Author: Russell Hixson

Key Takeaways:

• The government’s target to increase housing did not require removing land from the Greenbelt.
• Political staff had substantial control over the entire Greenbelt amendment exercise.
• Overall, 92% of land removed from the Greenbelt related to five land sites involving three developers.
• The owners of the 15 land sites removed from the Greenbelt could ultimately see more than an $8.3 billion increase to the value of their properties.

The Whole Story:

In a scathing report released this month, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has criticized the Ontario government’s actions in 2022 to open parts of the Greenbelt for development.

Lysyk’s report argued the deal heavily favoured a small group of developers and did not consider environmental impacts.

Ontario’s Greenbelt protects farmland, communities, forests, wetlands and watersheds. It also preserves cultural heritage and supports recreation and tourism in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe. 

Prior to 2022, the Greenbelt included over 800,000 hectares of land and extended 325 km from the eastern end of the Oak Ridges Moraine, near Rice Lake, in the east, to the Niagara River in the west.

Lysyk asserted that the move was executed without due consideration of environmental, agricultural, and financial risks. The auditor general’s report argues that the process proceeded with minimal input from experts or those directly affected, while allegedly favouring specific developers and landowners.

While the people of Ontario deserve prompt action to solve societal problems like those generated by a need for housing, this does not mean that government and non-elected political staff should sideline or abandon protocols and processes that are important to guide objective and transparent decision-making based on sufficient and accurate information

-Lysyk

The investigation found that the decision to remove land from the Greenbelt for housing development was not supported by a need for increased housing. The report noted that the Housing Affordability Task Force and the chief planners of the affected regions demonstrated that the removal of Greenbelt land sites was unnecessary to achieve housing goals.

The report stated that political staff wielded considerable influence throughout the Greenbelt amendment process, with the chief of staff to the housing minister providing a select team of non-political public service staff with criteria tailored to expedite the selection of sites brought forward by specific developers. Lysyk added that the timeline for this selection process was remarkably short, severely limiting the team’s ability to conduct a thorough evaluation of the land sites and explore alternative options.

Further criticism was levelled at the fact that the government considered only a small fraction of the land removal requests submitted since the establishment of the Greenbelt in 2005. Only one out of the 22 land sites initially considered for removal was proposed by the Housing Ministry’s non-political public service staff, while the rest were directly submitted by the chief of staff. The report highlights that 92% of the land ultimately removed from the Greenbelt stemmed from proposals made by three specific developers.

“We moved too fast and there were severe flaws in the process,” said Housing Minister Steve Clark when confronted by reporters during a press conference. “We are committed completely to ensuring that the recommendations get moved forward.”

Clark denied any personal knowledge of how his chief of staff was planning land removal.

Lysyk’s findings indicate that the owners of the 15 land sites removed from the Greenbelt could potentially see an increase of over $8.3 billion in the value of their properties. 

The report points out that almost 1,000 acres of wetlands and woodlands were removed from the Greenbelt, undermining the original vision and goals of the Greenbelt Plan. Furthermore, approximately 83% of the land removed is classified as prime agricultural land, exacerbating concerns about food security and sustainable land use.

Despite some offsetting measures, the report reveals that the additions made to the Greenbelt in exchange for the land removals did not adequately address the loss of agricultural land and natural features. These additions were largely confined to areas already protected and not conducive to development.

“The exercise to change the Greenbelt boundaries in Fall 2022 cannot be described as a standard or defensible process,” Lysyk stated. “The truncated and highly restricted land selection exercise excluded substantive input from land-use planning experts in provincial ministries, municipalities, conservation authorities, First Nations leaders, and the public, while giving preferential treatment to certain developers with direct access to the chief of staff to the minister of municipal affairs and housing.” 

Premier Doug Ford stated that his government plans to work to implement the auditor general’s recommendations and urged people to focus on the positives of the deal.

“I have admitted numerous times that the process could have been a lot better and we are moving on that, but the good news story is that there are going to be 150,000 people with a roof over their heads,” he said.

• Environmental Project Manager – Ontario (remote) – Metrolinx
• Bid Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Aecon Group
• Field Supervisor – Vaughn, Ont. – Aquatech Dewatering Company
• Intermediate/Senior Civil Project Manager – Victoria, B.C. – McElhanney
• Civil/Environmental Project Manager – Burnaby, B.C. – Aecom
• Senior Manager, Stakeholder Relations (Surrey Langley SkyTrain Project) – Vancouver, B.C. – TI Corp
• Indigenous Relations Manager – Surrey, B.C. – FortisBC
• Intermediate Environmental Consultant (Business Development) – Whitby, Ont. – PGL
• Senior Estimator – Toronto, Ont. – KAPP Infrastructure

If you are looking to build your all-star team, try posting your role on the job board or connect with our specialized recruitment experts to find industry-leading talent for your business.

And if you are seeking a job, check out the full list of available positions.

Key Takeaways:

• The objects were discovered during work on the southern half of Sea Island.
• A certified archaeology and heritage lab is assessing them.
• As part of its Sustainability and Friendship Agreement, Musqueam and YVR identify and protect archeological resources.

The Whole Story:

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has voluntarily suspended construction activities on the southern half of Sea Island, encompassing its South Airfield, following the discovery of what are believed to be Musqueam artifacts on the site.

At the time of finding, YVR suspended further work and notified Musqueam Indian Band. The artifacts have been sent to a certified archaeology and heritage lab for technical assessments.

“YVR is located on Sea Island, which is the traditional, unceded, and continuously occupied territory of Musqueam. This archaeological discovery demonstrates the longstanding and continued tie between Musqueam people and their ancestral territories,” said Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO at Vancouver Airport Authority. “For this reason, finding these artifacts is not unexpected and something we plan for together with Musqueam. We are committed to the protection of these artifacts and will continue to work with Musqueam to inform our current and future actions.”

As part of its Sustainability and Friendship Agreement, Musqueam and YVR identify and protect archeological resources. This includes using historic and recent maps of Sea Island to safeguard key areas of archaeological interest and outline protocols for chance finds and how they will be handled.

“Musqueam – our elders, knowledge holders, and staff – will work together with YVR to do the right thing. We recognize this is an important process and are committed to continuing to walk this path together with YVR,” said yəχʷyaχʷələq, (Chief Wayne Sparrow), Musqueam Indian Band.

From essential infrastructure like bridges to the pipes that serve the energy sector, steel is a critical component of the economy. Many of the steel companies in Canada come from humble roots, often just a handful of people, a welding machine and a truck. Some have grown into international giants that are tackling some of the most complex projects in the world. Here are just a handful of those companies with compelling backstories.

Algoma Steel

Algoma Steel was forged in 1901 with two small blast furnaces, a 60-ton Bessemer furnace, a 23- inch bloom rolling mill and rail mill. It has since grown into a fully integrated steel producer based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The company manufactures and sells hot and cold rolled steel products including sheet and plate. The company is currently constructing two new state-of-the-art electric-arc-furnaces to replace its existing blast furnace and basic oxygen steelmaking operations. It’s the biggest construction project in Sault Ste. Marie history. The change is expected to reduce Algoma’s carbon emissions by 70%.

Canam

Canam Steel Works Inc. was founded in St. Gédéon de Beauce, Que. in 1960. Despite a series of devastating fires, the company persisted. The company says it has been involved in more than 300,000 Construction projects in North America. They are also embracing technology. The group recently won an award for its Building Engineering Platform (BEP) which aims to modernize, update or replace some in-house engineering and detailing applications for Canam’s steel products. 

