Thank YOU for Making Our 2019 Annual General Meeting a Success!

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157th CANS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

HOW DID WE DO?

Attendees are encouraged to provide their feedback on CANS 157th AGM by clicking
HERE and completing the delegate feedback survey.

 

The Construction Association of Nova Scotia’s 2019 Annual General Meeting, held on October 4-6, 2019 at the Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre in Western Shore, NS was a big success!

Guests kicked off the weekend with two activities: a Golf Tournament held at The Chester Golf Course and an excursion to explore Mahone Bay followed by a tour of Saltbox Brewery with lunch catered by Circa 1860 Kitchen. At the golf tournament, first place went to Shane Sinclair, Dylan Smith, Stephen Gray and Brad Payne, and second place went to Vince Moseley, Doug Brophy, Jeremy Stewart and Michael Crossley.

      

At Saturday’s business sessions delegates heard from Canadian Construction Association’s Chair John Bockstael and Liam Daly, Manager of Public Affairs at CCA, who presented on the past year’s events and highlighted the Strategic Plan, CCA2023. Delegates also heard from CANS Committee Chairs about the progress that CANS has made over the past twelve months, and looked toward the future with a session to kick off the creation of the next CANS Strategic Plan.

Saturday’s Awards Luncheon recognized David Wilson’s contributions to the construction industry, as the recipient of the 2019 Honourary Life Membership Award. Through the designation of Honourary Life Membership, the Construction Association of Nova Scotia honours individuals who, through their deeds and actions, have significantly contributed to the betterment of the Association, the industry, and attainment of CANS’ goals and visions.

Long-term Member Awards were also presented to member companies that have held membership with the Association for 50 years or more. The following companies received their award at the AGM: Englobe Corp., Gallagher Canada Limited, South Shore Ready Mix Limited and Truefoam Limited. The Long-term Member Award honours companies who have shown their dedication, support, and commitment to the Association throughout the years and is an achievement to be proud of.

CANS also congratulated those members who have achieved 25 years of continuous membership by presenting them with a Bowman Award.  G.J. Cahill & Co. (1979) Ltd., The Guarantee Company of North America and Wickwire Holm accepted their Bowman Awards at the AGM this year.

Delegates danced the night away in their Hawaiian shirts, leis and grass skirts, all ready for the Best Dressed Awards, to the musical talents of Big Fish at Saturday evening’s Hawaiian Luau!

      

FEEDBACK

Attendees: If you attended the 157th AGM, we would love to hear from you! Please submit feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AGM19Delegate

Sponsors: If you sponsored the 157th AGM, keep your eye out for the sponsor feedback survey from Natalie!

 

SAVE THE DATE!

CANS 158th Annual General Meeting

When: October 2-4, 2020
Where: Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa in Digby, Nova Scotia
Theme: The Great Gatsby (Jazz, flappers, glitz, glamour, champagne and decadence)

Register NOW! Click here to register for next year’s AGM, today! 
Sponsor NOW! Contact Natalie at 902.210.1720 or nbobbitt@cans.ns.ca!

               

2019-2020 LONG-TERM MEMBER AWARDS

CANS congratulates those members who have achieved 50 years of continuous membership by presenting them with a Long-term Award.

  • Englobe Corp.
  • Gallagher Canada Limited
  • South Shore Ready Mix Limited
  • Truefoam Limited
  • V.J. Rice Concrete Ltd.

 

2019-2020 BOWMAN AWARDS

CANS congratulates those members who have achieved 25 years of continuous membership by presenting them with a Bowman Award.

  • Able Electric 2016 Limited
  • Advanced Energy Management Ltd.
  • Asbestos Abatement Ltd.
  • Atlantic Explosives Ltd.
  • Blaine F. MacLane Excavation Ltd.
  • Fundy Electric Limited
  • G.J. Cahill & Co. (1979) Ltd
  • John Morrison Contracting Ltd.
  • R.D.L. Construction Limited
  • Sansom Equipment Ltd.
  • Techno Hard Surfaces Limited
  • The Guarantee Company of North America
  • MacPhail Construction Ltd.
  • Waller Agencies Limited
  • Wickwire Holm

 

A BIG THANKS TO ALL OF OUR AGM SPONSORS!

