Category: People

Key Takeaways:

• Industry groups in Alberta are calling on NDP leader Rachel Notley to be specific about the party’s stance on community benefits agreements and “double breasting”.
• The next Provincial General Election is scheduled to be held on May 29 unless an election is called earlier.
• The groups include the Progressive Contractors Association, the Alberta Construction Association and the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of Alberta.

The Whole Story:

Alberta construction groups are calling on NDP leader Rachel Notley to clarify the party’s position on labour issues as a general election for the province looms on the horizon.

In a letter signed by the Progressive Contractors Association, the Alberta Construction Association and the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of Alberta, the groups asked Notley to explain two potential policy changes that they predict could harm the industry and taxpayers.  

“We are reaching out to you on behalf of several Alberta construction associations, who would like clarification on two policy changes that you promise, should you be elected in the upcoming Alberta general election,” wrote the groups. “We are concerned that if implemented, these changes could increase taxpayer costs and limit the access of thousands of Alberta companies and construction workers to public and private projects, during a critical time when demand for their skills is at an all-time high.”

The letter focused on two main issues: Community benefits agreements and “double breasting”.

Community benefits agreements

The groups noted that on multiple occasions the NDP has signaled its intention to implement a community benefits agreement” regime in Alberta to maximize the participation of underemployed worker groups. 

“We believe CBAs, when designed to be fair, open and transparent, can achieve meaningful social procurement objectives,” wrote the groups. “However, these reports note that a new NDP government may look to B.C. as a template for a broader CBA program. We sincerely hope this is a misprint.”

The groups explained that they believe the B.C. program, designed by former Premier John Horgan’s NDP government, is in reality a “grossly coercive program aimed at giving select B.C. Building Trades Unions a monopoly over large parts of the province’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects.”

They explained that companies wishing to do work on these projects must do so using exclusively Building Trades Union (BTU) labour and terms, regardless of which labour model they are affiliated with. 

“Given that B.C.’s BTU workers constitute no more than 15% of the province’s skilled construction workforce, this means that the other 85% are excluded from public work that is paid for by their own tax dollars,” they wrote. “We trust you will agree that this arrangement is grossly unfair, anti-competitive and punishes companies and their workers for choices they have freely made.”

The groups called on Notley to clarify the NDP’s stance on CBAs and if it will differ from B.C.’s approach.

“Our industry associations are ready and willing to constructively work with parties across the political spectrum, to pursue social procurement objectives that are fair, meaningful, and productive,” they said.

Double Breasting

The groups stated that the NDP has also pledged to do away with “double breasting” in the construction and maintenance sectors.

They explained that the term arises out of Labour Relations Board decisions across Canada. 

“It is not – and lawfully cannot be – a creation of employers. It arises only when employees, within a group of businesses, decide to be represented by a union that is different from another union representing the employees of another company within that corporate group,” they wrote. “When there are different unions representing separate employees within separate companies – or there is a non-union business in the group – the ‘label’ that is applied from the labour relations perspective, is that the overall business is “double” or ‘triple breasted.’”

The groups explained that no single source of workers has been sufficient to meet the workforce required to construct all of Alberta’s capital and infrastructure projects, whether those workers are craft or progressive, union, non- union, from employee associations, or from outside the province. 

“Healthy competition has resulted in union and non-union employers offering high pay, comprehensive benefit packages, training and learning and development including outstanding workplace health and safety, family counselling services, and other employee supports,” they argued. “Indeed, construction is among the highest paying professions in Alberta, well above the average for all industries and occupations.”

The groups called tinkering with the corporate structure of construction and maintenance firms a misguided attempt to address perceived issues with double breasting .

“At minimum, we would want to see industry-wide consultations before such drastic policy changes are enacted,” they said. 

The groups concluded by highlighting the province’s “Alberta is Calling” campaign aimed at attracting workers from other provinces, including skilled trades workers from under-utilized groups such as youth, women, immigrants, and Indigenous Peoples. 

“The policy changes under consideration could send a very different message: that Alberta is really only calling upon a select few, at a time when the province’s construction industry faces a dire and growing shortage of skilled labour,” they wrote.

Kieran Hawe will take over as CEO of EllisDon the end of June. The company announced that Geoff Smith will be stepping down as president and CEO. The company stated that Smith will continue to play a pivotal role as chair of the board and will retain responsibility for the company’s digital and data strategy and execution.

Joseph Mancinelli will take over as Canadian Director of LiUNA Canada in addition to his role of LiUNA international vice president. LiUNA represents construction workers, waste management workers, show service workers and healthcare workers.

Dave Reynolds announced that he will retire as CEO of NorLand, where he has worked for nearly 40 years. The company stated that his contributions to NorLand have been immeasurable, and his leadership has helped shape the company into the success it is today. The company is currently conducting a search for the next CEO.

Michael Tymko has been promoted to vice president, business development and Indigenous relations at Inline Group Inc. In his announcement, Tymko said the growth of Inline’s business across five provinces and three territories in the last two years has been the most rewarding experience of his career.

Patrick Laurin has been appointed managing director for Avison Young Canada‘s Montréal team. Mark Fieder, the company’s president, called Laurin “a natural leader with a track record of working collaboratively to drive business across all service lines to produce positive outcomes.”

Dom Costantini has announced the formation of his own consulting practice BLDR Consulting Corporation. Its core services are fractional construction, executive leadership and construction project consulting. Previously, Costantini served as Bird Construction‘s vice president of operations.

Ruffy Ruan has joined Focal Engineering as a senior energy analyst. Ruan stated that she will be working with the firm’s team of experts to revitalize the role of energy modelling and continue to improve building performance in the construction industry. Ruan added that the goal of her work is to minimize the gap between actual and modelled building performance.

Jason Kenney, a former Alberta premier, has been nominated to ATCO’s board, which is to be voted on during the company’s upcoming annual general meeting on May 10 at the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary. Nominees are identified by the board and its chairman.

Michael Ferreira, founder of Urban Analytics, has joined Anthem Properties as senior vice resident of the finance and corporate affairs team

Nicholas Wong has been promoted from site superintendent to field manager at Wales McLelland. Wong has been with the company since 1995. During that time, he’s completed over 28 projects.

Steve Chaplin, EllisDon’s vice president of health, safety and environment, has been named chair of the Prevention Council of Ontario. Chaplin said the council has an opportunity to help bring forward and advise on standards and practices that are practical, meaningful and make a difference to worker health and safety.

Navid Jalali has been promoted to manager of quality and inspections services for the B.C. region at RAM Consulting. Jalali stated that it a challenge he is excited to take on is to continue to grow RAM’s services to new clients and maintain delivery excellence.

Scott Adkins is now the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s board director and vice chair of the general contractors division. Adkins is a professional engineer and has been in the industry for over 27 years working in Western Canada and the Northwest US within the heavy civil, commercial and institutional sectors. He has been with PCL Construction since 2005.

Jessica Toppazzini has been named the managing director of Avison Young‘s Vancouver office. She is the first female to hold the position at the company at the market level in Canada. Toppazzini is taking over the position from Michael Keenan, who is retiring.

Olivia Poulsom is starting a new position as Marketing Manager at Stack Modular. Before that, Poulsom, did marketing work for Professional Custom Homes and CIR Realty.

Kieran Ryder has been hired as project coordinator at Graham. Previously, Ryder worked as a recruiter at Graham.

Jack Priestley has joined Astria Properties this month as its head of development. Priestley oversees all of Astria’s development pipeline and is involved in strategically managing new projects. Priestly previously worked at Orion, a sister company of Astria.

Byron Lambert is Nomodic‘s new chief financial officer. Lambert is a Chartered Accountant with over 12 years of progressive experience in the construction industry. Nomodic says he brings extensive experience in corporate strategy, financial and risk management, reporting, ESG, contracts, and insurance.

Key Takeaways:

• More than 1,300 responded to the survey.
• More than 60% of small contractors have thought about leaving the industry.
• The BCCA strongly recommended prompt payment legislation, public procurement reform and faster permitting to give the province’s builders some relief.

The Whole Story:

B.C. builders are feeling concerned and stressed. 

The BC Construction Association (BCCA) released its annual Industry Survey which saw more than 1,300 respondents give their thoughts on the sector.  

The association stated that the results show demand for construction services is high, but labour supply, costs, and faltering public sector standards and systems around permits, contracts, procurement, and payments are undermining development and putting B.C.’s builders in a tough spot.

“It’s true that labour shortages and the cost of materials are constant challenges,” said Chris Atchison, president of the BCCA. “But industry can manage these pressures – it’s what we do. The biggest hindrances to building housing and other infrastructure today are the associated operations of the authorities having jurisdiction, from Crowns to Ministries and Municipalities.”

