News

Aecon CEO steps down Aecon Group Inc. announced on January 10 that effective immediately, company founder John Beck has stepped down. He assumes the role of non-executive chairman.

Ottawa to adopt OHSMS The City of Ottawa will soon require contractors to possess independently certified and audited occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS).

Design selected for Michigan Interchange pedestrian bridges The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced on January 9 that it has selected an aesthetic design for the five pedestrian bridges that will be constructed as part of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Labour force survey shows gains in December and in 2019 The latest version of Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows that employment increased by 35,000 (or 0.2 percent) to 19,127,000 in December, while the national unemployment rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 5.6 percent.

Vaughan to require CoR on contracts Effective March 1, the City of Vaughan will begin its rollout of the Certificate of Recognition (CoR) program—or equivalent form of certification—as a condition of contract.

Building permit values drop in November Statistics Canada reports that the value of building permits issued by municipalities across the country in November dropped by 2.4 percent to $8.1 billion. Six provinces reported declines. Ontario recorded the largest of those decreases (-5.7 percent to $3.2 billion), while growth in Quebec (+10.3 percent to $1.9 billion) offset some of this decline.

London developer gets $130M loan for housing project On January 8, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced an investment of more than $130 million to support construction of new affordable-housing units in London.

Understanding the insurance environment in 2020 Call it what you will—a challenging market, a disciplined market, or, as industry jargon would have it, a “hard market”—the insurance landscape is changing in Canada, and consumers are paying more for insurance.

Del Duca reveals Ontario North Action Plan The next provincial election may be two or more years away, but that doesn't mean campaign maneuvering can’t happen.

Surety update for contractors entering 2020 The Canadian surety industry welcomed 2019 like a breath of fresh air following a disastrous 2018—its worst year on record. Losses stemming from the large contractor defaults of 2018 have now largely been digested by the primary sureties involved, and re-insurance interest in Canada remains high with few rare exceptions.