Breaking Ground - Winter 2018 by Edmonton Construction Association

City of Edmonton launches new initiative to improve the planning and developing process

The realities of being an estimator

Edmonton hot-spot Uccellino reinvents space on Jasper Ave.

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A stepping stone Why you should get involved with the YBG and what it can mean for your career

Winter 2018

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Strength in numbers Construction industry groups come together to form YP Merge

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Winter 2018

Message from the executive director of the ECA, John McNicoll

Message from chair of the YBG Leadership Team, and ECA director Rob McGrath

Your ECA team

Insights from a new member of the Trade Definitions Committee

Alberta Construction Association update

City shows itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eager for change: City of Edmonton launches new initiative to improve the planning and development process

A stepping stone: How starting with the YBG can help you land on the ECA board

Young professionals show strength in numbers: YP Merge

ON THE COVER (Left to right) Chantal Butler, chair of the YBG Networking Committee (Corus Entertainment); Richard Haas, chair, YBG Education Committee (PCL); Jennifer von Berendt, chair, YBG Industry Collaboration Committee (DIALOG); Rob McGrath, chair, YBG Leadership Team and ECA board member (Synergy Projects) pictured in the University of Alberta's Student Innovation Centre in the Faculty of Science. Providing students with a collaborative and creative space to facilitate skills development in science and technology beyond the classroom, the Student Innovation Centre is modelled after business incubators and startup offices. Visit uab.ca/innov8 to learn more.

YP Merge highlight: Ashrae

Building style The Italian way: Uccellino reinvents space on Jasper Ave.

YP Merge highlight: CEA YPG

YP Merge highlight: NAIOP

Exposure is value

Milestones: Women Building Futures hosts industry to Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit

YP Merge highlight: Young Professionals in Energy

Taking things further: ECA works with Holo-Blok to coordinate a course on BIM 102

YP Merge highlight: BOMA

High risk, high reward â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the realities of being an estimator

Is it mold or mould?

ECA Eddie

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ECA Breaking Ground Published by: DEL Communications Inc. Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0G5 www.delcommunications.com

President David Langstaff Publisher Jason Stefanik Managing Editor Shayna Wiwierski shayna@delcommunications.com Advertising Sales Manager Dayna Oulion Toll Free: 1.866.424.6398 Advertising Sales Gary Barrington Brian Gerow Jennifer Hebert Kari Philippot Michelle Raike Dan Roberts Anthony Romeo

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2018 ECA BOARD Alan Kuysters, Chair Don Barr, President Jason Collins, Treasurer-Secretary Jillene Lakevold Trevor Doucette Tim Coldwell Robert King Roger Buksa Robert McGrath Andrew Sharman Sean Rayner Doug Hansen Greg Burghardt

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

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Message from the Executive Director I hope your firm and your work team are well as you lead in the ever-changing realities of our market. Some of you are thriving while others may feel they are ‘bumping along the bottom’ and hoping for a lift in the coming year. The ECA board and staff work to serve you and all our membership to help you succeed. Our ECA Board’s 2019 Strategic Plan defines three “big rocks” to focus on in the coming year: 1. Fulfill our service role and become the Hub of Construction. 2. Build YBG involvement. 3. Broaden membership – delivering ever-improving member value and member experiences. In 2019, you will see our energy flow to these priorities while we also maintain and improve all the essential services you have come to rely on. As I approach six years in my role as ECA executive director, I would like to thank all of you for your ongoing support, friendship, and encouragement. The variety of people and issues that I engage continue to challenge and energize me, and bring me a great deal of job satisfaction. I’m thankful for you and for our construction community – persons of character, passion, and professionalism. We all

Edmonton Construction Association

build significant friendships as we strive to deliver exceptional construction in Alberta. This issue of Breaking Ground explores our community’s engagement of the next generation; our YBG and YP Merge, as well as our industry’s growing sophistication in virtual collaboration and the need for industry-wide professional development. We will also update you on our Professional Estimators Group (PEG), and Trade Definition progress. We hope these, and other articles inform you and equip you for your own success. Proudly serving our members, Go Oilers!

John McNicoll Executive Director Edmonton Construction Association

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ificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • De tom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands •

as • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • mp Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • Bioretention Areas • Green Roofs • Box Planters • So dscaping • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturaliz

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ls • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Soil Cells • S dscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Soil Cells • Soft Landsc swales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Tur t Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump ificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • De tom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • as • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • mp Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • Bioretention Areas • Green Roofs • Box Planters • So dscaping • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturaliz iatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • Bioretention Areas • Green Roofs • Box ls • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Soil Cells • S dscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Soil Cells • Soft Landsc swales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Tur t Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump ificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • De tom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • as • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • mp Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • Bioretention Areas • Green Roofs • Box Planters • So dscaping • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturaliz iatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Turf • Open Space Development • Complete Streets • SWMF’s & Wetlands • Bioretention Areas • Green Roofs • Box ls • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Soil Cells • Soft Landscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Soil Cells • S dscaping • Bioswales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Soil Cells • Soft Landsc swales • Paver Stones • Permeable Paver Stones • Design Solutions • Custom Site Furniture • Naturalization • Initiatives • Bump Outs • Artificial Tur

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Message from the chair of the YBG Leadership Team

Rob McGrath As 2018 comes to a close, we reflect back on a year where winter turned into summer and summer turned into winter, with little resemblance of seasons in between. As if the current construction economy was not already uncertain and difficult enough, Mother Nature needed to make it that much harder. However, as Albertans in the construction industry, we’ve learned to adapt, to be positive, and to come together. We’ve seen several new offerings from the ECA, and record registrations at our events. Events and educational courses by the ECA, YBG, and PEG have all been very well attended, and YPMerge, through the YBG, is broadening involvement well beyond traditional contractors and suppliers. This year, as both a board member

Edmonton Construction Association

of the ECA and chair of the YBG, I am proud to report on the progression of the YBG, as well as provide introduction to this issue of Breaking Ground. After four years, the YBG has become the largest group of its kind in construction associations across Canada. With a membership of over 1,000 emerging leaders, the YBG continues to attract those looking to get more out of the industry we all love. The YBG focuses on offering a balance between educational and networking events, with a strong focus on connecting other future leaders within the industry through our YP Merge brand. As the YBG continues to gain notoriety, it has become the flagship offering of the ECA, attracting

many more than just those in the first half of their careers. Our YBG events consistently attract individuals ranging from those just entering the construction sector, to the C-suite leaders of our largest and most wellknown companies. In 2017, the board presented a strategic plan that included an increased focus on the YBG while ensuring that the ECA becomes a true hub for all of us who provide service within the construction industry. YP Merge, which has been a focus of the YBG this year, was created to unite these two strategic pillars. By “merging” the young professional groups within the city of Edmonton under one banner, the groups aim is to foster collaboration between future leaders now, while building a foundation for a much stronger construction industry in the future. In 2018, two events, including our YP Merge Summer Social and SHIFT, were presented in cooperation with YP Merge, and saw young professionals from all facets of the industry come together for discussion, education, and to share in the enjoyment that comes with being a part of construction in Edmonton. As we head into 2019, and the fifth year of YBG, we look forward to an improved economic climate within the construction industry. We further look forward to continuing to enhance the service offering of the ECA to its members, and the broader construction industry. u

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YOUR ECA TEAM

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MATT SCHELLENBERGER

CAROLINE BOWEN

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Director of Finance and Corporate Services

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ECA Breaking Ground | Winter 2018 17

Insights from a new member of the Trade Definitions Committee By Zaid Al-Musawi, EllisDon

When I was presented with the opportunity to join the Trade Definitions Committee, I recognized it was a great way to grow my knowledge base and learn from the experienced individuals who also sit on the committee. I began my career in the construction industry with EllisDon as an estimator two years ago, and while I have had the opportunity to learn and grow during my time, I still consider myself new to the industry with plenty to learn.

The role of the committee is to proactively modernize and update the Alberta Trade Definitions. By engaging young, new-to-the-industry members, the committee can benefit from new ideas, and members can benefit by having the opportunity to develop good workflow habits early in their careers. As an estimator for a general contractor, my role has been to identify any scope gaps in the definitions, and working with other members to better

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Moving the Industry Forward “Suppliers and subcontractors now have greater assurance of competing on a level playing field. General contractors are assured of completed bids that cover the entire scope of the project. Owners benefit because they can compare ‘apples-to-apples’ compliant bids on clear definitions. In the end, everyone wins.” —Ken Gibson, Alberta Construction Association www.tradedefinitions.com

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the scope is, it eliminates any guesswork from subtrade quotes, or in simple terms, we know we are comparing apples to apples. Having this knowledge from the onset of our careers will only make us more efficient and knowledgeable estimators. During my time with the committee I have already seen benefits to my professional development, as well as my fellow colleagues who are also new to the industry. It has provided an outlet to gain full understanding of each scope of work, and in turn, clear expectations between general contractors and subtrades. As an estimator, the Trade Definitions provide important efficiency and understanding to our workâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;any gaps in scope are identified, and all parties understand the work expectations. By identifying these gaps at the beginning, errors or omissions can be eliminated, which is incredibly valuable, specifically when new to estimating. This process gives our teams confidence in the estimates we receive from subtrades, and in turn, the estimates we provide for clients. Project coordinators and project managers can also benefit from the Trade Definitions by using it as a reference tool when signing contracts with the subtrades, or when resolving disputes during the execution of the work. The pro-active approach is what sets this committee apart, and why I believe in its value. This committee signals that as an industry, we have made transparency, clear communication, and progress our priorities. We want to work together, general contractors, subtrades, and designers, to create a more collaborative environment in order to deliver successful projects. As Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m early in my career, this forward thinking is important and valuable to my professional development. I encourage others new to the industry or to their role to become involved, since all of the committee members have a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields and are eager to pass it on to the new and upcoming construction professionals. u

Join us on February 8th for our two biggest events of the year!

