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General and Trade Contracting

July 21, 2008

Refurbishment of Dahla dam could make it a target: defence analyst

Refurbishing a derelict Afghan dam has been billed as one of Canada’s “signature projects” in the war-ravaged nation, but defence analysts say these major initiatives carry a giant bull’s eye for militants desperate to obliterate tangible signs of progress — and morale.

July 21, 2008

Vanbots oversees smooth progress of Bramalea City Centre Mall project

Construction manager Vanbots Construction Corp. began the two-storey, 325,000-square-foot Bramalea City Centre Mall project in July 2007. Completion has been scheduled for November 2009.

July 21, 2008

Use of dispute resolution services rises in competitive construction market

The old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is particularly relevant in the construction industry when it comes to matters of dispute resolution.

July 18, 2008

Burnac puts finishing touches on Madison Avenue Lofts’ first phase

Outside work moves along on the old Toronto Hydro Building now being converted into the Madison Avenue Lofts phase I in Toronto.

July 18, 2008

Planning will help Ontario construction industry cope with looming labour shortage

Steady growth in Ontario’s construction industry will require 74,000 new hires over the next eight years, says the Construction Sector Council’s recent Ontario labour market forecast.

July 18, 2008

Bruce Power touts benefits of Peace River nuclear plant project

The Bruce Power partnership predicts a nuclear plant in the Peace River region of Alberta would contribute $12 billion to the province’s economy during the construction period and would generate 2,700 long-term jobs.

July 18, 2008

Diamond + Schmitt partner with Oz Architecture on re-design of Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall

The firm of Diamond + Schmitt Architects has been chosen to re-design the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver.

July 17, 2008

Clive Thurston: Alternative pricing takes fairness, predictability out of bidding

As the rules surrounding bidding and procurement continue to fluctuate and change — sometimes from necessity, sometimes for a better idea and sometimes at the desire of the courts — those involved are often left wondering if there are any rules at all, writes Clive Thurston, president of the Ontario General Contractors Association.

July 17, 2008

Aecon Industrial signs alliance agreement with Union Gas

Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) announced July 17, 2008 that its Industrial Division has signed a multi-year alliance agreement with Union Gas Limited to perform all of Union Gas’ compressor station construction and upgrading work across Ontario.

July 17, 2008

H & R reaches the rooftop at Royal York Grand condominium project

Construction has reached the roof of the Royal York Grand Condominiums at Royal York Rd. and Eglinton Avenue West in Etobicoke, Ontario.

July 17, 2008

Kwason Structures crews show fine form at The Parc condominium project

Workers guide a concrete form into place during construction of The Parc in Coquitlam, B.C.

July 17, 2008

Mechanical construction contractors Lockerbie & Hole earn $5 million in first quarter

Lockerbie & Hole Inc. earned $5 million in its first quarter as revenue grew more than 50 per cent.

July 17, 2008

PCL wins contract to build, finance Kingston hospital

Infrastructure Ontario and Kingston General Hospital have announced that they have signed a contract with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. to build and finance the hospital’s redevelopment project.

July 16, 2008

$50,000 tires just part of the high cost of oilsand extraction

Todd Dahlman gestures proudly to a 4,900-kilogram tire on display at the edge of Shell Canada’s vast oilsands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

July 15, 2008

GM to build rooftop power plant in Spain

Solar energy product maker Energy Conversion Devices Inc. said it will supply solar cell laminates to General Motors Corp. for the world’s largest rooftop power generation system.

July 15, 2008

Shane B. keeps moving at St. Gabriel Village

A worker gives guidance at St. Gabriel Village condominium and townhouse project in North York, Ont.

July 15, 2008

‘Red-Dead’ canal promises life for Dead Sea desert

It is hard to predict how the proposed artificial waterway from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, popularly known as the Red-Dead canal, will turn out.

July 14, 2008

Experience rating system fails to account for ‘rating prevention practises’

Gary Robertson is President of Wellington at Work, a Hamilton company specializing in injury prevention, claims and disability management in the construction sector. He is past president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations and has almost 20 years of human resources experience working for construction contractors.

