🥊 Talent Thursdays: Power play

Together with

Good morning!  🚦 Toronto is getting a smart new co-pilot to help kick gridlock to the curb. The city is installing AI-powered traffic signals along Yonge Street that can identify traffic jams and automatically extend or shorten green lights to keep things moving.

P.S. Tell us about how you use AI for a chance to win a $2k getaway (more information below)

📈 BY THE NUMBERS

What are the biggest projects making Canada a greener place? Ontario’s $1.3-billion Port Hope Initiative took the top spot in the inaugural Top 25 Remediation Projects Report, published by Environment Journal. The list highlights Canada’s most significant environmental cleanup initiatives that are transforming contaminated sites across the country. 

TOGETHER WITH GEOVERRA

Cutting corners on surveying has hidden costs

When surveying is treated as a commodity, the problems don't show up at the beginning of a project — they show up mid-construction, when scrambling for solutions costs far more than it would have to do things right in the first place.

GeoVerra is making the case that surveying and geomatics go beyond measurement services. They’re risk management functions that touch every stage of a project, from boundary surveys in planning through to as-built documentation at completion.

The bottom line: accurate, well-managed survey data is one of the most valuable foundations a project can have.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Arliss Szysky has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Stantec's infrastructure business for North America. She succeeds Susan Walter, who will now focus on leading major projects, growing key client relationships and mentoring young engineers.

Mark Schildroth has been appointed Senior Director, Corporate Affairs at Aecon.

Stephane Pereira Leonardo has been appointed Vice-President, Major Projects at Pomerleau.

Darryl Harrison has been appointed President and CEO of the Winnipeg Construction Association, effective June 1, 2026.

Shital Khamar has been promoted to Director of Pre-Construction at Pomerleau.

Industra Construction has announced three leadership promotions: Nelson Rodriguez to District Manager, Western District; Austin Lee to District Manager, Eastern District; and Tomas Dapkus to Field Operations Manager.

Chandler Brooks has been promoted to Senior Director, Industry Partnerships & Field Marketing at Procore Technologies.

Wendy C. Macdonald has been promoted to National Sustainability & Carbon Leader at RJC Engineers.

Tina Khan has started a new role as Director, Strategy and Performance at SkilledTradesBC.

Luke MacKinnon has joined Kalesnikoff as Director of Sales & Marketing, bringing his expertise in the mass timber and modular construction space to the company.

🗞 HEADLINES

🏠 Thou shalt: B.C. has officially intervened in West Vancouver’s local governance, issuing a provincial order to force the implementation of the Ambleside Centre Plan after the district failed to meet its housing targets, delivering just 58 of the 220 mandated units.

💪🏼 Starting strong: The Build Communities Strong Fund, a decade-long, $51 billion initiative designed to accelerate national infrastructure and housing development, has officially launched. The inaugural rollout includes $300 million for diverse projects ranging from critical water and wastewater expansions to major community hubs.

🔬 Material reduction: Vancouver-based Infina Technologies has successfully completed its first production run of InfinaNet, a structural system that reduces concrete consumption in multi-unit buildings by up to 30% using a recycled plastic lattice of ellipsoid voids.

🌳 Power play: Ontario has proposed new laws to strip municipalities of their power to enforce mandatory green building standards. The legislation aims to accelerate home construction by standardizing requirements and preventing cities from mandating features that exceed the provincial building code.

TOGETHER WITH PROCORE

The industry is shifting. Are you keeping up?

AI is reshaping how construction teams plan, build, and deliver. We’re exploring what these shifts look like in action.

Complete the survey for a chance to win a $2,000 golf + spa experience*.

*No purchase necessary. Open to Canada (excl. QC), 4/1/26–5/15/26. Total prize value: $4,296.70 CAD. Odds depend on entries. Void where prohibited. See here for full T&Cs. Sponsor: SiteMedia.

🧠 INSIGHTS AND LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Know before you go: construction networking tips/tricks

• The dark side of construction nobody talks about

• Recruiting and retaining Gen Z workers

• Using Claude AI: beginner to pro

• Need a watch that can survive the jobsite? Start here

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Geopolitical events have presented Canada with a generational opportunity. But to seize it, Canada must improve competitiveness and attract global capital to build big things again.” - François Poirie, TC Energy CEO, on ramping up LNG export capabilities.

ADVERTISE WITH SITENEWS

Get your message and brand in front of Canada’s construction leaders and decision-makers by advertising in our newsletter. Learn how to partner with us here.

Here’s to a great rest of the week!

Adjust preferences and which newsletters you see here.