Author: Russell Hixson

• 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.”

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario and Ottawa have reached a new agreement developing and funding various infrastructure projects around the city.
• The agreement includes up to $197 million over three years in provincial operating supports and up to $346 million over 10 years in provincial capital supports.
• This includes the maintenance and rehabilitation for Ottawa Road 174 while a three-stage phased assessment of potential provincial ownership of the road is underway.
• The city and the province are now calling on the federal government to join them in improving the city.

The Whole Story:

The Government of Ontario and the City of Ottawa say they have reached a new deal around major infrastructure spending. 

The agreement includes a phased plan to guide the upload of Ottawa Road 174 to the province, provincial support for the repair and upgrade of the city’s major connecting routes and rural roads, designing and building a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road, and opening a new police neighbourhood operations centre in the ByWard Market area.

“This historic new deal reflects our government’s dedication to the economic success of Ottawa and all of eastern Ontario,” said Premier Doug Ford. “I want to thank Mayor Sutcliffe for working with us to reach an agreement that will help Ottawa continue rebuilding its economy and deliver on key priorities, including building homes and highways. Now it’s up to the federal government to step up with support for our national capital, particularly when it comes to funding infrastructure and supporting shelters and asylum claimants.”

Ontario and Ottawa are now calling on the federal government to “step up” and support that recognizes its responsibility to the national capital and helps restore public transit ridership while revitalizing Ottawa’s downtown economy.

“This is a big win for Ottawa,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “These investments will relieve significant budget pressures for the city and will help us to deliver better services to our residents. It’s also an example of what happens when elected officials do what the voters expect them to do: work together to solve problems and build better, safer, more affordable communities. I want to thank Premier Ford and Minister Bethlenfalvy for being great partners and for understanding the unique challenges that Ottawa faces.”

In recognition of the unique economic and social challenges faced by the City of Ottawa, which has had a slower rebound from the effects of the pandemic and is an economic and social service hub for people across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, Ontario is providing up to $543 million in operating and capital funding tailored to fuelling Ottawa’s economic recovery and accelerating revitalization of the downtown core. Funding will further support upgrading and building essential road and highway infrastructure to support the local economy and drivers across Ottawa’s large suburban and rural footprint.

The agreement includes up to $197 million over three years in provincial operating supports and up to $346 million over 10 years in provincial capital supports, including:

• Maintenance and rehabilitation for Ottawa Road 174 while a three-stage phased assessment of potential provincial ownership of the road is underway.
• Funding to help revitalize the downtown area, with dedicated funding to Invest Ottawa.
• Funding to support public safety and address increased levels of crime, which have had an impact on city services.
• Additional conditional funding for emergency shelters and homelessness prevention to address the needs of increasing levels of homelessness.
• The repair and upgrade of major connecting routes and roads. 
• Advancing design and construction of a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road to support population growth and development.
• Funding for the Kanata North Transitway to support economic growth and recovery.
• Support for housing- and community-enabling infrastructure through the Building Faster Fund, conditional on the city achieving at least 80 per cent of its housing targets.
• In addition to financial supports, Ontario commits to working with Ottawa to explore opportunities to fund and build more infrastructure, including through the Building Ontario Fund and policy changes to assist the city in removing barriers to getting more homes built faster.

The City of Ottawa has made a number of reciprocal commitments to Ontario, including opening up municipal lands for housing development to support shared housing priorities, ensuring Ottawa meets and exceeds its housing targets, strengthening the city’s vacant home tax, implementing efficiency measures that minimize the property tax burden on Ottawa’s people and businesses and facilitating the development of a long-term care home at The Ottawa Hospital.

Ontario and Ottawa are calling on the Government of Canada to provide federal support on shared priorities, including shelter supports for asylum claimants, infrastructure funding to support new housing, and support for Ottawa’s unique and excess costs arising from managing protests and demonstrations in the capital.

In addition, as the largest employer in the city, Ontario and Ottawa ask the federal government to do its part to help revitalize the downtown economy. 

“The federal government has an important responsibility to revive Ottawa’s downtown and ensure the city’s unique character and attractions continue making the nation’s capital a tourism destination for Canadians and international visitors,” said the city and the province in a statement to media. 

B.C.

