Author: Russell Hixson

* 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. 

As the first female president of RSG International and president of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC), Laronde isn’t just breaking down barriers for women in construction. She is obliterating them. Laronde is widely known for her passion around building psychologically safe work environments where diversity and inclusion are at the forefront. Her impact has gone far beyond just construction. Last year she was recognized by the Women’s Executive Network as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. Check out our interview with Laronde to get her thoughts on leadership, golf, mentoring and more.

SiteNews: Is there one book, podcast, video or piece of content that you think everyone in construction should check out?

Lisa Laronde: I think anyone in leadership and construction should check out ‘No Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention’ by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer. It is almost like a guide to forward-thinking and outside-of-the box management practices, and it also makes a good argument as to why employees need to critique their leaders.

Did you have a mentor or role model early in your career? How did their guidance or example shape your path in construction?

To be honest, throughout my career, I didn’t have any mentors guiding me down my path. The urge to lead was developed at a young age, as was my drive. What I did have were examples of people I knew I just didn’t want to be like.

I was lucky to grow up with a strong and independent mother who taught me to fight for what I believe in and to stay true to my morals and ethics. She also taught me that a good sense of humour goes a long way. My mother has always been my role model; she instilled confidence in me, self-awareness, and a belief that I could do anything I could put my mind to, but she never allowed me to expect that it would necessarily be easy.

Believing in yourself is essential for overcoming barriers and setbacks and for pursuing ambitious career goals.

Along with my mother, I look to another powerful woman in my life, my Gen Z daughter, who has been my source of inspiration, and I am continually motivated by her remarkable journey as she sets an example of what is achievable.

At 24, she embarked on a journey to pursue a career in a foreign country. I have watched her navigate an unfamiliar language and social landscape with grace and determination. Observing her accomplishments professionally with confidence, integrity, and excellence ignites a sense of aspiration that motivates me to continue to be an advocate for gender equity and pushes me to continue to be an inspirational leader in the construction industry.

What was the biggest calculated risk you took in your career, and what were the rewards (or lessons learned) from that experience?

In 2015, I made the decision to leave my job to pursue a position at a company in a different industry that was located four hours away. My plan was to relocate after a year, but just one week before I was about to put an offer in on a house, I was fired. It was a tough blow, but one that taught me a valuable lesson: getting fired isn’t the end of the world.

To be honest, I had known deep down inside that the organization wasn’t the right fit for me, despite my efforts to make it work. I learned the importance of staying true to my core values and not compromising on what truly matters to me. And, in speaking with successful entrepreneurs, I have discovered that failure is often part of the journey to success. The experience taught me not to let the fear of failure hold me back from trying new things or speaking up for myself.

What advice would you give to your younger self, just starting out in your career?

Be confident, believe in yourself, take risks, be willing to fail, and when you do, pick yourself back up and try again. You will encounter challenges and obstacles, so surround yourself with people who believe in and support you. Don’t listen to the negative things people say or do.  When I stepped into an executive leadership position, I quickly realized the importance of learning golf. In the corporate arena, countless crucial deals and networking opportunities unfold on the green, and to be part of those discussions, I had to be out on the course. Learning the game wasn’t about becoming a pro; it was about levelling the playing field with my male counterparts. I often encourage women to learn the game, as I believe it fosters a sense of balance in leadership dynamics, and by participating in the traditionally male-dominated game, women can help dismantle barriers and foster mutual respect and inclusive decision-making processes.

Key Takeaways:

• The pilot project at the Lafarge Brookfield Cement Plant (Nova Scotia) aimed to produce high-quality clinker made of recycled minerals recovered from waste sources.
• The positive industrial trial was performed in February and cement from this clinker will be produced in spring for further testing and development of the technology.
• In order to be able to produce 100% recycled material clinker, Geocycle Canada collaborated with waste and by-products generators in Nova Scotia.

The Whole Story:

Lafarge Canada and Geocycle Canada, members Holcim Group, have completed a historic pilot project to reduce the environmental impact of cement and concrete.

