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Green Building

March 11, 2010

Show us the infrastructure money, Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association says

Premier Dalton McGuinty’s promise in the Throne Speech to export Ontario’s expertise in water-treatment technology is a wonderful plan, says Joe Accardi, executive director of the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association.

March 10, 2010

University of Winnipeg aims for LEED Gold certification

The University of Winnipeg’s Science Complex and Richardson College for the Environment will ensure that the school practises what it teaches.

March 10, 2010

Light House Sustainable Building Centre publishes green building guide

Sustainable construction in Vancouver just got a bit easier. The Light House Sustainable Building Centre with the support of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) has published a book that provides practical solutions for contractors to implement green building strategies.

March 10, 2010

EllisDon continues construction on 18 York Street office building in Toronto

Construction is moving up on a new office building at 18 York Street in Toronto, Ont. EllisDon Corp. is construction manager for the 26-storey office, which includes three levels below-grade parking and ground floor retail space.

March 10, 2010

Society aiming for net zero energy for all new builds by 2030

North American builders going for glamour in new construction might be missing out on lucrative green building opportunities, said Gordon Holness, president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

March 10, 2010

Industry welcomes federal government’s commitment to labour-market tracking

The federal government’s recent commitment to provide up-to-date labour market information and innovation by colleges is music to the Construction Sector Council’s ears.

March 9, 2010

Polish kids get free boots to deal with construction site mud

Hundreds of Polish school kids are getting a leg up with free rubber boots as they face months next to a muddy construction site.

March 9, 2010

Denali pipeline should proceed without Alaska government help, proponents say

An official working on Alaska’s proposed $30-billion Denali pipeline said there are benefits to moving the project ahead without help from the Alaskan government, which its competitors have secured.

March 9, 2010

Center for Architecture Science looks at turning windows into solar power generators

Cityscapes of glass-clad buildings gleaming in the sun make Anna Dyson think about wasted energy.

March 8, 2010

Is U.S. headed for a double-dip recession?

The big question in the United States concerns whether or not a double dip recession is in the cards. The main contributors to the speculation are the jobless nature of the recovery so far and both weak new home sales and low home prices. These problems spill over into many other areas.

March 4, 2010

EllisDon continues work on Canmet MTL, McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton, Ontario

Work continues on the Canmet MTL, McMaster Innovation Park project in Hamilton, Ont. General contractor EllisDon Corp. began the three-storey building — which is designed for LEED Canada NC Platinum Certification — in May 2009. Completion is scheduled for October 2010.

March 4, 2010

Full text of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget speech

As I rise in this House today, our nation is at a crossroads. We have passed through some steep and rocky terrain. Much of the territory was uncharted. We were prepared, and we protected ourselves. We are making our way through, and our compass has not failed us.

March 4, 2010

U.S. construction spending down, non-residential falls for tenth month

Construction spending in the United States fell for a third straight month in January as a lag in commercial activity such as office buildings and hotels offset a housing rebound.

March 3, 2010

At Council of Ontario Construction Associations AGM, industry execs express cautious confidence

Although their predictions and analysis couldn’t be described as bullish, a panel of four construction industry leaders conveyed a mood of cautious confidence at the recent annual meeting of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA) in Toronto.

March 3, 2010

Full text of the throne speech

The following is the unedited text of the speech from the throne delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Wednesday.

March 2, 2010

Ontario Road Builders’ Association looks to fund post-secondary school programs

Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) will consider requests in the coming months to provide financial support for programs at additional post-secondary institutions after getting its feet wet at Hamilton’s McMaster University and Georgian College in Barrie.

March 2, 2010

Heavy construction company Sigfusson Northern fined in drilling mishap

Sigfusson Northern Ltd., a Kenora-based heavy construction company, was fined $50,000 on Feb. 12, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused an injury to a worker.

March 2, 2010

Finning’s Chilean operations in decent shape after massive earthquake

Finning’s operations in Chile have suffered minimal damage as a result of an earthquake that struck the country last week. “We are in close touch with the Finning South America executive and they have done an assessment of the impact of the earthquake on operations and employees,” said Finning International Inc. director of investor relations and corporate affairs Mauk Breukels.

February 26, 2010

TransCanada says construction on Keystone crude oil line to start next year

TransCanada Corp. which reported a big jump in fourth-quarter profits this week, said it expects to begin construction on the next phase of its Keystone crude oil pipeline in about a year.

