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Professional Development/Skills Training

February 6, 2012

Knowing the bid rules essential for contractor success

Government buyers make sure they follow the rules that apply when dealing with non-compliant bids. In both tenders and Request for Proposals (RFP), bids or proposals may be accepted only if they are compliant. It follows that the first step in reviewing the bids that have been submitted is to determine whether they are compliant with the terms and conditions of the tender.

February 3, 2012

ASHRAE, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials plan to cooperate on codes, standards

ASHRAE and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) specifically detailing ways in which the two organizations can work together to advance and promote mutual interests in built environment codes and standards. A memorandum of understanding was signed during ASHRAE’s 2012 Winter Conference in Chicago.

February 3, 2012

Construction continues on the Regent Park Aquatic Centre in Toronto

Work is taking shape at the Regent Park Aquatic Centre in Toronto. General contractor for the single-storey centre is The Atlas Corporation and completion is expected early 2012. The owner is the City of Toronto and the project was designed by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd.

February 3, 2012

BML Multi Trades president Jim DiNovo takes helm of Hamilton-Halton Construction Association

Incoming Hamilton-Halton Construction Association (HHCA) president Jim DiNovo, president of Brantford’s BML Multi Trades Group Ltd., has put a commerce degree to good use in a career that has spanned several industries.

February 2, 2012

Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities opens nominations for apprenticeship awards

Nominations are now open for the Minister’s Awards for Apprenticeship Training through Ontario’s Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities. The annual awards highlight employers who show leadership in training apprentices and promote careers in the skilled trades.

February 2, 2012

Aluma Systems director Ian Steer to chair Toronto Construction Association

Birmingham native Ian Steer, director and general manager of Aluma Systems Inc., is the new chair for the Toronto Construction Association for 2012. He succeeds lawyer Glenn Ackerley, a partner with WeirFoulds.

February 2, 2012

National Building Trades support federal regulatory reform

The Canadian Building Trades, which is affiliated with unions representing construction and manufacturing workers, announced Jan. 26 it is “encouraged” by remarks made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper about regulatory approval for construction projects.

February 1, 2012

New Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board law will level the playing field: OCS

Under new Ontario legislation, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage is mandatory for independent operators and some other individuals carrying on business in the construction industry, beginning in 2013. The Ontario Construction Secretariat, Council of Ontario Construction Associations and Merit OpenShop Contractors Association of Ontario weigh in.

January 31, 2012

Mark Van Bree takes over as Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association president

Don Sloat, outgoing president of the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association, passed the torch over to incoming president Mark Van Bree at the OSWCA annual general meeting and conference. The OSWCA worked with other organizations to re-introduce the One Call Act, which went through first and second reading at Queen’s Park. If passed, the Act would establish Ontario One Call Ltd. as a not-for-profit call centre, single point-of contact, for all underground utility location services in Ontario.

January 31, 2012

Construction had one of highest job vacancy rates: Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada says despite a high unemployment rate, there were about a quarter of a million job vacancies during the summer months last year. Among the 10 industrial sectors analyzed, educational services had the highest ratio of vacancies at 10 to one, followed by construction and manufacturing.

January 31, 2012

New Brunswick to review health and safety violation fines

New Brunswick’s health and safety authority, WorkSafeNB, is conducting a stakeholder consultation to see if a demerit system would help enforce employers’ compliance with regulations. Currently, WorkSafeNB enforces compliance through penalties under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.

January 31, 2012

Engineering professor takes a close look at mechanical contractor use of building information modeling

Awad Hanna, chair of construction engineering and management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is conducting a research project on the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the mechanical contracting industry in both Canada and the United States. His research is supported by the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC).

January 30, 2012

Mark Lowry fund to help build new Canadian sports facilities

Three sports will receive funding through the Mark Lowry Sport Excellence Fund for exciting new projects.

January 27, 2012

British Columbia asbestos removal contractor Arthur Moore sentenced to 60 days in jail

Arthur Moore of Vancouver was found guilty of contempt for ignoring court orders to halt his asbestos and drywall removal business. The British Columbia Supreme Court case heard Moore exploited young recovering addicts and did not provide employees with adequate training or equipment.

January 26, 2012

United States construction firms expect fewer 2012 layoffs

Significantly fewer construction firms in the United States are planning to make layoffs in 2012 than at any point in the past few years, according to survey results released by the Associated General Contractors of America and Computer Guidance Corporation.

January 26, 2012

Three construction firms in Fortune’s 100 best companies

Denver-based PCL Construction ranked 29th on the Fortune magazine 15th annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list, moving up from 38th last year.

January 25, 2012

Ontario General Contractors Association reacts to Construction Sector Council profile

The Construction Sector Council profile, Understanding Contractor Capacity: Ontario general contractors profile, highlighted that more than 6,400 construction establishments identify themselves as general contractors in Ontario. The Ontario General Contractors Association says there are no surprises in the CSC report.

January 24, 2012

Construction access and fall protection equipment continue to be areas of concern

Safe use of access equipment and fall protection continue to be the two major health and safety concerns related to access equipment on construction projects, according to the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

January 24, 2012

Ontario College of Trades chair meets with construction industry groups

Ron Johnson, the chair of the Ontario College of Trades’ board of governors and Director of Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario and the Interior Finishing Systems Training Centre, recently met with members of a coalition of construction stakeholders that once called for the complete overhaul or abolition of the College.

January 24, 2012

Toronto council approves $1.1 billion in capital projects

Toronto City Council has approved a capital budget that was essentially unchanged from that recommended by the executive and budget committees recently.