The pilot project at the Lafarge Brookfield Cement Plant (Nova Scotia) aimed to produce high-quality clinker made of recycled minerals recovered from waste sources. The method can potentially reduce CO2 level by 60% per tonne of clinker. Clinker is the main ingredient in cement, which in turn, is the active ingredient in concrete. It was the first-ever pilot test conducted in North America and the second one in the world across Holcim Group. Globally, each year, there is more concrete sold than all other building materials combined.

“Our teams have been tirelessly working towards finding solutions to decarbonize our business in Canada,” says David Redfern, president and CEO, Lafarge Canada (East). “This new recycled minerals clinker combines operational excellence with circular construction, building new and green from what is considered old and waste. This is a great example of how far we can go – the local team at Brookfield is certainly setting the tone for the industry in Canada.”

Over the past year, Lafarge Canada, Geocycle Canada, and the Holcim Group Innovation Centre have been collaborating on a 100% circular production of clinker at the Brookfield Plant. The new production method involves substitution of virgin raw materials with lower carbon options from waste sources and utilization of fuels from materials otherwise destined for landfill. The positive industrial trial was performed in February and cement from this clinker will be produced in spring for further testing and development of the technology.

“This new clinker product will be used to produce a 100% recycled cement during this pilot, which will in turn be employed in ready mix concrete operations to produce a 100% recycled concrete product – advancing decarbonization and circular construction in Nova Scotia,” explained Andrew Stewart, vice president, Cement, Lafarge Canada (East).

In order to be able to produce 100% recycled material clinker, Geocycle Canada collaborated with waste and by-products generators in Nova Scotia to secure a solution that contained the necessary components.

“Our Green Growth goals are repurposing industrial waste and by-products for the very foundations of our homes and other buildings, and this is how we contribute to the circular economy, ” said Sophie Wu, head of Geocycle North America.

In 2022, Holcim’s Altkirch plant (France) was the first cement manufacturing facility in the world to produce clinker made entirely of recycled minerals. This year, the successful trial in Nova Scotia is a further testament to the company’s global commitment to business decarbonization and investment in circular construction.

Key Takeaways:

• Major projects include construction of the Sunnyside Flood Barrier and rehabilitation of the 4 Avenue Flyover and Mission Bridge.
• Other projects include rehabbing nearly 400 lane kilometres of roadway, spending $89.6 million to expand the Calgary Composting Facility and adding more ice rinks at Glenmore Twin Arena.
• Officials say the improvements will make it easier to live, play, and get around in the city.

The Whole Story:

The City of Calgary plans to embark on more than $800 million in construction work this year for parks, streets, public transit and recreation and operational facilities. 

“City infrastructure supports everyone who calls Calgary home, as well as those visiting from around the world,” said Michael Thompson, general manager of infrastructure services. “The improvements we have planned for this year will make it easier to live, play, and get around in the city. It will help keep our city healthy, clean and safe; and it will make our communities more vibrant and welcoming.”

In addition to several major projects happening downtown this year, including construction of the Sunnyside Flood Barrier and rehabilitation of the 4 Avenue Flyover and Mission Bridge, here are some of the other upcoming project highlights:

Recreation

• New outdoor sports fields at Rocky Ridge Athletic Park: Plans are to build a new athletic park in Rocky Ridge. The park includes two new outdoor multi-use artificial turf fields, washrooms, parking and field lighting. It’s a $24 million investment that will be underway starting in fall of 2024.
• Upgrades to Calgary Soccer Centre: Crews will install a new FIFA-size artificial turf field under an air-conditioned dome. It will be accompanied by a new attached building with change rooms and washrooms. It’s a $28 million investment, which will be underway between spring 2024 to spring 2025.
• More ice rinks at Glenmore Twin Arena: The city is increasing the availability of ice rinks at Glenmore Athletic Park with a new twin-ice arena that will replace the aging Stu Peppard Arena. It’s an $85.6 million investment, which will be underway from fall 2024 to summer 2027. Stu Peppard Arena will remain open until the Glenmore Twin Arena is complete.
• Upgrades to Sandy Beach Park: Crews will install a new paved entrance, adding parking spaces, and upgrading water utility connections, including drought-resistant landscaping and pathway connections. It’s estimated to cost about $6 million and is expected to be under construction from summer 2024 to late 2025. 