• Highway 1 lanes closed in Hope for sinkhole repairs
• Westbank planning 14-storey condo project

Ontario

• Construction begins on Kitchener roundabout 
• Cladding Begins as ROQ City Rises
• Toronto boosts avenues redevelopment with official plan changes

Alberta

• Details shared on new Calgary event centre

Manitoba

• Construction starts on Manitoba gold mine 
• Manitoba hosts town hall on Victoria Hospital emergency department design

Key Takeaways:

• Frenter users will be able to see real-time estimates of their equipment value, informing critical business decisions around utilization and fleet optimizations. 
• Boom & Bucket customers who purchase Frenter-enabled assets can access a detailed history of maintenance and usage data.
• The companies said the partnership will support the shortened average lifecycle of new equipment and set a new standard for the use of equipment data in the purchase and resale of heavy equipment.

The Whole Story:

Halifax-based Frenter — a  provider of GPS, maintenance and analytic solutions for heavy equipment —  has announced a strategic partnership with Boom & Bucket, a digital marketplace for heavy equipment.

The companies say the partnership will allow heavy equipment owners to leverage data to get the most out of their assets from daily operations to resale.

They added that the partnership combines Boom & Bucket’s expertise in used heavy equipment resale with Frenter’s detailed data collection and system of record. Frenter users can see real-time estimates of their equipment value, informing critical business decisions around utilization and fleet optimizations. 

If the decision is to sell, users can list equipment directly on Boom & Bucket in a few clicks on the Frenter platform. Boom & Bucket customers who purchase Frenter-enabled assets can access a detailed history of maintenance and usage data.

“We have a vision of connecting the full ecosystem of heavy equipment,” said Zach Laberge, Frenter CEO & founder. “We’re very excited for what Boom & Bucket brings strategically as well as their shared vision for the future of equipment technology and what we can build together. This partnership will allow our customers to realize higher returns on their assets, unlocked through the tracking and improvements that come with Frenter. Giving them the opportunity to reinvest in their fleet, creating a flywheel effect for their business.”

Both Frenter and Boom & Bucket stated that they are excited to collaborate in the space and leverage their joint expertise to support heavy equipment owners throughout the lifecycle of their assets. They said the partnership will support the shortened average lifecycle of new equipment and set a new standard for the use of equipment data in the purchase and resale of heavy equipment.

“At Boom & Bucket, we recognize the indispensable value that comes from understanding the life story of heavy equipment,” said Adam Lawrence, CEO and cofounder of Boom & Bucket. “Our strategic partnership with Frenter marks a new era where data meets the marketplace, enhancing transparency and trust. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the industry by enabling owners to maximize their equipment’s value throughout its lifecycle, ensuring a smarter, more informed equipment economy. We are thrilled to join forces with Frenter, as we both aim to empower owners with knowledge and foresight, turning every decision into an opportunity for growth and efficiency.”

Key Takeaways:

• The certificate comes with 22 legally enforceable provincial conditions, including plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opportunities for First Nations’ monitoring of construction and operations, opportunities for Indigenous employment and procurement, and measures to reduce impacts on water quality, air quality, and cultural and archeological resources.
• Once constructed, the TMJ will be the first facility on Canada’s west coast that will enable trans-oceanic vessels to fuel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Port of Vancouver.
• Tilbury Jetty GP Inc. estimates construction expenditures between $154 million and $260 million over four years, supporting more than 1,000 full-time jobs. The facility is expected to operate for a minimum of 30 years.

The Whole Story:

An Environmental Assessment Certificate has been issued to Tilbury Jetty Limited Partnership for the Tilbury Marine Jetty (TMJ) Project. FortisBC welcomed the approval and is now awaiting a decision from the Government of Canada.

The TMJ project consists of building a jetty, or dock, on the south arm of the Fraser River adjacent to FortisBC’s existing Tilbury LNG facility. Once constructed, the TMJ will be the first facility on Canada’s west coast that will enable trans-oceanic vessels to fuel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Port of Vancouver.

FortisBC stated that LNG from Tilbury is among the cleanest in the world with a carbon intensity that is about 30% lower than the global average because the facility is powered by hydroelectricity. Using LNG from Tilbury rather than conventional marine fuel reduces GHG emissions by up to 27 %. Switching all ships that call at the Port of Vancouver from conventional marine fuel to LNG marine fuel would also remove 90% of the particulate matter associated with marine shipping from the local airshed, according to a third-party study.

