Visit Trade Contracting at Journal of Commerce
LATEST NEWS
General and Trade Contracting
July 7, 2008
Ottawa city council votes in favour of plasma gasification plant to process municipal waste
Ottawa city council voted unanimously Wednesday to negotiate a contract with Plasco Energy Group to have the company build a gasification plant to handle about 400 tonnes of municipal garbage a day.
July 7, 2008
Tucker HiRise crews ready rebar at X condominium project
Workers toil tying rebar at the site of the X condominium project.
July 7, 2008
Davies-Smith crews pull together at waterfront Rowe condominium project
Construction moves along for The Rowe condominium project in Whitby, Ont.
July 7, 2008
Innovative George Brown trades program trains potential apprentices
In Toronto, the city’s 14 social service agency offices carry a caseload of almost 70,000 and of those, 39,000 are aged 16-30, the prime working years.
July 4, 2008
Tower rises at DJ Campbell Construction’s Casa condominium project
The beginnings of what will eventually be a 47-storey tower rise at the Casa condominium project on Charles Street East in Toronto.
July 4, 2008
SNC-Lavalin wins contract to build two natural gas compressor stations in France
SNC-Lavalin in Europe has been awarded a contract by GRTgaz — a subsidiary of Gaz de France — to construct two new natural gas compressor plants in France.
July 4, 2008
Treatment of Chinese workers brings union disputes and calls for public inquiry
Representatives from some of Alberta’s construction unions say the case of Chinese temporary foreign workers having their paycheques siphoned by their employer reveals huge flaws with the federal government program that need to be addressed by a public enquiry.
July 3, 2008
Bondfield makes progress at Richmond Hill Centre For The Performing Arts project
Bondfield Construction Ltd. is the general contractor on the two-storey Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts facility. The building features 600-seat theatre and 150-seat rehearsal hall.
July 3, 2008
Aboriginal workforce offers solution to looming Canadian labour crisis
Encouraging aboriginals to enter the trades was a topical and crucial aspect of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s 2008 Conference recently held in Victoria.
July 3, 2008
Major engineering projects will stress Atlantic Canada’s labour supply, CSC report says
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.
July 2, 2008
Alberta program launches women into construction careers
A bold Alberta program proves that women can do very well in the trades if they have support when they begin their journey to become journeywomen.
July 2, 2008
Part of the Pulse of North York
Outside brick work continues at the Pulse Condominium project at Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in North York, Ont. Developer is The Pemberton Group and general contractor is Saddlebrook Construction Inc.
July 2, 2008
Toronto Office Tower Construction
Work moves along on Wellington St. W. for the RBC Centre office tower in Toronto.
July 2, 2008
Immigrant training questioned by Alberta electricians’ union
The electricians’ trade union in Alberta is screening some new immigrants because of concerns over certification.
July 2, 2008
Manitoba sees construction trades pinch ahead
The executive director of the Manitoba Building Trades Council says the province will need 10,000 additional skilled tradespeople to keep up with demand by 2016.
July 2, 2008
New tunnel safety regulation opposed by British Columbia unions
Two groups representing unionized construction workers in British Columbia are voicing their opposition to proposed changes to safety regulations for tunnelling.
June 30, 2008
Alberta unions mount campaign to halt labour-reform Bill 26
The political battle over the passage of controversial changes to Alberta’s labour laws is heating up.
June 30, 2008
EllisDon makes waves at Art Gallery of Ontario expansion project
Project manager EllisDon Corp. continues to work on the Art Gallery of Ontario expansion. The site is on Dundas Street West in Toronto.
June 30, 2008
Diamond + Schmitt incorporate water stewardship into Cambridge city hall design
When Diamond + Schmitt Architects set out to design Cambridge’s new green city hall, development of a comprehensive water management strategy was a key agenda item.
June 30, 2008
Aecon wins Alberta Transportation contract to twin 13-kilometre section of Highway 21
Aecon Group Inc. has been awarded a contract by Alberta Transportation to twin a 13-kilometre section of Highway 21 near Edmonton.
June 27, 2008
Architect Fisher’s plans for “revolving” buildings face skepticism
An Italian architect said he is poised to start construction on a new skyscraper in Dubai that will be “the world’s first building in motion,” an 80-storey tower with revolving floors that give it an ever-shifting shape.
