🚫 Talent Thursdays: Zoned out

Good morning! 🏚️ Check twice. Demolish once. A contractor in Ontario learned this lesson the hard way. A seven-year legal battle ended in a settlement after a Mississauga man’s home was destroyed instead of the intended house across the street. The contractor acknowledged the error, citing a mix-up by a worker, and the case was resolved privately before the trial was set to begin.

📈 BY THE NUMBERS

Canadian millennials continue to defy expectations by leading homebuying demand, with 25% saying they are likely to purchase a home in 2026—up from 23% last year. According to Wahi’s third-annual Homebuyer Intentions Survey, overall buying interest across Canada remained steady year over year at 17%, even as concerns about tariffs, job security, and costs persist. While Gen Z interest declined to 15% from 20%, Gen X intentions held firm at 18% and baby boomers edged up to 10%.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

RJC Engineers has appointed Patrick Hughson, Geoff Kallweit, and Scott Laing as Principals, alongside nine new Associates across its Canadian offices. 

Osama Abu-Shihab has been appointed Executive Advisor within the CTO organization at WSP.

John Mackenzie has joined Bird Construction as Vice President, District Manager – British Columbia. He joins the company after nearly 20 years with EllisDon.

Jeffrey Albee has rejoined WSP as the Digital Lead for the Earth & Environment business, following a tenure at Stantec.

Marc Berube has been promoted to Vice President of Western Canada at Rising Edge Group. Previously the Regional Director for Alberta operations, Berube has been with the company since 2006.

Brian White has started a new position as Business Leader - Environmental Services at McElhanney.

Myles Millard has joined CentreCourt Developments Inc. as Partner & Group Head, Purpose-Built Rental. He will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm's purpose-built rental platform.

Jennifer Sturko Seehra has started a new position as Safety & Organizational Development Manager at Donald Flooring Contract Sales Ltd.

🗞 HEADLINES

⛏️ Fast track: Ontario has fast-tracked Canada Nickel’s Crawford Project near Timmins by formally designating it under its new “One Project, One Process” permitting framework. Proponents say the project will unlock an estimated 4,000 jobs and attract around $5 billion in investment. Work is expected to begin later this year.

🚃 Phased approach: The CEO of Alto, the Crown corporation behind the proposed high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City, says construction on the eastern and western extensions is expected to begin by about 2032, following an initial Montreal–Ottawa segment slated to start in 2029 or 2030. That first phase would serve as a test case for the roughly 1,000-kilometre network.

🏀 On the rebound: According to a new report, construction is expected to have rebounded with 2.2% growth in 2025 after two years of contraction. The recovery is led by infrastructure and renewable energy projects, alongside industrial construction gains in chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. From 2026 to 2029, construction output is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.8%, driven by major investment in transport, renewable energy, water systems, and sewage infrastructure.

🚫 Zoned out: Ontario is considering a pause for inclusionary zoning rules in Toronto, Mississauga and Kitchener, arguing that requirements for developers to include below-market units near transit hubs are discouraging construction during a housing crisis. Officials say rising financing and construction costs, coupled with weakened condo markets and a sharp drop in housing starts, have made many projects financially unviable.

🧠 INSIGHTS AND LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Project management experience that matters in the real world

• Is your construction business getting trapped by ‘ballpark pricing’? 

• Why zoning out is good for your brain

• Female superintendent: ‘How I earned respect, found my voice’

• The way you present signals if you are ready for senior leadership

💬 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The 2026 report marks a historic milestone for Canadian infrastructure. The massive scale of investment in nuclear energy and the continued dominance of the transit sector demonstrate a national commitment to long-term energy security and sustainable urban mobility.” - John Tenpenny, Editor of ReNew Canada, on this year’s Top100 Projects report.

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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