Productivity Forum FEBRUARY 8th, 2019

MORNING PROGRAM

Join the ECA and our partners for the 4th annual Infrastructure Productivity Forum (IPF). Engage with owners, consultants and contractors as we seek to highlight, discuss and find solutions to the many challenges that face our industry. For tickets & more information, please visit edmca.com/networking

BUILDERS CONNECT LUNCHEON FEBRUARY 8th, 2019

11:00am - 2:00pm

Join over 600 of your industry peers at the ECAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest yearly networking event. Celebrate the success of the past year in construction, and look ahead to a busy 2019! For tickets & more information, please visit edmca.com/networking

Alberta Construction

Association update By Ken Gibson, ACA Executive Director

Since the summer issue of Breaking Ground, there are three priorities to engage with members of the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA). The first is the Alberta Construction Association’s (ACA) call for the Government of Alberta to undertake a third-party review of construction payment legislation. A review will be welcomed throughout the construction value chain, if it leads to improvements in the flow of payment. The ACA and the Alberta Trade Contractors Coalition have penned a joint letter to the government urging a timely review, and committing our organizations

to supporting the review. Building on reviews undertaken in Ontario and by the federal government should speed a review that takes into account the unique nature of Alberta’s legislation and market. Hopefully a review can at a minimum be initiated and hopefully completed before the interruption to the legislature that occurs with a provincial election campaign. ECA members can let their MLAs know the importance of beginning this work as soon as possible. Speaking of the provincial election, the ACA will once again develop an election website to raise awareness of the issues of importance to our

industry. It is important to remember that many Alberta families rely on a healthy construction industry, as one-innine working Albertans earn their living in construction. That’s a big chunk of the electorate. The ACA will of course continue to play a non-partisan role. However, it is important to help equip your employees with questions that reflect concerns they feel about job security and the ability to earn income to support their families, questions that they can raise with every candidate that knocks on their door or that they encounter through the campaign. The ACA is developing such a candidate

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The ACA remains non-partisan so that we can represent your interests irrespective of which political party forms government after any election.

questionnaire, and will be asking ACA member firms to distribute to your employees. The ACA will partner with the Edmonton Construction Association to make this request closer to the campaign. A final ask. The ACA remains nonpartisan so that we can represent your interests irrespective of which political party forms government after any election. It is a fact that the current government has extensively updated laws and regulations affecting your employees and your firms – including Employment Standards, Occupational Health and Safety, the WCB, and tendering requirements. The ACA continues to hear from members that not all of the changes fit the unique nature of construction work – weather conditions, remote locations, projectbased work where the role for one trade may be affected by the completion of work by other trades. Our advocacy focus remains squarely on two themes – advocating for sustainable, predictable investment so that our employees have steady predictable careers of choice, and advocacy to minimize unintended consequences that reduce the opportunity for our workers to earn the incomes they need to support their families. This advocacy will not change whoever forms government. To do an effective job in this advocacy, we need ECA members to contact us to tell us what isn’t working and why, for example, banked overtime rules. Please contact jonathan.williams@albertaconstruction. net. We’ll use your information to advocate for changes that benefit your employees and your firms, now and into the future. Thanks for your continuing engagement and support. u

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City shows it’s eager for change City of Edmonton launches new initiative to improve the planning and developing process By Melanie Franner

Dealing with any big city can be fraught with difficulty in a number of different areas. But the City of Edmonton is demonstrating its commitment to its citizens – be they residential, commercial, or industrial – by launching a brand new initiative that will tackle these issues head on. Called the Urban Form Business Transformation Initiative, the city hall undertaking seeks to improve the planning and development process. Many people in the City feel it’s an idea long overdue. “The City of Edmonton is always looking for ways to continually improve, but we recognize that we are lagging behind other municipalities,” explains Nancy Domijan, director, business performance and transformation, City of Edmonton. “As

Nancy Domijan, director, business performance and transformation, City of Edmonton.

we move toward bringing services online, customer expectations are changing. The City needs to be proactive, but in order to do so, we needed to have a team of dedicated staff.”

The buy in The Urban Form Business Transformation Initiative launched in November 2017. But its genesis stems from well before then. “Our city-building partners have told us of the challenges they face in the planning and development process,” says Domijan. “This project has been designed specially to address these challenges and to make it an easier and more streamlined process for all our partners.” Domijan names the four main challenges that have given rise to this new initiative: inconsistency, internal disconnect, frustrated citizens, and resource challenged. In terms of inconsistency, she cites the variability in application and permit standards, which creates frustration for

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The four elements of the land development process that support the large and complex task of city building.

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developers and builders. Applicants, she adds, are experiencing delays as a result of unpredictable and lengthy application and permit timelines. The internal disconnect, states Domijan, stems from disjointed connections within the city’s departments, which creates confusion and delays in planning and development applications, particularly when handing them off between the different areas like development permit to building permit. Citizens likewise become frustrated when they find it difficult to navigate the planning and development process. Adding more staff isn’t an option. Domijan explains that budget constraints mean that the City has to find more efficient ways of delivering its services within the capacity of its current staffing levels. And thus, the Urban Form Business Transformation Initiative was born. “We recognized the need for dedicated process improvement work to be done,” says Domijan. “We received full support from our executive leadership team to move forward. We were excited to share our project with industry and spent a few months presenting to various industry organizations to gather initial feedback and garner support.” The details The new initiative spans key elements of the land development process that support the large and complex task of city building. The scope of this project includes:

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The long-term goal of the initiative is to “support the quality of life for Edmontonians and the economic vibrancy of the City by enabling efficient and effective planning and development in collaboration with stakeholders.

• Rezoning, subdivision, servicing agreements and engineering drawings, development and building permits; • Inspections for infrastructure, development, building, lot grading and landscaping; and • Residential, commercial, and industrial private development. “The benefits will be primarily seen by builders, contractors, and developers,” states Domijan. “However, some improvements, such as the Home Improvement Permit, will result in direct benefits for homeowners.” Goals worth chasing According to Domijan, the long-term goal of the initiative is to “support the

quality of life for Edmontonians and the economic vibrancy of the City by enabling efficient and effective planning and development in collaboration with stakeholders”. She cites the project’s primary objectives as the following: • Improve applicant experiences when interacting with the City; • Improve urban form and corporate strategic development staff productivity by reducing rework, errors and delays in application processing, and providing the right tools for staff; • Improve the sustainability of the funding model; and • Improve integration across the relevant City branches and departments.

Although the road to continuous improvement may be an arduous and lengthy one, the City has committed to actionable change by delivering three quick “wins” within the first six months of the project. First deliverable The first of these “wins” is expansion of the Expedited Development Permit Program, which allows applicants with a good track record to be rewarded for their past efforts. Applicants now have the opportunity to assess their own applications to obtain a development permit for single, detached dwellings in residential small lot (RSL) and planned lot residential (PLR) zones. An applicant provides the technical zoning bylaw review, such as setbacks and site area, as part of their application and the approval is provided within two business days. The administration staff is then free to focus on those applicants that require more support.

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As outlined in the Alberta Building Code, builders remain responsible for ensuring that the footing, foundation, damp proofing, and weeping tile meet all applicable codes, guidelines, standards, and requirements.

“We launched this program in Q2 2018,” explains Domijan. “As a result,

year to allow inspectors to spend their time on higher-risk inspections.

we anticipate the potential realization

The program mirrors the previous

of a 15 per cent increase in applications

“win” in that it rewards applicants that

processed through the system, an 82

have a good track record by allowing

per cent increase in applicants, and the

them to have inspections scheduled

ability to reallocate staff resources to

five per cent of the time, instead of 100

more complex applications.”

per cent. There is no change to how a footing and foundation is built or how an

Second deliverable

inspection is requested.

The second quick “win” from the City

As outlined in the Alberta Building

is the Efficient Resource Allocation for

Code, builders remain responsible for

Safety Code Inspections program. Based

ensuring that the footing, foundation,

on data and risk, the administration

damp proofing, and weeping tile meet all

focused on reducing the number of

applicable codes, guidelines, standards,

footings and foundations inspections per

and requirements.

