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General and Trade Contracting

January 7, 2009

Construction industry leaders back plans for expanded rapid transit

Fast-tracking rapid transit projects such as the Evergreen Line and UBC and Surrey extensions would give federal and provincial governments the best economic package today, say industry leaders.

December 10, 2008

Study recommends Ontario develop more competitive labour pool

Cardus recently released Why is Construction So Expensive in Ontario? a report studying how construction organization evolved in Ontario and Western Canada.

December 1, 2008

Crown corporation plans to spend big cash

The BC Transmission Corporation (BCTC) is planning to make a multi-billion dollar investment to upgrade B.C.’s network of high-voltage transmission wires in the next decade.

December 1, 2008

CSA plans changes to Canadian Electrical Code to align with U.S. counterpart

Future upgrades to the Canadian Electrical Code will help bring the code closer to its American counterpart and incorporate new safety improvements, states the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

November 26, 2008

Court grants union members hearing to protest use of dues for political purposes

The open shop contractors association in B.C. is supporting a legal challenge by two union members, who believe their charter rights were violated when their dues were used to back a political cause.

November 12, 2008

Mechanical insulation important to long-term costs

In an era of high energy costs and environmental accountability, it’s surprising, but not unusual, for building owners to trim mechanical insulation from building budgets.

November 5, 2008

20th annual Award of Excellence winners

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) announced the winners of their 20th Annual Awards of Excellence at a gala at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver on October 30, 2008.

November 3, 2008

Vancouver Regional Construction Association announces winners of 20th Annual Awards of Excellence

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association announced the winners of the organization’s 20th Annual Awards of Excellence at a gala at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver on October 30, 2008.

November 3, 2008

Number of skilled trades jobs in Canada continues to grow

More than one million people worked in skilled trades in 2007, where employment growth has been a steady 2.2 per cent a year on average since the recession of the early 1990s, reports Statistics Canada.

October 13, 2008

British Columbia government provides bridge workers with emergency funds

Temporary foreign workers who walked off the job at the Golden Ears Bridge project received a temporary reprieve from some of their money troubles.

March 28, 2007

Traffic Control Regulation Changes - what do they mean for you?

On January 1, 2007 changes to WorkSafeBC’s Occupational Health & Safety Regulation Part 18 Traffic Control came into effect.

March 28, 2007

New research centre for UBC Okanagan

A 68,000 square foot research centre adjacent to the existing science building at the two-year-old campus of UBC Okanagan is just one of the several projects slated for the site over the next five years.

March 28, 2007

New Proccesses needed for certifying LEED structures

Rather than thinking of building LEED accredited homes or structures, “we need to think of building whole communities” that achieve the LEED standard, Thomas Mueller, president of the Canada Green Building Council told delegates attending the Vancouver Valuation Summit held in Vancouver recently.

March 28, 2007

Cutting corners can boost long-term costs

Controlling construction costs shouldn’t mean cutting corners on subtrade contracts that promise long-term savings on building operations, but that’s what British Columbia insulation contractors face regularly.

March 28, 2007

Call for submissions for VRCA annual awards

The Lower Mainland construction industry is once again gearing up for its annual awards season.

March 28, 2007

Niche markets lead to creative new housing design

One of the challenges that developers and contractors building for today’s market face is the diversity of the modern family. That leaves sectors of the market under-served and Aragon Development Corporation saw one such niche when it set out to build Moda, a Yaletown-like townhouse complex on Vancouver’s west side.

March 28, 2007

Affordable luxury offered for starter market

The starter market in housing is often neglected by developers and doesn’t offer the luxury that first-time buyers usually feel they want. But, developer and contractor Tien Sher Group has come forward with the Quattro project in North Surrey (see rendering opposite page), an 1,100 unit residential and commercial development which offered bachelor apartments for as little as $119,000 with luxury features that surprise buyers.

March 28, 2007

Master plan communities offer buyers transitions

While master plan communities springing up throughout B.C. and Alberta provide economic advantages for both municipalities and developers, they also give social advantages for those residents living within the housing mix.

March 28, 2007

Construction sector not a hotspot for claims fraud

Despite the number of workers active in the booming B.C. construction sector, fraudulent or suppressed injury claims are no more a problem than in any other sector, WorksafeBC says.

March 28, 2007

Tight scheduling ups risk for subcontractors

Scheduling delays on construction projects are increasing the financial and logistical risks borne by mechanical contractors and other subtrades in British Columbia