🥇 Safety all-star

Good morning! What will the future bring for work? A new report by the World Economic Forum is predicting a massive change. According to the report, while 69 million new jobs will be created, 83 million positions will be eliminated by 2027, largely due to advancements in technology.

But as we ponder the future of work, one crucial issue remains in the present - construction safety.

That's right. This week is construction safety week. In this issue, we break down how construction companies are evolving to keep workers safer. Keep reading to find out.

MARKETS

*Stock data as of last market close; currency, oil and crypto data as of 11:00 PM ET May 1st, 2023.

Markets: First Republic Bank was seized by U.S. authorities this week, making it the second largest bank failure in the country’s history. Its deposits and assets were sold to JPMorgan Chase. It is one of several major banks to fall in the past few weeks. According to the Globe and Mail, the bank’s wealthy clients began withdrawing funds after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank prompted concerns about the health of the U.S. banking system.

THE BIG STORY

Safety all-star: Borger Group leads the way

Construction Safety Week, the annual week-long campaign designed to unite the construction industry and recommit to a safe workplace, is upon us.

To mark the week, we dug into Borger Group of Companies, the latest winner of Canada’s Safest Construction Employer award. They are no stranger to the spotlight. They won the same award in 2014, 2018 and 2020.

What they do different:

• The Calgary company stated that it has spent the past year implementing Vizzn safety software. The tool identifies missing safety paperwork and compares active equipment and actual events to safety paperwork. The company plans to utilize the software program even more this year.

• Safety is celebrated. The company holds daily, weekly, monthly and annual rewards programs. When crews achieved 1,500 days with no time loss, Borger took 630 workers to the Grey Cup finals.

• The company believes every voice is equal. Any worker has the ability to stop any site, any time, with complete immunity if they feel it’s unsafe. The site remains at a standstill until the risk is assessed by at least two safety officers.

By the numbers: according to the latest data from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 1,081 people died from work-related disease or incidents in 2021. Of these deaths, 212 were in construction, by far the most of any other industry.

How to get involved: this year's official Safety Week theme is “Strong Voices, Safe Choices”, advocating for everyone in the workplace to be empowered and confident in using their voices when they see potential safety hazards. Organizers are encouraging the industry to make a pledge to build a strong safety culture.

INTRODUCING…

SiteNews Jobs

SiteNews has a secret to share with you, our loyal subscriber: we're launching a brand new job board!

Our mission is to celebrate and elevate the construction sector. We see no better way to do this than to leverage our reach and connect senior-level job seekers with employers. We believe that every construction project requires a capable team of leaders, and we want to help you find your perfect match. 

Get a sneak peek: In advance of our official launch next week, you can now post a job position (for free) and play around with it here.

🚀 Bonus: The first 10 jobs posted by subscribers like you will be featured during launch week.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

🌲 Mass timber manufacturer Structurlam has filed for bankrupcy. The company announced it has entered into a stalking horse asset purchase agreement (APA) with Mercer International Inc. to sell its assets in B.C. and Arkansas for US$60 million. Mercer is one of the world’s largest producers of market pulp.

💰 The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) and its partners are helping support employers that hire apprentices and people from underrepresented groups. The Canadian Apprenticeship Service (CAS) program distributes grants to small and medium-sized employers who hire first-year apprentices in 39 eligible trades.

🔥 According to documents obtained by CBC News, B.C.’s Office of Mass Timber Implementation banned municipalities from constructing tall wood buildings unless they guaranteed their local fire officials would be aligned with planning and building departments regarding any concerns they might have, including fire risks. Officials were worried about the issue sparking a major public debate.

✅ A development partner has been chosen for Calgary’s Green Line project. Following a successful procurement, the Green Line Board has approved the development phase agreement and selected Bow Transit Connectors as Green Line’s development partner. The group includes Barnard Constructors of Canada, Flatiron Constructors Canada Ltd, and WSP Canada Inc and financial advisor EllisDon Capital.

🏠 A new documentary, Someone Lives Here, follows Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright as he builds life-saving shelters for the city’s homeless. The tiny shelters feature innovative techniques that insulate those inside from Ontario’s harsh winters. The film chronicle’s Seivwright’s building efforts as well as his bureaucratic battles with city officials. It will be available for online streaming from May 5-9.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Bayview Elementary is top of the class

Chandos recently completed work on the new, two-storey Bayview Elementary School in Vancouver. The whole building is a cross-laminated timber above grade structure, including the interior, exterior, core walls, and CLT suspended floor and roof panels. The team worked with Vancouver officials to ensure elements of the original 100-year-old, three-storey school were saved for the new facility like a set of 1929 vestibule doors, an arched window from 1913, and church pews. The team worked with Kalesnikoff to source local, sustainable wood products.

PROJECT UPDATES

Toronto’s Queen Street will close for five years as crews build the Ontario Line Subway

Burnaby developers release concepts for Bainbridge Urban Village Community Plan

Manitoba’s government is contributing $30M to upgrade Winnipeg’s Grace Hospital

The Pacific National Exhibition has revealed the design of its new amphitheatre

Eglinton Crosstown LRT is plagued with quality control issues, officials say

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

PHOTOS: 📷 These are the most epic shots of Canadian construction from last month

READ: 🐠 EllisDon is working on the world’s largest aquarium 

VIDEO: 👎 This worker was caught trying to fake a construction accident 

VIDEO: 🤯 Oof! Excavator clips overpass on Highway 1

TWEET: 🪙 Menkes celebrates Whitfield pour with coin toss

Here’s to a great rest of the week!