The 2018 Federal budget does not include new commitments to infrastructure spending, beyond the $180 billion announced in Budget 2016 and 2017 (to be spent over a twelve year period). With the 2018 budget, we see a reprofiling downward on annual infrastructure spending for the next two fiscal years, which indicates the federal government has not been able to meet its original annual targets. However, the total cumulative spend to 2028 remains the same.
The budget also mentions that government is working on bilateral infrastructure funding agreements with the provinces. It seems to indicate that new procedures and accountabilities will be introduced to alleviate some of the challenges around the flow of federal funds to other levels of government on infrastructure projects.
The training will look to improve worksite culture and tackle harassment, hazing and bullying by providing training for construction company owners, executives and HR managers.
CBC interviews BCCA's President Chris Atchison about the Builders Code and the launch of its "Don't be a Tool" campaign.
CHNL out of Kamloops interviews BCCA's President Chris Atchison about Construction Month and talks about newly released industry statistics.
Industry Seeks to Improve Retention of Skilled Tradeswomen by Addressing Worksite Behaviour. Construction employers who want to address diversity or harassment issues on their worksites but lack the human resources personnel or expertise to do so will now have access to confidential advisors with experience in HR management, mediation and conflict resolution as part of the Builders Code recently launched by the BC Construction Association and project partners.
The Province of B.C. and the BC Construction Association (BCCA) marked International Women's Day today with the launch of the Builders Code, a comprehensive program that aims to address B.C.'s skilled labour shortage by reducing harassment, bullying and hazing on construction worksites. The Builders Code defines an Acceptable Worksite and provides employers with tools, training and resources to improve and promote safe and productive worksite behavior.
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) has today issued two Contractor's Alerts warning BC contractors of "Onerous Bidding Conditions" on two Prince George construction projects being procured by BC Housing. The projects are a building envelope remediation on Westwood Court and renovation work on the Hart Haven Group Home at Dagg Road, both in Prince George. Total value of both projects is $9.5M - $5M on Westwood Court and $4.5M on the Hart Haven project.
Contractor Alert issued for Prime Contractor Services for Building Envelope Remediation Services, Westwood Court, Prince George.
Contractor Advisory issued for Renovation Work at the Hart Haven group home at Dagg Rd in Prince George, BC.
LNG Canada and the BC Construction Association (BCCA) today announced that Marissa McTavish, an electrical apprentice from Prince George, has become the 1,000th participant in LNG Canada's Trades Training Fund (TTF) and her employer, Primus Electric, the 500th employer to sponsor an employee with the Fund.
Pre-arrival settlement services are a key element of Canada's immigration program. They provide newcomers, including refugees, with the information and settlement support they need to make informed decisions about their new life in Canada before they arrive, such as how to prepare for finding a job. To help deliver these important services, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be providing funding of $3.4 million to the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA).
It's been another busy year for BC's ICI construction sector. Emerging issues are plentiful -- but according to employers, the #1 issue is still the over-arching shortage of skilled workers.
This past Friday, the VI Seals squared off against the Northern Capitals (BC) in an early season Female Midget AAA (FMAAA) game at Shawnigan Lake Arena.
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announces the election of Angela McKerlich to the role of Board Chair for the 2018-2019 term, effective immediately.
BCCA and the Regional Construction Associations are very pleased that LNG Canada has made a positive final investment decision.
WorkBC has released the 2018 edition of British Columbia's Labour Market Outlook. Here are the key trends for the construction industry over the next 10 years.
There are a record-breaking number of significant issues applying pressure to BC's construction industry this year, and BCCA is working at the provincial level to make sure industry's concerns and recommendations are heard loud and clear.
BCCA is extremely disappointed by the Federal Court of Appeal's Trans Mountain expansion project decision today which undermines Canada's economy and role on the global stage. This blow to investor confidence comes at a time when BC is already under pressure from new tariffs, taxation, and policy directives.
The new BC Building and Plumbing Code will be effective December 10, 2018 and will apply to building permits applied for on or after that date. The BC Fire Code is anticipated to be adopted in the fall of 2018 and effective December 10, 2018. Buildings with permits in place under the previous 2012 BC Building Code will generally not be affected by the adoption of the new code.