Edmonton Construction Association

“Not only does this program reduce the number of footings and foundations inspections per year, but it also allows the builders to move more quickly to the next phase of construction,” explains Domijan. “And it allows for the excavation to be backfilled more quickly, thereby reducing the risk of damage or collapse.” Third deliverable The third quick “win” in the Urban Form Business Transformation Initiative is the Home Improvement Permit. This program aims to improve the residential permit experience. It covers all common residential improvements or construction, including decks, accessory buildings (garages, sheds, etc.), and basement development. These applicants are now processed differently by the City to increase efficiency and reduce processing time. And, as of Q2 2018, applications began to be accepted online.

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“This program increases the convenience for applicants in that they can apply from anywhere,” explains Domijan. “It also reduces barriers to obtaining permits, without compromising legislative requirements. It enables consistent and timely decision making, and it allows for more experienced staff to focus on more complex applications.” All in a day’s work By all appearances, it looks like the South Branch north Branch City of Edmonton is well on its way to 7650-40 Street SE, Calgary, AB T2C 2V4 4 Rowland Crescent, St. Albert, AB T8N 4B3 introducing its new Urban Form Business Phone: 403-273-9511 • Fax: 403-273-8610 Phone: 780-458-0442 • Fax: 780-458-0447 Transformation Initiative. It’s a program Email: mike@wwpledmonton.com guaranteed to ease process and increase efficiencies for all stakeholders – be they Specializing in commercial roofing & waterproofing for over 32 years residential, industrial, or commercial private development. “We have already begun to realize the benefits of the process improvements that have been implemented,” states Domijan. And time will certainly see the realization of many more benefits to come over the next few months and years. • Commercial • Industrial • New Construction The Urban Form Business Maintenance • Service • Oilfield Transformation team is busy working on the next round of process improvements that will make further positive changes to the planning and development processes. Already, there are six additional projects expected to launch www.crewelectrical.ca this fall. Box 1427 • Nisku, AB T9E 8A8 In the meantime, the “wins” continue to add up. And, although the Urban estimating@crewelectrical.ca 780.218.5486 Form Business Transformation Initiative is an Edmonton “one-off”, the good Crew Electrical is a locally news owned andits success is spreading far is that operated company. When and youwide. deal End-to-end infrastructure solutions ...connecting communities... with us you are likely dealing“There directly is interest from other • Pipeline construction & maintenance with a stakeholder. pride in ourand cities,” concludes • Mechanical fabrication & installation We take municipalities work and the relationshipsDomijan. we cultivate • Power & utility infrastructure “We are continually in touch • Horizontalwith directional our drilling customers. We are focused with the Cityon of Calgary and continue to • Renewable energy projects providing Electrical services with the learn from each other.” • Sewer & water highest levels of customer satisfaction The collaborative work between and we will do everything we can to Robert B. Somerville Co. Limited the City of Edmonton and its industry meet 13540 - 156 Streetand N.W. exceed your expectations. partners continues, united in its Edmonton,Your Alberta, Canada trust, is T5V our1L3 commitment. efforts to design new processes and 780 447 4141 implementation tools for efficiency and We work for a variety of industries, www.rbsomerville.com establishand clear expectations. u Including the Commercial,to Industrial

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A stepping stone How starting with the YBG can help you land on the ECA board By Shayna Wiwierski

There are many ways that leaders of member firms become engaged in the ECA board, one of which is becoming involved in the YBG. The YBG was launched four years ago and has grown to more than 1,000 members, many of which are currently on the ECA board or have been in the past. In fact, since YBG is a great networking initiative and program by the association, it helps members to get their foot in the door and make lasting connections with others in the industry. Involvement also bodes well for the long-term sustainability of the ECA. We chatted with three ECA board members on their involvement with YBG and how an invitation to a YBG event ended up becoming so much more for their careers. Alistair McBride Originally from New Zealand, Alistair McBride first made his way to Edmonton eight years ago and hasn’t left since 2012. Coming from an

Alistair McBride

insurance background, he has worked in construction groups for a number of major insurance companies until finally becoming the corporate risk manager for PCL Construction earlier this year.

McBride originally got involved with YBG during his time as a senior construction underwriter with Zurich Insurance Company in early 2014. His boss at the time decided that he should go out and meet people in the industry and that an event for a new program the ECA was running would be a good fit. “I went to the first YBG event held at MKT here off Whyte Ave. in early 2014,” says McBride. “My boss at Zurich said, ‘look, you need to get to learn more about the construction industry and the ECA is the central point of construction here, so this YBG thing is a good way to know your peers.’ I went to the event and there were about 200 people there, so it was a start of good things to come.” The 34-year-old says that the kickoff event was great for networking and getting to know more people, especially since he was new to the industry. McBride says that he learned lots about the local construction industry, and

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New Zealand native Alistair McBride originally got involved with YBG during his time as a senior construction underwriter. He now sits on the ECA board and in the standing committees for finance & risk, as well as education. by talking to different people from

of directors, and that helped him expand

different walks of life that helped him

his network and eventually become a

improve his confidence.

board member of the association.

“You go out there and might know one

McBride officially joined the ECA

or two people and they aren’t guaranteed

board in 2017 where one of his roles was

to be at these events, so you spark up

the YBG board liaison. Currently, he sits

a conversation with strangers. Those

on the standing committees for finance

people you meet introduce you to others,

& risk, and education. He says that he has

and on it goes,” he says.

been approached from YBG participants

It was those introductions that helped

asking about his experience moving from

McBride further his career. Through those

the YBG to the ECA board and whether

connections and his ongoing attendance

it’s a good fit.

at YBG events, eventually he was asked

“There’s a lot of other people looking

to sit on the education group, making the

to see if it’s a good way to go to move

transition from attendee to committee

on up at the ECA. I’m always happy to

member. As he got to know more people

provide my two cents on that.”

in the YBG leadership group, he was introduced to members of the ECA board

Although YBG offers many educational aspects in the program,

McBride mentions that the networking opportunities are second to none. Currently the YBG is spearheading a program called YP Merge, where all the young construction groups in Edmonton get together and network. “There is the YBG, but there is also a young estimator, young engineers, young architects, and all these different groups, and they are all part of the construction hub; the core group that provides the basis of construction in Edmonton,” says McBride. “What YBG has kind of been the leader on is to get them in the same room, because at the end of the day we all need each other to be successful. That’s been a big push for the last 18 months.” YBG has created a combined calendar for everyone’s events, so members from the different groups can log onto one central repository and find the details of future meetings and events. He mentions that this is another way for networking within the industry.

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Whether it’s connecting through YP Merge or YBG, McBride highly recommends becoming involved in the events the groups put on. What was originally a recommendation from a colleague ended up being his ticket to eventually becoming a board member for Canada’s second-largest regional construction association. “I was just a little guy from New Zealand who knew no one; and now I’m on the board. A lot of it is in part to the

acceptance and openness of the YBG group,” says McBride. “It’s been a great experience for me. I’ll continue to attend these events as I get older and older and greyer and greyer.”

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“My initial introduction to the YBG was through Matt Schellenberger. After an initial discussion, I was very happy to join the YBG in its inaugural year, as the potential to be part of a positive shift in the construction industry within Edmonton was exciting,” says McGrath. McGrath is currently the YBG liaison on the ECA board, as well as on the ECA stakeholder strategy & engagement committee. For the first two years of YBG he chaired the group’s networking committee. “Within our construction industry, so much of what we do is relationship based. As a general contractor, 85 per cent of work on a given project is done by subcontractors and suppliers, so it’s been very important to me to get out and meet infinite amounts of people in this industry that I normally wouldn’t have been exposed to,” says McGrath. “When we do get on a job together, we already have that friendship or acquaintance created; things run smoother.”

Rob McGrath joined the YBG in 2014. He is now the executive chair of the YBG and the YBG liaison on the ECA board.

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Not only is it a great opportunity to network with others, YBG also helps individuals get their names out in the industry quicker. The YBG brand is intended to attract those in the the first half of their construction careers. McGrath says that the average age of the developing leaders in the group are in their mid30s, however, they do get participants who are of all demographics. He says that senior leaders in their respective organizations have started to come because they see the value in meeting and engaging with the next generation of leaders and sharing what they know. McGrath, who is also the executive chair of the YBG, says that although YBG was originally conceived to get more young professionals connected in the industry, they are currently now trying to align more closely with the ECA and participate in the same strategic planning and visioning of the association. “Naturally we are starting to overlap more and more, YBG and ECA,” he

says. “The people coming out to events is becoming much more blended. The same people who would go to a traditional ECA event now go to YBG events, so being a part of the YBG is now synonymous as being part of the ECA.” Jillene Lakevold If it weren’t for YBG, Jillene Lakevold may not have been interested in pursuing a spot on the ECA board. The 34-year-old director of sales – architectural channel lead for All Weather Windows, as well as director on the ECA board, joined the YBG in its inaugural year. ECA executive director John McNicoll called her and said that he thought she would be a good fit for the YBG leadership team. “He said ‘we would love to have you join this leadership team and here is what we are trying to accomplish; here is what we are trying to do’,” says Lakevold. “John has always had a passion for developing the

Jillene Lakevold

next generation of leaders and is really passionate about leadership in general.” Being a part of the YBG allowed Lakevold to meet a lot more people in

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Being a part of the YBG helped Jillene Lakevold meet a lot more people in the industry. She was elected to the ECA board in 2016. the industry, both through events and by taking on a leadership role. She says that there was a lot of interaction with people who worked at the ECA and the ECA board. The most value she found from it though was networking and connecting with leaders in the industry.

