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May 1, 2013

Alberta labour group calls for probe into construction industry donations

A union group and opposition political parties want a review of donations to the Alberta Progressive Conservative party by a coalition of construction companies seeking changes to labour laws.

April 30, 2013

Arbitration is top alternative to going to court: law specialist

According to one of Canada’s top specialists in construction law, arbitration is a tried, tested option to settle legal disputes and it has evolved over time to make the process more efficient and fair.

April 24, 2013

Construction a buyers’ market, says Russ

With bidders’ lists getting longer and contract terms becoming increasingly onerous, it’s “clearly” a buyers’ market in the province’s construction sector, says insurance industry veteran Gerry Russ, the Toronto-based managing director at Marsh Canada Ltd.

April 15, 2013

Goderich rebuilds from the rubble

Just before 4 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2011, a tornado tore through the Lake Huron shoreline town of Goderich, Ont.

April 11, 2013

Ensuring projects are adequately insured key to project success

On any construction project, multiple policies will be put in place in order to protect project participants in the event of an unforeseen incident.

April 10, 2013

OGCA symposium key to contractor learning

Contractors from across the province are poised to converge tomorrow at the Blue Mountain Resort near Collingwood for the Ontario General Contractors Association’s (OGCA) 8th construction symposium.

March 22, 2013

Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin admits to political financing schemes

Canada’s largest engineering company has admitted it helped raise money for Quebec political parties despite a three-decade-old law that makes corporate donations illegal in the province.

March 21, 2013

C.D. Howe “shadow budget” calls for fiscal prudence

Controlling operating costs and reshaping federal finances to support work, saving, investment, and international trade can get the federal government to budget surplus by 2014/15, concludes a 2013 Shadow Budget released by the C.D. Howe Institute.

March 1, 2013

Association membership an important tool for HHCA

Association membership constitutes “an essential tool” in navigating the challenges of a complex industry while fostering the relationships that make construction rewarding, says Hamilton-Halton Construction Association (HHCA) president Jim DiNovo.

February 20, 2013

Terms governing tenders need to be more consistent

I recently was in New York visiting several private and public sector clients and my meetings involved reviewing large public sector tenders. I noticed the rules are very different, from country to state to municipality, when it comes to how tenders are written.

January 19, 2007

Accountability Act casts wide net around work

Depending on how meetings are arranged and their purpose, under changes to Canada’s Federal Accountability Act engineers, construction company employees and members of other professional organizations may find they’re now considered lobbyists — with heavy penalties for failing to identify themselves and their interactions with government.

January 19, 2007

Study raises questions about actual costs

Public-private partnerships in British Columbia have sparked $4.7 billion in construction projects since 2002, but critics say taxpayers may end up paying more than they bargained for in the long run.

January 19, 2007

Non-compliance a sticking point in legal battles

In 1981, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ontario v. Ron Engineering changed the legal landscape of invitations to tender.

January 19, 2007

University research takes aim at efficiency

In the overheated Calgary construction market, the last thing one would expect from competing companies is collaboration. In a bid to improve industry efficiency, several construction powerhouses are collaborating for a unique research project.

January 19, 2007

Simple steps to maximizing your surety credit

Surety is a form of credit, much like banking. Having spent the past 20 years in both the surety and banking industries, I have developed an appreciation of the characteristics demonstrated by the most successful contractors. Many of these traits happen to be the key areas surety underwriters focus on, and if put into practice, should result in greater credit being made available.

January 19, 2007

Digital documents raise legitimacy, storage concerns

In some construction industry contracts, a letter is not deemed to be an official communication if it is sent via email.

January 19, 2007

Interior environment requires careful consideration

As the link between adverse health effects and mould exposure grows, liability for insurance and other industry groups – including those in the building sector – are likely to increase.

January 19, 2007

Keep those old liability policies

Ever dispose of something one day only to find out the very next day that you could have used it? The construction project has been over for a few years or your annual general liability policy has been renewed several times so there is no need to keep the old policy, right? Wrong!