Statistics Canada said the sector shed thousands of jobs last month, running counter to stories of contractors scrounging to find workers
MONTREAL—Canada’s construction industry is one of a few sectors to be hit hardest by a decade of labour shortages and lower margins, according to a study by the Business Development Bank of Canada. The study of small- and mid-size businesses…
Many contractors fear marijuana legalization will lead to increased impairment on construction sites. Here’s what you need to know to prepare
WINNIPEG—A week after reports surfaced of decades-old abuse on hydro projects in Manitoba, a recent study into working conditions at a modern site has come to light. The new report details allegations of racism, sexual harassment and prison-like living conditions.…
SASKATOON—Wright Construction Western Inc. was hit with a $70,000 fine last week for an incident that left one worker with serious injuries. According to Saskatchewan’s minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, the accident occurred in January of 2017 when…
VANCOUVER—The Independent Contractors and Business Association is asking the B.C. Supreme Court to strike down the provincial government’s new hiring model for taxpayer-funded construction projects. The association filed a petition Aug. 27 with the court alongside several other building and…
OTTAWA—The number of construction jobs coast to coast declined in July even as employment in the overall Canadian economy ticked up. According to Statistics Canada, employment in the construction industry dipped by 12,000, or about 0.8 per cent, over the…
To be truly effective at managing risk, you must master the complex world of risk controls. Put in place before incidents occur, risk controls are the contractual agreements, the operational practices and the tools and technologies used to prevent or…
TORONTO—Vacant positions continue to plague employers in the construction industry. The rate of job vacancies among private sector construction firms now sits at 3.8 per cent—the second-highest level among industries tracked—according to a new report from the Canadian Federation of…
HAMILTON, Ont.—A worker injury on a road construction site in Hamilton, Ont. has resulted in fines for Dufferin Construction Co. and the owner/operator of a equipment rental business based in Stoney Creek, Ont. CRH Canada Group, Dufferin’s parent company, and…
The province says the initiative will add more under-represented groups to the workforce, but critics say it will simply benefit unions and drive up costs
The industry roared back to life in June, adding tens of thousands of new jobs
MONTREAL—Thousands of crane operators returned to work June 26 after taking part in what authorities described as an illegal strike that lasted one week and disrupted construction sites across Quebec. Crane operators were protesting new training requirements allowing workers to…
WINDSOR, Ont.—In a transparent appeal to the increasingly pervasive “America first” rhetoric emerging from Washington, the company that controls the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit, Mich. and Windsor, Ont. released a television ad earlier this week calling on President Donald Trump…
Many of the province’s nearly 2,000 crane operators walked off the job earlier this week, disrupting work at job sites across Quebec
MONTREAL—Premier Philippe Couillard warned Quebec’s crane operators June 19 there will be consequences for what he called an illegal strike, as construction sites were paralyzed across the province for a second consecutive day. The premier said workers who refuse to…
OTTAWA—Construction employment has dipped for the second consecutive month, with a loss of 13,000 jobs in May. Statistics Canada reported the decline in its latest monthly Labour Force Survey. Combined with a loss of 19,000 jobs in April, gains observed…
THUNDER BAY, Ont.—A northern Ontario contractor has been handed a $50,000 fine for a worker injury on a Thunder Bay, Ont. jobsite in July 2016. The incident took place at the Thunder Bay International Airport, where Pioneer Construction Inc. had…
Despite the monthly decline, employment in the industry is up 2.3 per cent from the same time last year
ALBERTA—The Alberta government has launched a $1.29 million national advertising campaign to promote the construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. “Keep Canada Working” includes billboards, television, radio, search engine marketing, online display and social media. Viewers are directed to…
