March 10, 2010
2010 Ontario Construction Secretariat conference
‘You don’t create job opportunities by cutting off business:’ Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters CEO
The new Buy America agreement between Canada and the U.S. doesn’t offer Canadian firms access to stimulus contracts that have already “gone out the door,” says the head of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
“What it does do is put us in a stronger position to argue that Canada should be excluded from future protectionism in the United States,” Jayson Myers said in a speech to the Ontario Construction Secretariat’s annual conference in Toronto March 3.
“But we’re very concerned about the appearance of new Buy America restrictions, of new forms of protectionism, of tighter regulations that are being used by countries around the world, including Canada, to protect their markets and to exclude business from other countries.
“In my mind you don’t create job opportunities by cutting off business.”
VIDEO: Canada’s economy is slowing down
As fall approaches, the Canadian economy is slowing down, but this lower growth is due to factors that beyond the nation’s control, says CanaData Chief Economist Alex Carrick.
VIDEO: Canada should embrace rainscreen cladding systems
Canada has been too slow to embrace rainscreen cladding systems, despite the advantages they offer in terms of better performance, low-cost maintenance and longer-lasting structures, says a distributor of architectural building products.
VIDEO: Ontario General Contractors Association shows support for Gold Seal
The entire board of directors of the Ontario General Contractors Association have become Gold Seal Champions, part of an effort to help promote the national construction certification program.
VIDEO: Green building critical in triple bottom line accounting
Building design and construction standards will undergo significant changes as “triple bottom line” accounting becomes more commonplace in the industry, says a Saskatchewan-based economist.
VIDEO: Boom truck tips over at Vancouver condo project
A boom truck tipped over while delivering lumber to a low-rise condominium construction project in Vancouver’s trendy Kitsilano neighbourhood, near Vine Street and First Avenue.
Ontario General Contractors Association launching project management course
The Ontario General Contractors Association in September will launch a new project management course that will cover all aspects of the role from the conception stage of a project through to occupancy and commissioning.
BIM can blur lines of professional responsibility
Building Information Modeling (BIM) may help architects and contractors construct buildings more efficiently, but it can also blur the lines of professional responsibility if something goes wrong, a construction lawyer warns.
Communication was key, says outgoing Construction Specifications Canada president
Improved communication was a major accomplishment for Construction Specifications Canada in the past year, says the association’s outgoing president Brian Colgan.
The risks of LEED certification for contractors
Contractors need to be aware of the risks associated with the LEED rating system, says a construction lawyer at one of the country’s leading legal firms.