Level                                                    Company

Title Sponsor                                        MARSH

App Sponsor                                         Lindsay Construction

Diamond Sponsor                                 Kent Building Supplies

Platinum Plus                                        TD Banking

VIP Sponsor                                          NSCC Foundation

Print Sponsor                                        Halcraft Printers

Platinum                                               AON Construction Services Group

Platinum                                               Conrad Bros Ltd.

Platinum                                               Nova Scotia Power

Gold                                                     AW Leil Cranes & Equipment

Gold                                                     Bird Stairs

Gold                                                     Black & McDonald

Gold                                                     BOYNECLARKE LLP

Gold                                                     Department of Labour and Advanced Education

Gold                                                     dexel

Gold                                                     Dexter Construction

Gold                                                     Iron Dog Inc.

Gold                                                     PCL Constructors Canada Inc.

Gold                                                     Pomerleau Inc.

Gold                                                     Procore Technologies

Gold                                                     SANCTON

Gold                                                     Scientext Technical Writing Ltd.

Gold                                                     Stanhope Simpson Insurance

Gold                                                     Steinhart

Gold                                                     Travelers Canada

Silver                                                    Arrow Construction Products

Silver                                                    Atlantica Contractors

Silver                                                    Battlefield Equipment Rentals

Silver                                                    BELFOR

Silver                                                    Big Bang Promotional

Silver                                                    Bird Construction

Silver                                                    CBCL Limited

Silver                                                    DORA Construction

Silver                                                    Eastern Fence

Silver                                                    Heritage Gas

Silver                                                    Kent Mobile Shelters

Silver                                                    L.E. Cruickshanks Sheet Metal Ltd.

Silver                                                    MacGregors Industrial Group

Silver                                                    Marco Group

Silver                                                    Marid Industries

Silver                                                    Meridia Recruitment Solutions

Silver                                                    Merit Nova Scotia

Silver                                                    Ocean Contractors Limited

Silver                                                    RKO Steel Ltd.

Silver                                                    The Guarantee Company of North America

Silver                                                    The Shaw Group

Silver                                                    Tirecraft

Silver                                                    Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company

Silver                                                    WCB Nova Scotia

Water Sponsor                                      Rogers Communications Canada

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 CANS Group Health and Wellness

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 MacFarlands Industrial

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 MCT Insurance a division of BrokerLink

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 NationTek

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 Schooley Mitchell

Golf Hole Sponsor                                 Steinhart Distillery

 

157th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING PHOTOS

Want to see what you missed out on at CANS 157th AGM? Catch up on all of our CANS Events on Flickr! 

 

HAVE PHOTOS YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?

Please email Alison Clack, Marketing & Communications Lead

CANS Feature: What’s Your Safety Standard? (by McLeod Safety)

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Jake Takes On Safety – What’s Your Safety Standard?

Submitted by: Jake Siegner, CRSP (Safety Manager, McLeod Safety)

 

Looking across the table at me was a pretty intimidating gent who appeared to be the walking definition of “Intimidating Biker.” A big brute of a fellow with tattoos on his knuckles, a beard that the members of ZZ Top would admire, and a voice that could shake the building when he was mad.

We were in a meeting held as a result of several safety incidents that had occurred in quick succession, and I’ll never forget what he said. He was a Site Superintendent working for the Prime Contractor that oversaw my company. What he had noticed was Safety working our collective butts off to prevent incidents, but our Supervision didn’t appear on the surface to be supporting us.

The gist of what he said to our Supervision, in the presence of our Management, was “your lowest standard, is their highest standard.”

