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Professional Services: Finance, Bonding, Insurance, Construction Law, Business Practices
March 15, 2010
As prices surge, China may raise interest rates
China’s inflation spiked higher in February, adding to pressure on Beijing to prevent overheating and keep the recovery in the world’s third-largest economy on track.
March 12, 2010
Fraud charges laid against former head of Quebec labour union
Criminal charges against a former high-ranking union official and allegations of intimidation of workers vaulted Quebec’s much-maligned construction industry back into the spotlight Thursday.
March 11, 2010
Ontario General Contractors Association applauds plan for WSIB advisory committee
The call for creating permanent stakeholder advisory committees at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is a progressive move by the WSIB, says the head of a construction industry task force.
March 10, 2010
Ontario architects, general contractor associations issue joint HST bulletin
The Ontario Architects Association and the Ontario General Contractors Association have released a joint bulletin for the design and building communities on the implementation of the harmonized sales tax (HST) in Ontario.
March 9, 2010
Haiti hydro needs complete distribution grid system rebuild
Weeks after a catastrophic earthquake flattened downtown Port-au-Prince, power has returned to nearly half the city’s neighborhoods.
March 5, 2010
Stimulus spending tap shuts off March 2011
The federal government is standing firm on seeing through the second year of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which includes $19 billion this year to be complemented by $6 billion from provinces, municipalities and other partners.
March 5, 2010
South Korea to finance Cambodia temple road
South Korea has provided US$9.2 million to Cambodia to build a new road that will circle the famed Angkor temple complex and reduce traffic in the area, officials said Monday.
March 4, 2010
Report unsafe work sites, Building and Concrete Restoration Association of Ontario says
The Building and Concrete Restoration Association of Ontario (BCRAO) Safety Task Force continues to encourage anyone who sees any health and safety violations at a work site to call the Ministry of Labour.
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 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 3, 2010
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board should establish industry advisory committees, chair says
Creation of permanent stakeholder advisory committees at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is a progressive agency recommendation, says the head of a construction industry task force.
March 2, 2010
Atcon Group facing possibility of receivership
One of largest employers in northern New Brunswick is facing the possibility of receivership, and taxpayers in the province could be on the hook for more than $50 million.
March 2, 2010
Environmental assessments are holding back construction, report says
Ontario’s municipal class environmental assessment system adds $232 million in extra project costs and holds back 10,000 jobs through delays, finds a Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario report released today.
March 2, 2010
Halifax police reviewing union’s donation to Nova Scotia NDP
Halifax police say they are reviewing a report given to them by Nova Scotia’s chief electoral officer.
March 1, 2010
Federal contracts may require fully bilingual documents
A proposed move by the federal government to expand requirements for posting of bilingual contract documents on the MERX electronic tendering system is creating concern in design industry circles.
March 1, 2010
Nova Scotia NDP fined for taking union cash
Nova Scotia’s ruling New Democratic Party has been fined $10,000 for accepting an illegal election campaign contribution from a trade union group.
March 1, 2010
Haitian politician owns shares in GDG Concrete and Construction
Haiti’s top reconstruction planning official owns part of the country’s largest concrete company, which stands to reap major gains from the coming wave of international rebuilding aid.
March 1, 2010
With Olympics over, B.C. turns focus to budget
The Olympics party is over and now it’s time to get down to business for British Columbia’s Liberal government as it prepares to table the province's budget.
February 26, 2010
Financial services sector leads corporate profit recovery
Canadian corporations experienced an increase in operating profits of 7.9% in fourth-quarter 2009 versus third-quarter 2009, Statistics Canada says in a report released this week.
February 24, 2010
Deficit, debt pinch a global concern
Several national governments around the world are in a severe financial bind, with actual and projected budgetary deficits in double digits as percentages of gross domestic product.
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 22, 2010
Culture, contract clash hits Iraq airport
Najaf’s airport was meant to be a symbol of Iraq getting back to business, and in many ways it’s been a success, creating jobs and spurring a construction craze in the Shiite shrine city.
