A bit of perspective: On-Site unveils winner of its annual photo contest

From a small army of concrete pump trucks in Quebec, to multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects taking over downtown Toronto’s busy streets, this year’s submissions did not disappoint. On-Site received dozens of jaw-dropping shots taken at construction sites across the country for its 2019 Canadian Construction Photo Contest. The team narrowed the field to a handful of finalists before setting out on the tough task of picking a winning image.

When the dust settled, it was a recognizable landmark that was left standing. Showcasing the tenacity of Canada’s construction industry — both past and present — a shot taken on a sprawling EllisDon construction site in downtown Toronto is our 2019 winner.

Simply click to enlarge it

Company: EllisDon
Photographer: Andre Widjaja
Location: Toronto
Date: September 2019

Depicting a worker high above the ground on a crane, flanked by what is likely Canada’s most famous structure, the shot had a significant impact on our team. Not lacking in symbolism, the image, snapped by Andre Widjaja, a digital communication specialist at EllisDon, was taken at The Well development at Front Street and Spadina Avenue Sept. 18, 2019. The Well site itself sits on 7.8 acres of land that used to be home to the Globe and Mail office and press building. The mixed-use development will feature three high-rise condominium buildings, three high-rise residential rental buildings, one commercial office tower and a variety of retail shops and restaurants.

Related: Take a look at this year’s finalists, or our honourable mentions

While the bustling block that will house The Well is the city’s largest construction site, it’s far from alone. Toronto, as well as Canada’s other big urban centres — Montreal and Vancouver most notably — boomed in 2019. Our team could think of no better representation of the urban building market’s unflagging growth than this shot from the Mississauga, Ont.-based contractor.

In recognition of EllisDon’s win, On-Site has made a donation in the company’s name to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. We would like to thank all entrants for their submissions. The On-Site team received many spectacular images making this year’s contest a tough one to judge. We also encourage builders from across the country to hang onto any of the stellar shots they snap in 2020 for next year’s contest. It will launch this December.

Finally, make sure to dig into the past with our 2018 winner, the five finalists and our honourable mentions.