What he saw was our field Supervision; definitely, some but not all seeming to pay lip service to safety but not walking the walk. He noted that some field Supervision, (this would be General Foremen, Foremen, and even Site Superintendents) talked a lot about safety in meetings each day, but when it came down to it, production seemed to be top priority. What he was saying is that if you have low standards for safety, then those who work under you will see that low standard as THE standard. I’ll admit that I was kind of surprised to hear this from him but, I guess it once again proves the old adage, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Managers and Supervisers overseeing projects must be seen and heard talking about safety, supporting the safety person and participating directly in safety. This must be consistent, genuine, and unwavering…even in the face of challenges due to production. Especially in the face of production challenges!

Over the years, I’ve worked with some amazing field supervision that taught me a lot about the different trades, production, processes and safety. During these same years, I’ve worked for some absolutely terrible ones, and there’s something consistent I noticed about the terrible ones — not all of them, but a fair number. Some of the terrible ones have the highest production levels, and high incident rates to match! The goals of completing a construction project on time and on budget while doing it safely are not mutually exclusive; they can exist in the same space.

What do I mean when I say terrible? Backstabbing safety whenever they are not around. You know, the ones that refer to safety as the “Stop Work Department” and take every opportunity to bad mouth safety to anyone who will listen, especially the tradespeople working under them. These are the ones who will disagree with you in safety meetings instead of taking something offline. They will say things in front of their crews like “okay Mr. Safety, how do you want us to do it?” It might not be you, but these folks exist. I know this to be certain because of how many times I and my colleagues have had interactions with them. And when we don’t hear it directly from them, we hear it from the tradespeople onsite. It almost always gets back to us.

Look, let’s face it. Safety and production will always be at odds with each other until we all figure out a way to work together. They should never outpace each other, but rather they need to work as equals and as partners. There needs to be excellent communications both ways and management, and supervision need to get safety involved before something happens, not after or while it’s happening.

Why do safety folks sometimes get the reputation as the “Stop Work Department?” Which of the two scenarios do you think leads to this way of thinking and who do you think is the one perpetuating this way of thinking? In the first scenario, a crew will need to access a roof, so it is brought up to safety a few weeks or days before to develop a plan. In the second scenario, safety is not consulted ahead of time; safety arrives for a site inspection and sees an issue with access to the roof. The job is already underway when they discover the issue, so they bring it to the attention of the Superintendent. The Superintendent gets really upset in front of all the crew; they put you on the spot to immediately come up with a solution on your own because theirs is “the safest way to do it!!” but in the meantime, the task needs to be stopped until the problem is rectified.

Of course, it’s the second scenario. It plays out every day in construction. Lots of planning may have gone into the task, but no one thought to involve safety. The folks in charge went with the lower standard, and that’s what the crew sees first. Then, they get an extra dose of “those safety people don’t have a clue!!” for anyone that will listen. This kind of toxic relationship between safety and supervision leads to a decline in the safety culture of your sites. But it doesn’t have to.

I’ve been around construction long enough to know not everything can be planned for, but I’ve been in plenty of situations in which it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that clearly planning has gone into the task or job. Safety should be involved in the planning phase of many different tasks, to what degree and how that works can be determined at the Management level.

Take it offline. Now obviously it would be unrealistic to think everyone will get along and be happy working together all the time, but as far as the crew goes, safety and supervision need to appear to be best friends. Fight like crazy behind closed doors all you want, but when you go out solo or together, you’re a team. Back each other up no matter what and if you can’t, then don’t say anything at all. Work it out when the field crew is not around. Never argue, disagree or fight about safety vs. production in front of tradespeople. Neither safety nor supervision will win, but everyone will look bad in someone’s eyes.

The same goes for Management to Supervision when it comes to safety. When it comes to safety, never argue, disagree, or contradict supervision in front of lower ranks. As management, your support for safety must be unwavering, or else as my rather intimidating, burly friend in supervision who drove this point home so eloquently will tell you, a low safety standard will become your field supervision’s high standard. In private, disagree, argue, and whatever else you need to do so that when you leave that room, everyone is on the same message when it comes to safety.