June 27, 2008
Giffels builds Lakeshore Lions Arena
Steel work continues at the site of the new Lakeshore Lions Arena on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke, Ontario.
June 27, 2008
Crews ready rebar at Bird Construction’s Olympic ice rink project
Workers are busy building an Olympic ice rink at Trout Lake in Vancouver.
June 26, 2008
UAE workforce includes large number of workers from India, conference told
Workers from India comprise 42.5 per cent of the total labour force in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and most of them are in the blue-collar category, a Gulf Co-operation Council labour management conference reveals.
June 26, 2008
Menkes’ 25 York Street crew keeps pumping
Concrete work progresses at the site of a new office tower at 25 York Street in Toronto.
June 26, 2008
PWGSC tests BIM with rehabilitation of former Bank of Montreal building
In an effort to get a handle on the potential benefits of Building Information Modeling (BIM), Public Works and Government Services Canada is undertaking a pilot project in Ottawa.
June 26, 2008
RCCAO calls for Lake Simcoe infrastructure plan consistent with provincial growth strategy
The way growth in the Lake Simcoe area proceeds is important to the construction industry because planned and diverse growth will provide more project opportunities, one association says.
June 25, 2008
Wind power offers long-term potential for Ontario jobs
The launching of the TAI WIND Consortium to help push the offshore wind-power manufacturing agenda in Ontario can result in thousands of jobs.
June 25, 2008
Halliday Homes adapts pre-engineered houses to Iceland’s climate
Halliday is a manufacturer of pre-engineered, wood-frame, energy-efficient, panelized homes. And when someone in Iceland went searching on the Web, Halliday was one of the names that popped up.
June 25, 2008
Crystal Blu Construction
Below-grade work moves along on the Crystal Blu condominiums on Balmuto Street in Toronto.
June 25, 2008
Caterpillar and Navistar join forces to pursue global truck opportunities
Caterpillar Inc. and Navistar International Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pursue global highway truck business opportunities and co-operate on a variety of engine platforms.
June 24, 2008
Cancelled Bilfinger Berger Canada contract leaves Filipino workers idle
Temporary foreign workers who were hired to work on a drinking-water project in North Vancouver have been left hanging for months without any source of income, after the contractor was terminated by Metro Vancouver.
June 24, 2008
Saskatchewan opens door to nuclear power
A “bonanza” of uranium and a government keen on opening the door to nuclear power has energy companies circulating Saskatchewan in hopes of flipping the switch on a reactor.
June 23, 2008
AGC’s “Building to LEED for New Construction” course wins approval
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has announced its Building to LEED for New Construction: Overview and the Impact on Construction Practices course curriculum has been reviewed and approved through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Education Provider Program.
June 23, 2008
Context Development plans to break ground on Market Wharf project in fall 2009
Toronto’s Context Development is gearing up to break ground by fall 2009 on Market Wharf, a high-rise condo and retail project designed by architect Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance.
June 23, 2008
Crews dig in at Eastern Construction’s Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute project
Excavation and shoring work continue at the future site of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario.
June 20, 2008
Cooper Construction crews dig in at Guelph job site
Earthwork is underway at the site of a new industrial building on Southgate Drive in Guelph, Ontario.
June 20, 2008
Aecon keeps focus on Canada’s transportation infrastructure market
Given the state of Canada’s aging civil infrastructure, transportation projects in both Ontario and Alberta are a key area of focus for construction giant Aecon Group Inc.
June 20, 2008
Design, construction help Trillium Health Centre attain LEED Silver status
The Trillium Health Centre’s recently completed Clinical and Administration Building in Mississauga could be one of the first, if not the first, building of its kind to achieve a LEED Silver.
June 20, 2008
Pembina Institute report recommends halting construction of oilsands upgraders
Alberta should not approve as many as six more oilsands upgraders near Edmonton until the province has a solid plan to limit the huge amount of fresh water they will use and to better manage the pollution they will produce, a new study says.
June 20, 2008
Aecon selected top bidder for Toronto Rehabilitation Institute project
Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) announced June 12, 2008 that its Buildings Division has been selected by the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (Toronto Rehab) and Infrastructure Ontario as the highest ranking bidder for the renovation and expansion of Toronto Rehab’s University Centre site on University Avenue in Toronto.