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where a senior leader would host an event and YBGers could attend and ask as many questions as they wanted. YBG also allows people to connect face to face instead of through just emails or phone calls. It’s that in-person connection that allowed Lakevold to make the jump from being on the YBG Leadership Team to sitting on the board of the ECA. “Being involved in YBG gave me a great appreciation for the work of the association, as well as the connections and relationships established in the industry,” she says. “Being able to establish those relationships through my involvement with the YBG helped me to get a seat on the board, since I had already established some of those relationships and understood the issues. All of that was good preparation for understanding what was ahead for the board work.” Lakevold got elected to the ECA board in 2016, one year after she started with YBG. She still attends YBG events since she likes the energy and the excitement about the future of construction. She says that the YBG Leadership Team is a great opportunity to see if you like board work and participating in it early on lets you be exposed to what happens during board meetings and see if there is future interest in joining the ECA board. The YBG really gave Lakevold the opportunity to see and get engaged at a leadership level in the ECA and she said that she doesn’t know if she would have been that interested in it if she didn’t have the YBG leadership experience. “By getting to meet the great people and see the great work that was being done, that sparked my interest. To get on the board you have to have the opportunity to meet people, but ultimately people need to trust that you will represent their interests on the board, that’s how you get voted on. And so, I think by having an opportunity to engage with people, I’m honoured that people trust me enough to vote for me to represent those interests. I don’t think I would have gotten that same opportunity if I didn’t get engaged.” u

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Young professionals show strength in numbers Construction industry groups come together to form YP Merge By Melanie Franner

Technology has – and continues to

our world, more and more associations

setting up YPs for the greatest success in

– change the very landscape of the

are popping up to support the diverse

their careers.”

construction industry. Where a face-

industry. These associations have

to-face meeting and a subsequent

similar mandates to engage and equip

handshake once sufficed, a computer

YPs, however, they compete for similar

now reigns. That’s not to say

membership bases, venues for events,

annual conference aimed at generating

improvements haven’t been made over

and event dates. Connecting over a

partnership and teamwork among

time. But has the industry lost something

platform like YP Merge allows us to

young professionals within the Alberta

along the way?

create an economy of scale; let’s become

construction industry. It officially kicked

informed about other associations’

off in the spring of 2018.

YP Merge (Young Professionals Merge)

A new beginning YP Merge grew out of SHIFT, an

is an innovative new model designed to

mandates and events so that we can

“YP Merge allows us to take the same

nurture collaboration among the future

combine our collective influence, and

type of collaboration we see at SHIFT and

leaders of tomorrow’s construction

differentiate (if need be) in a more

implement it throughout the entire year,”

industry. As such, it embraces the

effective way.”

explains Thomas Ziegler, project engineer,

evolutionary nature of technology, while

There are also other positive factors

building on the very foundation that has

that can be leveraged through YP Merge. “All of the industry sectors in

made the industry so strong. “YP Merge maximizes the industry’s

development, design, construction,

at Al-Terra Engineering Inc. “It’s evolved from a tangible ‘Let’s do something together’ into a ‘This is how we can do things together’.” Ziegler describes YP Merge as an

combined impact and effectiveness,”

owning, and management need to be

explains Jennifer von Berendt, designer,

networked as projects become more

opportunity to bring in the whole of the

business development, at DIALOG.

integrated,” adds von Berendt. “By

construction industry.

“Due to the ever-specializing nature of

proactively creating this network, we are

YP Merge grew out of SHIFT, an annual conference aimed at generating partnership and teamwork among young professionals within the Alberta construction industry. Seen here is Jennifer von Berendt and Richard Haas at the 2017 SHIFT Conference.

Edmonton Construction Association

“By working together, we can attain a

YP Merge now has the official support of the nine industry groups.

YBG in 2018

1,200

FROM

YBG MEMBERS

1,060

450

EDMONTON FIRMS

YBG MEMBERS ATTENDED OUR

= 20 MEMBERS

= 20 FIRMS

YBG EVENTS IN 2018

It’s a round-table initiative. It’s a calendar. It’s the creative spark that’s changing the future of building in Edmonton.

To find out more, visit www.ypmerge.ca

Jennifer von Berendt and Richard Haas at the 2017 SHIFT Conference: Merging Mindsets.

One of the key aspects of YP Merge is to share information between industry organizations and promote quality events and good causes.

better level of industry engagement,” he says. “We will have the ability to analyze an issue and take a stand. We can become more involved in our community. YP Merge brings people together; it acts as a conduit to have those types of conversations that can make a meaningful difference.”

Reaction has been swift. YP Merge now has the official support of the nine industry groups: YBG, Edmonton Construction Association; Building Owners & Managers Association YP (BOMA); Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP); Canadian Society for Civil Engineering

YP Merge brings people together from all walks of the construction industry – be they architects, engineers, consultants, tradespeople, etc.

(CSCE); Young Professionals in Energy (YPE); Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA); Urban Development Institute (UDI) New Horizons; Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA); and ASHRAE Northern Alberta YEA. “Our short-term goal is to remove barriers and silos, and to tackle shared

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And one of the best ways to encourage conversation among young professionals these days is through social media, which is one of the very foundations of YP Merge.

causes with maximum impact,” states Ziegler. “Long term, our goal is to really advance conversation and discussion across the industry in a way that pioneers collaboration and joint advocacy that may even be a first of its kind in the country. This, in turn, will allow for wider support of knowledge transfer and ensure longterm success and resiliency in all industry sectors.” And one of the best ways to encourage conversation among young professionals these days is through social media, which is one of the very foundations of YP Merge.

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Instant access “We recognized that social media is a key tool for reaching our target audience of young professionals,” explains Ben Aitchison, senior project manager at One Properties. “More and more people, specifically in their 20’s and 30’s, use social media as their primary source of information. Given our need to establish the YP Merge brand and to give people an understanding of the concept, we developed a social media charter that forms the basis of our approach to industry-related posts and shares.” According to Aitchison, YP Merge choose to focus initially on LinkedIn and Twitter. “These two platforms aligned closely with the social media presence of the majority of the existing member groups,” he explains. “LinkedIn was targeted for its popularity as a resource for young professionals looking to network and expand their knowledge of the industry. Twitter was targeted because it provides an ideal resource for industry news and event-type posts.” One of the new collaboration tools to come out of the gate is the YP Merge Calendar. This online calendar is open for public reference and specifically the

different industry groups, giving each of them the ability to post their own events and news. “One of the key aspects of YP Merge is to share information between industry organizations and promote quality events and good causes,” states Aitchison. “This avoids organizations competing for event times, venues and sponsorship dollars, etc. The establishment of the YP Merge Calendar was a simple, but very effective tool that allows date co-ordination between the member organizations. Likewise, establishing home pages for YP Merge on LinkedIn and Twitter gave the group shared forums for adding content and building the amount of industry followers.” From the ground up YP Merge is different from many industry groups in that it aims to break down industry sector silos and create a unified presence. This means bringing together people from all walks of the construction industry – be they architects, engineers, consultants, tradespeople, etc. It also includes developers. “Bringing developers into the conversation provides efficiencies in terms of infrastructure, design, and construction,” explains Paul Rogers, director, marketing and business development, at Rescom Inc. “It also allows individuals to understand different perspectives. Developers lay a foundation for our city by envisioning new ways to foster community and commerce. At the end of the day, we all need each other to accomplish anything beyond the ordinary. It’s a symbiotic relationship – architects, builders, developers. We all need each other to grow and be successful.” Rogers goes on to state that YP Merge is about opening up the lines of communication and building relationships.

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“As the emerging leaders within our respective industries, the more we can facilitate interaction and collaboration between YP’s, the better,” he states. “This opens the door to more open and purposeful conversation as we build our city. Starting the conversation early allows us to share in a common vision and work together to achieve that vision.” Together we stand There is no denying the fact that YP Merge will make impactful changes within the construction industry. Its strength and ability to facilitate change will only get stronger as time goes on and as more and more YPs join the fold. “The YP Merge vision is to create forums and events where all groups can share their knowledge, experiences, ideas and strategies for improving the overall industry while respecting the different organizations and career paths,” states Aitchison. One of the end goals, of course, is greatly improved project delivery. But that’s not to say there won’t be other successes along the way. “In 10 years, the YPs who are part of YP Merge today will be running their companies and shaping the new face of our industry,” concludes von Berendt. “By connecting them to each other and breaking down barriers to maximize positive change now, YP Merge will set the tone for a much improved future. The possibilities are endless!” Join the conversation! #YPMerge @YPMerge u

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Highlight

Young Professionals in Energy

YPE and Finning joint event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; OEM Remanufacturing Plant Tour

Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) is a non-profit organization which provides opportunities for networking, learning, and career development, particularly

for those with an interest in the global energy industry. Our Edmonton chapter has been operating since 2012 and has organized many events and presentations

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Edmonton Construction Association

from academics, senior government officials, and prominent industry executives. Our leadership team is enthusiastically dedicated to the huge and growing community of professionals in our city. We have members from oil & gas, power, finance, accounting, law, academic programs, and government. The wide cross section of professionals in our network allows for the constant sharing of new ideas and challenging of old ones. As the main focus of YPE Edmonton is preparing our members to be the best leaders in their communities and the global energy industry, we frequently seek out exciting new themes and challenging topics. We try to allow for presentations from a diverse range of professionals, often with differing views, to keep our membership exposed to new ideas and to ensure growth at every possible opportunity.