Solid Rock Steel Fabricating Co. Ltd.

Solid Rock is a classic immigrant success story. Berend Steunenberg learned the metal fabricating trade while growing up in Holland and and took his skills to Vancouver in the 1950s. He worked day and night shifts at two jobs to buy an old flat deck truck, a second-hand welding machine and a torch set-up to start Solid Rock Steel. Now the company is helping tackle large, complex projects like The Butterfly, the Surrey Central Library and Microsoft’s Vancouver headquarters.

Stelco

Originally called the Steel Company of Canada, Stelco was created in 1910 via the merger of Montreal Rolling Mills, the Hamilton Steel and Iron Company, and a handful of secondary companies located from Gananoque to Brantford. The company shifted its production during WW1 and WW2 to help with the war effort. Today it serves the construction, automotive, energy, appliance, and pipe and tube industries.

LMS Reinforcing Steel Group

Started in the 1980s with one pickup truck and a crew of 14 ironworkers, LMS Reinforcing Steel Group is one of the biggest independent fabricators and installers of reinforcing steel B.C. The company specializes in residential towers, complex commercial developments, sports facilities and infrastructure in the transportation, energy, oil and gas sectors. Their project resume is iconic: the Golden Ears Bridge, the Sea-to-Sky Highway project, the Vancouver Convention Centre, Ruskin Dam, BC Place and more.

Walters Group

Founded in 1956, Walters Group is a family-owned steel construction company that designs, fabricates, and constructs commercial and industrial projects throughout North America. An iconic Hamilton Ont. business, one of Walters’ first big jobs was with Dutch marine contractor Boskalis as they dredged Hamilton Harbor. Since then it has grown in size and now performs work for major projects like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Brookfield Place and the Burgoyne Bridge.

Sperling Industries

Three Nicolajsen brothers joined forces in 1978 to start Sperling. The private family-owned business began as a small welding repair shop and has since turned into a full-service provider that offers design, engineering, fabrication and installation. The company started with smaller projects in Manitoba, moving into Western Canada, and eventually engaging in work overseas.

Supreme Steel

Now a somewhat familiar tale on this list, Supreme began in 1972 as a modest steel erector business with prairie couple John and Sally Leder’s single welding truck. Through acquisitions and investing in technology, the company has grown beyond Western Canada and expanded across North America. Some of its major projects include the Rainier Tower in Seattle, the Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver and the Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories.

Capitol Steel

Capitol began as a one man, welding operation and has grown into a highly specialized, structural steel fabricator and erector for some of the largest and most demanding projects in the public infrastructure, commercial construction and heavy industrial sectors. Some of Capitol’s projects include the Walterdale Bridge, the Remai Art Gallery, the Grand Valley Bridge Cofferdam and Manitoba Hydro Place.

George Third & Son

Burnaby, B.C.-based George Third & Son was founded in 1910 as a blacksmith shop. Over the past 110 years the blacksmith shop has been upgraded to 55,000 square-foot steel fabrication shop. GTS has a gained a reputation for combining various materials – most notably timber – with structural steel. Its services include design, engineering, welding, cutting, steel forming, machining, custom fabrication, and managing the installation process.

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario is contributing $3.6 million towards several initiatives being led by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO).
• The free programs will focus on increasing female participation, providing online training tools and exclusive employment opportunities to jobseekers.
• The will also give grade 12 students a first-hand look at careers in construction.

The Whole Story:

The Ontario government has announced $3.6 million in funding to drive innovation in the construction trades sector and recruit more diverse tradespeople. 

Spearheaded by the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO), the initiatives are set to address the industry’s gender gap in the field by bolstering online training resources, offering exclusive employment avenues, and giving high school seniors a firsthand glimpse into construction careers.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government will continue to invest in training programs that spread life-changing opportunity to anyone who wants a hand up to a bigger paycheque and a better life,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development. “We are proud to support these new projects that help women and young people enter the trades and find purpose-driven careers.”

Women currently constitute less than 5% of the construction workforce in Ontario. This underrepresentation has prompted the inaugural PBCTCO project. It is expected to benefit 700 women in trades. The endeavor aims to empower these tradeswomen by equipping them with leadership, communication, health, safety training, and networking prospects imperative for propelling their careers forward. The project will also see the establishment of a speaker’s bureau, fostering partnerships between tradeswomen and educational institutions, employment agencies, trade expos, and various events across the province, thereby mentoring and attracting more women to the skilled trades.

“The support extended by the Government of Ontario to invest in and expand these three pivotal projects in collaboration with organized skilled trades and our employer partners is greatly valued,” said Marc Arsenault, business manager at PBCTCO. “While each project holds its unique significance, together they converge to empower the workforce of tomorrow and broaden opportunities within skilled trades for marginalized groups. This investment aligns with a data-driven strategy towards workforce development, set to generate avenues for Ontarians to embark on enriching careers that contribute to our province.”

The second initiative is slated to offer a digital gateway for 1,500 individuals to delve into a plethora of online resources and training tools, designed to facilitate exploration of various skilled trades, fostering core competencies and connecting aspirants with potential apprenticeship opportunities. Through this online platform, participants will be directly linked with local employers, streamlining their entry into the industry. Aspiring candidates keen on unraveling unionized career opportunities within the skilled trades can find more information by visiting www.ctaontario.ca/explore.

Further enhancing this transformative agenda, PBCTCO’s “Tomorrow’s Trades” program is set to make a return, inviting 60 grade 12 students from London and Ottawa to immerse themselves in hands-on learning experiences.

A landmark study commissioned by on substance use in the construction sector is shedding new light on the issues the industry faces and suggests efforts to improve worker health need to be expanded.

The researchers found that that marijuana and alcohol may be larger risks for construction workers than previously thought. 

The report, Construction Safety & Substance Use: Blueprint for Action in B.C., was commissioned by the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance. It included responses from 639 workers and interviews with 35 industry leaders from a variety of industry segments from many different parts of the province. 

Dr. Julian Somers, one of the study’s authors, explained that the workers filled out questionnaires while the industry leaders participated in semi-structured interviews. These interviews were then analyzed using special software and compared to the questionnaires. 

“They are in tight agreement around what the problems are related to substance use,” said Somers. “The Blueprint Project found that cannabis and alcohol accounted for the vast majority of safety and health-related risks faced by workers in the B.C. construction sector.”

Cocaine use was far more commonly reported than opioid consumption among 639 workers from around BC in diverse jobs. About one in nine had heard of a drug overdose ever occurring on a jobsite. Insights from industry leaders reinforced the message that other drugs, rather than opioids, were of greatest concern. 

Somers, a professor at Simon Fraser University, has been working in the field of mental illness and substance use since the 1980s. He was director of the University of British Columbia’s Psychology Clinic, president of the BC Psychological Association, and founding director of the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction.

“We were aware of claims before we started that people in construction were somehow disproportionately associated with the drug poisoning crisis,” said Somers. “I saw the dynamic, especially with me, working in construction as day labourers. They come out of court or simply while on probation, and they are often encouraged to go to temporary labour agencies that can connect them with work on sites. That was one hypothesis that we considered which might explain the overlap.”

However, when the team began analyzing the evidence, they were not convinced. He believes that whether or not someone is employed is a much more important factor. 

“Going back to addiction literature, the headline from these analyses talking about any form of job should be that poisonings overwhelmingly affect unemployed people and there should be a focus on ways of creating opportunities for employment,” said Somer. 

