Topic
Law
Ontario government releases Construction Lien Act Report
September 28, 2016 On-Site MagazineThe Ontario government plans to introduce legislation next spring that will modernize the province’s construction industry, which accounted for 6.7 per cent of Ontario’s GDP in 2015. Over the past 18 months, construction law experts Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel of Borden…
SNC-Lavalin reaches agreement with Commissioner of Canada Elections
September 8, 2016 On-Site MagazineSNC-Lavalin has announced that it has reached a compliance agreement with the Commissioner of Canada Elections (the “Commissioner”) in relation with an investigation by the Commissioner regarding the reimbursement, to people associated with the company, of contributions made to federal…
Contractors and the Law: The importance of bid compliance
August 29, 2016 Matthew Swanson and Alexander BjornsonTendering is often a complex and hurried process, and sometimes mistakes are made. In the recent case of True Construction Ltd. vs. Kamloops (City), the British Columbia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal considered a number of issues relating…
Substantial compliance can be pretty strict: complying with terms of tender
June 22, 2016 Dirk Laudan & John PrattA “discretion clause” in terms of tender can give the owner the discretion to overlook technical non-compliance by bids, and allow them to accept bids unless they are materially or substantially non-compliant. Notwithstanding this, a decision by the British Columbia…
Is there an L&M bond? Maybe you should ask . . .
April 26, 2016 By Dirk Laudan & Alexander BjornsonLabour and material payment bonds protect unpaid subcontractors where the contractor that hired them becomes insolvent or otherwise fails to make payment. The protection provided by such bonds can vanish, however, when claimants do not know about them. Many construction…
Steel industry wants prompt payment legislation and local content rules
April 6, 2016 On-Site's sister publication Canadian Consulting EngineerDelegates from the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) visited Parliament Hill in Ottawa in March to lobby for prompt payment legislation. It also wants local procurement policies for infrastructure projects. First CISC is requesting that the government enact Federal…
Construction Law: When is a contractor’s extra work a compensable “extra”?
March 18, 2016 Robin Davis & John PrattEven in the face of the most comprehensive construction contracts, an owner may request that the contractor performs additional work that is not expressly included in the original agreement. Should the owner make such a request, two questions will likely…
New National Energy Code for buildings
March 15, 2016 On-Site MagazineNew buildings in Canada will become more energy efficient with the introduction of some 90 changes to the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2015. “As Canada’s go-to research and technology organization, the National Research Council is providing Canadians…
Improper site sanitation can spread disease: Video
February 19, 2016 On-Site MagazineClean-up and toilet facilities are probably the last place you would look for hazards on construction sites. Inadequate facilities are a major cause of the spread of diseases to construction workers and their families, according to the Ontario Ministry of…
Contractor claims for owner interference
February 10, 2016 By: John Pratt and Lauren KristjansonRegardless of its size or scope, two elements are essential to a contractor’s ability to successfully complete any construction project: access to the work site; and the freedom to carry out the work without interference. An owner’s attempt to constrain…
CSA standard for bridge construction updated
January 20, 2016 On-Site MagazineAccording to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the 2014 edition of CSA S6 – Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code will be mandated in legislation for use in Ontario beginning in this month. The 11th edition of CSA S6 applies to…
Construction manager jailed for fatal swing stage accident
January 11, 2016 On-Site Magazine4 workers fell 13 storeys to their death Christmas Eve, 2009
Corruption in Quebec construction sector included gangs, mafia: Charbonneau
November 25, 2015 by On-Site MagazineCorruption in the Quebec construction industry was far more widespread than originally feared, with organized crime, including biker gangs and the Mafia, infiltrating much of the sector, a long-awaited report from the Charbonneau Commissionrevealed on Tuesday. The 1,600 page report…
Quebec’s municipal auditors’ association to study Commission report
November 25, 2015 by On-Site MagazineThe Association of Municipal Auditors General of Quebec (AVGMQ) will study and comment on the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the awarding and managing of public contracts in the construction industry. AVGMQ filed a brief with the Commission on July 7,…
Manitoba modifying workers’ compensation guidelines
November 13, 2015 STAFF REPORTThe Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) is introducing changes to its current rate model to enhance fairness and balance. Following consultations that were conducted with stakeholders last year, improvements were recommended and compiled into a report. “We gathered feedback from…
Quebec to revamp construction contract bidding
November 11, 2015 STAFF REPORTQuebec construction association supports changes
‘Saskatchewan First’ procurement policies moving forward
November 9, 2015 STAFF REPORTPublic works and transportation legislation amended allowing ‘value-based’ procurement
Ontario’s quarry industry not a consumer of water, association rebuts
November 4, 2015 by On-Site MagazineOSSGA counters environmental commissioner’s comments
Trade contractors lobby candidates for prompt payment legislation
October 19, 2015 STAFF REPORTThe National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada is encouraging its members to support political parties that will champion federal prompt payment legislation for the construction industry. NTCCC and Mechanical Contractors Association of British Columbia (MCABC) have called on all parties…
SNC-Lavalin to pay $1.5 million to settle corruption allegation case
October 1, 2015 STAFF REPORTDeal reached with African Development Bank over two contracts