There have been plenty of times in my career that I’ve had to pull someone aside after a meeting and say I disagree with something they’ve said and here’s why. I’ve even had to point out a few times when people in meetings or elsewhere were just given incorrect safety information. Sometimes we correct it on the spot, other times we wait, but it is corrected. Each situation is different. This can be done without making the other person look bad or appear you’re in disagreement.

Ultimately our goal should always be two-fold: high production in conjunction with high standards of safety. This may strike some as a lofty, or even impossible goal, but I wholeheartedly believe that it is an attainable one. When safety and production are in balance, safety can actually help production, but that’s a topic for another day.

 

About McLeod Safety:

McLeod Safety began as Colchester Security in 1988 and continued to operate under that name until 2001 when Ron McLeod purchased the company and changed the name to McLeod Safety. In 1988 we started with two vehicles and a handful of staff, today we have over 300 employees and a large fleet of fully equipped vehicles and traffic control equipment allowing us to provide our customers throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island with the safety services and products they need at competitive prices.

While our focus has been on providing our customers with exceptional and dependable traffic control services, we have also grown to include an industrial safety supply store, sales and rental division for traffic control products, and a sign shop where we have the capability to service both small and large construction and custom sign orders.

 

Website: https://www.mcleodsafety.com/ 

Industry News // Statistics – Monthly permit value for August 2019

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Building permits, August 2019

The monthly value of building permits (seasonally adjusted) issued in Nova Scotia decreased 14.0 per cent in August, following a (revised) decrease of 19.8 per cent in July. Nova Scotia’s residential permits decreased 5.9 per cent while non-residential building decreased 29.5 per cent. Monthly results for building permits are highly volatile.

The six-month moving average of residential permits trended modestly upwards through 2017 and then declined in early 2018. Afterwards, residential permits resumed an upward trend before flattening out over the first eight months of 2019. The six-month moving average for non-residential permit values remained relatively flat from mid-2017 to late 2018. In early 2019, non-residential permits have trended downward, but there have been modest gains in recent months.

The trend in Nova Scotia building permit values largely reflects the trends in the Halifax market. The value of Halifax building permits decreased 8.5 per cent in August, reflecting a 0.4 per cent decrease in residential permit values and a 26.7 per cent decline in non-residential permit values.

The six-month moving average for residential permits in Halifax has been rising since mid-2016 except for a decline in the fall of 2017 and early 2018. Since then, Halifax residential permits trended upward before flattening out over the first eight months of 2019. Non-residential permits in Halifax have trended down since June 2017, though there has been a rebound in recent months.

Outside the Halifax market, building permit values declined 21.1 per cent in August 2019, as residential permit values decreased 13.9 per cent and non-residential permit values fell 32.4 per cent.  Non-residential permits trended upward outside of Halifax from mid-2017 to mid-2018, but have remained relatively flat since then. Residential permits have trended upward at a modest pace since mid-2017, but growth has been flat over the first eight months of 2019.

In total for January-August 2019, the value of Nova Scotia building permits was up 13.3 per cent compared to the first eight months of 2018. Residential permits are 27.0 per cent higher, and non-residential permits are down 11.3 per cent, year-to-date. The decline in non-residential building permits reflects declines in industrial (-35.1 per cent) and institutional/government (-31.2 per cent) permit values. Commercial permit values were up 0.5 per cent, year-to-date.

Halifax building permits were up 20.2 per cent in the first eight months of 2019 on strong gains in the residential sector (+41.3 per cent), while building permits outside of Halifax were up 3.9 per cent.

Building permits in Nova Scotia’s five economic regions totaled $1.22 billion (unadjusted) in the first eight months of 2019.  The largest contributor was the Halifax region, with a combined residential and non-residential permit value of $771.3 million. Year-to-date, the total value of residential and non-residential permits was up in all regions except Southern Nova Scotia and North Shore, with the largest percentage increases in Halifax and Cape Breton.