He noted that the research shows individuals who used drugs shortly before or after work reported that at work they felt that they did not have control over what they were doing, they were typically younger, had lower levels of formal education, they did not feel that excellence was valued at work and did not feel like there were opportunities for advancement. 

“Alcohol – by leaps and bounds is the number one problem.”

– Anonymous informant for the Blueprint study

“This shows that the spotlight really needs to be shone in a diff direction,” said Somer. “We didn’t say anything in the report about deemphasizing opioids or that we should scale back the effort and money being spent. But we did say that it is unlikely to help the vast majority of people experiencing poisoning, mainly because those individuals are unemployed.” 

The report concludes by saying that the narrative of substantial overlap between poisonings and construction appears to be a disservice to the vast majority of those who are at risk of poisoning, and diverts attention from more robustly demonstrated safety and health-related risks in the construction sector.

“Rather than implicating the construction sector in the current poisoning crisis, the available results emphatically demonstrate the need for employment and related supports among people who are at risk for fatal poisonings,” reads the report. “And in that regard the construction sector is an important potential ally in reducing the death toll, by providing opportunities for those at risk, most commonly young men, to receive training and support for well-paying, satisfying, and in demand jobs.”

Mike McKenna, BCCSA executive director, explained that the research suggests the industry needs to come up with new ways to help improve worker health. 

“This research changes the narrative about the type of substance use we’re seeing in the construction industry,” says Mike McKenna, executive director, BCCSA. “With guidance from the evidence collected under the research program to date, we believe we’ll be able to devise programs that more effectively target substance use in the industry.”

The BC Building Trades took issue with the report, stating that it contradicts their experience in the construction industry. BC Building Trades union members access confidential counselling and addiction support services from the Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP). Each year, CIRP serves approximately 220 construction workers. Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, CIRP’s intakes have increased by 64%.

“Opioid use has a significant impact on many of the people who work in the construction industry,” said the group. “The vast majority of scientific research confirms that fact. Studies from the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, The National Safety Council, the BC Centre on Substance Use and the Public Health Agency of Canada all reinforce that workers in the construction industry face unique risk factors when it comes to drug use, including stigma.”

The group noted that majority of members seeking addiction support services are seeking supports for alcohol, cocaine and marijuana, but argued that this does not mean that its members are free from the dangers of B.C.’s poisoned drug supply.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about opioids, cocaine, or any other substance,” they said. “If people are using drugs, whether during downtime or on the job, there’s a good chance they contain fentanyl or fentanyl analogues. And that means those drugs can kill them.”

The group added that it does not want the construction industry to use the study to divert treatment and harm reduction resources from the sector.

• Project Manger – Odessa, Ont. – Umicore
• Senior Project Manager – Calgary, Alta. – Catch Engineering
• Regional Operations Manager – Toronto, Ont. – SNC-Lavalin
• Senior Substation Project Manager – Ottawa, Ont. – Bird Construction
• Environmental Program Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Transportation Investment Corp.
• B.C. Director of Operations – Chemainus, B.C. – GFL Environmental
• Senior Project Manager – Toronto, Ont. – Buttcon
• Health, Safety & Environment Manager – Vancouver, B.C. – Marcon
• Senior Civil Engineer – Calgary, Alta. – Green Cat Renewables
• Operations Project Manager – Calgary, Alta. – Blue Earth Renewables

If you are looking to build your all-star team, try posting your role on the job board or connect with our specialized recruitment experts to find industry-leading talent for your business.

And if you are seeking a job, check out the full list of available positions.

Key Takeaways:

• Approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt are paused until Feb. 29, 2024.
• The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) stated that it has received complaints that these projects are proceeding too rapidly.
• The AUC plans to review the use of agricultural land and public land for wind and solar projects, land reclamation and the role of municipal governments in land selection.

The Whole Story:

Alberta is halting approvals of new renewable energy projects. 

Provincial officials announced that starting Aug. 3, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) will pause approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt until Feb. 29, 2024, and review policies and procedures for the development of renewable electricity generation.

The AUC is an independent, quasi-judicial agency that is responsible for the approval of Alberta’s electricity generation projects.

The province explained that this approach is in direct response to a letter received from the AUC and concerns raised from municipalities and landowners related to responsible land use and the rapid pace of renewables development. 

They argued that at the end of this process, future renewable projects will be able to move forward at a pace that is “conducive to business” while maintaining responsible environmental standards. 

“Participants in our public hearings have increasingly raised concerns about the impacts and pace of renewable generation development,” said Carolyn Dahl Rees, AUC chair. “We are pleased to support the government in canvassing relevant issues for its development of policy to ensure the economic, orderly and efficient development of electricity generation in Alberta.”

Officials noted that throughout the process, Albertans will still be able to install renewable energy products in their homes and communities will be unaffected by this process.

The AUC inquiry will include reviewing the use of agricultural land and public land for wind and solar projects, land reclamation and the role of municipal governments in land selection for project development and review.

More specifically, the inquiry will inform government policy decisions around the ongoing economic, orderly and efficient development of electricity generation in Alberta and will look at issues, including:

• Development of power plants on specific types or classes of agricultural or environmental land.
• The impact of power plant development on Alberta’s pristine viewscapes.
• Mandatory reclamation security requirements for power plants.
• Development of power plants on lands held by the Crown.
• The impact of the increasing growth of renewables on Alberta’s generation supply mix and electricity system reliability.

Canada’s Express Entry system is now tailored to provide a streamlined pathway for individuals with expertise in critical fields, including construction. 

Federal officials stated that by prioritizing the invitation of skilled newcomers with experience in the trades, Canada aims to meet the increasing demand for talent and fill key positions that contribute to the nation’s economic growth and advancement.

On May 31, the Sean Fraser, the previous minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, announced changes to Express Entry through category-based selection. Fraser noted that these changes help address labour shortages that support an identified economic goal by inviting candidates with specific work experience or French language ability to apply for permanent residence.

Today, current Minister of Immigration Marc Miller announced the first trades round for category-based selection will open this week. Miller said that the focus on candidates with trades expertise—including carpentry, plumbing, and welding—will help Canada’s construction sector attract the skilled talent it needs across the country.

These category-based selection rounds will continue throughout the year, alongside general invitation rounds, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks.

“It’s absolutely critical to address the shortage of skilled trades workers in our country, and part of the solution is helping the construction sector find and maintain the workers it needs,” said Miller. “This round of category-based selection recognizes these skilled trades workers as essential, and I look forward to welcoming more of these talented individuals to Canada.”

Key Takeaways:

• The funding round included participation from Clean Energy Ventures, its angel investor collective CEVG, Amplify Capital, and strategic investors, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, CRH Ventures, and Cemex Ventures and others.
• The funding will be utilized to deploy multiple commercial projects, including two co-located directly at cement plants.
• Carbon Upcycling’s technology sequesters industrial CO₂, reduces the carbon footprint of cement, and improves concrete performance. 

The Whole Story:

Calgary-based decarbonization company Carbon Upcycling Technologies Inc. has closed a $34 million Series A funding round co-led by BDC Capital’s Climate Tech Fund and Climate Investment.

The syndicate includes participation from existing financial investors, Clean Energy Ventures, its angel investor collective CEVG, Amplify Capital, and strategic investors, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, CRH Ventures, and Cemex Ventures, which are all enhancing their financial support with commitments to strategically-relevant projects. 