February 25, 2010

Construction continues on new Richard Ivey School of Business

Work continues on phase one of the new Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. EllisDon Corp. began the three-storey project, which is designed for LEED Gold, in August 2009. Completion is scheduled for March 2011.

February 25, 2010

Roofing contractor inducted into Grand Valley Construction Association Hall of Fame

Roofing contractor Dave Walden, a newly minted member of the Grand Valley Construction Association Hall of Fame, is an ardent supporter of education in the skilled trades.

February 24, 2010

Trillium Power chooses Vestas Offshore as turbine supplier

Trillium Power has designated Vestas Offshore, a global leader in offshore wind turbine development, as the main supplier for its group of Ontario Great Lakes offshore wind projects.

February 24, 2010

Incoming Ontario Road Builders’ Association president familiar with new delivery models

For newly elected Ontario Road Builders’ Association president Paul Quinless, a career in construction was almost a foregone conclusion. “I guess it was in my blood,” says the executive vice-president of Carillion Canada Inc.

February 23, 2010

Cenovus accelerates construction of Christina Lake oilsands project

An oilsands company is leaving nothing to chance and is taking charge of building its own facilities. Cenovus has its own construction management team, which helps accelerate construction on the Christina Lake, Alta. oilsands project.

February 22, 2010

Zeidler Partnership Architects, Snohetta chosen to design Ryerson University student centre

Construction of a new student learning centre at Toronto’s Ryerson University has moved a step closer to reality with the selection of Toronto’s Zeidler Partnership Architects in association with Snohetta of Oslo and New York City as the co-architects.

February 19, 2010

Slight recovery in U.S. housing construction

Housing construction in the U.S. posted a better-than-expected increase in January which pushed activity to the highest level in six months. The solid gain raised hopes that the construction industry is beginning to mount a sustained rebound from its worst slump in decades.

February 19, 2010

Construction to begin next year on Montreal library

Construction is slated to get under way next year on a new library in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent following a recent province-wide architectural competition.

February 19, 2010

Economic diversification paying off during Vale Inco strike in Sudbury

Three decades ago, a nine-month miners’ strike in Sudbury devastated the northern Ontario city’s economy and drove home the perils of being a one-industry town.

February 19, 2010

Despite strikes, South Africa finishes construction on World Cup stadiums

Despite construction delays and strikes, tournament organizing chief Danny Jordaan said on Wednesday that there was never any doubt that the stadiums for the first World Cup on African soil would be finished on time.

February 19, 2010

Construction worker’s fatal fall didn't involve swing stage

A construction worker is dead after falling as much as six storeys from a building in east Toronto Thursday. Police say a piece of metal may have fallen and hit the worker, knocking him off the building.

February 19, 2010

Ontario General Contractors Association welcomes Supreme Court tender contract ruling

A Supreme Court of Canada decision that found that British Columbia breached its own tender contract preserves the integrity of tendering and bidding, states the Ontario General Contractors Association.

February 18, 2010

Jon Hobbs leaves Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in stronger position

When Jon Hobbs took over as executive director of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in January 2001, the institute was grappling with a small deficit as well as declining membership.

February 17, 2010

Inquest to be held into Hamilton, Ontario worker’s death

An inquest will be held into the construction work site death of Ryan Herbert in September, 2008.

February 17, 2010

Architect short list finalized for St. Lawrence Market building in Toronto

Five architectural teams are vying to design the new North Building at the St. Lawrence Market, the city has announced.

February 16, 2010

New Toronto Construction Association chair sees a growing role for lawyers

During the course of a legal career that has spanned two decades, newly elected Toronto Construction Association (TCA) chairman Glenn Ackerley has seen his fair share of change.

February 12, 2010

Alberta budget good news for construction sector

The 2010 Alberta Budget will sustain investment in the construction of basic infrastructure in a tough economic climate, by increasing the government’s deficit and spending initiatives.

February 11, 2010

Plastic plays key role in Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

The Canadian plastics industry will not only be proud of Canada’s athletes at the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics but also its own accomplishments in making the games possible.

February 11, 2010

Tenders planned by spring for Montreal bus shelter prototypes

Montreal’s transit authority, Societe de transport de Montreal (STM), plans to call tenders by spring for the manufacture of prototypes for a new bus shelter following a recent design competition.