The survey found that over 80% of contractors, regardless of size, were paid late for their substantially completed work at least once this past year.  Nearly half of large contractors (100 employees plus) report being paid late at least 25% of the time, and 30% of small contractors (20 employees or less) report the same.  With the cost of borrowing skyrocketing, financing projects for owners is a burden most businesses cannot afford.

The association noted that contract disputes related to costs are a common occurrence, with 44% of small contractors saying they’ve filed a fixed price contract dispute in the last 12 months, compared to 31% of medium contractors and 28% of large.

Interest in public sector projects has waned, with only 45% of large contractors saying they’re “very likely” to bid, vs. less than 20% of small contractors.  Reasons given for lack of interest include “don’t need the work”, “contracts favour the owner”, “process favours larger companies” and “same companies win every time”.

According to the association, these and other pressures are squeezing the small contractors, 61% of whom report thinking about leaving the industry. The average company size has decreased 11% over the last three years to an average of 6.24 workers.  Approximately 92% of companies in the industry employ 10 workers or fewer.

On the workforce side, labourers and skilled workers are reaping the benefits of short supply.  The job market remains highly competitive, driving annual earnings up 22% in the last five years to an average of $70,088. Most workers are working full time and earning overtime, and roughly 45% of respondents reported changing employers within the last year, with the number one reason being higher pay.

The association stated that the skills shortage has improved significantly over the last five years, and although the industry is still short 6,000 skilled workers, that is a substantial improvement from the 49,800-person gap estimated for 2023 ten years ago. 

Most respondents report pursuing another career path prior to construction, with 55% of apprentices holding some university credits.  All levels of talent, from labourers to Journeypersons, are equally likely to hold an academic degree (7%), and 48% of apprentices owe more than $10,000 in academic student loan debt.

The group noted that one of the most disappointing trends it found is the 21% decrease in tradeswomen, a sharp reversal after several years of solid gains. Women comprise only 4.5% of the 163,900 skilled tradespeople in BC’s construction industry today, down from 6% in 2020, despite continuing improvements in construction culture and more employers actively pursuing diverse hiring practices.

“There are many retirements and we’re fighting hard to find new talent” says Atchison. “But the labour shortage is acutely felt beyond the crew, and that impacts costs and timelines too. The whole ecosystem is pressed for experienced staff, from the design team to the authorities having jurisdiction and the owners themselves.  Contractors are deciding not to take on projects due to risk in the process as well as crew shortages.”

The number of employees in the industry has grown 17% year-over-year, and 6% over pre-pandemic levels, although the skilled trades workforce has decreased 4% year-over-year and 9% over pre-pandemic levels. 

The association stated that this de-skilling of the overall workforce reflects that it takes four years to complete an apprenticeship and believes this may be fueling and increasing concern about safety on the worksite from survey respondents.   

The construction industry’s contribution to BC’s GDP is up 4% over last year, and it remains the top employer in BC’s goods sector, with 251,100 British Columbians relying directly on construction for a paycheque.

BCCA is advocating for three changes that it says will address the challenges facing the province’s builders as well as the owners who need the work to be done on budget and on time. They are:

• Introduce prompt payment legislation to normalize standard, reasonable payment terms of 30 days, ensure proper invoices are paid, and give clear rights to lien holdback monies. 
• Make public sector projects more attractive to industry by having fair, open and transparent procurement processes and reasonable contract conditions. 
• Speed up the permit process with the authorities having jurisdiction, including municipalities and BC Hydro. 

“Until BC catches up to the rest of Canada, the USA and Britain, and introduces Prompt Payment Legislation, policy-makers need to be tuned into the fact that the financial risks for BC’s contractors are nearing a breaking point,” said Atchison. “There are actions that industry and government can take together and separately that will alleviate the challenges contractors are facing.”

B.C. is breaking ground on its 6^th Annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month by recognizing excellence across the industry in three areas: public sector procurement, culture change, and leadership.

“The construction industry is going full steam in an extremely challenging economic environment,” said Chris Atchison, president of the BC Construction Association (BCCA). “Every day they build the housing, schools, and hospitals that British Columbians rely on. They’re dedicated, but they’re not invincible. Construction Month is how we showcase the industry and recognize its contribution to our economy and society.”

Awards for construction industry culture

The Builders Code is honouring five employers with Builders Code Champion Awards for leading the way in advancing the culture of B.C.’s industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sector. According to the BCCA, the province’s industry is 95.50% male. The association stated that since COVID-19, gender diversity has taken a backwards step, with tradeswomen dropping from 6.3% to 4.50% of the skilled workforce.  The group stated that it’s crucial that employers lead the way to a contemporary culture that will attract new talent and alleviate the workforce shortage.

The 2023 Builders Code Champions are:

• Island Red Cedar Construction (Nanaimo) – Small Contractor of the Year
• Lacey Construction (Deroche) – Community Champion
• Houle Electric (Burnaby) – Contractor of the Year – and Workplace Culture Champion – (Large Company Category)
• Kinetic Construction (Victoria) – Recruiting and Hiring Champion
• RAM Consulting (Vancouver) – Workplace Culture Champion – (Medium Company Category)

Awards for public sector procurement

The association explained that procuring construction services is a highly specialized practice that requires unique experience, knowledge, and skill. It added that as the pressure to build housing and other infrastructures collide with skyrocketing costs, labour shortages, and lack of timely payment, procurement best practises are more important than ever for project success. That’s why the BC Construction Association (BCCA) has chosen to honour public owners who consistently show leadership in the procurement of construction services:

• Fraser Health, Provincial Health Services Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health – Facilities Management Procurement Team
• City of Victoria – Supply Management Services  
• BC Ministry of Citizen Services – Procurement Services

The Public Sector Procurement and Builders Code Champion Awards will be presented throughout the month of April, at events hosted by the BCCA and regional construction associations.

Awards for leadership 

In Victoria on April 19, the BC Construction Association will present awards for leadership in apprenticeship and community-building at an invitation-only gala dinner. The Leadership Awards are an annual opportunity for the construction industry to acknowledge its outstanding people and the companies they represent. The 2023 Leadership Award winners are:

• Wayne Farey, Campbell Construction (Victoria)
• Ryan Thran, Knappett Projects (Comox)
• Julia Murrell, Kindred Construction (Vancouver)
• Tyler Cameron, Acadia Mechanical (Terrace)

The Leadership Awards are sponsored by the BCCA and LNG Canada as the Platinum sponsors of Construction Month 2023. For more information about the Construction Month award winners visit www.constructionmonth.ca.

B.C. has unveiled its new plan to speed up home construction, increase the supply of middle-income housing and fight speculation.

“If you’ve scrolled through rental listings or seen the prices of homes in your community, you know how tough it is to find an affordable, decent place to live,” said Premier David Eby. “Even though our province is currently building more housing than ever before, it’s just not enough to meet the need. This plan will take us to the next level with unprecedented actions to tackle the challenges head on, delivering even more homes for people, faster.”

Ebay explained that the plan will focus on four priorities – unlocking more homes faster; delivering better, more affordable homes; helping those with the greatest housing need; and creating a housing market for people, not speculators.

The actions in Eby’s Homes for People plan include:

• delivering more middle-income small-scale, multi-unit housing that people can afford, including town homes, duplexes and triplexes through zoning changes and proactive partnerships.
• offering forgivable loans for homeowners to build and rent secondary suites below market rates to increase affordable rental supply quickly.
• building thousands more affordable homes for renters, Indigenous Peoples on and off reserve, women and children leaving violence, and building thousands more on-campus student housing units.
• delivering thousands of new homes near public transit, and launching BC Builds to use public land to deliver affordable homes for people.
• introducing a flipping tax to discourage short-term speculation.
• providing an annual income-tested tax credit of up to $400 per year for renters.
• providing more homes and supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• streamlining and modernizing permitting to reduce costs and speed up approvals to get homes built faster.
• strengthening enforcement of short-term rentals.

“We are in urgent need of more housing throughout British Columbia, which is why we are taking strong steps through our Homes for People strategy to close the gap between supply and demand,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “We are working with our partners to unlock more homes across the spectrum of housing faster than ever, so everyone in our province can have a safe, secure and stable place to call home.” 

The plan found support from Langley, Victoria, and New Westminster officials. Luke Mari, principal, Aryze Developments noted that they believe the plan could provide some relief from systemic issues.

Low supply, speculation, and restrictive zoning policies have resulted in fierce competition and limited housing choice, which impacts the social, environmental and economic prosperity of our province,” said Mari. “Safe, affordable and diverse housing options in all neighbourhoods are foundational to the health of our communities and the planet. Building just for the sake of building isn’t good enough; the name says it all, we need Homes for People.”

SiteViews is a monthly feature where we highlight the coolest construction images posted on social media. What caught our eyes in March? Aurora borealis, muddy boots, major breakthroughs, marching elk and more. Check out the images below and follow the links to see where they came from.

