wants something easy to use and is looking for a streamlined solution to fit their processes.
“There are people using three to four different apps when they could be using one complete system,” said Barwich. “But they aren’t willing to pay an arm and a leg for the big ones and only use 50% of it. That’s where SiteMax comes in. We are empowering these middle-sized companies.”
Barwich encouraged companies looking to start their transformation journey to reach out to SiteMax for demos, videos and other materials to get a more in-depth understanding of what they can offer.
“It’s very flexible in terms of our pricing plans,” he said. “So, no matter what stage of the business you’re at, let’s talk.”
*Special offer: Contact SiteMax and mention “SiteNews” when you sign up to to get a 10% discount.
* Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a series of interviews conducted with winners of SiteNews’ recent awards program, Construction’s Most Influential People.
Some people talk about doing something, and others simply go do it. Alaa Abdelhamid felt like construction workers needed more of a spotlight to tell their stories and get the recognition they deserve. Rather than wait for someone else to take action, he did it himself.
Abdelhamid began his mission to unearth and celebrate the stories of construction workers and companies by staking out coffee shops and hardware stores. His media brand, Behind the Hard Hat, now has dozens of interviews with blue collar workers and the effort has amassed Abdelhamid more than 20,000 followers on LinkedIn. His videos have garnered millions of views and prompted him to launch a web-based platform where construction workers can share their stories and highlight the unsung heroes of the construction sector.
SiteNews: Early on, your work with Behind the Hard Hat involved approaching strangers to ask for interviews. Did this make you nervous and if so, how were you able to overcome it?
Abdelhamid: Yes, I was very nervous and stressed. Doubts would creep into my head like oh what if I get rejected? what if I pitch it to them and they laugh or think this is stupid? A lot of what ifs, but I remind myself of the mission and why I started this, the long-term goal, and convince myself that what I’m feeling is a short-term feeling that will go away and is not important in the grand scheme of things.
SiteNews: How have your interview skills grown as you have gotten more videos under your belt and what sort of lessons have you learned about what makes for a good interview?
Abdelhamid: In the beginning, I was shy about asking direct questions right away and bringing up topics like mental health. I would have a 20-minute conversation that would lead up to my question. It’s like setting the stage and slowly building up but that would often take a lot of time and get exhausting. As I interviewed more workers, and my confidence built up, I would not waste time and ask what I was thinking right away, and if the person was not comfortable speaking about a certain topic I would not pressure them.
A good interview is one that you would not feel is an interview. It’s almost like a story, you would watch it and feel that this person was talking to you as if they knew you and were drinking a cup of double-double coffee with you on-site every morning.
What elements are critical for a compelling piece of content?
Abdelhamid: This might seem cliche, but authenticity. My best videos came from workers who were real – meaning they did not care that the camera was on or how people were going to perceive them, they were going to tell it as it is. Unfiltered and raw.
If you could book an interview with anyone in the construction sector, who would it be and why?
Abdelhamid: It would be my dad, as he inspired me to pursue to a career in construction. He worked in the mechanical sector of the industry since he was 13.
Why do you think it is important to share stories about construction workers?
Abdelhamid: It’s important because it spreads awareness and appreciation towards the people who build our cities and communities. Often cameras and spotlights are on athletes as they are looked at as a source of entertainment and motivation as they work hard to be in shape and produce at a high level, but construction workers work harder and in my opinion, have a great sense of humor too but no one was able to highlight and celebrate them before or give them a platform to speak and share their voice and views on topics. Why do we listen to athletes but not to the people who built our world?
Key Takeaways:
Honda has begun evaluating the requirements to build a Honda EV plant and a stand-alone Honda EV battery plant in Alliston, Ont.
The proposed Honda EV value chain will also include a cathode active material and precursor (CAM/pCAM) processing plant through a joint venture partnership with POSCO Future M Co., Ltd. and a separator plant through a joint venture partnership with Asahi Kasei Corporation.
Honda has set a goal to make battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of vehicle sales by 2040.
As the first step, Honda has already positioned its existing auto production plants in the state of Ohio in the U.S. as its EV Hub for production. This hub will share its knowledge with the rest of Honda’s North American plants, including future facilities in Ontario.
The Whole Story:
Honda plans to build a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada with an approximate investment of $15 billion.
The sum includes investment by joint venture partners and will be used to strengthen Honda’s EV supply system and capability to prepare for a future increase in EV demand in North America.
“Honda is making progress in our global initiatives toward the realization of our 2050 carbon neutrality goal,” said Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda. “In North America, following the initiative to establish our EV production system capability in the U.S., we will now begin formal discussions toward the establishment of a comprehensive EV value chain here in Canada, with the support of the governments of Canada and Ontario. We will strengthen our EV supply system and capability with an eye toward a future increase in EV demand in North America.”
