🍊 Talent Thursdays: Bridge troll

Good morning! ♻️ Danish demolition firm Tscherning is putting its materials where its mouth is. Their new 1,700-square-meter headquarters was built from 89% recycled or upcycled materials, including concrete slabs, steel beams, and windows salvaged from its own job sites.

📈 BY THE NUMBERS

In December 2025, the total value of Canadian building permits rose 6.8% to $12.8 billion, a surge driven primarily by a $653 million jump in multi-unit residential intentions, particularly in Ontario. While the institutional sector also saw significant growth, overall industrial and commercial activity moderated.

EVENTS

Final tickets available — 2-for-1 for our subscribers

On February 26, the 2026 Site Service Awards will bring together the top 1% of talent across Canada’s construction industry for an evening of recognition, connection, and celebration.

To close out ticket sales, our newsletter subscribers have access to a limited-time 2-for-1 ticket offer — bring a colleague, client, or partner and take part in one of the industry’s most anticipated nights.

With tickets over 93% gone, this is your last chance to be in the room.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Brad Burnett has been appointed CEO of ITC Construction Group, effective immediately. Doug MacFarlane is transitioning from his role as CEO to become Vice Chair of Pomerleau West.

Jean-Christophe Caron has been appointed Vice President, Preconstruction, at JCB Construction Canada.

Patrick Hampson is now Vice President, Construction at Infracon Construction Inc.

Aleksi Makila has been appointed Vice President & Division Manager, Civil at Chandos Construction.

Brian Williamson is starting a new position as Director of Construction at QuadReal Property Group.

Caitlin Hartigan has been elected as a Board Member representing education at Skills Canada BC, where she will support young people in discovering their strengths and talents at a provincial level.

Melissa Haresign, P.Eng., has been promoted to head of the water resources department at KGS Group in Winnipeg. Haresign joined KGS in 2012 and has led hydraulic analyses for hydroelectric studies, conducted dam safety reviews, and mentored junior staff members.

Sunita Chander has been appointed Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Invest Ontario. She brings more than 20 years of public sector leadership experience across energy, finance and procurement, most recently serving as Chief Strategy, Programs and Partnership Officer at Supply Ontario.

Irwin Bess has been appointed as the new Executive Director at BuildForce Canada, effective March 2, 2026. He brings extensive national experience in labour market analysis, economic policy, and digital transformation, with a strong track record in the construction and maintenance sectors.

Paul Demeule has joined Pomerleau Buildings West as MEP Operations Manager for Western Canada, working alongside Stéphan Lacombe to support the company's growth in Western Canada.

🗞 HEADLINES

🍊 Bridge troll: Can Donald Trump really shut down the Gordie Howe Bridge project? Did the project use American steel or employ American Companies? And what does the nearby Ambassador Bridge have to do with anything? We separate fact from fiction in this deep dive.

📉 Rough patch: According to the CMHC’s latest outlook, Canadian homebuilders face a tough period through 2028 characterized by high construction costs, weakening demand, and a projected national decline in new starts. Driven by economic caution and slower population growth, the market is expected to see regional disparities; while Montreal and Calgary may benefit from stronger local conditions, major hubs like Toronto and Vancouver are bracing for lower construction activity.

🚫 Disqualified: During the second day of the Winnipeg police headquarters inquiry, PCL Construction VP Sean Barnes testified that a last-minute reduction in construction bonding requirements effectively disqualified major firms and created an unfair competitive disadvantage. The inquiry heard that the city lowered the performance bond from the industry standard of 50% to a flat $25M just six days before the 2011 bidding deadline.

➕ Health upgrade: Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has officially taken over the keys to the new $240-million adult mental health and addictions centre in St. John’s, a 240,000-square-foot facility designed to replace the antiquated Waterford Hospital. Set to open this spring, the six-story building features 102 beds, a 60-bed hostel, and modern therapeutic spaces for fitness and art, all fully integrated with the existing Health Sciences Centre to streamline emergency care and reduce stigma.

🖥️ Data campus: Bell Canada has submitted plans to rezone 160 acres south of Regina to develop a multi-phase AI data centre campus as part of its national Bell AI Fabric project. The proposed facility, which includes a planned 8,500-square-metre first phase expected to break ground in 2026, aims to provide critical digital infrastructure for provincial and federal industries.

🧠 INSIGHTS AND LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• The millennial CEO revolutionizing plywood in B.C.

• Is this why Canada isn’t building 3D homes? 

• Billionaire construction exec answers your questions

• Tradespeople talk about the male loneliness epidemic

• Be wary of becoming a workaholic

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Most clients don’t actually want ‘modular’ for its own sake. What they want is speed without chaos. Cost certainty without endless redesign. Fewer labour risks. A clearer path through approvals. Something they can stand behind publicly. ’Modular’ has become a stand-in for all of that. The trouble starts when the label becomes the objective, instead of a tool used to solve a specific problem.” Bruno Weber, Partner, KPMG Architects

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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