YPE Climate Change office event.

In 2017, we had a presentation from the vice-president of Suncor Refinery to learn about the performance of oilsands companies in the current economic and political climate. We later held a presentation by Eric Denhoff, deputy minister of the Alberta Climate Change Office to learn about the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective on the financial and environmental impacts of their climate leadership strategy. The two presentations provided very different

Our leadership team is enthusiastically dedicated to the huge and growing community of professionals in our city. perspectives on the same topics and resulted in extremely engaging question periods. We encourage differences in opinion and pride ourselves in the type of Q&A sessions that leave no stone unturned. In fact, it is this difference in ideas and perspectives that excite us about the YP Merge initiative. By partnering with

other Young Professionals (YP) groups in Edmonton, we will increase the exposure of our members to a host of new experts, topics, and themes. Through the sharing of venues, resources and a joint event calendar, we hope to enrich everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to leadership and growth through education and the on-going exchange of ideas. u

ECA Breaking Ground | Winter 2018 57

Highlight boma The very nature of life in a winter city

a gap between established and emerging

demands foresight, grit, and pragmatism.

professionals. BOMA was able to recognize

Anyone who visits Edmonton quickly finds

this and began to reach out to those

a culture of hard-working, friendly blue-

emerging leaders in order to find a way to

collar people. Because of this, communities

bridge that gap. BOMA YP was established under BOMA

in Edmonton are strong; we all recognize the value of working together and

Edmonton in 2016 with a mandate to

understand what it takes be productive

establish open and engaging industry

and successful.

dialog with future young professionals in commercial real estate through effective

The Building Owners and Managers Association of Edmonton (BOMA

networking, progressive education, and

Edmonton) is an example of one of

leadership development. That winter,

those communities, and it, as such, has

BOMA YP began hosting networking and

consistently grown since its inception in

connecting events in conjunction with

1968. The commercial real estate industry,

local businesses that were focused around

like other industries, is beginning to see

connecting the young professionals in a

a new generation of leaders emerge; a

more comfortable environment. The feedback from these events helped

new generation that has been socialized in a new and totally different climate than

form the planning for the BOMA YP

those that preceded. And this has created

Committee as they reached out to young

Collaborations with YP Merge and BOMA Canada have provided further opportunities for BOMA YP to meet the needs of the young professionals it serves.

professionals to determine how they could best work for them to offer what they wanted and needed as they progress through their careers. In 2017, BOMA YP held its first-annual charity softball tournament, which grew exponentially in 2018. We also helped launch a mentorship program allowing emerging professionals in the industry to connect one-on-one with a variety of established, connected, and successful individuals who have long benefitted from the involvement with this industry. Collaborations with YP Merge and BOMA Canada have provided further opportunities for BOMA YP to meet the needs of the young professionals it serves. With the climate in Edmonton welcoming change at every corner, the BOMA YP committee is working to grow the opportunities for young professionals in commercial real estate so that those entering this industry will be better equipped to emerge as leaders in Edmonton and be active participants in continuing to build and contribute to this vibrant community. u

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Highlight ashrae Ashrae is a global society that works towards human well-being through sustainable technology in the built environment. Ashrae offers continuing education programs, develops technical standards, and funds research to improve building services engineering, energy efficiency, and sustainable development.

YEA, our focus YEA, the Young Engineers of Ashrae, develop and attract members for future membership and leadership by connecting young individuals and developing a community within the industry. Each year the committee presents to students at the University of Alberta and NAIT to spread awareness and encourage membership. Social events are held to allow students and new members to network with veteran Ashrae members and industry professionals. Scholarships are also made available to students who are active members of their communities and interested in a career in the HVAC&R industry. The collaboration We are excited about joining YP Merge as this poses a fantastic opportunity to meet and connect with individuals throughout the construction industry.

YP Merge parallels Ashraeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beliefs that collaboration in the industry is beneficial to everyone involved and is a natural extension of our immediate focus. In Ashrae, we focus on connecting individuals in the building ventilation industry. In YP Merge, we will focus on the construction industry as a whole. Just as getting to know players in the immediate industry helps to navigate bigger problems, we believe bringing more players to the table from every aspect of the construction industry will allow us to approach larger problems from multiple angles. Issues can be tackled from different parts of the industry collaboratively, allowing us to move past hurdles previously unsurpassable. YP Merge is a an exciting step towards a collaborative, holistic approach to construction and we are excited about the opportunities this will open for all that are involved. u

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Highlight

The CEA YPG: Tomorrow’s leaders in consulting engineering

The Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) Young Professionals Group (YPG) is an initiative of the CEA with the purpose of involving current young professionals in the consulting engineering industry with the CEA. The CEA YPG was started in 2005, the first of similar YPG’s across the country as part of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada Young Professionals Network, which in turn are members of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Young Professionals Forum. Our provincial network consists of three chapters in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. These robust professional networks return measurable benefit to today’s industry and will continue to add value for decades to come due to the lasting impact of their leaders. The mission for the CEA YPG is to enhance the growth of the CEA and the engineering consulting industry by promoting participation and development of young professionals. A young professional is defined as an individual working for a CEA member firm with less than 10 years of experience in their applicable field, as expressed in the YPG mandate. The CEA recognizes the voice of the YPG to the degree that the young professional director is a board member, as entrenched in their bylaw and legislation. The CEA YPG has five primary objectives: promoting consulting engineering, building YPG engagement, developing YPs professionally and personally, recognizing excellence amongst YPs, and developing partner relationships with other YP groups and associations. These are achieved with numerous initiatives. The CEA 60

CEA YPG 100 St Funicular Tour on April 11, 2018.

YPG calendar is highlighted with the YPG conference, entering its sixth year, industry mixers and lectures at engineering universities, technical tours, and through participation in all of the CEA’s industry committees. Previous YPG conferences have equipped young professionals to develop personal and professional resiliency, recognize the benefit and advocate for greater diversity, grow their emotional intelligence, drive innovation, and create change. Raising the profile and awareness of consulting engineering in our communities through student engagement and providing professional development opportunities was recognized to be a key dynamic in building the future industry. The key objective of the CEA YPG is to establish partnerships with other

Edmonton Construction Association

young professional organizations, which reflects the association’s drive in being a founding member of YP Merge. As our YPs grow and transition from young to established professionals, our aim is to leverage this central hub for collaboration with other likeminded peer groups. Through this collaboration, we expect our YPs will gain invaluable experiences, technical learning opportunities, and industry relationships that will embolden them to push forward as leaders. We believe the greatest potential of our industry is best realized when we build it with all partners pulling together. The CEA YPG is excited to be an active supporter of YP Merge and looks forward to collaboration with our YP Merge partners. u

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Highlight

NAIOP Edmonton Developing Leaders Committee

NAIOP Mentorship event.

NAIOP is an association of commercial real estate development professionals from industries including design and architecture, construction, development, sales and leasing, and real estate finance. The Developing Leaders segment of

NAIOP Edmonton represents members under the age of 35. Nearly 45 per cent of NAIOP Edmonton’s membership base is comprised of Developing Leader members. The Developing Leaders Committee was formed to oversee and promote this

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segment of NAIOP’s membership base. This committee is represented with the broader NAIOP chapter through a seat on NAIOP Edmonton’s Board of Directors. The goal of the committee is to give young professionals the opportunity to integrate into their profession through access to NAIOP’s extensive network of professionals and ongoing social and educational events. To accomplish this goal, the Developing Leaders Committee hosts a series of social and educational events throughout the year. The committee’s most prominent events include the following; Annual Mentorship Program The Developing Leader Mentorship Program is an annual initiative where Developing Leader members are granted an opportunity for one-on-one mentorship sessions with senior professionals from a variety of industry disciplines in the Edmonton commercial real estate community. This program provides Developing Leader members with valuable

20 Questions event with Tina Naqvi-Rota.

The Developing Leaders Committee was formed to oversee and promote this segment of NAIOP’s membership base. opportunities for personal and professional growth. Notable mentors from the program include; • Bob Black, executive vice-president, The Katz Group • Darrin Rayburn, president and CEO, Melcor Developments Ltd. • Tina Naqvi-Rota, president, Cameron Development Corporation 20 Questions events Once per quarter, the Developing Leaders Committee hosts 20 Questions, an intimate 15- to 20-person question and answer session with a prominent industry member. The event is moderated by a Developing Leader Committee member and is only open to Developing Leader members. Socials Once per quarter, the Developing Leaders Committee hosts social events that foster relationship building and outreach to non-members. Past events include golf lessons, axe throwing, or comedy events. The committee has also incorporated a charitable mandate for social events, which includes organizing volunteer events with charities such as the Edmonton Food Bank. u