Honda says it has begun evaluating the requirements to build a Honda EV plant and a stand-alone Honda EV battery plant in Alliston, Ont. The proposed Honda EV value chain will also include a cathode active material and precursor (CAM/pCAM) processing plant through a joint venture partnership with POSCO Future M Co., Ltd. and a separator plant through a joint venture partnership with Asahi Kasei Corporation, with announcements to follow in their respective Ontario communities.
Honda expects that electric vehicle production will begin in 2028. Once fully operational, the EV plant will have a production capacity of 240,000 EVs per year and the EV battery plant will have a capacity of 36 GWh per year.
In addition to securing the current employment level of 4,200 associates at its two existing manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Honda estimates it will add a minimum of 1,000 new associates for the EV and EV battery manufacturing facilities. The investment in the new facilities will also create significant spinoff jobs across all sites, including in the construction sector.
Honda says it has begun the process of evaluating the scope of its investment and completing negotiations with its joint venture partners. This work is expected to be finalized during the next six months and more details will be shared at that time.
To support this project, Honda is collaborating with the governments of Canada and Ontario to drive innovation in low-emissions manufacturing by accessing performance-based initiatives available through the federal government’s new Investment Tax Credits and provincial direct and indirect incentives.
North American EV strategy
Striving to realize carbon neutrality for all its products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda has set a goal to make BEVs and FCEVs represent 100% of vehicle sales by 2040.
As the first step, Honda positioned its existing auto production plants in the state of Ohio in the U.S. as its EV Hub for production, including the retooling of existing plants, an investment of USD$700 million, and the construction of a joint venture EV battery plant with LG Energy Solution, with an expected investment of USD$4.4 billion.
According to Honda, the Ohio EV hub will serve as the foundation for future EV and EV battery production, sharing knowledge and expertise with other Honda plants in North America, including the new EV assembly and battery plants in Ontario, Canada. Honda expects EV production to begin at the Marysville Auto Plant in late 2025.
As a second step in this initiative, Honda plans to establish a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada, from the procurement of raw materials mainly for batteries, to the production of finished EVs. Honda says it will leverage EV production knowledge learned at the Ohio EV Hub, combined with the abundant resources and clean energy available in Canada, to establish a stable supply system for batteries, the key component of EVs, and increase cost competitiveness of its EVs as a whole.
Kevin Read is now senior director of offsite solutions for Bird Construction. Prior to entering the modular space in 2012, Read spent years working in product design, quality assurance, process automation, corporate strategy, and business development in the construction and energy industries.
Luke Forrest is the new vice president of sales for Bridgit. Forrest previously spent five years in various roles at Autodesk.
David Podmore, chair of Concert Properties, has announced his retirement from the company’s board this summer. The board plans to name a new chair in the coming weeks.
We have achieved a great deal over the years. Among our accomplishments, we have built over 13,800 homes, which include 1,450 assured and affordable homes, with approximately 9,000 more in our development pipeline. Additionally, we currently own and manage over 13 million square feet of industrial and commercial properties. Through Concert Infrastructure, we have invested in, developed and now manage 10 essential Canadian public infrastructure projects. And perhaps most importantly, we have also earned an excellent reputation. This legacy is one that I am truly proud of.
David Podmore, chair, Concert Properties
Sina Khamenehi is starting a new role at ETRO Construction as a project manager. He is well versed in civil engineering, project/construction management, and building information modeling. He joins ETRO after similar roles at Axiom Builders, Chandos Construction and Urban One Builders.
Sean Penn has been named Chandos Construction’s new CEO. Officials stated that Penn’s career at Chandos spans over 20 years, from his years working as a carpenter to his tenure as chief operating officer (COO). They noted that he has showcased leadership and an “unwavering commitment” to Chandos’ core values of inclusion, collaboration, innovation, and courage.
In 2020, Chandos COO Sean Penn embarked on a two-month road trip to visit job sites.
Steven Crombie has joined the Ontario Road Builders’ Association as its new senior, director, public affairs. The association said Crombie is a seasoned public affairs professional with industry association and government experience. He brings a unique blend of heavy civil construction and policy expertise.
Katie Kohlenberg has been hired as manager, project development and collaborative delivery at Bird Construction. Previously, Kohlenberg served as director of operations, senior IPD coach and senior sustainability project lead at EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting.
Troy Glasner has started a new position at Focal Engineering as a senior energy analyst and project manager. Focal said Glasner is an industry veteran with a long history of breaking new ground in building sustainability.
Jason Thorne has joined Stantec’s Urban Places practice as a sector leader for Canada. Thorne brings over two decades of planning and community development. In the last decade, Thorne served as the City of Hamilton’s general manager of planning and economic development.
Kelly Pelton is retiring from his role as vice president, supply chain at EECOL Electric after 25 years of service. His role will be taken over by Natalia Sershun who has held senior roles in contract management and supply chain at Suncor, Sanjel, and most recently, Graham Construction.
