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Occupational Health and Safety
August 8, 2008
Roadside worker dies at Mississauga job site
A Brampton man working with a road resurfacing crew on Dixie Road suffered fatal injuries at a Mississauga project site, Peel police report.
August 8, 2008
Work moves along quickly at Vanbots’ Sunnybook Hospital project
Construction is moving along on the M-Wing Shell/P&G Fit-Up at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
August 7, 2008
Bilfinger Berger Canada sues Metro Vancouver over Capilono-Seymour tunnel project
The German company hired to construct twin tunnels for a water filtration project in North Vancouver is launching a lawsuit against Metro Vancouver and placing a lien against the project.
August 7, 2008
VIA plans to invest $25 million to modernize Ottawa-Montreal railway infrastructure
VIA Rail Canada has announced it plans to invest more than $25 million on a multi-phase, multi-year program to modernize key parts of its rail infrastructure between Ottawa and Montréal.
August 6, 2008
Ontario labour ministry inspectors conduct health and safety blitz at work sites
Ontario inspectors are now blitzing work sites and locations across the province in order to make an immediate impact on improving health and safety, says Ontario’s labour minister.
August 6, 2008
Accidents prompt meeting of British Columbia’s construction-crane industry
Representatives of British Columbia’s construction-crane industry will be meeting with WorksafeBC in September to discuss safety procedures.
August 5, 2008
McMaster study looks at link between diesel fumes and diabetes
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 793 supports a McMaster University study looking at possible connections between diesel fume exposure and diabetes among its members.
August 1, 2008
TransAlta plans new dyke wall for lagoon at Keephills power plant
A dyke wall holding back a pond full of ash slurry from TransAlta Corp.’s coal-fired Keephills power plant is in danger of breaching, so tompany will build a second dyke wall to redirect slurry into another lagoon on site.
August 1, 2008
Monte Creek-to-Pritchard section of TransCanada highway earns an upgrade
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have announced $42.8 million in funding for a highway project near Kamloops under the Building Canada infrastructure plan.
July 31, 2008
200-ton tunnel boring machine completes Manhattan rail tubes
A huge, granite-eating machine that spent the past eight months chewing a mile (1.6 kilometre)-long tunnel beneath a busy Manhattan office district is getting a rest, of sorts, after completing its journey to the city’s Grand Central Terminal train station.
July 30, 2008
Alberta beefs up support for temporary foreign workers
The government of Alberta has quietly launched a new initiative to provide immigration support services to temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in the province.
July 30, 2008
Manitoba boy, 15, dies after being buried under hot asphalt
A 15-year-old working on a construction site just north of Winnipeg has died after being buried in hot asphalt.
July 29, 2008
After 25 years in the trade, electrical inspector says she “wouldn’t change a thing”
Cheryl Carbis, an journeyman electrician and electrical inspector with Electrical Safety Authority, says she wouldn’t change a thing about her choice of trade.
July 28, 2008
Lack of training blamed in B.C. crane death
Scathing reports into the death of a 22-year-old crane operator blame a lack of training, among other factors, for contributing to the young man’s death, but recommend a fine rather than criminal charges.
July 28, 2008
Crane certification process underway in British Columbia
The intended deadline may have passed, but the process for certifying crane operators in B.C. is still underway.
July 28, 2008
Four workers die in mobile-crane collapse at Houston oil refinery
Hitting the ground with enough force to bounce a nearby worker off the ground, one of the largest mobile cranes in the United States collapsed at a Houston oil refinery July 19, killing four workers and injuring seven others.
July 25, 2008
Canadian construction industry looks for more details on national labour mobility directive
A decision by Canadian premiers to improve nationwide labour mobility is being met with cautious optimism across the Canadian construction landscape.
July 25, 2008
Injured worker supports Robertson’s views on WSIB program
Re: Point-Counterpoint on the WSIB experience-rating system, DCN July 19.
As an injured worker and activist here in Ontario, I can’t say I’ve heard anything that makes more sense coming from the employer side of the table, writes Peter Clare of Lambton Shores, Ontario.
July 24, 2008
Texas Mutual Insurance Company pays dividend to Texas Construction Association members
Texas Mutual Insurance Company has announced a US$2.3 million dividend to the Texas Construction Association (TCA) workers’ compensation group discount program. The dividend was based on the group’s premium volume and claim loss history, reports Market Watch.
July 24, 2008
Work moves along smoothly at Vanbots’ Southlake Regional Cancer Centre project
Concrete work continues at the Southlake Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket, Ontario.
July 23, 2008
Report says asbestos in some Calgary roads poses risk to public health
An Alberta researcher who studies asbestos says that Calgary roadways containing the substance pose a risk to the public.
July 23, 2008
Aecon Construction takes on Highway 10 widening through Caledon Village
The Ontario government has awarded a $7.9-million construction contract to widen Highway 10 through Caledon Village to Aecon Construction and Materials Limited of Toronto.
