Three teams have been invited to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage to design and construct the Highway 1 Jumping Creek to MacDonald Snowshed project.
The project is approximately 40 kilometres east of Revelstoke, B.C. Highway 1 will be widened to four lanes over a 2.6-kilometre section between the recently completed Illecillewaet project and the Jack MacDonald Snowshed.
Safety and reliability on this section of highway will be improved through inclusion of median and roadside barriers to reduce frequency and severity of collisions. The project also includes avalanche and rockfall mitigation measures.
After evaluating the request for qualifications submissions, the three teams selected to participate in the RFP are:
Following the evaluation of RFP submissions, the ministry will choose the project’s design-build team. It is expected that the team will be selected by the fall of 2024 with construction beginning by spring of 2025.
The total estimated project budget is $245 million. The Government of Canada is contributing $45 million as part of the New Building Canada Fund, with the province providing the remainder.
Key Takeaways:
The province’s capital process for school construction hasn’t been significantly updated since 2010.
Ontario says the changes will cut the average school construction timeline of 4-7 years in half.
The reforms include prioritizing shovel-ready projects, project agreements that lay out key milestones and delivery timelines, standardized designs, streamlined approvals and more.
The measures have been incorporated into this year’s Capital Priorities Program as well as through new regulation that takes effect December 31, 2023.
The Whole Story:
The Ontario government is introducing new measures to speed up school construction.
Officials say the changes will cut construction timelines by nearly 50% to meet the unprecedented pace of growth across the province.
In Ontario, the average school construction timeline is 4-7 years. The province stated that this is due to an “obsolete capital” process that has not been meaningfully overhauled since 2010.
Officials said the new process will be faster, more transparent, have accountability and prioritize shovel-ready projects.
School boards will follow a more streamlined process to identify and dispose of unused property, generate more revenue to reinvest back in schools, create schools in mixed-use buildings like condominiums and use existing buildings in their communities.
“As our government delivers on our promise to Build Ontario, ease the housing crisis and meet the expanding population need, it is vital that students have access to modern schools close to home,” said Stephen Lecce, minister of education. “It is no longer acceptable for schools to take a decade to be built, and that is why we are reforming the way schools are built by working with school boards to speed up the construction through design standardization, reduced approval requirements and increased transparency and accountability to ensure value for taxpayer dollars.”
The strategy overhauls the development, planning and building of schools so projects can be completed faster for the benefit of families in growing communities. Key reforms include:
Prioritizing shovel-ready projects and enhanced accountability requirements as school boards provide realistic project costs and timelines.
Strengthened accountability framework to reduce approval timelines and stronger project oversight with the introduction of project agreements that lay out key milestones and delivery timelines.
Standardizing designs of new schools to reduce school board planning time and mitigate scheduling delays.
Greater collaboration between school boards and municipalities to ensure planning and construction of schools is targeted to ongoing and future growth.
Reducing red tape with streamlined approval and reporting requirements on new school builds.
Effectively using space by supporting school boards in working together to operate schools in joint-use facilities between two or more boards within the same building, where appropriate, or as shared-use sites where a school is part of a larger building with multiple users, such as a school within a mixed-use condominium.
Identifying and disposing of unused surplus school board property at fair market value, first considering local school board pupil accommodation needs and then provincial priorities such as long-term care and affordable housing before being sold by school boards on the open market. School boards will continue to reinvest proceeds of disposition back into their school facilities.
The measures have been incorporated into this year’s Capital Priorities Program as well as through new regulation that takes effect December 31, 2023.
Key Takeaways:
The project includes linking Oregon, Washington State and B.C. with high-speed rail service.
It was one of seven high-speed rail projects to receive funding.
Project sponsors will now receive $500,000 to complete the first step of the Corridor ID program, which includes researching the scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a service development plan (SDP) for a corridor.
The Whole Story:
America is investing in high-speed rail connections.
The Biden administration has announced US$6.1 billion in new funding for major passenger rail projects across the country, including Cascadia High-Speed Rail, a proposed high-speed rail corridor linking Oregon, Washington State and Vancouver.
The Cascadia project is one of many getting funding through Corridor ID, a new planning program established by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Its inaugural round includes upgrades to 15 existing rail routes, additions or extended service on 47 new routes, and advancing 7 new high-speed rail projects.
The proposed corridor would connect Vancouver, B.C. to Portland, Ore. via Seattle, Wash. with a potential future extension south to Eugene, Ore. The proposed corridor would provide new high-speed rail service on a new alignment.
The program defines high-speed rail as services planned to operate at speeds of up to 186 mph or greater, primarily or solely on new, dedicated alignment.
For each selected corridor, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) initially awards the grantee $500,000 for eligible activities related to the initiation of a grantee’s corridor development. This includes the development of a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing a service development plan (SDP) for a corridor. For Cascadia, the funds will go to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
According to program documents, upon the FRA’s determination that the grantee has successfully completed Step 1, they will award the grantee funds for Step 2 activities. This includes preparing a service development plan, which determines and documents how the corridor will be implemented. This plan must detail all the capital projects necessary to achieve the proposed service. FRA will determine the funding amount for Step 2 based on the cost estimate developed in Step 1.
Step 3 of the program includes the project development work required to make a corridor ready for final design and construction.
Other high-speed rail projects that received funding to go ahead with Step 1 activities include:
Amtrak Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor
The proposed corridor would connect Dallas and Houston in Texas with a new, dedicated and grade-separated high-speed passenger rail service. The proposed corridor would provide new service on a new alignment, with station stops in Dallas, Brazos Valley, and Houston.
Brightline West High-Speed Corridor
This corridor in California would connect Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas, Nev., providing new service on a new high-speed rail alignment with intermediate stops at Hesperia and Victorville, Calif.
Charlotte, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia, Corridor
The proposed corridor would provide new service on a new high-speed rail alignment between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., with potential intermediate stops including Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina and Augusta and Athens, Ga., then serving a downtown Atlanta station and terminating at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest airport.
Fort Worth to Houston High-Speed Rail Corridor
The proposed corridor would connect Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston, Texas, with a new high- speed passenger rail service. The proposed corridor would provide new service on a new alignment, with station stops in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Brazos Valley, and Houston.
High Desert Intercity High-Speed Rail Corridor
This proposed corridor would connect Victor Valley to Palmdale, Calif. The proposed corridor would provide new high-speed rail service on a new alignment, serving to link two other highspeed rail lines under development: Brightline West and California High Speed Rail Phase 1.
Key Takeaways:
The Crown Corporation currently has $46 billion in work currently under construction and more than $35 billion in procurement/pre-procurement.
Officials say that have had to adjust their practices and timelines due to feed back from the industry and volatile market conditions.
