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Professional Services: Finance, Bonding, Insurance, Construction Law, Business Practices

January 14, 2010

Construction set to begin on solar farm in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Construction will begin this spring on a $100-million solar farm that is expected to be the largest in Canada and one of the largest in North America.

December 30, 2009

Bonds to finance Virgin Islands wastewater plant

The leader of the U.S. Virgin Islands says the government has sold $39 million in revenue bonds to finance a wastewater plant at Cruzan Rum’s distillery.

December 29, 2009

Stimulus funding delay a silver lining

The incoming year should be a better one for the construction industry than 2009, says one of Toronto’s leading construction lawyers.

December 4, 2009

Understanding construction liens more critical in tight times

In today’s turbulent economy, it is even more important contractors and subcontractors fully understand their lien rights if they want to survive.

December 3, 2009

Construction contract exclusion clauses put tendering process at risk

Exclusion clauses in construction contracts have been denounced as “unconscionable” by a Toronto construction lawyer.

December 1, 2009

Building Envelope Council launches review of Toronto green roof bylaw

As with most complex regulations, the devil is in the details. That’s why a technical committee of the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) is conducting a thorough review of Toronto By-Law 583-2009, the “Green Roof By-Law.”

November 24, 2009

National Trade Contractors Coalition lobbies for changes to Ontario’s Lien Act

The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC) has taken its campaign for prompt payment to Queen’s Park, calling on the Ontario government to help ensure the success of small businesses by creating the necessary legislative framework.

November 20, 2009

Toronto to extend borrowing term to finance 10-year capital plan

Toronto plans to accelerate its borrowing of funds to finance its 10-year capital plan of $16.1 billion.

November 18, 2009

National Trade Contractors Coalition at Queen’s Park to discuss Lien Act reform

Ontario-based representatives of the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC) are scheduled to meet with provincial MPPs today to back the provincial construction industry’s push for reform of the Construction Lien Act.

November 16, 2009

E.I. benefits for self-employed praised by British Columbia's open shop contractors

The open shop construction industry in B.C. is praising the federal government’s move to extend employment insurance benefits to the self-employed, but unions aren’t happy about these changes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!