The recent Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) announced by Premier Horgan's government has created a major disruption in our industry. Tradespeople and employers alike – both union and open shop – are working to understand the details of the 336 page document and what it means for them, following inadequate consultation with industry prior to the release of the policy.
Premier Horgan's Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is the most dangerous and disruptive policy to be introduced by any government into our industry in recent memory. Whether you are a union or an open-shop employer, your basic rights and freedoms as Canadians are being blatantly disregarded, as is government's obligation for fair, open and transparent procurement practises.
Community benefit agreements can be used successfully provided there is adequate industry engagement prior to their roll-out. This CBA did not include adequate industry engagement.
The new Pattullo Bridge Community Benefits Agreement patently illustrates what is unfair with our current government's policy decision to mandate the nature and extent of procurement requirements in major public construction projects. For BCCA, an association that hinges its principles on fair, open and transparent procurement practices, this agreement is taking public policy in construction tendering a bridge too far.
It's hard to think the construction sector is in trouble this summer, when everywhere across the province you see tall cranes, seas of hard hats, and traffic cones — all outward signs of a prosperous B.C. economy of which construction is a beneficiary.
BCCA is working with our counterparts at the local, provincial and national levels to inform government on the risks of Community Benefit Agreements, and to educate public owners on the use of fair, open, and transparent procurement processes which are an obligation and responsibility of government to taxpayers.
Tackling the Late Payment Epidemic: What Will It Take?
"Prompt payment" is a familiar issue in the construction industry. Of course there's nothing prompt about it. It's the LACK of prompt payment that makes it an issue, handicapping our industry, squeezing the small contractors, and pushing risk down into the supply chain onto those who can least afford to carry it.
Chris Atchison, President and CEO of the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) today announced the appointment of Sue Connors to the position of BidCentral CEO, effective immediately.
A recap video to celebrate the success of Construction and Skilled Trades Month in British Columbia for April 2018. Here's to all of you!
The Understanding Risk British Columbia (UR+ BC) symposium, hosted April 16 & 17, 2018 in Victoria BC, marked the first time the construction industry played a leadership role in bringing together builders, designers, engineers, scientists, and policymakers to tackle the challenges of hazard mitigation and increased resilience in the industrial, commercial, and institutional built environment.
Official Statement - The BC Construction Association has long been a strong public supporter of BC's oil and gas strategy and of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline in particular, recognizing the significance of the project for the economic prosperity of British Columbia and the rest of Canada provided that all environmental safety stipulations are met.
The Dodge Momentum Index jumped 6.1% in April to 163.0 (2000=100) from the revised March reading of 153.7.
BC Lions teams up with industry to celebrate BC's construction sector.
New office opens in Smithers to connect local workforce to construction job.
BCCA and BC Hockey team up to launch "Hard Hats and Hockey Sticks".
#ConstructionMonthBC wouldn't be complete without a Construction Leadership Dinner. We honoured Amy Carr, Mary-Anne Bowcott, Karen Anderson, Becky Lupton, Max Ignatiuk, Jerry Pasitney & Tracey MacKinnon for their industry leadership roles.
Principal, Thrive Consulting, Director, EERI-BC, and UR+ BC Organizer, Jessica Shoubridge, has worked across all orders of government, academia, non-profits and the private sector to help bridge gaps between science, policy, and action for risk reduction and resilience building.
Engineer Tamsin Lyle founded Ebbwater Consulting, a Vancouver-based company, to focus on flood management solutions.
Response to Premier Horgan's "Crisis of Confidence"
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills, and Training are raising awareness about careers in construction throughout April.
We're with Lucy Jones, an expert in earthquake research and earthquake risk reduction from LA. Lucy is the 2018 distinguished lecturer for the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, BC Branch. She's in Victoria to talk about creating resilience in our communities, particularly about creating building codes that reflect the realities of earthquake loses.
VICTORIA – Premier John Horgan today announced a suite of initiatives to pave the way for women working or entering a career in the building trades through improved workplace supports, services and practices.