In 2022, FortisBC signed an agreement with the Musqueam Indian Band that includes options for Musqueam to acquire equity ownership in the projects at Tilbury, subject to regulatory approvals and certain conditions precedent.

The certificate comes with 22 legally enforceable provincial conditions that must be followed over the life of the project. These include plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, opportunities for First Nations’ monitoring of construction and operations, opportunities for Indigenous employment and procurement, and measures to reduce impacts on water quality, air quality, and cultural and archeological resources.

The project also requires federal approval. The B.C. EAO carried out the assessment on behalf of the federal government under a “substitution agreement.” This meant one assessment carried out by the EAO was used to support separate decisions by each level of government, eliminating the duplication of two assessments for a single project.

The EAO concluded that the project would contribute to cumulative effects from marine shipping and recommended 181 federal mitigation measures to address impacts in areas of federal jurisdiction. These include measures to reduce impacts related to marine shipping, marine accidents, greenhouse gas emissions, underwater noise, fish and fish habitat, southern resident killer whales and First Nations fishing.

While the federal decision is pending, the ministers have written to the federal ministers of Environment and Climate Change, and Transport, and are urging them to impose the EAO-recommended mitigation measures if the project receives federal approval.

Key Takeaways:

• Canada’s construction sector is poised for growth through 2033, with differing trends between the residential and non-residential sectors driving employment projections.
• Regional variations in construction activity highlight diverse outlooks across provinces, with some experiencing growth while others face declines, particularly in the non-residential sector.
• To address labor shortages and sustain a skilled workforce, the industry emphasizes diversification and inclusion efforts, aiming to recruit from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, Indigenous Peoples and newcomers to Canada.

The Whole Story:

BuildForce Canada has released its latest national forecast, predicting construction sector growth through 2033.

The sector experienced a slight contraction in 2023, as growth in the non-residential sector was offset by a moderate decline in activity in the residential sector. Despite this trend, the industry continues to perform at an elevated level, and is poised to grow in the coming decade.

BuildForce Canada has released its 2024–2033 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward national forecast, finding that activity in the residential and non-residential sectors will chart different courses across the short term. The country’s residential sector, which peaked in 2021 under historically low interest-rate conditions, is expected to contract again in 2024 before experiencing an upward trend between 2025 and 2029 and then stabilize toward the end of the forecast period.

The initial period of growth is driven by a rebound in the new-housing component, which is followed in the later years by strong demand for renovation activity. These trends combine to increase employment to a peak of 6% above 2023 levels in 2028. Contractions in later years leave employment 2% above 2023 levels by 2033.

Activity in the non-residential sector is projected to remain strong across the forecast period, given the high volume of large projects planned and underway in most regions of the country. Engineering construction demands are projected to cycle lower in the short term before rebounding in middle years, in line with the schedule of planned transit projects in Ontario and B.C., as well as utility projects in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and B.C.

Meanwhile, investment in industrial, commercial, and institutional building projects is anticipated to see a steady upward curve through the decade. Demand is created by high levels of investment in the construction of institutional and government buildings, and by a rebound in commercial building construction as the economy returns to growth. Non-residential employment is projected to grow almost continuously across the forecast period, reaching a peak of 7% above 2023 levels by 2033.

These numbers are based on existing known demands and do not take into account public-sector initiatives to address housing affordability challenges, nor the anticipated increase in demand for construction services related to the retrofit of existing residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings to accommodate the electrification of the economy. Both scenarios are addressed in separate reports to be released by BuildForce at a later date.

“Construction is a key contributor to Canada’s gross domestic product, and an employer of approximately one out of every 13 working Canadians. Employment has increased by about 80% since 2002, and now counts about 1.5 million people,” said Sean Strickland, Chair of BuildForce Canada. “With further growth projected across the forecast period, the challenge before our sector is how to manage labour force pressures.”

Although labour market conditions eased in many provinces in 2023, pressures were alleviated most in the residential sector. Non-residential market conditions remained challenging in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and B.C.

“Market pressures may be easing in the residential sectors of many provinces in the short term, but even this relief may be short lived,” said Bill Ferreira, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “Our outlook calls for growth to return in the residential sector in 2025 and through the middle years of the forecast in many regions. Coupled with the strong outlook for non-residential construction, labour market challenges are likely to persist throughout much of the forecast period.”