In the first eight months of 2019, the number of residential dwelling-units created (seasonally adjusted) in Nova Scotia was up by 902 units compared to Jan-Aug 2018.  Across the province, the number of multiple units created was up.  The number of singles created in Halifax was up while it was down outside of Halifax.

Nationally, residential building permit values (seasonally adjusted) were on an upward trend in 2016 but have levelled off since early 2017. National residential building permits were up 11.7 per cent in August. Non-residential building permit values rose through 2017 and peaked toward the end of the year, remaining relatively flat through 2018.  There was a modest rise in non-residential permit values at the beginning of 2019.  National non-residential permit values were down 2.7 per cent in August.

National non-residential permits are up 8.0 per cent through the first eight months of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018.  British Columbia had the largest gains in non-residential building permits (+33.0 per cent). Newfoundland and Labrador (-39.3 per cent) reported the largest decline, followed by Alberta (-20.0 per cent) and Nova Scotia (-11.3 per cent).

Year-to-date, the national value of total (residential and non-residential) building permits was up 2.3 per cent compared to Jan-Aug 2018.  Total building permit values were up in seven provinces in the first eight months of 2019, led by Prince Edward Island (+34.1 per cent) and Nova Scotia (+13.3 per cent). Newfoundland and Labrador reported the largest decline over this period (-34.1 per cent), followed by Alberta (-18.8 per cent).

 

Source: Statistics Canada.  Table  34-10-0066-01   Building permits, by type of structure and type of work (x 1,000)

2020 Nova Scotia Construction Guide – Update Your Company Profile!

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We are hard at work pulling together the 2020 Nova Scotia Construction Guide and we need your help! Our guide is only as good as its information, so we’re asking you to review your company’s membership profile, ensuring all of the information is up-to-date.

NOTE: See directly below for information on how to update your company’s profile.

NOTE: Advertising opportunities are available! Scroll to the bottom of this page for advertising information.

 

CANS Annual Nova Scotia Construction Guide is a membership directory guide circulated each year to approximately 1,700 construction-related businesses and buyers of construction services throughout Nova Scotia.

 

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR COMPANY PROFILE

Member company listings for the 2020 NS Construction Guide are pulled from CANSnet (www.cans.ns.ca). Have your Profile Administrator verify that your company information is correct before 12:00 P.M. (noon) on Friday, November 15, 2019, so it will appear printed properly in the 2020 NS Construction Guide.

 

If you are a Profile Administrator – Update Your Company Profile

The Profile Administrator for your company is the only person who can update your company profile. Not sure who your Profile Admin is? See below under ‘Who is My Profile Admin.’

**NOTE: Profile Admin – It is IMPORTANT for you to indicate how your company will be found in the NS Construction Guide ‘Sources’ section. Please refer for Step 4 for more information.

To update your company profile, follow these instructions:

1. Log in to CANSnet in the top right corner: www.cans.ns.ca

2. Click MyCANSNet in the top right corner.

3. Click My Company.

4. Update Company Profile.

NOTE: Please scroll to the bottom of the web page and ensure your company is listed under the proper Trade Codes. Click ‘submit’ once complete.

Who Is My Profile Admin?

A company Profile Admin is the person who updates your company page on CANSnet to ensure accuracy of company name, address, phone number, etc. Here is how to check who your Profile Admin is.

1. Log in to CANSnet in the top right corner: www.cans.ns.ca

2. Click MyCANSNet in the top right corner

3. Click My Profile

4. Your Profile Admin will be listed at the top of the page

For more information about updating your profile:

Alison Clack
Marketing & Communications Lead, Construction Association of Nova Scotia
aclack@cans.ns.ca
Phone: 902-468.2267 x. 713
Cell: 902-818-0835

Order CCDC/CCA Documents from the CANSNet

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CANS has a listing of CCDC and CCA documents for sale on CANSnet.

