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ECA Breaking Ground
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2024 ECA BOARD
Board Chair
Jen Hancock
Vice-Chair
Ben Wagemakers
Treasurer-Secretary Sean Tymkow
Past Chair
Derek Ciezki
Directors
Matt Aubin
Dustin Bennett
Ryan Christensen
Bert DeBruin
Paul Fereday
Leah Marchon
Daniel McAllister
Lindsay Munn
Steven Oosterhof
Peter Osbourne
Darryl Wiebe
Pat Williams www.edmca.com
Greetings from the ECA Board of Directors. As the new chair of the board, I am excited and challenged by this new role. A big thank you to Derek Ciezki who served as chair for the last two years and has been on the board for the last sixplus years. His time, energy, and strong industry voice have benefited not only me, but the association in general. As we head into a busy summer construction season, there’s a number of things the staff and board have been up to.
We continue to work on our newest strategic plan which was drafted last fall by the board and the ECA executive team. The strategy includes a focus on networking opportunities, education, and government relations/advocacy representing industry voices on issues at a municipal, provincial, and federal level. Edmonton still has one of the largest construction associations in Canada and continues to provide innovative programming, like the Owners’ Forum and YBG, that other associations are inspired by and look to duplicate;
something we should all be proud of.
We kicked off the year with the Builders Connect Expo in February (both networking and education), with a new format to what was the annual lunch event. The new full-day program was a huge success with industry updates, an incredible display of vendors on the tradeshow floor, plenty of networking time, and an inspiring awards presentation for the Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Paul Forgues. And while I’m at it, congratulations to Paul on an incredible career and thanks for sharing your story with us.
In connection with industry need and the strategy, the staff and board have also had a strong focus on education and training, not only in continued course offerings, but also in connection with schools and government to attract new talent to our industry. The Tools for Schools program has continued to have an impact on schools across the Edmonton region. And, participation in
events like Skills Alberta help the staff connect with teachers and students.
The staff at the ECA, David, Caroline, Matt, Taylor, Brittaney, Dave, Bev, Wendy, Alex, Jennifer, Debbie, Verena, and Gabriela do an incredible job bringing industry together and bringing value to members. A big thank you to all of the staff that make the wheels turn.
So, as we move through 2024, we look forward to engaging with you, providing a united voice when we can, and looking for ways we can all connect. The business of building/renovating buildings is of great importance to society, the climate, and to the economy. Just like it takes a village to raise a family, it takes a village to develop, permit, design, supply, manufacture, build, and service a building. We aim to continue supporting industry in best practices so that we can all keep doing the important work.
Thank you!
Jen Hancock 2024 ECA Board Chair
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Message from David Johnson, ECA President
2024 has started strong and, once again, I am completely amazed by the high level of engagement from our members. We began in February with a new format for our annual Builders Connect Expo, which saw over 600 attendees, 30 sponsors, and over 50 exhibitors. This all-day event featured numerous speakers, including an update from the Minister of Infrastructure, Pete Guthrie. We wrapped up the formal program with our volunteer awards and a presentation of our Lifetime Achievement Award going to Paul Forgues from Bird Construction followed by some live music and networking. Our Career Pathways Committee has also been hard at work. Established in 2022, the committee aims to tackle future labour shortages through strategic partnerships and initiatives such
as Tools for Schools and member scholarships. This year, we once again expanded the Tools for Schools program, providing essential tools and supplies to 27 schools in the Edmonton region. We also supported students with trades education and awarded over $100,000 in ECA-sponsored scholarships.
Our government relations committee has been very active this year. Through several initiatives, including meetings, member events, and lobbying efforts, we have represented members’ interests on the issues of labour supply, education, training, public procurement policy, prompt payment, and contract modernization, just to name a few. We also recently had our legislative day where the ECA was introduced in the legislative assembly during question period following meetings
with four cabinet ministers and five ministries central to the construction industry. Collaboration between the Edmonton Construction Association, the Alberta Construction Association, and the Calgary Construction Association remains strong as we ensure our key messages align and represent the industry’s needs. I am also particularly excited about our new app, TradesLink. The app is the only social media network specifically designed for the trades and is where the trades and employers can get together to build community, share innovations, manage their credentials, and look for work. We are working diligently to scale the platform across Canada over the remainder of the year, while providing additional features throughout.
Once again, our seven member golf tournaments have sold out and are looking forward to getting out to the course to have fun and network with our membership. In addition, we have a multitude of networking and educational events planned
for the second half of 2024, including BBQs, Meet the GCs, Owners Forum, the Canadian Leadership Institute, and more. Furthermore, our sub-groups, namely the Young Builders Group (YBG), Professional Estimators Group (PEG), and WomenBuild, will host numerous in-person meetings, panels, and networking events.
I am sincerely thankful to be part of the construction community and to have the opportunity to work with our outstanding board and committee members. I also want to express my gratitude for our amazing staff who work tirelessly to ensure the success of our members every day. Wishing you all a successful year in business and thank you for partnering with the Edmonton Construction Association.
Sincerely,
David Johnson President, Edmonton Construction Association
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By Lisa Kopochinski
TradesLink—a social media platform created by tradespeople for tradespeople—is really taking off.
Launched in 2021 by Rob Bartko and Sam Beaudoin—a framer and carpenter by trade—it took a while for it to gain momentum until the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) purchased TradesLink in early 2023. After acquisition, they relaunched the platform as a community for individuals to find work and connect with others in the construction industry.
“I’ve been wearing many hats, including managing and directing strategy for operations, product design, app testing, marketing, and business development,” says Alex Stieda, TradesLink’s operations manager. “We have a catalogue of feature requests that we are constantly prioritizing based on user feedback. As we roll out new features in the app, we are listening to our user base and building our app features for the near and longer term.”
To date, the platform has helped many ECA members in numerous ways—including
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“We are listening to our user base and building our app features for the near and longer term.”
—Alex Stieda
allowing them to build a verified company profile on the app to promote themselves to tradespeople.
Stieda says employers are also easily able to set up their own verified company crews on the app.
“This allows them to create communication channels with their employees and contractors to manage their teams’ credentials and expiry dates, organize recertification training; search the TradesLink database for potential hires and reach out directly to them; and post jobs to their company crew and/or to the main app feed.”
Essentially, TradesLink has two key groups of users:
• Tradespeople themselves who can build community, improve their skills, connect with employers to find work, and manage their credentials.
• Employers of tradespeople who can
connect directly with tradespeople, manage their teams of workers, plan credential management and recertification.
Stieda says this app is helping with the industry’s labour shortage in a number of ways.
“This includes giving the employers the ability to connect directly with tradespeople in a way that has never been done before, in a very costeffective way,” he says. “TradesLink also provides tradespeople with their own platform to showcase their work, build community, and help each other.”
Nick Svaikauskas is president and project lead at Calgary Custom Concepts, which specializes in providing top-tier custom millwork and finish carpentry services, tailored to meet the needs of both homebuilders and homeowners in Calgary. He says the company has been using TradesLink since April primarily to stay in touch with other construction professionals and to be part of the community.
TradesLink app users have a number of post-type options to choose from.
“The app has helped me connect with other professionals in the industry that I otherwise would not have known,” says Svaikauskas. “My local network is limited to suppliers, subcontractors, and other contractors whom I deal with directly, who are recommended to me or who I meet at networking events.”
He also likes that TradesLink is providing a tremendous opportunity to bring the trades into the 21st century by adopting technology to improve communications, create efficiency, and make jobs easier.
“Technology is becoming increasingly helpful and accessible for even small
“The
companies to adopt. Larger commercial builders have been using project management software for longer, but now those same features and options are accessible to small companies even with a few employees,” he says. “This can help with scheduling, project management, tracking expenses, and job costing and communication. This translates into better efficiency for the business and better experiences for customers. The new generation is bringing with it an openness to adopting technology that was ignored or not used by the previous generation.”
It also allows Svaikauskas to connect with trades beyond his geographical reach, and who are outside of his known network. He says that if they don’t serve the same geographical area, it is beneficial to connect and gain insights into their challenges, how they are facing
—Nick Svaikauskas
them, and what similar companies are doing. He adds that he also uses it to post interesting projects that they are working on, and to look for potential hires as they grow their company.
Svaikauskas says that one of the most helpful features is the feed that can be easily split into the six different categories so that the information he is specifically looking for comes up quickly.
“This makes it easy to open the app and find whatever information I am needing or interested in, rather than scrolling through a crowded feed and hoping to come across something helpful,” he says. “While I haven’t used this feature extensively, the ability to create a crew and for it to have its own feed is very helpful.”
He especially likes that the app allows for personalization within the company to increase communication and camaraderie. This is a more intimate space for sharing posts, funny stories, or photos from jobs. Svaikauskas says that as the app grows, it is his hope that it becomes a go-to place where team members go to check out what is new within the company and post updates about their day.
Matea Herauf, a product application specialist at Finning Canada, a division of Finning International Inc., which is the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer located throughout Western Canada, says she can certainly relate.
“I have been part of the TradesLink community since the initial release,” says Herauf. “There has been a need for a resource on community, networking, support, and learning specific to the
blue-collar world. TradesLink aims to fill that void.”
Herauf especially appreciates the “Questions” section and having a spot to post a question knowing that you’re not going to get spammed with people wasting your time. She says that other social media platforms are plagued with negativity and criticism, making support and encouragement hard to find and even digest at times. Eliminating the negativity helps drive progression, allowing people to be vulnerable and ask the question they genuinely need answered.
From an employer standpoint, Svaikauskas finds the TradesLink app very beneficial in finding new employees and managing employees’ credentials.
“I am looking forward to using TradesLink to network and connect with new potential hires,” he says. “I see that the platform creates an opportunity to follow along with a job prospect’s
commitment to their trade and see what type of projects they may have worked on and what type of questions they ask about the industry.”
He also finds that the credential management tools present a great opportunity to house all credentials in one online location. TradesLink makes it easy and efficient to find out what credentials an employee or potential new hire has, and what needs to be updated or added. This contributes to the culture of safety by ensuring all training and certificates are current.
Herauf agrees and says TradesLink is place for companies to show it all— company culture, highlights, a day in the life, news, and jobs.
“Speaking of jobs, employers are able to see whether potential candidates have required skills and certifications, giving a more accurate picture of that individual’s qualifications,” says Herauf. “Best of all, having direct connection to an array
Nick Svaikauskas, president and project lead at Calgary Custom Concepts, says the TradesLink app has helped him connect with other industry professionals that he might not otherwise have known.
Setting up TradesLink on a phone or device is quite straightforward. First, download the app, create a profile, and indicate your main reason for using the platform. This could be to find work, search and connect with quality trades, share past projects, and see others’ work, improve skills, construction humour, or to hire tradespeople.
Edmonton Construction Association president David Johnson says allowing workers to set their hiring status is important to help personalize the user experience and to ensure users aren’t being approached by companies unless they are actively looking for new work.
“There are two primary groups of TradesLink users: tradespeople and employers,” says Johnson. “If users are looking for work, they can state so on their profile. While an important aspect of TradesLink is to be used as a job or employee search tool, it also serves as an important place of
connection for tradespeople, a place to network and build community within the industry.”
After creating a profile, users can easily add their trade tickets, certifications, diplomas, and other qualifications by clicking the “Add” button, filling out the relevant information, and uploading a photo to authenticate. Also, the app features a push notification to inform users if and when a certificate may expire.
From there, users can choose to add up to 10 skills that define them as a tradesperson, and to show where they are the strongest. As users search and follow fellow tradespeople they know, their network grows. Users can vouch for each others’ skills and validate their work. TradesLink also has the capacity to support online photos and video portfolios so users can share projects they’ve worked on.
of industry-specific individuals when advertising job/career opportunities is really good.”
And for employees, she adds that they have it all on this app.
“A place to show their work, express their pride and interests, seek, or provide mentorship, find that next step forward, and so much more. It’s bringing together like-minded individuals, allowing people to expand their knowledge and networks without roadblocks otherwise encountered on other platforms.”
Svaikauskas adds that the app supports diversity by creating an open forum where anyone can interact and engage. Employers and employees alike can post questions, and everyone can interact openly without any gatekeeping or exclusivity.
When asked if there is any area of improvement needed for TradesLink, Stieda doesn’t miss a beat.
“The more the merrier! We want TradesLink to become the defacto standard for tradespeople to build community, grow their skills and never have to worry about their next job,” says Stieda. “The more tradespeople and employers that are on the app, the richer the experience will be for all.”
Svaikauskas agrees and adds that the biggest improvement would be to have more people on the app, and with that to have more content, more posts, questions, and interactions. The more people are using the app, the more resources and minds will be available to answer questions and support each other within the trades community.
Perhaps Herauf sums it up best when she says, “It’s wild to think of how far tech has come in the last 30 years, and it seems counterproductive to not utilize it to your benefit.” u
Y o u n g B u i l d e r s G r o u p
A healthy and connected YBG means a healthy, connected future for construction in Alberta. Formed in 2014, the YBG has become the gathering place for emerging leaders in every construction sector not only contractors and trades, but designers, engineers, owners, and other stakeholders.
If you’re an ambitious, creative leader in the first half of your construction career, the YBG is for you!
With operations since 1970, Whissell has a staff with decades of experience. We specialize in project management and have the capability of managing subcontractors, suppliers, materials and equipment for both small and large projects. Our track record has built us a reputation of providing exceptional value, innovation and project delivery that meets budget, scheduling and quality expectations. From project pricing, to project start up, through the final acceptance.
New improvements help reduce wait times and encourages investment
Edmonton’s ability to attract, retain, and grow business is directly impacted by how the City regulates and provides permitting and licensing services to facilitate development and construction in Alberta’s capital city. People need reliable and positive experiences when accessing these services from the City. With a focus on innovation, customer service, and ongoing collaboration with the building industry, the City is becoming a municipal leader in its permit and licensing processes and services. Through this work, governments, stakeholders, businesses, and Edmontonians are starting to take notice.