Since the last update in March, Infrastructure Ontario reached substantial completion on three projects.
The Whole Story:
Infrastructure Ontario’s (IO) latest Market Update shows it has more than $35 billion in pre-procurement and active procurement work currently on the go despite “volatile” conditions.
The Crown Corporation’s update includes a listing of 31 projects in pre-procurement and active procurement totalling more than $35 billion in estimated design and construction costs.
December’s list also includes 20 government-announced projects in the initial stages of planning, for which scope, timing and delivery model are still being determined. Since its last update in March, three projects in IO’s pipeline have advanced to construction, and three projects have been added in the justice, tourism and culture sectors.
Since 2020, IO has brought 30 projects to market, began construction on 24 projects and achieved substantial completion of 30 projects. In just the last four years, it has completed eleven hospitals, six justice facilities, and ten transit and transportation projects.
Officials stated that they saw “excellent competition” in all but one or two of IO’s largest hospital projects during the “tumultuous time”. The total value of contracts currently in construction is approximately $43 billion, not including the three Progressive P3 hospital projects in Mississauga, Ottawa, and Moosonee for which IO has now identified a development partner.
Michael Lindsay, president and CEO of IO, explained that the organization has recently had to make significant changes due to changing conditions and feedback from the industry.
“That dialogue has led directly to a number of substantive changes to our timelines, our contract models, and our approach to capital delivery,” he said. “We continue to be very deliberate and transparent about the staging/timing of our projects – taking note of market feedback about when to bring projects to market in order to secure the most robust competition. We continue to deploy a broad set of contract forms – selecting the model which is most appropriate to the size, complexity, and risks of a given project.”
Lindsay noted that for some projects included in the update, IO is still working to determine the right procurement approach and models and will communicate those changes as soon as possible in the new year.
“We recognize that there is a greater volatility associated with model selection than has been our historic trend,” he said. “We trust that market partners will recognize that this is driven by the volatility we are collectively observing within our industry.”
IO will also be working closely with ministry partners for projects in earlier stages of planning to identify opportunities for greater standardization of design, which they expect will streamline the planning process and improve project outcomes.
Lindsay cited three recent examples of the public sector and private sector working together in Ontario to deliver critical projects:
In August, IO launched the first competitive process of its kind in Canada to select a qualified Satellite Internet Service Provider (Satellite ISP) to deliver satellite internet service to the province.
Last month, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma also announced the next wave of IO’s Transit-Oriented Community sites.
IO says it is looking forward to working with two new service providers in 2024 who will manage Ontario’s real estate portfolio (our Real Property Services program) and project manage many high complexity projects with a value of up to $20 million (our Project Management Service Provider, or PMSP).
LIndsay noted that espite extremely tight timelines, the team and IO’s partners successfully moved enough earth to fill Rogers Centre while conducting site preparation work for the Volkswagen EV battery plant in St. Thomas. Crews were able to finish this work ahead of their deadline so VW can begin building in the new year.
The update also saw substantial completion on three major projects:
GO Expansion — Stouffville Corridor
Highway 401 Expansion
West Park Healthcare Centre
IO added that as its new Progressive P3s advance, they are working with development partners on all three hospital projects: (Weeneebayko Area Health Authority Redevelopment, Trillium Health Partners Broader Redevelopment — Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital, and the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus Redevelopment) before proceeding with a fixed-price contract.
Key Takeaways:
The project team plans to build a mixed-use community of up to 1,500 homes, plus over 100,000 square-feet of retail, office space, and other commercial uses.
The developers are Stryke Group and Tien Sher Group.
Penticton has approved zoning amendments for the project and the developers have acquired the 10- acre parcel where it will be built.
The Whole Story:
A massive real estate transaction has been finalized in Penticton, B.C., paving the way for an $800-million mixed-use community project.
“I am very excited to share that we have officially closed on the acquisition of this 10-acre parcel, the largest commercial sale of 2023 in the Okanagan,” said Rocky Sethi, managing director of Stryke Group. “This rare site features an incredible location, adjacent to Penticton Regional Hospital, and provides the opportunity to develop a truly innovative community, in phases with multiple uses which help ensure the success of the project long term, despite the economic headwinds.”
Sethi explained that the team’s vision is to bring forward a master planned, mixed use community of up to 1,500 homes, plus over 100,000 square-feet of retail, office space, and other commercial uses. They are working with Tien Sher Group, another lower mainland developer, on the project. They are being backed by Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union.
“Over the next 10 years, we will invest upwards of $800 million into this project, delivering much needed civic infrastructure upgrades, and over $2M in DCCs. The economic benefit of this project will include the creation of hundreds of local jobs during construction and space for upwards of 300 permanent workers on site at full build out.
In October, council unanimously approved an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment for this industrial-zoned site to allow the mixed-use development.
The first phase of the project includes building a Class A office building and pedestrian-oriented retail.Future phases will include hotels, seniors housing and more.
Key Takeaways:
The company is planning over $300 million in store renovations this fiscal year.
This work includes creating Walmart Canada’s future flagship store in Ontario.
These investments mark the midpoint in the five-year timeframe of the retailer’s major $3.5 billion investment in store infrastructure and customer experience transformation.
The Whole Story:
Walmart Canada is investing nearly $1 billion this fiscal year as part of a multi-year modernization plan.
This includes unveiling its “Store of the Future” in Mississauga, Ont., including the first Walmart Health hub in Canada, and investing over $300 million in store remodels and renovations.
These investments mark the midpoint in the five-year timeframe of the retailer’s major $3.5 billion investment in store infrastructure and customer experience transformation, first announced in July 2020.
“Walmart Canada has an ambition to be the most trusted retailer for Canadians. This is what we’ve worked towards for the last 30 years and it’s why we continue to invest, including nearly $1 billion this year, to build an even more efficient, consistent and reliable omnichannel experience for Canadians,” said Gonzalo Gebara, president and CEO, Walmart Canada. “We’re excited to welcome our customers into our modernized stores and for them to experience the future of Walmart Canada, no matter how they choose to shop with us.”
Store of the Future
Walmart Canada’s future flagship location, the Square One Walmart Supercentre in Mississauga, Ont. is the retailer’s largest store by square foot and one of its largest capital investments in a single store.
With improvements already underway, this Store of the Future will act as a prototype for omnichannel retail innovation.
This includes creating “immersive retail experiences”. This transformation will begin in electronics where traditional product cases will be replaced by open displays allowing for hands-on interactions. Customers will be able to see product availability in real-time, scan a QR code to place their order and experience immediate on-site delivery by an associate, facilitated by automation.
New Walmart Health Hub will centralize pharmacy, vision centre and medical clinic into one area.
