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LATEST NEWS
Professional Development/Skills Training
May 27, 2013
Opposition tackle Harper government on lack of youth employment
Whether jobs are created or lost on any given month, the one constant in Canada’s post-recession employment record has been that for young people, the news has always been bad.
May 24, 2013
Prompt payment bill headed to committee
In what is being billed as a win-win for the province’s construction industry, landmark prompt payment legislation has been tabled at Queen’s Park.
May 24, 2013
George Brown College building named after Tridel CEO
George Brown College's construction management school will be named the Angelo Del Zotto School of Construction Management after the chief executive officer and chairman of the Tridel Group of Companies and Tridel Corporation which pledged a $3 million gift to the college's Success at Work fundraising campaign.
May 23, 2013
Future tradespeople put to the test
The chair of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA) said it is “thrilling” to see what the students and young apprentices accomplish at the annual Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC).
May 22, 2013
New ETFO headquarters a benchmark design
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has set a benchmark in sustainable design with its recently completed headquarters.
May 22, 2013
Trying to define the “lowest price”
As we all know the “lowest price” at the start of each project is sometimes very different at the end of the project.
May 21, 2013
Multi-employer approach needed in apprenticeships
A multi-employer approach to apprenticeship training results in higher apprenticeship completion rates, according to a new study commissioned by the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS).
May 17, 2013
Provinces need to loosen up apprenticeship rules
Provinces that want to encourage more workers to enter into the trades should allow companies to hire more apprentices as strict regulations act as barriers to entry, concludes a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute.
May 17, 2013
Vimy Ridge memorial gets new visitor centre
The federal government has set aside $5 million to help in the construction of a permanent visitor centre at the Canadian war memorial in Vimy, France.
May 16, 2013
Clarity for voluntary trades and OCOT membership
Voluntary trades workers do not have to be members of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) if they received their Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) prior to April 8, 2013.
May 16, 2013
Ontario prompt payment bill to get second reading today
In what is being billed as a win-win for the province’s construction industry, landmark prompt payment legislation has been tabled at Queen’s Park.
May 16, 2013
Partnership will streamline apprenticeship program in Atlantic Canada
A new regional approach to apprenticeship will create greater mobility and a stronger labour force in Atlantic Canada.
May 15, 2013
Goderich Carpenters’ union help train Habitat project trades
Pass by the site of a 1,200-square-foot house being built this summer in Goderich, Ont. by Habitat for Humanity and you might notice something different: the volunteer corps constructing the house is made up of women.
May 15, 2013
OCOT has been extremely open and transparent, says Dillon
I am writing in response to the March 19 contributed column entitled “Stopping the trades tax necessary, says Thurston,” in the Daily Commercial News.
May 14, 2013
Architecture festival hits Halifax in June
Architects from across Canada are poised to converge in Halifax June 5 to 8 for this year’s Festival of Architecture. The event is being hosted by Architecture Canada/Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in partnership with the Nova Scotia Association of Architects (NSAA).
May 14, 2013
Value of buildings permits up for third straight month in March: StatsCan
Building permits in Canada rose 8.6 per cent in March, beating expectations, but economists say the gains were driven mostly by demand for new institutional buildings.
May 14, 2013
Veterans battle barriers into the trades
Creating a link between military qualifications and provincial apprenticeship requirements is one of the ways Helmets to Hardhats Canada (H2HC) is trying transition military veterans into civilian construction careers.
May 14, 2013
U.S. unemployment reaches five-year low
The unemployment rate for construction workers in the United States fell to the lowest April level in five years as contractors added more than 150,000 employees in the past year despite a dip in employment last month, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that, despite the monthly drop, the industry is likely to continue adding jobs for much of 2013.
May 13, 2013
U of T selects architects to design engineering and entrepreneurship building
The University of Toronto has chosen Toronto-based Montgomery Sisam Architects (MSA) and U.K.-based Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios as the architects for the 15,000-square-metre Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CEIE).
May 13, 2013
Sudbury Construction Association’s voice strengthens
For a number of years, the Sudbury Construction Association (SCA) was one of the best-kept secrets in town.
May 10, 2013
CVC recognized for engineering excellence
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and partners’ innovative stormwater management retrofit project at Elm Drive in Mississauga was recognized with an engineering award of excellence during the 11th annual Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) awards gala.
May 10, 2013
Nominations open for The Leaders 2013
Who do you think is leading the way in Canadian construction? Nominations are now open for which companies we could feature in our 2013 edition of The Leaders and Reed Construction Data (RCD) would like to hear from you. The Leaders is now entering its seventh year in its current format and nominations run through the month of May.
May 9, 2013
Construction cautious on 2013 Ontario budget
The Ontario government’s plan to make a significant investment toward public infrastructure has left industry leaders cautiously positive.
