🚓 Talent Thursdays: Locked out

Good morning! 👷‍♂️ Could trades work and AI intersect? According to a recent survey of tradespeople, 95% of respondents believe AI has a purpose in at least some day-to-day job functions in the skilled trades and 31% see AI as a tool to help them streamline tasks.

What’s in the newsletter:

🚓 Criminal record barriers

👷‍♂️Highway 413 kicks off

🎙️Our weekly podcast

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

Job Bank data suggests strong demand for construction-trade helpers in provinces like Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba through 2026, with Alberta facing shortages due to major infrastructure spending, while Quebec and B.C. expect weaker demand.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Philip Hoare is stepping down as Chief Operating Officer at AtkinsRéalis and will become Group Chief Executive of Balfour Beatty on September 8th, succeeding Leo Quinn.

Mark Brown has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer at ATCO EnPower, bringing nearly three decades of energy sector experience to lead the company through its growth period.

Beau Brooker has joined Northcrest as Vice President, Construction, where he will lead the construction of YZD, the former Downsview Airport lands development project in Toronto.

Gerald Cottreau is now Director of Estimating at Chandos Construction.

Erin Elliott, CPA, CA will join Conwest Developments as Chief Financial Officer on September 8th.

Kris Emmons has been appointed President at Raven Roofing Ltd.

CarbonCure Technologies announced some key Board of Directors appointments: William Holden has been elected Board Chair, Onne van der Weijde is now Board Vice Chair, and Stacy Kauk, P.Eng., Chief Science Officer at Isometric, is joining the Board.

Meghan Damaj has accepted a new role as Indigenous Relations Manager with Graham.

Gianfranco Provenzano is now Communications and Community Engagement (Yonge North Subway Extension) at Aecon Group.

Dean Rawson has been appointed Vice President, Construction, at Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC), bringing over 30 years of leadership experience in construction, operations, engineering, and project execution across multi-billion-dollar programs in Canada and the United States.

🎙️ PODCAST

If you want to catch up on all the biggest construction headlines in 12 minutes or less, subscribe to Digging In. Every Monday, SiteNews editor Russell Hixson will run through the week’s biggest industry stories and insights. There’s no fluff or banter, just all the info you need to be better equipped when you arrive at the office.

🗞 HEADLINES

👷🏼‍♀️ 6K jobs: Contracts have started to get awarded for the Highway 413 project in Ontario, which officials say will provide roughly 6,000 jobs per year during construction. The announcement drew praise from The Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association and the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario who say it supports workers and demand for building materials. 

⚒️ Skilling up: Ontario is investing over $23 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream to help more than 4,200 people in Mississauga and surrounding areas gain skills for in-demand sectors including construction, health care, transportation, manufacturing, aerospace, and skilled trades. Key projects include masonry training, electrical trades VR training, and construction workforce development.

🚓 Locked out: A new report is highlighting how people with criminal records face long-term barriers to employment, including in construction, where blanket record checks often exclude qualified candidates. Advocates recommend clearer hiring policies, broader human rights protections, and targeted training programs. Success stories like Brandon Gailbraith, who turned his life around through roofing work, show that giving individuals a chance benefits both workers and the construction industry.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Navigate conflict like an expert

• The silent construction business killer

• You’re procrastinating 80% of your time

• The 18,500 reasons this contractor bought an excavator

• Master networking in 9 minutes

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The current crisis calls for nothing less than a regulatory revolution: one that replaces unnecessary delays with urgency, and excessive costs with smart incentives. Only through such deep, systemic changes will the country be able to add substantial affordable housing inventory and ultimately overcome the missing middle housing crisis.” - Ali Salman, Partner & CEO, WorkSpace Modular Structures 

🔥HOT JOBS

Modular Construction Superintendent - Atlantic/Ontario - 720 Modular

Digital Construction Coordinator - Calgary, Alta. - Bird Construction

Senior Project Manager - Toronto, Ont. - Dream

Chief Urban Designer - Calgary Alta. - City of Calgary

Senior Superintendent - Vancouver, B.C. - Axiom Builders

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.

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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