Transportation/roads

• Upgrading Calgary’s streets: The city will make more than 100 upgrades to existing streets across the city through the Various Street Improvements (VSI) Program, including intersections, traffic calming, sidewalks, pathways, and transit facilities. It’s an approximately $10 million investment for safety and operations improvements, scheduled to be underway during the 2024 construction season.
• New pavement: Nearly 400 lane kilometres of roadway will be rehabbed this season. Thanks to an increased investment from Council in 2023, the program will invest approximately $50 million to rehabilitate 20-30% more pavement than last year.
• Improving public spaces in Ramsay and Inglewood: The city is finalizing designs for new and upgraded connections around the future Ramsay-Inglewood Green Line Station. Construction is expected to start later the summer. In advance of this work, officials preparing to replace and extend the water mains along 12 Street S.E. between 8 Avenue S.E. and 11 Avenue S.E. to accommodate future growth.
• Preparing for the Green Line with the North Central Bus Rapid Transit line: While planning continues to bring future Green Line LRT service to the north, the North Central Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line is an immediate step to provide Calgarians in the north fast, frequent and reliable transit options. Construction began in April in communities along Centre Street from Country Hills Boulevard North to 28 Ave N.W. It’s anticipated to be complete in summer 2025.

Community improvements

• Improving Calgary’s Main Streets: Work continues this year to upgrade Bridgeland and Marda Loop Main Streets. The improvements to the sidewalk, streetscape improvements and infrastructure will support future development, businesses and increasing populations. Work is expected to be complete in both Marda Loop and Bridgeland in 2025.
• Protecting and improving the Riley area: The city is undertaking several projects in the communities of Hillhurst, Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill, Sunnyside and West Hillhurst that improve public spaces, increase mobility and accessibility, and protect the area from river flooding.

Environment/safety

• Expanding the Calgary Composting Facility: The city is investing $89.6 million so the Calgary Composting Facility can support the record-amount of organics that Calgarians are diverting from landfills through the green cart program. This expansion helps Calgary make progress on our path to net-zero and produces nutrient-rich compost for use in our gardens and parks. Composting also creates renewable natural gas, which will be sold to support the green cart program. Construction for the expansion started in April 2024 and is expected to be completed in late 2025. For more information on composting, visit our web page.
• A new fire station in the northeast: Construction begins this year in Cornerstone on a new integrated Fire Station and Household Hazardous Waste drop-off location. The new two-bay Cornerstone Fire Station will replace the temporary one-bay Skyview Fire Station. Construction on the $16 million facility began in February 2024 and is expected to be completed by spring 2025. In the future, The City also plans to develop future affordable housing at the location.
• Supporting growth and development in the southwest: The city will continue to build the Providence Offsite Storm Trunk. This project is part of the New Community Growth Strategy and involves installing a new 3.6 km system of underground pipe. A large-diameter pipe will carry treated stormwater from storm ponds in 14 new southwest communities to Fish Creek as part of the system that prevents roadway flooding. The $40 million project started in 2022 and will continue into 2026.
• Doubling the sanitary sewer capacity: Work continues in 2024 on the Nose Creek Sanitary Sewer Trunk, which will more than double the sanitary sewer capacity in north Calgary to support future development and population growth. Much of the project is being completed by tunneling, which reduces construction impacts on park and green space. As part of this work, crews are improving Laycock Park for all users, including completing missing pathway connections and constructing a new parking lot, and rain garden. 
• Enhancing aging underground utility infrastructure: The city stated that it takes a proactive approach to protecting and replacing aging infrastructure through a variety of annual programs. These programs reduce emergency repairs and service interruptions. In 2024, communities will benefit from planned utility infrastructure enhancements through the water main replacement program, sanitary main replacement program, watermain anode retrofit program and more.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has announced the winners of the 2024 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence, a national competition for new homes, renovations, community development, and residential marketing. Winners were presented during an awards gala in Saint John, New Brunswick, at the final event of CHBA’s Home Building Week in Canada.