May 9, 2013
Construction begins on O-Train expansion
Construction of the $59-million O-Train Service Expansion Project has officially begun in Ottawa, temporarily shutting down service to complete major upgrades.
May 9, 2013
Cross-laminated timber first in Ottawa
In what is thought to be the first such commercial installation in the city of Ottawa, cross-laminated timber (CLT) is being utilized on a Playvalue Toys warehouse/retail facility.
May 3, 2013
Non-residential construction up to $12.4 billion: StatsCan
Investment in non-residential building construction grew to $12.4 billion in the first quarter, up one per cent from the previous quarter, led by higher spending in the commercial and industrial sectors, reports Statistics Canada.
May 3, 2013
Federal labour tool changes a concern, says CCA
Changes to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) program will “significantly impair” the construction industry’s ability to fill the increased demand for construction services across the country, says the Canadian Construction Association (CCA).
May 3, 2013
First-ever hot mix Roads Scholars awards in Ontario presented
The Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association (OHMPA) handed out awards for its first annual Roads Scholars program to six college students who exemplified leadership in their programs and displayed interest in the asphalt paving industry.
May 3, 2013
Fake P.E.I. newscasts used to attract labour
How to attract young people to careers in the building trades is a perplexing problem facing many construction trade groups. The PEI Residential Construction Sector Council has come up with an unusual approach — one that is bound to catch the attention of many of the island province’s youth.
May 2, 2013
Ontario unveils $295 million Youth Jobs Strategy
Core to Ontario’s 2013 budget is a $295 million Youth Jobs Strategy designed to drive employment among 15 to 24 year olds in the province.
May 2, 2013
Construction asks: How much for infrastructure?
Despite encouraging talk from the Ontario government about the importance of sustained infrastructure investment, construction industry leaders are waiting to see how the numbers break down in today’s budget before they get their hopes up.
May 2, 2013
Ontario rolls out economic revival plan, deficit at $11.7 billion
Ontario will eliminate this year’s projected $11.7 billion deficit in five years and a six-part economic renewal plan will help reach that goal and drive job creation, stated the province’s finance minister.
May 2, 2013
$13.5 billion for infrastructure in 2013 Ontario budget
The Ontario government has reaffirmed in its 2013 budget its commitment to building and improving roads, transit and municipal projects by investing $13.5 billion in infrastructure.
May 2, 2013
Ontario 2013 budget by the numbers
The 2013 Ontario budget projects an $11.7 billion deficit for 2013-14 however the province has confirmed its commitment of $35 billion over three years for infrastructure. Charles Sousa, Ontario’s finance minister, stated that in order for the province to grow its competitive edge it will need to invest in infrastructure.
May 1, 2013
Manitoba unveils new strategic plan to improve workplace safety
Manitoba has a new five-year strategic plan to prevent workplace injury and illness that includes doubling the funding for prevention services.
May 1, 2013
Canadian government set to hold consultations on Canada Job Grant
The federal government has launched consultations on the Canada Job Grant, an initiative announced in the recent budget that is meant to transform the way Canadians receive skills training.
April 30, 2013
Gold Seal certification turns 20
Gold Seal certification of construction management professionals has lasted for 20 years, in part, because it is a program built by the industry for the industry, says a former committee chair.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
| TODAY’S TOP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS |
These projects have been selected from 515 projects with a total value of $3,642,725,048 that Reed Construction Data Building Reports reported on Friday.
$47,000,000 Metro Toronto Reg ON Tenders
$40,000,000 Ottawa ON Negotiated
$34,000,000 East Gwillimbury ON Prebid
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Ex-Canadian military bases can be transformed
- Shop and Sleep
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- Proposed wood-frame use meets opposition
- Provincial MPP supporters of prompt payment legislation excited at prospects
- Concrete airplane in South Dakota takes flight
- Opposition tackle Harper government on lack of youth employment
- Construction Site Arson
- VIDEO: Journal of Commerce Update for the week of May 27th, 2013
- Commercial Construction
- Ruling vindicates company that hired Chinese workers
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- Investigation continues in deliberate Vancouver duplex fire
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- On Target
- Global engineering guidelines taking shape
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- Dire prediction
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| ALEX’S ECONOMICS BLOG |

Reed Construction Data Canada’s Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in the North American economic environment with emphasis on the construction industry.
- An Overview of Prices and Sales in the Diverging U.S. and Canadian Housing Markets (April 25, 2013)
- Canada’s Precarious Dependence on the Commodity Price Super-Cycle (April 22, 2013)
- Twenty major upcoming residential and transportation terminal construction projects - April 2013 (April 15, 2013)
- More










