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LATEST NEWS
Professional Development/Skills Training
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
Enforcement key to protecting road crews, says Ontario Road Builders’ Association
New work zone safety concepts being considered by the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) require the teeth of law enforcement to play a central role.
July 4, 2008
High-school construction teacher fined after dispute with Ministry of Labour inspector
A high school construction co-op teacher has been fined after pleading guilty to an occupational health and safety charge.
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 3, 2008
Sydney Tar Ponds Agency bars Sierra Club from clean-up committee
The Sierra Club of Canada has been barred from having a voice on a Sydney tar ponds cleanup committee because of its constant questioning of the $400-million project, says an official for the environmental group.
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 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
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
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
Saskatechewan construction industry recruiters head overseas
The Saskatchewan government recently led a delegation, including representatives from the construction industry, on a recruitment mission to the Philippines and Ukraine.
July 2, 2008
Apprentice stream still mostly male, says National Apprenticeship Survey
The survey reconfirmed what’s been usually evident at construction sites. Most of those mastering a trade are male Canadians, aged 25-39, pursuing a Red Seal career.
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
Fuel Management: Ten ways for businesses to cut fuel costs
Any business can improve its fuel efficiency. It starts with a commitment from the head office and cooperation to your people on the road and at the job sites. More and more companies are making changes in their operating practices to cut costs now and to be prepared for even higher costs in the future, writes Jack Lee.
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
Canadian Construction Association committee suggests owners educate contractors involved in LEED projects
The Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) chief operating officers’ committee would like to see owners step up to the plate and ensure contractors are up to speed on LEED.
June 27, 2008
Funding boost for Algonquin College’s skilled trades training centre earns construction-industry praise
Ontario’s $35 million funding boost for Algonquin College’s new skilled trades training centre is the type of commitment needed to tackle future industry labour shortages, says the Canadian Construction Association (CCA).
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
New RAIC president Paule Boutin preserves the past, plans for the future
Montreal architect Paule Boutin, the incoming president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), set her sights on a career in the profession when she was 14 years old.
June 26, 2008
Video Interview: Jeff Morrison prepares to take helm of Association of Canadian Engineering Companies
The Association of Canadian Engineering Companies (ACEC) has chosen Jeff Morrison as its new president and chief operating officer, beginning July 14, 2008. In this video interview, Morrison talks about some of the on-going concerns of the ACEC and the organization’s priorities in the future.
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
Culture of Canada’s design, construction industries turns green, too
Judging from comments at the recent Shifting Into the Mainstream conference in Toronto, the design and construction industries are practising what they preach about sustainable building and care for the environment in general.
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
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
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 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
Canadian concrete-canoe team ready to race
Montreal’s École de technologie supérieure’s (ETS) concrete canoe team finished first at both the 2008 Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition and the American Regional Concrete Canoe Competition.
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
Trillium Power and First Nations Technical Institute strike training, education agreement
Trillium Power Wind and the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) have completed a bilateral agreement which will offer a wide range of training and educational opportunities to First Nations members.
June 17, 2008
Design, construction industries prove quick to adapt to climate change
With their embrace of green principles, the design and construction industries have proven to be more adaptable in responding to climate change than governments and auto manufacturers, says Canada Green Building Council chair Peter Busby.
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
CCA approves construction accounting guide for smaller firms
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) approved a best practices guide for construction accounting at its recent board of directors meeting.
June 16, 2008
CCA develops public-private partnership education program for members
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is setting up a task force to ensure its members are up to speed on public-private partnerships.
June 12, 2008
Toronto’s green development policies earn passing grade
Toronto’s green development standard is slowly taking flight, construction advocates and city officials say.
June 12, 2008
New Brunswick’s “Slow Please” program delivers results
Canadian Construction Association’s Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Council Meeting participants recently learned how New Brunswick reduced the rate of highway work-zone accidents by 40 per cent in just two years.
June 12, 2008
Ontario Society of Professional Engineers receives provincial government training funds
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) has received funding from the provincial government to develop and deliver special "bridge" training courses for internationally trained engineers.
June 12, 2008
Trillium Power and St. Lawrence College sign “green-collar” training deal
Ontario offshore and onshore wind-power development received a large gust of support with a recently minted agreement between Trillium Power Wind Corporation and St. Lawrence College.
June 11, 2008
Panel urges New Brunswick safety commission to boost inspections and fines
New Brunswick’s workplace health and safety commission should boost inspections, fines and stop-work orders to help eliminate injuries and accidents, says an independent review panel.
June 11, 2008
Cross-industry coalition ready to lobby for improvements to apprenticeship system
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) will be front and centre today in talks on how to consolidate lobbying efforts to strengthen Canada’s college apprenticeship system.
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| 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.
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| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More
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