An expanded omnichannel operations area provides dedicated space for associates to pick, pack and stage customer orders- creating more availability for pickup and delivery slots for customers.
Modernizing the in-store experience
Walmart Canada will upgrade and modernize 55 stores across the country this year to improve customer experience, including 20 extensive refurbishments. Stores in Rexdale, Mississauga (Erin Mills, Square One) and Newmarket in Ontario; Kirkland and Montreal Nord in Quebec and Kamloops in British Columbia will experience the most significant transformations.
Significant updates to 20 stores across the country this year will include changes such as:
Clearer navigation, new aisle markers and enhanced customer-facing signage.
A focus on sustainability, including transitioning to CO2, a more environmentally-preferable refrigerant.
Updated Fresh departments, providing customers with a larger produce area and expanded assortment.
Enhanced support for omnichannel experience, including more dedicated space to pack and prepare customer orders and improved technology.
In August, the retailer also opened a brand new, 140,000 square-foot Supercentre in Montreal, Que.’s Marché Central shopping centre.
This year’s investments also support new e-commerce-ready facilities, including the Rocky View County Fulfillment Centre, which opened June 2023 in Alberta. This facility is capable of shipping 20 million items annually direct to customers.
Key Takeaways:
The fourth phase of the $600M project was the most challenging, said officials.
After a winter pause on work, crews will finish the project off with landscaping, wildlife fence installation, limited final paving and painting of permanent line markings.
The work has transformed the narrow, winding two-lane highway into a modern four-lane, 100 km/h standard.
The Whole Story:
People travelling the Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse Canyon are now using a wider, safer, four-lane divided highway.
The opening of all four lanes this month marks substantial completion of Phase 4 of the Kicking Horse Canyon project. Construction will pause now for the winter. When it resumes in the spring, the final pieces of the project will be completed, including landscaping, wildlife fence installation, limited final paving and painting of permanent line markings.
Officials say construction in spring may require minor lane closures and delays. Details will be posted on the project website in March 2024.
The section of Highway 1 through the Kicking Horse Canyon has a posted speed limit of 80 km/h until completion in spring 2024. Following completion, it will be posted at 100 km/h. Motorists are reminded to be prepared for winter, drive appropriately for the conditions, and be alert to the presence of wildlife.
More than $600 million is being invested in the project, with the Government of Canada contributing $215.19 million and the B.C. government providing the remaining $385.58 million.
The Kicking Horse Canyon, located just east of Golden, B.C., is one of the most rugged sections on the Trans-Canada Highway. As a tourist and commercial transportation corridor, the highway carries more than 10,000 vehicles daily during the summer. While the mix varies by season, up to 30% of the traffic consists of commercial vehicles moving millions of dollars in goods to serve interprovincial and international trade.
Key Takeaways:
Dow says it chose Alberta for its highly cost-competitive natural gas, cost-advantaged ethane and government subsidies/incentives.
Linde will be the industrial gas partner for the supply of clean hydrogen and nitrogen for the site, and Fluor was selected for front-end engineering and design. Additionally, Dow is partnering with Wolf Midstream, which will provide CO2 transportation along the Alberta trunk line.
Construction is expected to start next year with the first phase coming online in 2027.
The Whole Story:
Dow is moving ahead with an $8.8 billion petrochemical complex in Alberta.
It will create world’s first net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions ethylene and derivatives complex in Fort Saskatchewan
The Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero project includes building a new ethylene cracker and increasing polyethylene capacity by 2 million MTA as well as retrofitting the site’s existing cracker to net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The investment is expected to deliver $1 billion of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) growth per year at full run rates over the economic cycle while decarbonizing 20% of Dow’s global ethylene capacity.
Dow says the new capacity will enable it to capture growing customer demand in high-value markets, such as packaging, infrastructure and hygiene, among others, with potential additional value captured from commercializing low and zero-emissions products.
The project serves as a leading example that industrial decarbonization is both possible and profitable.
Jim Fitterling, Dow chair and CEO
Now that the company’s board has give the project its approval, Dow expects construction to begin in 2024. Capacity additions are expected to come online in phases, with the first phase starting up in 2027, adding approximately 1,285 KTAiv of ethylene and polyethylene capacity, and the second phase starting up in 2029, adding an additional approximately 600 KTA of capacity.
To achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero project will deploy Linde’s air separation and autothermal reformer technology to convert the site’s cracker off-gas to hydrogen, which will be used as a clean fuel to supply the site’s furnaces. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions will be captured and stored, reducing existing emissions by approximately 1 million MTA of CO2e while abating all emissions from the addition of the site’s new capacity.
Dow says it chose Fort Saskatchewan because they believe the region offers highly cost-competitive natural gas relative to other regions, as well as cost-advantaged ethane, a key feedstock for ethylene production. At full run-rates, the site is expected to be one of Dow’s most cost-competitive in the world. The region also features access to existing CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure with available capacity to fully support decarbonization of the project.
Additionally, the governments of Canada, Alberta, and Fort Saskatchewan have made subsidies and incentives available to support the project and to drive innovation in low-emissions manufacturing in Canada. It will be the first project to access Canada’s new investment tax credit (ITC) program for clean technology.
Dow’s investment leverages approximately $2 billion of investment from third-party companies for circular hydrogen, CO2 capture, and other infrastructure assets critical to the project execution. Earlier this year, Dow announced that Linde had been selected as its industrial gas partner for the supply of clean hydrogen and nitrogen for the site, and Fluor was selected for front-end engineering and design. Additionally, Dow is partnering with Wolf Midstream, which will provide CO2 transportation along the Alberta trunk line, and with Ravago which will provide third-party logistics for finished products from the site.
Key Takeaways:
$2.34 billion of highway improvement work is underway from the Fraser Valley to the Sumas Prairie.
It is Phase 3A of the Province’s Fraser Valley Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program, a multi-phase program to improve goods movement and travel along Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley through the Sumas Prairie to Chilliwack.
Two more tenders are on track for release, including a new interchange at 232nd Street and highway widening for HOV lanes, along with a replacement to the existing CP Rail overhead.
The Whole Story:
The next phase of multi-billion dollar Highway 1 expansion project has begun.
The project will expand Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley to the Sumas Prairie.
Officials say the work will relieve traffic congestion and accommodate more sustainable transportation options in the region.
Accelerated advance work along the Highway 1 median east of 264th Street has begun, with work delivered by local companies including Kwantlen First Nation. People travelling Highway 1 will see crews in the median undertaking utility relocation, median soil removal, tree clearing and preloading of soil. This work will prepare the area between 264th Street and Mt. Lehman Road for the addition of high occupancy vehicle (HOV)/electric vehicle lanes and other multi-modal upgrades.