Irvin Heiber is celebrating 30 years with PCL construction. He joined PCL in 1989 as a district engineer. As a construction manager, he is currently overseeing a large and complex building and envelope retrofit in Gatineau and starting up the recently awarded RSS Main Labs project.
Omar AL-Humaimidi announced that he is now quality director for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain Station Contract at Aecon Group.
Claire Macdonald has been promoted to asset manager for Low Tide Properties. Her previous role was asset management analyst. She has been with the company for more than four years.
Hung Nguyen is Axiom Builders’ latest superintendent. Previously, Nguyen worked at Anthem Properties as an assistant superintendent.
Patrick Crabbe, Shaun Stiles and Jon Higgins have joined the Off-site Construction Research Centre at the University of New Brunswick as executive board members. Crabbe is director of mass timber at Bird Construction, Stiles is senior vice president and area manager for EllisDon and Higgins is VP Canadian operations for Stack Modular.
Silvia Koteva has joined Infrastructure BC as a senior associate. Koteva brings years of infrastructure experience focused on leading major health infrastructure projects through the business case phase of work, integrated capital planning, contract negotiation, and managing complex federal funding programs.
Dear reader, our team is planning an evening of drinks, food and networking in Calgary next month to celebrate Construction’s Most Influential People and we want you to join us. We aren’t just saying that. We mean it. Follow this link and use the code PEOPLEMOVES for 20% off tickets.
Key Takeaways:
The $1 billion dollar infrastructure program would secure up to 1,700 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity.
OPG and its partner, GE Vernova, will refurbish up to 25 units in total at the Sir Adam Beck Complex as the first phase of this work beginning in 2025. This will take around 15 years to complete.
OPG is also developing future plans for its DeCew I and DeCew II generating stations in the region.
The Whole Story:
The Ontario government is supporting Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to refurbish its hydroelectric stations in the Niagara region, including the Sir Adam Beck Complex at Niagara Falls.
The $1 billion dollar infrastructure program would secure up to 1,700 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity, equivalent to powering 1.7 million homes, helping to meet increasing demand.
“For more than 100 years hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls has powered our province, and with today’s investment we’re extending the life of these stations by another 30 years to help Ontario meet its growing electricity needs,” said Todd Smith, minister of energy. “This refurbishment program – part of our Powering Ontario’s Growth Plan – will create jobs and ensure we have the power we need for the next major international investment, the new homes we are building and industries as they grow and electrify.”
OPG and its partner, GE Vernova, will refurbish up to 25 units in total at the Sir Adam Beck Complex as the first phase of this work beginning in 2025, increasing the stations capacity by up to 50 MW. OPG is also developing future plans for its DeCew I and DeCew II generating stations in the region.
“Upgrading and optimizing OPG’s renewable generation workhorses like the Sir Adam Beck complex is crucial to support the growing demands of electrification and a thriving economy,” said Ken Hartwick, OPG President and CEO. “Through this refurbishment, this hydropower facility will build on its century-plus history, and continue to produce the low-cost, reliable electricity Ontarians need for decades to come.”
The work at the Sir Adam Beck complex will take place over the next 15 years, creating more than 200 jobs in the Niagara region.
“Ontario is blessed with a diverse supply of clean energy sources. Through this historic investment in the Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations, we are able to keep costs down for families while funding more reliable sources of energy,” said Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “This investment will ensure a future of clean, reliable and affordable power in the province for generations to come.”
After weeks of going through submissions, SiteNews has finally revealed its list of inspiring construction leaders who are influencing Canadian construction for the better.
Construction’s Most Influential People, a new annual awards program, recognizes individuals across all sectors who significantly impact Canadian construction. Nominees can be of any age and hold any position, as long as their work benefits the built environment. Nominations were self-submitted or made on behalf of others, with details on why the nominee deserves recognition. Winners were selected by a panel of staff from SiteNews.
The list of over 50 individuals includes builders, CEOs, educators, architects, lawyers, association leaders, social media stars and more.
“Construction is powered by people, whether they are behind a desk or on the jobsite,” said Russell Hixson, SiteNews editor. “And construction is more important than ever, whether it’s creating data centres that power AI, roads that carry our goods, transit for commuters or affordable housing to ease the affordability crisis. We want to make sure the men and women doing this work get the recognition they deserve.”
The Most Influential list comes off the heels of SiteNews’ other awards program, the 25 Innovators in Construction Awards which sought out the industry’s most cutting edge companies. The SiteNews team explained that the latest awards program is part of a broader strategy to equip, educate and elevate the construction sector.
“The public rarely hears about the immense skill and passion that goes into creating the built environment that they live in,” said Brett Rutledge, SiteNews co-founder. “This is just another way that we can highlight the incredible work that the industrial sector does, and the people behind it. Congratulations to all the winners. We see you and you are appreciated.”
SiteNews plans to celebrate the winners at an exclusive event for winners and other industry leaders. There are a limited number of tickets still available for purchase. Secure your spot using this link.
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.