Company officials explained that the funding will be utilized to deploy multiple commercial projects, including two co-located directly at cement plants. They expect the projects to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of Carbon Upcycling’s all-electric solution that mineralizes CO2 emissions from industrial facilities and upcycles industrial byproducts into materials that reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete. 

“Closing this round is a major milestone on the road to becoming the most impactful carbon tech company of this decade,” said Apoorv Sinha, founder and CEO of Carbon Upcycling. “Over the next year, our mission is to demonstrate our technology’s versatility, scalability, and operational elegance. Proving significant, cost-effective decarbonization potential in the cement industry is possible without a green premium.”

Pascal Lanctot, a partner with BDC Capital’s Climate Tech Fund said that Carbon Upcycling is a prime example of a Canadian company addressing a high-emitting sector.

“BDC’s role is to drive economic benefits for Canada by growing one business at a time. Apoorv and his team have positioned Carbon Upcycling for rapid growth,” said Lanctot. “The scale-up of the company’s technology will enable cross-industrial collaboration between cement, steel, mining, and other heavy industries and help build a clean, low-carbon, circular economy. This is exactly what our Climate Tech Fund II aims to do.”

Contractors, engineers, heavy equipment and more – we dove into the Toronto Stock Exchange to explore some of the largest publicly traded companies related to construction.

*Editor’s note: Market cap is accurate as of 10:00 a.m. PST, Aug. 3, 2023.

Enterprise Group (E)

Enterprise is a specialized equipment rental and services organization, providing critical site infrastructure and services in Western Canada and beyond. The company’s first quarter report for 2023 touted higher capital spending in the energy industry combined with increased customer activity levels for improved results. Revenue for the three months was $10,008,332 compared to $7,629,418 in the prior period.

Market cap: $22.52 million

DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. (DRT)

Calgary-based DIRTT specializes in industrialized construction which utilizes a system of physical products and digital tools to build high-performing, adaptable, interior environments. It’s latest financial results show revenue of $44.8 million, up 22% from the first quarter and flat compared to prior year period. Earlier this year, DIRTT entered into assignment and co-ownership agreements with Armstrong World Industries Inc. resulting in cash inflow of $10 million

Market cap: $59.33 million

Bird Construction (BDT)

In its latest report to investors, Bird stated that it achieved a significant increase in construction revenue for the first quarter of 2023, with healthy seasonal margins reflecting strong execution across work programs. At the same time, Bird grew its backlog and pending backlog to record combined levels, including recurring revenue awards now exceeding $1.1 billion. During the quarter, Bird also acquired Trinity Communications Ltd. It’s next report is scheduled for Aug. 9

Market cap: $485.18 million

Aecon Group (ARE)

Aecon Group Inc. is a national Canadian construction and infrastructure development company. One of the company’s biggest moves this year came when it announced a definitive purchase agreement with Green Infrastructure Partners Inc. to sell its Aecon Transportation East roadbuilding, aggregates and materials businesses in Ontario for $235 million in cash.  In its last quarterly results announcement, officials reported an 8% year-to-date increase in revenue and backlog of $6.9 billion at June 30, 2023.

Market cap: $682.76 million

North American Construction Group Ltd. (NOA)

The company was founded in B.C. in the 1950s with just one secondhand bulldozer. It has grown into Canada’s largest independent heavy equipment and mining contractor. North American recently announced plans to acquire MacKellar Group for an estimated $395 million. The Australian company boasts a heavy construction equipment fleet and serves the mining and civil sectors. officials said the deal came together after two years of discussions.

Market cap: $900.7 million

Badger Infrastructure Solutions (BDGI)

Badger Infrastructure Solutions Ltd. is North America’s largest provider of non-destructive excavating services. Badger’s customers typically operate near high concentrations of underground power, communication, water, gas and sewer lines, where safety and economic risks are high and where non-destructive excavation provides a safe alternative. Badger recently announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1725 per share.

Market cap: $1.11 billion

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (SNC)

Founded in 1911, SNC is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices in more than 40 countries and 30,000 employees. It’s recent news is a binding agreement to sell its Scandinavian Engineering Services business – comprising Denmark, Sweden and Norway – to SYSTRA Group, a France-based engineering and consulting group specialized in public transport and mobility solutions. In June it launched Decarbonomic, its decarbonization service for the industrial sector.

Market cap: $7.27 billion

Stantec (STN)

Stantec Inc. is an international professional services company in the design and consulting industry. The company was founded in 1954, as D. R. Stanley Associates in Edmonton. Just last month, it announced the closing of its private placement offering of $250 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes. The Notes bear an interest rate of 5.393% per annum and were priced at par. Stantec was also recently selected to serve as owner’s engineer for the SunZia Transmission project, the largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history.

Market cap: $9.86 billion

WSP Global (WSP)

WSP is one of the world’s largest professional services firms in the world with 67,000 employees. It provides strategic advisory, engineering and design services to clients seeking sustainable solutions in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining sectors. In 2022, WSP reported $11.9 billion in revenue. Last month, WSP completed its acquisition of Australian mining expert Calibre Professional Services One Pty Ltd.

Market cap: $22.23 billion

Technology is changing every aspect of construction. As computers become smaller, cheaper and more powerful, they are being implemented in every corner of the sector. In the case of heavy equipment operation, developers can create powerful simulations that help new operators prepare for the field without fear of hurting themselves, other people or machinery. We reached out to Quebec-based CM Labs to learn more about how these training systems are developed and where the technology is heading.

SiteNews: What services does CM Labs provide for the construction sector?

CM Labs: For more than 25 years, CM Labs has focused on heavy equipment operator simulation training. With over 1,000 simulation installations in 39 countries, CM Labs offers an incredibly realistic experience through patented Smart Training Technology and a motion-enabled platform. Our Simulation Training Packs provide a comprehensive immersive simulation learning program for the safe training and assessment of operators.

CM Labs Smart Training Technology and motion-enabled platform provide users with an incredibly realistic experience. CM Labs offers three types of platforms: a desktop version, a motion-enabled single-screen option, and a fully immersive experience with up to five-screens.

CM Labs sells Simulator Training Packs for use with the platform for earth moving and lifting equipment. Clients can also benefit from our consulting services, SimGuide with our SME for integration, curriculum and to make the most of their CM Labs training. Additionally we offer engineering services that can add additional exercises (such as IBEW and ETA have their own curriculum on Boom Truck), white label training solutions (such as Tigercat), as well as full turnkey solutions through our Partnership Program for OEM’s such as John Deere.

How has the technology for training simulators changed since CM Labs was founded in 2001?

Over the past 20 years we have seen the following changes: 

• Improved graphics resulting in better learning retention and more realistic scenarios.
• More efficient CPUs and GPUs allow us to be more accurate with our models and our physics
• Higher resolution, lighter, thinner displays mean simulators can be more immersive and portable
• Improved data processing capabilities allow us to gather additional insights from trainee performances, assessment, and operator benchmarking.

What are the most difficult environments or industries to simulate?

Generally, environments where you are able to deform terrain (soil) can be very challenging to simulate and very few simulators get it right. When simulating deformed terrain, you must take into account dozens of soil properties, like how much air content is found within the soil, how much does the soil spread out compared to other materials, what are the moisture properties of the soil, etc. Then, when you have large fields of deformable terrain, this requires lots of computational strength to compute at over sixty times per second. Our soil simulation is the most accurate simulation of its kind and part of what makes our simulation training so unique and accurate.