More than 900 entries were submitted, making 2024 a record-breaking year for entries. Nearly 300 volunteer industry experts from across Canada went through the submissions to select the finalists and winners.

The competition this year had 48 categories, including single-family homes, multi-family, high-rises and new communities. Two categories for Net Zero Homes showcased top projects from CHBA’s Net Zero Home Labelling Program, which has been operating since 2015. The competition also includes categories for home renovations at various price points, and recognizes the best in residential marketing endeavours.

Calgary companies dominated the night’s top honours, with two companies earning repeat wins.

The distinguished Design Excellence Award went to two companies from Calgary: Douglas Homes and Jayman BUILT. The award is given to the company that has the best cumulative results in the new homes and new home spaces categories. It was the third year in a row that Jayman BUILT in Calgary has claimed the award.

The Renovation Excellence Award for best overall performance in the home renovation categories was awarded again this year to Ultimate Renovations from Calgary. They were finalists in five categories and came away with three individual awards in addition to the best-overall accolade.

The Marketing Excellence Award for overall success in marketing categories was presented to Mattamy Homes and Gladstone Media from Toronto. In addition to the best overall award, their project BLDV Q was a finalist in three marketing categories, winning one.

“These awards truly demonstrate the variety of homes that are built and renovated in Canada each year. Whether for rent or ownership, changing life circumstances or needs, the professionals that build and renovate Canadian homes and communities are creating spaces that people want to call home. We are proud of the accomplishments of this year’s winners and finalists,” said CHBA CEO Kevin Lee.

Check out the full list of winners below:

Marketing awards

Best Signage
HIP Developments Inc., Cambridge, ON: “Strata Condos”
with Pureblink

Best Brochure/Kit
EMBLEM Developments Inc., Toronto, ON: “ALLURE”
with The Brand Factory, Arcadis IBI Group

Best Website
Everglade Development, Richmond, BC: “Oakhaus – 20 Townhomes by Oakridge”
with Cynthia Florano Design

Best Digital Advertising Campaign
Branthaven Homes, Burlington, ON: “West&Post”

Best Print Ad
Activa, Waterloo, ON: “Fur Kids Love Activa Energy Efficient Homes”

Best Virtual Tour Experience
Tridel, Toronto, ON: “Harbourwalk”
with II BY IV DESIGN, Pureblink, and The Brand Factory

Best Sales Office
ByBurnac, Toronto, ON: “The Bedford”
with The Brand Factory

Best Short Video (under 45 seconds)
Mattamy Homes and Gladstone Media, Toronto, ON: “BLVD Q”

Best Long Video (45 seconds and longer)
Stranville Living, Lethbridge, AB: “Who Deserves Better?”

Best Interior Decorating (Model/Showhome)
Haven & Co., Saskatoon, SK: “Lakehouse”

Best Renderings
Cielle Properties Inc., Vancouver, BC: “Rundle Park”

Best Branding and Identity
ByBurnac, Toronto, ON: “The Bedford”
with The Brand Factory

Renovation awards

Best Kitchen Renovation under $70,000
Ultimate Renovations, Calgary, AB: “Woodbine Elegance”

Best Kitchen Renovation $70,000-$100,000
Enzo Design Build Inc., West Vancouver, BC: “Zephyr”

Best Kitchen Renovation over $100,000
BRIKS Design Build Group, Toronto, ON: “Chef’s Haven”

Best Bathroom Renovation
Ultimate Renovations, Calgary, AB: “Sovereign Spa Symphony”

Best Basement Renovation
Ultimate Renovations, Calgary, AB: “Sovereign Splendor”

Best Exterior Renovation
Vision Pacific Contracting Ltd., Whistler, BC: “Mountain Haven”

Best Single Room Renovation
West of Main, Ottawa, ON: “Good Vibes House”

Best Whole Home Renovation under $200,000
CADO Developments Inc., Lethbridge, AB: “13th Street Home Remodel”