In the day to day procurement process, details are not always "crystal clear". The Town of Smithers knew this and worked harder to ensure a transparent bid process at every stage of the Airport project.
There is a cast of thousands who make up Island Health's Design & Construction leadership team. They're the reason a 2017 Best of Public Procurement Award was awarded.
I can't let Les Leyne's comment that Wine Month "sounds a lot more fun than…Construction and Skilled Trades Month" go by without a sober reminder of what's at stake.
BC's industrial, commercial and institutional builders will join geological scientists and emergency management professionals in Victoria this spring to share perspectives on mitigating hazard risk and improving disaster resilience in the built environment.
The BC Construction Association is encouraged that yesterday's Speech from the Throne means good things ahead for all of BC's tradespeople.
We sat down with Jigar Patel, Director of Capital Projects for Interior Health Authority, to learn more about the procurement team and their work.
Here's how Chris Sheel's procurement team tackled the Kal Tire Place's procurement process, including a couple words of advice for other procurement specialists.
As a 2017 Best of Procurement honouree, we asked Lower Mainland Facilities Management Health Authorities to answer a couple questions for us.
BCCA named "Best Bid" the most important two words in construction this year, following a statement by Premier Horgan in October to the BC Federation of Labour: "Low bids might be good for BC Liberals, but "best bids" are what we are going to do" said the Premier.
The following procurement stars of 2017 lead the way for others in our competitive industry.
Seven public owners have been recognized by the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) for excellence in procurement this year, a first for the industry.
WorkBC has released the 2017 edition of British Columbia's Labour Market Outlook. Here are the key trends for the construction industry over the next 10 years.
In Chicago on October 14-15, nearly 1700 tradeswomen from across North America came together with their own anthem, Women Build Nations.
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announces the election of Alan Fletcher to the role of Board Chair for the 2017-2018 term, effective immediately.
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) is reporting a decrease in the proportion of BC high school graduates entering the construction trades, in key figures released today for the province's industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sector.
After a brief hiatus during the recent election period, the DMIIF brings together Deputy Ministers from the six big infrastructure ministries with industry representatives to work together on big issues that impact the construction industry.
BCCA fully supports a budget that puts families and working people first. Given the size of our sector and the role that contractors and their workforces play in the provincial economy, we believe that all issues are in some way construction industry issues.
The BC Construction Association, as the voice for the industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) construction sector in British Columbia, supports CCA's participation in the above-mentioned coalition letter opposing the federal government's tax proposals affecting incorporated small businesses.
Letter to the Editor: "Men between 19 and 59 at the heart of BC's opioid epidemic"
The article's opening sentence ("Too many men working in trades are overdosing on opioids") compels me to ask, what would be an acceptable number of opioid overdoses amongst men working in the trades?
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) has published a follow-up to its Innovation Report (February 2016), which revealed BC's construction sector lags behind other jurisdictions when it comes to innovation. The new report is called "Procuring Innovation" and lays out the case for the sector to recognize the procurement process as the key for driving innovative projects and sector development.
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announced today that Chris Atchison has been named incoming President, replacing retiring incumbent Manley McLachlan. The handover will begin on January 3, with McLachlan staying on in an advisory capacity until March 31, 2017.
Over the last decade new people, processes and procurement protocols have led to a loss in some fundamental practices in regard to accessing information that is paramount to fair, open and transparent bidding.
CCA has introduced the new CCA 26 A Guide to the Construction Management (CM) Project Delivery Method (2016). Along with the Guide these are some other considerations which are very important in insuring a successful delivery of a project using Construction Management.
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) is reporting better than expected results for BCs skilled workforce, in key figures released today for the province's industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sector.
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) announces the election of long time construction industry leader Bob Cooke to the role of Board Chair for the 2016-2017 term, effective immediately.
The BC Construction Association has awarded a Distinguished Service Award to Houle Electric's Regional Manager Ross McLean, in recognition of his contributions to the growth and stature of British Columbia's construction industry.
In 2015, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) embarked on a series of "Quality of Documents" workshops across Canada. CCA issues its report on the findings from the workshops. Learn more about these key findings and takeaways.