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May 7, 2008

Edmonton rejects public-private partnership for recreation complex

Edmonton City Council decided to move ahead with the construction of a new multipurpose recreation centre under a construction management services contract instead of a private-public partnership.

April 9, 2008

Understanding payment provisions in CCDC 2

The final instalment in Norm Streu and Chris Hirst’s series of articles on the 2008 CCDC 2.

April 2, 2008

TransLink launches real-estate division

Metro Vancouver’s transportation authority is launching a real-estate division and plans to develop property as a way to generate financing for public transportation operations.

February 27, 2008

University of British Columbia’s new Faculty of Law building meets needs of students

Construction is expected to get under way in 2009 on a new Faculty of Law building on the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia.

February 27, 2008

Merit Contractors Association of Alberta challenges union coalition once again over election ads

As Albertans get ready to go to the polls on March 3, 2008, another political battle is heating up, one that pits the National Citizens Coalition and Merit Contractors Association of Alberta against the Alberta Building Trades Council (ABTC) and the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL).

February 18, 2008

Construction law attorney offers tips for keeping contractors out of disputes

To hear Derek Brindle talk you have to wonder why contractors would ever wind up in disputes. It all sounds like such common sense.

February 18, 2008

Canadian construction economist predicts U.S. troubles will dampen Canadian economic growth

The subprime mortgage crisis and weak performance of the residential sector in the US will dampen the growth of the Canadian economy, according to construction economist Alex Carrick. Mr. Carrick, chief economist for Reed Construction Data, was speaking at the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s Annual General Meeting on January 30, 2008.

February 18, 2008

Dispute-resolution plan can help keep construction companies out of court, construction law experts say

Vancouver lawyers specializing in construction law say that having a good dispute-resolution mechanism for project problems is a good way to stay out of costly court battles.

February 18, 2008

Contractors should benefit from new, less-ambiguous Waiver of Claims provisions in CCDC2

The new Waiver of Claims clause now limits the waiver and release of both the Owner and the Contractor to claims of which they had knowledge or “reasonably ought to have knowledge” at the time of Substantial Performance.

February 18, 2008

Lien Act reform remains at top of agenda for Council of Ontario Construction Associations

Updating the Construction Lien Act and securing across-the-board WSIB coverage in the industry remain front and centre on the agenda at the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA).

January 22, 2007

Industry welcomes changes

Representatives of industry groups are welcoming the latest version of the B.C. Building Code, though they acknowledge the transition to the new objective-based approach will take time.

January 22, 2007

Rainscreen requirement tops building code changes

A change in its basis and a new format are complicating the transition to B.C.’s new building code.

January 22, 2007

Business isn't done on a handshake any more

When is a letter not a letter? In some construction industry contracts, a letter is not deemed to be a communication if it’s an e-mail and in today’s digital realm that’s a puzzle for lawyer Lori Roth, of Cassells Brocks who specializes in construction law.

January 22, 2007

Calgary's Deerfoot Trail to have Alberta's first post-and-cable barrier safety system

Imagine the pressure. You have to design the first post and cable barrier system in Alberta—the first significant installation in Canada—while the media howls for blood because of the blood being spilled on Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail.

January 22, 2007

Architects still want solution to liability issues

The professional liability insurance (PLI) issue that posed a crisis for British Columbia architects only a few years ago has eased but it is far from over, says Barry Weih, chairman of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s (AIBC) insurance committee.

January 22, 2007

APEGBC issues second set of earthquake guidelines

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC) has issued in November 2006 its second set of Bridging Guidelines for earthquake-proofing British Columbia schools, an initiative that has been set forward by the British Columbia government.

January 22, 2007

Non-compliance a sticking point

In 1981, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Ontario v. Ron Engineering changed the legal landscape of invitations to tender.

January 22, 2007

Calgary construction companies collaborate

PCL, Graham, EllisDon, Ledcor, Cana, Stuart Olson and Revay and Associates have joined forces with the Calgary Construction Association and the Canadian Construction Research Board to fund a $1.1 million Construction Productivity Improvement research project at the University of Calgary.

January 22, 2007

Finding insurance coverage

What insurance coverage does a contractor really have under a standard policy?