Growth forecast across most provinces into the late 2020s

Construction activity was mixed across the Atlantic provinces in 2023. Gains in the non-residential sectors in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador offset residential-sector contractions created by rising interest rates. In Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, however, residential contractions slightly surpassed non-residential gains.

The outlook calls for the provinces’ respective residential sectors to either contract or record very small gains in the near term, before returning to growth between 2025 and 2028. Prince Edward Island in particular is expected to report significant gains across this period. Renovation investment levels are also projected to increase.

Activity in the provinces’ respective non-residential sectors will fluctuate in line with various large-scale projects such as the refurbishment of the Mactaquac Dam in New Brunswick, a major hydrogen project and the Bay du Nord project in Newfoundland and Labrador, and a number of civil and health care projects. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador are all expected to report employment growth across the forecast period.

Construction activity in Quebec is expected to generally decline across the forecast period, with the residential and non-residential sectors charting different courses. The former will see activity stabilize as strong growth in residential renovations offsets contractions in new housing. The non-residential sector is projected to rise to a peak in 2024 before experiencing moderate reductions to 2030 as currently known major healthcare, education, transit, manufacturing, and utilities projects are completed.

Ontario’s construction sector experienced a marginal decline in 2023 and is projected to do so again in 2024 as its residential sector recedes from recent highs. The contractions are short lived, however, as the sector returns to growth between 2025 and 2028, and remains high through 2033. The non-residential sector continues to be driven by a large inventory of major infrastructure projects and a projected recovery in commercial-building construction. These carry through until at least 2029. With employment projected to reach peak levels in the residential and non-residential sectors in 2028 and 2029, many trades and occupations could experience strained conditions.

In Manitoba, construction will be principally driven by activity in the non-residential sector. Growth will be greatest in the construction of industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings, and strong output in engineering construction in later years. Residential sector activity is projected to contract across the forecast period, with losses greatest in the new-housing component.

The outlook for Saskatchewan’s construction sector is dominated by growth in the residential sector, which is projected to strengthen between 2025 and 2028 and remain elevated to 2033. The non-residential sector, however, is projected to see little growth across most of the forecast period, and declines in later years as the current inventory of known projects is completed. A younger demographic is well positioned to replace retiring workers.

Alberta’s residential and non-residential construction sectors are both projected to record growth across the forecast period. Non-residential activity is anticipated to chart a steady trend up to the end of the decade, with growth in the oil and gas sector, as well as in engineering construction and the construction of industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings. Meanwhile, the residential sector is expected to cycle up in the short term before contracting modestly in the long run.

The outlook for B.C.’s construction sector sees varying trends. Non-residential activity is projected to experience a modest decline in the short term as several major projects reach conclusion or move past peak construction activity levels. Investment is then sustained into 2026 before work begins on a number of major engineering construction projects that carry through to 2029. Residential sector activity is expected to remain unchanged in 2024 and 2025 before the market sees a moderate up-cycle to 2029. By 2033, renovation activity is projected to surpass new-housing construction as the key driver of residential demands.

“With many provinces experiencing similar growth patterns across the forecast period, it will be challenging for employers to recruit workers from other regions or other parts of the country to fill labour gaps,” said Warren Douglas, vice-chair of BuildForce Canada. “The challenge is compounded by Canada’s aging demographic. It’s not just that more than one-quarter million workers are projected to retire from the construction sector over the forecast period. It’s also that there is a smaller pool of younger workers from which to draw their replacements. This challenge isn’t unique to construction. That means that other sectors will also be competing for the same smaller pool of new workers, thereby intensifying competition.”

Diversification will be key to addressing labour shortages

The development of skilled tradespersons in the construction industry takes years, and often requires participation in a provincial apprenticeship program. Replacing retiring workers typically requires several years of pre-planning to avoid the creation of skills gaps.

By 2033, the industry’s overall hiring requirements are expected to reach 351,800 due to the retirement of approximately 263,400 workers, or 21% of the current labour force, and growth in worker demand of more than 88,000.

Based on historical trends, Canada’s construction industry is expected to draw an estimated 266,300 first-time entrants aged 30 and younger, leaving the industry with a possible retirement-recruitment gap of 85,500 workers. According to BuildForce, an ongoing commitment to apprenticeship development in both compulsory and non-compulsory trades will be necessary to ensure there are sufficient numbers of qualified tradespeople to sustain a skilled labour force over the long term.

