LATEST NEWS 
July 3, 2008
Construction Sector Council
Major engineering projects will stress Atlantic Canada’s labour supply, CSC says
St. John’s, N.L.
Major engineering and industrial construction projects in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador will stretch Atlantic Canada’s workforce to the limit, according to the Construction Sector Council.
“We have got a record number of big projects planned or underway in the Atlantic region including a nuclear power plant, oil refinery projects, hydro and highway construction,” said Timothy Flood, President of John Flood and Sons Ltd., the oldest construction company in Canada.
“These projects require more skilled workers than we have available.”
The information is contained in the Construction Sector Council’s fourth annual edition of “Construction Looking Forward,” a detailed forecast of labour market trends from 2008 to 2016 in Atlantic Canada.
Ongoing construction activity will keep Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island busy, but replacing an older than average construction workforce will create a significant challenge towards the end of the forecast.
The report finds that Atlantic Canada will need more than 5,000 new tradespeople to meet demands for new construction.
The age of Atlantic Canada’s workforce is above the national average. As a result an unprecedented 13,600 workers are needed to replace retiring baby boomers.
Major new industrial and engineering projects will require specific skilled trades.
“To remain competitive and attract industrial development we will have to step up training and recruitment efforts to find enough skilled workers to keep up, no doubt about it,” said Dermot Cain, Canadian Director, of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
DCN News Services
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
- Korky Koroluk: Melting permafrost gives Canadian North that sinking feeling
- Two workers injured in separate accidents on Ontario’s Skyway Bridge
- Alberta continues to drive Canadian economy
- Volvo Construction Equipment cuts 500 jobs in Goderich
- Anthony Henday Drive ring road garners Canadian Design-Build Institute award
- 20 Most Popular Stories
| CURRENT STORIES |
- PCL Constructors team expands Air Canada Centre
- Debate sidesteps industry issues
- Ontario Realty Corporation registers general contractors, design firms online
- Stantec joins Infusion Health consortium on P3 hospital project
- Commercial banks stand to profit from Black Monday, economist says
- Economist warns U.S. economy on ‘slippery slope of recession’
- Daniels Corp. brings a taste of Chicago to Toronto condo project
- Facility and service managers must be full partners on P3 projects, expert says
- DCN election poll puts Stephen Harper’s Conservatives out in front
- Onni Group makes progress on Carlyle at Victoria Hill project
- Chinook Pipelines returns to court later this month in Pincher Creek case
| ALEX’S BLOG |
Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in Canada's economic environment. He also shares light-hearted reflections on life and current events.
Economics Blog More 
- Huge Potential for Commercial Banks from Black Monday (October 3, 2008)
- Black Monday was Nasty for the U.S. and Canada (October 2, 2008)
- A 13-Step Action Plan to Fix the Financial Mess (September 30, 2008)
Lifestyle Blog More
- Three Cities with a Lot in Common: Calgary, Edmonton and Venice (September 29, 2008)
- How to Get Ahead in this Life (September 25, 2008)
| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More
- Viljoen Architects readies working drawings for Stonebridge by the Bay (Sep 15, 2008)
- REC Silicon plans $1.2-billion manufacturing plant in Quebec (Sep 15, 2008)
- Construction underway at Interfor’s Adams Lake sawmill (Sep 11, 2008)
- Alcan moves closer to construction of Kitimat aluminum smelter (Sep 11, 2008)
- Town of Oliver presses on with plans for wine village (Sep 11, 2008)