Best Whole Home Renovation $200,000 – $300,000
Benjamin Matthew Contracting Ltd., Edmonton, AB: “River Valley Revival”

Best Whole Home Renovation $300,001 – $500,000
J. Zsiros Contracting Ltd., Courtenay, BC: “Sandpines”

Best Whole Home Renovation $500,001 – $800,000
Calgreen Homes, Calgary, AB: “The Hidden Oasis”

Best Whole Home Renovation over $800,000
Coulson Design Build Inc., Amherstburg, ON: “Modern Mountain Makeover”

New home awards

Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Completed)
MOD Developments Inc. and Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, Toronto, ON: “Waterworks”
with Cecconi Simone Inc.

Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Planned)
Carrington Communities, Kelowna, BC: “Vista Condominiums at Predator Ridge”

Best Entry-Level Home
Douglas Homes, Calgary, AB: “Cambridge”

Best Attached Low-Rise Home under 1500 sq. ft.
Adisa Homes Ltd., Squamish, BC: “Splendid”

Best Attached Low-Rise Home 1500-1800 sq. ft
Jayman BUILT, Calgary, AB: “Brook – The Streams of Lake Mahogany”

Best Attached Low-Rise Home over 1800 sq. ft.
Diverse Properties, Abbotsford, BC: “Iron Horse Rooftop Rowhome 224”

Best Detached Production Home under 1800 sq. ft.
Jayman BUILT, Edmonton, AB: “Taylor 24”

Best Detached Production Home 1800-2100 sq. ft.
Miracon Development Inc., Surrey, BC: “Mirada Estates Lot 57”

Best Detached Production Home 2101 to 2400 sq. ft.
UrbanAge Homes, Edmonton, AB: “The Beverly”

Best Detached Production Home 2401 to 2800 sq. ft.
UrbanAge Homes, Edmonton, AB: “The Augusta”

Best Detached Production Home over 2800 sq. ft.
Marble Construction Ltd., North Vancouver, BC: “The Ottawa House”
with Arcwood Millwork Inc.

Best Detached Custom Home under 2500 sq. ft.
Mavrik Home Builders Ltd., Saskatoon, SK: “The Escher”

Best Detached Custom Home 2501-3000 sq. ft.
Blueline Contracting Ltd., Squamish, BC: “Alpine A-Frame”

Best Detached Custom Home 3001-4000 sq. ft.
Icon Developments Ltd., Ucluelet, BC: “The Muse”

Best Detached Custom Home 4001-5000 sq. ft.
Upward Construction, North Vancouver, BC: “California Dream”
with SGDI Sarah Gallop Design Inc.

Best Detached Custom Home over 5000 sq. ft.
Lux Homes Design & Build Inc., London, ON: “Modern Scandinavian”

Best Production Kitchen
Marble Construction Ltd., North Vancouver, BC: “The Ottawa House”
with Arcwood Millwork

Best Custom Kitchen
Vicky’s Homes, Edmonton, AB: “Vernazza”

Best Bathroom
Jay Robinson Custom Homes Inc., Campbellville, ON: “Chelsea Creek Bathroom”

Best Bedroom/Primary Suite
Vicky’s Homes, Edmonton, AB: “Vernazza”

Net zero home awards

Best Production Net Zero Home
Minto Communities Management Inc. and Metropia, Toronto, ON: “Union Village” with RN Design Ltd., Bluewater Energy Inc., Building Knowledge Canada Inc., and HVAC
Designs Ltd.

Best Custom or Renovated Net Zero Home
RND Construction Ltd., Ottawa, ON: “Quarry Park Modern”
with Hobin Architecture

Community development awards

Best New Community
Dream Unlimited, Edmonton, AB: “Elan – Beaumont”

Best Growing Community
Dream Unlimited, Calgary, AB: “Alpine Park”

Marketing excellence awards

Mattamy Homes and Gladstone Media, Toronto, ON

Renovation excellence award

Ultimate Renovations, Calgary, AB

Design excellence award (tie)