“The construction industry remains focused on building a more diverse and inclusive labour force,” said Strickland. “The industry has been working hard to enhance the recruitment of individuals from groups traditionally under-represented in the construction labour force, such as women, Indigenous People, and newcomers to Canada. Creating greater awareness of the tremendous career opportunities for these individuals within the construction sector will be critical to ensuring the sector is able to meet its future workforce needs.”

In 2023, there were approximately 210,800 women employed in Canada’s construction industry. Of them, 28% worked directly in on-site construction. However, as a share of the total 1.18 million tradespeople employed in the industry, women accounted for just 5% of the on-site construction workforce.

The Indigenous population is another under-represented group that presents recruitment opportunities for the construction industry. In 2021, Indigenous People accounted for 5.1% of Canada’s construction labour force, which is a slight decline from the share of 5.2% observed in 2016, but is notably higher than the share of Indigenous workers represented in the overall labour force (4.1%). As the Indigenous population is the fastest growing in Canada and Indigenous workers seem predisposed to the pursuit of careers within the sector, there may be scope to further increase the recruitment of Indigenous People into the construction workforce.

The construction industry may also leverage newcomers over the coming decade to meet anticipated labour market requirements. Based on current trends, Canada is expected to see elevated levels of immigration over the forecast period. BuildForce stated that this will make newcomers a key contributor to the industry’s labour force. In 2022, newcomers comprised about 19% of the total construction labour force. That figure is notably lower than the 27% share newcomers make up of the overall labour force.

Increasing the participation rate of women, Indigenous People, and newcomers could help Canada’s construction industry address its future labour force needs.

The report was produced with the support and input of a variety of construction and maintenance industry stakeholders, and was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.

Ruth Legg has joined Concert Properties as vice president, environment, social & governance. Legg has spent a decade in financial services, most recently as Americas head of supply chain sustainability and diversity at HSBC. 

Jerome Julier has been appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer for Aecon. Julier brings two decades of leadership experience in finance, strategy, and capital markets with a significant focus on industrial businesses in the construction, engineering, and transportation sectors.

Elliott Altberg has been appointed executive vice president, eastern Canada, at Beedie. He joins Beedie with almost 20 years of experience in real estate in capital markets, private equity/pension fund investments, property brokerage, and corporate mergers and acquisitions at some of the most pre-eminent real estate and investment banking firms in North America.

Jennifer Mallard has been selected as principal for Henriquez Partners Architects’ new Toronto studio. Previously a partner at Diamond Schmitt, Mallard developed extensive knowledge of the Toronto market, with over 30 years of experience leading the design and delivery of civic, residential, educational and institutional projects.

Mike Keane has been hired as a senior project manager at Roc Modular. Keane has nearly a decade of experience in the modular construction industry, successfully managing a variety of large-scale modular multi-unit housing and commercial projects.

Josh White has been chosen as the City of Vancouver’s next general manager, planning, urban design and sustainability (PDS) following an extensive recruitment process. His most recent role was director, city and regional planning and co-chief planner at the City of Calgary.

I received an incredibly warm welcome from an almost overwhelming number of people that reached out from Vancouver today. I look forward to collaborating in confronting the challenges of housing affordability and continuing to make Vancouver even more liveable and sustainable!

Josh White, general manager, planning, urban design and sustainability, City of Vancouver

Francis Roy has been appointed chair of the Canadian Construction Association’s board of directors. A 30-year veteran of the industry, Roy is president and CEO of Groupe Humaco companies.

Shirin Oshidari has joined Salus as its chief revenue officer. Oshidari has overseen sales and services for innovative construction tech companies like Primavera, Autodesk, StreetLight Data and OpenSpace. She will spearhead Salus’ expansion into the U.S. market.

Dante Gamboa has been promoted to business development representative at 505-Junk. 

Frank Carillo and Nicholas Pang have joined Stack Modular as project manager and project coordinator, respectively. 

Ricardo Brites has been promoted to director of engineering & VDC at Mercer Mass Timber after two years with the company. 

Troy MacBeth Ambromaitis is leaving Bucci Developments after 11 years. Ambromaitis stated that his time at Bucci was filled with invaluable experiences, growth opportunities, and cherished memories spanning over a decade.

Ryan Pfeiffer is now a partner at Rain City Industrial where he will assume a pivotal role in leading its refrigeration division forward into a new era of innovation and excellence.

