The industry added a full two per cent to its workforce between March and April, easily outpacing the overall economy
Contractors can optimize job site productivity and reduce the need for additional workers by using proven tools for planning and executing work
TORONTO—The scarcity of skilled workers across Ontario is no secret. Construction employers, among others, often face a serious challenge finding tradespersons to fill roles, resulting in project delays and higher costs. The 2019 Ontario budget, the first released under Premier…
OTTAWA—The slump continues for the construction labour force. Statistics Canada released its monthly employment assessment April 5, revealing the construction industry’s fourth-straight month of job losses. On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the sector shed about 2,400 positions in March, with employment…
The controversial bill will reclassify certain cities as “non-construction” employers, opening the door for non-union contractors to bid on public jobs
BRAMPTON, Ont.—A Toronto-area company that specializes in transporting heavy equipment is facing an $85,000 fine after an Ontario appeal judge sided with the crown in a case that involved a 2013 workplace death. The incident took place on May 25,…
OTTAWA—The federal government unveiled a series of new budgetary measures March 19 to encourage young people to enter the skilled trades. The Liberals plan to funnel $40 million over four years to Skills Canada under Budget 2019, with $10 million…
When waters start rising, prudent people shore up their levees. The Canadian construction industry faces more of a drought than a flood, but company leaders across the country need to start taking proactive steps to future-proof their businesses. 10 years…
VANCOUVER—Mary-Anne Bowcott says she still remembers the fear she felt when she overheard her co-workers talking about her while she was a roofer. It was violent enough to make her consider leaving the industry all together, like so many other…
The new procurement framework requires workers that have been on an infrastructure job for 30 days to join one of 19 unions
It may be time to rethink working at heights from the ground up. Though some provinces have welcomed a marginal decline in accidents, falls remain a leading cause of injury for tradespeople of all stripes across the country. The most…
In the 1959 sci-fi novel Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein introduced, perhaps for the first time, the concept of the powered exoskeleton — a motor-assisted armoured suit that gives its wearer superhuman strength. Since then, exoskeletons have shown up in countless…
With hundreds of thousands of industry veterans set to hang up their hard hats, construction firms need to step up their recruitment efforts
OTTAWA—Employment in the Canadian construction industry dipped for the second-straight month in January, shedding 8,500 jobs, according to the latest Statistics Canada data. The 0.6 per cent seasonally adjusted decline from the month before occurred even as the overall economy…
Construction activity is expected to inch forward at a slower pace over the next decade as certain provinces ramp up work and others tap the brakes, BuildForce Canada says
TORONTO—British Columbia’s new framework for public infrastructure projects made the list of egregious regulatory restrictions across the country in the Canadian Federal of Independent Businesses annual ‘Paperweights.’ The Community Benefits Agreement, which requires construction firms working on provincial infrastructure projects…
MONTREAL—SNC-Lavalin Inc. is eliminating about 100 positions in Canada at the same time as the Quebec engineering firm is being described by political leaders as being vulnerable to a foreign takeover. The Montreal-based firm says the workforce reduction is attributable…
TORONTO—In its latest drive to “cut red tape” the new Ontario government has introduced a bill that would rewrite a more than 30-year-old stipulation that restricts certain cities, schools and hospitals to hiring unionized construction firms for infrastructure work. The…
The construction industry also showed positive momentum last month, adding nearly 15,000 jobs
With no rose-coloured glasses necessary, the outlook for the construction industry in 2019 remains positive, if somewhat tepid. Near-record employment, six-straight quarters of higher spending in the non-residential segment and progress on several major projects have bolstered confidence this fall…