Raymond McDonald / ATCO Electricity

ATCO Electricity’s team was treated to a colourful view of aurora borealis while in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Metrolinx

Drones give a bird’s-eye view of work happening on Scarlett Road in Toronto for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project. The orange tarp is to keep soil protected before it’s paved.

Sheet metal worker and YouTuber Nick Tountas

It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it. Ontario sheet metal worker Nick Tountas snaps a shot of his muddy boots. He regularly gives followers a front row seat to what a trades career is like.

Chandos Construction

Chandos’ civil team works to complete a suspended slab pour Taza Park Water Reservoir. It took eight hours to pour 6,600 sq. ft. of concrete was poured using 52m and 57m pumps.

Gordie Howe International Bridge

Cameras captured the start of stay cable installation for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

ACCIONA Canada

The Broadway Subway project team in Vancouver celebrate the second tunnel boring machine breakthrough at the future Mount Pleasant station.

PCL Construction

Ironworkers celebrate topping off a unique skyscraper in Toronto. Cadillac Fairview’s commercial office tower features a curved beam structure.

Building Trades Alberta

Industry officials visit UA Local 488 and LiUNA Local 92 in Alberta for a hands-on tour of the multi-use training facility.

BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

An excavator moves material for Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon project near Golden, B.C.

Ward Bros. Construction

Ward Bros. Construction works on a major pour at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre In Lethbridge, Alta .

Kiewit

This cab is empty. A worker operates an excavator using remote control technology.

Monte McNaughton, Ontario labour minister

Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s labour minister, visits carpentry students at the Tomorrow’s Trades program.

VanMar Constructors

Crews take advantage of the good weather to make progress on the Options project in Surrey. VanMar stated that Siding and paint is progressing and the team is preparing to mobilize landscapers for the courtyard area.

It’s official.

Scott Construction announced this month that it has achieved B Corp Certification, an international designation that shows a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. 

“We have always operated with a people-first mindset, a company driven by more than just a balance sheet,” said the company in a release. “Striving to be known for the people behind our hammers, we know our impact in building physical communities. We have built our business around purpose and people.”

According to B Corp’s directory, there are only a few other companies in Canada related to the contracting and building sector that have achieved certification: Chandos Construction, Trico Homes, B Collective Homes and EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting.

The company explained that it underwent a rigorous evaluation to ensure it met the B Corp global standards for our people, the planet and the communities in which it works.

Scott Construction stated that these were some keys to its certification: 

Cultivating Community: Paid volunteer days off, group community initiatives with over 240 hours of employee volunteer service.

Putting People First: Scott focuses on career development programs coupled with well-rounded rewards programs, resulting in high engagement (86% to 94% in the last three years) and high retention rates.

Taking Care of the Planet: Beyond building to sustainability standards like LEED, WELL, and Passive House, among others, Scott says it aims for over 75% waste diversion on its sites. They are also a Climate Smart Certified business, working to minimize its own environmental impact.

Values in Action: The company has an employee-led environmental, social, and governance (ESG) committee, as well as mental health and volunteer committees that influence its policies and internal initiatives.

“We are proud to join the B Corp community. We look forward to continuing to share with you the ways we’re using business as a force for good,” said the company. 

Scott’s B Corp profile can be found here.

B Corp Certification is an intense process to verify a company’s practices meet high standards in five categories: workers, environment, governance, community and customers

The B Corp community consists of 6,466 Companies, 89 Countries, 161 Industries and 554,355 Workers.

Adam Drake has left his role as estimator at Orion Construction after more than four years. Drake announced that after over 20 years in the Lower Mainland construction industry the time has come for him to leave and start down a new path. 

Morgan McDonald has started a new role at Ledcor as director, corporate sustainability, covering all of Ledcor’s many lines of business. Morgan has over 20 years of experience with a background in renewable energy, carbon finance, and sustainability education. Morgan was a past B.C. chapter chair and national director with the Canada Green Building Council. He is also a Juno award-winning musician.

Tia Kjartanson, Tracey Hill, Tony Rodgers and Guy Bellis are new members on the board of directors for The Alberta Construction Safety Association. The association is an independent not-for-profit association governed by the board. The board is composed of members from Alberta’s construction industry. As the largest safety association in the province, it serves more than 55,500 members.

Jeff Provost has left his position as indigenous business relations manager at Bird Construction. Provost stated the he enjoyed the wise counsel and teachings of the many Elders he got to meet met, overseeing Indigenous Cultural Awareness training for 5,000 team members, developing the Bird Walk for Reconciliation that united 19 offices across Canada with one purpose, Truth and Reconciliation day, and managing the erection of a totem pole carved from a 1,000 year old tree that was gifted to Treaty 1.

“For these and many other memories, I say ‘meegwetch’ to everyone,” wrote Provost. “Stay tuned for my next adventure!”

Dani Ferenc has joined Essence Properties as the vice president of construction. Ferenc has over 20 years of industry experience, having managed projects throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. She is an Instructor and sits on the program advisory committee at BCIT School of Construction and the Environment, as well as president and co-founder of NEST Projects Foundation – Canadian Charity, a charity that aims to reduce barriers to education for children.

Brendan Nobes is returning for a second year as chair of the Canadian Construction Association’s board of directors. Nobes has spent more than 35 years in the industry. He is the director of major projects for rcs Construction, a general contracting firm building landmark projects throughout Atlantic Canada. In the coming year the CCA plans to continue its focus on building workforce capacity, advancing fair procurement and a long-term infrastructure plan, including trade-enabling infrastructure, while strengthening the bonds between CCA and partner associations.

David Redfern, CEO of Lafarge Canada (Eastern Canada operations), will serve as the chair of our board of directors for the Cement Association of Canada.

Redfern joined the association’s board in 2019 and will serve as chair for a two-year term. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the construction materials industry, both in Canada and globally. The association noted that Redfern will take over the role at a critical time in the cement and concrete industry’s history, as it seeks to accelerate implementation of its Net-Zero Action plan.

“I look forward to working together with our members and allies as we continue to promote and advance cement and concrete as key building materials to create thriving, sustainable, climate-resilient communities across Canada,” said Redfern in his announcement.  

Andy Baines, a real estate developer and investor, has joined Matthews West, the group partnered with the Squamish Nation to develop the Oceanfront Squamish and Cheekeye River projects. Collectively, these projects account for 3,725 new housing units and roughly 400 acres of commercial land.

Victoria Mancinelli has been awarded the 2023 Women of Distinction Award by Hamilton YWCA for tirelessly advocating for women and racialized people in the skilled trades. Through her work as the director public relations, marketing, and strategic partnerships at the Labourers International Union of North America (LiUNA), she has helped to ensure that women have the support they need as they navigate a male-dominated industry.

Mingyuk Chen is Intelligent City’s new associate director of projects. The group noted that  with her extensive experience in mass timber construction, at Intelligent City, Mingyuk leads projects through all phases of design and execution.

Tim Loch has been appointed by Avison Young as their new principal and senior vice president and practice leader of  investment valuation and advisory services in Canada. The firm noted that for more than a decade, Loch has been delivering exceptional service to clients, creating value for some of the largest institutions in the country. Loch will be responsible for helping clients reach their goals with their real estate portfolio. 

Marnie Williams has been promoted to director of project services (Alberta) at RAM. Williams is a certified manager of quality/organizational excellence (CMQ/OE) from the American Society for Quality and has extensive construction experience specifically relating to quality management. Williams formerly held the role of senior manager, quality & inspections, overseeing RAM’s growing team in B.C.

Mia Papasotiriou has been hired as an estimator at Bird Construction. Papasotiriou has worked on jobs within the residential, commercial, healthcare, light industrial, and institutional sectors – experiencing projects through both trade and general contracting perspectives. Papasotiriou explained that she has gained a plethora of skills in her prior positions that have pushed her forward into this role.

Whitney White has started a new role as assistant marketing manager at Turner Construction Company. Prior to this, she was a marketing specialist at the company. Some of her specialties include writing, editing, creating unique marketing materials and photojournalism.

*Editors note: do you have a hiring, promotion or retirement announcement you want to make? Let us know at hello@readsitenews.com. Be the first to get People Moves by subscribing to our newsletter below.

If you could own part of your employer, would you work harder, dig deeper and pay more attention to the details? These companies believe that employee ownership can be a significant motivator for success.

The benefits of employee ownership for employees can be staggering. A study of employee-owned companies in the U.S. found that median household net wealth is 92 percent higher for employee owners when compared to employees at other firms. Another suggests that low- and moderate- income workers at employee-owned companies built significantly more wealth than their peers and that the wealth benefits were even more pronounced for women and people of colour. 

It should also be noted that that these aren’t small, local organizations. Employee-owned construction companies make up the largest construction companies in the country. See for yourself below.

