New construction brings 75% increase in working hours
By Adam Freill
Commercial Construction Industrial InstitutionalNew commercial and institutional projects across Ottawa have led to a record increase in job opportunities, say MCA Ottawa and UA Local 71.
(PHOTO: David Kennedy)
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Ottawa (MCA Ottawa) and United Association Local 71 (UA Local 71) recorded a 75 per cent increase in working hours by their members over the past decade. Members of the organizations reported approximately 1.3 million hours in 2021, that’s a staggering jump from the 740,000 hours reported in 2011.
With over 1.2 million square feet of new non-residential public permits reported in the Ottawa-Gatineau region in 2020 alone, work across the institutional, commercial, and industrial sectors has resulted in a steep increase in work for contractors in the region, leading to sustainable job creation for skilled workers and apprentices. Based on the numbers collected by the two associations, the ICI projects paced the Ottawa-Gatineau region to a 26 per cent increase in people hours between 2019 and 2021.
“There are more cranes on Ottawa’s skyline than ever before. The construction industry is booming,” says Serge Robert, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario, and a director with MCA Ottawa. “We are anticipating this momentum to continue with a variety of projects coming down the pipeline, including the redevelopment of the parliamentary precinct, Ādisōke Central Library, the new Ottawa hospital, and a new arena for the Ottawa Senators. These projects will continue to make the Ottawa area a hot bed for construction, creating thousands of jobs.”
Angus Maisonneuve, business manager for UA Local 71 says that UA members “will contribute to a strong pipeline of institutional, commercial, and Industrial projects for the next 10 years. With unemployment at records low, and no one left on the sidelines, we are eager to bring on more skilled and talented trade people to help us contribute to the future of Ottawa.”
MCA Ottawa and UA Local 71 represent unionized mechanical contractors and pipe tradespeople in and around Ottawa and Gatineau.