“Streamlining the City’s permitting and licensing services helps improve the quality of life for Edmontonians and economic vibrancy for businesses by making it easier to build more homes faster and attract new investment,” says Kim Petrin, deputy city manager of the City’s Urban Planning and Economy Department. “The expectations of
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Edmontonians and businesses are changing. We need to make our permit, inspection, and licensing processes faster and easier to meet these expectations. We know our economy is impacted by how the City regulates and provides permitting and licensing services to businesses, property owners, and potential investors.”
Kim Petrin leads the Urban Planning and Economy Department. In 2023, the City of Edmonton issued over 15,000 building permits, resulting in over 13,000 housing units and $3.3B in construction. When compared against other municipalities of similar size and scale, Edmonton remains very competitive. The vast majority of development services have been digitized, with clear service level targets and performance published on the City’s website
Over the past couple of years, the City of Edmonton has received accolades at all levels for its improvements to its permit and licensing processes and services.
In 2023, Edmonton received top marks in the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) Municipal Benchmarking Study, which examines how local development processes, approvals, and charges affect housing affordability and housing supply in major housing markets across the country.
The report evaluated 21 municipalities across Canada in several areas that have direct links to issues related to housing supply and/or housing affordability, including approval timelines, charges and fees on new development, and planning approval processes and features.
In 2022, the City’s Permit and Licensing Improvement Initiative was also recognized with a Minister of Municipal Affairs’ Award for Municipal Excellence in the Red Tape Reduction category.
The City estimates that its red tape reduction efforts have saved customers and businesses 67,600 days and $5.3 million annually. Edmonton’s typical approval timeline for development
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applications is less than half of what it is in either Vancouver or Toronto.
And it’s not just a saving of time and money that is making an impact. The City surveys customers regularly to gauge their level of satisfaction with permit, inspection, and license processes. In the first three months of 2024, results ranged from 85 per cent satisfaction on permits to 93 per cent satisfaction on inspections.
The City has been particularly focused on using automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to make improvements. It’s shifted more than 45 services online since 2014, making it faster and more convenient to open a business in Edmonton. Ninty-seven per cent of permit and licence applications are now processed online, up from 70 per cent in 2020.
The City recently introduced the first automatic development permit reviews in Canada for low-risk single and semidetached homes in developing areas, shortening the approval timelines by two to three weeks. Additional services have also become fully automated including permit reviews for simple deck and garage applications that can be issued in as little as one day, allowing applicants to enjoy their deck sooner or carry less financing costs on the project. 1,300 permits benefit annually from this one-day service, compared to a previous timeline of three to six weeks.
Transitioning to digital services and acting on client feedback has facilitated numerous improvements to how services are delivered to the construction industry. Clarity of application requirements, allowing for construction to start sooner, reducing the time it takes to obtain
occupancy, and reduced processing times are the results. Using AI has also allowed the City to streamline safety codes inspections for a wider range of housing types.
“These improvements balance the need to provide reliable and timely services with ensuring that what is built is safe, meets appropriate regulatory standards, fits in with the surrounding neighbourhood, and respects community interests,” says Petrin.
Constructing a building requires steel, concrete, and glass, while building relationships requires trust, respect, and collaboration. Both are essential to the
future of Edmonton.
The City of Edmonton is helping to build those relationships and to make doing business in the city faster and easier.
“Working in collaboration with all of our city building partners is crucial and we’re thankful for the positive relationships we share with the Edmonton Construction Association,” says Petrin. “The City can’t carry out this work alone, and the strength and value of our partnerships is so critical to our joint success. We find it’s very effective in building relationships with investors from within the city, across the country, and around the world. We want them to
feel supported by the City of Edmonton in their decision to invest and build in the city.”
In a huge recent win for Edmonton, one of the City’s partners, Edmonton Global, helped to facilitate a preinvestment consultation with Air Products, a net-zero hydrogen energy complex that will make Edmonton the centre of western Canada’s hydrogen economy. The total project value is $1.6 billion. Air Products received its rezoning in a record 78 days, and the development and building permits that followed were processed quickly with a phased approach that suited the construction schedule. As the project expands, it
We're excited to reflect on five decades of legacy, partnerships, and transformative projects across Northern and Western Canada. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our clients, suppliers, trade partners, consultants, and our talented team of professionals, all of whom have been instrumental in our success.
We look forward to continuing these valued partnerships in the decades ahead.
continues to be completed in phases to best suit the construction schedule. The facility continues to expand and construction on site is well underway.
The City’s Client Liaison Unit (CLU) is also dedicated to helping investors and developers with large, complex industrial, commercial, and/or mixed-use projects such as Air Products navigate the City’s development process. This team is committed to making the City’s
permitting, licensing, and regulatory services easier to understand, more predictable, and efficient.
As part of the CLU’s enhanced services, the team provides a point of contact at the City for any questions or issues, meetings to discuss potential project challenges and solutions, and map out more predictable and negotiated project timelines for land development and building permits. In 2023, the
CLU advanced 38 enhanced projects, amounting to approximately $437 million in building construction value. This is the first year the West Edmonton Mall was included as a single project, with 49 tenant improvements. All of these projects included institutional, industrial, commercial, and mixed-use/residential uses, including high-rise developments.
Another major project benefiting from the CLU, The Parks, is a mixeduse/residential, high-rise building located in the heart of downtown adjacent to the planned Warehouse Park (a 1.8ha urban oasis downtown). The project is a collaboration among Maclab Development Group, Pangman Development Corporation, John Day Developments, and Probus Project Management, and includes two residential towers consisting of a 37-storey and a 46-storey, with a 13-storey mid-rise “link” connecting the two towers that will face the corner of Jasper Avenue and 108 Street.
“The Client Liaison Unit is a trusted and dependable partner. They provide excellent service to developers and help expedite approvals in a timely manner,” says Maurizio Capano, principal with Probus Project Management. “In particular, the ability to issue belowgrade, structural and building envelope permits ahead of the main building permit ensures faster time to market on our projects. We have built an excellent relationship with the Client Liaison Unit since inception and they have played a pivotal role in all our developments.”
Petrin concludes that the City of Edmonton has worked really hard over the past few years to make meaningful improvements in their permit and licencing processes.
“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in helping to make the lives of Edmontonians better and doing business with us faster and easier,” says Petrin. u
Need a set of plans or specs printed? How about a poster or banner? On a deadline and can’t wait days for prints? ECA is there with in-house printing. Available in black and white or colour, often while you wait. Printing services are available to Members and Non -me mbers. Non -me mber pricing is 40% highe r than Member pricing yet significantly lower than retail.
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For your business. For your people. For your life.
By Rodrigue Gilbert, CCA President
With an ongoing national housing crisis, the government’s prioritization of a low-carbon economy, and mounting workforce shortage, Canada’s construction industry is in the spotlight.
Representing 18,000+ member firms, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is capitalizing on the political attention to advocate for strategic investment and policies that will support rather than hinder our efforts to build a stronger Canada.
While Canada’s Housing Plan formed the centrepiece of the 2024 Federal Budget, the industry was left disappointed by several significant missed opportunities, including:
• Next steps for the National Infrastructure Assessment
• Investment in corresponding infrastructure for every new home built
• A long-term plan to fill the gap in our trade-enabling infrastructure
• Modernization of procurement
strategies to support shared risk
• Meaningful collaboration with provinces, municipalities, and industry
Estimates by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities indicate that each new housing unit requires $107,000 in public infrastructure investment, thus an additional $128 billion is needed to build, support, and connect these homes to essential housing-enabling infrastructure. This represents a major shortfall in investment. Moreover, the focus on measures to ease lending for homebuying and rezoning may only serve to exacerbate demand in the longterm with no real long-term vision on how to increase supply.
We voiced these concerns at our Meech Lake meeting in May. This meeting is a chance for industry experts from across Canada to connect with senior federal government officials to discuss critical issues affecting the industry. By working together with the Government of Canada, the construction industry can continue building a resilient and
sustainable infrastructure for the benefit of all Canadians.
The second of these biannual meetings is scheduled for the fall to provide another touchpoint ahead of the CCA’s annual Hill Day in November. Last year’s Hill Day was our most successful yet with close to 100 industry experts meeting with parliamentarians from all parties and regions to champion construction and reaffirm the value of the industry to Canada’s economic growth.
The CCA will be releasing an update to our 2021 Strength, Resilience, Sustainability white paper in June. This broader report will highlight the progress made by industry, explore the linkages between climate risk and infrastructure decisions, and discuss the path forward in confronting the climate crisis. It will also serve as a springboard for discussions with government on the need for greater investment and supportive policies to not
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only achieve net-zero objectives but also protect Canadians and the infrastructure they depend on daily from the escalating threats of extreme climate events.
The CCA’s recently published ICIC Construction Sector Quarterly Insights Report observed that the industry is making significant gains in sustainability practices. Despite its history as a contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the sector is swiftly embracing measures to curb its
environmental impact. There has been a notable decrease in emissions intensity across various infrastructure assets and investments in clean technologies and materials are rising.
The industry is gaining traction in its pursuit of a trade-enabling infrastructure investment strategy. Canada’s premiers called on the federal government to convene a First Ministers’ meeting
dedicated to discussing the priorities of a strategic trade corridor infrastructure federal program and its link to Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness.
The CCA continues to work with its partners, including the Canada West Foundation and the Western Canada Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, and is championing a longterm planning and investment strategy that prioritizes nation-building trade infrastructure.
With an estimated 300,000 set to retire in the next decade and growing construction demands, there is a real need to partner with the federal government on workforce development strategies. While progress has been made, there’s still much work to be done.
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We achieved some headway with the federal government on rebuilding Canada’s workforce through immigration reform. Immigration targets were increased and a new process was announced under the Express Entry program to welcome skilled newcomers with work experience in occupations considered a priority in Canada, including construction.
However, ongoing dialogue will continue as the government needs to create a more supportive environment to alleviate the labour choke points – this includes changing an outdated immigration point system and working with provinces to ensure better skills matching.
You can count on the CCA to be a collaborative partner to the Edmonton Construction Association, providing helpful tools, sharing best practices across the country, and being your voice with the federal government.
Stay in the loop by subscribing to the CCA’s newsletter at bit.ly/ccasubscribe, by following @ConstructionCAN on Twitter, or by looking up the Canadian Construction Association on LinkedIn. u
By Warren Singh
Over the past few months, the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) has been meeting with the government expressing our need to get more skilled trades people through apprenticeships and immigration. As well, the ACA is advocating for alignment on prompt payment amongst legislation, Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act and Public Works Act, as well as discussions with Alberta Infrastructure on contract modernization.
We also have engaged with a number of provincial ministry officials, including the Minister of Affordability and Utilities, to meet our growing labour demand. One example where we could collaborate with the government is the new Alberta is Calling program, which provides a $5,000 grant for skill trades people moving to Alberta. We also offered our support and expertise on needed retrofitting and building new energy infrastructure, such as small modular reactors.
Additionally, the ACA met with staff from a number of ministries, including Community Services; Jobs, Economy, and Trade; Advanced Education; and Treasury Board and Finance broadening the audience for our industry concerns around workforce development, sustainable capital funding, and prompt
payment. The ACA will continue these advocacy opportunities, along with our partner local construction associations, bringing our collective voice to both elected and non-elected officials across the Government of Alberta.
For over three years, the ACA has been working with the province on delivering workforce and training programs intended to grow the number of new skilled workers, support people to enter into the trades, and develop the Construction New Talent Program (CNTP). The CNTP supports more work-integrated learning opportunities for our members by linking them to post-secondary learners. The CNTP provides wage reimbursement and recruitment support for construction sector employers to hire post-secondary students and recent graduates for temporary positions. This has resulted in over 320 student placements across Alberta for our members.
The ACA also launched a program called Trade Pathways in 2022 to help meet the labour crunch and develop opportunities for people who are facing barriers to entry as apprentices. To date, 132 students have been placed
The CNTP supports more work-integrated learning opportunities for our members by linking them to post-secondary learners.
with construction companies, and so far, 63 of the 71 people who completed the program are employed full-time in construction.
Finally, the ACA is working with the government to develop the Digital Tradesperson Project that supports increasing digital skills in the construction industry across Alberta. The pilot program has been in development with a target start date of fall 2024. It will open up 60 placements to help create more digital skilled professionals. While these programs alone won’t be the solution to our increasing workforce challenges, they will continue to support our members and the sector by creating pathways to skills development.
Recently, the ACA Board has initiated a strategic review for the organization to develop its strategic priorities and review its governance model. It has been some time since the ACA has last undertaken this type of review with its board. With a new leadership team, it is a great time to review our strategic mandate by setting a three-year agenda aligned with our values to meet members’ expectations. This initiative will be guided by our board through a steering committee led by ACA senior vice-chair Jen Hancock along with John Manes and Kelly Vopni. The ACA plans on engaging with its partners to undertake this review and develop priorities to guide the association for years to come. u
B O U T U S
The ECA Professional Estimating Group (PEG) supports the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and PMs who work hard to keep the project pipeline full.
Through special networking, mentoring, and professional- development events, the PEG cultivates the business relationships and friendships that every professional needs to excel in their work Spread the word to the estimators, spec writers, quantity surveyors, and PMs that you work with.
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The year kicked off with the exciting launch of the redesigned BuildWorks Canada website. The website has a refreshed look and offers clarity on BuildWorks’ services. It includes convenient links and information on the BuildWorks Canada Planroom, the Apps page, Directory, myPlanRoom, and Substantial Completion Certificates. To aid users, we’ve created new how-to videos, facilitating navigation for new
users and introducing features to our current members.
Simultaneously, we rolled out a streamlined registration process, allowing new users to explore the BuildWorks platform easily. Simply click the ‘Get Started for Free’ button on buildworkscanada.com. This initiative has been highly successful, attracting over 200 registrations within weeks and serving as a springboard to bolster and
expand our membership base.
In March, we launched a User Engagement Survey to glean insights into user preferences, informing future strategies for BuildWorks. We are excited to review the responses and collaboratively shape the future of BuildWorks Canada.
