CCA Updates
Articles
Notice of Planned Procurement Water Resources Project List April to June 2021
The City of Calgary has posted a Notice of Planned Procurement on Merx for a number of Water Resource projects related to stormwater construction. Notice of Proposed Procurement 21-022 In particular, there are a number of projects related to Municipal Stimulus Projects funded by the Province, with a deadline to spend this money by end of 2021. Links to City websites with more information on these projects can be found here: Northwest Inner City Community Drainage Improvement Projects (calgary.ca) Tuxedo community drainage improvements (calgary.ca)
ARCA Leads the Way for Alberta Roofers
via Business in Calgary Construction is a competitive market, and there can be fierce competition between trade contractors to get projects. Roofing is no different. But 60 years ago, a visionary group of Edmonton and Calgary roofing contractors put that all aside and came together with the goal of improving their industry. With the establishment of the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) in 1961, these contractors sought to support and advance the roofing industry in Alberta through a system of high standards and education. “The strength of the ARCA is that the foundation that the original members set, the vision...
ACA Asks Government Include Construction Workers as Essential Employees
via Alberta Construction Association On Monday, May 3, 2021 Alberta Construction Association sent a letter to Health Minister Shandro requesting that our employees be listed along with other essential occupations to receive vaccines. With the emergence of variants which target young people, a predominant demographic on our jobsites and among our office personnel, further actions are warranted. Our member firms are tightening their protocols. Our associations are partnering with Alberta Health Services in an industry-wide webinar mid-May to equip employers with the latest information. Our members are urging their staff to be vaccinated as soon as vaccine is available. We...
Rapid Testing Changes
via Alberta Construction Association The Alberta government have announced changes to their rapid testing program. It will no longer be required to have a health-care provider oversee the screening program. This means organizations will be able to participate in the rapid testing program completely independently and without the burden of finding and paying for a health-care provider. This change will also free up health-care professional capacity at a time when it is most needed. To be eligible for rapid testing kits, employers must have a screening program plan that outlines: protocols for administering the tests the use of personal protective equipment processes...
It’s time to revitalize downtown Calgary
via Calgary Herald by Chris Varcoe The decision to adopted a new area blueprint came after several brutally honest presentations painted a bleak picture of the risks of doing nothing. Calgarians walk and enjoy the patios on Stephen Avenue Mall on Monday, April 26, 2021. Calgary city council is considering a 10-year plan to revitalize the downtown core. PHOTO BY GAVIN YOUNG/POSTMEDIA Calgary’s downtown faces problems that are so daunting, it sometimes seems difficult to see a way out of the morass. Yet, Monday was a hopeful moment: change is coming. For many Calgarians, it can’t happen soon enough as several...
Construction New Talent Program
The Calgary Construction Association and Alberta Construction Association have partnered with the Government of Alberta to cost-share support of internships of Alberta post secondary students with the construction industry. As this program is being offered province wide, Alberta Construction Association is providing the project management function. This is a 3 year pilot program to support internships across the Province. As per the Fact Sheet, this program provides 50% cost shared support for internships of 3-16 weeks to a maximum of $5,000. The program applies to any discipline and any time throughout the year. As funds are limited, we may not...
CCA Press Release- Budget 2021 affirms the value of infrastructure investment in driving economic recovery
CCA PRESS RELEASE Budget 2021 affirms the value of infrastructure investment in driving economic recovery OTTAWA, April 20, 2021 – Yesterday’s release of the Federal Budget lays some important groundwork for a strong economic recovery and delivers against four of the Canadian Construction Association’s (CCA) pre-budget asks, including increased support for green and trade-enabling infrastructure investment, workforce capacity building, a commitment to beginning a 25-year infrastructure plan and investment to advance innovation in construction. While these new programs are welcome, the budget does not address how to expedite already committed funds, says CCA, the national association representing Canada’s non-residential construction...
Alberta wants to expand use of apprenticeships into a wider variety of jobs
Advanced Education Demetrios Nicolaides introduced new legislation to replace a 30-year bill governing trades. (Legislative Assembly Pool Feed ) Via CBC News ‘Business, marketing, finance, banking’ could tap into this form of mentoring. Alberta wants to use the apprenticeship model for training more occupations than the traditional skilled trades. Bill 67, the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act, replaces outdated legislation that made this shift impossible. The government said apprenticeships — a type of on-the-job mentoring — only applied to trades like plumbing and hairstyling under the current Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act, which was implemented in 1991. Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the use...
Early construction involvement key to success on Graham project
GRAHAM CONSTRUCTION — An aerial photo shows the McLeod Trail Project in Calgary. via Journal of Commerce by ConstructConnect A recent case study by Graham Construction on Calgary’s Macleod Trail and 162nd Ave. SE Interchange Project shows what early construction involvement (ECI) can accomplish. Bryce McKay, Graham’s senior construction manager of civil infrastructure in Calgary, explained that the company was well prepared for ECI after its team had cut its teeth on similar projects like the Calgary West LRT. “We learned a lot on the project,” said McKay. “It was a particularly complex job with a compressed schedule. That experience...
Builders’ Lien Act Amendments Introduced
via Alberta Construction Association In fall 2020, the Government of Alberta passed changes to the Builders’ Lien Act to address payment issues in Alberta’s construction industry and introduce an adjudication process for non-payment that will provide business owners an alternative to court. The goal is to reduce the need for liens and court actions, unlock cash flow, and provide certainty to this multi-billion dollar sector of Alberta’s economy. In spring 2021, additional changes are proposed as part of the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act to address the proposed adjudication model and application of the Act to public-private partnerships and professional...