 

You can find information about each document and document prices in the Projects and Documents section of the website.

 

HOW TO ORDER

  • Navigate to the ‘”Projects / Documents tab on our homepage, and click “Order Documents” (click here to be redirected to this page)
  • To place a document order, simply click the green buttons labelled “Add & Checkout”.
  • You will be emailed a code for downloadable documents or be contacted by a CANS staff member once your order is ready for physical documents and seals.

 

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Don’t forget that CANS staff are available between 8:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., Monday to Friday to sign your CCDC 9-Statutory Declarations! This service is included with your membership fees.

 

CANS Advantage Program: 2019-2020 Request for Proposals Now Open!

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The Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) is currently seeking proposals from companies who wish to participate in the CANS Advantage Program, leveraging the buying power of the Association by offering exclusive and unique offers to CANS member companies and their employees.

 

The request for proposal period is now OPEN and will end on:
October 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.

 

HOW DO I APPLY?

 

ABOUT CANS & THE INDUSTRY

CANS is the leading voice of the construction industry respected by members, government, industry, and the public. CANS represents more than 800 large and small companies throughout Atlantic Canada that build, renovate and restore non-residential buildings, roads, bridges and other engineering projects.

Construction is a an estimated $4 billion per year industry in Nova Scotia and employs nearly 30,000 men and women from across the province.

 

PROGRAM DETAILS

CANS Advantage is a loyalty program for members of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) and their employees.

For information on the current program visit www.cans.ns.ca/advantage

 

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

CANS Advantage was created in March 2013 and was developed to provide members with unique and exclusive discounts on products and services throughout North America.

Advantage offers are expected to be jointly promoted by CANS and the offering companies. Promotional opportunities through CANS include, but are not limited to, promotion of offer on the CANS website (www.cans.ns.ca); through CANS Weekly newsletter, and social media (LinkedIn & Twitter).

Year after year, CANS will continue to build on the success of CANS Advantage and expand the program to include even more unique and exclusive offers to our members.

 

Questions? Please forward any applications or questions to Vanessa Greencorn vgreencorn@cans.ns.ca.

CANS Education Courses for Project Coordinators and Administrators

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Did you know CANS Education & Training Development offers courses designed for Project Coordinators and Administrators?

Time is a precious commodity for any project coordinator. While we can’t add more hours to the day, CANS can try and help you use them more efficiently! Build your project management and administrative skills with CANS Education and Training Development courses. Take a peek below at some of our upcoming courses, perfect for the administrator looking to upgrade their skills!

Click the course link for more details. (Please note:  all programs are eligible for the CANS/WIPSI 50% discount!)

    • Learn tips and tricks necessary to work with data in worksheets more efficiently and effectively with Excel with Excel: Fundamentals on November 14, 2019.
    • The ability to read construction drawings is a primary function of the construction process, gear yourself with the basic principles of Blueprint Reading – Documents on November 26, 27 & 28, 2019.
    • Project Management Fundamentals is intended to provide a standard knowledge base for anyone who is involved in construction-related projects. Register now for this two day course on January 13 & 14, 2020.
    • Join CANS on January 21, 2020 for Using MS Outlook for Time Management. This one day course will help you use Microsoft Outlook to not only organize and schedule your workday but also learn tips and tricks to help manage your time more effectively.
    • The Basics: Working in a Commercial Industrial Environment is intended to provide a comprehensive introduction for project staff who are looking to have a broader understanding of the construction industry. Register your new personnel for this one day informative course on January 22, 2020.
    • Communication and listening skills are at the core of preventing interpersonal conflict and dealing with difficult personalities. Education your front end staff with the skill set they need to interact with clients confidently and professionally with Communicating with Confidence on February 5, 2020.
    • Effective Phone Communication Skills on March 12, 2020 focuses on customer service excellence, sales skills and mastering precise, brief communication to get answers and results from those you are communicating with.

