Concrete Pour Gone Wrong Offers Insurance and Legal Lessons

Contractors should take note of a recent decision by the B.C. Supreme Court in a legal dispute between a contractor and the project insurers over a concrete pour gone wrong, says one of the lawyers in the case. Read more.

CANS and the IWK: Building a Better Community

Thanks to you, our members, you demonstrated outstanding generosity when you presented a cheque for over $1.5 million to support a significant redevelopment project benefiting the IWK Health Centre’s tiniest and most critically ill babies last year.

The CANS’ Campaign for the IWK raised funds to help transform the IWK’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Construction of the state-of-the-art facility begins this year.

Check out this video update on the NICU redevelopment project HERE.

Industry Voices: The Legality of Municipal Black Lists

In recent years, some municipalities have added a tendering clause that changes the rules of the tender. The new clause affects who is allowed to bid on the municipal infrastructure contracts. The clause says that any contractor, who has recently been involved in a lawsuit against the municipality, is disqualified from bidding on any future contracts posted by that municipality. Read more.

Europe’s first 3D-printed house

Dutch architects work with 3D printers. Watch the Video.

3D printing with concrete now possible with new tech

Imagine a robotic machine that builds an entire house out of concrete. If it sounds futuristic, then the future is here, courtesy of University of Southern California engineering professor Behrokh Khoshnevis and his Contour Crafting Robotic Construction System.

Read more.

Information for Employers of Apprentices

Did you know the Canadian Government offers apprenticeship loans, apprenticeship grants and tax credits?

Apprentices can take advantage of interest-free Canada Apprentice Loans up to $4,000 per period of Red Seal technical training. Apply online or download a paper application at www.canada.ca/apprentice. In addition, apprentices can get up to $4,000 through the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant and the Apprenticeship Completion Grant. This information is also available at www.canada.ca/apprentice.

Employers can help their apprentices receive their employment insurance faster by issuing a record of employment using ‘Code J’ in ‘Block 16’ when they leave work. Visit www.canada.ca/apprentice for more information.

CCA Issues Drug and Alcohol Resource Materials

This article by the Grand Valley Construction Association gives background to the materials developed by CCA that are available to CCA members through the Members Only section of the CCA website. Read more.

Women Building Futures hopes to train more workers

When one looks at the numbers, there’s no doubt that Edmonton-based Women Building Futures (WBF) is making a difference when it comes to attracting, informing and training women to work in the construction, industrial and trades sector. Read more.

VIDEO: The Construction Keynote Panel at Buildex 2015

Representatives of the British Columbia construction industry were recently on hand at the construction keynote panel at Buildex Vancouver to look into pressing issues facing the industry. Amongst the topics covered with the difficulty of finding skilled labour, the importance of promoting construction as a viable career choice to young people, and the growing role of technology in the industry. Watch the video

Building on Advantage: Improving Canada’s Trade Infrastructure

If trade is the oxygen of the Canadian Economy, then infrastructure is the lungs.

Without the ability to move good efficiently to and from foreign markets we will suffer. This is not a distant worry. Canada’s system for moving goods to market is under strain and may be inadequate to meet growing future global demand.

Read more from CCA’s report – Building on Advantage: Improving Canada’s Trade Infrastructure.