Advertising opportunities are now open on the buildworkscanada.com website, which garnered over 18,000 views in the initial six weeks, and the BuildWorks platform, boasting monthly page views surpassing 58,000. For further details, please contact your local construction association or email contact@buildworkscanada.com.
Significant work was completed to relaunch the invitation-to-bid feature named ‘myPlanroom’. This feature empowers you to broaden the reach of your own projects by publicly or privately posting them through your own ‘myPlanroom’ on BuildWorks Canada. Our platform facilitates hosting private,
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invitation-only project bids and enables publishing open opportunities on BuildWorks Canada, offering unparalleled exposure.
‘myPlanroom’ streamlines the bidding process, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness for members to store project details and documents, distribute project documents, manage invitations to trades and suppliers, monitor interested bidders, and receive bids directly to your inbox.
With our user-friendly directory and simplified process, you can expand your bidding pool by posting your projects to companies from our extensive member network through ‘myPlanroom’. This provides a private and secure plan room accessible only to you and those you invite to bid.
In 2023, our team of local construction associations diligently sourced and posted 3,811 projects, with the awarded
value totalling over $2.5 billion. This focused effort enabled our members to discover relevant project opportunities swiftly and efficiently.
Posting project opportunities remains BuildWorks’ core service, connecting members to procurements across the province. BuildWorks Canada projects were sourced from an extensive array of owners across the province. In 2023, projects were posted from over 480 different owners spanning 12 different owner types. Government projects (municipal, provincial, and federal) accounted for almost 75 per cent of the projects posted.
BuildWorks is evolving towards a phase of user growth and exploring strategic partnerships as we strive to deliver unparalleled value to our members. We strongly encourage members to capitalize on the features now available as part of your membership, including the new ‘myPlanroom’ and directory as invaluable tools for enhancing your business operations.
Be seen, get invited, win the work. u
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Receive access to new projects, updates, and addenda allowing you to stay up to date with information on thousands of construction bid opportunities in Alberta and Saskatchewan from public and private sector purchasers.
Search over 10,000 construction industry companies across Alberta and Saskatchewan in the BuildWorks Canada Directory.
Expand your reach and connect with a wider range of contractors, subcontractors, trades, or suppliers by publicly or privately advertising your opportunity through BuildWorks Canada.
Publish a Certificate
Create and publish Certificates of Substantial Completion notices online, increasing visiblity for all stakeholders.
For more information, contact your local construction association or visit www.buildworkscanada.com
Community members of the King Thunderbird Centre/okimaw peyesew kamik can expect an open, bright and welcoming space
By Ernest Granson
Beginning in 2025, when Edmonton’s most vulnerable citizens seek out shelter, advice, and support, they will find a brand-new, efficient, attractive, and welcoming building downtown, owned and operated by a familiar name – Boyle Street Community Services (BSCS). For the past 50 years, the agency has provided basic needs support, health services, substance-use support, financial services, and cultural healing. However, for many years, the current location has not been able to efficiently accommodate the needs of those who need it in terms of space and operational structure.
The new facility, named King Thunderbird Centre (okimaw peyesew kamik in the Cree language), whose location is a few blocks away from the existing one, will be a completely retrofitted building through the federal government’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program. The $45 million project is financed with a $21 million federal grant and with $24.02 million from BSCS’ capital campaign which includes a $10 million donation by the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.
Edmonton-based Chandos
Construction has been awarded the contract as construction manager. For Pete Wardell, Chandos’ director of business development, the project and his role with the project is unique because of the level of commitment that both the construction company and Wardell himself have undertaken.
“Chandos’ purpose is to build a better world. What we mean by that is, there’s much more to our business than bricks and mortar. It’s contributing to the built environment in a way that serves the end users of that building,” says Wardell. “You could say that this project, in many ways,
is the epitome of that purpose.”
Wardell says that the attitude that they’ve assumed, from the field all the way through to senior management, is how can they roll up their sleeves and help? For Wardell, he is one of two fundraising and sponsorship advocates, along with his colleague, Katie Currie. Part of their commitment has been to sponsor certain events throughout the design and construction process, and also to promote and create awareness with fundraising events. This is something Chandos has done
on a company level, sponsoring various Boyle Street campaigns, such as the Winter Emergency Response Fund. He adds that they rallied the project team to volunteer putting together care packages with Boyle Street staff and then delivered them to Boyle Street Community members on a chilly January day. Personally delivering these care packages, including warm gloves, toques, socks, and high-calorie foods was a great way to connect the project team with those people the King Thunderbird Centre is ultimately going to serve.
BSCS has wide range of locations in the Edmonton area (about 15 different sites) with its administration spread out across the city. The number of sites will change with this new building, explains Diana Elniski, Boyle Street strategy and governance manager. She says that in the new building, the entire second floor will serve as an administrative headquarters. But it’s really the service delivery spaces, to be located on the main floor, that will be transformational with this project. By consolidating all four of their downtown sites out of which they’re operating now, the new building will house all of their adult supports programs.
But to be clear, BSCS is much more than its downtown services of harm reduction/substance abuse and providing help for people experiencing homelessness. Elniski, whose role it is to oversee all major projects, strategic plans, and any major initiatives, points out that the agency provides care, essentially, from cradle to grave.
“We are an organization of about $35 million with a staff of about 600,” says Elniski. “So, we are able to administer help and care all the way from brandnew babies to people who are at the end of their lives. We really are a very diverse organization.”
The journey to build this new, badly needed facility has been a long, twisty one. As Elniski explains, it was, in fact, her first assignment as a new employee for BSCS.
“It was apparent eight years ago when I began here at Boyle Street and it is still very much apparent, that a new facility is necessary,” she says. “Our old building
was originally an old banana ripening warehouse. It had no natural light, it suffered from consistent flooding issues in the basement and it was just not conducive to how we needed to serve our community. It just took a really long time to build the community support to find the right partners who were willing to come to the table and work with us to
Interior view of the planned King Thunderbird Centre looking south from the atrium.
make this project happen.”
One of those partners is Beljan Development, which serves as development manager for BSCS. Beljan is managing and co-ordinating the full lifecycle of the project from preconstruction through to construction and turnover. The company works with all project stakeholders including
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Redevelopment of existing buildings is part of the bread and butter of many Beljan projects, according to Jasvir Tungal, Beljan Development’s construction manager.
“We feel pride in retrofitting historical buildings rather than demolishing them and building new,” says Tungal. “Finding potential where no one else looks is a big
motto of our company and we often see the vision in many existing buildings that other developers would not touch. Beljan was involved in the acquisition and due diligence of the current BSCS site. The building itself and the site checked off many boxes in terms of location and size that would assist Boyle Street to serve their clients and also grow long term as
For this particular project, the design and construction components didn’t really present any significant challenge. Tungal says that the biggest challenge has been managing the political and social sensitivities around the project. He adds they felt it was their responsibility to advocate for this development to help the community realize how urgently this
entitlements and relationships with surrounding neighbours.
Tungal is referring to delays in obtaining a development permit for the new location. In November of 2022, Edmonton’s subdivision and development appeal board decided that the project did not comply with land use rules described in the city’s zoning bylaw. Several community groups also opposed the location, however, after several changes to the design of the project, approval was given.
“We are so proud to be part of this project and this fits within the ethos of what Beljan stands for – building a better community and being passionate about a better Edmonton,” says Tungal. “It was an easy decision to partner with Boyle Street Community Services as it allows us to also give back to the community and be part of a state-of-the art project.”
While the permitting process did result in a setback to the construction schedule, architect Ian Evans, principal and co-founder at Hodgson Schilf Evans Architects Inc. (HSEA), believes the delay in some way provided BSCS the opportunity to hone in on its service delivery program.
“I think the situation allowed Boyle Street to come to an understanding of how they can better serve the people they do,” says Evans. “Construction is underway and, in the end, it has turned out to be a positive process.”
On the part of HSEA, Evans says that for this project, as it is for any project, the first step in the procedure is to understand the client’s objectives. He says they spent a good amount of time doing that and it was important to understand their program and then how to fit it within an existing structure. This is a fairly large building with the administrative offices mostly on the second floor and most of the client delivery services on the main
floor. But it was important to create a visual connection between the floors to promote the sense of community and to reinforce the fact that these people feel they’re being taken care of. There is a visual connection between the three floors and part of that is providing a space that can be used for larger ceremonies, presentations, or group settings.
An important aspect of the project is the attention paid to the integration of Indigenous elements since there is a high representation of Indigenous people seeking the services. Evans notes that those elements were incorporated with the advice of Elder Clifford Cardinal. In fact, the facility’s official Indigenous name was created in a sweat lodge ceremony.
For Chandos Construction’s Dean Breitkreuz, being site superintendent for the King Thunderbird Centre means guiding the project over the line on schedule, maintaining quality control and quality assurance, while also emphasizing safety. That has been his mission since construction started on the project about eight months ago. At the time of publication, crews have been conducting asbestos abatement. That process involves setting up numerous control zones with showers for entries and exits.
“But the first steps started off with a lot of demo,” Breitkreuz says. “That will give the building a more open feel and will allow for arranging spaces for the clients to be attended to efficiently.
We also removed sections of flooring in the basement so that we could install new stairs and elevators. We’ll install new steel so that it is structurally sound. We’ll be putting offices on three floors along with community spaces, training spaces, and counseling spaces. We’ll add many exterior windows so that this dark, dingy building becomes bright and welcoming.”
The adjacent parking lots have been removed and excavated to accommodate a new sanitary and storm system and a substantial amount of green space. As Breitkreuz points out, they are going from asphalt to grass and trees.
Energy sustainability will play a major role in construction. This includes
redoing the roof and installing upgraded windows and exteriors. To supply the energy source for the geothermal heating system, 47 geothermal wells will be drilled to a depth of about 500 feet on the east side of the building underneath the new grass space. A new mechanical room is being built to house the heat exchanger for the system. Breitkreuz points out that Chandos places great emphasis on its environmental footprint and has diverted 76 per cent of the waste from its construction sites during the past two years.
As a construction manager, Chandos Construction will be sub-contracting much of the construction to the subtrades. Breitkreuz expects anywhere from 50 to 100 workers to be on site on a day-to-day basis. Projected completion date is for the summer of 2025.
For Pete Wardell, this project has turned out to be much more far reaching than he expected for a construction project. He says that the Boyle Street project team has been so welcoming, and has graciously included them in many of their traditions. With the majority of their community identifying as Indigenous, there’s a lot of Indigenous tradition steeped into what they do at Boyle Street.
“As an example, I have been fortunate enough to accompany Boyle Street staff and community members to traditional medicine picking at the Kehewin Cree Nation and to go to Maskwacis to take part in a traditional Indigenous sweat lodge with Elder Cliff Cardinal, which was a phenomenal experience,” says Wardell. “I’ve taken part in traditional pipe smoking ceremonies as well. I’m from New Zealand originally, but felt very included as an outsider. All of these traditions are very new and foreign to me, so it’s been a very rich, cultural Indigenous experience.” u
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By Jim Timlick
When members of the Edmonton Construction Association’s (ECA) board of directors met two years ago to determine a long-term strategic plan for the organization, enhancing relations with government and stepping up advocacy efforts on behalf of its members were identified as top priorities.
The result of those discussions was the formation of the ECA’s government relations and advocacy working group. The nine-member group includes representatives from all sectors of the Edmonton construction sector and is tasked with ensuring that the ECA’s
policies and priorities are considered by governments at both the municipal and provincial level.
ECA board chair Jen Hancock, who is also a member of the working group, says that while government relations and advocacy have always been priorities for the association, it was clear a more formal approach to the task needed to be taken.
“Having a more formal strategy around government relations and understanding how to execute on that strategy is more nuanced than people might think,” says Hancock, who is also vice-president of collaborative construction with Chandos
Construction. “We felt like we wanted to have a strong plan as a board so that we could best represent industry issues and be proactive with tackling problems before they become larger or to better be able to deal with issues when they do arise. Our ability to have conversations on this subject means … we’re on the same page and more thoughtful about what needs to happen.”
In the past, those advocacy efforts were handled mostly by the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) at the provincial level, while the ECA focused mostly on member services and municipal engagement. The difference
•
now is that the ECA is now working more closely with the provincial association to ensure that its voice is heard provincially, says working group member Brookes Merritt, a principal with Loyalton Strategies, a government relations and strategic communications consultancy. To that end, the ECA’s working group includes representatives from the ACA.
One of the working group’s first orders of business was to meet with and share its policy positions and priorities with
both the NDP and United Conservative Party (UCP) caucuses in the runup to the 2023 Alberta provincial election. That was done as part of an effort to ensure that issues important to the Edmonton construction industry were addressed by both parties during the election campaign. Those issues included commitments to infrastructure investment, procurement policy, collaborative delivery models, and workforce development.
From left to right: National taskforce on house and climate co-chair Don Iveson, ECA board chair Jen Hancock, ECA president David Johnson, and Cantiro Homes vicepresident Paul Fereday.
“We were successful,” says Merritt. “Our success was determined by answering one question: did our policy priorities feature in campaign commitments being made by both parties to Albertans? In truth, they did. We saw both parties make commitments to infrastructure investment, to workforce development, and post-secondary apprenticeship training for skilled workers. Workforce development is particularly crucial. It’s probably the biggest challenge facing not only the construction industry, but most major industries across the country.”
Another major initiative undertaken by the ECA and its working group is hosting an annual construction industry day at the Alberta legislature. The first one was held last spring with this year’s event taking place in late May.
As part of the event, ECA members spend the day meeting with politicians and policymakers to discuss industry concerns and what can be done to address them. Merritt says the day has been largely successful in helping further the ECA’s advocacy efforts while also providing more visibility for the association at the provincial level.
Hancock agrees.
“There’s been an increased level of communications [with the province]. One of the best things our group has done is just having some facetime with a number of ministers, not just Alberta Infrastructure, but also the minister of Jobs, Economy, and Trade,” says Hancock of the working group’s efforts. “As a result, I think the level of understanding around the complexities and nuances of working with different government bodies has been significantly elevated. It
gives the board a better ability to make choices around communications and relationship issues. You can think more strategically.”