Douglas Homes, Calgary, AB
Jayman BUILT, Calgary, AB

• Director of Operations – Victoria or Richmond, B.C. – Bird Construction
• Senior Project Engineer, Nuclear – Oakville, Ont. – Kiewit
• Senior Project Manager – Richmond, B.C. – Wales McLelland
• Director, Governance and Strategy – Montreal, Que. – Pomerleau
• Estimating Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – ETRO Construction
• Senior Estimator – Richmond, B.C. – EllisDon
• Senior Project Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Beedie
• Senior Cost Estimator – Saskatoon, Sask. – Engcomp

Construction has the potential to be a force for good and these non-profits, social enterprises and charities are seizing that potential. They are tackling homelessness, cancer, housing, employment and much more. Check out our list below and let us know if there is a group that you think should be on our next list.

The Cypress Challenge (Glotman Simpson)

After his mother-in-law passed away from pancreatic cancer, Geoffrey Glotman, managing principal of engineering firm Glotman Simpson, decided to use his love of cycling to help others. the Cypress Challenge, a gruelling 12-km hill climb up Cypress Mountain in Metro Vancouver, was established to raise awareness and support with the hope that more funds for research will lead to improved outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. To date it has raised nearly $4.5 million and become the largest privately funded fundraising event for pancreatic cancer in Canada and the largest community-based event for BC Cancer Foundation.

Building Up

Building Up is using construction to tackle multiple community issues at the same time. The social enterprise traces its roots back to BUILD Inc in Winnipeg, where a group of individuals recognized the impending surge in energy upgrading for Manitoba housing. Driven by a desire to bridge this work with communities striving to break the cycle of poverty, they established a non-profit business model. This approach not only addressed housing upgrades but also served as a platform for training and employing residents. Initially focusing on toilet retrofits for water conservation and plumbing training, Building Up gradually expanded its services and participant support. Today, Building Up boasts multiple businesses, a comprehensive program and training center, and a dedicated team of case managers, trades people and counsellors.

Play Forever

When Mohammed Al-Salem isn’t doing community benefits and relations work for EllisDon, he’s using those same skills to help oversee his own charity Play Forever. The organization is a non-profit providing structured and accessible recreation, education and mental health services to the youth of Toronto. Play Forever currently serves youth ages 8-29 with weekly programs, primarily focused on helping youth from marginalized communities and low-income families.

EMBERS

EMBERS is igniting hope for those looking to improve their lives by entering the workforce. The registered charity says its mission is to create economic and employment opportunities for people by providing them jobs, training, and support. Part of their work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is providing construction training and connecting clients with jobs. Every year, EMBERS Staffing employs thousands of individuals from diverse backgrounds, placing them in short and long-term jobs. As a social enterprise, they invest 100% of profits back into the community in the form of worker support programs, higher hourly wages, free tool and equipment rentals and access to certified skills training opportunities. They are supported by someone Canada’s biggest contractors, including PCL, EllisDon, ITC Construction Group, Chandos and more.

Helmets to Hardhats

Transitioning from military life to civilian life can be hard. Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) Canada is making this transition easier. The registered non-profit organization has been providing second career opportunities within Canada’s Building Trade Unions to the military-affiliated community for over a decade. We ensure the military community is connected to careers with the best industry wages, benefits and pension plans. At the same time, Canada’s Unions and employers receive highly motivated, trained and dedicated employees to add to their workforce. H2H is recognized as a leading service provider by the Government of Ontario, the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada.

Working Gear

Why Working Gear Matters from Smart City Media on Vimeo.

Simply not having the right gear to step onto a construction site can be a massive barrier to someone looking to enter the workforce. Working Gear wants to change that. Working Gear is a volunteer-run charity located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. They provide industry-appropriate clothing and haircutting services to individuals experiencing unemployment or underemployment. This includes formal wear for an interview and construction gear for the job site.

BUILD

BUILD – an acronym for Building Urban Industries for Local Development – is an Indigenous social enterprise non-profit contractor and a training program for people who face barriers to employment. The Winnipeg-based group provides apartment turnover maintenance and renovations for landlords. Our work employs neighbourhood people, cuts crime, decreases EIA rates, and builds the next generation of the much-needed workforce.