January 24, 2012

Progressive Contractors Association of Canada moves Ontario office near Hamilton

The Ontario office of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA) has a new location in Stoney Creek, east of Hamilton.

January 24, 2012

Carpenters’ union official Ucal Powell appointed to Order of Ontario

Ucal Powell, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario, has been appointed to the Order of Ontario. CDCO represents more than 20,000 workers in skilled trades including carpentry, drywall and resilient flooring.

January 20, 2012

International Builders Exchange Executives meeting attracts Canadian professionals

Construction association executives from Canada, including Martha George of the Grand Valley Construction Association, are among those attending an upcoming mid-year meeting of the International Builders Exchange Executives (IBEE) in Arizona.

January 19, 2012

EllisDon works on exterior of Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto

Work is moving along on the exterior of the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto. EllisDon Corp. is general contractor of the 21-storey facility and the architects are Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. and HDR Architecture.

January 18, 2012

Aecon plant in Cambridge, Ontario gets nuclear accreditation from American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Aecon Group Inc.’s (TSX:ARE) fabrication facility in Cambridge, Ontario has been awarded nuclear accreditation. Known as the N-Stamp, from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the accreditation confirms Aecon.’s capability to produce nuclear-grade components in accordance with the applicable codes and standards. The N-Stamp is an internationally recognized U.S. industry standard in quality assurance for the construction, inspection and maintenance of nuclear facilities.

January 18, 2012

University of Toronto to build $58-million Goldring Centre for sports

The University of Toronto is poised to break ground later this month on the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, a design-build project is being undertaken by EllisDon. Situated near Varsity Stadium, the Goldring Centre will include basketball and volleyball courts and an expanded David L. MacIntosh sport medicine clinic. The design team includes architects MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. of Toronto and Patkau Architects Inc. of Vancouver.

January 18, 2012

Conestoga Solar owner Dave Walden gets Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Award of Merit

The Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association (OIRCA) has announced that the inaugural winner of the association’s Award of Merit is Dave Walden, the former owner of Conestoga Roofing & Sheet Metal Ltd. of Cambridge, Ontario. He is currently the owner of Conestoga Solar Inc., also ased in Cambridge.

January 17, 2012

Brook Restoration safety training includes swing stage, hazardous materials

Brook Restoration recently opened its own safety centre. In addition to regular safety training like WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), Brook offers training in aspects such as swing stage, boom and elevated work platform, asbestos, lead, Bobcats and confined spaces.

January 17, 2012

Toronto IIDEX trade show to have renewed focus

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) will be a co-presenter of this year’s IIDEX/NeoCon Canada conference and expo, which has traditionally been a contract furniture show but will start placing a greater emphasis on construction products, architecture and technology, the event organizer has announced.

January 17, 2012

Standardized certification for Canadian plumbers

Certification for Canadian plumbing officials will soon be standardized to ensure consistent enforcement and quality nationwide.

January 16, 2012

U.S. construction November 2011 spending hit $807 billion

Construction spending in the United States totaled $807 billion in November 2011, the highest level since June 2010, as homebuilding, private nonresidential construction and public construction all increased compared to October, the Associated General Contractors of America reported in an analysis of new Census Bureau data.

January 13, 2012

$150,000 in federal funds for Helmets to Hardhats

The Canadian arm of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) applauded the federal government’s financial support for the Helmets to Hardhats program, which connects military veterans with training and employment opportunities in the construction industry. TransCanada, which is the only private sector partner in the program, is committing $1 million over the next five years.

January 12, 2012

Grand Valley Construction Association planning trip to Berlin

The Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA) is planning a trip to Berlin for members, spouses and guests, the first such offshore excursion to be offered by the association.

January 12, 2012

Efficiency is Ontario trades college goal

Ontario’s current apprenticeship system has failed the province’s youth, says the Ontario College of Trades new chair, Ron Johnson.

January 11, 2012

Ontario College of Trades chair hopes ratios will be reviewed in first two years

Ron Johnson, the new Chair of the Board of Governors of the Ontario College of Trades and Deputy Director of Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario and the Interior Finishing Systems Training Centre, said every individual who has an issue with a compulsory certification and ratio review application will have an opportunity to represent their arguments to a review panel.

January 11, 2012

Toronto IIDEX trade show to focus more on architecture, construction products

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) will be a co-presenter of this year’s IIDEX/NeoCon Canada conference and expo, which has traditionally been a contract furniture show but will start placing a greater emphasis on construction products, architecture and technology.

January 10, 2012

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association makes 2012 energy predictions

The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) has issued its 12 energy-related predictions, within an insulation context, for 2012 in Canada.

January 10, 2012

Alberta government reports workplace safety fines increase

Alberta is reporting a big jump in fines slapped on employers for worksite safety violations.

January 10, 2012

Grand Valley Construction Association of Cambridge, Ontario launches group to attract young industry leaders

With the aim of providing a forum for networking and other activities, the Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA) is launching a young leaders’ group. Membership is open to individuals who are under 40 years of age and are employed by GVCA member companies. GVCA represents firms in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, plus the counties of Brant, Dufferin, Grey, Wellington, Norfolk and Haldiman.

January 9, 2012

The procurement challenge in 2012

Municipal procurement is a challenging environment at the best of times, and 2012 will be just as difficult without changes to the process.

January 9, 2012

Ontario to extend workers’ compensation in construction

January 6, 2012

Radiant panel group joins International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials

The RPA (formerly known as the Radiant Panel Association, Inc.) will officially join the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), effective this month.