🚛 Talent Thursdays: Robo truckers

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Good morning! 🥇 We’re number one (when it comes to staying home). According to a global survey of working arrangements, Canadians average the most days spent working from home. Trailing just behind Canada were Britain, the U.S. and India.

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

A recent survey of 500 Red Seal tradespeople to capture their top concerns ahead of the federal election found that cost of living, stagnant wages, and job security are major worries. Respondents showed strong support for lowering taxes (87%), fair wages (83%), infrastructure investment, and expansion of the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Matt Alliston is now President at Kema Coatings after taking ownership of the company with Corina Alliston.

Dan Foulkes has been appointed Vice President, Shared Services at Hall. Foulkes has spent 20 years with the company and has amassed a wealth of experience across multiple departments.

Ali Kenyon is now Principal at HCMA Architecture + Design. She has been with the company for more than ten years.  

Martha Tinoco is now Director of Development at Shepard Development Corporation. 

Mario Potvin, a superintendent at PCL, is celebrating 25 years with the company. He started as a surveyor in Ottawa in 2000.  

Murray Demchuk is now Senior Director, Preconstruction and Estimating at Ledcor Construction. 

Amanda Fediuc has started a new position as Managing Director at Colliers. 

Daniel Eggert announced that he is now Senior Vice President Real Estate at Hokanson Capital Inc. 

Heather Yount is continuing her AEC journey as Media Relations and Content Strategy Manager for Stanley Consultants. 

📆 EVENTS

SiteSummit: Eric Termuende on the future of work

The question isn't what the future of work looks like—it’s how we lead our teams into it. At SiteSummit, best-selling author and global leadership expert Eric Termuende will guide you through a bold, research-backed roadmap to build teams that can thrive in any future—no matter what comes next. From working with organizations like Amazon, IBM, and Coca-Cola to advising high-growth companies around the world, Eric has seen firsthand what actually works when it comes to culture, resilience, and performance in a fast-changing world. His keynote will challenge construction leaders to rethink how they attract, align, and lead top talent—not someday, but right now.

🗞 HEADLINES

Robo truckers: 🚚 Autonomous trucking is rapidly gaining traction in Canada, with companies like Gatik, NuPort Robotics, and Waabi Innovation leading the charge. Gatik has been running self-driving box trucks for Loblaw in Ontario since 2020, while NuPort and Canadian Tire are piloting autonomous freight systems, and Waabi operates a fleet of AI-driven long-haul trucks in Texas.

Deal reached: ⚡ Ontario’s unionized ICI electrical contractors have reached a provincial agreement with the IBEW that includes a 6.9% wage increase over three years, marking the first deal of the 2025 bargaining season for the sector. The contract, effective through 2028, includes a Post Negotiated Wage Adjustment (PNWA) clause that could further raise wages if other trades secure higher increases.

Reducing barriers: 🤝 Prince Edward Island's proposed Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act, modeled after similar legislation in Nova Scotia and Ontario, aims to reduce trade barriers and improve labour mobility by fostering reciprocal recognition of trade regulations and professional credentials across provinces.

✅ FEDERAL ELECTION

What the leading party platforms say about construction labour:

🔴 Key Liberal policies include the “Skills Now Grant,” offering up to $5,000 annually to upskill or retrain in high-demand sectors like construction. To address mobility barriers, their proposed Labour Mobility Accord would legislate full recognition of skilled trades credentials across provinces, They also plan to streamline immigration pathways for skilled trades and fast-track credential recognition for newcomers. 

🔵 The Conservative platform promises apprenticeship grants up to $4,000 for new entrants and a Skills Training Tax Credit to ease costs. Key initiatives include investing in new training halls and college facilities , as well as launching national outreach campaigns to boost the prestige of trades careers. A signature policy is the Trades Mobility Guarantee—legislation requiring provinces to recognize each other’s trades credentials, eliminating “paperwork barriers”—and the introduction of a portable national tradesperson card. 

*Editors note: Election day is Monday, April 28th. Don’t forget to get out and vote.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Fully AI employees could be a year away

• 3 dumbest mistakes contractors make

• Why real leaders don’t give orders

• Matchmaking: How to choose the right GC

• Yikes! 7 red flags to find on subcontractor bids

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." — Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

🔥HOT JOBS

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

Senior Project Coordinator - Sherwood Park, Alta. - Aecon Group

Senior Project Manager - London, Ont. - Turner & Townsend

Operations and Support Manater, Civil - Coquitlam, B.C. - Lafarge

Estimator - Vancouver, B.C. - Turner

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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