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June 29, 2009

Inter-American Development bank is a key tool for Canadian companies

Canadian companies looking to capitalize on construction opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean have the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a key tool at their disposal. The bank has approved a total of $170 billion in loans and guarantees to finance projects as of the end of 2008.

June 17, 2009

Official disputes inflation on Montreal infrastructure projects

Concerns about rising costs on two Montreal construction projects — the new concert hall at Place des Arts and the Notre Dame Boulevard extension — stem from a communication gap over the P3 process, provincial officials say.

June 10, 2009

Construction workers among rising number collecting employment insurance

The number of people in B.C. and Alberta receiving regular employment insurance benefits grew rapidly in March, with construction workers being among the hardest hit.

June 3, 2009

Federal infrastructure funds have failed to yield results: MP

Liberal finance critic John McCallum says that in the four months since Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled his 2009 budget and promised immediate, urgent stimulus, all he can point to is a record deficit of at least $50 billion and no job creation.

June 1, 2009

Contractors press Ottawa for prompt payment legislation

The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC) is pressing the federal government for prompt payment legislation so trade contractors get paid in a timely fashion by general contractors (GCs).

May 11, 2009

Targeting development projects could pay off for Canadian companies, official says

With increasing economic stimulus work being announced worldwide, there are international opportunities for Canadian construction through Multilateral Development Bank (MDB)- funded projects.

May 4, 2009

Calgary tower secures necessary cash

The construction of Bow Tower is back on track after the real estate investment trust that owns the development project closed a multi-million dollar financial deal with a group of lenders.

April 29, 2009

Contractors, builders take issue with U.S. union subsidies

A coalition of U.S. contractors and builders claims American unions have spent more than US$1 billion subsidizing union employers unfairly bidding against non-union shops and artificially inflating wages on public-sector jobs.

April 29, 2009

Lawsuit seeks to recover oilsands wages from China

The union representing a Chinese temporary foreign worker on a major oilsands construction project is suing the contractor to recover wages that were allegedly siphoned off without the worker’s knowledge or consent.

April 22, 2009

EDC strikes deal to add construction bond market capacity

Export Development Canada’s (EDC) announcement that it will facilitate up to $1 billion in domestic surety credit in 2009 through an agreement with Canada’s surety industry adds extra capacity to the construction bonding market, industry sources say.

January 22, 2007

Finding insurance coverage

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

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

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

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

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

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.