9. Strike Group

Strike Group is one of Western Canada’s leading infrastructure construction and maintenance service providers for energy, mining, and agriculture. Based in Calgary, Strike has more than 1100 employees in 24 locations throughout Western Canada. Strike has been named one of “Canada’s Best Managed Companies” since 2007 and was also an Alberta “Contractor of the Year” recipient.

8. Chandos

Chandos is 100 percent employee owned. It’s also the first and largest B Corp-certified national technical builder in North America. The company states that everyone who works for Chandos can become an owner and every owner has a voice because there’s only one class of voting shares. According to Chandos, over 200 of its employees are owners. Their website put it this way: “We’re driven to do better because we own a stake in the business success.”

7. Clark Builders

Clark Builders was founded by Andy Clark in Yellowknife in 1974 and soon expanded to offices in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. As one of Canada’s largest general contractors, Clark Builders specializes in projects for the commercial, institutional and energy sectors. Currently employing a workforce of approximately 850, Clark Builders says it has a “team-centred” ownership structure with 25 percent of the company owned by its employee shareholders. One of its major current projects is the Red Deer Justice Centre. 

6. Flynn Group

What started out as a Winnipeg roofing contractor has since grown into an international building envelope provider that employs roughly 6,000 people. Originally owned by the Flynn family, the Flynn Group now has dozens of employee owners. CEO Doug Flynn told the Globe and Mail back in 2012 that he doesn’t believe the company could have grown like it did without its equity program. 

5. Ledcor

The roots of Ledcor go back to Alberta in the 1940s.  Today the diversified construction company employs over 7,000 people across 20 offices. The employee-owned company has over 800 shareholders. The company recently celebrated its 75th anniversary with a $3 million donation over four years to support pediatric healthcare initiatives in Canada and the US.

4. Kiewit

Kiewit is 100% employee owned and any employee has the potential to become a stockholder through its employee–ownership plan. Company officials state that they cherish its reputation as a true meritocracy, so employees who stand out as the best of the best are individually reviewed and approved by Kiewit’s CEO and senior leadership for employee ownership opportunities. The company says that they believe this is a great way to drive the future of the company.

3. Graham 

Graham is 100% employee-owned by employee-owners from all levels of the company, not just the executive or senior-management. The company states that they believe this employee-ownership model fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and environment: “A workplace where people are accountable to both themselves and their colleagues and have a genuine vested interest in the success of every project.” 

2. EllisDon

In March 2020, it was announced that 100% of EllisDon’s equity would be transferred to the company’s employees. Family shareholders, who previously held 50% ownership, signed-off on an agreement which assures that over time, EllisDon will become entirely employee-owned. 

“I don’t think I can overstate how momentous this agreement is in the life of EllisDon; it is one of the most important days in our history,” said Geoff Smith, president and CEO, during the announcement. “EllisDon’s share structure and independent governance will ensure that we continue to strive together for complete fairness in equity of ownership across all employees, both present and future.”

1. PCL

With an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion, PCL is regularly cited as the largest construction company in Canada. All of PCL’s shares are held by employees and ownership is open to all salaried workers. More than 90% of eligible staff choose to become shareholders. Profits are shared with employees through dividends on owned shares. The company says that the high participation rate reflects its employees’ confidence in PCL’s leadership and ability to help employees, clients and partners create lasting and shared success.

Key Takeaways:

• Officials are proposing that there be access to at least one women’s-only washroom on jobsites.
• They are wanting to ensure properly fitting equipment such as uniforms, boots and safety harnesses are provided.
• The province also intends to require jobsite bathrooms be private and completely enclosed, have adequate lighting and hand sanitizer.

The Whole Story

Ontario is on a mission to clean up bathroom conditions for construction workers and accommodate women on jobsites. 

Officials are proposing a series of changes that, if approved, would ensure there is access to at least one women’s-only washroom on jobsites and properly fitting equipment such as uniforms, boots and safety harnesses.

“Access to a washroom is a basic human dignity and something every worker should have the right to,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Careers in construction offer six-figure salaries with pensions and benefits, and it is an injustice only 10 per cent of them are filled by women. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government will continue to stand with these heroes. Everyone has the right to a safe and welcoming workplace.”

I launched a social campaign to hear your experiences on bathrooms at your construction sites… Let's just say, the responses were messy. 🚽 pic.twitter.com/EGki6qqBEh

— Monte McNaughton (@MonteMcNaughton) March 10, 2023

The government is further improving portable washrooms by requiring them to be private and completely enclosed, have adequate lighting and hand sanitizer (where running water is not reasonably possible). Additionally, the government is doubling the number of toilets on most jobsites.

“Workplaces that are safer and more equitable help increase women’s participation in the workforce,” said Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity. “Our government is taking action to remove barriers and empower women to excel in sectors where they are underrepresented – because when women succeed, Ontario succeeds.”

Officials noted that there are nearly 600,000 construction workers in Ontario, but only one in 10 are women. 

These changes are part of a larger package that expands on actions introduced in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021 and 2022.

The announcement also comes after the Ministry of Labour conducted a major bathroom inspection push last month at over 1,800 construction sites. Inspectors reported 244 violations, the most common being no toilets provided, a lack of privacy, or a lack of cleaning. Minister McNaughton also embarked on a social media campaign that asked workers to share their experiences with jobsite bathrooms.

Workers responded, saying employers had made no effort to provide sanitary options for women changing their menstrual products while at work and that typically bathrooms are cleaned only once a week.

New data released by Statistics Canada is showing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on journeyperson careers. 

The agency noted that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a negative impact on the economy as a whole, and on newly certified journeypersons in particular. This was seen in the take-up rates of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit among skilled tradespeople (38.4%) and the general working population (35.2%). Among the restrictions that provinces and territories implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19 was the closure of many worksites. Without the capacity to perform their jobs virtually, newly certified journeypersons were more affected than others in the labour force.

Journeyperson income dropped in 2020

Journeypersons who newly certified in 2020 earned a median employment income of $50,080 that year, which marked a 5.2% drop compared with what those who certified in 2019 earned. This also represented one of the lowest median employment incomes of newly certified journeypersons since the series started in 2008.

The median employment income of newly certified journeypersons continued to be highest in the territories (-13.5% to $66,540) and Alberta (-7.0% to $57,230). While both jurisdictions experienced significant drops, it was Newfoundland and Labrador (-16.3%) that recorded the largest decline from 2019.

Only 3 of the 31 trades saw growth in the median earnings of newly certified journeypersons from 2019 to 2020, namely agricultural equipment technicians (+9.8%), industrial instrumentation and control technicians (+4.4%) and powerline technicians (+1.1%). The remaining trades experienced decreases from 0.4% to 31.2%. 

Trades that rely heavily on interactions with the public, such as hairstylists (-31.2%), cooks (-21.5%) and estheticians (-21.3%), decreased the most. The agency noted that because these three trades have some of the highest concentrations of female journeypersons and were most at risk of job disruption because of COVID-19 restrictions, their decreases contributed to a larger decline in female journeypersons’ income (-$3,780; -13.1%) than in male journeypersons’ income (-$3,190; -5.7%).

Across many trades, the median employment income of male and female journeypersons decreased by similar amounts, with a few exceptions. In the automotive service technician and welder trades, compared with 2019, the median employment income of newly certified female automotive service technicians (-$7,320; -18.1%) and welders (-$11,330; -19.8%) decreased more than that of male automotive service technicians (-$3,130; -6.8%) and welders (-$6,840; -11.9%). In contrast, although the median income of newly certified cooks (-21.5%) posted a large decrease compared with the previous cohort, the median income of male cooks (-$8,910; -24.4%) decreased more than that of female cooks (-$5,190; -16.8%).

Low mobility also recorded

In 2020, one year after certification, 5.2% of journeypersons either lived or worked in a province or territory other than their place of certification. This marked the lowest national mobility rate of journeypersons since the data series started in 2008, and a continued downward trend for a third year.

In 2020, against the backdrop of COVID-19 restrictions, weak oil prices, and declines in construction activity and support activities for oil and gas extraction (-41.3%), Alberta’s gross domestic product dropped 8.2%, the largest decline among the provinces and territories. Amidst these economic uncertainties, Alberta had difficulties retaining and attracting migrant journeypersons. In 2020, under one-fifth (18.2%) of mobile journeypersons (i.e., those who lived or worked in a province or territory other than their place of certification) who certified in 2019 moved to Alberta. This marked a 3.7 percentage point decline from the previous year and the sixth consecutive year of in-migration declines. In 2014, Alberta’s resource boom made it an attractive destination, and in-migration of newly certified journeypersons to Alberta peaked, with nearly one-half (48.9%) of mobile journeypersons moving there. In 2020, just over one-third (33.7%) of mobile journeypersons had left the province.