One of the priorities during the group’s discussions with the provincial government has been to advocate for the Edmonton construction industry’s interests during the provincial budgeting process and that its members’ priorities are reflected in the provincial budget.
Merritt says those discussions have born fruit. He says the working group has been encouraged to see the province investing additional resources in areas such as workforce development, including a $5,000 tax incentive credit to entice skilled workers to Alberta, post-secondary education and training opportunities, apprenticeship funding for skilled workers, and public infrastructure.
However, he points out that there is still work to be done in that area. One of the issues that the ECA wants to see the provincial government address is the imbalance in infrastructure investment it is making in the Edmonton and Calgary regions.
“We’re looking for more equity in the capital investments in the city of Edmonton and the city of Calgary,” says Merritt. “Under the current budget, Calgary is receiving significantly more infrastructure dollars than the City of Edmonton … in part because they’re receiving infrastructure funding to support development in a new arena district. That was over $200 million that went to the City of Calgary that Edmonton didn’t see. We’ll certainly be looking forward to infrastructure
commitments in future budget cycles … in the city of Edmonton.”
Another issue the working group is looking to work with the province on is housing. Merritt says there is an urgent need for more multi-family dwellings in Edmonton and that’s a need ECA members want to help address, especially since it would make it easier to attract skilled labour to the city.
The ECA’s working group will also be keeping a close eye on two pieces of provincial legislation that could potentially have a huge impact on the local construction industry. The first is Bill 18 that could see federal funding go through the provincial government first and then be distributed to municipalities rather than directly to the municipalities.
“If that changes and that money now moves from the federal government to the provincial government before moving on to municipalities, it might change the way or have an impact on how our members participate in those projects,” he says. “We need to determine what the impact of that legislation might be on our industry.”
Hancock says the working group also wants to press the province on making its recent prompt pay legislation for contractors more equitable. Currently, the legislation covers privately led construction projects but not publicly funded ones that fall under the Public Works Act.
“The conversation from private industry is if you’re going to make this legislation for everyone else to follow, then the right thing to do is to also make that something Alberta Infrastructure would also have to follow,” says Hancock. “We’ve stayed at the table with our partners like the Alberta Construction Association to keep that the conversation going with the government.”
While much of the ECA working group’s efforts have been focused on provincial issues, Merritt says its relationship with the city’s municipal
government remains a top priority. It plans to hold discussions about sustaining infrastructure and construction investments to support a growing population, ensuring the city can deliver on its project commitments while managing the impacts of a recent nine per cent property tax increase, and collaborating with other orders of government.
The ECA also plans to continue with its annual luncheon with members of city council. Hancock says it’s an ideal opportunity for both sides to discuss a variety of issues, including permitting.
“It’s kind of an open feedback meeting and allows us to take information from members and bring it back to the city as an ECA board,” she says. u
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The construction and maintenance of buildings are highly complex tasks. For project managers and maintenance managers of publicly owned buildings especially, those responsibilities can be extensive and substantial. It’s crucial that those in charge stay current on technologies, techniques, and best practices. This past April 2024, under the auspices of the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA), a diverse group of industry professionals convened for the ECA’s bi-annual Infrastructure Owners Forum (IOF) to be brought up-to-date on a variety of significant issues directly related to those tasks.
First formed in 2017, some 17 public owners from the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, along with the University of Calgary and the City of Calgary, came together with the intent to drive innovation, as well as foster collaboration and shared understanding across construction and public owners, according to Chris Wright, a member of the IOF leadership team. Since that initial
meeting, the forum is now attended by 25 public organizations and more than 50 construction and partner organizations.
“The forum has evolved to include not just owners, but a variety of professional colleagues from across industry,” says Wright, who is managing director of infrastructure for the Edmonton Public School Board. “That range of participants ensures that awareness is created and solutions are discussed so that the public sector in Alberta is enabled to do the very best it can.”
Wright says this diverse group of owners and professionals are extremely
knowledgeable and understand the wide range of work that a municipality or the post-secondary institution or school board undertakes.
“That’s why, when it comes to topics of discussion, we like to make sure there’s a delicate balance,” he says. “You can’t just say, here’s our mandate because, for instance, it was very different during the pandemic than it was as we emerged from the pandemic. And it will be different five years from now.”
Wright goes on to say that during the Owners Forum they grab different ‘buckets’ and choose topics they feel
The Owners Forum is now attended by 25 public organizations and more than 50 construction and partner organizations.
fit nicely into those buckets. For this past meeting, in Bucket 1, they chose topics falling under the category of Industry Guidelines and Roles. Those topics included Vendor Performance, Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), Social Procurement, and Indigenous Procurement.
“With a topic like Vendor Performance, industry is telling us that it’s important to keep business accountable and are we, as customers and owners, addressing this appropriately?”
Bucket 2: Project Delivery and Industry Collaboration discussed the various ways that projects can be delivered in the public sphere and the variations of contract language, Wright explains.
For Bucket 3, forum participants listened to presentations under the topic of Innovation and Industry Education, bringing them up to date on several crucial issues, including the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act (PPCLA) presented by Max Amodio,
executive director of the technical services and procurement branch with Alberta.
The PPCLA sets payment deadlines for owners, contractors, and sub-contractors for work done or materials furnished for the improvement of property. It
also establishes procedures to file a lien against the property or initiate adjudication in order to collect accounts that are owing.
“This is an area that has been getting a lot of traction based on reports from contractors and sub-contractors who
were increasingly having trouble with payment,” says Amodio. “In February of 2019, Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction began consultation with industry stakeholders about modernizing the Builders Lien Act and incorporating prompt payment legislation. The PPCLA was proclaimed in 2022 with a two-year transition period and supersedes the existing act. Our purpose in bringing forward this presentation at the forum was to discuss the impacts of the act from the owner’s perspective as opposed to that of a legislator.”
For Amodio, the forums are an excellent way to connect with other public owners but, just as importantly, to connect with industry colleagues.
“For as long as I’ve been with the procurement section within Alberta Infrastructure, I’ve always attended these sessions because it gives me a chance to communicate to industry some of the changes that have taken place on the government level, Prompt Pay being an example. But also, we can get
The Infrastructure Owners Forum was launched in 2017 to help those in the Owner community to better collaborate, build understanding and connect, with the purpose of improved integration across the construction continuum, and quality outcomes for the entire construction sector.
Our Priorities
Priority 1 | Industry Guidelines & Roles
Priority 2 | Project Delivery & Industry Collaboration
Prioirty 3 | Innovation, Industry Education & Sustainability
Priority 4 | Vendor Performance Management System Principles
Priority 5 | Delivery Method Assessment Tool
Priority 6 | Building Information Modelling, Innovation & Project Delivery
“There is already much demand for the construction of affordable housing and there will be much more going forward, because the crisis is not going away anyime soon.”
out front of changes that are still being considered for some of the broader issues that may impact industry groups,” says Amadio. “Because the forum is a mix of construction, industry, and design participants, I can touch base with a lot of people. I’m always interested in hearing from industry about some of the things that we’re doing in the ministry and ways in which we can improve.”
On the municipal side of the forum, participants heard from Christel Kjenner, director of the Housing Action Team for the City of Edmonton, Lindsay Munn, vice-president of property portfolio management for the community, and affordable housing provider, Civida. Jointly presenting, Kjenner and Munn brought perspective to the housing crisis, in this case in the City of Edmonton, and what that means for the construction industry.
“There is already much demand for the construction of affordable housing and there will be much more going
forward, because the crisis is not going away anytime soon,” says Kjenner. “Our purpose in presenting was to provide context to other public owners, as well as the private sector partners at the forum because ultimately they will be engaged to build a lot of affordable housing in the coming next few years.”
The City of Edmonton’s approach to stimulating the development of affordable units is through its Affordable Housing Investment Plan (AHIP), which makes grants and land available to affordable housing providers. In its first four years, the AHIP funded more than 2,700 units and generated $1 billion in housing construction.
Civida, most recently known as Capital Region Housing, manages close to 5,400 homes in the city, providing a safe and affordable place for over 15,000 Edmontonians to call home along with administrating 3,400 rental assistant benefits on a monthly basis. Civida also develops and manages new affordable
housing. Munn says this type of forum is an extremely useful information sharing tool, not only so that affordable housing agencies such as Civida can disseminate information, but so that those agencies can also learn about new initiatives in industry.
“That could include affordable housing from an energy perspective, for instance,” says Munn. “How could capital development decisions and investments be made up front to save on utility costs and improve the operating efficiency? Collectively, we can learn from others that have piloted projects and can share their lessons. It’s an opportunity from us as public owners to explore topics, along with contractors and the ECA, that are relevant in our industry.”
It is these pragmatic results towards which the Owners Forum aims, says Wright.
“We always want to keep in mind that there needs to be some deliverables from these meetings. But also, that these concepts and topics can evolve rapidly so we need to keep bringing some of them back and making sure that we’re on top of it,” says Wright. “That will enable us to do the best job we can in the world of public infrastructure.” u
Ogilvie LLP remains essential within Edmonton’s vibrant construction industry. With a specialized team well-versed in various construction law demands, we provide invaluable guidance to developers, contractors, and suppliers alike.
Beyond legal representation, Ogilvie LLP actively fosters a culture of fairness and innovation, supporting the industry’s growth and sustainability. Partnering with Ogilvie LLP means gaining strategic legal counsel dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges facing the construction sector today.
By Jason Syvixay
“Real estate is at the heart of our vision,” Premier Danielle Smith proudly stated to hundreds of city builders at MacEwan University in May of 2024. “You are ensuring that people who move here have a place to live.”
Hosted by BILD Edmonton Metro (formerly UDI – Edmonton Metro and CHBA – Edmonton Region) and supported by associations like NAIOP Edmonton, BOMA Edmonton, Infill Development in Edmonton Association, and the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA), more than 450 developers, consultants, homebuilders, constructors, and property owners and managers came to hear the premier share her government’s vision on housing affordability, downtown
revitalization, and economic investment.
During her opening remarks, the premier highlighted how her government has cut red tape by one-third since 2019, specifically saving $2.7 billion in compliance costs; updated the Municipal Government Act to improve subdivision timelines; and improved permitting timelines through a more streamlined Service Alberta.
“Simply put, our government wants to remove any roadblocks from investment attraction and development.”
The premier punctuated how our collective goal should be to increase housing supply, which will in turn support housing affordability. She said her government is committed to growing the amount of affordable housing units
across the province, especially in major cities by 40 per cent, and is eager to incentivize new affordable housing developments.
When asked about labour, Premier Smith noted how her government has increased apprenticeship by 50 per cent, which she believes is critical in being able to deliver on housing construction. She cites the Temporary Foreign Worker Program as one of the key levers in welcoming new immigrants to Alberta with employment.
“Our government is constantly looking to create new opportunities for people to find meaningful jobs and a place here.”
With 23 per cent of skilled labour ready to retire, the premier said there is an urgency to register 60,000
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The premier responded that “there needs to be healthy competition in the region – where municipalities can push one another.” She also added how the Province of Alberta needs to invest in infrastructure projects that enable growth.
apprentices, investing in 11 postsecondary educational institutions for apprenticeships, and partnering with trade unions. Recently, her government also created the Alberta is Calling tax credit to provide up to $10,000 for people to work and live in Alberta for a year.
After her presentation, BILD Edmonton Metro’s inaugural CEO, Kalen Anderson, led the premier through a fireside conversation.
She started with the question, “Our real estate sector is known for collaborating with all levels of government – to foster a healthy housing market, a great quality of life, and attract good paying jobs and opportunities for current and future Edmontonians. How do we remain competitive from a planning and development perspective so that we can welcome an additional one-million more people, jobs, and investment?”
The premier responded that “there needs to be healthy competition in the region – where municipalities can push one another.” She also added how the Province of Alberta needs to invest in infrastructure projects that enable growth.
She pointed to commuter rail to the Edmonton International Airport, and in the future, to Calgary, as an example of a transformational investment. She also hinted at opportunities to fuel this system through hydrogen. The premier also spoke about how density requires that new schools are built.
“We want to provide predictable funding to municipalities to proactively address population surges that are occurring across the province.”
Anderson pivoted the conversation to the premier’s response to encampments, asking how this social issue had impacted the downtown.
“We were proud of how the chief of police in Edmonton responded to
encampments, and we were grateful to collaborate with the City of Edmonton to create a Navigation Centre.”
Premier Smith described how this intervention has connected more than 900 people with over 3,000 different social services, and how they have also created 400 shelter spaces. She also reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing social disorder in urban centres while also ensuring those facing homelessness and
those with mental health and addictions are cared for in a responsible and compassionate manner.
When asked about how to responsibly plan for our city to grow and deal with dwindling land supply, the premier said, “We are collectively interested in creating more homes and it is in the best interest of every municipality to do so when it comes to their tax base.”
She reinforced that while planning is the responsibility of the municipality,
Anand Pye, CEO, NAIOP; Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor, MacEwan University; Susan Keating, BILD Edmonton Metro board member; Jason Cunha, past president, IDEA; Nicholas Rheubottom, executive director, Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA); Kalen Anderson, CEO, BILD Edmonton Metro; David Johnson, president, ECA; Jen Hancock, chair, ECA; Laura Bradley, director, NAIOP; Lisa Baroldi, president and CEO, BOMA; and Myron Keehn, past chair, BOMA Canada.
there should be a collective mindset to deliver on housing in all parts of the city without delay.
“We need to maintain our affordability in our province.”
With many attendees adorned in their Oilers paraphernalia, the premier joked, “Sure, there is a battle of Alberta when it comes to hockey, but when it comes to development, we need to work together.” u
ENGINEERS
ARCHITECTS
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
EDUCATION & RESEARCH
PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES
MANUFACTURERS
DEVELOPERS
OWNERS
TRADES
SUPPLIERS
A strategic goal of the ECA is to broaden our ring of inclusivity, bringing more diversity and engagement to the stakeholder table, and welcoming all members of the industry to take part in the future of construction in Edmonton.
