🚢 Chaos theory 101

Together with

Good morning! 🌏 The transition to a greener built environment is more pertinent than ever. Officials say the United Nations reads like a “lab report for a critically ill patient.” The report states that the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, fuelled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat.

The good news is humanity is not standing still. B.C. companies like Carbon Engineering are doing their part by building large scale carbon capture facilities at home and abroad.

- Russell Hixson, editor

MARKETS

*Stock data as of last market close; currency, oil and crypto data as of 10:00PM ET

Markets: A massive $26 billion media merger hangs in the balance. Hearings are set with the Competitions Tribunal over Roger’s proposed takeover of Shaw Communications. The tribunal is one of three agencies that have to give the green light before the deal can be done.

THE BIG STORY

🚢 Digging in: Untangling supply chain challenges

Supply chain challenges stemming from COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, climate change-related events and more have altered how builders are doing business. The issue has gotten so bad that the federal government struck a supply chain task force to investigate the impacts and is currently working on a national supply chain strategy. SiteNews spoke with builders, construction leaders and supply chain researchers to learn how the industry is coping and how more sustainable supply chains might be achieved.

Here’s the deal: Like most things in life, it’s complicated. Supply chains aren’t built, they emerge as highly decentralized and distributed systems with distributed decision making. This makes them extremely difficult to change and even if change can happen, unintended consequences could occur. And the competitive nature of commodity pricing leaves little breathing room during a crisis like COVID-19.

The big picture:

• Josh Gaglardi, president of Orion Construction, has pushed certain tasks much sooner in the construction schedule and has been storing project materials early on site or in a warehouse.

• Bill Black, president of the Calgary Construction Association, said the supply chain issues have been so widespread and shifting, the association has had a difficult time tracking them from day to day for members. He believes owners, especially public ones, could do a better job of working with builders and respecting the risks and challenges they face.

• Gregory Paradis, a forestry and supply chain researcher, believes that change is still possible. Using the “strange attractor” concept from chaos theory, Paradis believes the apocalyptic threat of climate change could motivate major industries into finding more sustainable ways of doing business. He is currently working with the mining sector on possibly using carbon offsets to fund this research and transition.

To learn about chaos theory, Canada’s supply chain task force and computer modelling, check out the whole story.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

• 👷‍♀️ Ontario’s construction women were front and center in the Toronto Star. Including off-site work, women only make up roughly 12 per cent of the construction workforce and these pioneers are blazing a trail for the next generation. Company owners, trades workers, vice presidents, project managers - these workers prove that women are succeeding in every facet of the sector.

• 🦬 Dust off your Indiana Jones hat. Construction crews on Vancouver Island became accidental archeologists after they uncovered ancient bison bones while digging for Nigel House, a long-term care facility project. The bones, which are suspected to be 14,000 years old, are being taken to the Royal B.C. Museum for carbon-14 dating and DNA tests.

• 🚊 Supply chain challenges have pushed back construction on part of Ottawa’s light rail transit system. The project team told officials the 17-month delay on the western line is mostly due to challenges sourcing cement and labour. The line is now expected to be complete in 2026. The 4.6 billion line will include 44 kilometres of track and 24 new stations.

• 📗 There’s nothing like a good book to get you through the winter. Construction leaders recently told SiteNews what reads they recommend. Authors included Trevor Noah, J.R.R. Tolkein, David Goggins, Phil Knight and more.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Toronto project supports aspiring tradespeople

Building for the future: This $1.2-billion Toronto facility is a design-bid-finance-maintain project being delivered by EllisDon. Crews will build a six-storey hospital building, providing inpatient, outpatient and outreach services to meet future demands for health care in Ontario. The team is seeking LEED Silver certification. But the innovation doesn’t stop there. EllisDon is partnering with the Toronto School Board’s STEP to Construction program which lets high school students spend a semester on the job site trying out various trades.

PROJECT UPDATES

Graham awarded Southeast Event Centre project in Manitoba.

Nanaimo hotel redevelopment passes third reading.

Enbridge announces $3.6B pipeline expansion in B.C.

Metrolinx project on track for spring completion.

Yellowknife care facility set to wrap in 2022.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

Read: ⛰️ These house designs are living life on the edge…of a cliff!

Watch: 🐶 How wildlife corridors are crucial to connecting wild spaces across Canada.

Tweet: 🏠 This 1930s home design looks out of this world.

Watch: ❄️ Snow reveals the true usage of paths and streets for planners.

BY THE NUMBERS 

What are some of the highest paid skilled trades?

Median hourly wages according to the Government of Canada's Job Bank:

• Pipefitter - $40.43

• Oil and gas driller - $39

• Powerline technician - $38.46

• Construction manager - $40.87

🙏🏻 Thanks for reading!

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