British Columbia slowly replaced Alberta as the most common destination for newly certified migrant journeypersons. In 2020, one year after certification, British Columbia received just under one-quarter (24.4%, +1.5% from 2019) of newly certified in-migrants, most of whom migrated from Alberta, followed by Ontario (22.6%), which also surpassed Alberta.

Key Takeaways:

• The ICBA is expanding in Alberta with a new suite of services for members.
• ICBA Alberta will be led by Mike Martens who spent the past eight years working for Progressive Contractors Association of Canada.
• ICBA Alberta will focus on advocacy, group health benefits, training, and wellness programs designed for Alberta’s open shop contractors, builders, and entrepreneurs.

The Whole Story:

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) is expanding in Alberta.

Building on the growth of its Alberta group health benefits business which has been offering health, dental and retirement plans to contractors and businesses for nearly a decade, ICBA is rolling out a suite of new services for its members in Alberta.

Mike Martens, one of the province’s top advocacy leaders, has been selected to head up ICBA Alberta, ICBA president Chris Gardner announced today.

“Founded 48 years ago, ICBA has grown into the country’s largest construction association with more than 4,000 members and clients and 150,000 people on one of our group health benefit plans,” said Gardner. “Today, I’m proud to announce that we are expanding in Alberta and that Mike Martens has joined us to lead the roll-out and growth of the suite of new member services we will be offering to ICBA Alberta members. Mike is a dynamic, respected advocate, and is focused on growing the construction, building, and resource development industries in Alberta.”

Martens was director of public affairs (Western Canada) for the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada for the past eight years. Working out of ICBA’s Calgary office as ICBA Alberta President, Martens will work with the ICBA Alberta team to expand its member service offering in areas related to advocacy, group health benefits, training, and wellness programs designed for Alberta’s open shop contractors, builders, and entrepreneurs.

According to ICBA, some 88 per cent of the more than 220,000 people who work in Alberta construction make up the open shop sector.

“It’s an honour for me to be able to help build on ICBA’s incredible platform in Alberta,” said Martens. “We’re going to be offering some very exciting services to help merit and open shop construction contractors grow, and we’re going to give them a strong voice in public policy advocacy.”

When it comes to federal advocacy, ICBA Alberta is a member of Merit Canada, joining Merit Saskatchewan, Merit Manitoba, Merit Ontario, Merit Nova Scotia and ICBA. Through Merit Canada, the partnership of open shop construction organizations advocates on issues important to open shop contractors in Ottawa.

“Mike and the team at ICBA Alberta will be working to help construction companies grow and support their workers with the best benefits, training and advocacy possible,” said Gardner. “They will be supporting the reduction in unnecessary red tape and the creation the economic conditions necessary to attract investment, build the infrastructure and harness our energy resources in a way that secures our long-term prosperity.”

Martens encouraged all merit-based, open shop construction companies doing work in Alberta, to send him me a note at mmartens@icba.ca so they can meet to discuss how our ICBA Alberta can help. 

“I’ve hit the ground running with meetings and introductions, and I can’t wait to share what ICBA Alberta can do to help construction companies,” said Martens.

*Editor’s note: This article contains very strong language & describes graphic harassment

Marcia Braundy never planned to make history as B.C.’s first female Red Seal carpenter. 

It was out of necessity. Things needed to be fixed and built. So she learned. 

“I had Volkswagens in the 60s and I had to be able to fix them but I didn’t have work that paid me any real money,” she said. “I had to do all of that myself. I found wonderful men who would let me use their tools and give me direction if I needed it.”

She got so proficient that she was able to rebuild two entire engines. 

Marcia’s main passions were feminism, environmentalism and alternative schooling. While organizing for the National Student Association in the U.S, she began to uncover a skillset that would be invaluable her whole life. 

“Chuck Hollander, who hired me there, gave me the gift of learning what I am really good at in this world,” said Braundy. “I am a community organizer, and I am an activist, and I am really good at identifying issues and helping people find ways to solve them.”

Finding home in the valley

Born in Massachusetts and raised in Pleasantville, New York, Braundy’s travels eventually brought her to B.C.’s Slocan Valley.

“I knew immediately that this was my home,” she said. 

She founded the Slocan Valley Free School, which still exists today as The Whole School, a community-supported, non-profit, independent, elementary school. Its program focuses on outdoor learning, multi-age, small class sizes, independent education planning, and student-driven learning.

In the early 1970s, an effort was made to build a community centre in the valley. But there was little money for the project, so residents rolled up their sleeves and got to work, including Braundy. 

“I ran the volunteer crews and I would sit down once a week with someone who knew more than me,” said Braundy. “The men seemed busy most of the time but they would come and we would draw pictures on 2x10s of the work that needed to be done.”

Braundy and other women in the valley wanted to learn but soon found they were being sidelined by the men. 

“I noticed that the guys kept taking the tools out of the women’s hands, saying ‘here, honey, let me show you how to do it’ and then they didn’t give the tool back,” she said. “So I started having women’s work days where we could come, teach each other and learn. It was wonderful.”

The centre eventually became the Vallican Whole Community Centre which still serves the region to this day.

Starting pre-apprenticeship training 

After several years of working on the community centre, Braundy decided to learn more about carpentry to earn a better living. But after a year of asking the province’s apprenticeship counsellor in Nelson to get into pre-apprenticeship training, she had been ignored.  

“At that point I called the director of apprenticeship,” she said. “And I said ‘I think I am being discriminated against and I am really unhappy.’” 

She was told a course in Dawson Creek started in three days so she made her way to Northern Lights College.  She very quickly found out that all of the other women who had tried to take training in the male-dominated programs had left.

“I heard about them every day and people would tell me women couldn’t make it here,” she said.  

Despite these stories, made a promise to herself that no matter what, she would give four years of her life to becoming a carpenter.

“An apprenticeship was four years,” she said. “And whatever happened in that period of time, I would keep going. And if at the end of four years it was too icky, I gave myself permission to walk away.” 

Things got icky fast. “Marcia’s tits” was scrawled on the blackboard, “Fuck you, miss” was on the tool room door and “Marcia’s potty seat” was written in the bathroom. 

To keep herself motivated she would play song tapes recorded by her friends back in the valley and look at architectural plans of an upcoming Slocan Valley project on her wall. 

“They were fabulous plans,” she said. “They had three octagonal bays on them. I had them on my wall because that was the job I was going to do when I got out of school. I had reasons to keep me there.” 

Everyday she erased the crude messages on the blackboard in class but finally she called her instructor over and told him about the harassment. He erased the board and never said anything to anyone.

When the school was creating posters to welcome a local MLA, some of them were also adorned with crude messages or sexualized depictions of nude women. Braundy objected, telling her classmates that she would not let those images represent the carpenters.

“I grabbed a can of paint and threw it all over their poster. They picked up a can of paint and threw it all over me. I didn’t care. That poster wasn’t going up,” she said.

Braundy had been documenting all the harassment and misogyny on campus and after six months she decided it was time to take action with school officials. 

“I have to speak up,” said Braundy. “I have to. And I did. I let them know what was happening and called it to attention.”

The result shocked her. 

The college president, Barry Moore, went around to every single male dominated trades training classroom on campus and told them that their language and actions were inappropriate at an institution of higher learning and if it continued they would be thrown out of school and would not get an apprenticeship anywhere in British Columbia. 

Getting experience

Braundy graduated with the highest grade in the class on her final exam and took her certificate back to the valley to begin her apprenticeship. She worked in various woodworking shops, helped with Nelson’s first Victorian renovation and did some homebuilding projects. But the real money and opportunity was in the carpenter’s union. 

After months and months of being ignored she finally showed up to the union office and demanded a copy of the constitution and standard collective agreement. After she reviewed the documents with a lawyer and found nothing that would prevent her from becoming a member she showed up at the next meeting. She discovered that she had be accepted as the first woman member of B.C.’s carpenter’s union, local 2458.

Now a third-year apprentice, her first union job was the Chahko Miko Mall in Nelson and her business agent told her this: “Marcia, you don’t have to take any shit from anybody. You’re a union member now.”

Her crew was doing concrete flooring work and she made fast friends with the other workers. When she eventually left the job, the team threw her a party and gave her a 15-year-old bottle of rye whiskey in a velvet case. 

While working on the Hume Hotel she became a miter joint expert, learning how to precisely chisel the joints so that even to this day they have stayed intact without cracking. 

“There’s a pride that comes from doing the job that is thrilling,” said Braundy. 

She soon found herself living in a work camp doing larger, more complex jobs. Braundy was part of a 70-person team doing form work on two side-by-side coal silos, each 278 feet tall. Day shifts were 13 hours and night shifts were 11 hours. Typically, carpenters would be paired up for long periods of time but the foreman bounced her from man to man. After 25 different partners, she learned the foreman wasn’t punishing her. 