Thomas Grell has joined Graham as its executive vice president, services. Grell has nearly three decades of progressive leadership experience and a proven track record of success across diverse industries. He will lead Graham’s Services division with a focus on exceptional safety results, repeat business with key clients, and sustained growth.

Chris Colbeck, president of Townline, has announced his retirement. Colbeck launched his real estate career in 1990. His successor will be Daryl Simpson, who is known for his work with the Urban Development Institute, the Hecht Foundation and the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Mission Group has restructured its senior leadership team. Randy Shier, co-founder and president is now chief product officer. Luke Turri will shift from executive vice president to president. Steve Abel will move from vice president of finance to chief financial officer. 

Lindsay Brand has been appointed chief investment officer of Concert Properties. Brand will lead Concert’s national team responsible for the income-producing property portfolio, including acquisitions, dispositions, asset and fund management, leasing and property management. She will also oversee Concert Income Properties, an open-ended, limited partnership Canadian fund.

Shane McKernan is now director of preconstruction at Axiom Builders. McKernan began his career as a Red Seal carpenter and went on to high level roles at Keltic Development and Chard Development before joining Axiom.

David Woolley is starting a new position as director of business development, western Canada, at T-RAIL Products. Woolley has more than six years of engineering design experience in the specialized railroad trackwork industry for both light rail and class one railroad agencies.

Rene Ruano has joined EllisDon as a project manager. Previously, he spent eight years at Magil Construction.

Ross Daigle, former owner of Dovie Mechanical, has joined Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical as vice president of operations. Matthew Robinson, one of the company’s partners, will now assume the role of senior vice president. James Zelinski, C.Mgr will take on the position of vice president of administration.

Paul Kelly has been promoted to vice president of operations, pipeline and Davide Fulcini has been promoted to vice president of operations, infrastructure at Surerus Murphy Joint Venture.  

Both Paul and Davide have held increasingly senior positions within Surerus Murphy and are recognized within the industry for their expertise in early contractor engagement, engineering, design, and construction, as well as their exceptional people leadership and “can do” attitudes.

Surerus Murphy

Dave Filipchuk, PCL president and CEO, has been recognized by the Canadian Construction Association as this year’s Pinnacle Leader. recognizes leaders who apply the highest standards and principles of the construction industry and business community. 

I accept this recognition humbly, knowing the credit is shared with an incredibly talented leadership team that I’m part of, and that our 5,000 plus contingent of dedicated construction professionals have made this possible.

Dave Filipchuk, PCL president and CEO

Martin Jepil has been named chief information officer at Avison Young where he will be tasked with overseeing the firm’s information technology platform and overall architecture. Jepil first joined the firm in April 2021 as Principal, Global Vice President Enterprise Architecture, responsible for delivering world-class technology solutions and products to facilitate client success.

John M. Beck, founder and chairman of Aecon, will receive the title Honorary Doctor of Laws from Assumption University. The Doctor of Laws is presented upon recommendation of Assumption University’s Senate and conferred by the Chancellor, Bishop Ronald Fabbro.

Orlene King is celebrating 15 years at Graham where she works as its senior director of communications.

Some might say that’s a long time to spend with one organization. Hasn’t always been easy but when your values align and you work with talented people, loyalty comes easy.

Orlene King, senior director, communications, Graham Group

Philippe Michalik has been promoted to director of finance and analytics, and Janet McCausland has been hired as head of corporate and external affairs at Kindred Works.

Zachary McLeod has been promoted to operations manager at Graham. He has spent 13 years at the company, originally starting as a project coordinator.

Rabih Zahnan is Wesgroup Properties‘ new senior vice president and managing director, construction. He brings over 20 years of experience in construction, commercial real estate development and operations throughout North America and overseas. He most recently held the role of president and chief operating officer at Sorensen Gross Construction Company

 Angela Sahi has been appointed as Morguard’s new president and chief operating officer. In this new role, Sahi will oversee the company’s operations and drive strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing Morguard’s market position and delivering value to its stakeholders. 

I am deeply honoured and excited to take on the role of President and COO at Morguard. I am grateful for the trust and support of the Board of Directors, and I am committed to leading Morguard toward continued growth and success. Together with our talented team, I look forward to capitalizing on new opportunities and delivering reliable performance to our investors, tenants, and partners.

Angela Sahi, Morguard president and COO