✅ The decision

Together with

Good morning! 🏗️ How do you construct fast after a crisis? An Australian nonprofit is transforming disaster debris—such as cement, glass, and local raw materials—into interlocking blocks, similar to Lego bricks. The tech has been heavily utilized in Ukraine after shelling destroyed entire communities.

⏰ Today’s read: 5 minutes

MARKETS

Economy:  The Bank of Canada has paused its key interest rate at 2.75% after seven consecutive cuts, citing uncertainty around U.S. tariffs that prevents issuing regular economic forecasts. Instead, it presented two scenarios: one where tariffs are rolled back, leading to modest growth and inflation dipping to 1.5%, and another where a global trade war triggers a deep recession in Canada and inflation spikes to 3.5%.

EVENTS

SiteSummit: Watch the trailer

SiteSummit is going down next month, but what is it all about? With Canada facing a looming storm of trade disputes, labour shortages, housing challenges, political uncertainty and more, builders are in the spotlight more than ever. Watch the video to find out more about our theme and be sure to get your tickets before they sell out.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

Covering bases: ⚡ EllisDon Community Builders has launched Base Design, a scalable, licensable “kit-of-parts” template aimed at accelerating affordable housing development across Canada. Designed for use by non-profits, Indigenous groups, and government agencies, Base Design supports multi-unit buildings up to ten storeys. It intends to streamline project timelines, reduce costs, and minimize risk. 

Double check: 👀 Ontario Premier Doug Ford has pledged to scrutinize the province’s agreement with European spa company Therme following a New York Times investigation that alleges Therme misrepresented its size and track record to secure a 95-year lease at Ontario Place. The spa is central to the province’s $2 billion waterfront redevelopment plan, which has faced ongoing criticism for its private use of public land and a questionable bidding process.

Project awards: 🏗️ Bird Construction Inc. has secured five new projects totaling over $650 million across its infrastructure, industrial, and buildings divisions. Key contracts include the design and construction of 200 military housing units in Ontario, participation in Dow’s net-zero ethylene cracker project in Alberta, expansion of the Cottonwoods long-term care facility in B.C., nuclear support work with Ontario Power Generation via an Indigenous-led joint venture, and a contract extension for early site development at the net-zero Woodfibre LNG facility.

Manitoba rising: 🌎 Amid rising U.S. trade tensions, Manitoba is accelerating efforts to expand its trade infrastructure by supporting a second Hudson Bay port and advancing the Cree-led NeeStaNan Utility Corridor and the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link. Premier Wab Kinew signaled openness to reviving the century-old Port Nelson proposal to boost Arctic exports while also partnering with Nunavut to deliver clean power and broadband to remote northern communities.

THE BIG STORY

Construction votes: Canada heads to the polls next week

Canada heads to the polls in less than one week. Do you know where two major frontrunners stand on construction issues? We went through Liberal leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poillievre’s platforms to find out.

Housing: The Liberals aim to establish a Crown corporation, Build Canada Homes, to oversee affordable housing construction. They also would provide $25 billion in financing for prefabricated housing and $10 billion for affordable homebuilding. Poilievre and the conservatives pledged to build 2.3 million homes over the next five years, by linking federal infrastructure funding to municipalities' housing approval rates, incentivizing a 15% annual increase. He’d also sell 15% of federal buildings to convert into affordable housing.

Skilled Trades: Carney wants to implement mutual recognition of credentials across provinces to enhance labor mobility. Invest in training and upskilling programs to support the construction workforce. The Conservatives would implement a ‘Boots Not Suits’ strategy with financial support for trades students and funding to expand training infrastructure. 

Infrastructure: Carney promises to spend billions on large-scale infrastructure projects, investing in trade corridors, and creating arctic infrastructure and digital infrastructure. He’d also allocate funds to expand Canada's east-west electricity grid and rural transit solutions. Poilievre plans to repeal environmental assessment laws to fast-track resource projects and establish a national energy corridor to expedite approvals for pipelines and mining projects.

Now’s the time: A record number of Canadians have already gone to the polls. It’s already up 36% from the first day of advance polling in the last election in 2021.. Whatever your political leaning, now is the time to have your say in construction’s future. Which direction should we go in?

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Redefining wellness

The Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre, designed by DIALOG in collaboration with Stantec, is a transformative healthcare facility that blends architecture and wellness to redefine cancer care. Encompassing architecture, engineering, landscape, and urban design, the center’s defining feature is “the heart”—an all-season garden at its core—framed by two curving L-shaped forms that symbolize an embrace, reflecting the compassionate care patients will receive.

PROJECT UPDATES

Work could soon begin on 4,000 Jericho Lands homes

Historic Ontario post office redevelopment hits market for $3.5M

Retail giant rolls out $420M distribution centre for Quebec

Cenovus celebrates West White offshore project progress

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

CONTEST: 👷‍♀️ Construction’s Most Influential nominations are now open!

READ: 🚚 Lafarge approved to operate rear-steer axle trailers 

READ: 🔥 How Canadian tech is building giant geothermal projects in Bavaria

PHOTOS: 🌿 John Deere’s epic new HQ 

READ: 🏗️ Modular construction takes off in aviation/transport

TOP CONSTRUCTION JOBS

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

Disclaimer: SiteNews is an independently-operated news website. Views expressed are that of the editorial team and are based on publicly available information unless otherwise noted through sponsored content.