The ECA aspires to serve and enable our community to constantly innovate and improve. Our vision is to see the ECA as a Hub of Construction Excellence in the Edmonton Region.
The Alberta Construction Trade Definitions today provide clarity for industry stakeholders about the allocation of work among the various trades in Alberta, and specify which contractor is responsible for specific areas of work.
By Paul Adair
The history of what would become the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions can be traced back more than 60 years, as Alberta construction associations were seeking an organized tendering system that would eliminate the instances of bid shopping and price fixing that were running rampant across Canada at the time.
In 1961, the Edmonton Bid Depository Management Committee was established to layout the requirements, rules, and regulations for the implementation of the Edmonton Bid Depository (EBD), which transitioned to the Alberta Bid Depository (ABD) two years later. The ABD then requested trade scope outlines from its member subcontractors, and these outlines were compiled to form the
new Alberta Trade Definitions in 1972. These definitions were loosely based on earlier bylaws of the Windsor Builders & Contractors Association in Ontario.
While the ABD eventually succumbed to the same price fixing and bidding challenges that spurred its creation and was replaced by the Alberta Construction Tendering System (ACTS), its trade definitions continued to be an invaluable resource for the construction industry for many years until the ACTS was disbanded in 2003.
Nearly a decade later, after an overwhelming 78 per cent of contractors polled at the time stated that they wanted an updated set of trade definitions, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) took the bull by the
horns in 2011 and formed the Trade Definitions Committee. The mandate of this new committee was to revise the old ACTS Trade Definitions component as a standalone document – the Edmonton Construction Trade Definitions.
In 2014, the ECA rejoined the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) and brought its trade definitions along for the ride. The name of those definitions was then changed to the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions and the document has since been provided province-wide through the ACA.
“All the directors of the ECA at the time of this initiative deserve to be credited for having a role in the redevelopment of the trade definitions, as they understood the importance of
this document and initiated its revival,” said Roger Buksa, permanent chair of the ECA Trade Definitions Committee and the committee’s mechanical representative. “The next most important factor was Ric Francoeur, who was a long-standing member of earlier Trade Definition committees as chairman of both the Edmonton Bid Depository and the Alberta Bid Committees up to the transition to the Alberta Construction Tendering System. He also arbitrated the trade definitions for the industry through the 1980s and early ‘90s and that experience has helped our committee avoid many of the pitfalls and challenges that faced rewriting the Trade Definitions in the past.”
The Alberta Construction Trade Definitions today provide clarity for industry stakeholders about the allocation of work among the various trades in Alberta, and specify which contractor is responsible for specific areas of work. They are immensely valuable during the tendering process to help coordinate job site activities and to help reduce confusion, errors, disputes, and litigation, as well as make for a more successful project outcome for everyone involved.
Too many subcontractors were – and still are – submitting incomplete tenders with excessive ‘Not Included’(NIC) lists, making it difficult for general contractors (GCs) to ensure they have all the work in the project covered by their tenders.
This is an issue that will become increasingly problematic with the introduction of electronic bidding in Alberta, which leaves no room for tenders that are incomplete or incorrect. It is important, therefore, that all tenders submitted for each scope of work includes the same items for a proper ‘apples to apples’ comparison.
“So, it is critical that subtrade tenders
are complete within their trade scopes, as well as the contract documents, and that is where the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions can help,” said Buksa. “The definitions maintain a standard for tendering construction projects in the industry and can be used as a developmental tool for new contractors that are just breaking into the industry and are not sure exactly about what they should include and exclude in a
quotation for their scopes of work.”
Another aspect of the Trade Definitions usefulness is identifying ‘Scope Gaps’, which refer to the aspects of work assigned to certain trades, but not included in others. This missing component is picked up by the GC, either through self-performed work or by seeking quotes from external subcontractors designated as ‘By Others’.
“Trade Definitions are useful for architects and engineers in project specifications,” said Robinson. “They help specification writers identify essential work outcomes in the Project Manual and prevent the allocation of work to trades that normally wouldn’t handle it. For instance, Trade Definitions clarify that, while roofers are responsible for attaching roof membranes to fall arrest anchors, the installation of these anchors falls under the General Contractor’s purview.”
Released in March 2024, the most recent version of the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions received significant updates to select trade definitions, including Metal Sheet Roofing; Roofing and Related Sheet
The ECA formed the Trade Definitions Committee in 2011.
Metal; Entrances, Storefronts, and Windows; Curtain Wall and Glazed Assemblies; Glass and Glazing; and Painting.
The ACA funds the work of the ECA Trade Definitions Committee, which is made up of industry leaders in different trade scopes who seek to serve Alberta’s construction sector. The committee then develops the revised trade definitions through a collaborative process that relies heavily on the input of many industry volunteers to build a consensus.
“When we looked at flat roofing, we reached out to a representative from the roofing association, as well as collected feedback from roofing contractors, and we worked together to determine what products are associated with what scope of work and what expectations there were for the contractors,” said Robinson. “This gave us the opportunity to ask questions like, ‘Who is responsible for the flashing on mechanical units?’ The roofers would then go and analyze those questions and either say, ‘That’s part of my work’ or ‘That’s not a part of my work’. And, if they are not responsible, I can ask them, ‘Then who is?’ It’s this kind of back and forth that ultimately leads to a much clearer definition for contractors to follow.”
In addition to the updated definitions, the ECA Trade Definition Committee also made numerous minor changes in the wording of the document to improve clarity and eliminate any ambiguities that might cause confusion or miscommunication down the line.
Buksa notes that the most challenging aspect of their work was the meticulous page-by-page review of the original document, updating it and converting it into its current format.
Every construction stakeholder benefits from a level playing field, and the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions are moving industry forward by ensuring an up-to-date, complete list of scope inclusions and exclusions for every trade.
Apply the Trade Definitions during Design, Specifying, Bidding, and Tendering – and you can expect a significant decrease in the confusion, errors, RFIs, and common disputes that plague construction projects.
Roger Buksa
Chandos Construction
Ric Francoeur
Edmonton Construction Association, Past President
Zaid Al-Musawi
PCL Construction
“I was sitting on the phone some nights for up to eight hours with Richard [Francoeur] going over the document one page at a time,” said Buksa. “Every time an update to the document was completed by the committee, we would go back and review to make sure we caught all the required revisions and –every time – we would find more items that required fixing, and the cycle would continue.”
This process has since moved to the local Boston Pizza on Saturday mornings, and it is here where the committee works through the latest patch of revisions – typically from the opening of the restaurant to around the dinner rush.
Bradley Thoben
Arpi’s North
Darryl Wiebe
Kerr Interiors
Keith Robinson DIALOG/Retired
“This is not a normal committee where you show up once every three months, sit down with the group to make a few decisions, and go away for another three months,” said Buska. “I’ve worked with all of the current industry committee, and most have been on board for nearly a decade. They deserve a lot of recognition for the personal time and effort that the committee members are willing to put into this document – year after year – to keep it alive and current.”
The success of the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions has garnered interest for other jurisdictions looking to streamline and improve the
Paul Forgues
Bird Construction
Bert DeBruin
AltaPro
Matt Schellenberger
Edmonton Construction Association
tendering process. The ECA is currently working closely with its counterparts at the British Columbia Construction Association to help them develop their own version of the trade definitions and adjusting the scopes to meet the provincial standards in B.C.
“A few years ago, the ACA was also approached by the Grand Valley Construction Association from Ontario with a request to use our document for the basis for the development of the new Ontario Trades Definitions,” said Buksa. “I find this rather ironic as the outline for Alberta’s original trade definitions came from Ontario back in July of 1956.”
While the response to the Alberta Construction Trade Definitions has been extremely positive and more contractors are using the definitions on a regular basis, not everybody sees their value yet. As such, the ECA – through the ACA –will continue to travel across Alberta to promote the use of the trade definitions.
“Maybe it’s a contractor who still remembers the tendering system but forgets its inconsistent application back in the days, or maybe they are someone who thinks the definitions are just stopping them from doing what they want, some people are still resistant to using the definitions,” said Robinson. “So, it’s part of our job to reach these unconverted and show them the light –that the trade definitions are by industry, for industry, to make our industry work better.”
By Shayna Wiwierski
In the dynamic landscape of the construction industry, leadership isn’t just about overseeing projects; it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration, motivation, and growth. Recognizing the crucial role of leadership development, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) has hosted the Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) for the past four years. The course is a transformative threeday program designed to empower emerging leaders with the tools they need to excel in their roles.
Put on by FMI Consulting, a leading
consulting and investment banking firm dedicated to serving companies working within the built environment, the ELI was held this year at the ECA offices from April 16-18, 2024. The course is one of the FMI’s most successful and interactive programs for more than 25 years and is designed to provide practical business management skills to build effective leaders for the future.
Over the span of three intensive days, participants undergo a fundamental shift in perspective—from a project-centric mindset to one focused on nurturing
the human element. This transformation is facilitated through a dynamic blend of engaging lectures and immersive build projects, where attendees actively participate, stepping out of their seats to delve into hands-on learning experiences.
Michelle Thompson, a senior consultant for FMI Consultants, was one of the course facilitators. She says that the ELI is not your typical leadership course, but rather a hands-on, immersive experience where participants learn about the nuances of effective
leadership through interactive lectures and real-world projects.
At the heart of the ELI is a shift in perspective. There is an emphasis beyond project-centric thinking to prioritize people. Through engaging lessons and build projects, participants explore concepts like setting direction, aligning resources, and inspiring teams. These activities reveal the diverse personalities within teams and highlight the importance of effective communication and motivation.
The ELI isn’t just about theory; it’s about tangible skills that participants can apply immediately. By combining theoretical knowledge with practical application, the program ensures that emerging leaders not only understand
leadership principles, but can also implement them effectively.
“Investing in the next generation of leaders is mission critical,” says Thompson. “As people age out, retire, or turnover, there is a huge gap in the need for both talent and leadership development. In the field is where this will be impacted most significantly according to FMI’s 2023 Talent Study.
Therefore, newer talent will be promoted earlier in their career than their seasoned predecessors. Now more than ever it’s time to lay the foundation needed to strengthen your talent pipeline.”
The ELI caters to a diverse group of emerging leaders, ranging from estimators to HR professionals. This diversity fosters rich discussions and allows participants to learn from
“Whether it’s dealing with your family members, colleagues, or dealing with people externally… Learning how to effectively communicate with each personality type will go a long way with improving your communication skills and effectively delivering your message.”
each others’ experiences. Josh Paul, construction manager with Complete Power Solutions, says that the course was something that was recommended by the owner of his company to take part in. He did the course with a colleague and he enjoyed learning about the different personality styles and how they interact with each other.
“There are four different styles and
how they interact with each other, so we learned what some of the communication strengths are, what some of the weaknesses are, and how to properly communicate with each personality type,” says Paul. “It was helpful because as they were naming off and listing the different personality types, I could put a face and a name to that type, and I have either worked with them in my office or worked with them externally as part of my job. It was good to learn how to effectively communicate with everyone honestly.”
Paul goes on to say that although he has taken management courses before, this particular one stood out. He liked the structure of the course and the fact that there was a mix of theoretical work and hands-on work where participants got to practice what they were learning.
This marked his inaugural course experience with the ECA, and he says that it surpassed all expectations. Initially apprehensive about the duration of the three-day program, he discovered that he eagerly anticipated the interactive nature of the course each day.
“I would honestly recommend it to anyone. You can implement what
you learned in that course both professionally and personally,” says Paul. “Whether it’s dealing with your family members, colleagues, or dealing with people externally… Learning how to effectively communicate with each personality type will go a long way with improving your communication skills and effectively delivering your message.”
Shaeli King, the HR coordinator and executive assistant to the president at ICOM Mechanical Solutions, agrees. Upon her company’s recommendation, she enrolled in the course. Having dedicated three years to ICOM, King finds herself on a gradual trajectory toward a leadership position, prompting her organization to invest in her continued development through further training.
Since King works in HR, she found the material to be really interesting.
“The course itself was pretty much about learning how to work with different personalities. Before the course, everyone filled out a personality assessment and each day you sat with different people. The first day you sat with people who were similar personality types to you, and then the next couple days, one was a totally different group than yourselves, and the final day was a mix of personalities,” says King, who was the only participant who worked in HR. “Then you just did different teambuilding exercises. They went over
different personalities and how different personalities can clash. They went over delegations, so learning how to delegate and reasons why delegation can be a positive rather than a negative. Then they went over time management, so how to prioritize your workload. At the end of the course they went over an action plan; how will you take what you learned in this course and apply it to
your current workplace and how it will improve your current workplace?”
Being the sole representative from her company, King swiftly found herself outside her comfort zone. However, as the course unfolded with numerous team-building exercises, she quickly acclimated, feeling at ease within the group dynamics early on.
King highlights the invaluable
networking opportunities afforded by the ELI course. With participants hailing from diverse companies, she emphasizes the chance to forge connections with a multitude of industry professionals, potentially paving the way for future collaborations. Moreover, she underscores the mutual learning environment fostered by the course, where individuals can glean insights from one another’s shared experiences and challenges, enriching their professional development journey.
The ELI is traditionally offered in the spring with the Canadian Leadership Institute (CLI) course offered in the fall. This year marks the eighth year that the ECA is holding the CLI, which is targeted towards more executive and senior leaders, and is held in Kananaskis.
There were 22 people who attended the 2024 ELI and Brittaney Down, education and corporate services coordinator for the ECA, says that they like to keep the class sizes around 20 to 25 people so participants can get a lot of one-on-one interaction with the educators.
Down says she also participated in the course this year and got a lot of great takeaways from it. She adds that the feedback has been fantastic, with many people saying that the material they learned not only applies to their work life, but to their personal life as well.