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Taking things further

ECA works with Holo-Blok to offer new Digital Project Delivery training By Shayna Wiwierski

A new training curriculum will be offered next year by the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) that will explore Digital Project Delivery (DPD), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and Virtual Collaboration. The ECA is working to be the point of connection, the “Hub of Construction” for the hosting of critical discussions. “The U of A and Alberta Infrastructure are leading the way on Digital Project Delivery and BIM acceleration,” says John McNicoll, executive director of the ECA. “The long-term benefits of using computer models for construction and maintenance are clear and well researched. However, the adoption and transition of industry, designers, and owners to this new productivity is in slow motion here in Alberta. Although recent grads from our educational suppliers, NAIT, U of A, and the design schools is advanced, grads are not always able to put their modern skills to use.” Edmonton-based architecture and technology service company Holo-Blok was recently contracted by the ECA to deliver curriculum on DPD in a course now called BIM 102 in progression from the first course, branded as BIM 101. The program will delve deeper into the practical requirements associated with cross-disciplinary collaboration across all stakeholders involved in delivering a building asset. According to the National Building Specification (NBS), BIM/DPD is a process for creating and managing information on a construction project 64

Dan Doherty, VDC modelling manager, PCL Construction makes a point as part of the BIM Education Seminar in late August. (From L to R: Rafael Lucero, manager, spatial information management unit, Alberta Infrastructure; Ian Morgan, principal, NEXT Architecture; Randy Perry, senior project manager, Collins Steel).

across the project lifecycle. One of the key outputs of this process is the building information model, the digital description of every aspect of the built asset. This model draws on information assembled collaboratively and updated at key stages of a job. Creating a digital model of a building and all its components enables those who interact with the building to optimize their actions, resulting in a greater whole life value for the asset. The ECA course – BIM 102, was designed to enable our industry to respond to Alberta Infrastructure’s and the University of Alberta’s recent initiatives in digital project delivery and asset information management requirements. Under these requirements, there are written digital deliverables that are intended to greatly enhance the management and

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operations of their assets. As forwardthinking owners, they are defining industry requirements that will allow them to utilize technology to build, manage, and efficiently operate all future buildings. “The ECA is serving in a central convening role to gather all industry stakeholders for a common journey so we continue to be known as a community of exceptional construction,” says McNicoll. “We want our local industry to jump ahead and embrace new behaviours in productivity and technology. We have to develop and invest in our skills, then practice and become exceptional in our delivery – we have to work on this right now.” BIM is changing the way that all stakeholders traditionally design, construct, and operate buildings. When done correctly, it enables the right

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Roddy Handa of Holo-Blok, asks a question of the panel at the BIM Education Seminar this past August.

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experts to come to the table and inform design considerations, construction considerations, and operations and maintenance considerations early in the process. That information can then be consolidated and readily available for anyone that might have use for it down the road. “The greatest advantage of using BIM is getting rid of a lot of redundancies in traditional consulting and construction,” says Roddy Handa, lawyer, architect, and problem solver at Holo-Blok. “We burn a lot of project value by creating redundancies in our processes and by not having the right expert at the table to actually provide meaningful input.” Handa draws on an example of architects doing millwork drawings, which often end up being irrelevant when they reach the hands of millworkers. Typically, millworkers will redo the drawings in the way they are actually built. They have that expertise, not architects, so it makes little sense to have an architect duplicate this effort. When used in the right procurement model, BIM allows the millworker to get involved from the beginning and has them participating in the model’s formation. This type of approach facilitates the passing of information more fluidly, not just at key milestones, but throughout the whole spectrum of the project. The original BIM 101 curriculum is an overview and introduction into some of the terminologies, requirements, and software that companies need to explore the virtual collaboration world. According to Handa, it doesn’t get into the substance of project requirements and how to achieve them. The way BIM 102 will work is participants will focus on their individual discipline, the interplay with other participants, and how that forms the bigger picture. “BIM 101 is the bigger picture; what needs to be accomplished. It doesn’t really tell you how you’re going to accomplish it, so that’s the hope for BIM 102.”

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Roddy Handa, lawyer, architect, and problem solver at Holo-Blok, is currently facilitating the BIM 102 course for the ECA.

Holo-Blok was retained by the ECA at the end of summer to deliver a curriculum that has never been taught before. The course will launch in early 2019 by building upon the existing BIM 102 curriculum work that has been done and refining it through the perspectives of experts from every field. Local experts will be engaged to communicate the true implications of DPD from a broad standpoint of each of the stakeholders to all course participants. “How can people participate in a world where all projects are delivered digitally?” says Handa, who mentions that HoloBlok started in January 2017. “We are identifying who the key stakeholders are in any given project, who needs to participate

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in this process, and who will form how that process unfolds. Collectively, those will be the people that deliver and refine the curriculum.” Once the key user groups are identified, the objective will be to sit with experts from each of the groups, as well as other participants on a construction project, and find out their perspectives from their experience. They will look at what the key learning objectives are for everyone, from owners to trades, in order to participate in BIM and Digital Project Delivery. With the learning objectives identified, participants will go through them with the key experts. Methods will include hands-on learning in a model, understanding how to do a common day-to-day task in a new paradigm, and high-level and theoretical concepts will also be examined including; how does one party’s work actually influence the work of another discipline or group. Handa says that the curriculum will focus on expert opinions on what steps will need to be taken so other people in that

When used in the right procurement model, BIM allows the millworker to get involved from the beginning and has them participating in the model’s formation. field can participate in BIM. From there, they will then crosspollinate and figure out if one party does a certain task, what does that mean for the other groups involved. To enable construction projects to be delivered collaboratively, the curriculum will also be developed collaboratively. The course is designed to be three or four days of instruction time for a minimum of 24 hours for each student. The format is an eight-hour initial day where everyone is involved, then there will be three four-hour breakout sessions for each subdiscipline group that are identified. For the final session, everyone will come back together for another fourhour wrap up to discuss the things that were uncovered during the breakout sessions and tie things together. The ECA chose Holo-Blok to facilitate this course since they have become trusted as enablers of modernization for the construction community. McNicoll says that the ECA is calling on members to participate in this course and contribute their time and energy to be sure they benefit from its synergies. “Members should sign up because they really want to get ready for participating in the projects for Alberta Infrastructure and the University of Alberta that are going to be demanding skills of virtual collaboration and BIM models in a construction process and productivity,” says McNicoll. “Owners are now demanding that our community function in these disciplines, it’s not that ‘someday we are going to do this’, we are moving ahead. If you want to be ready for the future, you should be getting involved.” u

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High risk; high reward The realities of being an estimator By Melanie Franner

The ECA offers a Professional Estimating Group (PEG) that provides estimators with an opportunity to mingle and network.

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The old adage is “You are only as good as your last performance”. This rings true for a lot of people in a lot of different careers. But it is especially fitting for an estimator. These are the individuals whose lives are governed by 2 p.m. deadlines. Theirs is a story of numbers, analysis, and waiting. Win or lose. “I love my job. I really do,” insists Julie Williams, estimating manager, Scott Builders. “It’s fun. It’s rewarding. And I definitely don’t get bored at work – that’s for sure.” Williams has been working with the general contracting firm for upwards of eight years. She admits that it’s a very high-pressure career. “My role is critical,” she explains. “Any mistakes I make means that the project team has to deal with them.” Fortunately, the years have enabled Williams to learn how to disconnect herself from the daily stress of her job when she leaves work at the end of the day. “I have had my fair share of sleepless nights,” she jokes, adding that there is no such thing as a perfect bid. “It’s called an estimate for a reason,” she states. Team work In his role as general manager for ARPI’s North Inc., Roger Buksa oversees an estimating department of four. On a scale of one to 10, he rates their importance in the construction chain as a “10”. “Without them, we don’t get the work,” he states. “It’s a Catch 22. They are going to get us the work and we will

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Julie Williams is the estimating manager at Scott Builders.

Ali Gillani, senior estimator at PCL, has been an estimator on and off for 20 years.

make money on it, or they will get us the work and we won’t make money on it, or we will not get the work.” Ali Gillani has been an estimator on and off for 20 years. He is currently the senior estimator for PCL. “We are the skill that brings in the project,” he explains. “We have to get the project before we can build it.” Although Gillani admits that the role of the estimator hasn’t changed

Dan Eckert has been an estimator for over 15 years, five of which has been with Clark Builders.

significantly over the years, he is quick to address technology. “Technology has changed a lot,” he says. “The programs are so much more advanced that you can get a lot more done in a lesser amount of time.” Dan Eckert has been an estimator for 15+ years, five of which have been with Clark Builders. He acknowledges the benefit that technology has brought to the table, but he is also quick to add that

Neil Mallette, Alberta contracts Estimator at Vipond Inc. has been an estimator for three years and enjoys the fast-paced environment.

technology is proving to be a doubleedged sword. “I feel like part of the traditional role of being an estimator has been overlooked by technology,” he explains. “There is less of a focus on relationship building and creating win strategies. We have to remind ourselves to nurture supplier relationships and meet with people. It’s not just about inputting numbers.”

