👷🏻‍♀️ That's final

Together with

Good morning! 🌙 If you thought your commute to the jobsite was bad, crews might soon find themselves starting their workday on the moon. San Francisco start-up GRU Space has unveiled plans for a phased lunar hotel project that it claims could become the first permanent off-Earth structure.

⏰ Today’s read: 5 minutes

MARKETS

Economy: Statistics Canada reported that Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 2.4% in December, up from 2.2%, largely due to the expiry of a federal GST “tax holiday” on certain goods a year earlier. Economists noted that while headline inflation exceeded expectations, core inflation measures are moderating and moving closer to the Bank of Canada’s 2% target.

TOGETHER WITH STOREYS

SiteMedia acquires STOREYS

Our parent company, SiteMedia, just added another huge player to its industrial roster, real estate publishing giant STOREYS. As the 7th brand under the SiteMedia umbrella, the acquisition marks a strategic shift in how the industry accesses information. By integrating STOREYS, SiteMedia now connects the entire lifecycle of a project—from initial infrastructure and industrial development to the final real estate transactions that define Canadian communities.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

🪵 New roots: B.C. has signed a five-year MOU with China on modern wood construction, aiming to expand the province’s lumber market beyond the U.S. The non-binding agreement focuses on integrating wood construction into China’s urban renewal and rural development projects, as well as joint research on mass timber and tall wood buildings. 

✈️ Bombs away: Bombardier will invest about $100 million to build a new 126,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Dorval, Quebec, aimed at strengthening its production capacity for business, government and military jets. The facility is expected to open in 2027 near Bombardier’s existing Challenger and completion centres.

🏠 New data: In 2025, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and its partners invested in housing and community infrastructure across the country, resulting in nearly 59,000 new housing units and billions of dollars in contributions and low-interest loans. 

☀️ In the shadows: Two years after Alberta lifted a pause on new wind and solar project approvals, 14 major renewable energy developments in southeastern Alberta have not yet begun construction. Analysts attribute the delays to uncertainty over upcoming changes to energy market rules and transmission cost structures, expected to take effect by 2027.

THE BIG STORY

Site Service Awards finalists announced

The finalists of our first ever Site Service Awards program have been revealed. From the jobsite to the boardroom, these 69 individuals celebrate the diverse talent that shapes and strengthens the construction industry. 

Where we looked: The awards program focused on 8 categories: Engineering & Design, Health & Safety, People & Culture, Professional & Technical Experts, Project & Operations Leaders, Tech & Innovation, Trades & Field, Marketing & Business Development. We didn’t just list their names. We dug up some fun facts about each finalist and even held  editorial photo shoots across Canada to showcase them. 

Strong diversity: Nearly 25% of our finalists were women, showcasing a strong presence in the industry. They held a variety of roles, including in marketing, risk management, trades, tech, project management and more.    

What happens next: One winner from each of the categories will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced at an awards ceremony on Feb. 26th, 2026 in Vancouver. A limited number of tickets to attend this event have opened up to the public and more information can be found here.

But wait, there’s more: We will also be producing a special magazine to highlight the winners through photography and storytelling. Not only will this publication honour the finalists and winners, but we are proudly donating copies to high schools and colleges across the country to show students the true potential of a career in construction

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Mixed up

The 62-storey 900 Saint-Jacques development is a landmark mixed-use tower anchoring Montreal’s transforming Quartier des gares, stacking a rental apartment tower above a Moxy hotel to support a dense, transit-oriented, and socially diverse neighbourhood. Clad in prefabricated precast concrete panels that reference Montreal’s greystone and brutalist heritage, the slender tower achieves a sculptural, textured presence that contrasts sharply with the surrounding glass skyline while enhancing energy performance.

PROJECT UPDATES

Quebec City-Ottowa high speed rail project seeks input

Construction begins on new Highway 99 overpass

Strathearn starts building Edmonton apartment project

Alberta commits $4M to plan Children’s Hospital expansion

Saskatchewan invests $28.5M in relocatable classrooms

Ontario opensIndigenous-led treatment hub

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

⚡ READ: Is fusion power on the horizon?

🤝 WATCH: Who's responsible for the future of construction?

🪵 READ: The offsite wood construction handbook is here

🚙 READ: U.S. cities are abandoned one-way street designs

🪜 READ: Single egress stairs could make cities safer

ADVERTISE WITH SITENEWS

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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.