“We had someone come through here last year and was very emotional, and on the final day he was saying that these are some things he can apply to his dayto-day life and apply to his marriage, even save his marriage. It was very heartwarming to hear and see that these are what people are taking away from the program,” says Down. “The three full immersive days really help drill the idea home on how it can be applied to not just work, but home life as well.” u
To date, the largest initiative of the Pathway Committee has been Tools for Schools, which delivered tools to 27 junior high/ high school shop programs. Photos courtesy of the Edmonton
Over the past couple of years, the Career Pathways Committee has shifted its outreach to be more teacher-centric
By Lisa Kopochinski
In response to the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople and labour in the construction industry, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) formed the Career Pathways Committee in 2023 to foster and develop a greater interest in the construction industry among Alberta’s youth, as well as to become more involved in promoting construction as a viable and versatile career option.
Under this committee are several initiatives including Tools for Schools, which places tools in the hands of junior high students with the aim to get them interested in the trades. Additionally, the ECA has also been involved with the Teachers Convention and Skills Alberta.
When interviewed about this in a previous issue of Breaking Ground magazine, Brad Mielke, an instructor in
Construction Engineering Technology at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), said the ECA recognizes that its members wanted to get more involved with encouraging construction careers, but the question was how to best accomplish this.
“And, while we were already doing a few things here and there, those efforts were somewhat scattered and
unfocused,” says Mielke. “So, the decision was made [for the ECA] to form the Career Pathways Committee to explore the opportunities that could really make a difference in getting youth more engaged in construction.”
When asked recently about how Career Pathways has progressed over the past few years, Mielke says it has been a very successful endeavour and is gaining momentum with each year.
“We’ve now had about two years of concerted effort as a formed group and, in that time, we have formed a great many ideas to connect with schools, students, and other community organizations to spread the word that the Alberta construction industry is a very meaningful and rewarding career path for youth and those looking for new challenges. Not all of our initiatives have paid off—and some ideas have received a lot of revision after the first efforts—but it is in this exploration that our committee, and by extension our industry, will find the most successful ways to communicate our message.”
Brittaney Down, the ECA education & corporate services coordinator, says it was no secret to those in the industry that the future of construction was looking bleak with less individuals entering the programs, in addition to the increasing number of retirees.
“However, to date our Career Pathways Committee has been involved with a number of different initiatives— both collaboratively and on our own,” says Down. “We have supported Junior Achievement with their world of choices and events, offering speakers from our membership the opportunity to meet with students and provide insights into what careers in the skilled trades and construction would look like.”
Over the past couple of years, the Career Pathways Committee has shifted its outreach to be more teacher-centric.
Attending the Teachers Convention for the first time this year, Down says there has long been a stigma around careers in construction and the skilled trades, and much of this begins in school.
“Helping teachers understand that careers in construction are more than just hammers and nails, and that it offers great opportunities for young adults to kick start their careers, free of debt, and learn valuable hands skills.
“Our
“To date, our Career Pathways Committee has been involved with a number of different initiatives—both collaboratively and on our own.”
—Brittaney Down
“This is the third cycle of the Tools for Schools program, and it marks a new level of engagement.”
—Brad Mielke
Built on our experience from the Skills Alberta competition in 2023, we knew that in order to make an impact with students, we need to build relationships with the educators,” she says. “We used our time at the Teachers Convention to gather feedback and locate gaps in the
support that is offered through various programs.”
Skills Alberta was introduced in 1992 to promote excellence in trades and technology careers through skills
competitions, hands-on programs for students, and resources for educators.
In just one year, Down says they found that the most meaningful interactions at the skills competition were actually with the educators and the parents supporting the competitors.
“This led us to question how we could pivot our support of Skills Alberta. With the help of our friends at Skills Alberta, we came up with the Teachers Lounge, which offers a space for teachers to decompress throughout the competition. It also allowed us with one-on-one access to find out what they need from us as an industry.”
Mielke adds that NAIT’s involvement with Skills Alberta has certainly evolved.
“What we did learn last year was that teachers and career counselors are very willing to discuss future career paths and can then inform their students about this once back in class,” says Mielke. “This year we will be hosting the Teachers Lounge and will tailor a discussion to supporting the teachers in getting our message to the kids.”
To date, the largest initiative of the Pathway Committee has been Tools for Schools, which has delivered tools to 27 junior high/high school shop programs.
Down says that this now brings their total reach to 51 schools since the Tools for Schools inception. The ECA has donated more than 7,200 tools to 51 junior high schools, directly supporting over 10,000 students.
Mielke adds that this is the third cycle of the Tools for Schools program, and it marks a new level of engagement. The committee supported three separate school divisions this year—Edmonton Public, Edmonton Catholic, and Elk Island. They also supported three schools as one-off contacts with three additional school divisions.
He says that word is spreading about the program and teachers and school divisions are now reaching out to request support, which was one of the goals to have this effort become something that schools, industry partners, and suppliers are clamoring to become a part of.
Nic Jacober is a Grade 10 to 12 teacher at Connections For Learning (CFL). He says the Tools for Schools program has allowed his students to complete projects with tools that they were proud to call their own.
“They organized and preserved the collection of tools so that we could make the most out of our school’s building,” says Jacober. “We don’t have a shop space, so a lot of creativity and effort goes into getting these projects done. Tools for Schools sent a large toolbox that secures our tools and provides a workspace for our students.”
Jacober adds that Building Futures is where students build a house from start to finish, and High School Outreach is where his students are building a CNC router so that it can be used to help outreach students earn credits in CTS strands.
“Both of these programs are under the Parkland School Division Connections for Learning School. This year, both
benefited from the Tools for Schools program organized by the ECA.”
Eric Nordstrom is a teacher at St. Cecelia Junior High who is very pleased with Tools for Schools. In his junior high construction classroom, he says the focus of his program has largely been on woodworking projects, and increasingly small concrete projects.
“Within woodworking, I hope to see my students become confident using a
large variety of tools and materials to shape and finish wood materials,” says Nordstrom. “Over the course of three years, students have had opportunities to use jigsaws, bandsaws, power sanders, drills, wood lathes, rotary carving, wood burning, and a variety of hand tools.”
In Nordstrom’s construction classroom it is quite balanced with typically a few more boys than girls. He says he was fortunate to receive a $3,500 crate of
tools from the program this year and was able to provide his students with all new hand tools, jigsaws, palm sanders, drill press, bandsaw, scroll saw, and safety equipment.
“The new equipment made a clear statement that our old shop is a place worth investing in. It’s a message to students and parents that what we are doing here is valuable and will continue to be built to support our students in gaining valuable skills,” says Nordstrom.
“As students gain confidence using each new tool in a safe and skilled manner, that confidence can transcend to other areas of their life.”
Mielke says he is pleased that the message is starting to spread and that more teachers are going beyond just receiving the Tools for Schools delivery.
“They are reaching out to us to ask for guest speakers or to facilitate a
Within woodworking many students are becoming confident using a large variety of tools and materials to shape and finish wood materials.
construction site tour, and to help them source new projects for the classroom,” says Mielke. “It’s not an easy evolution so far as the teachers are very busy and hard pressed to find time to engage in this additional preparation activity.”
There is also a new pilot program in the works called Scraps for Success, which would see excess or waste construction materials diverted to support projects in these same junior high shops.
Mielke says that their hope is that this will be another connection with the teachers, and one that might make their workload just a bit lighter, while also improving the experience for the students.
The ECA is also launching its Speaker series, which is meant be a wrap-around on the Tools for School program.
“We will have our membership returning to the school to speak to the kids regarding their career in construction,” says Down. “We’re hoping to loop in the local trade associations as well to offer specific trades a spotlight, to promote a career in their trades. The speaker series are meant to be instructional and hands on.” u
Our Career Pathways initiative collaborates with schools, teachers, and other groups from elementary school through to high school.
The goal of Tools for Schools is to put tools in the hands of junior high students in order to foster a love for building, innovation, and construction
There is a wide range of resources available to educate students on a career in construction from Kindergarten to Grade 12 Visit the ECA website to access these tools.
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By Jason Syvixay
Versus is a special Breaking Ground series that brings together the ideas and perspectives of those involved in land development – the developers, builders, tradespeople, constructors, architects, engineers, planners, dreamers, and city builders who want to see the Edmonton Metropolitan Region grow and thrive. They’re hedging big bets on the city and the communities we know and love, and have a hot-take or two on what’s needed to accelerate change. A battle of the minds – where all of us, and our region, win.
WHAT DOES GOOD AND EFFECTIVE CITY GOVERNANCE LOOK LIKE?
“The City acts as a regulator when things are going poorly, and a facilitator when things are going well. A municipality should trust others to do what they do best.”
Chris
Nicholas,
President, MLC Group
“The City’s role should be to regulate, not to compete with the private sector. We should focus on building strong relationships to maximize results.”
Janet Riopel, CEO, TREYL Communications
“The City creates the framework for how and where we grow and should enable partners to realize this vision through permissive regulations.”
Paul Fereday, VP of Multi-Family, Cantiro
“The City should be an enabler – creating the conditions, the rules, and the regulations for entrepreneurs and private enterprises to invest in and shape communities.”
Michael Walters, Partner, Berlin
Over the past several years, Edmonton has been cited as a national leader in urban development.
Mature neighbourhoods started to welcome infill as regulations were amended to enable gentle density housing forms as-of-right. Edmonton became the first major Canadian city to remove parking minimums, which often serve as impediments to walkable communities and add additional costs to the price of housing. Edmonton’s public sector leadership prioritized efforts into communicating large-scale changes through a range of mediums – translating master plans and visions into bite-sized prototypes to show what is possible. And there seemed to be a collective desire and pursuit to test ideas quickly and to pivot and adjust where necessary. This culture and sensibility of “city building” –which many stakeholders coined and proliferated over time – quickly earned the attention and adoration of urbanists and policymakers from across Canada.
A conversation between Chris Nicholas, Janet Riopel, Paul Fereday, and Michael Walters explored the evolution of city building in Edmonton and how our city should work moving forward.
“The phrase, a city builder, is a
throwback to Mayor Iveson’s council,” said former Edmonton city councillor, Michael Walters. According to him, it was a narrative that helped all types of stakeholders to see themselves in planning and development of the city. “I subscribed to this idea at the time, but I have sobered up on this concept that ‘everyone’ is a city builder.”
Walters elaborated on this sentiment, sharing his view that it is the private and community sectors that in fact build the city. The City of Edmonton, he says, are enablers that create the conditions, the rules, and the regulations for entrepreneurs and private enterprises to invest in and build communities.
“I think back to when I was a councillor. We spent so many hours talking about things we had no knowledge about,” he said. “Good governance should not be elected officials sticking their noses in the operations of administration.”
Before serving in elected office, Walters spent two decades working on housing, environmental, and economic development issues. In 2021, he joined Berlin, an integrated communications agency, as a partner.
“We have clear lines of business, and we should do those well.”
Walters further noted how the City
of Edmonton has grown its real estate development portfolio, and projects like Blatchford have not realized their intended goals. He suggested that the City should sell the land it plans to developers who have the expertise in real estate.
Janet Riopel, CEO of TREYL Communications, agreed with Walters.
“The City’s role should absolutely not be to compete with the private sector,” said Riopel. “When the City steps outside their role and their expertise, it causes unnecessary confusion and friction, and costly overlap and duplication. The City should focus on building strong partnerships with our entrepreneurial business community.”
She noted how there are many organizations and people who can make incredible things happen in Edmonton.
“Our goal should be to understand our partners and what they bring to the table, and work to build the trust necessary to allow them to contribute in the most effective and efficient way possible.”
Riopel, who has supported the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, NAIT, MacEwan University, and most notably for this article, was CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of
“Developers
and business owners feel a sense of privilege and pride in building communities, houses, and the spaces that people visit, gather, and connect in. We are motivated to realize the City Plan land-use vision but recent conversations between council, administration, and industry have become more divisive and less productive.”
Commerce, pointed to what she sees as a dramatic increase in distrust and division at all levels of government – municipal, regional, provincial, and federal.
“How can this possibly bode well for our successful future,” she said. “We cannot stop trying to seek alignment and shared focus.”
For Paul Fereday, vice-president of multi-family for Cantiro, collaboration between the public and private sectors is critical, and over the past few years has led to important impacts.
“Edmonton is now one of the most permissive cities in Canada, which means we can build the types of housing that people need,” said Fereday. “This didn’t happen by accident. The City and industry partners have worked together to address barriers and opportunities. We need to continue this type of productive collaboration.”
With an educational background in civil engineering and professional experience in construction and development, Fereday has seen firsthand how the private sector can respond and meet the needs of a growing city and population when the City of Edmonton is clear on its expectations and vision for the future. He says predictability and communication provide confidence and clarity to builders and developers.
“We need a framework for how we grow, and then an openness to letting partners move quickly on that vision,” he said.
He added that while there is an even target for housing in both infill and in the suburbs, the conversation has unfortunately become divisive.
“We need housing in all corners of our city, so we need to keep our regulations flexible and open, and not create any artificial constraints on the market,”
• Identify and steward multi-stakeholder partnerships to leverage big outcomes.
• Build trust, not division.
• Establish role clarity and reporting to support greater accountability.
• Enable industry and community to realize municipal visions and plans.
• Embrace a willingness to govern differently and pivot when necessary.
Fereday said. “The City should look to drawing on our industry’s expertise to welcome an additional one-million more people to Edmonton.”
Chris Nicholas, president of MLC Group, has been adding to Edmonton’s housing stock for more than 25 years. When asked what good governance could look like, he said that the City should trust its business leaders to do what they do best.
“Developers and business owners feel a sense of privilege and pride in building communities, houses, and the spaces that people visit, gather, and connect in,” he said. “We are motivated to realize the City Plan land-use vision but recent conversations between council, administration, and industry have become more divisive and less productive.”
Nicholas said that the City serves as a facilitator when they trust the experience and expertise of community and private sectors.
“When things are not working well, the City reverts back into regulator mode,” Nicholas said. “One opportunity moving forward is to get comfortable with disagreement. That’ll help with building trust, understanding, and hopefully common ground.” u
• Focus on what matters most – not everything is or can be a priority.
• Re-establish the importance of regionalism.
• Continue to improve development regulations, policies, and processes.
• Enable municipal officials to lead, not to simply respond.