July 14, 2008

Vanbots builds Allstream conference centre within Automotive Building facade

MTS Allstream has forged a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place and the City of Toronto, the owners of Toronto’s future conference and convention centre.

July 14, 2008

Cressey Development’s Donovan tower project rises

The 18-storey Donovan condominium tower in Vancouver will be connected to a podium-style four-storey structure.

July 14, 2008

Leaks won’t delay opening of Indianapolis Colts stadium

Three roof drains in Lucas Oil Stadium sprang leaks when thunderstorms hit Indianapolis last week, leading to some water damage in a data centre and other areas.

July 14, 2008

Customers will help pay for green corporate headquarters for Halifax electric utility

Nova Scotia’s electric utility will look to its customers to help pay for a multimillion-dollar conversion of an old power plant into a “green” corporate headquarters in Halifax, the company’s president says.

July 11, 2008

Crews pour it on at Toddglen Avenue condominium project

Concrete pouring progresses at the Avenue Condos at Avenue Road and St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto.

July 11, 2008

Boom times mean no rest for portable restroom providers

Canada’s hot construction market is having an effect on an essential construction industry service — portable restroom operators.

July 11, 2008

Boralex acquires Gengrowth wind-power project in southwestern Ontario

Boralex Inc., a Montreal-based electricity producer, says it has acquired the rights for a wind project with a potential installed capacity of 100 megawatts of power in Ontario.

July 10, 2008

Miller says Toronto will move ahead with more LEED-H building

Moments after he dug the first ceremonial shovelful on Canada’s “largest green low-rise residential development” Toronto Mayor David Miller took a dig at the province for not moving quickly enough to incorporate LEED standards into the Ontario Building Code.

July 10, 2008

Times Group crews take to the stage at Majestic Court

Work progresses at the Majestic Court condominium project on Clegg Road in Markham, Ontario.

July 10, 2008

Greenpark’s Rosewood rises

Construction progresses at the Wynford Drive site of The Rosewood condominium project in Toronto.

July 10, 2008

Utility Locate Rodeo puts locators’ field skills to the test

“Locate from Hell” is the ultimate challenge for any of the 35 locators taking part in first-ever Utility Locate Rodeo, organized by the Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA).

July 9, 2008

PCL Constructors begins cover-up of Durham Consolidated Courthouse project

PCL Constructors Canada Inc. began the five-storey, design-build Durham Consolidated Courthouse project in May 2007. Completion has been scheduled for late 2009.

July 9, 2008

Regent Park Community Energy System features centralized power plant

Phase One of the Toronto Community Housing (TCH) project includes the creation of The Regent Park Community Energy System, an environmentally-conscious plan to provide competitively-priced heating, cooling and hot water to all of the buildings in the community while slashing carbon dioxide emissions.

July 9, 2008

DJ Campbell Construction keeps working at Dunfield Retirement Community

Construction manager DJ Campbell Construction Ltd. began the 17-storey, 179-suite Dunfield Retirement Community project in July 2007. Completion is expected in April 2009.

July 9, 2008

Canadians agree to build ‘Great Wall of Kandahar’ around university

The Canadian government struck a deal last week with officials at Kandahar University to build a three-kilometre perimeter of stone, brick and iron around the school campus.

July 8, 2008

Sound engineers at Capitol recording studio fear impact of nearby building project

Capital Records’ large, three-room facility and its fabled subterranean echo chambers, whose sound, experts say, cannot be recreated, may soon be picking up some bad vibrations from an adjacent 16-storey condominium and office project, part of downtown Hollywood’s ambitious revitalization effort.

July 8, 2008

Remington swings into next construction stage at Downtown Markham project

Owner/general contractor Remington Group Hi Rise Division began the Downtown Markham Phase One residential/retail project in May 2007.

July 8, 2008

Crews dig deep at phase one of Boutique condominium project

The 16-storey, 333-unit Boutique building was designed by ZAS Architects for owner Simcoe Nelson Property Inc. The work includes guest suites, five levels of underground parking and retail on the ground floor.

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

Davies-Smith crews pull together at waterfront Rowe condominium project

Construction moves along for The Rowe condominium project in Whitby, Ont.

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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 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 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

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 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.