“The Fraser Valley is growing fast and we are building infrastructure that people need,” said Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure. “People need to be able to get to work and back home without facing gridlock. We’re taking action to relieve congestion for drivers, to make goods movement more efficient and to accommodate more sustainable transportation options.”
The widening of Highway 1 between 264th Street and Mt. Lehman Road has an approved budget of $2.34 billion. This is Phase 3A of the Province’s Fraser Valley Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program, a multi-phase program to improve goods movement and travel along Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley through the Sumas Prairie to Chilliwack.
The centrepiece of Phase 3A will be a new 264th Street Interchange, reconfigured to better serve road users. Officials say the 264th Street area is highly travelled during morning and afternoon hours, including a high volume of commercial vehicles heading to and from the border crossing. Along with more efficient goods movement, the new interchange will include improvements for active transportation, truck parking and public transit. The new interchange is in procurement, with construction expected to begin in 2024.
The 264th Street Interchange and associated highway widening is one of the three major construction contracts that make up Phase 3A. The other contracts will be upgrades to the Mt. Lehman Interchange and 3.7 kilometres of highway widening, and replacement of the Bradner Road overpass with 3.9 kilometres of highway widening. These contracts will go to tender in 2024. Completion of Phase 3A is expected in 2029.
Work is underway on Phase 2 between 216th and 264th streets, with a new Glover Road overpass currently under construction and completion expected in summer 2024.
Two more tenders are on track for release, including a new interchange at 232nd Street and highway widening for HOV lanes, along with a replacement to the existing CP Rail overhead.
Further east along Highway 1 between Mt. Lehman Road and Highway 11, advanced site-preparation work is planned for early 2024 ahead of construction on that phase of the program.
The scope of the program has expanded and a fourth phase extends through the Sumas Prairie into Chilliwack. Officials explained that this future phase of the Fraser Valley Highway 1 Improvement Program through the Sumas Prairie will address the need for improvements to infrastructure to make it more resilient to changing climate.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has committed $30 million to an integrated planning study, which is happening in parallel with flood-mitigation strategy planning work. This study will identify potential future improvements along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor between the Sumas Prairie and Chilliwack.
Vanessa Werden is a partner at construction law firm Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP. Named one of the Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction in 2020, she is licensed to practice in B.C., Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Ontario. Earlier this year she was ranked by Lexpert as one of two “Leading Lawyers to Watch” in Construction Law in BC, and one of five “Lawyers to Watch” in Infrastructure Law in Canada.
On November 10, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its ruling in a case called R. v. Greater Sudbury (City). The case arises from a fatal accident and concerns the proper interpretation of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (the “Ontario Act”).
In September 2015, a pedestrian was struck and killed in Sudbury, Ontario, by an employee of Interpaving Limited who was driving a road grader in reverse, through an intersection. The City of Sudbury had contracted with Interpaving Limited to act as a constructor to repair a downtown water main. Contrary to a provincial regulation, no fence was placed between the construction project workplace and the public intersection and no signaller was assisting the Interpaving worker. In separate proceedings, Interpaving was convicted of breaching its duty as an employer under section 25(1)(c) of the Act to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed in the applicable regulation were carried out on the project site.
The issue before the Supreme Court of Canada was whether the City was liable as an “employer” for breaching the same duty. Section 1(1) of the Ontario Act defines an employer as “a person who employs or contracts for the services of one or more workers”. The City denied that it was an employer because it lacked control of the repair work and had delegated control to Interpaving.
The Supreme Court of Canada held that the City was liable as an employer for breaching its obligations under section 25(1)(c) of the Ontario Act. The Court determined that nothing in the text, context or purpose of the Ontario Act requires the Ministry to establish control over the workers or workplace to prove that the City breached its obligations as an employer. In its reasons, the Court confirmed the following in respect of the application of the Ontario Act:
Where an owner who contracts for the services of a constructor on a construction project is prosecuted for a breach of s. 25(1)(c), a court must first consider whether the Ministry has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Act applied to the accused because the accused was an employer under s. 1(1) of the Act. An owner is an employer if it employed workers at a workplace where an alleged breach of s. 25(1)(c) occurred, or contracted for the services of a worker at that workplace (including for the services of a constructor). The Ministry is not required to prove that the owner had control over the workplace or the workers there. It is clear from the text of the definition of employer that control is not an element that the Ministry must prove to establish that an accused is subject to the duties of an employer.
[Emphasis added]
The commentary by construction lawyers in Ontario has been in the nature of concern, calls for legislative reform, and even panic. Much of the concern about the Court’s reasoning is a lack of clarity on what will or will not constitute a sustainable due diligence defence on the part of an owner. The Court stated that in the construction context, it may be open to a judge to find that the owner took every reasonable precaution because the owner decided to delegate control of the project and responsibility for workplace safety to a more experienced constructor. Relevant considerations might include whether the owner pre-screened the constructor before hiring the constructor to ascertain, for example, whether the constructor has superior expertise, a track record free of prior convictions, and the capacity to ensure compliance. An owner may argue that its relative inexperience with workplace safety was why it chose to delegate control over a project to a more sophisticated constructor.
In British Columbia, occupational health and safety is regulated by the Workers Compensation Act (the “BC Act”) and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. In the BC Act, employer is defined to include, “every person having in their service under a contract of hiring or apprenticeship, whether the contract is written or oral, express or implied, a person engaged in work in or about an industry.”
In BC, the concept that a project owner could be deemed by WorkSafeBC to be an employer is not new. However, owners who have been found liable under the BC Act are not necessarily forced to pay, as WorkSafeBC has discretion to relieve an employer from liability if satisfied that the default was excusable. Similar to the due diligence defences suggested by the Supreme Court, there are defences available to project owners in BC who have taken reasonable and appropriate steps to delegate authority for health and safety to a contractor.
Where an owner has engaged a contractor to do work at its property, they should always seek a clearance letter from WorkSafeBC to avoid potential exposure to premium payments. Even when owners have retained an independent contractor, it is important that they do their due diligence to ensure that the contractor is in good standing with WorkSafeBC. Owners who fail to do so can become jointly liable with the contractor for unpaid WorkSafeBC insurance premiums. Owners can confirm a contractor’s status by getting a clearance letter from WorkSafeBC.
Finally, consider that most forms of CCDC contract provide that the contractor is responsible for construction safety. For example, General Condition 9.4.1 of the CCDC 2 provides:
9.4.1 The Contractor shall be responsible for establishing, initiating, maintaining, and supervising all health and safety precautions and programs in connection with the performance of the Work in accordance with the applicable health and safety legislation.