“Each of the guys that I was with there, it was the first time they had worked with a woman,” said Braundy. “And he wanted as many men there as possible to have that opportunity. I am forever thankful to him. I felt great on the site with all of them.”

But those good feelings were shattered when a crude joke began circulating the camp and was eventually told to her. 

“I can say that I have no memory of exactly what the joke was, but I remember that I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and I couldn’t breathe,” said Braundy. “And I was horrified that all these people who I had thought were my friends had known about that joke and were walking around with that thought in their minds. I suppose I should have written it down, but it was so horrible and awful I just couldn’t even think of writing it down. I had to get through the rest of the day but I was barely functional.”

Her friend, a carpenter from Cranbrook, found her in her room crying and she made him promise to never tell anyone what he had seen. He agreed. 

“I had to get up the next day, go to work and put all of that away,” she said. 

Making history

In 1981, Braundy was in her fourth year of apprenticeship and traveled to BCIT to complete her trades education. She was met with more disturbing behaviour. Her classmates regularly posted explicit pornographic images on the classroom wall. When she finally brought it up with the instructor, he took the images down but never said anything to anyone. 

On the last day of class, one of the students put a particularly explicit pornographic image on the back wall of the classroom and declared, “this is for the guys in the next class, we hope there aren’t any women in it.” 

She quietly shredded the image, threw it in the trash and went to return her books as she prepared to take the final exam. She left her Frederickson Metric Square in the room. The carpenter’s square was designed by carpentry instructor Paul H. Frederickson to help builders, and he had signed Braundy’s. When she returned, it had been destroyed.

“My signed Frederickson square had been twisted into a knot and dropped on my desk,” said Braundy. “‘CUNT’ was written in pencil below it in big letters.”

Emotionally shattered, she began the half mile walk across campus to take the test that will determine if she will be a Red Seal carpenter or not. A classmate of her’s told her not to pay attention to the bully. She asked him one question: “Where were you when it was going on?”

She later found out the bully had failed his exam, but she had passed. She was informed by the school that she was the province’s first ever female Red Seal carpenter

The story doesn’t end there. Here projects are almost too numerous to mention. Braundy even worked with 13 other women to develop EMMA’s Jambrosia, a food manufacturing business to support chronically unemployed women in the West Kootenays.

In addition to to being on BCIT’s board of governors and holding PhD from University of British Columbia, Braundy is a community development worker, social change activist, independent research scholar, multimedia project manager, archivist, teacher, and was the founding national coordinator of Women in Trades and Technology National Network (WITTNN). She curates and manages KootenayFeminism.com and has been active in the Canadian women’s movement since 1972. 

Braundy is currently building a freely-available, full-text digital archive of equity in apprenticeship and technical fields, with a focus on initiatives for under-represented groups.

Key Takeaways:

• Coast Capital’s donation will create the Road to Red Seal Program.
• The program provides individualized assessment and support to Red Seal students in B.C.
• Officials say one-on-one support can be critical to give students the tools and confidence they need to pass exams.

The Whole Story:

Failing a Red Seal exam can be devastating. 

But it’s a common reality in Canada. Completion rates for Red Seal trades are on average below 50 per cent nationally and below 41 per cent in B.C. Often, the decision to quit a program is a direct result of educational barriers that face many trade students related to the academic portion of their training.  

“Imagine what that does to an apprentice when they fail,” said Michelle Anderlini, Construction Foundation of B.C. project manager. “All of a sudden you have no self esteem, you’re nervous, you’re scared to get back and write that exam.”

Anderlini has worked with countless students during her career. She explained that many who enter the trades do so because they excel at working with their hands, but are often dismayed at the thought of going back to school.  

“A lot of the challenges that apprentices face is the educational background they came from,” she said. “They do well working with their hands. So for the most part, the way they learn is very visual and kinaesthetic. So when they get into the trades, it’s very scary for them to go back to school.”

To support trades students in B.C., Coast Capital has made a one-million-dollar investment that will fund a new, no-fee, educational support program, Coast Capital Road to Red Seal. The program focuses on addressing educational barriers faced by many trade students.

The initiative offers a suite of tools and one-on-one support directly to students to address their specific challenges and support their continued progression in their program.

Anderlini said that student needs are often unique to them so one-on-one support is especially crucial. This is also helpful for those who are too shy to ask for help in a group setting. Whatever a student’s issues may be, Anderlini said that these kind of supports all provide a crucial ingredient for success: hope.

“It’s about building hope. It’s about building self confidence that they have got it,” she said.

Anderlini is currently working with a trades student who failed his exam eight years ago and hasn’t been back since. 

“He is scared to go back but he wants to start his own business,” she said. “So it’s about talking with them, and encouraging them. Telling them that they got this. Giving them all the tools they need so they go write the test and nail it.”  

Officials with Coast Capital explained that they believe supporting trades students is the right thing to do for B.C. 

“As a federal financial cooperative and social purpose organization, Coast Capital is committed to helping create a better, more equitable, financial future for everyone,” says Maureen Young, vice president of social purpose at coast capital. “With this initiative, we are so proud to be able to contribute to and advocate for a community where everyone has the skills and opportunities to thrive. Coast Capital’s Road to Red Seal initiative, broadens and personalizes the tools accessible to trade students to empower them in completing their certification so they can confidently enter the industry, grow their careers and shape their better future.”

Key Takeaways:

• The line features a maternity button-up work shirt and maternity cargo pants.
• It comes from Ontario-based Covergalls Inc. which specializes in workwear for women.
• The company says they not only hope the gear can make pregnant workers more comfortable but also keep them safer.

The Whole Story:

A new workwear option for women has just been born in Ontario.

Covergalls Inc. – a Sudbury-based company specializing in creating inclusive personal protective equipment for women – has announced the launch of their new maternity workwear. 

The apparel collection, made up of a maternity button-up work shirt and maternity cargo pants, aims to provide personal protective equipment for pregnant women in the workforce.

Alicia Woods, CEO and founder of Covergalls Inc. says she sees the launch as an important and long overdue step towards helping working women in Canadian industrial sectors be safe, comfortable and heard. 

“I’m really excited for this new addition to our collection. So many women have had to create makeshift solutions due to lack of options and inaccessibility to proper PPE, myself being one,” said Woods. “Creating maternity workwear that companies and suppliers can provide to their employees? It’s a step in the right direction towards greater workplace equality.”

The launch of the maternity workwear line has been a passion project that Woods and her team at Covergalls have been working on since a visit to Yamana’s Jacobina Mine in Brazil in December 2019. In the Spring of 2022, Covergalls began to work on the designs for the maternity workwear and engaged with pregnant workers to trial the apparel and get boots-on-the-ground feedback. 

Since then Covergalls has worked together with uniform provider CINTAS to make these pieces available for their clients.

“The partnership with these women has been wonderful, and an example of the amazing solutions that can be found when industry leaders and companies partner with individuals to try and make a difference in the workwear industry,” added Woods.

The Covergalls Maternity Workwear Collection:

• The Covergalls Maternity Button-Up Work Shirt is designed to fit the unique needs of pregnant women in the workforce. The design features a longer front to safely cover a growing belly and a tab hem with 2 snaps that allows the wearer to adjust the shirt waist as their body grows. 
• The Covergalls Maternity Cargo Pant is designed to provide full and flexible coverage for pregnant women in the workforce. Using a rib knit front panel and high waist design, the pants securely pull over a growing belly. 

Made in Canada, both workwear pieces meet OHS safety standards and use 3M Scotchlite 4” yellow/silver/yellow retro Reflective Tape to give workers high-visibility. 

Woods noted that while the design for the collection includes important special features, they are also purposefully made to fit standard safety workwear guidelines and looks.

“Our design choice to make these pieces was very intentional,” said Woods. “Women in the workforce do not want to be stereotyped or gendered. Rather, they want creative solutions to the current limitations of safety gear. We have to meet the needs of a diversity of body shapes and pregnant women happen to be one body type underrepresented – and that changes over time.” 

The maternity workwear release comes at the start of an important month for women all around the world: Women’s History Month. The company stated that Ill-fitting safety gear is dangerous for any worker. Historically, however, designs have not been considered to accommodate the heights and curves necessary for women who are pregnant and at work. 

Woods hopes that by launching this collective she is able to reach women across industrial sectors who are having to create their own makeshift solutions to ill-fitting equipment. 

“I’ve struggled with ill-fitting workwear. It’s horrible – not just for safety reasons but for also making you feel like you don’t belong in your field. You don’t fit the ‘norm’,” said Woods. “My hope is that this new apparel opens up more discussions around what current and future corporations can do to step up and help improve diversity and belonging in the workforce, pregnant or not.” 

The collection will be available and sold on Covergalls’ e-commerce site beginning this month. 

