ECA GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND ADVOCACY UPDATE – Q1 2024

Your ECA advocacy team has been busy through the first months of the year, raising our association’s profile with essential stakeholders and shaping discussions over public policies that impact your businesses, and the people and communities you rely on for success.

Through several initiatives, including meetings, member events, and lobbying e orts, the ECA has represented members’ interests on the issues of labour supply, education, training and retention, public procurement policy, prompt payment, contract modernization, capital planning, climate resiliency, housing, and a ordability.

This work is guided by a Government Relations and Advocacy Working Group.

ECA Strikes Government Relations and Advocacy Working Group

This newly appointed group falls under the Strategies and Engagement Committee of the ECA Board. Struck in February 2024, it aims to provide oversight and guidance to ECA advocacy, lobbying, and public relations activities conducted by the board and senior sta .

Members have an important role in informing ECA’s external outreach initiatives with the City of Edmonton, the Government of Alberta, and the many stakeholders we collaborate with regularly, including our colleagues with the Calgary Construction Association and the Alberta Construction Association.

Among the group's responsibilities are supporting ECA government relations, communications, and public relations tactics, fostering policy and advocacy alignment with stakeholders and other industry associations.

RYAN CHRISTENSEN Delnor Construction PAUL FEREDAY Cantiro LINDSAY MUNN Civida

BEN WAGEMAKERS PCL Construction

JEN HANCOCK Chandos Construction

BROOKES MERRITT Loyalton Strategies

WARREN SINGH ACA

DAVID JOHNSON ECA

MATT SCHELLENBERGER ECA

In its inaugural meeting, the working group defined the ECA’s advocacy objectives, identified the key issues advance on behalf of members, and how these issues align with the priorities from the ECA and ACA strategic plans.

ECA Advocacy Objectives:

Define ECA value propositions, and increase government’s awareness of them.

ECA Key Issues:

Municipal Investments

A ordability & Cost

Increase member and stakeholder awareness of ECA’s policy positions and advocacy e orts.

Climate Resiliency & Energy E ciency

Equitable & Transparent Procurement

Workforce Development & Supply

Collaborative Delivery Models

Regional Collaboration

Regulatory Equity & Exemptions

Provincial Budget Response

ECA Board Chair Jen Hancock (Chandos) responded to the Government of Alberta’s release of Budget 2024 on February 29 by acknowledging investments in workforce development and housing. “These are an important signal that the consistent and unified messages the ECA brings on behalf of our industry are being heard,” she said, adding they reflect messaging ECA has brought forward in meetings with the Ministries of Infrastructure, Transportation and Economic Corridors, Advanced Education, Education, Municipal A airs, and A ordability and Utilities.

Highlights of Budget 2024 included new workforce development commitments for attraction bonuses, and funding to increase apprenticeship programs for skilled construction workers, and initiatives supporting the development of renewable energy, a more e cient electrical grid, and Alberta’s a ordable housing strategy.

Hancock and ECA President David Johnson also expressed members’ disappointment that plans for a new hospital in south Edmonton have been postponed. Edmonton’s population is projected to grow significantly over the next five years, and the demand for more acute healthcare facilities and hospital beds is rising rapidly.

The Edmonton metropolitan area is home to the same percentage of Albertans as the City of Calgary, but this parity was not reflected in capital commitments. Except for LRT, the total estimated value of capital investments in the Edmonton region is significantly lower than those estimated for Calgary.

“We recognize that provincial capital investments between Alberta’s two largest cities can shift yearly. We will continue to advocate for near and long-term capital investments to meet the immediate needs of our rapidly growing city,” said Johnson.

“Looking ahead, Budget 2025 presents the Government of Alberta with a significant opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to Edmontonians, and recognize our city’s contribution to Alberta’s economy and high quality of life.”

Builders Connect Expo

ECA hosted Provincial Minister of Infrastructure Pete Guthrie and Edmonton City Councilor Tim Cartmell at its inaugural Builders Connect Expo on February 15, where more than 500 members gathered for a day of engagement, learning, and a celebration of industry leaders. The event combined two of ECA’s most well-known events - the Builders Connect Luncheon and Hub of Construction Expo.

Events like this o er essential networking opportunities for members and for the ECA Board and executive to discuss issues, policy perspectives, and industry challenges with decision-makers in the municipal and provincial governments.

The Expo also o ered these stakeholders a chance to hear from Alex Carrick, Construction Connect's chief economist, on the current realities of the Canadian and North American construction industry. These perspectives inform ongoing conversations with government o cials about trends in industry investment, labour supply, and regulatory reform across Canada and the United States.

Bridging the Housing Gap

On March 21, ECA hosted national Task Force for Housing and Climate Co-Chair Don Iveson for an industry-wide discussion about recommendations to address Canada’s challenge of housing a ordability and accessibility.

ECA welcomed representatives from the ACA, the CCA, UDI Edmonton, BILD Alberta, and BILD Calgary Region to discuss the potential impacts of the task force's more than 100 recommendations—many of which have been adopted by the Government of Canada in its revised national housing strategy and in the federal budget released this month (more in Q2 update).

Among the challenges discussed were: contrasting the Task Force’s vision for housing targets with the industry’s practical realities, the role of legislation and regulation versus industry incentives, the impact of conditionality on federal funding and intergovernmental relations, the value and need for climate-resilient construction, zoning challenges and opportunities, and workforce development.

Q1 2024

Renewing Relationships with City of Edmonton

ECA met with the Craig Walbaum, Acting Deputy City Manager, in early April to renew our commitment to municipal collaboration, following the departure of former deputy city manager for integrated infrastructure services Adam Laughlin. ECA joined all members of the construction community in congratulating Adam on his new position with PCL.

Coming Up in Q2

The ECA’s Q1 advocacy initiatives have positioned the association to take advantage of several opportunities this spring that will be updated in our next publication:

May 10: Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi’s State of the City Address

This is a chance for ECA Government Relations and Advocacy Working Group members to connect with municipal and provincial stakeholders to discuss infrastructure investment and budgeting, project delivery models, procurement processes, and collaborative solutions to intergovernmental issues impacting municipalities.

May 14: Fireside Chat with Premier Danielle Smith

The ECA is co-hosting a discussion with the Premier about ECA’s advocacy priorities, including housing, jobs, labour supply and investment. The event is presented by UDI and MacEwan University, and co-hosted by CHBA Edmonton, NAIOP, BOMA, and IDEA.

May 21: ECA 2nd Annual Day at the Legislature

ECA is building on the success of last year’s provincial advocacy day by welcoming the Alberta Construction Association and our colleagues from Calgary to the Alberta Legislature for a day of meetings to discuss policy priorities with several ministers and government representatives, focusing on workforce development and public infrastructure investment.

May 22: Edmonton City Council Luncheon

ECA will discuss key advocacy issues with Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and members of Edmonton City Council while hosting its annual networking event.