CANS Construction Reports

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Don’t Miss Key Information  for your Business – Sign up for CANS Construction Reports

Your CANS Construction Reports – Bulletin, Bid Results/Awards and Pipeline will include information for each of the Atlantic Provinces. These reports will be sent automatically every Friday to your registered email if you were previously opted-in to receive the Bulletin and Bid Results/Awards.

If you are not receiving these weekly reports contact CANS at (902) 468-2267 or ask your company’s Profile Admin to make sure Projects Reports and Bulletin E-mail are check off on your profile.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit CANSnet regularly. (Remember to have your login details ready in order to access this members-only information!)

NS Construction up 800 jobs in the first 8 months of 2019

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STATS CAN – Labour Force Survey – August 2019

*Information and raw data provided by Statistics Canada*

“While employment was little changed in all other provinces in August, the unemployment rate increased in both British Columbia and Nova Scotia. The unemployment rate rose 0.6 percentage points to 5.0% in British Columbia and 0.5 percentage points to 7.9% in Nova Scotia as more people searched for work in each province.” – Statistics Canada

In Nova Scotia August 2019, (seasonally adjusted, month-over-month and year-over-year):

  • Labour force increased 0.9 per cent (4,600) from July 2019 to 503,500 and increased 1.5 per cent (7,300) over August 2018
  • Employment increased 0.3 per cent (1,500) from July 2019 to 463,700 and increased 1.9 per cent (8,500) over August 2018
  • Unemployment increased 8.4 per cent (3,100) from July 2019 to 39,800 and decreased 2.9 per cent (1,200) over August 2018
  • Unemployment Rate increased 0.5 percentage points from July 2019 to 7.9 per cent.

In Canada August 2019, (seasonally adjusted, month-over-month and year-over-year):

  • Labour force increased 0.5 per cent (91,300) from July 2019 to 20,271,600 and increased 2.2 per cent (443,800) over August 2018
  • Employment increased 0.4 per cent (81,100) from July 2019 to 19,111,500 and increased 2.5 per cent (471,300) over August 2018
  • Unemployment increased 0.9 per cent (10,200) from July 2019 to 1,160,100 and decreased 2.3 per cent (27,600) over August 2018
  • Unemployment Rate remains virtually unchanged from July 2019 at 5.7 per cent.

In Halifax August 2019, (seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average, month-over-month and year-over-year):

  • Labour force increased 0.4 per cent (1,000) from July 2019 to 258,800 and increased 3.2 per cent (8,100) over August 2018
  • Employment remains virtually unchanged from July 2019 at 244,400 and increased 4.5 per cent (10,500) over August 2018
  • Unemployment increased 7.5 per cent (1,000) from July 2019 to 14,400 and decreased 14.3 per cent (2,400) over August 2018
  • Unemployment Rate increased 0.4 percentage points from July 2019 to 5.6 per cent

 

Labour Market Trends – August 2019

Nova Scotia’s seasonally adjusted employment level was up 1,500 in August to 463,700.  Employment is 8,500 higher than it was last August.

Nova Scotia’s employment increase follows the previous month decrease of 6,200. Compared to July, Nova Scotia’s labour force was increased by 4,600 rising to 503,500 in August. With a larger increase in labour force than employment, the number of employed was up by 3,100 persons. The unemployment rate was up 0.5 percentage points to 7.9 per cent in August.

In August, full-time employment decreased by 400 while part-time employment was up 2,000 persons.  Note: Changes in part-time and full-time employment can include the net impacts of changing hours of work within the same position.

Monthly employment gains in August reflected a rise in private sector employment (+4,800), partially offset by declines in public sector work (-2,000) and self-employment (-1,300).  Monthly employment in August was up 2,600 in goods industries and down 1,000 in service sectors.

The year-over-year increase in employment includes a decline of 300 in full-time employment and an increase of 8,900 in part time employment. The unemployment rate was down 0.4 percentage points compared to August 2018.

