FROM THE EDITOR

WHY INVEST IN ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT?

There are a lot of reasons to adopt electric construction equipment, but there are also some reasons not to. The sticker price can be eye-watering, end-of-life battery disposal needs to be considered, and you need a charging solution in place at your job site – a charging solution that doesn’t rely on diesel generators. But there are also a lot of reasons to start using electric machines, or to plan to go electric in the future, now.

Alternative power and emissions reduction solutions need to be adopted by every industry, including construction, to address climate change. The way your equipment is powered ten years from now probably won’t be the same way it was powered ten years ago. Electric is just one emissions reduction solution –and it’s a great one for many construction applications.

An investment in electric equipment doesn’t necessarily mean heading to your dealer to finance a pricey new asset right away. The best way to get familiar with electric machines is through the rental market, and some types of electric machines, such as cranes, will always be used primarily through a rental channel. Many rental houses have formed partnerships with OEMs to carry electric machines, which have several benefits, including simplified maintenance, that suit the rental industry.

Having an electric machine in your fleet, or access to one through rental, opens up the opportunity to work in more applications, such as underground, indoors, and near hospitals and schools. In Canada, electric earthmoving machines have been used in underground mining, for indoor airport renovations, and even at the Toronto Zoo. Compact electric earthmoving equipment excels at interior demolition work, and electric earthmoving and lift equipment can work at night in urban areas without disturbing the community. All of these machines can help you meet environmental impact requirements when bidding for projects.

With the right planning for a purchase, the higher sticker price will eventually be offset by lower longer-term costs. Electric machines need less maintenance, there are fewer fluids to refill, and the hefty cost of diesel fuel is eliminated.

These machines also have clear benefits for operators. Quiet operation facilitates easier job site communication and less exposure to continuous high noise levels. Zero emissions benefits the health of job site workers and the communities that they work in. When we speak with OEMs, they emphasize that operators, who are sometimes skeptical to start, typically love an electric machine once they try it. An electric machine delivers instant power and it doesn’t idle.

You may not be ready to make that investment today, or tomorrow, but at some point an energy transition will be necessary. To learn more about electric equipment currently available on the market, machines coming soon, and the applications they are suited to, turn to “Electric Revolution” on page 16 in this issue.

Kaitlyn Till Editor In Chief

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HELMETS TO HARDHATS CONNECTS AFGHAN REFUGEES WITH CAREERS IN CANADA’S SKILLED TRADES

As the Government of Canada works to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan refugees by the end of 2023, Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) is collaborating with Aman Lara and local building trades unions across Canada to provide recently resettled Afghan nationals with opportunities in the skilled trades.

For many Canadian newcomers, finding and securing well-paying, meaningful employment is a critical yet difficult step in their resettlement journey. That is why Helmets to Hardhats, a national non-profit organization typically dedicated to supporting transitioning military members and military family members into opportunities in the skilled trades, has expanded its program eligibility to include resettled Afghan nationals. Helmets to Hardhats believes that because of their sacrifices and support of the Canadian military, it is now the time to assist them. Helmets to Hardhats is easing the transition into Canadian society with career and apprenticeship opportunities in the unionized construction industry.

Helmets to Hardhats provides direct connections to ensure that Afghans interested in joining the skilled trades can break into the industry with little to no stress and no cost to the career seeker. The inclusion of Afghans into the Helmets to Hardhats program is aiding their successful transition into Canadian life by providing financial stability, earn-while-you-learn training opportunities, and access to health benefits and pension plans.

Helmets to Hardhats works directly with Canada’s 14 building trades unions to find careers for its clients in more than 60 different trades and occupations. Aman Lara is also supporting Helmets to Hardhats in connecting Afghan refugees to well-paying careers in the skilled trades. Currently, Helmets to Hardhats is working closely with Aman Lara, Carpenters’ Regional Council, and Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU).

These organizations are filling critical labour shortages while providing sustainable employment and developing an inclusive skilled trades workforce. Over the last 18 months, many of the Local Unions of the Carpenters’ Regional Council have provided work opportunities for Afghan refugees and their family members since they arrived in Canada, including Local 27 and Local 675 in the GTA and Local 1946 in London, Ontario.