Aerospace is generally very difficult to simulate accurately. The laws that govern fluids like air are very complex and have many variables. This makes it require lots of processing power to simulate in real time, since all of those variables must be updated sixty times per second. Then, when you factor in the mechanical properties of the plane itself, with wings that are not perfectly rigid, the difficulty of simulating this environment increases exponentially.

Has demand for this type of training increased?

Absolutely. Over the years simulation training has become more normalized, in part due to the successes of flight simulators (one of the first industries to adopt simulation training). In the aviation industry, simulator time counts towards the time required for the pilot to acquire their pilot’s license. The training industry has taken note of that success, and over the last ten years CM Labs has continued to grow and remained the leader of training simulation. We hope to lead the way into a safer future where simulation plays a regular role in operator training.

What is the Vortex platform and how was it developed?

Our innovative simulation platform, Vortex Studio is the only software on the market that provides the complete package of high-fidelity real-time physics, native support for equipment controls and hardware integration, and user-friendly tools for the creation of rich virtual environments. Along with real-time simulation, engineers can model individual components, including cable systems, powertrain, ground interaction, steering, suspension and brakes, for more accurate simulated vehicles, with real-time simulation of deformable terrain. It is with cutting edge technology, that our patented Smart Training Technology was developed for our simulation training.

CM Labs’ Smart training Technology accurately replicates real-world machine and materials behaviour,  resulting in effective, efficient operator training. Comprised of proprietary and patented algorithms, the simulation delivers careful modeling and reproduction of machine data that interact with the environment and materials just as they do in the real world. Its precision is backed by more than 20,000 automated daily tests and ongoing research and development. Trainees gain a better feel for engine transmission, crane boom, and jib bending/torquing, as well as wire rope and crane block spin and environmental factors (like wind, precipitation, day and night settings). Learning hook and load management, reducing pendulums, snags, and collisions, operators improve cycle times, and which can ultimately reduce production costs. 

What are some of the advantages of this kind of technology?

Operator training is a critical component of improving safety and limiting liability for all heavy equipment users, especially utilities. Incorporating simulation into a training program offers a safe haven for failure without consequences while easing the transition from theory to practice. CM Labs simulation offers a sustainable solution that prevents novice operators from developing negative habits from unrealistic training situations, which could potentially cause dangerous problems when operating real equipment.

CM Labs solutions present a safer alternative for initial training while mitigating the increased fuel costs and wear and tear that typically result from novice handling. A cost-effective method to train and assess operators, organizations can standardize operator-training practices by tracking, measuring, and benchmarking performance. Trainees practice challenging real-world operations in complete safety, while key operating performance metrics (such as safety violations, load control, and operational efficiency) are objectively logged and recorded throughout training.

The full-motion platform is tied, in real-time, to the simulation and accurately replicates much of an operator’s day-to-day experience: driving on uneven terrain, engine vibrations, throttle, etc. Trainees improve their muscle memory ultimately to be “one” with their equipment: feeling the platform bowing down as they drill or dig, pitching at risk of tipping, or feeling engine vibrations through the seat to avoid choking the throttle. The simulation replicates true engine sounds (including fails and stalls), variable engine RPMs, horns, fork scraping and shifting, alarms and other work site sounds that are important audio cues for safe, steady, deliberate, and precise operations.

Today’s simulators are data and analytics-driven, which is essential to optimizing training time and correcting unsafe behaviours. This means that training techniques move away from a checklist approach, and instead target specific skills that make people more efficient and safer. The company’s patented Smart Training Technology provides real data accuracy and reporting insights. Companies and trainers now can use data collected for each student to analyze past behaviour and then apply that information to create specific learning paths that develop the most appropriate skills. This approach also makes training more personal. With data analytics, training can tackle skill deficiencies for each person, which elevates their individual skill sets to a much higher level, rather than applying a single learning objective across an entire classroom. 

What sort of research goes into the development of a specific training program to ensure that it gives the user a realistic experience?

CM Labs has its roots in R&D, and has a 65-strong in-house research team of engineers, PhD physicists, engineers, and mathematicians. The company has ongoing collaborations with international educational institutions including McGill University and research industry partnerships with NATO, Bombardier, Leddartech, and CNH.

Where does CM Labs see the future of simulation training going in the coming years?

Whether simulated practical testing in North America will be accepted by certification bodies as equivalent to practical testing on real equipment is yet to be seen. But a 2020 study by NCCCO suggests that this type of testing is “a highly reliable measure for predicting a passing score on an actual crane.” 

In Germany, however, the Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV) published guidelines approving the use of simulations for certification. Watch this video to learn more about use of CM Labs simulators in operator training and certification in Germany. 

Simulators are certainly an effective way to practice for certification testing. A number of CM Labs customers report seeing higher success rates for operators who have practiced for a certification exam on a simulator than those who practiced only on live equipment. The Electrical Training Alliance uses its crane simulator to prepare operators for the certification program through Electrical Industry Certifications Association (EICA). The simulation exercises, inspired by the certification requirements, mirror exact applications, such as auger control, and pole control and setting, rather than generic scenarios. This translates directly into higher success rates as trainees are better prepared for both written and practical exams. 

In the future, we will likely be seeing training paths customized to fit individual operator learning profiles. 

While other industries, like aviation, have approved the use of simulation for certification, the construction industry, except in Germany, has not. CM Labs solutions include simulation exercises to prepare for certifications for forklift, as well as the NCCER and NCCCO testing for cranes. Electrical Training Alliance (ETA), the curriculum arm for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), collaborated with CM Labs to add additional specialized training scenarios for boom truck and crane for utility industry certifications.

With the current labor shortages and energy costs, these latest developments in simulation certification look promising for health and safety governing bodies, such as OSHA, and other organized labor groups to consider as alternatives to measure the proficiency of operators.

Philippe Adam will be Pomerleau’s new CEO starting this August. Pierre and Francis Pomerleau will gradually withdraw from their operational roles. In addition to remaining the company’s principal shareholders, they will continue to play an active role on the Board, with Pierre serving as Executive Chairman and Francis as Executive Vice-Chairman. Philippe Adam joined Pomerleau in 2021 as executive vice-president and chief financial officer.

Chris Erbus has joined Graham‘s Winnipeg office as operations manager. Erbus’ project experience includes museums, galleries, historical buildings high rise towers, renovation and hospital/healthcare. He also has a background in carpentry.

Jesse Unke has been named president and CEO of Maven Consulting Limited. Unke will succeed co-founder Trevor St Germain who will continue to act as a member of the board. Unke is an engineering and construction executive with over 20 years of experience.

“I am excited to take Maven to the next level by driving our strategy, strengthening and developing our corporate culture, and further building on Maven’s profile in our industry as a leader in engineering, project management, and construction services for power utilities and municipal infrastructure.” 

– Unke

Russ Wlad will be Allnorth‘s chief growth and strategy officer. Wlad has than 35 years of experience in public and private sector consulting. He was key to leading Stantec’s canadian operations, working strategically with business partners to achieve growth in new sectors, markets and geographies. Allnorth stated that he will play a pivotal role in enhancing Allnorth’s organic and acquisition growth.

Fiona Blondin has been appointed director of High Frequency Rail‘s board of director. She currently serves as vice president, Indigenous strategy at Cormorant Utility Services. High Frequency Rail is the largest transportation infrastructure project that Canada has seen in decades, and would be the biggest investment in Canadian passenger rail in a generation.

Steve Saddleback has been hired at the senior advisor for external affairs at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition. Saddleback is from Samson Cree Nation, where he has played an instrumental role in fostering economic growth and empowering Indigenous communities. He also a partner at Opimoyaso Group, a 100% owned Indigenous Firm.