This General Condition establishes that the contractor is solely responsible for construction safety at the project. That responsibility, however, may differ where the owner engages other contractors under separate contracts or employs own forces to perform work. The owner and its consultants also must abide by safety regulations at the site. There is nuance to workplace safety, and when in doubt, and particularly when deviating from the traditional general contracting delivery method, seek legal advice to ensure compliance and make sure you understand your obligations and exposure to risk and liability in the context of the selected contracting and project delivery model.
Key Takeaways:
Ledcor will twin 46 km of Highway 3 between the town of Taber and the hamlet of Burdett.
It is the first of eight phases to twin the route.
Construction will begin in spring 2024, with completion anticipated in 2025.
The Whole Story:
Ledcor has been awarded the first contract to begin twinning Highway 3.
Highway 3 is a vital economic corridor and east-west link, and the first section of the highway being twinned sees approximately 3,900 vehicles per day. Through $179.7 million in provincial funding, this first phase will twin Highway 3 between the town of Taber and the hamlet of Burdett. The contract for the 46-kilometre project was awarded to Ledcor Highways Ltd.
“Highway 3 is a key economic corridor in southern Alberta between Saskatchewan and British Columbia, south of the Trans-Canada Highway. It is critical infrastructure for Alberta’s growing agri-business industry and will enhance tourism and improve safety in the region as well,” said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors
Pre-construction work, including acquiring the right of way and relocating utilities, is underway and is scheduled for completion this year. Construction will begin in spring 2024, with completion anticipated in 2025. The project is expected to support 755 jobs.
“I am excited to see this important project get underway. Twinning this stretch of Highway 3 is critical to supporting jobs, growth and the agri-food processing corridor in the region,” said Grant Hunter, MLA for Taber-Warner. “This project has been a priority of mine and I want to thank Minister Dreeshen for his commitment to twinning this vital east-west link.”
Twinning Highway 3 from border to border will be completed in eight phases to limit costs and minimize disruption to people and businesses along the route. The other seven sections of the project are in various phases, including consultation, planning and design, land acquisition, environmental assessment, engineering or contract tendering.
“This is great news for our association members and municipalities all along the agri-food corridor, in addition to all southern Albertans who will be ecstatic when dirt begins to move next spring,” said Bill Chapman, president, Highway 3 Twinning Development Association. “Our association extends our thanks to Premier Danielle Smith and Devin Dreeshen, minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, for your commitment to this vital project.”
The eight phases of the project include:
Phase 1, 46 kilometres – twin Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett
Phase 3, 15 kilometres – east of Seven Persons to Medicine Hat
Phase 4, 47 kilometres – Blairmore to east of Highway 6 at Pincher Creek
Phase 5, 28 kilometres – east of Bow Island to east of Seven Persons
Phase 6, 23 kilometres – east of Burdett to east of Bow Island
Phase 7, 38 kilometres – Pincher Creek to west of Fort Macleod
Phase 8, eight kilometres – Alberta/B.C. border to Highway 3X
Key Takeaways:
The 34-year-old stadium is getting a $300M upgrade.
PCL has already conducted major demolition work the lower bowl and at the field level.
A total of 2.4 million pounds of structural steel has been fabricated offsite and will be installed at Rogers Centre to complete the project.
The work is expected to go through April next year.
The Whole Story:
PCL is going into extra innings on the Rogers Centre renovation project. The contractor announced it has been awarded the second phase of work to renovate the home of the Blue Jays in Toronto.
The second phase of work is part of a more than $300 million multi-year renovation that aims to transform the 34-year-old multi-purpose stadium into a ballpark through a series of projects focused on modernizing the fan experience and building world-class player facilities for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“PCL and our partners are passionate about bringing the Toronto Blue Jays’ reimagined vision for Rogers Centre to life,” says Monique Buckberger, vice president and district manager, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Toronto. “Following the complex, fast-track renovation completed in just six months for the 2023 season, the second phase of the project will deliver an even greater volume of work in the same time frame, as the 100 level seating bowl is demolished and rebuilt to bring Blue Jays fans an experience designed specifically for baseball.”
The first phase of the project achieved substantial completion on March 31, 2023 and opened to fans on April 11 for the 2023 season Blue Jays Home Opener.
The second phase of work features a reimagined 100 level seating bowl and structure (from foul pole to foul pole) designed specifically for baseball viewing, with an all-new Blue Jays clubhouse in addition to three new premium clubs and seating sections. The 100 level seating bowl features:
A more comfortable experience with additional legroom, modern-shaped seats with slats on the back that provide more airflow, wider seats between the dugouts, cupholders throughout, adaptable raisable armrest options and handrails in every aisle.
Greater variety of seating options including different vantage points from new sections, accessible field level seats plus premium seating experiences.
Designed specifically for baseball viewing with seats oriented towards the infield, improved sightlines with less obstruction and new seats closer to the action as a result of the remodeled bowl structure.
The three new premium clubs include:
Batting Tunnel Club located behind home plate – third base side.
Home Plate Club located directly behind home plate.
The Lounge located behind home plate – first base side.
A rendering shows a reimagined baseline at Rogers Centre. – Toronto Blue Jays
Crews have already completed demolition work for the lower bowl and at the field level. At the peak of demolition and excavation work, 10 excavators were on site with 344 dump trucks cycling in and out of Rogers Centre over a temporary bridge in one day.
With a fast-tracked construction timeline, formwork for the new build began and the first new concrete was poured on the same day demolition was completed in October.
Approximately 500 truckloads worth of concrete are expected to be poured to complete the project. On Nov. 9, a major piece of mechanical equipment was delivered by crane from Bremner Blvd. into Rogers Centre through an opening in the roof.
The first structural steel column was put up on November 13. A total of 2.4 million pounds of structural steel has been fabricated offsite and will be installed at Rogers Centre to complete the project.
Key Takeaways:
A request for proposals to select a consultant was issued. The consultant will help develop the design parameters and review design submissions.
As many as 10 different designs will be developed.
Standardized designs and plans are expected to be available to local governments by summer 2024.
The Whole Story:
Do you have any ideas for what the perfect home design should be?
B.C. officials want to know.
The province is embarking on a project to create new standardized designs for small-scale, multi-unit homes, such as townhomes, triplexes and laneway homes. They hope the designs will help builders and developers create housing faster and cheaper.
“In order to address our housing crisis, we must use innovative solutions to enable housing to be built faster,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “Having standardized building designs available can help streamline the permitting process. We will work to add additional designs in the coming years to ensure our communities remain vibrant and have a variety of housing options.”
