🔪 Talent Thursdays: Deep cuts

Good morning! 👕 Your dusty work pants and shirt are becoming high fashion. Carhartt recently partnered with London designer Nicholas Daley to remix the greatest hits in workwear history. The duds feature everything from tartan-wrapped coats to corduroy-embellished double-knees.

What’s in the newsletter:

🪚 BOC rate cut

🏠 Homebuyer sales tax in Ontario

🤝 Why pre-construction meetings matter

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

The BC Construction Association’s Fall 2025 Stat Pack reports that construction material costs in B.C. have risen 4% year-over-year—double the Bank of Canada’s inflation target—contributing to higher building costs amid trade uncertainty and affordability challenges. Despite these pressures, industry activity remains strong, with ICI permit values up 9% and multi-unit residential permits up 10%.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Dan Chyzowski has been promoted to Executive Vice President + COO at ETRO Construction. Company officials noted that it’s a recognition of the impact, brilliance, and leadership he brings every single day.

Tony Ciarla has joined Sublatus as Executive Vice President, bringing over 25 years of experience in environmental construction, remediation, and demolition.

Brook Carpenter is now Director, Indigenous Relations at Infracon Group of Companies – Civil Construction, Pipelines, Mining & Aggregates, after two and a half years with Dynamic Horizons Innovative Relations (DHIR).

Michael Chang has joined Astria Properties as Director of Finance, bringing over a decade of experience leading finance teams and driving strategic growth for global organizations. 

Lindsay Hawkins, P.Eng, is now Construction Management Lead at RAM Consulting.

Jessica Bonney is starting a new position as Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the BC Construction Association (BCCA).

Hardik Gajjar has joined HDR as Maritime Planning Lead, bringing over 15 years of experience in master planning, terminal planning, and land use studies for ports, terminal operators, railroads, and trucking facilities worldwide.

Lisa Brown has started a new position as Director, Commercial Services at EllisDon.

Karly MacRae has been promoted to Senior Associate at Cushman &Wakefield. 

TOGETHER WITH DELTA PLUS

Test drive a next-gen hard hat for free

Construction’s most iconic symbol is evolving. Canada’s biggest construction contractors are moving to require Type II helmets with chin straps. Experts say this signals a major shift toward stronger, more consistent head protection standards across the industry. Learn about the latest hard hat technology in our interview with the PPE experts at Delta Plus (French version here) and try one of their Americana Climbing Peak Type 2 helmets for free using the link below.

🗞 HEADLINES

🪚 Major cut: The Bank of Canada cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%—the second consecutive reduction—but signalled the easing cycle may now be over, calling the current rate “about right” to balance inflation control and economic adjustment. Governor Tiff Macklem said the move reflects not just cyclical weakness but a “structural transition” driven by lasting impacts from U.S. tariffs that have reduced Canada’s economic capacity. 

🚘 EV plant: Start your engines. Concrete pouring is officially underway at PowerCo’s $7 billion EV manufacturing facility, laying the foundation for the 350-acre industrial site. Once complete, the facility will bring PowerCo’s advanced battery technology to the North American market, with the gigafactory serving as PowerCo’s third and largest project globally.

🏠 Sales tax: The Ontario government is proposing a sales tax rebate for first-time homebuyers that could save up to $130,000 when combined with federal and existing provincial measures, including full rebates on homes up to $1 million and partial rebates up to $1.5 million. The initiative aims to ease the financial burden on buyers amid high housing costs and a stalled residential construction market

🔥 Fire deal: Ontario has signed a community partnership agreement with Webequie First Nation to accelerate development in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire. The agreement includes up to $39.5 million for community initiatives and support for the Webequie Supply Road, which, along with the Northern Road Link Project, will improve access to the region. Officials expect the development could add $22 billion to Canada’s economy and create 70,000 jobs.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Why good builders LOVE pre-construction meetings

• Bill Gates on if we are in an AI bubble

• Why 2x4 light wood framing is a genius way to build

• Emotional intelligence a critical ability for leaders

• Are we overbuilding structures we can’t maintain?

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Reliance on AI is something we need to be careful with. If we are starting to rely on artificial intelligence to make all the decisions for us, without critical thinking or human input, we could find ourselves in serious trouble.” - Patrick LaLonde, Senior Director, Digital Project Delivery, EllisDon

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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