The ECA Professional Estimating Group (PEG) supports the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and PMs who work hard to keep the project pipeline full. Professional Estimating Group

Through special networking and professional-development events, the PEG will cultivate the business relationships that every professional needs to excel in their work. Contact Matt Schellenberger at 780.483.1130 to get involved.

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The PEG enables us to put faces to names, and actually get to know professionals we communicate with on a regular basis beyond the numbers and politics. High pressure But neither technology’s benefits nor downfalls have eased the pressure of being an estimator. “These guys are under a lot of pressure,” says Buksa. “They’re quoting jobs continuously, five or six a week minimum. We can do 20 quotes in a week easy. A lot of them can be small, $20,000 jobs, a few larger ones of maybe $250,000, or some can be like the one we’re working on now, which is a $45-million project. There is a lot of variety. These guys need to know their stuff.” Not only do the estimators need to know their stuff, they also need to know the stuff of others. “These guys also have to get the subcontractor and supplier quotes,”

explains Buksa. “A lot of times, the subtrades and suppliers don’t want to release their numbers until close to the deadline.” The unknown factor Gathering and crunching the numbers by a 2 p.m. deadline isn’t the only difficult aspect of the job. There are other factors at play, such as “not included” or NICs. “An estimator can end up with a supplier quote that is $5,000 less than another one, but the quote can have a list of NICs a mile long,” explains Buksa. “In this case, the estimator has to make a judgement call.” Even the plans themselves can come with some ambiguity. “There are three major players at the table of any project,” explains

Gillani. “There is the owner, who wants the best product at the best price. There is the consultant, who wants to make sure his/her design intent is implemented. And then there is the general contractor. A lot of times, 2D drawings and even 3D design models aren’t clear. At the end of the day, the general contractor wants the possibility of misinterpretation minimized.” Knowing as much as you can about the project will lead to a more accurate estimate. But mistakes do happen. “With the complexity of multimilliondollar building projects, there are bound to be incorrect assumptions at times,” states Eckert. “That’s why it’s called an estimate. The key is having a win strategy and ultimately securing the job, then working with the operations team to maximize the opportunities within the project.” Eckert has been fortunate as of late to be able to focus more on construction management and design-build projects,

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rather than the hard, lump-sum bids. Still, he works hard at maintaining a life/ work balance, along with extra-curricular activities that include fitness. “I find it helps if you stay active and stay in good, physical shape,” he says. A life passion Neil Mallette, Alberta contracts estimator, Vipond Inc., has been with the company for over seven years. “I enjoy the fast-paced, high-stress environment. I like working with finances, associating value to our work and piecing the puzzles together,” he says, adding that in his position with Vipond, which is a life safety (sprinkler, fire alarm, and security) company, he also gets to make sure that due diligence is done. “A non-compliant sprinkler system can result in loss of life or property. It can of course still get stressful because it’s up to me to balance the owners’/ clients’ needs versus wants and with what’s feasible, all the while trying to remain competitive in a highly volatile and

aggressive market. I also feel responsible for the safety and lives of others, as well as for the livelihood of the Vipond team, not just my own wife and kids, but it is also incredibly rewarding at every turn. From completion of estimate, to design, installation and finally turnover, you get to say I was a part of that, and we did a great job.” That being said, Mallette concedes that it does get easier with time. And he is quick to add that he loves the job. He started with the company right after graduation. “And I haven’t looked back since,” he says.

“The PEG enables us to put faces to names, and actually get to know professionals we communicate with on a regular basis beyond the numbers and politics,” states Mallette. “It’s a great chance to network, to meet and communicate with members of the industry in a non-threatening, respectful, and often fun environment.” The PEG has been operational for over two years. “All of our events to date have been smashing successes,” states Eckert. “It’s good to have an environment where estimators from different trades and companies can come together and talk about their profession.” Mingling with colleagues can go a long way to helping to alleviate the stress of the day. But, in the end, it’s the estimator who has to live with the constant pressures of trying to get it right – as often as possible. “There are only certain people who will be able to do this job for any length of time,” concludes Buksa. u

All in a day’s work Fortunately, the role of the humble estimator does not have to be a solitary one. There are groups like the ECA’s Professional Estimating Group (PEG), that provide these high-pressured individuals with an opportunity to mingle and converse with like-minded professionals.

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ECA Breaking Ground | Winter 2018 75

Building style – the Italian way

Edmonton hot-spot Uccellino reinvents space on Jasper Avenue By Melanie Franner

The city of Edmonton is home to many fine dining experiences. Chef Daniel Costa has his hands in three of them, the most recent being Uccellino. The modern-day trattoria complements its two sister establishments (Corso 32 and Bar Bricco) nationally as well as physically in that they are located beside each other on Jasper Avenue. Despite its reference to the Italian translation of “Little Bird”, Uccellino was anything but “little” in the making. The restaurant officially opened in the summer of 2016, but it was a long – and complex – journey to get there.

Transforming the old The Uccellino site was most recently home to a restaurant and coffee shop. Building the Italian eatery necessitated some significant demolition work. Even then, the project itself continued to have “little” surprises along the way. “It was a bit of an unusual job in that it was a mix of design/build and lump-sum,” explains David Chase, vice-president, construction, Keller Construction Ltd. “The drawings for the main engineering work were completed, but everyone knew that once we got on site, there would be more exploration on some of the existing

structural and mechanical systems.” The general contractors started on the job in September 2015. “The demolition was fairly substantial,” says Chase. “It probably took us two months before we could do any reconstruction work in the space.” Part of this work meant converting the storefront coffee shop’s existing “man door” and garage door into the entrance way and vestibule of the new restaurant. This entailed tearing out the old doors and replacing them with an approximately 20-foot-high aluminum, glazed curtain wall.

The discovery of existing beams notAssociation included in the original drawings turned out to be a surprise and complication for the project. 76 Edmonton Construction As a result, the project crew had to make some significant changes to the proposed duct work.

Uccellino, located at 10349 Jasper Ave., officially opened in summer 2016. It is headed by chef Daniel Costa.

Although Keller Construction was able to leverage pieces of the existing restaurant’s old kitchen, the company had to re-work that space. “When it came down to it, just the four exterior remained untouched during the demolition and re-construction process,” states Chase. Old reminders The mechanical and HVAC on the Uccellino project were also at the mercy of the aging structures. Although the roof itself did not need to be replaced, it did require some additional embellishments. “We had to add a modified roofing system,” says Chase. “We brought in four rooftop units instead of the expected two, as well as the curbing and exhaust.” Chase adds that the discovery of existing beams not included in the original drawings turned out to be another surprise, one that further complicated the project and called for some significant changes to the proposed duct work. “There ended up being a lot of rework done for the mechanical systems,” he states. Brad Gellhaus, project manager, Master Mechanical Plumbing and Heating Ltd. can vouch for this first-hand. “The old buildings definitely presented some challenges,” he reports. “Once we got going, we began running into a few problems, mostly structural in nature.” The local company, celebrating its 50th year of operation, was charged with

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General contractors Keller Construction started on the project in September 2015, which was a mix of design/build and lump-sum.

Uccellino is 2,000 square feet and also features an open, second-storey mezzanine. The original existing mezzanine did not meet code, so the team had to complete replace it.

installing all of the mechanical, rooftop units, plumbing, fixtures, and kitchen equipment. In all, individuals from Master Mechanical Plumbing and Heating worked on and off the site for around eight months in total, with a crew of three or four. “It was the challenges that stemmed from the older buildings that held us up,” says Gellhaus. “We had a few delays along the way but we got through them and capitalized on the existing structure and systems whenever we could.” Shoring up a good thing At just under 2,000 square feet, Uccellino has a lot to offer its cliental. Part of its charm is the open, second-storey mezzanine. Unbeknownst to the patrons who are fortunate enough to sit there today, the mezzanine itself turned out to be yet another interesting aspect in the construction. “Once we got into the project, we discovered that the existing mezzanine did not meet code,” states Chase. “So we had to rip it out and replace the whole thing.” The mezzanine wasn’t the only floor to offer hardship. “The fact that it was an older building did offer some challenges,” explains Matt Leeb, project manager, The Carpet Studio. “Some of the floors on the main floor were not