Through the new Standardized Housing Design Project, the province is creating new standardized, customizable residential designs for small-scale, multi-unit housing built on single lots. Officials stated that the designs can be adopted by local governments and offered to builders and homeowners at a significantly below-market cost to expedite permitting and development. The province is seeking to engage a consultant team to provide expert advice on the development of these designs.
Officials explained that standardized designs can substantially streamline the permitting process to make it easier for local governments to give building-permit approvals quickly and save builders and homeowners design costs. They also assist smaller local governments that may not have the resources to develop standardized designs to help approve developments efficiently and quickly.
The move follows the recent introduction of legislation that, if passed, will allow three to four units on land currently zoned for single-family homes and duplexes, and as many as six units near bus stops with frequent transit service. During the consultation process, local governments suggested a catalogue of design options needs to be available to support small-scale developers, builders and homeowners to build these new homes.
A request for proposals to select a consultant was issued Nov. 15, 2023, for the first phase of the project and will close Dec. 13, 2023. The consultant’s scope of work will include collaborative engagement with industry professionals and local governments to develop the design parameters that can be used to create standardized housing designs. The consultant will also support the province in reviewing the draft and completed designs.
The province will work with the consultant for nine months, with the goal to procure design services by spring 2024. Standardized designs and plans are expected to be available to local governments by summer 2024.
As many as 10 different designs will be developed. The designs will comply with the BC Building Code and are expected to be as close as possible to building-permit ready, recognizing minor amendments may be required by local designers or architects to take into account specific site conditions. The designs will be created for various lot sizes and configurations to be widely applicable throughout B.C. and are expected to help builders and homeowners add increased density to their existing properties quickly and more affordably.
In addition to the housing designs, a separate project is underway to develop guidebooks that can act as a blueprint for local governments to implement a pre-approval process and provide guidance to homeowners and small-scale builders about how to add density to their lots with standardized designs.
Two years following a catastrophic atmospheric river, B.C.’s transportation network is coming back stronger.
On the two-year anniversary of the disaster, B.C. officials announced that permanent repairs to Coquihalla Highway 5 are complete after flooding washed it out.
The repaired highway features six new climate-resilient bridges built in place of the ones that were lost in November 2021. The six bridge spans located at three different locations have been rebuilt to handle extreme weather.
The new permanent bridges are now finished at Bottletop Bridge, 50 kilometres south of Merritt, and Jessica Bridge, 20 kilometres north of Hope. The bridges at Juliet, 53 kilometres south of Merritt, were completed earlier this year.
Reflecting on disaster
The BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association (BCRB&HCA) reflected on the atmospheric river and the spotlight it put on the construction sector.
“Our member companies rose to the challenge despite an incredible set of circumstances, and pulled off the unthinkable given the scope of repairs,” said Kelly Scott, president, BCRB&HCA. “This success story is a showcase for our members’ fortitude and dedication, as well as a reminder of the benefits displayed by strong partnerships.”
Coquihalla Highway 5 was closed to regular vehicle traffic on Nov. 14, 2021, due to damage caused by an atmospheric river. The rain caused flooding and washouts between Hope and Merritt. More than 20 sites spanning 130 kilometres were damaged. This included six bridges where spans completely collapsed or were damaged.
More than 300 workers used 200 pieces of equipment and moved more than 400,000 cubic metres of gravel, rock and other material to repair and reopen Highway 5 to commercial vehicle traffic in 35 days, on Dec. 20, 2021, and to all traffic on Jan. 19, 2022.
Adapting to climate change
Scott added that the damage the weather did to the province underscores the challenges the region faces and the necessity of resilient infrastructure,
“The impact of climate change on infrastructure in British Columbia in recent years has been profound,” said Scott. “It’s demonstrated that now is the time to invest in climate resilient transportation infrastructure throughout B.C., to meet our needs today and prepare for what the future holds. That’s why programs like The RoadShow will be critical, so that we fill key roles that maintain the infrastructure that is the backbone of this province.”
The 2021 atmospheric river caused the Juliet Bridge on Highway 5 to collapse. – Province of B.C.
The road building community and others instrumental in the rebuild effort were highlighted by the province in its announcement.
“Today, we are honouring the efforts of British Columbians who worked to rebuild after the atmospheric river event, two years ago,” said Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure. “Thank you to the Nlaka’pamux communities, Silyx Nation, Peters First Nation and Yale First Nation along with their monitors, for their support through the washout and rebuild process; and to the many contractors, unions, ministry and road-maintenance staff who worked to rebuild this piece of highway that is so important to the movement of goods in our province.”
Rebuilding with resilience
The new bridges are built to withstand high water levels by using deep-pile footings and longer spans. Large rock protection has been added to protect the bridges from erosion and scour. Trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted to encourage stream-side re-vegetation and support overall restoration of aquatic and land habitat.
KEA5, a joint venture between Kiewit Infrastructure British Columbia and Emil Anderson Construction, completed the bridges two months ahead of schedule.
The Bottletop Bridge on Highway 5 was also severely damaged in the 2021 flooding event. – Province of B.C.
Officials added that repairs to highways damaged in the floods are progressing well across southwestern B.C. In addition to the completion of the full rebuild of Highway 5, two of the three bridge replacements on Highway 1 are underway at Nicomen and Falls Creek. Design of the third bridge replacement at Tank hill is underway with construction expected to start next year. The ministry is working with local First Nation communities to fully re-build Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge. On Vancouver Island, permanent repairs are complete at the Tunnel Hill section of the Malahat that was washed out by flooding.
Key Takeaways:
The facility would produce 135 million batteries annually.
It is being jointly funded by Ottawa, B.C. and Taiwan-based E-One Moli.
With the creation of 450 jobs, E-One Moli would become the largest private-sector employer in Maple Ridge.
E-One Moli says the ‘gigafactory’ will be the world’s first ultra-high power battery plant powered 100% green energy.
The Whole Story:
Plans are underway to build a $1.05-billion lithium-ion battery cell production facility in Maple Ridge, B.C.
The project is a partnership between E-One Moli and the governments of B.C. and Canada. The facility would produce 135 million batteries annually and would be the world’s first ultra-high power battery plant powered 100% by green energy.
“As our province builds a stronger, cleaner economy, we open the door to immense opportunities in the private sector that value B.C. as a centre for innovation, investment and cutting-edge technology,” said Premier David Eby. “The new E-One Moli advanced manufacturing plant will create hundreds of good, local jobs and continue to establish B.C. as a leader in building a clean-energy future.”
With the creation of 450 jobs, E-One Moli would become the largest private-sector employer in Maple Ridge.
The province is contributing as much as $80 million to E-One Moli’s new facility in Maple Ridge, which will anchor the company’s North American production. The production facility will be Western Canada’s first high-performance lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility, creating a new hub in the global battery component supply chain.