Comparing the first eight months of 2019 with the same months in 2018, the labour force grew by 7,200 (1.5%) while employment was up by 11,100 (2.4%). This pushed the year-to-date average unemployment rate down from 7.7 per cent in Jan-Aug 2018 to 6.9 per cent in Jan-Aug 2019.

Sectors – Year to Date

Looking at the results by class of worker for the first eight months of 2019, employment increased for the private sector (10,400) and for the public sector (4,200) more than outweighed the decline in self-employment (-3,600). Over the first eight months of 2019, Nova Scotia averaged 292,300 private sector employees, 115,900 public sector employees, and 57,500 in self-employment.

Among goods-producing sectors, the first eight months of 2019, saw employment increases in Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (+2,400) as well as Construction (+800) and Agriculture (+800). Manufacturing employment was mostly unchanged (+100) while utilities employment declined (-300).

Services-producing industries averaged 7,300 more jobs compared to the first eight months of 2018. The largest increases come from Health care and social assistance (+4,500), Wholesale/Retail Trade (+2,500), as well as Information, culture and recreation (+1,500). The largest declines came from Other services (-1,500 mostly personal/repair sectors), Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (-1,000), and Business, building and other support services (-700).

The Spirit of “Mr. Construction” Lives on with Memorial Scholarship

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David Oulton’s memory continues to support construction industry through recently awarded NSCC scholarship.

(HALIFAX, NS — September 6, 2019) The David Oulton Memorial Scholarship was awarded for the first time to Sanchari De, at Construction Association of Nova Scotia’s office on Friday, September 6, 2019.

CANS Board Members and staff, Oulton’s surviving family, long-time colleagues and representatives from NSCC gathered Friday morning to present Ms. De with the new scholarship.

For more than half a century, the award’s namesake, David Oulton was a driving force in the construction industry, locally and abroad. Much of his life was spent working with people, trying to find a way to build their projects but also change the way construction was viewed. While his passion for construction earned him the nickname, “Mr. Construction” among friends, Oulton cared about much more than just buildings.

He spent a great deal of time volunteering in his community. “Dave’s involvement in construction wasn’t limited to fabricating and erecting the steel. He recognized that in order to grow and improve the construction industry, he needed to share his knowledge,” said CANS Vice-Chair, Tim Houtsma Friday morning.

Oulton was a man of his word, playing an active role in this community over the years. He was Chairman of CANS (1999), as well as sitting on various boards including, the Sector Council, the CCA and the NSCLR. He was a pioneer in driving positive relations with the Ironworkers Local 752, was a trustee on their Pension and Benefits plan, as well as instrumental in developing their apprenticeship program.

In 2007, Oulton spearheaded the CANS 150th Anniversary Industry Campaign. This campaign raised over $1.2 million in scholarships and bursaries for students in construction-related programs at the NSCC. “Hundreds of students have benefited from this program and will continue to benefit for decades to come:” said Duncan Williams, President and CEO of the CANS.

Despite his personal efforts to develop the industry, Oulton was a humble man. His wife, Connie said, “I don’t know that Dave would want recognition — he was the type to be an anonymous donor. He lived to work, the industry was so important to him.”

“Dave would’ve shied away from the spotlight of awarding this scholarship,” shared Houtsma, “but I know that he would be quietly proud that he is helping someone gain knowledge and benefit the construction industry.”

The award’s recipient, Sanchari De, will begin studies this September at the Ivany Campus. Despite the whirlwind of change — she arrived in Canada just 10 days before the award ceremony, De is excited to begin her studies in Nova Scotia. “It was a hard decision to leave my job and come this far from [India], but I believe that it will open various opportunities for me. I am willing to give my 100% to this course and hope to make my family proud one day.”

The newly created, David Oulton Memorial Award scholarship is given to a full-time student, enrolled in the Construction Management Technology program at NSCC, who demonstrates strong leadership abilities and a background of community involvement.