Andrew Hall has joined Wildstone Construction Group‘s Whitehorse office as vice president of Yukon and business development. Hall said he will be focusing on growing Wildstone’s business in the energy, renewables and infrastructure markets.

Clarissa Wong is starting a new role as Graham‘s vice president of finance (industrial) and financial services. Wong is a financial professional with global accounting, finance and leadership experience including financial planning and analysis, reporting and forecasting, controllership, internal controls and audits, merger integrations, public filings, system conversions, implementation and integration of shared services teams.

Joe Williams is retiring from Lafarge Canada after 47 years of service. Williams is a millwright worker at Lafarge’s Bath Cement Plant. Williams said he’ll definitely miss daily interactions with colleagues from various teams and the tight-knit community at the plant. Lafarge officials stated that his commitment to teamwork and troubleshooting has significantly impacted its operations.

Nigel Shrive, PhD,  a professor emeritus at the Schulich School of Engineering, member and former head of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada for groundbreaking contributions to structural mechanics, notably his translational and multidisciplinary research in both biomedical and civil engineering.

Sean Strickland has been elected chairman of BuildForce Canada‘s board of directors. Strickland says he looks forward to continuing his work with his colleagues on the board to advance the organization’s strategic priorities and to ensure BuildForce Canada continues to support the construction industry with up-to-date labour market data, development, and training.

Ted Davis has been appointed CEO of Avison Young’s Canadian operations. The company stated that since joining the firm in 2010, Davis has been instrumental in bringing teams together to create value for clients in his market, and they are excited to see him do this at the national level.

Dan Baxter is joining the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada as its new regional director for B.C. Baxter has served as president and CEO of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, as well as policy analyst, director, and interim CEO at the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. 

Dan Chyzowski has been promoted to vice president of construction at ETRO. Company officials stated that Chyzowski has been instrumental in building ETRO into what it is today. The added that he’s a natural leader with an innate talent for project management in a truly collaborative manner and has been a fantastic mentor to many.

Eduards Miska has been tapped by Aecom to be its director of engineering for B.C. Miska spent 30 years at B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation, eventually serving as its acting assistant deputy minister. He has held leadership and support roles with the Transportation Association of Canada, Intelligent Transportation Systems Canada, and the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Amir Abd El-Halim has joined WSP’s Canadian leadership team as the new regional leader for Ontario and the Atlantic. WSP stated that El-Halim will use his 20+ years of industry experience to provide invaluable leadership to its teams in those regions.​

Sean Smithson has joined Pomerleau‘s Toronto team as the new regional vice president. Smithson previously spent 11 years with Modern Niagara, reaching the role of executive vice president for the GTA and Southwestern Ontario region.

With the Toronto team, I’ll be continuing my adventure in the construction industry, in a market where the possibilities are endless. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues, to shape the future of the GTA Region building the infrastructure our growing region needs! Let’s do this! 

– Smithson

Paul Halliday is taking over the role CEO at NorLand Limited as Dave Reynolds enters retirement. Officials noted that Reynolds played a pivotal role in driving the company’s unprecedented growth and establishing a shared purpose and corporate vision.

For the uninitiated, the concept of SiteViews is simple. Leveraging both the remarkable submissions from our readers and our team’s diligent internet sleuthing, we curate a monthly showcase of some of the industry’s finest photos. Have a submission? Those can be sent to hello@readsitenews.com.

Axiom Builders

The first tower crane is up and ready to go at Neighbourhood Two by SHAPE as part of the The Amazing Brentwood development in Burnaby. Two tower cranes that will be erected for this phase. The crane currently standing at 180 feet but it will eventually reach 740 feet as the tower is built.  New Firmus, Rapicon West and Mammoet assisted with the crane erection.

Erik Millette

Ontario crane operator Erik Millette shows his view from high above Toronto.

SkilledTradesBC / Construction Foundation of B.C.

Youngsters learn to measure twice and cut once at the Discover Trades Summer Camp for Young Women in North Vancouver, B.C. The free camp was led by Red Seal Electrician Lisa Scott. Participants used various tools to create beautiful copper bracelets, aluminum bowls, extension cords, corn hole boards and more.

Lafarge Canada

Crews oversee a pour for the Ottawa Midtown Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. The team utilized a time-sensitive concrete solution from BMQ.  

British Columbia Institute of Technology / Derek Klassen

Carpentry Instructor Derek Klassen takes a selfie with Carpentry Foundation students as they celebrate the completion of their final project, a suspended slab framework.

Graham Construction

Graham’s crew complete a complex concrete pour for the structural slab of a new wastewater equalization tank in Gimli, Man. The pour took several weeks of planning as well as collaboration with the project owner, design team, trade partners, suppliers and Graham’s in-house forces.

Ledcor

Despite the name, Ledcor crews were treated to some clear skies this month in Rainy River, Ont. The team is busy constructing stages 4 and 5 tailings dam raises at a mine site.

Fort Modular

Fort Modular crews treated a statute to a fresh new look while supporting 150 West Georgia, a 17-storey office tower at B.C. place in downtown Vancouver.

Beedie

Crews are making progress on Calgary’s RISE at Point Trotter project. The project team is on track to deliver the first of two state-of-the-art industrial buildings by the end of the month.

True North Scaffold & Insulation / Mathias Jonsson

 Sunny skies, still water and scaffolding – what more could you ask for? True North Scaffold & Insulation have completed scaffolding for a bridge-widening project in Fort Fraser, B.C.

Syncra Construction

Workers dismantle a crane at The Fifteen,  a four-storey mixed-use concrete development in Vancouver’s Dunbar neighborhood by Wave Developments.

Pitt Meadows Plumbing and Mechanical Systems / Take Off Photography

Crews lift district energy system components into place at the Gilmore Place development in Burnaby, B.C.

Shindico

A drone captured the early stages of Shindico‘s work on Winnipeg’s Water Tower District. The 165-acre mixed-use development includes multi-family housing, retail, office, parklands and industrial.

Aecon

The Site C Dam near Fort St. John B.C. is nearing the finish line. Aecon showed off some of the recent construction progress.

Norland Limited

A behemoth excavator reaches deep on a site in Vancouver.

The Shot of the Month goes to:

StructureCraft

This 80 metre clearspan timber footbridge in Banff has been shortlisted in the Project & Technology awards from the IABSE – International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering – Pedestrian and Cycle Bridges division. The project team designed an extremely shallow, pure arch using stepped Glulam girders and weathering steel haunches. The bridge was prefabricated and assembled into two sections, placed simultaneously.

Madrid, Spain: home of singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias, paella and La Lloreria, otherwise known as “The Crying Room”.

In 2021, La Lloreria was a project that aimed to remove stigma around mental issues in the country. It was a pink-hued warm room, an open space that anyone could weep into.

That same year I was working as a property manager in Vancouver. A colleague and I would often joke that our office needed a designated Crying Room because there weren’t enough papers floating around to wipe our tears with. If we knew about La Lloreria then, I would have booked us one-way flights. 

Could Canada adopt Spain’s idea of “The Crying Room” into our own real estate developments? If not literally, at least in any figurative sense? Is it possible to construct a “Mental Health Conscious” building?

Density (of the brain)

Living in a city can have its shares of pros and cons on mental health. While there is generally better access to health care and amenities, research also shows that the risk of mental illness is higher in cities than it is in rural areas. 