The province’s investment leverages $970 million from the federal government, E-One Moli and private sources. The plant will produce the latest generation of high-performance lithium-ion battery cells found in a wide range of products, including consumer electronics, such as vacuums, power tools, garden trimmers and medical devices.
E-One Moli produces the MOLICEL brand of batteries. – E-One Moli
“British Columbians have long been known for their innovation in the clean-technology space. Today, as we secure a major clean battery manufacturing project in Maple Ridge, we build on that expertise to secure hundreds of middle-class jobs, while fighting climate change,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was in Maple Ridge for the annoucement. “The world is looking to Canada. When we support projects like E-One Moli’s new facility in Maple Ridge, we bolster Canada’s role as a global clean-tech leader, create good jobs and help keep our air clean.”
François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of innovation, science and industry, said the new facility will help expand the electrification of consumer products and offer new energy alternatives in sectors such as construction and health care.
“E-One Moli believes in total climate commitment as well as total care commitment and looks forward to producing a pure green battery to support the world’s energy transition,” said Nelson Chang, chairman, E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Limited and E-One Moli Quantum Energy.
As part of BC Hydro’s electrification plan, E-One Moli will be switching some of its plant from natural gas to electricity, as well as participating in the Load Attraction Program aimed at diversifying industries in B.C. wanting to connect to BC Hydro.
According to the province, the project will support the ecosystem development of a domestic critical-minerals supply chain providing a local alternative to the battery products that are predominantly manufactured in Asia.
Key Takeaways:
The Corner Brook Health Partnership team has completed work on new $750M Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador now has used public-private partnerships for four major infrastructure projects, including Western Memorial.
The Whole Story:
PCL announced that construction has been completed on time and on budget for the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The builder called it the latest public-private partnership (P3) success for the region’s healthcare projects.
“Reaching this important construction milestone at the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital is a testament to the collaborative efforts and commitment from everyone involved,” said Marc Pascoli, senior vice president and district manager at PCL. “From recording more than two million worker hours without a lost-time injury, to building one of the largest geothermal heating and cooling systems in a Canadian healthcare project to date, the Corner Brook Health Partnership team put our shared passion to work to bring the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and NL Health Services’ vision to life.
Pascoli called the hospital an important civic landmark and the next step in advanced healthcare for the province.
This month, the new hospital in Corner Brook was officially handed over by the Corner Brook Health Partnership (CBHP) to Dr. Andrew Furey, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. NL Health Services is now in operational control of the facility and will begin the process of moving equipment and staff to the new facility, with the goal of opening the new hospital to the public in spring 2024.
The seven-storey, 600,000 square foot facility has 164 beds, with the same services currently provided at the existing Western Memorial Regional Hospital. The new facility will also host an expanded cancer care program, including radiation services. The new hospital is connected to the 145 bed long-term care home opened in 2020, which was also constructed as a P3 project, combining to form a health care campus in the region.
The new hospital will maintain the same name as its predecessor, Western Memorial Regional Hospital. Earlier this fall, NL Health Services conducted a survey and consulted with community partners to consider options for the name of the new facility and found strong support for the existing name.
PCL noted that in addition to provide modern healthcare amenities, the new facility was designed to be environmentally-friendly infrastructure. The geothermal system in the facility will translate into electricity savings of approximately 4,600,000 kWh annually, which is enough to heat 500 homes for a year.
Key Takeaways:
$1.8 billion in federal and provincial funds combined will go towards creating new housing in Quebec.
The contribution corresponds to nearly 23% of $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund initiative that was launched this summer.
The funds are expected to directly create 8,000 social and affordable housing units.
Quebec has also committed to legislative amendments aimed at speeding up the development process.
The Whole Story:
Quebec and the federal government are joining forces to combat the housing crisis.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an agreement through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), to finance residential projects in the province. Quebec will receive $900 million from Ottawa to get shovels in the ground to create new units.
The contribution corresponds to nearly 23% of the total HAF funding, the aim of which is to add at least 100,000 residential units over and above historical averages across Canada, over four years.
In its November 7 economic and financial update, the Quebec government announced that it will also invest $900 million, bringing the combined total of the two governments’ contribution to $1.8 billion in new funding for housing construction. This investment is expected to directly create 8,000 social and affordable housing units, 500 of which will be earmarked for clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Officials say the agreement will result in the creation of tens of thousands of additional housing units over the next few years in Quebec and will encourage regulatory reforms.
“Quebec is resolutely committed to pursuing its efforts to accelerate the construction of residential units in the province, based on the Act respecting land use planning and development and other provisions,” stated a release from the Government of Canada.
Officials explained that the Quebec government plans to set up an interdepartmental project acceleration unit in co-operation with Quebec municipalities, and will adopt new government policies for land use planning, with housing construction indicators on which municipalities will have to base their targets.
The province intends to propose legislative amendments – these are currently in the drafting phase and will be subject to adoption by the National Assembly – to improve urban densification and facilitate the authorization of residential building construction.
“We’ve heard Canadians and we’re working hard to build more housing, faster,” said Trudeau. “The agreement announced today is historic and supports Quebec’s efforts to ensure that all Quebecers have a safe and affordable place to live. Together with our provincial and municipal partners, we will continue to cut red tape and build the safe, affordable communities that Canadians need and deserve, from coast to coast to coast.”
Key Takeaways:
New proposed legislation would require municipalities to designate Transit Oriented Development Areas (TOD Areas) near transit hubs.
It is expected that approximately 100 TOD Areas will be designated in approximately 30 municipalities throughout B.C. within the first year of the new legislation coming into effect.
Preliminary analysis indicates B.C. could see approximately 100,000 new units in TOD Areas during the next 10 years.
The Whole Story:
B.C. wants to give transit-oriented development a major boost with new legislation.
“Building more homes near transit is good for people, communities, and helps make the most of transit, infrastructure and services,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “But layers of regulations and outdated rules are stopping this kind of development from becoming a reality in too many municipalities. That’s why we are taking action to remove barriers and deliver more transit-oriented communities, faster.”
The proposed legislation would require municipalities to designate Transit Oriented Development Areas (TOD Areas) near transit hubs. These TOD Areas are defined as land within 800 metres of a rapid transit station (e.g., SkyTrain station) and within 400 metres of a bus exchange where passengers transfer from one route to another (e.g., Newton Bus Exchange in Surrey).
The legislation would build on other work underway to facilitate more transit-oriented development. Earlier this year as part of Budget 2023, the province committed approximately $400 million to deliver thousands of units at or near transit over the next 10 to 15 years by accessing land that is suitable to be acquired near transit hubs and developing it.