Whether it is generous benefits for new parents, access to gyms, funding for mental health or large bonuses for recruiting others, these companies are raising the bar when it comes to employee treatment. Each company was recognized last month as part a larger list by BC’s Top Employers, an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

Companies are chosen by editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers using the same eight criteria as the national competition: workplace; work atmosphere & social; health, financial & family benefits; vacation & time off; employee communications; performance management; training & skills development; and community involvement. The judges also compare candidates to other organizations in their field to determine if they are ahead of the pack.

Canfor

Established in 1938, Canfor has a long history in Canada and they are one of the world’s largest producers of sustainable lumber, pulp and paper. For employees, they cover up to 100% of tuition per year. They also offer apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, mentoring, paid internships. Canfor pays up to $1,000 each year for mental health practitioner and allows hybrid work for eligible roles.

Ausenco Engineering

Ausenco Limited is a multinational engineering, procurement, construction management, and operations service provider to the energy and resources sectors. Last year, Ausenco implemented a new parental leave program, offering a top-up of 100 per cent of salary for 12 weeks for primary caregivers. New parents also have the option to phase-in their return work or prolong their leave to an unpaid leave of absence. The company also recently established a women’s employee resource group and rolling out training and networking sessions — the company also launched a reconciliation action plan, with six action areas including cultural awareness training, internships and scholarships

Beedie

Beedie is a private real estate development, investment and property management company who’s president, Ryan Beedie was recently honoured by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce as Canadian Business Leader of the Year.. Not only does Beedie assist workers in saving for the future, they provide a year-end bonus program and up to $5,000 in referral bonuses for employees who help recruit new talent. Employees have access to a free onsite gym at its Burnaby office. The gym has free instructor-led classes and even personal training. Beedie also has a digital well-being education platform with resources on mental health, financial well-being, family and relationships.

West Fraser Timber Co. 

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. is a Canadian forestry company that produces wood products, including lumber, laminated veneer lumber and plywood. West Fraser offers a flexible health benefits program, mental health coverage, a $3,000 annual health spending account, They also allow the transfer of unused health credits to salary, savings or additional time off. The company designates a portion of its pre-tax profits for charitable and community giving. Where most donations go is decided by employees. New employees with three weeks of paid vacation and considers previous work experience when setting individual vacation entitlement. Salaried receive an additional paid week above their regular vacation after five years of service, as well as a bonus week of vacation every fifth anniversary thereafter.

TYBO Contracting 

Tybo Contracting Ltd. is a civil contracting company based in Langley and it operates throughout the province. Tybo gives workers retirement planning assistance services and matching RSP contributions. It also helps employees transition out of work with flexible, phased-in retirement options.

Tybo offers $1,000 to $5,000 for successful hire referrals. It supports expecting mothers with maternity and parental leave top-up. Parents with children pursuing post-secondary education can receive $2,500 academic scholarships for each child per year. 

SkilledTradesBC

SkilledTradesBC, formerly Industry Training Authority, is the government organization that advances B.C.’s trades training system. It offers employees an annual spending allowance on items related to personal health goals such as fitness equipment, classes and gym memberships. It supports new parents with extensive maternity and parental leave top-up payments for a full year of paid leave and provides parental leave top-up for new dads and adoptive parents, for up to 35 weeks. New employees start with three weeks of paid vacation, moving up to four weeks after three years.

Ventana Construction Corporation

Ventana is a full-service construction partner based in Burnaby. It supports a group of in-house Wellness Champions in partnership with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. Wellness Champions share online materials on a range of topics, from physical fitness to emotional intelligence, and the company recently worked with the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation in support of Men’s Health Week. Ventana also provides variety of financial benefits, including profit-sharing for all employees, signing bonuses for some, and referral bonuses as an incentive for employees to recruit from their personal networks, from $800 to $5,000 depending on the position. Employees can also receive subsidies for job-related courses and professional accreditation. 

Turner Construction Company

Turner Construction opened its Vancouver office in 2011 with the goal of increasing reach and providing construction services across Canada.Turner offers paid volunteer time and matching charitable donations, up to $500 annually, to encourage employees to give back to the community. Employee referral bonuses can get as high as $14,000. Employees can enjoy a reduced summer hours program that includes a company-paid early shutdown every Friday afternoon, from the end of May to the end of August.

Perkins & Will

Architecture firm Perkins & Will offers discretionary compassionate leave top-up for those caring for a loved one (to 80 per cent of salary for up to 52 weeks). It also invests in ongoing professional development with tuition subsidies for courses both related and not directly related to an employee’s current position, subsidies for professional accreditation and financial bonuses (up to $2,000) for some course completions. The company offers paid internships, summer employment, apprenticeships and formal mentoring programs to attract new people into the field.

Ledcor

Ledcor Group of Companies is an employee-owned, diversified and vertically-integrated construction company operating primarily in Canada and the U.S.. Ledcor recently doubled its mental health coverage to $1,500 annually per employee, which includes visits with psychologists, social workers, certified Canadian counsellors, or registered clinical counsellors. Ledcor employees who have over five years of service are enrolled in the Savings Time Annual Reward program, which offers a choice of an additional 40 hours of paid time off or the equivalent dollar amount deposited into a Ledcor RRSP account. Ledcor also supports ongoing employee development throughout an employee’s career, from co-op placements, apprenticeships and mentoring programs to tuition subsidies for courses taken externally.

Jacob Bros Construction 

Jacob Bros Construction, based in Surrey, is a family-owned general contractor operating across Western Canada. The company supports a number of charitable initiatives each year and matches charitable donations made by employees, to a maximum of $500 per year. It also organizes an awards program for employees with five years of service, allowing them to choose between a trip for two, an RRSP contribution, or a cash reward for their tenure. Employees can receive tuition subsidies for job-related courses (to $2,500 per year), subsidies for professional accreditation and a range of in-house and online training options, including apprenticeships.

Hudson Pacific Properties

Hudson is a Vancouver-based real estate developer. It supports new birth moms with maternity leave top-up, to 100 per cent of salary for 16 weeks. Hudson extends parental leave top-up payments to biological parents, same-sex spousal equivalents and new adoptive parents (to 100 per cent of salary for 12 weeks). Referral bonuses go up to $5,000. Hudson also encourages employee volunteerism, providing up to four paid days off to volunteer each year. It also matches employee charity donations up to $1,000 per employee per year.

ETRO Construction 

ETRO Construction is one of Vancouver’s fastest growing construction management and general contracting firms. It offers a fitness subsidy of $500 annually to support employees in achieving their health and wellness goals (can be used for gym memberships and classes), and offers subsidized group personal training weekly at a nearby gym. It provides maternity and parental leave top-up payments, to 100 per cent of salary for up to 26 weeks.

ETRO also recognizes employees  through its Wall of 100 display at head office, showcasing plaques and photos of employees who have achieved their five year milestone with the company.

Concert Properties

Concert Properties is a Canadian real estate company based in Vancouver. It is owned by 19 union and management pension funds and its commercial assets are valued at over $8 billion.

Concert supports a peer-to-peer recognition program and offers up to five additional paid bonus days off per year for employees as a reward for exceptional performance. Concert provides commuters with a public transit subsidy of up to $1,000 per year. Additionally, employees get free access to a fitness facility, a community garden, and regular deliveries of fresh fruit

Concert supports ongoing employee development through in-house and online training initiatives, as well as tuition subsidies for courses related to their current position.

Wesgroup Equipment

Wesgroup Equipment is an award-winning full-service construction equipment and material handling dealership operating with eight locations across B.C. Wesgroup supports ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions along with a range of in-house training options throughout their careers, from mentorships and apprenticeships to leadership training and financial bonuses for certain course completions. Wesgroup offers matching RSP contributions, retirement planning assistance and phased-in retirement work options that allow employees to gradually reduce their hours.

RF Binnie

Binnie delivers civil engineering, surveying and project management services to the public and private sector in Western Canada. The company offers referral bonuses up to $5,000 depending on the position and helps employees save for the future with RSP contributions. Some employees can get profit and deferred profit sharing plans. The company surveyed its employees to help design its return to work program and developed a formal Return to Office Guide that provides support for onsite, hybrid and flexible work options.

Rick Welch is the new president of Nomodic, a modular construction company based in Alberta. Welch has nearly 30 years of experience in modular construction. Most recently he served as strategic sales director, affordable & social housing programs at NRB Modular Solutions, where he oversaw the development of housing projects for BC Housing, municipalities, non-profit societies and First Nations.

Jeremy Robinson has been tapped to lead Kinetic Construction’s new environmental services subsidiary, Kinetic Environmental. Robinson’s expertise includes over 15 years of experience managing large-scale environmental contracting teams responsible for delivering complex projects that have consistently achieved cost, quality, and executional objectives.

David Murphy has started a new position as talent acquisition specialist at Pomerleau. He held the same role at Modern Niagara before his new role.