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structurally sound so we had to seek out advice from the TTMAC.” The Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada (TTMAC) was able to provide the much-needed help. “We ended up using an anti-fracture membrane on the floor in a few places,” says Leeb. “We also had to do some self-levelling here and there in order to put in the large-format tile that was requested. There were only three or four different tiles used throughout the restaurant, so from that perspective it was a pretty straight-forward project.” The Carpet Studio, now in its 30th year of operation, was onsite for two to three weeks with a three-person crew in order to do the tile work on the project. According to Chase, the Uccellino project was also interesting in that it used a lot of pre-cast concrete panels. “There are built-in concrete benches and a concrete feature wall – to name a couple of the finishing touches,” he says. “The open-riser stairs leading to the mezzanine are also made of concrete, which adds to the open and airy feel of the restaurant.” A gem in the making Although Edmontonians have welcomed Uccellino with open arms, quickly making it one of the go-to dining establishments in the city, they may remain happily unaware of the hard work and effort required to do so. Keller Construction not only orchestrated a very complex project laden with hidden surprises, but the company managed to do so while the two sister restaurants, and an upstairs tenant behind the mezzanine, remained in operation. The $1-million project may have come in a bit over budget, but the extra money and time required seems to have paid off for both Costa and the Edmontonians who continue to flock to the “little bird”. Uccellino rightfully joins its sister restaurants as a culinary success. But yet, it still stands apart for its special migration from past to present. u

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Exposure is value By Curtis Griffith

Why should we use BuildWorks Canada? I get this question quite often from general contractors, owners, and consultants when discussing their process for finding project partners. Most often the response is a simple, why not? If you are going to sell your house, would you rely on a single realtor’s website or network? No, you would expect it to be advertised on realtor.com for the world to see, attracting every potential buyer and hopefully some competition for your home. This simple principle helps us guide many decisions in our day-to-day life. Why do we all use Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace to sell used items? Why do we all love SkipTheDishes, Airbnb, Expedia, even Uber? Because these tools

provide us with maximum exposure to who and what is available in the marketplace, creating confidence that we are receiving the best available value for our sale, purchase, or transaction. Construction opportunities are no different. We certainly have tried, tested, and true networks that will always be utilized and leveraged to deliver a successful project, but are there others out there doing similar work for other clients? Yes. Does some healthy, transparent, fair competition bring out the best in all of us in our work? Yes. Does advertising your opportunity, RFQ, RFI, EOI, request for sub trades, specific trade package, plan to design through BuildWorks Canada ensure you are receiving the maximum exposure and absolute best value the

market can provide? Yes, it certainly does. BuildWorks Canada is a service provided with the highest levels of integrity by the local construction associations across Western Canada. Our goal is to connect buyers of construction to builders in the most efficient and transparent way possible, leading to increased value and successful project deliveries. BuildWorks Canada is Where the Work Is. We look forward to helping you create a solid foundation of success in the initial stages of your construction project. u Curtis Griffith is the director of business development for BuildWorks Canada.

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ECA Breaking Ground | Winter 2018 81

ECA member milestones Women Building Futures hosts industry to Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit

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Diversity and inclusion have been hot topics in many industries, as more people move on to retirement and the need to expand the talent pool becomes a higher priority. The construction and maintenance industry is anticipating a loss of close to 250,000 skilled workers – 21 per cent of its current labour force – by 2026 (1). Attracting a new workforce will challenge employers to revisit their recruitment and retention strategies to not only bring in new talent, but adjust workplace environments to keep them. In early October, Women Building Futures hosted their first Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit, a two-day conference focused on how to create and sustain a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the construction and trades industry. Kathy Kimpton, president & CEO of Women Building Futures opened the conference by sharing “Conversations will be authentic and focus on the challenges and opportunities—presenting real-life situations and best practices so we can keep moving forward.” Nearly 250 leaders and influencers from across Canada gathered to tackle topics like: how to attract and keep women in the industry, how to manage workplace harassment, how to build sustainable partnerships with Indigenous communities, and how leaders can inspire and influence change at all levels. During a keynote presentation, Roberta Jamieson, president & CEO of Indspire, a national Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people, reflected on the change and support needed for truth and reconciliation, sharing “There is dramatic change required in the way Canada relates to Indigenous people…this is not a journey we can do alone.” A common thread of the conference was the difference between inclusivity and diversity. The two terms are often thought of as a pair, but are not often considered for their individual meaning. “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance,” said Regina Davis, supply and technical services manager with Imperial, in one breakout session. Many speakers and panelists highlighted the benefits of tapping into a more diverse

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workforce and stressed the reputational and financial risks of not. Conversations also underlined how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only important to tap a wider talent pool, but also create a success plan to keep those workers engaged and feeling welcome. This summit challenged all participants, speakers, and attendees to be comfortable tackling uncomfortable conversations in order to take action and demand significant change in the workplace. Attendees gathered further insight to the importance of adopting more inclusive and diverse practices and tangible takeaways to apply with their teams, in order to create positive change for all. For more information about the Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit, or to view photos from the event, visit workproudsummit.ca. u

Trade Perspectives Work Proud Summit keynote speaker Roberta Jamieson, president & CEO of Indspire.

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(1) BuildForce Canada, Construction & Maintenance Looking Forward National Summary 2017-2026. (Ottawa: BuildForce Canada, 2017), 1 & 9.

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Is it mold or mould? However one spells it (Canadian English favours the British spelling of “mould”, though mold is fairly common in Canadian publications), mould is one natural disaster most property owners do not foresee. Not only is mould harmful to the building, it’s also harmful to the health of those who occupy the space. What is mould? Mould is a tiny fungus that consumes dead matter. As such, moulds play the perfectly natural role of decomposer. Inside, mould will slowly destroy just about every element of a building including woods, carpets, and furnishings. In fact, mould can grow on practically anything provided there is enough moisture in the area. Mould reproduces by emitting microscopic spores that float through the air. Too much mould in the air can adversely affect humans. Not only is mould a known allergen, but it is also a cause of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Mould damage Property owners in wet or humid climates are much more susceptible to mould damage. This becomes particularly relevant during the cold winter months when a) precipitation is often prevalent, and b) large temperature gaps from indoors to outdoors create perfect conditions for condensation. Additionally, mould damage is inevitably a side effect of flooding. Unfortunately, many people 86

Edmonton Construction Association

Mould growth up a wall from the result of a leaky roof. Photo compliments of JK Environmental Services.

assume that simply cleaning and getting rid of mould will solve the problem; however, removing mould will not remove the problem, just prolong it. To effectively rid any property of mould, the source of the moisture must be addressed first. Controlling moisture is the key to controlling mould.

Hazardous mould found growing in wall insulation due to water seepage through gaps in fireplace piping/ventilation. Photo compliments of JK Environmental Services

The low down on mould • When moisture builds up in the interior or exterior of a home or commercial structure, mould growth can start in as little as 48 hours. • Mould can be found most places both indoors and outdoors. • Mould is microscopic and travels quickly through the air, entering buildings through the windows, doors, on clothing, pets, and through air conditioning and heating systems. • The spores of the mould live off of moisture. The worst thing that can be done to try to get rid of mould is to spray it down with more moisture and wipe it away. This only accelerates the mould growth, making the spores grow into colonies quickly. The result is a cluster of colonies living in the walls and floors that are producing harmful allergens and irritants. • Often, mould can begin with a broken pipe that is leaking water within the walls. In this instance, it is important that the sources of water or moisture be addressed. If they are not, the original problem will simply invite the mould to return. • Mould gives off a very distinct, unmistakable, musty and strong odour that can be followed to the problem areas. How to prevent mould growth in the winter months 1. Paper, books, and clothing are sources of food for mould, so don’t store them in humid areas, such as basements. 2. If there is a crawl space, cover the soil in the crawl space with waterproof polyethylene plastic. If the crawl space has vents, close the vents in the summer and keep them open in the winter.

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3. Replace cracked or defective mortar/ concrete in foundations. 4. Make sure the caulking on all windows is maintained to ensure proper insulation. 5. Choose aluminum or vinyl window frames to limit food sources for mould, or paint wooden window sills with a high-gloss paint to help protect the wood and make it easier for cleaning. 6. Make sure exterior walls are wellinsulated. 7. Make sure drain lines, ductwork, and filters are all clean. 8. Set ceiling fans in reverse. Running them at night will help increase air circulation near windows. 9. Keep the humidity of the property below 60 per cent. It should be between 35 to 45 per cent if possible. 10. Use exhaust fans in high-moisture areas. Exhaust fans should be vented to the outdoors and not to an attic or crawl space. 11. Paint concrete floors to reduce moisture levels seeping through. Understanding the risks So just how hazardous is mould, and what are the real risks to a facility and its occupants? Mould is a naturally occurring fungi and as an allergen, mould can be particularly troublesome for the elderly, the very young, and those whose

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Edmonton Construction Association

Mould growth around a wooden window due to excessive condensation. Photo compliments of JK Environmental Services.

immune systems are already compromised by illness or disease. In addition to being unsightly and causing unpleasant odours, mould can cause health problems. Mould-related symptoms can include sneezing; itching skin; skin irritation; watery, itchy eyes; and headaches. In general, mould should be of greatest concern in public spaces such as schools, daycare centres, nursing homes, hospitals, and apartment and commercial buildings. “In our experience as a large environmental contractor, the bottom line on the health effects of mould is this: mould can be a significant health hazard, especially to sensitive populations, and any risk assessment and corrective action must take into account the severity of the problem and the impact on workers, residents, and visitors,” says Johon Benavides of JK Environmental. “Should mould be found, it is always best to consult a professional for advice and options available to eliminate the problem.”

If you would like further information about topics covered in this article or if you have mould concerns, please call Pamela Kunopaskie at 780-782-8894. u

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