“We’re working to leverage public lands to build more affordable housing in connected, livable communities,” said Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure. “This legislation is the next step forward to help remove roadblocks and fast-track more transit-oriented development that works for people in their communities.”
Government officials explained that in some cases in B.C., higher-density neighbourhoods have been established around transit hubs, but in other cases, restrictive zoning bylaws and parking requirements, along with delayed development approvals, continue to slow down the delivery of homes and services near transit hubs.
In these designated TOD Areas, municipalities will be required to:
Permit housing developments that meet provincial standards for allowable height and density. The minimum allowable height and density is based on tiers – at its highest in the centre of the TOD Area – and will differ based on the type of transit hub (SkyTrain stop/bus exchange) and a municipality’s size, population and location.
Remove restrictive parking minimums and allow for parking to be determined by need and demand on a project-by-project basis.
Utilize standards and details in the provincial policy manual to provide consistency in the approach to developing TOD Areas.
Municipalities will still be able to require builders and developers to add parking to accommodate people living with disabilities. Commercial parking requirements will not be affected within TOD Areas. Builders and developers will be able to build as much parking as desired for a project but will not be required to meet a minimum standard of parking units.
Officials noted that modeling future scenarios cannot account for unforeseen circumstances, the changing nature of housing, real-estate markets and other factors, but preliminary analysis indicates B.C. could see approximately 100,000 new units in TOD Areas during the next 10 years.
To support the legislation, the province plans to create a provincial policy manual to support municipalities with setting their site standards and moving forward with proposed housing projects.
Following the release of regulations and the policy manual in December 2023, the lands that local governments have designated for transit-oriented growth in their official community plans will be immediately captured under the new minimum allowable density requirements included in the legislation.
For the remaining TOD Areas that require local government designation, municipalities will have until June 30, 2024, to designate these areas (pending regulation). It is expected that approximately 100 TOD Areas will be designated in approximately 30 municipalities throughout B.C. within the first year of the new legislation coming into effect.
Where a local government’s current zoning allows for less density than the new provincial minimum, the new increased minimum density must be allowed by the local government. However, local governments can approve higher density at their discretion.
The proposed legislation will advance alongside the proposed small-scale, multi-unit housing legislation (SSMU). Officials noted that while SSMU will add increased density near transit stops, TOD Areas that have higher density will take precedence over SSMU zoning should they overlap.
Key Takeaways:
The developments will be delivered by Canada Lands Company.
More than half the new homes will be in Ottawa.
Canada Lands Company is also announcing a new minimum affordable housing target of 20% across projects in its pipeline.
The Whole Story:
Federal properties will soon find a new purpose as homes.
Ottawa announced that six surplus federal properties will be developed into more than 2,800 new homes in Calgary, Edmonton, and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ottawa.
By March 2024, Canada Lands Company will help deliver the following surplus federal properties to build more homes for Canadians:
Calgary: 516 homes at Currie
Edmonton: 711 homes, at the Village at Griesbach, including 93 affordable homes
St. John’s: 34 homes at Pleasantville
Ottawa: 307 homes at Wateridge Village, 600 homes at Carling Avenue, and 710 homes on Booth Street, including 221 affordable homes
With today’s announcement, Canada Lands Company is now on track to support the construction of more than 29,200 new homes over the next six years.
Canada Lands Company is also announcing a new minimum affordable housing target of 20% across projects in its pipeline. The new affordability requirement would apply where a municipal minimum requirement for affordable housing is lower or does not already exist.
As work continues to identify further assets that can be repurposed for housing, the federal government intends to introduce further measures to speed up this process and to identify more opportunities to build more housing.
“Our government is redoubling our efforts in the face of Canada’s housing crisis on several fronts,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement. “We are accelerating and streamlining the process of converting surplus federal properties into housing, and we are continuing to work with Canada Lands Company to enable the construction of additional housing units. Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to helping all Canadians have a safe and affordable place to call home.”
Key Takeaways:
Calgary is seeing significant year-over-year increases in housing projects values.
Multi-residential building went up 30% and and secondary suite work increased 80%
From July to September of 2023, Calgary builders and developers submitted 1,565 single/semi-detached residential, 281 multi-family residential and 543 commercial building permit applications.
The largest increase in applications for multi-residential building permit applications was seen in the townhouse and rowhouse categories
The Whole Story:
Calgary is seeing massive investment in a variety of residential construction types.
City officials reported that Q3 saw a continued increase year-over-year compared to 2022. Much of this value was driven by an increase in multi-residential buildings and secondary suites with an increase of 30% and 80%, respectively.
“Providing Calgarians with housing options is very important. On Sept. 16, Council approved Home is Here: The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy, to address the housing crisis. The upward trend in values for multi-residential building and secondary suite construction demonstrates the demand for different housing options,” said Ulrik Seward, manager of business and building safety approvals with development, building and business services. “We will continue to work with the development industry to enable them to provide more affordable homes for everyone.”
From July to September of 2023, Calgary builders and developers submitted 1,565 single/semi-detached residential, 281 multi-family residential and 543 commercial building permit applications. Proposals to redesignate land increased by 80% over the same period last year, with 119 applications submitted. Also, 128 applications to subdivide land were submitted, an increase of 45% during that time.
In new communities, applications for secondary suites are up by 114% over the same period last year, with 762 building permits applied for. In established communities 351 secondary suite building permit applications were received, an increase of 33% compared to Q3 2022.
“The growth in applications for secondary suites across Calgary are for both new builds and existing homes. This has helped us reach over 11,000 safe, registered secondary suites,” said Seward. “This will help us continue to increase the number of available safe and affordable housing options for renters and owners.”
The largest increase in applications for multi-residential building permit applications was seen in the townhouse and rowhouse categories. There has been a year-over-year increase of 35 % for townhouse applications and a 58% increase in rowhouse applications.
The city of Calgary received an overall 5,219 residential building permit applications (which includes, single/semi-detached, multi-family residential, residential improvements and renovation projects) from July to September of 2023, and 1,027 non-residential building permit applications. Year over year, building permit applications were 25 % higher than last year. During that same period construction values increased by 4% from $1.41 billion to $1.46 billion.
“The increase in building permit applications is a testament to our commitment to partnering with the development industry to build a great City,” said Seward. “Over the past several years we have been continuously improving our processes and offering new ways to make it easier for development to take place in Calgary.”
During the third quarter of 2023, the top 10 construction projects listed below were completed. These projects demonstrate a $797.6M investment.
YYC4 Project Maverick, a 2.6 million square foot Amazon warehouse in East Shepard Industrial, valued at $400M.
Arris Towers, a 42 storey, multi-residential building providing 500 units in East Village, valued at $131.1M.