• Govern – respect the information and expertise of administration and stakeholders.
Jason Syvixay is Urban Development Institute – Edmonton Metro’s director of metro strategy and advocacy. He is an urban planner and PhD candidate who has led policy and programs related to infill, zoning, downtown, and equity.
By Shayna Wiwierski
The Alberta construction industry has long been a male-dominated field. Despite women making up 45 per cent of the overall workforce in Alberta, they represent only 14 per cent within the construction sector and a mere five per cent in skilled trades.
Recognizing this significant gender disparity, the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) launched WomenBuild in 2020. This initiative seeks to inspire, support, encourage, connect, and celebrate women in the industry. By providing unique networking events, educational opportunities, and a strong support network, WomenBuild is making strides in transforming the landscape for women in construction.
Here, we spotlight three inspiring members of WomenBuild who have not only entered the industry, but have also thrived as business owners: Penny
McEwan of Downright Demolition Ltd., Robin Jeffries of Concrete Inc., and Glenise Harvey of A&H Steel Ltd.
Penny McEwan, owner and partner of Downright Demolition Ltd., epitomizes resilience and tenacity. Her journey into the demolition industry began in 2018, although her roots in the field go back much further.
McEwan’s initiation into the world of demolition was almost serendipitous. After her previous employer struggled financially, she decided to leverage her 15-plus years of industry experience to start her own company, initially named Yellowjacket Demolition. With the support of her family, McEwan embarked on an entrepreneurial journey from her home office.
Her career in demolition began
unexpectedly when she transitioned from a night manager in the liquor industry to working with her father-in-law’s demolition company.
“In 2000, my youngest son was going from kindergarten to Grade 1. I was in the liquor industry, and I loved that industry, but I wanted to go from nights to days. At the time, my boss wouldn’t move me from the nighttime manager to the daytime manager, and I didn’t want to work all night and not see my kids,” says McEwan. “My father-in-law had a demolition company at the time, so I started with him out in the field on the jackhammer and doing the physical stuff. Never had a stitch of construction experience in my life.”
She quickly adapted to the job, starting with hands-on fieldwork and progressively taking on more significant roles. She joined B&B (Bigger & Better)
Demolition, beginning as a shop foreman, then moving to superintendent, and eventually general manager. These diverse roles provided her with invaluable insights and experience, setting a solid foundation for her own venture.
Reflecting on her early challenges, McEwan recalls instances where her expertise was overlooked in favour of male colleagues. However, she remained undeterred, focusing on building a supportive and respectful team environment. She emphasizes the importance of diplomatic leadership, avoiding the stereotypical harshness often associated with the construction industry. Her approach is rooted in empathy and understanding, especially when dealing with clients who have suffered losses.
“I make sure I understand and listen to not only my team members but also my customers because they might be going through something on their own,” she says. “If you are pricing a fire loss and they have lost all the contents in their house, you might have one conversation with them and change their mind a week down the line or two days down the line. You have to put yourself in their situation and understand where they are coming from.”
McEwan is particularly proud of how the industry has evolved to provide more opportunities for women. She has witnessed firsthand the transformation from an era when female electricians or plumbers were rare to a time where women are increasingly seen in various skilled trades. Her advice to women entering the industry is to develop thick skin, be confident, and never hesitate to seek help when needed.
Downright Demolition Ltd. has thrived under McEwan’s leadership, boasting a team of around 20 dedicated professionals. As a member of the ECA and WomenBuild, she values the platform’s role in fostering communication and relationships among women in construction. She finds inspiration in the stories and experiences shared within the WomenBuild community, reinforcing the importance of mutual support and mentorship.
“When I first started, you didn’t see a female electrician or a female plumber, and you know, being in the industry for as long as I have been, I had a couple of ladies work for me or work for [the company] at the time, and now they are journeyman plumbers or electricians or welders,” says McEwan. “I just find that the industry is giving women more of
an opportunity since they are looked at as equals. They aren’t looked at like ‘oh you’re a woman, you don’t know anything.’ I’m so excited and impressed to see both in my day-to-day and see the positions that women are stepping into and the chairs that they are sitting in in the construction industry now compared to 20 years ago.”
Robin Jeffries, operations manager and co-owner of Concrete Inc., has a story that underscores the importance of adaptability and perseverance.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Concrete Inc. was founded in 2004 by Jeffries and her husband. The idea of starting a precast concrete manufacturing company was her husband’s, and although Jeffries initially had no knowledge of precast concrete, she agreed to help with administrative tasks while juggling both a full-time and part-time job.
“I had never heard of precast concrete before and had no idea what it was. [My husband] asked me if I could help out with the administration work and I already had [two jobs] at the time, so I was limited to helping out on evenings and weekends,” she says. “We started
The City of Edmonton provides capital grants for non-market affordable housing development. The Affordable Housing Investment Program offers:
+ Up to 25% of construction costs for the affordable housing component of new construction (planned or reimbursement) or rehabilitation of existing units
+ Up to 40% of construction costs for the affordable housing component of Indigenous-led housing
Proposals for Indigenous-led housing are being accepted now until June 21, 2024. Visit edmonton.ca/AffordableHousingInvestment
very small, making small planters and other items for masonry. We got to the point then where we needed someone to work in the office full time and we really debated whether that person should be me or not. I had some other career options at the time, it was a lot to consider, both from a relationship point of view, a financial point of view, and my career, but we finally decided to give it a go.”
Jeffries’ background as a restaurant manager provided her with organizational skills but little familiarity with the trades. However, she quickly learned and adapted, and was responsible for securing their first large, make or break projects. Her journey into the trades was eye-opening, revealing the complexity and ingenuity involved in construction projects that she had previously taken for granted.
As the company grew, so did Jeffries’ role and responsibilities. She faced the
the importance of working as hard as any other team member and believes that this principle is shared by many successful entrepreneurs.
The company now employs 29 people, including women in various roles such as yard personnel, welders, fabricators, project managers, estimators, and general laborers. Jeffries notes a significant increase in female representation across the industry, and she no longer finds it surprising to see women in diverse construction roles.
Jeffries’ involvement with the ECA dates back to 2006, and she has been a part of WomenBuild for the past few years. She appreciates the organization’s support and advocacy for the industry and values the camaraderie and ideasharing within WomenBuild. She encourages women to pursue careers in construction boldly and confidently, emphasizing that success in the industry is based on performance and the ability
construction industry,” she says. “I’m so happy with both of them and I would encourage anybody to explore it as an option.”
Glenise Harvey, principal at A&H Steel Ltd., represents a unique blend of educational and industrial expertise.
A&H Steel Ltd., was founded in 1970 by Harvey’s stepfather Andy Kotun and his brother Hank. When Hank moved on a couple of years later, Harvey’s mother Olga, who was a reinforcing steel detailer for the company at the time, became business partners with Andy. The company has grown from a modest 12 employees to nearly 500 during peak times. A&H Steel Ltd., now co-owned by Harvey and her stepbrother Craig Kotun, includes A&H (Vancouver) and Phoenix Rebar Consultants, further showcasing their expansive reach and success.
Although Harvey has been working for the company in various capacities since she was 10 years old, her background is rooted in education. With a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education, she spent 29 years teaching second grade before transitioning into the family business. Near the end of her teaching career, Harvey balanced being in the classroom with being in the boardroom, eventually retiring from her teaching career in 2016 to fully commit to her role in the company. As principal, she leads the People Development and Engagement Department, focusing on enhancing the employee experience and fostering a positive work culture. When Harvey first stepped back into A&H, her intention of transforming the culture with a priority on how the employees experienced the workplace was not readily embraced. Her background in psychology and human behaviour equipped her with insights into motivation, feedback, and
Open to women of ECA member firms, WomenBuild is a place of inspiration, support and mentorship to women Group members will enjoy unique networking events and educational opportunities while engaging with their industry peers . A B O
WomenBuild seeks to connect, strengthen, and inspire women in Industry Not only are women underrepresented in our industry, but they are also underrepresented in leadership positions and the pipeline of women being trained in construction-related disciplines There is much work to do!
creating supportive environments— concepts that were initially foreign to the operations-focused team. However, through perseverance and demonstrating the value of these “soft skills”, she successfully integrated her philosophies into the company’s culture.
“I feel that as a business owner, I have a responsibility to create a work environment that is employee-focused. I want our employees to feel like they are
surrounded by others who have their backs and that they are part of a work family,” says Harvey. “I want our people to go home knowing they did their best and were surrounded by others in the work family who supported them, cheered them on, and gave them hard feedback in order to make them better. And for them to feel at peace knowing they did the same for others. The ultimate hope is that they go home happier and out into
their communities happier. As weird as it sounds, I think this is how we, as leaders in business, have the opportunity to make the world a better place.”
Harvey’s approach to business is deeply influenced by her teaching career. She believes in building strong relationships, ensuring employees feel safe, supported, and valued. Her leadership is characterized by continuous personal development, clearly-defined core values, and a commitment to elevating others. This holistic approach has transformed A&H Steel Ltd. into a company where both the “what” and the “how” are equally valued.
The industry has seen significant changes towards female representation, and A&H Steel Ltd. embodies this progress. The company boasts female leaders at the table, including Kerri Hagen, who has been with the company for 22 years after graduating from NAIT, and Fiona Francis, both of whom bring extensive industry knowledge and are respected by their peers. A&H has many women in the organization, working in various positions in the office, fabrication shop, and out in the field. Harvey mentions that A&H hires the best person for the position, embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment.
Harvey’s advice to women aspiring to enter the construction industry is to know their values, purpose, and vision, and to continually develop both personally and professionally. She values the connections and learning opportunities provided by WomenBuild and appreciates the ECA’s commitment to supporting women in construction.
“A strong purpose for why you want to be in the construction world, coupled with strong values, can be your north star when things get hard – and they do sometimes,” she says. “Knowing what you are standing for is sometimes all that matters to keep you going.”
By Paul Adair
Founded in 1974 by Andy Clark, Clark Builders started its journey with a small, pre-engineered warehouse in its hometown, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The allure of the rugged northern terrain and the challenges it presented were the catalysts for the company’s establishment.
After the first year, Clark brought in a partner – Bill Giebelhaus – and the decision was made to move from Yellowknife to Edmonton, Alta. to meet the growing demand for its services.
“Clark Builders was having rapid success in building a brand, reputation, and portfolio and to grow. As Andy and
Bill always said, ‘you need to go where the work is’, and at the time, the work was happening in Edmonton, so that’s where the company went,” said Andrew Ross, CEO at Clark Builders.
In the years since its founding, the company has opened additional offices in Calgary, Vancouver, and Kelowna. Today, Clark Builders services predominately western Canada and the Northwest Territories, with time spent completing projects as far away as Russia, China, and Japan.
Clark Builders’ expansion was founded on the guiding principle of ‘one great person and one great project at a time’,
a philosophy that is reflected in the company’s diverse portfolio and services. Focusing on institutional, commercial, and industrial projects, Clark Builders delivers exceptional quality and, whether it’s general carpentry, architectural cladding, building envelopes, or preengineered buildings, Clark Builders is a hands-on builder that self-performs much of its own work.
In 2012, Clark Builders partnered with Turner Construction Company, one of North America’s largest general contractors. Through this partnership, Turner provides greater access to global expertise and resources, while also
fostering an integration of best practices and capabilities that leverage their collective experience.
“At Clark Builders, we don’t differentiate between projects based on their scale,” said Ross. “Whether it’s a $10,000 or multi-million-dollar project, our approach is simple – we focus on finding solutions for our clients’ challenges. Whenever we’ve been faced with the challenge of being told, ‘Nobody can build this’, our unwavering response has consistently been, ‘We will figure it out’. And we always have.”
As a purpose-driven company, Clark Builders is steadfast in its commitment to enriching the lives of the people who work with them and in the communities it helps build. These projects include multi-family and affordable living facilities, community and recreation centres, schools, post-secondary campuses, healthcare, senior living
facilities, and much more.
“Some of my most impactful career milestones have come from working at Clark Builders and the amazing projects that I’ve been a part of,” said Dan Eckert, preconstruction manager. “To know that I’ve played a role in the construction of a project like Allard Hall at MacEwan University is very rewarding, and I like to think that someday my kids might go to MacEwan, walk through Allard Hall, and know their dad helped build it – it’s pretty cool.”
In recent years, Clark Builders has put a greater emphasis on investing in tomorrow with strategic initiatives and a formalized Environmental Social Governance framework that ensures positive social and environmental contributions to the communities it serves. These efforts include such things as sustainability practices, progressive Indigenous relations, social procurement, community give-back initiatives, as well as others.
Clark Builders understands that the foundation of any successful project lies in the hands of the people working on it. The company currently employs approximately 750 members who can expect to work on interesting and unique projects and have the opportunity to grow in their careers. Clark Builders also places a lot of emphasis on the total wellbeing of its employees, not just physical wellbeing, but emotional and mental wellbeing as well.
“We want everyone to go home every day better off than when they arrived,” said Ross. “That means they have not been injured – physically or mentally –and that they have learned something new after contributing to a hard day’s work, as well as have earned a great wage that allows them to take care of their family and community.”
As a company, Clark Builders puts a lot of effort into fostering collaboration between the people who work there. This
“ The ECA has been invaluable in terms of advocacy and education for its members, as well as for its ability to drive a common language to deal with the myriad of challenges that we, as an industry, face each and every day.”
ability to have the entire team pulling in the same direction has helped Clark Builders succeed together as a team, enabling company to build a long-lasting legacy based on integrity, delivering exceptional results, and having a work ethic that is second to none.
“Collaboration is built into the culture at Clark Builders, and there is a willingness here for people to go out of their way to ensure that they’re doing the job right,” said Eckert. “When our clients can witness our collaborative approach to work, it instills confidence in them that their project will be completed on time and on budget, and that we prioritize the well-being of the people who are constructing their buildings.”
The company recognizes that there are challenges ahead for the construction industry and that it has a responsibility to find ways to reduce the risk for the pace of the work, which the company believes will come from leveraging new technology and exploring ways to do work differently.
