Occupational Health and Safety

May 7, 2008

Suncor Energy plans to fund and build Fort McMurray interchange

Suncor Energy and the Alberta government have signed an agreement for the construction and maintenance of an interchange that will improve traffic flow and safety near Fort McMurray.

May 7, 2008

Authentic architecture addresses social and economic differences

In a world that has accepted the concept of globalization, it is now necessary to consider whether the notion of authentic architecture continues to be valid.

May 5, 2008

News from the job site

A selection of brief stories from construction sites in Canada and Australia.

May 5, 2008

Unions claim provincial statistics underestimate number of employee fatalities

British Columbia and Alberta labour unions commemorated the 13th International Day of Mourning amid claims that provincial government statistics underestimate the numbers of employees killed.

May 5, 2008

Provincial Nominee Program attracts over 1,800 skilled workers to British Columbia

Colin Hansen, the economic development minister announced on April 16 that the government has exceeded its 2007-2008 target of attracting 1,730 skilled workers and entrepreneurs to B.C. under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

April 30, 2008

Billions allocated to infrastructure in Alberta’s 2008 budget

The Alberta Budget 2008 unveiled by Ed Stelmach’s government last week plans to inject a massive multi-billion dollar investment into infrastructure development in the next three years.

April 28, 2008

Badger Daylighting crew comes to rescue of trapped construction worker

A construction worker trapped in a 12-foot-deep pit in downtown Toronto and buried in mud up to his chest was saved thanks to help from a badger — Badger Daylighting, that is.

April 28, 2008

Gravel truck collides with SUV and school bus, claims one life

A gravel truck slammed into a school bus on a highway in central Alberta killing a 17-year-old girl and leaving a second student in the hospital in critical condition.

April 23, 2008

Number of workplace fatalities rises in Alberta

Barrie Harrison, communications officer with the Alberta Ministry of Employment, said that 20 of the 47 workplace fatalities were in the construction industry.

April 23, 2008

Manitoba program to improve conditions for temporary foreign workers lacks teeth, labour says

The federal government and the province of Manitoba have launched a new initiative to improve working conditions for Temporary Foreign Workers, but there are no mechanisms in place to monitor or enforce the program.

April 21, 2008

Court levies $250,000 fine against film production company in worker death

A Vancouver-based film production company was fined $250,000 last week for the death of a worker who was crushed on a set for the movie Jumper.

April 16, 2008

Calgary sees rapid rise in number of multi-family residential permits

The construction of multi-family residential units increased rapidly, while the construction of single-family units took a dive for the first quarter of 2008 in Calgary.

April 16, 2008

Report highlights TILMA’s impact on construction industry

The Alberta-B.C. Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) is designed to remove inter-provincial trade barriers for goods, capital and labour. Worker certification standards and safety regulation are two areas where TILMA could impact the British Columbia construction industry, says a study recently released by the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA).

April 14, 2008

Terasen Gas storage facility gets final government approval

Terasen Gas. is building a natural gas storage facility on Vancouver Island, in order to save the valuable fuel for a rainy day.

April 14, 2008

Cameron Street bridge gets major facelift

A nearly $10 million construction project will give the venerable Cameron Street bridge in Prince George a new lease on life.