In April 2023, the City of Vancouver proposed an increase in density bonus rates in popular areas such as the Cambie Corridor, False Creek and Mount Pleasant. So if more people are moving here, then why is it still so impossible to make new friends as an adult? 

Developers seem to be attempting to answer this call by designing more inclusive community-oriented spaces such as rooftop communal gardens, lounges and commercial spaces for people to come together and connect. Will it be enough to save our mental health? I guess we’ll have to wait for the 2060 study on millennials and loneliness to find out.

Noise and the city

If I had a dime for every noise complaint I received from residents during my tenure as a Property Manager, I’d have like, $50. According to a podcast that I listened to recently (probably at too high of a volume), the average level of car noise in a city is the equivalent of having your TV on at high volume… all the time. But with all the city noise, municipal noise bylaws and soundproofing building processes, are we actually hearing each other? 

My husband and I recently moved to a condo in Port Moody. When we moved in, we complied with all strata bylaws and never did any unpacking before 9am or after 9pm. Still, we were greeted by a wonderful card from the neighbours below asking us to “kindly stop digging our heels in” and advised that “this is a nice community and if we wanted to be a part of that, we should be mindful of our noise”.  What a difference it could have made in welcoming us if we were greeted with compassion and understanding rather than assumptions and accusations. If they just knocked on our door, introduced themselves and talked to us, we would have actually listened. 

There have to be better places to cry than inside a portable toilet

A 2020 study once found that every year more construction workers die from suicide than every other workplace-related fatality, combined. That needs to change, now. We cannot continue to allow real estate development to be subsidized on the backs of the labourers that makes it all possible. As a predominantly male industry, construction is even more vulnerable to the antiquated ideas, thoughts and opinions on mental health care. 

It is every real estate development professional’s responsibility to help fight the stigma and increase the availability and accessibility of mental health resources for their teams. Our communities are counting on it.

So no, I can’t imagine we’ll be seeing “The Crying Room” as a featured amenity in a pre-sale marketing brochure anytime soon. But what I can imagine is a world where, little by little, brick by brick, the real estate development industry can tear down the walls of stigma and make it ok to not be okay. Mental health awareness can’t increase the cost per sq.ft. that much, can it? 

Key Takeaways:

• The plan calls for creating a separate, spinoff business that focuses on pipelines.
• TC Energy will focus on natural gas infrastructure and expand its power and energy solutions business.
• The deal expected to be finalized on a tax-free basis during the latter half of 2024, after shareholder and court approvals.

The Whole Story:

TC Energy plans to separate into two distinct, publicly listed companies, both investment-grade entities, through the spinoff of TC Energy’s liquids pipelines business. This decision follows a two-year strategic review and is expected to be finalized on a tax-free basis during the latter half of 2024.

The company explained that the primary objective of the strategic spinoff is to unlock shareholder value and enable each newly-formed company to focus on its growth objectives while maintaining disciplined capital allocation, efficiency enhancement and operational excellence. TC Energy stated that by becoming independent entities, these new firms will be better equipped to pursue specific opportunities, ultimately benefiting their shareholders, customers, and the communities they serve.

Following the completion of the spinoff, TC Energy will emerge as a diversified, natural gas and energy solutions company. The new entity will be uniquely positioned to address the increasing demand for reliable, lower-carbon energy by leveraging its complementary business sets.

On the other hand, the liquids pipelines company will be established as a critical infrastructure entity with strategically positioned assets that connect supply routes to high-demand markets. The company aims to drive incremental growth and value creation opportunities in this space.

“This transformative announcement sets us up to deliver superior shareholder value for the next decade and beyond,” said François Poirier, president and CEO of TC Energy. “Fundamentals have always driven our strategic direction, and as a result, we have grown into a premier energy company with incumbency across a wide range of energy infrastructure platforms. As we have become the partner of choice for a magnitude of accretive, high-quality opportunities, we have determined that as two separate companies we can better execute on these distinct opportunity sets to unlock shareholder value.”

He emphasized that the decision was grounded in fundamental considerations and that the separation into two companies would enable them to execute distinct opportunity sets more effectively, thereby maximizing shareholder value.

Upon the completion of the spinoff, TC Energy will focus on natural gas infrastructure, backed by strong, long-term fundamentals. The company will also expand its power and energy solutions business, including nuclear, pumped hydro energy storage, and other emerging energy opportunities. TC Energy, with its extensive energy infrastructure network spanning over 93,700 km (58,200 miles), is expected to deliver about 30% of total natural gas supply for LNG export from the U.S. Additionally, it will play a pivotal role in providing Canada’s first direct connection to LNG markets through the Coastal GasLink project.

Poirier further emphasized TC Energy’s commitment to a strong balance sheet and the continuation of its efforts to achieve deleveraging goals, reinforcing the company’s focus on delivering sustainable value to shareholders.

The liquids pipelines company, as an independent entity, will be led by Bevin Wirzba, who will serve as president and CEO. This entity will operate a crude oil pipeline infrastructure covering 4,900 km (3,045 miles) and will supply crude to over 14 Mbbl/d of refining and export capacity, transporting 16% of crude exported from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB).

TC Energy intends to capitalize the liquids pipelines company in a manner that aligns with its business model and growth plans, ensuring the new entity maintains its investment-grade credit ratings.

The proposed Transaction is expected to be tax-free for TC Energy’s Canadian and U.S. shareholders. The company plans to seek shareholder approval for the spinoff in mid-2024. In addition to shareholder and court approvals, the transaction is subject to receiving favourable tax rulings from Canadian and U.S. tax authorities and meeting other customary closing conditions. The completion of the transaction is anticipated in the second half of 2024.

• Senior Vice President, Roads – Toronto, Ont. – Infrastructure Ontario
• Civil Construction Inspector – Prince George, B.C. – Maven Consulting
• Engineering Manager – Halifax, N.S. – Bird Construction
• Project Manager, Transportation Planning – Vaughn, Ont. – TYlin Group
• Lead Structural Engineer – Calgary, Alta. – Kiewit
• Vice President, Indigenous Relations – Toronto, Ont. – Aecon
• Partner, Mine Closure Planning & Remediation – Vancouver, B.C. – ERM Group
• Senior Municipal Engineer – Winnipeg, Man. – KGS Group
• Senior Bridge Engineer – Toronto, Ont. – IBI Group
• Senior Project Manager – Windsor, Ont. – Rosati Group

If you are looking to build your all-star team, try posting your role on the job board or connect with our specialized recruitment experts to find industry-leading talent for your business.

And if you are seeking a job, check out the full list of available positions.

Key Takeaways:

• Ontario announced it will spend $5.4 million to build and deploy three cutting-edge mobile tech classrooms.
• The units will include hands-on stations and simulators the help young people experience welding , crane operation, electrical work and other trades.
• The first Trades & Tech Truck was rolled out last year and reached around 40,000 people. The new trucks are expected to reach nearly 500,000.

The Whole Story:

Trades training is hitting the road in Ontario.

In a move to address the province’s labor shortage in the skilled trades sector, Ontario announced it will spend $5.4 million to build and deploy three cutting-edge mobile tech classrooms. These innovative classrooms, a collaborative effort with Skills Ontario, will traverse the province, imparting essential knowledge and practical skills to students and young individuals interested in pursuing careers in the skilled trades.

