🚧 Talent Thursdays: Breaking barriers

Good morning! 🪵 Wood could boost your health. According to a new study led by researchers at the University of Oregon, exposed wetted wood could have antimicrobial potential, making it ideal for hospital construction. The experiments are the first to explore relationships between microbial communities on the surfaces of cross-laminated timber.

What’s in the newsletter:

✍️ MOUs signed across Canada

🔎 Review analyzes falls from heights

🧘 Exercises to reduce back pain for trades

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

Canada’s construction industry added 66,400 workers (+4.1%) over the year ending June 2025, with Alberta, Ontario, and B.C. driving most of the growth. Despite this increase, the national construction unemployment rate rose to 5.3% due to an even larger 5% expansion in the labour force. Building permit values were up 5.1% year-to-date, though fewer permits suggest a shift toward larger projects.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Yonni Fushman has joined Bird Construction as Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, bringing over 25 years of global leadership experience across Infrastructure, Buildings, and Industrial sectors.

Christine Boyle has been appointed as the new Minister of Housing in British Columbia, with BC Housing congratulating her appointment and expressing their commitment to working together.

Stuart Marshall has joined Stack Modular as Director of Global Sales, bringing over 20 years of modular construction experience from senior roles at Tata, Kingspan, Algeco, and Elements Europe.

Mathieu Bélanger has been appointed Vice President, Earth and Environment at CIMA+, bringing over two decades of leadership experience in urban planning, real estate development, public policy and infrastructure.

Danielle Huffman has joined GHD as People Leader for the Americas, bringing extensive AEC industry experience from her previous role as HR Senior Vice President at WSP.

Brad Loewen has been promoted to President of Marex Constructors after 21 years with the company, taking over leadership as founder Marv Loewen officially retires.

Paul Whelan is now Director, Major Projects at the Ministry of Saskbuilds and Procurement for the Government of Saskatchewan. 

Karen Shulist is now Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Aecon

Kaden Kim is now Design Manager at Kalesnikoff.

🗞 HEADLINES

🏗️ MOUs: Two MOUs—Ontario with Northwest Territories, Yukon & Nunavut, and Ontario with B.C.—are poised to dismantle interprovincial trade and labour barriers, harmonize regulations and certification processes, and streamline project approvals. Experts say this will ease the movement of skilled construction workers across jurisdictions, reduce compliance costs, and accelerate major infrastructure and housing projects.

🤝 New deal: The Construction Union Alliance and the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec (APCHQ) have ratified a new collective agreement for Quebec’s residential construction sector, ending a three-week strike. Backed by 83.4% of union members and overwhelmingly supported by employers, the 2025–2029 agreement includes an immediate 8% wage increase, with future hikes to be determined through arbitration—ranging from a total minimum of 18% to a maximum of 24.35% over four years.

🚨 Under review: Ontario’s Chief Coroner has released the province’s first annual Construction Death Review (CDR). The new approach replaces mandatory inquests with expert-led systemic reviews by a dedicated CDR Secretariat and advisory committee. The inaugural report focuses on falls from heights—responsible for 43% of construction deaths over 15 years—and examines 131 such fatalities, including 26 from 2017 to 2023. Key findings highlight risks to older workers, new hires, and incidents concentrated on weekends. 

👷🏼‍♀️ Strike ends: Unionized contractors and construction workers in Cape Breton have reached a tentative agreement to end a two-week strike, described as "historic" due to a 17.95% wage increase over four years—the largest ever negotiated by the Nova Scotia Construction Labour Relations Association. The deal, which includes a 7% raise in the first year, covers more than 10 unions in the Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council and took effect Monday, pending ratification votes.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Harvard expert: How leadership impacts innovation

• 5 ways to acquire contracting clients

• How an ex-navy seal handles high stress situations

• Couples therapy for co-founders

• 7 exercises for trades workers to reduce back pain

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“High taxes and high housing costs are choking innovation. There’s no capital left for risk, talent recruitment is stalled, and households are stuck. If B.C. wants affordability and economic resilience, it must treat housing like the critical infrastructure investment it is.” - Beau Jarvis, President and CEO at Wesgroup Properties.

🔥HOT JOBS

Director, Projects Management - Winnipeg, Man. - Government of Manitoba

Director, Redevelopment Construction - Toronto, Ont. - Michael Garron Hospital

Senior Superintendent - Calgary, Alta. - Bird Construction

Senior Project Manager, Buildings - Vancouver, B.C. - Graham

Senior Project Manager, Construction - Toronto, Ont. - Oxford Properties Group

Check out all roles up for grabs right now at SiteNews Jobs or put your job post in front of tens of thousands of construction professionals here.

Struggling to fill a role? Send us an email at [email protected] to connect with one of our specialized recruitment experts.

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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