Mario Villeneuve, vice president of Villeneuve Construction, has been elected president of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA). His priorities include furthering ORBA’s work to develop a sustainable and inclusive road building workforce, more transparent and effective highway maintenance contracts, more environmentally sustainable industry practices, the need for a road to the Ring of Fire and further improvements to Highways 11 and 17. The association also thanked outgoing president Kevin Machej of Dufferin Construction Company.

Haley Wark is the new brand marketing & communications specialist at Third Space Properties Inc. Previously she worked at Slide Clear Inc. and Longboard Products.

Calvin Carlick will be joining Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) as director, partnership and business development, beginning March 20. In his newly created leadership role, Carlick will be responsible for increasing TNDC revenues and growing business partnerships between TNDC and other organizations.

Stephen Walls has started a new position as senior construction and product delivery manager at M Moser Associates for its Vancouver office. The design firm specializes in creating workplace environments. Prior to this position, Walls worked as a project manager with Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated in Melbourne, Australia.

Daniel Fournier will take over as executive chair of Oxford Properties on April 1. He is a real estate veteran who was previously chairman and chief executive officer of Ivanhoé Cambridge, the property subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, from 2010 to 2019.

Mark Becker has been appointed CEO of Dexterra Group. Previously, Becker held executive positions at Suncor Energy in operations, major projects, and corporate strategy. Becker started his career with Dow Chemical across a range of progressive roles in Canada and the U.S. 

Ashwin Vadivelu, director of strategy & origination, EllisDon Community Builders, has made the Tamil Canadian Center for Civic Action Top 30 Under 30 list. The centre’s mission is to work towards the success of all Tamil Canadians in the social, political, economic and cultural spheres of Canada through education, documentation, engagement, training, mobilization, research, policy change and collaboration.

Sean Strickland, executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), has been appointed to the board of directors of the Canada Development Investment Corporation. Strickland joined the CBTU after spending the previous three years as the director of business development and industry relations with a large general contractor.

Darryl Vanderwoude has started a new position as manager of pre-construction at Bird Construction. Vanderwoude’s expertise includes estimating, subcontracting, process scheduling, construction, pre-construction, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Sean Stevenson has been promoted to building operations supervisor at Low Tide Properties. In his new role, Stevenson is responsible for overseeing the maintenance duties for the building operations department and providing guidance and support to the building operators and property managers.

Jeremy Boldt and Sterling Oram have officially joined Bird Construction‘s 25 year club. Over 140 coworkers, family, and friends honoured the pair’s milestone with a gathering at Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary. Boldt is vice president and district manager. Oram is a construction superintendent.

Kendra Dyke has started a new position as assistant controller at Moss Development Corp. Prior to this, she worked in various roles at accounting firm PwC. Moss has been one of the largest local commercial construction management firms in Labrador and Newfoundland since 2018.

Pat Anderl has joined the AmbiMi team as its new business development manager. Anderl has 20 years of sales experience under his belt. His focus will be on the Kitchener-Waterloo Region, helping AmbiMi expand its reach and bring AmbiMi’s skills-based job matching platform to even more organizations in need of top-notch talent.

Richard Snow has joined Impact Engineering as associate and senior electrical engineer. Snow will support Impact’s engineering and decarbonization projects on both a building and campus level, leveraging his extensive experience across multiple sectors.

David Hubner has a new title at Infrastructure BC. Hubner is now vice president, projects. Hubner holds Master of Business Administration (Finance) and an economics degree and spent ten years in the banking sector and corporate finance area prior to his work in procurement. Over the past fourteen years, David has been involved in a number of major capital projects in the transportation, energy and accommodation sectors.

Gavin Lee has joined Wales McLelland as a development manager. Lee brings more than six years of experience in real estate and construction development. He has a proven track record of overseeing and managing projects all across Western Canada. From working on commercial and industrial projects to his time with mixed-use residential developments and brokerage, Lee is well-versed within multiple aspects of the space.

Symone Parera, senior project manager at EllisDon, has been awarded the Toronto Construction Association’s 2022 Best of the Best Sean P. McKenna Young Construction Leaders’ Award. The award is presented annually to a rising star in the Toronto construction industry.

*Editors note: do you have a hiring, promotion or retirement announcement you want to make? Let us know at hello@readsitenews.com. Be the first to get People Moves by subscribing to our newsletter below.

After spending 17 years honing his technical skills as a mechanical engineer, estimator and manager, Angelo Suntres wants to talk about another side of construction: relationships.

He recently took it upon himself to write a whole book about the subject, “The Human Side of Construction: How to Ensure a Successful, Sustainable and Profitable Career as a Contractor, Project Manager, Estimator or Superintendent”. 

The goal is to help construction professionals be the best they can be through developing the human principles of connection including effective communication and fostering healthy relationships.

Getting into the industry by accident

His own journey started back when he was studying to be an engineer. 

“I never saw myself getting into construction,” he said. “Like most people back then, through high school and university it wasn’t presented as an opportunity for a viable career path. Even now we have a marketing problem. The general population doesn’t have an appreciation or understanding of what we do.”

During school he began to hone in on HVAC as an area of expertise and became determined to be the best HVAC engineer the world had ever seen. But soon after graduating, he ran into challenges. 

“Life doesn’t always work out how you planned,” he said. “When I graduated there was a recession and jobs weren’t easy to come by.”

Suntres was living in Halifax applying for consulting jobs and wasn’t getting any bites or interviews. He was running out of money but ended up finding work with Black & McDonald. 

“I ended up in construction by fluke but I am glad I did,” he said. “I love working with people and solving problems and to me, that’s the essence of what construction is.”

Going beyond the technical side of construction

The first decade of Suntres’ career was spent honing the technical skills in estimating, planning, budgeting and more. 

“I realized early on that it was a very technical industry,” he said. “But you never take classes on how to communicate effectively or how to solve conflicts. That was never part of the curriculum and it was always brewing in the back of my mind.”

Part of his own education with people skills developed while working at his family’s restaurant. 

“I realized that the people who came in could have gone anywhere in town to get a burger, milkshake or coffee,” he said. “But they came to us because it was like a community.”

Suntres saw how customers spoke with his dad. People who were having a hard time would share their struggles. There were relationships that had been formed. 

As his career progressed, Suntres found himself in leadership roles where more of his time was spent managing teams and dealing with people. 

“We do lots of things right but there is lots we can improve in, especially on the human side of construction,” he said. 

After hearing from others in the industry about a desire to change how business is done and trying his hand at getting his thoughts out in social media posts, Suntres decided to channel his passion for leadership and the industry into a book. 

“My goal is to highlight the good and bad and ugly about construction,” he said. “I am putting it all out there: what’s good, what I think works well, and challenges I’ve encountered. My hope is to validate people’s experiences and get them to think critically about how we can all improve. This is a great industry but there is a lot of work needed to bring it up to 2023 standards.” 

Forming a foundation of real connection

He explained that one of the book’s major themes is forming real human connection beyond firm handshakes, grabbing drinks or exchanging business cards. 

“Before you can layer on the complexities of money, stress or other aspects of a business or romantic relationship, you need to connect on a fundamental human level where you develop trust and respect for each other,” he said. “If you express that and they express it back, you have a foundation. You can layer on issues. Without that foundation, once you apply pressure, it is going to crack.”

The book also highlights what Suntres believes are the industry’s main challenges: 

• The gap between design and construction
• Diversity, equity and inclusion.
• The Generational divide between younger and older workers.

The book can be found on Amazon.

When it comes to growth in any area of Canadian business, construction companies are leading the way. In a list ranking 430 of Canada’s fastest growing companies, a B.C. builder took the top spot. We pored over the list to find other innovative construction-related companies that ranked high and figure out what they are doing different.

12. RAM Engineering

When it comes to engineering, procurement, project management and construction management, RAM is a powerhouse. Some of their recent projects in just Western Canada include New St. Paul’s Hospital, Centerm Expansion Project and South Shore Access Project, removing debris following historic B.C. flooding events. RAM was incorporated in 2007 and is a privately owned B.C.-based company, with offices in Downtown Vancouver and Calgary. It has roughly 300 employees.

Ace of Decks is exactly what it sounds like. They do one thing and they do it well. The Montreal-based company specializes in the design and construction of made-to-measure decks. The company says their team began building decks when at 14 years old. They were too young to drive so they biked to jobs while balancing bags of tools. Their portfolio features decks that cleanly wrap around trees, form complex pyramid stairs and create cozy homes for hot tubs.

2. Banyan

1. Orion Construction

No wonder this company’s name references the stars. Its growth is blasting off to new heights. From the 430 companies featured on the Globe and Mail’s list, the full-service contractor for light industrial and commercial developments came out on top. In the past three years they have seen revenue growth of more than 12,000 per cent. What’s their secret? Orion told SiteNews that a major part of it has been mastering the design-build model and assembling a high-quality team.