Let’s Talk Community Benefits Agreements The impact of private contracts on the BC construction sector By / Natalie Bruckner
It has been more than 18 months
since B.C. Premier John Horgan announced that key government infrastructure projects would be built under new private contracts called community benefits agreements (CBAs) in the hope of better prioritizing minority groups who live in close proximity to future provincial projects.
raised than answered, despite numerous workshops and conferences being held on the subject.
While the first two projects covered by the agreement are already underway—the Pattullo Bridge replacement and the widening of the Trans-Canada Highway from Kamloops to Alberta—it is fair to say that the rollout of CBAs has been less than smooth. In fact, it seems more questions have been
To put it simply, a CBA is an agreement that sets out hiring provisions on publicly funded infrastructure projects, such as schools, roads, and dams. Typically, a CBA will include provisions for the hiring of qualified local workers, Indigenous Peoples, apprentices, and women in trades.
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While not a new concept in North America, CBAs are new to B.C. and are expected to change the landscape in which the government is administering public-private partnership (P3) contracts for major infrastructure projects in the province.