The mobile classrooms, named Trades & Tech Trucks, promise an immersive learning experience through hands-on stations and simulators, offering training opportunities in a diverse range of disciplines, including:

• Electrical systems
• Welding
• Crane operation
• Auto-painting
• Tire and brake work
• Heavy machinery

“By 2025, one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour. “These are rewarding, well-paying careers that you can build a family and a life around. That’s why our government will continue to invest in cutting-edge programs that give students the chance to experience the 144 trades and life-changing opportunities available to them.”

The province is relying on tradespeople to help with its ambitious infrastructure plans that include constructing 1.5 million homes by 2031. To meet this goal, Ontario will require over 100,000 new skilled trades workers within the decade. The Trades & Tech Trucks, each measuring 12 meters in length, will serve as platforms for students to explore the skilled trades while engaging with industry professionals, discovering local training opportunities, colleges, and potential employers.

Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario, spoke about the impact of their existing mobile classroom program, saying: “Since rolling out our first Trades & Tech truck last year, our mobile classroom has provided thousands of students with hands-on learning experiences. This program ignites an awareness of opportunities in the skilled trades and tech field that inspires more young people to pursue these careers. We want to thank and recognize Minister McNaughton and Premier Ford for the leadership and investments they have provided to build the skilled workforce of tomorrow.”

The efforts by the Ontario government have already shown promising results, with a 24 percent surge in apprenticeship registrations in the past year alone. This increase, which includes a 28 percent jump among women, is attributed to the government’s significant investment of over $1 billion in the skilled trades sector over three years and the establishment of the dedicated agency, Skilled Trades Ontario.

On the education side, the province intends to go even further. Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, announced plans to make technology education courses mandatory for all high school students starting September 2024. The new mobile tech classrooms will further complement this initiative by supporting 150,000 students annually, equipping them with the critical skills needed to secure well-paying jobs and thrive in the competitive job market.

The Trades & Tech Truck program was launched as a pilot in 2022. It reached over 40,000 students and young people across more than 50 events throughout the province, from Toronto to Ottawa and Thunder Bay.

Funded through the government’s Skills Development Fund, the new mobile classrooms are set to be fully operational by the summer of 2024, welcoming an annual footfall of 150,000 visitors.

There is no green energy transition without doing some digging. 

As the backbone of the green and digital economy, minerals are essential for technologies like batteries, electric cars, wind turbines and solar panels. Building resilient critical minerals value chains with high ESG standards is vital for global sustainability, and Canada aims to lead the way.

According to the federal government, Canada is home to almost half of the world’s publicly listed mining companies and has a market capitalization of $520 billion.

To seize these opportunities, Ottawa recently released the Critical Minerals Strategy backed by a $4-billion budget. The comprehensive strategy not only promises economic growth and job creation but also seeks to strengthen Indigenous reconciliation efforts and foster collaboration with allies. 

Of Canada’s 31 critical minerals, six are initially prioritized in the strategy for their distinct potential to spur Canadian economic growth and their necessity as inputs for priority supply chains. These six minerals are lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements.

Here’s a list of mining companies that are searching for these minerals and others.

Teck Resources

If you are driving around in an electric car, it’s likely thanks to Teck Resources. The century-old, diversified natural resources company headquartered in Vancouver is engaged in mining and mineral development, including coal for the steelmaking, copper, zinc, and energy. Their products are critical for making solar panels and electric vehicles. They are also on a mission be carbon-neutral by 2050 and in the last decade, they have reduced GHG emissions by more than 411,000 tonnes. Their name comes from Teck Township in Kirkland Lake, Ont. where the company developed a gold mine. The mine produced gold until 1968. In addition to Canada and the U.S., Teck has major operations in Chile and Peru.

Nutrien

Nutrien is all about putting food on the table. Formed in 2018 from merger between PotashCorp and Agrium, they are the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services, playing a critical role in helping growers sustainably increase food production. They produce and distribute over 27 million tonnes of potash, nitrogen and phosphate products for agricultural, industrial and feed customers world-wide. A major focus of theirs in recent years has been shifting to automated and tele-remote mining and other digital technologies to safety performance, lower production costs, increase production and reduce emissions.

Barrick Gold

Toronto-based Barrick Gold owns six tier one gold assets, the most in the world. They also have been building a strategic copper portfolio to support the transition to clean technology. Their CEO, Mark Bristow, recently said that he believes that mining is the “flywheel of development” and mining companies will be critical for reaching the world’s sustainability goals. The group’s current key focus areas are: using its purchasing power to drive down emissions from suppliers; developing a tool to measure its contribution to the conservation and regeneration of biodiversity; continuing to provide ESG raters with the latest sustainability-related information; and progressing the environmental and social studies at the giant Reko Diq project in Balochistan, Pakistan.

First Quantum Minerals

With likely the coolest name on this list, First Quantum Minerals is a Canadian-based mining and metals company whose main activities include mineral exploration, development and mining. Its primary product is copper, which accounts for 80% of revenues. Their team produces copper in the form of concentrate, cathode and anode, and has inventories of nickel, gold and cobalt. They operate long life mines in several countries and employ approximately 20,000 people around the globe. Just this month, Quantum announced it has started production at the Enterprise mine in Zambia, which is set to become Africa’s biggest nickel mine. Nickel is a key component for electric vehicle batteries.

Agnico Eagle Mines

Toronto-based Agnico Eagle Mines has a legacy that traces back to 1957. It has operations in Canada, Finland, Australia and Mexico and exploration and development activities extending to the United States. The company’s flagship LaRonde mine, located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region 62 kilometres west of Val-d’Or in Quebec, has produced 6.6 million ounces of gold since 1988 and remains a consistent engine of earnings and cash flow for the company.

Pan American Silver Corp.

2023 has been a big year for Pan American. The Vancouver-based mining company has operations in Ontario, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Earlier this year, they completed a massive deal added four Yamana Gold mines to its assets: the Jacobina mining complex in Brazil, the El Peñón and Minera Florida mines in Chile, and the Cerro Moro mine in Argentina. The multi-billion-dollar deal also required Yamana to sell its share of the Canadian Malartic mine to Agnico Eagle Mines.

Lundin Mining

Toronto-based Lundin Mining Corporation has a global presence. It owns and operates mines in Sweden, the United States, Chile, Portugal, and Brazil. These mines are focused on the extraction of essential base metals like copper, zinc, and nickel. The company’s headquarters are based in Toronto, and it was initially established by Adolf Lundin, later operated by Lukas Lundin. Originally, the company’s primary interest was in a diamond mine located in Brazil. However, it later underwent a restructuring phase and successfully raised funds to develop the Storliden mine in Sweden. Over time, Lundin Mining Corporation expanded its portfolio by acquiring significant assets.

Avalon Advanced Materials

Avalon Advanced Materials, formerly known as Avalon Rare Metals Inc., is a Canadian mineral development company based in Toronto. They have a unique focus on rare metals and minerals that play a crucial role in emerging technologies. Among their key assets are the Nechalacho Project located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the Separation Rapids near Minaki, Ont., the East Kemptville in Nova Scotia, Lilypad Cesium near Ignace, Ont., and the Warren Township in Ontario. Avalon recently Announced $63M strategic investment by Sibelco to create a vertically integrated lithium strategic partnership.

Hudbay Minerals

Hudbay Minerals has a rich Canadian history spanning over 90 years. It has been a key player in mining copper concentrate, which includes valuable deposits of copper, gold, and silver. Flin Flon, Manitoba, has been a focal point of its operations for decades. Presently, Hudbay operates in both Manitoba and Peru. Additionally, the company is actively engaged in establishing a copper mine in the southern region of Arizona.