CCA Updates
Business Acquisitions: A Strategy That Drives Growth
via BDC Outlook on the Canadian Mergers and Acquisitions Market The Canadian mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market has rebounded rapidly following its dip in the early days of the pandemic. Looking ahead, the volume of transactions will likely remain high for the next five years. In that time, 9% of Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are expected to come up for sale externally, representing 116,000 businesses. This positive outlook for M&A could be good news for the Canadian economy. After surveying more than 1,500 entrepreneurs, BDC found that acquisitions are an exceptional driver of growth. Its advantages include getting new talent and accessing new...
Briefing- City Council Approves 2022 Budget
Last week, Calgary City Council adjusted the 2022 One Calgary Service Plans and Budget. The following is a summary of the potential impacts on Calgary’s local construction industry: Downtown Revitalization: City Council approved $55M further downtown revitalization programs, as outlined in the Greater Downtown Plan. This is on top of the $45M already committed to redevelopment grants and will be distributed as rebates to approved programs. To date, five projects have been granted the “go-head” for office conversion and redevelopment. According to reports, this new funding will help six projects take up 790,000 square feet of vacant office space, bringing...
Social Procurement Overview
Last week (Nov 23rd) 17 industry folks attended our inaugural Social Procurement Overview session hosted by Sarah Aspinall of BgSD Consulting . Social Procurement is well established in other parts of the world and is gaining momentum so it will continue to be a more common practice. Just like sustainability has evolved to become more common practice since the formative days of LEED in the early 2000’s this is likely to become a common practice and those who understand it first have an advantage. During the session we discussed many of the myths or misconceptions that can often lead to...
UCalgary academic leader inducted into National Academy of Construction
via University of Calgary Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura, vice-provost and associate vice-president of research (international) at the University of Calgary, was recently inducted into the prestigious National Academy of Construction for his outstanding contributions to the construction industry. The citation of his election describes Dr. Ruwanpura as an “esteemed university leader with an international reputation for excellence in project management and best practices research and creator of collaborative degrees and funding models for students.” Ruwanpura, as a longtime professor of civil engineering in the Schulich School of Engineering, is the fourth Canadian and first Calgarian to receive this honour among hundreds of...
Briefing Note: Calgary City Council Declares Climate Emergency – What Does This Mean for Calgary’s Construction Industry?
Summary: On November 15, 2021, Calgary City Council declared a climate emergency. Other cities in Canada that have already declared climate emergencies include Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Specific calls to action of the Notice of Motion include: Updating the city-wide corporate GHGs reduction target to net-zero by 2050; Moving the City to develop strategic business plans and budgets across ALL departments that will invest in and accelerate high priority emission reduction and climate risk reduction opportunities; Advocating for funding from all orders of government to accelerate immediate and near-term actions to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce climate...
Alberta posts highest construction levels in years, but supply chain woes impede projects
via CBC News by Bryan Labby Home-building disruptions trigger higher costs, delays and frustration A framer puts together part of a new home being built in southeast Calgary. The supply chain disruption has affected the price of homes and how long it takes to build them in Calgary. (Bryan Labby/CBC) Pedro Ocana says he’s lost three customers, at least temporarily, as the supply chain disruptions, project timelines and price increases have impacted his custom-home building business in Calgary. The president of Sunset Homes says those customers are waiting until the uncertainty and unpredictability affecting many aspects of the construction industry subside. “They want certainty of...