New Commons Development

New Commons Development is a non-profit real estate development company that is taking a different approach to address Canada’s housing crisis. By partnering with non-profits, co-operatives, faith-based groups and the public sector, their goal is to develop affordable housing and social purpose real estate. New Commons Development earns a development fee through each project but they typically share this fee with its partners. This development fee is funded through the project so that their partners do not incur this cost as a direct expense. They have offices in Toronto and Vancouver.

Key Takeaways

• The project consists of building approximately 200 kilometres of high-pressure natural gas pipeline and related control and compression facilities that will run from Peers, Alberta, to the northeast Edmonton area.
• The project is expected to create thousands of direct jobs during construction and enable more than $20 billion of investment and associated employment in Alberta by customers, including Dow’s Path2Zero project, while providing additional market access to producers.
• The project plans to be on-stream in Q4 2027 with construction expected to commence in 2026, subject to regulatory and company approvals.

The Whole Story:

ATCO is embarking on its largest energy project ever—a $2-billion natural gas pipeline in Alberta. 

The Yellowhead Mainline project will expand the capacity and enhance the efficiency of the province’s natural gas network, connecting natural gas producers to key markets and delivering the energy for Alberta’s growing population.  

“As Alberta’s energy demand continues to grow, the Yellowhead Mainline will play a crucial role in reinforcing Alberta’s energy infrastructure and enhancing access to reliable energy from one of the cleanest sources of natural gas on the planet,” said Wayne Stensby, chief operating officer, ATCO Energy Systems. “Canadian Utilities has been delivering safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 100 years and we are excited to embark on this new landmark infrastructure project which we expect to contribute to a prosperous future for Albertans in the decades to come.”

The project is expected to create approximately 2,000 jobs during construction and will provide gas supply for the more than $20 billion of investment and associated employment in Alberta, including the Dow Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero project.

“Dow appreciates the partnership with ATCO to supply Dow’s Path2Zero project. Together these projects will have a profound positive impact on communities, creating jobs and economic opportunity for Alberta,” said Diego Ordonez, president, Dow Canada. “Collaboration with government officials, the community of Fort Saskatchewan, our Indigenous neighbors, and the host of partner companies such as ATCO have been key to enabling Dow’s investment to move forward.”

The pipeline project consists of building approximately 200 kilometres of high-pressure natural gas pipeline and related control and compression facilities that will run from Peers, Alta., to the northeast Edmonton area.

Total investment for the project is expected to exceed $2 billion, with more precise cost estimation subject to further refinement of project scope, route and detailed engineering. The expansion is expected to have the capability to deliver about 1 billion cubic feet per day of incremental natural gas delivery capacity and is planned to be on-stream in Q4 2027 with construction expected to commence in 2026, subject to regulatory and company approvals.

Key Takeaways:

• 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.

Jamie West, a board director at the Canadian Association of Women in Construction and president of Peninsula Construction, was supportive of the measures but believes this is just the beginning of a broader effort needed to support women and other underrepresented groups. 

“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.

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

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) April 30, 2024

“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.

• Director, Development – Vancouver, B.C. – Intracorp Homes
• Manager, Construction – Ottawa, Ont. – Crown Realty
• Senior Estimator – Vancouver, B.C. – Fluor
• Vice President, Construction – Calgary, Alta. – Highpoint Developments
• Project Director – Markham, Ont. – Aecom
• Vice-President, Major Project, Tunnel & Underground Group – Montreal, Que. – EBC Inc.
• Executive Project Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Seaspan
• Vice President, Projects – Saskatchewan (remote) – Foran Mining
• Senior MEP Coordinator – Vancouver, B.C. – Broadway Subway Project Corporation

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.

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.”

Highway 413 is a central component of the government’s transportation plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, designed to improve travel options and drive economic growth throughout the region.

Key Takeaways:

• 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:

• AtkinsRéalis Major Projects Inc.
• AtkinsRéalis Canada Inc.
• Western Pacific Enterprises Ltd.

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.

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.  

“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?