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 19, 2010
Concrete-testing company chief convicted of concocting phony results
The president of a concrete testing company that worked on such New York City landmarks as the new Yankee Stadium was convicted Wednesday of concocting phony test results, but a jury acquitted a low-level manager and has yet to reach a verdict on the top racketeering charge against the president and company.
February 18, 2010
Construction Sector Council unveils jobsite mentoring program
A new Construction Sector Council mentorship tool will help the industry retain the skills and expertise found at jobsites as large retirement numbers loom over the next eight years.
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 16, 2010
U.S. jobless claims decline at start of 2010
The number of newly laid-off American workers seeking unemployment benefits fell more than expected to the lowest total in a month, a hopeful sign the job market may be improving.
February 16, 2010
Ontario Electrical League accuses safety councils of union bias
The terms of reference for new Infrastructure Health and Safety Association advisory councils contain a union bias in worker representation, states the Ontario Electrical League (OEL).
February 16, 2010
Canadian economists urge ‘minor’ interest rate hike
The federal government should avoid major surgery and make only minor adjustments to deal with fears of overheating in Canada’s housing market, a number of leading economists say.
February 16, 2010
Conference Board public-private partnerships report is biased, flawed, labour says
A recent study by the Conference Board of Canada on public-private partnerships (P3s) is seriously flawed and biased, according to some critics of this procurement method.
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
- New technology allows concrete to come clean
- Ontario architects, general contractor associations issue joint HST bulletin
- WSIB report a clear response to ideas we submitted, Ontario General Contractors Association chief says
- Ground broken on the Cathedral Centre in Toronto
- Highway construction crew uncovers ancient B.C. glacier
- 20 Most Popular Stories
| TODAY’S TOP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS |
These projects have been selected from 342 projects with a total value of $2,911,425,288 that Reed Construction Data Building Reports reported on yesterday.
SUBWAY STATIONS, BUS TERMINALS, SUBWAY EXTENSION
$500,000,000 York Reg ON Prebid
$112,000,000 Ottawa ON Prebid
CONDOMINIUM, RETAIL & HOTEL DEVELOPMENT
$100,000,000 Burlington ON Prebid
| CURRENT STORIES |
- Fraud charges laid against former head of Quebec labour union
- Pursuit of LEED could result in professional negligence, insurance executive warns
- Province holding information sessions on new Ontario accessibility standard
- Work continues on Market Wharf condo in Toronto
- Chilliwack Cultural Centre project sets tilt-up concrete record
- WSIB report a clear response to ideas we submitted, Ontario General Contractors Association chief says
- SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Profac under scrutiny over federal contract billing
- As prices surge, China may raise interest rates
- Canadian soldiers repair blown-up bridge in Afghanistan
- Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation offering Gold Seal course for supervisors
- Slovak construction minister sacked amid corruption scandal
- Historic Kingston Dry Dock restored, enhanced
- Centre for Energy Innovation in Windsor, Ontario built using Termobuild HVAC system
- Canadian Standards Association parking garage standard gets tougher
- Accelerated schedules a challenge for vinyl flooring
- Good materials, shoddy workmanship produces poorly performing floor
- Government takes over Northwest Territories P3 bridge project
- Canadian construction experts visit earthquake-ravaged Haiti
- Winnipeg gets new water treatment plant
- Weighing in on the Tercon Contractors appeal decision
- Construction restarting on hospital in Fort St. John, British Columbia
- In new movie, Hamilton construction worker becomes ‘Defendor’ at night
- ‘Quality product cannot come from cutting corners on safety’
- Shop owner suing VANOC over pre-Olympics road construction disruptions
| ALEX’S ECONOMICS BLOG |

Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in the North American economic environment with emphasis on the construction industry.
- A dozen incredible measurement sets on Canada’s changing ethnic mix (March 9, 2010)
- How fragile is recovery around the world? (March 3, 2010)
- The world financial crisis goes into extra innings (February 25, 2010)
- More