July 22, 2008
Federal government provides $9 million in funding for Chin Chute wind-power project
The Chin Chute wind-power roject in Alberta will receive up to $9.2 million in federal funding over 10 year under the ecoENERGY for Renewable Power initiative. Gary Lunn, Canada’s natural resources minister, made the announcement at the recent Rural Matters National Symposium in Edmonton.
July 22, 2008
Gold Seal beefs up requirements for construction management certification
Recognizing that both the scope and complexity of construction management have increased dramatically over the past decade, the Gold Seal committee is beefing up requirements for certification.
July 21, 2008
Quebec teen dies in collapse of garage under construction
A 15-year-old Quebec boy was killed and three others injured when a garage under construction collapsed Wednesday morning in a small town in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
July 21, 2008
Lack of training blamed for death of Canada Line mobile-crane operator
WorkSafe BC says a mobile-crane operator who died while working on the Canada Line rapid-transit project wasn’t sufficiently trained to operate the equipment.
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
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
Ontario General Contractors Association offers Rescue 7 defibrillator service
The Ontario General Contractors Association has partnered with Rescue 7 to improve safety on all its member work sites.
July 18, 2008
EllisDon’s South Health Campus project sets record as largest contract in company history
On July 17, 2008, EllisDon announced that the company recently signed a $1.076 billion dollar contract with Calgary Health Region to construct Phase 1 of the new South Health Campus in Calgary.
July 17, 2008
Barca Construction worker dies at Manitoba job site
Construction work on a site in south St. Vital, Manitoba was stopped last week after the death of a 20-year-old man following a construction accident, reports the Winnipeg Free Press.
July 15, 2008
George Brown College plans new health sciences campus on Toronto waterfront
The province of Ontario has promised George Brown College $61.5 million to build a new health sciences campus on Toronto’s waterfront.
July 15, 2008
Nova Scotia doubles fines for drivers who speed in work zones
Nova Scotia is doubling fines for motorists convicted of speeding in a work zone.
July 15, 2008
CN train collides with stolen paving machine
Luck and timing prevented a CN train derailment at a Sherwood Park overpass from becoming deadly, say police.
July 14, 2008
University of Saskatchewan research team develops ventilation warning system
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are working on designing a ventilation system that could protect schools, hospitals, and other public buildings from chemical warfare and bioterrorist attacks.
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
Experience rating showcases ‘policy-design partnership’
Les Liversidge, LL.B., is a barrister and solicitor from Markham. She runs a practice that specializes in representing clients in all aspects of workplace safety and insurance in Ontario.
July 14, 2008
Speed limiters on trucks offer cost-savings and environmental benefits, federal report finds
There are positive environmental gains from capping the speed of large commercial trucks at 105 kilometres per hour (km/h) through a speed limiter, says a federal report.
July 11, 2008
Forklift fatality prompts calls for improvements to Alberta’s safety code
The death of a teenager working at a building material supply store near Edmonton last month is raising questions about the need to improve Alberta’s safety code.
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 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 10, 2008
George Brown College to build campus on Toronto waterfront
George Brown College will build a new state-of-the art campus on the city’s lakefront, according to a statement made by Waterfront Toronto on July 8, 2008.
July 10, 2008
Board aims to educate Alberta’s temporary foreign workers
The Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) is in the early stages of launching a campaign to educate temporary foreign workers about their rights, wages and benefits.
July 9, 2008
Scaffold deaths prompt Australian safety blitz
Master Builders Queensland (MBQ) has labelled a recent fatal scaffolding collapse a “catastrophic failure” and has called on all its members to undertake urgent safety checks.
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.
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- 20 Most Popular Stories
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Trucks take turns at Tucker HiRise’s Boutique condo site
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- CSA solicits support for national building deconstruction standard
- VIA plans to invest $25 million to modernize Ottawa-Montreal railway infrastructure
- Bilfinger Berger Canada sues Metro Vancouver over Capilono-Seymour tunnel project
- Eastern Construction digs deep at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute site
- Stringent standards help Chino Hills community withstand recent earthquake
- Pace of Canadian job creation likely to slow, economists warn
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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.
Economics Blog More 
- Tidbits (1) (August 1, 2008)
- A Big Gamble for Canada’s Aerospace Industry (July 31, 2008)
- Intriguing Ideas to Replace Oil and Natural Gas (2) (July 30, 2008)
Lifestyle Blog More 
- Ode to an Audience (Part 3 of 3) (August 7, 2008)
- Ode to an Audience (Part 2 of 3) (August 6, 2008)
| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More 
- Galleries Saint-Hyacinthe to undergo major expansion, renovation (Aug 5, 2008)
- ENMAX ready to break ground on Crossfield Energy Centre (Aug 5, 2008)
- Norson Construction begins renovations to create Vancouver’s first Wal-Mart store (Aug 5, 2008)
- Public Works Canada issues Request for Qualifications for RCMP E-Division headquarters (Aug 5, 2008)
- Terasen ready to select project manager for Lions Gate biogas energy facility (Jul 31, 2008)


