Topic
Law
Ottawa’s new prompt payment rules become law, firming up pay schedule for federal construction jobs
June 24, 2019 by David KennedyThe rules are expected to benefit both general contractors and subcontractors, which can face cash flow problems if they aren’t paid quickly enough for work on major projects
Ontario construction industry prepares for new prompt payment, adjudication rules expected to bring ‘profound’ change
June 11, 2019 David KennedyTORONTO—Contractors, subcontractors, owners, construction lawyers and a wide range of other stakeholders in Ontario’s construction industry have four final months to prepare for one of the most significant changes to the province’s building industry in years. After a long series…
Getting ready to take off: New rules to consider when using drones on construction sites
June 11, 2019 Katherine Ayre and Adrienne HoDrones can be valuable, cost-effective tools on construction sites. Typically used to conduct aerial surveys or collect data, they can also carry bitumen printers and transport payloads across long distances. As of June 1, 2019, however, drones will be subject…
Judge rules SNC-Lavalin headed to trial on charges of fraud, corruption
May 29, 2019 The Canadian PressMONTREAL—A Quebec judge has ruled that SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is headed to trial on charges of fraud and corruption. The decision is the latest step in criminal proceedings that began last fall after the Montreal-based engineering and construction giant failed…
Construction tendering 101
April 22, 2019 Ivona Zegrean and Alexander SpraggsBy replacing negotiation with competition, the tendering process in construction is intended to bring more certainty, fairness and efficiency to the allocation of contracts. Despite this, the tendering system is an idiosyncratic mechanism, giving rise to certain obligations that may…
Manitoba Premier launches review of construction approval process at Winnipeg City Hall
April 20, 2019 Steve Lambert, The Canadian PressWINNIPEG—The Manitoba government is launching an independent review of how Winnipeg city hall approves and inspects construction projects and property development, to address what Premier Brian Pallister says is a drag on the economy. Pallister also offered April 18 to…
Toronto noise bylaw amendment puts 7,000 jobs, high-rise development at risk, construction groups warn
April 10, 2019 by David KennedyTORONTO—A proposed amendment to Toronto’s noise bylaw that would restrict builders from pouring concrete or conducting heavy crane work after 7 p.m. puts thousands of jobs at risk and threatens to slow high-rise development across the city to a crawl,…
SNC-Lavalin CEO says he never cited job losses in push for remediation agreement
March 20, 2019 Ross Marowits, The Canadian PressTORONTO—The chief executive of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. says he never cited the protection of 9,000 Canadian jobs as a reason the company should be granted a remediation agreement to avoid a criminal trial on allegations it paid millions of dollars…
Liberal-dominated justice committee ends SNC-Lavalin probe amid opposition howls
March 19, 2019 Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian PressOTTAWA—The Liberal-dominated justice committee of the House of Commons pulled the plug March 19 on its probe of the SNC-Lavalin affair, prompting fresh howls of opposition outrage and a walkout by Conservative MPs from the government’s budget presentation later in…
WSP ordered to pay fine for bid rigging on Quebec contracts as it bolsters backlog to $7.7B
March 14, 2019 The Canadian PressOTTAWA—Engineering firm WSP Global Inc. has been ordered to pay $4 million for bid-rigging on municipal infrastructure contracts in Quebec, according to the Competition Bureau. Canada’s competition watchdog said March 13 the payment is part of a settlement filed with…
How do you know when it’s really over? Types of “project complete”
March 14, 2019 Siobhan SmallProject wrap-up entails a variety of legal processes, including the release of contract and statutory holdback funds, shifting responsibility for insurance coverage, and commencing lien filing and statutory limitation periods. These processes often turn on a project achieving completion. The…
Amid fracas in Ottawa, SNC-Lavalin sues former CEO for millions over hospital bribery scandal
March 6, 2019 Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian PressMONTREAL—SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is suing its former CEO in connection with a bribery scandal around the construction of a $1.3-billion Montreal hospital as the beleaguered engineering and construction giant continues its effort to distance itself from its former leadership. The…
Are you insured? Hidden parties in builder’s risk policies
February 15, 2019 Siobhan SmallWhatever your role on a project, always be sure to read the Course of Construction policy. It is surprising how often parties overlook potential coverage for a loss by assuming they are not insured. Knowing who is covered by the…
Former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime pleads guilty for role in Montreal hospital bribery
February 1, 2019 Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian PressMONTREAL—Former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime pleaded guilty Feb. 1 to a charge of helping a public servant commit breach of trust in connection with a bribery scandal around the construction of a $1.3-billion Montreal hospital. Duhaime was the last defendant…
Anti-corruption squad arrests former head of Montreal construction trade school
January 24, 2019 The Canadian PressMONTREAL—The former head of a Montreal construction trade school was arrested by the province’s anti-corruption unit Jan. 23 and charged with fraud-related crimes against the school. The anti-corruption unit said officers arrested Alain Prud’homme, who was director of the trade…
Former exec at engineering firm Dessau gets 12 months for rigging Quebec infrastructure bids
January 18, 2019 The Canadian PressOTTAWA—The Competition Bureau says a former executive of Quebec engineering firm Dessau received a 12-month sentence after pleading guilty Jan. 17 in the Court of Quebec to rigging bids for City of Gatineau infrastructure contracts. Dave Boulay, formerly Dessau’s director…
Pipeline construction imbroglio: Trudeau says protest arrests not ‘ideal,’ but rule of law must be respected
January 9, 2019 Laura Kane, The Canadian PressKAMLOOPS, B.C.—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted the benefits of a liquefied natural gas project that’s at the centre of an impasse with First Nations in a speech to supporters in Kamloops, B.C., on Wednesday. RCMP arrested 14 people Monday in…
Credit in the construction industry
December 5, 2018 Siobhan SmallWhen we think of credit, we usually think of a method of paying for goods or services. In the construction context, however, credit can serve a role analogous to that of a performance bond. While owners can choose to request…
TransCanada pushes to get Keystone XL pre-construction work back underway
November 28, 2018 Matt Volz, The Associated PressHELENA, Mont.—The company that wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline is asking a judge to change his order blocking the project to allow pre-construction work to continue, such as purchasing materials and finalizing contracts. Attorneys for the company will…
Safety board tells Champlain Bridge builders to provide clean toilets for workers
November 24, 2018 Peter Rakobowchuk, The Canadian PressMONTREAL—The workers building the new $4.2-billion Champlain Bridge toil in difficult conditions, high above the St. Lawrence River. But one of their biggest challenges has been to find a clean—and heated—portable toilet on the work site. Quebec’s workplace safety board…