News
Richmond, B.C. looks at major scale-up of district energy system with tentative backing of Infrastructure Bank
August 6, 2019 by On-Site StaffRICHMOND, B.C.—A district energy system that heats and cools buildings in Richmond, B.C. through a series of underground pipes is poised to undergo a major expansion. Lulu Island Energy Co., the municipally-owned entity in charge of the Metro Vancouver city’s…
Infrastructure Bank looks to avoid distraction from election talk, CEO says
August 6, 2019 by Jordan Press and Andy Blatchford, The Canadian PressEarly election rhetoric has raised questions about the new crown corporation’s future
EllisDon, PCL consortia shortlisted for Halifax infirmary expansion
August 3, 2019 by On-Site StaffHALIFAX—Just two build teams will compete for a major hospital expansion project in downtown Halifax. The Nova Scotia department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal announced last week that EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare and Plenary PCL Health have qualified to bid for…
Graham ramping up work on $267M, four-tower mixed-use development in Richmond, B.C.
August 2, 2019 by David KennedyVANCOUVER—After tearing down a strip mall that once stood on the northeast corner of Cook Road and No. 3 Road in Richmond, B.C., Graham Group Ltd. has begun building a new four-tower development in the Metro Vancouver city. Known as…
SNC-Lavalin blames construction cost overruns as it posts $2.1B loss, slashes dividend
August 1, 2019 by Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian PressMONTREAL—SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. delivered more harsh news to investors Aug. 1, cutting its quarterly dividend by 80 per cent as the troubled engineering giant grappled with a $2.12-billion net loss in its second quarter and a stock price that hit…
Work starts on major Ontario rail project that requires tunnelling under 21 lanes of Hwy. 401 interchange
July 31, 2019 by David KennedyThe new twin tunnels will extend approximately 175 metres under the packed Toronto highway, helping GO Transit increase capacity on its Kitchener line
Construction of new NHL arena for Calgary Flames to start in 2021 as city council approves $550M deal
July 31, 2019 by Donna Spencer, The Canadian PressCalgary is going to build a new arena for its NHL team despite financial challenges facing the city. Council voted 11-4 July 30 approving a financial agreement with the owners of the Calgary Flames to build an event centre and…
Govan Brown names Joseph Kirk as president in charge of Canada-wide operations
July 30, 2019 by On-Site StaffTORONTO—Construction firm Govan Brown has named a new president to take control of its operations across Canada. The Toronto-based general contractor, which focuses mainly on interiors, said July 30 that Joseph Kirk has been tapped as the company’s new president.…
Ottawa construction firm fined after backhoe hits and injures worker
July 30, 2019 by On-Site StaffOTTAWA—A job site injury involving a backhoe on the Carleton University campus two years ago has resulted in a $70,000 fine for McDonald Brothers Construction Inc. The Ottawa-based company was in charge of a renovation project at 1125 Colonel By…
Saskatchewan, Ottawa disagree over timeline for infrastructure dollars
July 30, 2019 by The Canadian PressREGINA—Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and the federal infrastructure minister are in a disagreement over a timeline for approving projects the province says are critically important. Moe is accusing Ottawa of delaying infrastructure projects worth $200 million from starting this construction…
Via’s case for $4.4B rail project better without Montreal-Quebec leg: internal doc
July 29, 2019 by Andy Blatchford, The Canadian PressOTTAWA—Via Rail’s business case for a multibillion-dollar high-frequency-rail project between Toronto and Quebec City would receive a boost if it ditched the stretch from Montreal to Quebec City, internal federal documents say. The document, labelled “secret,” was obtained by The…
Aecon poised to gain from SNC-Lavalin’s retreat from world of builders
July 29, 2019 by Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian PressWith its own roster of builders, Aecon’s CEO said the company is better positioned to deliver fixed-price contracts than those relying heavily on contractors
Major stretch of Yukon’s North Klondike Highway to be upgraded as part of $157M construction job
July 27, 2019 by David KennedyWHITEHORSE—A major project to upgrade about 100 kilometres of road and replace several bridges along the North Klondike Highway is moving forward with multimillion-dollar investments from the federal and Yukon governments. Ottawa said July 24 it has assigned $118.2 million…
Aecon tops expectations with higher earnings, revenue in second quarter
July 26, 2019 by On-Site StaffTORONTO—Aecon Group Inc. reported results from a “strong” second quarter July 26 with year-over-year increases in both revenue and earnings. The Toronto-based contractor said it booked revenues of $867 million for Q2 2019, up 15 per cent from the same…
Work on $100M condo development in Kelowna, B.C. slated to start next year
July 26, 2019 by On-Site StaffKELOWNA, B.C.—A development company based in the Okanagan has released plans to build a major new condo development in the increasingly retirement-focused city of Kelowna, B.C. Ariva Resorts, said earlier this week it plans to put shovels in the ground…
Feds to spend nearly $150M to bolster infrastructure at Vancouver and Nanaimo, B.C. ports
July 25, 2019 by On-Site StaffVANCOUVER—A series of major upgrade and expansion projects at two ports on Canada’s West Coast have secured the backing of the federal government. In separate funding announcements this week, Ottawa said it will spend $102 million to support work at…
With school repair backlog at nearly $16B, Ontario government moves forward on funding
July 25, 2019 by Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian PressTORONTO—Ontario is asking school boards across the province to submit funding requests for their most pressing repair projects as it restarts a key school infrastructure program that has been frozen for more than a year. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said…
B.C. Supreme Court to hear construction groups’ challenge to province’s Community Benefits Agreement
July 24, 2019 by David KennedyThe contentious labour rules have already been to put work on numerous big-ticket jobs, such as a major widening project on the Trans-Canada Highway and the new Pattullo Bridge
Quebec has no plans to offer struggling SNC-Lavalin a bailout, minister says
July 24, 2019 by Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian PressMONTREAL—Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said July 24 the province will not offer financial help to SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. in spite of the construction giant’s gathering financial, legal and political storm. “Despite the obvious operational problems…I don’t see the need…
Lougheed Highway four-laning project in Maple Ridge, B.C. gets $29M from feds
July 23, 2019 by On-Site StaffMAPLE RIDGE, B.C.—The federal government has set aside infrastructure funds to widen a four-kilometre stretch of highway on the north side of the Fraser River in Greater Vancouver. Ottawa announced $29.2 million for the project between Maple Ridge and Mission,…