🧗 Top 40

Together with

Good morning! 🚽 To flush or not to flush? Pressure is growing in B.C. to modernize construction bathrooms beyond the common portable toilets workers are familiar with.

In this newsletter:

👷‍♀️ The Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction

🦕 Glenbow Museum makeover

🚨 Construction’s biggest scandals

MARKETS

*Stock data as of last market close; currency, oil and crypto data as of 5:00PM ET October 16th, 2023.

Economy: Business sentiment this quarter is at its lowest level in a decade, excluding a brief period during the pandemic, Bank of Canada’s latest survey shows. Respondents attributed their pessimism to high interest rates. Businesses stated that they expect inflation to reach Bank of Canada’s target of 2% in more than three years.

THE BIG STORY

Celebrating construction’s next generation

SitePartners and On-Site Magazine have released this year’s Top 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction list.

The winners could not be more valuable for the industry. Canada isn’t just facing a labour shortage. It’s facing a leadership shortage.

Brain drain: Builders are aging and we are facing a mass exodus. According to BuildForce Canada, By 2032 approximately 245,000 workers (20% of the 2022 labour force) are expected to retire. That’s a lot of experience and knowledge that will disappear from the job site.

What’s being done: 

• Last year the BC Construction Association launched the Building Builders program which connects aspiring construction workers with experienced mentors across all disciplines in B.C’s industry.

• NextGen Builders, a pilot project in Toronto, connects diverse youth with mentors who are professional tradespeople.

• The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association created the Leadership Training Academy after members urged them to help prepare workers for project estimator, site supervisor and project manager roles.

What you can do: Many of our readers are senior-level construction professionals. You may not be ready to retire, but have you considered passing on your knowledge before you do? Volunteer in a construction mentor program or look for someone at your company to take under your wing. Don’t let those years of experience leave with you.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

⛴️ The Port of Prince Rupert is working with Dubai-based DP World to investigate building a second container terminal worth $2.5 billion. Findings from the feasibility study will be available next year.

⚖️ The Supreme Court has ruled that the Impact Assessment Act, which grants Ottawa powers to approve or block major energy or infrastructure projects, is unconstitutional. The act grants federal officials the ability to determine if projects are in the best interest of the country by taking into account their positive or negative impacts on the environment, economics, health, Indigenous groups and society.

📉 A concerning report shows that private sector housing construction is currently at a lower level than during the worst period of the pandemic. Researchers at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives say this is likely due to high interest rates and urged government to become more directly involved in generating new housing units.

🚗 The federal government and Ontario are combining funds to contribute $1 billion for an electric vehicle battery component plant in eastern Ontario. The Umicore facility in Loyalist Township will produce cathode active materials and precursor cathode active materials.

TOGETHER WITH PROCORE

Procore salutes the Top 40 Under 40

Procore would like congratulate all the winners from this year’s Top 40 Under 40 In Canadian Construction winners. Highly skilled leaders are critical for the success of projects and this talent is in short supply. Here’s what Procore’s recent How We Build Now report found from surveying 500+ industry leaders:

• 27% of respondents agree that it is hard for construction to compete with other industries for good employees.

• 27% of respondents agree that there is too much competition in construction for talent.

• 32% respondents fear that some of their most experienced people will retire within the next few years and take valuable knowledge with them.

To get more insights about Canada’s construction sector, read the entire report with the link below.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Past, present and future

Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, originally built in 1973, is in the midst of a $120-million overhaul. The work, dubbed “Glenbow Reimagined”, is set to transform the 312,000-square-foot museum by 2026. The design team, led by DIALOG, plans to open the space up street entrances, introduce natural light for the first time, and a 13,000-square-foot rooftop terrace with a pavilion and public spaces looking out to the Calgary Tower.

PROJECT UPDATES

$350M Scotiabank Arena renovations are underway

Pomerleau building innovative life sciences building Catalyst

Ashbridges Bay work wins ‘Tunneling Project of the Year’

Alberta advances series of courtroom projects

‘Micro-fulfilment’ facility under construction in Langley

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

LIST: 🚨 The 8 biggest scandals in Canadian construction

PHOTOS: 👑 B.C.’s tallest building has been dethroned

VIDEO: ⏳ Time lapse captures engineering marvel for Coastal GasLink

READ: 🕳️ Tunnel boring machine freed in Toronto after 19 months

VIDEO: 🐴 Calgary’s Saddledome celebrates 40 years of thrills

HOT JOBS

🔥 Check out all roles 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!