This is one of the benefits brought to the table by the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA), which does a tremendous job of advocating for construction in Alberta and bringing people together to network and share best practices.
“This is a challenging industry to be a part of, with very low margins and high
risks,” said Ross. “The ECA has been invaluable in terms of advocacy and education for its members, as well as for its ability to drive a common language to deal with the myriad of challenges that we, as an industry, face each and every day.”
Eckert was part of ECA’s Professional Estimating Group for several years and sees great value in membership. For him, the association provides an opportunity to reach and meet new trade, supplier, and manufacturing partners in the industry.
“On a more personal level, the ECA also gives me a chance to mix and mingle with my peers from other construction companies and talk shop, something that is really important for the overall health of this industry,” said Eckert. “Networking like this has not only helped me personally, but has impacted my career development and growth.”
Looking ahead, Clark Builders will continue to prioritize its people and pursue its ultimate goal of ensuring that
consistent safe practices are followed on projects, in the offices, and on sites. The company will also continue to strive to become a leader in innovation, not just to better Clark Builders, but also to help strengthen the construction industry as a whole.
This year, Clark Builders is celebrating 50 years in business and is taking the
opportunity to honour their past, while also focusing on the excitement of the future. With a steadfast commitment to safety, innovation, and community, Clark Builders looks forward to building a better future for everyone involved.
“We are a humble organization that does not typically seek accolades, but this milestone is something we’re truly
proud of,” said Ross. “This will be a time to honour and celebrate our history, acknowledge the contributions of those who came before us which have brought Clark Builders to where we are today. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to focus on how we can strategize for the future, enhancing our service to clients in the years ahead.” u
By Chris Creran, Senior Client Executive, HUB International
After several challenging years fraught with supply chain issues, increased costs, and job delays, the Canadian construction industry is making a comeback. An increase in manufacturing, transportation, and government investments is expected to fuel strong, profitable growth over the next several years. Rebound is projected at a 2.3 per cent annual rate from 2025 to 2028, even in the face of continued worker shortages, rising inflation, and an unrelenting climate.
Stabilizing rates for construction
projects breed renewed optimism, and the hard insurance market is beginning to soften in response. This puts the construction sector in a transitional market that’s characterized by massive fluctuations and new opportunities for better coverage.
As HUB celebrates over 25 years as a world-class brokerage, our team is poised to take advantage of the illusive transitional market to secure the best coverage for our clients. Our established Edmonton construction practice has both the expertise and agility to open
doors to more attractive policies, rates, and products that have been locked shut for years.
A transitional market happens when an insurance market moves from a hard market to a soft one, or from soft to hard. This shift creates significant changes in insurance rates and terms, and conditions that present new ways to enhance coverage options.
Being in partnership with a local, construction-specific brokerage that has their hand on the pulse of the industry means your broker can act quickly and intentionally to capitalize on opportunities and remove exclusions, restrictions, and warranties that were set in the hard market.
For example, an auto liability policy can include exclusions for drivers under a certain age which may be restrictive for apprentices, or a Commercial General Liability policy can have exclusions for work performed by electrical contractors or subcontractors on fire alarms. This common exclusion will affect most construction companies in a hard market but should start to lift as the market begins to soften. Construction-specific brokers will be clued into these changes and will proactively engage, advocate,
and negotiate with insurers on behalf of their clients to remove any applicable exclusions.
Brokerages that aren’t construction experts can put your business at a huge disadvantage. If your brokerage isn’t fully informed on the transitional market fluctuations, you could be unknowingly and needlessly subjected to exclusions, and less than ideal terms and conditions that were brought on by the hard market.
A brokerage like HUB that performs in-depth contract and internal account stewardship reviews, and also has access to multiple markets and longterm, industry relationships, will be your greatest asset to secure the best coverage limits and features with the fewest exclusions possible.
HUB’s Edmonton office has a strong, construction-specific team that understands the local challenges of its construction clients and offers solutions that span from surety to construction risk management. Staffed by a loyal team of 12 dedicated employees with over 150 years of collective construction industry experience, the Edmonton office is active with the Electrical Contractors
Many employees sit on local boards and the team actively participates in local community projects through HUB’s formal community service program, HUB GIVES.
Association of Alberta, the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, the Edmonton Construction Association, and other local groups.
HUB’s Edmonton office is powered by the larger, national HUB construction group, which brings more resources, relationships, and knowledge-share to the table. Edmonton HUB clients get the
Delivering specialist advice and services since 1957.
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best of both worlds — an established 25-year-old North American business that empowers brokers to find the best coverage for their clients and a local team who understands their unique needs.
HUB’s Edmonton team is passionate about their involvement in the community. Many employees sit on local boards and the team actively participates in local community projects through HUB’s formal community service program, HUB GIVES. The Edmonton team has supported numerous community groups through the program, including the Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue, Edmonton’s Food Bank, HOPE Mission, Ronald McDonald House Charities’ Edmonton House, and 630 CHED Santas Anonymous. In 2023, 150 community projects were completed across the Prairies through HUB GIVES.
Boundarylessness is a way of life at HUB’s more than 530 regional offices across North America. This boundarylessness provides HUB producers and account executives with seamless, ready access to all of HUB’s strategies, resources, expertise, and specializations. We’re committed to using the collective power of our national presence to benefit our local clients and communities across the U.S. and Canada.
November 2023 marked HUB’s 25th anniversary. What began in 1998 as the merger of 11 small Canadian brokerages has grown into a world-class brokerage serving more than two-million clients across North America. And we’re just getting started — we’re looking to the future and ready to take the next 25 years by storm. u
As part of your ECA membership benefits, a free Commissioner for Oaths service is available to ECA members that require a signature on associated forms.
If you have any further questions regarding ECA’s commissioning process, please contact us by email: contact@edmca.com.
With the ECA fleet discount program, ECA members have access to substantial discounts and additional concessions.
ECA members have access to substantial savings on vehicle purchase and rentals, through our association partnerships with Chrysler and Dodge.
Members of ECA can take advantage of exclusive concessions up to $14,500 on purchases of Chrysler and Dodge vehicles through ECA’s fleet discount program. To avail this offer, kindly contact ECA to obtain a letter of authorization, after which you can proceed to purchase your preferred vehicle from any of the Alberta fleet dealers
Program terms vary by dealership.
Learn more at edmca.com or call 780.483.1130
Members can take advantage of using our ECA classrooms, boardroom and event spaces at no charge!
We have a space for you to meet with a client or two. Spaces for a 24-person workshop. Even a space for a 60-person meeting!
Rooms are available M-F, 8:00 am- 4:00 pm (subject to availability) Bookings are free to ECA members (contact us for non-member rates) Rooms can be used for meetings (planning, sales, safety, etc.) and training. Set-up, hospitality, and clean-up services are not provided
Contact brittaney.down@edmca.com or by phone 780-483-1130 for more information.
By Gregg Becker
The construction industry in Alberta is dominated by private companies. Some of these are sole proprietors, while some are partnerships, and some are family-owned. The day-to-day action of most business owners tends to push off considerations of what will happen when the current owner(s) no longer leads the company, or owns it – even though every company eventually goes through these transitions.
While exiting an operating business is not something most owners think deeply about in advance, careful planning for the eventual transition is as necessary as careful planning for building a structure. It pays to “measure twice – cut once” since errors or bad assumptions have a direct impact on the viability and value of an exit.
A crash plan should be in place for every business to protect the owner, their
family, their employees, and clients in the case of sudden death or incapacity. Assuming the owner does get to make choices about how they exit, there are multiple options for transitioning out. Here are the most common ones:
1. Sale to another company (a strategic buyer);
2. Moving the company to the next generation of the family;
Predictable Futures specializes in assisting private companies map their way through the challenges that come with transition. We provide a proven framework and process that covers off the issues of leadership, ownership, business and family that can come up along the way.
For over 35 years, we have been guiding business owners safely and successfully through transitions, preserving and enhancing the profitability of their companies while protecting their families and other stakeholders on the journey. It’s what we love to do.
Phone: 587-990-8898
www.predictablefutures.com
3. Selling the company to employees or other internal partners; 4. Orderly wind down of company and assets.
Each of these options has its own merits, but in most cases, not all of these are desirable or available to an owner. Depending on the owner’s goals, some options may be less feasible than others. For example:
• No company is found to buy the company, or will pay a fair price;
• There are no “heirs” in the family who want to (or are capable of) owning and moving the company forward;
• No staff or partners who want (or are able) to take over the firm;
• An orderly wind down is always possible, but usually generates the lowest value out of the company. If the owner wants/needs to extract value from the company upon exit (to fund retirement, or build their estate for others), then planning well ahead gives the largest number of options and the highest likelihood of extracting optimal value.
The key is, when owners think about exit, they tend to think about the “transaction” rather than the “transition”. Transactions are where accountants and lawyers also tend to focus, since this is where their (invaluable) skill sets come directly into play. However, transactions tend to happen over a shorter timeframe, while transitions that are done well take longer.
No purchaser will pay top dollar for a company (and heirs would be wise to resist) if the transition details are not well thought through. Who will lead the company next? Does the current owner hold critical relationships, information, and experience which need to be moved to the next leaders to maintain the value in the company? Can the company qualify for needed capital or credit without the current owner’s equity? Likewise, leadership transition is as important as ownership transition, but generally takes more time and planning.
So where to begin? A well-designed and proven process can serve as a valuable guide to owners seeking to exit over time. Such a process starts with defining the owner’s goals and strategy for exit, since these serve as a “north star” to steer by. Effective exits and transitions create the highest value when the (directly) affected stakeholders are part of the discussion – springing the conversation on your partner, heir, or others does not lay a good groundwork
and foundation for a successful transition. Starting conversations and planning early opens up the most options, creating more opportunities to achieve everyone’s goals – especially the owners. Having well-thought-through plans for ownership and leadership transition should be something every business owner plans for on a regular basis, and it is never “too early” (both opportunities and crashes can come up when you least expect them). u
By Glyn Jones
When you have a team of people in your organization wearing safety eyewear, you want to make sure your safety eyewear policy covers all the critical points. In Alberta, employers are required to develop an occupational health and safety program, which includes a policy on eye safety.
A written policy helps to define the eye safety requirements and describes the commitment of the employer and employees to assess and control hazards ensuring safe work. To make it effective, people need to wear safety eyewear and the cornerstone of good policy ensures safety eyewear performance, fit, and price are all aligned.
The safety eyewear selected often needs to be able to perform under harsh conditions. Approved safety eyewear must meet the performance standards set out in Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSAZ94.3 Industrial Eye and Face Protectors standard. The frames need to be made of impactresistant materials such as acetate. The lenses need to provide optical clarity, scratch, and fog resistance. In selecting safety eyewear, choose a provider that offers a warranty to ensure coverage for any defects or damage or nonadaptation to the lenses. Also consider the customer service and assistance
Safety eyewear needs to be comfortable to wear across the range of temperature, humidity, and work activities being completed.
being offered to help with sizing, fitting, and other product inquiries.
If the safety eyewear is not comfortable it will not be worn. Safety eyewear needs to be comfortable to wear across the range of temperature, humidity, and work activities being completed. Choose products that offer a range of sizes to ensure employees can find safety eyewear that fits their face shape and size comfortably — no two faces are alike.
The individual fitting the safety eyewear should ensure adjustable features such as nose pads and temple arms are a comfortable fit for extended
wear, that it sits securely on the face without slipping or causing discomfort, especially during active work tasks, and that the peripheral view is clear and undistorted.
If you need prescription safety eyewear, make sure the prescription is correct by having an eye exam with an optometrist. This will help ensure the comfort of the eyewear.
When choosing safety eyewear consider the long-term costs. The initial purchase price should be a consideration, but you also need to consider the full product life-cycle cost. Some of the less expensive products distributed through major lumber and hardware chains may be inferior quality that can be easily scratched and may not stand up to worksite rigors. With safety eyewear, paying a slightly higher price for a quality product will save you money in the long run. If you buy inexpensive eyewear, you will likely have to buy it often.
Poor lens clarity and distortions in the
periphery of the lens is another issue with lower-end safety eyewear. Fogging may be a big issue because the lenses don’t have the benefit of the best and latest anti-fogging technologies. All these problems lead to increased eye fatigue for the wearer. Take time to research and be cautious of price point safety eyewear, because it’s likely you will end up spending more in the long-term. Properly fitted quality eyewear truly is much less than you would think.
When selecting safety eyewear always consider performance and fit first, but related to these two factors is something we call wearability and it includes aesthetics. People may argue that aesthetics shouldn’t matter when it comes to safety equipment, however if you talk to the employees most will tell you that it’s a matter of some concern. Safety eyewear has become much more than a simple way to provide eye protection. It’s now a full-fledged fashion accessory.
Today’s safety eyewear comes in
multiple shapes, sizes, and colours to please any wearer. Find a provider who offers a broad selection of frames, lenses, and coatings.
The risk of eye injury at work is real. With careful consideration and analysis, the long-term cost savings, and real value of purchasing quality safety eyewear becomes readily apparent. It’s not just about dollars and cents. Workers are more likely to consistently wear required safety eyewear when it’s comfortable, stable-fitting, and aesthetically-pleasing. The result, inevitably, will be significantly improved compliance, fewer lost days, less pain and suffering, and happier employees.
Glyn Jones is a partner at EHS Partnerships Ltd. in Calgary. He is a consulting occupational health and safety professional with 35 years of experience. He is a regular safety conference speaker in Canada, and he provides program design and instructional support to the University of New Brunswick’s OHS certificate and diploma programs. u
Managed compliance to CSA standards and your firm’s policies.
Tailored prescription eye safety solutions for any size company and their employees.
More than 300 locations throughout the Alberta; delivered by professionals.
A free program administered by the Alberta Association of Optometrists.
At Maple Reinders, we thrive on challenges. With a nationwide presence and expertise in design, construction, and project management, we bring our proven approaches to projects large and small. From institutional and commercial projects, to infrastructure, to renovations and retrofits, let our award winning team be your solution provider.