June 19, 2008
IUOE Local 793 helps raise cash to send D6K bulldozer to Kenya
Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers has raised approximately $170,000 to send a D6K bulldozer and ripper to an organization that helps orphaned street children in Kenya.
June 19, 2008
Thumbnail sketches of CanaData’s forecasts for Canada's five construction sectors
Summaries of CanaData’s latest forecasts in all five major construction markets with video commentaries.
June 19, 2008
Nuclear plant construction could bring 3,500 jobs to Darlington
The first expansion of Ontario’s nuclear supply in almost two decades will generate 3,500 construction jobs, the province estimates.
June 18, 2008
CCA gives conditional support to federal Contract Payment Reporting System
The federal Contract Payment Reporting System (CPRS) has once again received the conditional support of the Canadian Construction Association.
June 18, 2008
Toddglen’s Bloor Street Neighbourhood project moves up
Work moves upward at the Bloor Street Neighbourhood (BSN) project in Toronto, Ont.
June 18, 2008
CaGBC pilot project proves value of energy-measurement tools for commercial buildings
A recently completed Canada Green Building Council pilot project on the management and operation of commercial buildings proved to be a valuable experience for the owners and managers of those buildings, delegates to the Shifting into the Mainstream onference in Toronto were told.
June 18, 2008
Worker electrocuted at new Dallas Cowboy stadium jobsite
An electrician working at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium died Saturday when he touched a high-voltage line, the second serious accident at the construction site in less than a week.
June 17, 2008
Lightning strike injures four Louisiana construction workers
Four people were injured as a lightning bolt struck a crane at the Motiva refinery in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
June 17, 2008
Canada will spend $120 million to build Afghanistan’s Dahla dam
The Conservative government plans to make the refurbishment and expansion of a dam bordering a sapphire-coloured lake in northern Kandahar the jewel of Canada’s development effort in the war-torn region.
June 17, 2008
Seacliff Construction IPO raises $100 million
An initial public offering has been completed by a Vancouver construction company, one that will allow the company to bid on larger projects and enter new markets through corporate acquisitions.
June 17, 2008
Tridel and Deltera team up in Grand Triomphe style
Construction progresses at the Grand Triomphe II condominium project in North York, Ont.
June 17, 2008
Infrastructure Ontario selects Darlington as site of new nuclear plant
Infrastructure Ontario’s Nuclear Procurement Project Request for Proposals (RFP) entered Phase 2 on June 16, 2008, with the selection of Darlington as the site for a new nuclear plant.
June 17, 2008
Local 793 strikes back at Runciman
Recent comments made by provincial opposition leader Bob Runciman about funding for an operating engineer training centre being politically motivated are way off base, say officials for the union involved.
June 16, 2008
Work proceeds smoothly at Bondfield’s Runnymede Healthcare Centre project
Bondfield Construction began building the state-of-the-art Runnymede Healthcare Centre project in November 2007. Completion is scheduled for summer 2010.
June 16, 2008
Labour law changes thrill Merit Alberta, but leave unions crying foul
The Alberta legislature ended the spring session with the passage of controversial changes to the province’s labour laws.
June 16, 2008
Monarch heads for the finish line at Zip condo project
Monarch Corporation began the 24-storey, 301-unit Zip condo and loft project in November 2006. The project is part of the Liberty Village neighbourhood in Toronto.
June 13, 2008
Graham Construction builds rooms with a view at Alysen Place
Alysen Place is a three-building condominium development in Penticton, B.C., near Skaha and Okanagan lakes.
June 13, 2008
Durham Region gains slight edge in competition for new Ontario nuclear plant
Limited power transmission capacity from Lake Huron to the Toronto area is giving the Durham Region community of Darlington the edge over Kincardine when it comes to selecting a host community for a new Ontario nuclear plant, Energy Minister Gerry Phillips said Tuesday.
June 13, 2008
EarthFirst Canada begins construction of Dokie I project
EarthFirst Canada Inc., a Victoria-based company, announced last month that it has started construction on the Dokie I project, a 144 MW wind farm in the Peace River area of northeast British Columbia.
June 13, 2008
ASCO Construction closes in on completion of Dufferin Aggregates crusher plant
Construction is nearly complete at the Dufferin Aggregates crusher plant in Flamboro, Ontario.
