News

Energy-saving project coming to Kirkland Lake community complex The federal government is investing more than $2.3 million in the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake, making the facility more accessible and environmentally friendly. The Town of Kirkland Lake is contributing a further $598,598 to the project.

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• Government
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Construction investment ticks up in March Month over month, investment in building construction increased 4.5 per cent to $20.4 billion in March, according to Statistics Canada. The federal-government department says the residential sector was up 5.4 per cent to $14.3 billion, while investment in the non-residential sector increased 2.3 per cent to $6.1 billion.

• Government
• General Industry

Ontario issues eMZO to speed Ontario Place development The Ontario government says it’s issuing an enhanced Minister’s Zoning Order (eMZO) to provide development permissions for new and existing land uses at Ontario Place, to help ensure the project to rebuild the public park continues without delays. The eMZO is a land use planning tool that allows the province to maintain site plan control for portions of the site and improve the publicly accessible open space on the East Island as part of the rebuild. The eMZO will also allow for expanded public

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• Government
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Thunder Bay green-insulation company wins federal investment Through its FedNor funding vehicle, the federal government is investing $185,000 in Eco Carbon Foam Inc., a Thunder Bay-based business that produces foam board insulation from recycled plastics. The government says the investment will help the company acquire and install automated packaging and testing compression equipment. The additions to the existing facility are expected to allow Eco Carbon Foam to increase manufacturing output while also improving production and quality control efficiency,

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• Economic
• Government

Advanced-materials research lab opens in Mississauga The federal government announced recently the completion of the newly expanded TerraCanada advanced materials research facility in Mississauga. Completed in April 2024, the expanded facility is the result of a $77-million investment in science infrastructure. The government said construction involved up to 100 workers on-site daily, generating local economic benefits.

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Cochrane Street bridge project wins Good Roads’ Municipal Concrete Award The Region of Durham’s says its Cochrane Street bridge replacement project has won Good Roads’ 2023 Municipal Concrete Award.

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Skilled Trades Ontario launches Resource Hub Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) is launching a new online information centre, providing a platform to access expertise and insights into the skilled trades sector. The agency says the Resource Hub features newly published trade reports, a directory of helpful links, and other skilled trades related resources and research.

• Government
• Human Resources

Employment in Canada’s construction industry was mostly unchanged in April Employment in Canada’s construction industry reported a slight increase in April, as six out of 10 provinces reported employment gains. Meanwhile, the labour force – those workers employed or searching for employment – was mostly unchanged.

• Human Resources

RFQ for new Ontario Science Centre issued The Ontario government’s Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Ministry of Infrastructure have issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for teams to design, build, finance and maintain the new Ontario Science Centre facility located at Ontario Place in Toronto.

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• Government
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U of T home to Canada’s largest Passive House Fengate Asset Management and the University of Toronto Scarborough say Harmony Commons Student Residence has achieved Passive House Classic certification. At 24,620 square metres, Harmony Commons is the largest building in Canada to receive Passive House Classic certification. With the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada (LPFCEC) – under the Labourers’ International Union of North America – Fengate partnered with U of T Scarborough to develop the student residence with 746 beds.

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• Innovation