June 13, 2008
Monarch Construction makes progress on Twenty Gothic project
Construction is progressing on the Twenty Gothic in High Park condominium project on Gothic Avenue in Toronto.
June 12, 2008
Crews enjoy some ‘heavenly’ construction weather at St. Gabriel Village site
A concrete bucket gets “uplifted” at St. Gabriel Village condominium and townhouse project in North York, Ontario.
June 12, 2008
Toddglen crews keep moving up the Avenue
Construction progresses at the Avenue Condos at Avenue Road and St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto.
June 11, 2008
CaGBC sets a green example with LEED CI Gold designation for Vancouver office
If you want to change the world, you have to be prepared to show how it can be done. The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC), the national industry organization advancing green building practices and holding the first national summit on green building today and tomorrow, is trying to do just that, most recently through the certification of its Vancouver office as LEED CI Gold.
June 11, 2008
Absolute Four condominium takes shape next to “Marilyn Monroe” towers
Below-grade work progresses at the Absolute World Tower Four condominiums in Mississauga, Ont.
June 11, 2008
Wal-Mart plans test of Menova solar-roof technology
Wal-Mart, the behemoth retailer known for aggressive growth and low prices, plans to test solar roof technology at one of its Ontario stores.
June 10, 2008
Excavation wreaks havoc with Owen Sound project’s construction timelines and budgets
Paving the way for future development on former harbourfront industrial lands has not been easy for those involved in building new quarters for the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
June 10, 2008
Vanbots keeps up healthy pace at Southlake Regional Cancer Centre project
Work progresses on the Southlake Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket, Ont. General contractor Vanbots Construction Corp. began the $47-million, five-storey project in June 2007 and completion has been scheduled for September 2009.
June 10, 2008
Decision on Churchill Falls route expected within months, Newfoundland utility says
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is “within several months” of making decisions on whether Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will have access to power from the proposed Lower Churchill Falls project.
June 9, 2008
Russia shuts second Cold-War era reactor
Russia closed down the second of its three remaining plutonium-producing reactors last week, part of a years-long effort by Moscow and Washington to shutter the Cold War-era facilities that produced material for nuclear weapons.
June 9, 2008
Bondfield Construction builds solid foundation at School of Accountancy
Masonry work progresses at the University of Waterloo’s new School of Accountancy in Waterloo, Ontario.
June 9, 2008
Toddglen Construction reaches summit of Joy
Construction reaches skyward at the Joy Condominiums, located at 120 Dallimore Circle in Toronto.
June 9, 2008
TransAlta expands wind farm capacity
TransAlta Corp. plans to add 66 megawatts of generating capacity to its Summerview wind farm in Alberta at a cost of $123 million.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Davies-Smith crews pull together at waterfront Rowe condominium project
- Ottawa city council votes in favour of plasma gasification plant to process municipal waste
- Burk’s Falls and Parry Sound receive funds for water, sewer improvements
- Tucker HiRise crews ready rebar at X condominium project
- Innovative George Brown trades program trains potential apprentices
- Mexico needs Canadian construction expertise, says EDC
- Brookfield completes financing for acquisition of Itiquira generating plant
- Solterra conducts construction at Vancouver’s Dolce tower project
- GDP numbers don’t reflect recession, Flaherty says
- British Columbia’s mining industry plans more construction activity
- Stantec buys mining engineering firm McIntosh Engineering
| 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 
- Will China be another Japan? (2) (July 4, 2008)
- Will China be another Japan? (1) (July 3, 2008)
- The Export Dependency of Canada’s Provinces (July 2, 2008)
Lifestyle Blog More
- High Finance, Carrick Family Style (June 30, 2008)
- A Dozen Ways to Lure American Visitors to Canada (June 23, 2008)
| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More
- Thompson Rivers University receives funding for library, First Nations learning centre (Jul 4, 2008)
- Manitoba Hydro plans new Riel Converter Station (Jul 4, 2008)
- Grandview Shores proposes upscale condo/hotel complex for Trail (Jul 4, 2008)
- Menkes sets early 2009 start date for Four Seasons hotel project (Jul 3, 2008)
- Ottawa’s Congress Centre prepares to set green example (Jul 3, 2008)
