Operators can control this Samsung drone with their eyes

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As drones continue to infiltrate jobsites, manufacturers like Samsung are developing increasingly sophisticated technologies around them. In December 2017, Amazon was awarded patents for drones that self-destruct in midair if something goes wrong, The Verge reported. Aerospace giant Boeing has a patent for a swimming drone that can launch from an aircraft, fly airborne, then lower itself into water, shed its wings and swim using propellors, according to IFL Science. Read more.

Japan wants more women in construction

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The industry is scrambling to deal with a labor shortage, but some say a tone-deaf government recruiting effort can’t overcome serious workplace issues. Read more.

CCA aids in CDAO push for study on poor quality, incomplete documents

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An industry initiative is pushing for better documents before shovels hit the ground. The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has decided to contribute $5,000 for a one-time contribution to the Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario’s (CDAO) initiative to quantify the impact of incomplete design documents. Read more.

Women are the “third wave” to bridge diversity gap

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Women are the third wave of change sweeping over the construction industry. Here, Mabey Group CEO Juliette Stacey explores how the accelerating pace of transformation in the industry means that time has arrived for women to succeed in the sector. Read more.

Ontario’s updated Construction Act could set the bar for the rest of Canada to follow

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The Ontario government’s new legislation to modernize and expand the Construction Lien Act — now to be known as the Construction Act (hinting at its broader mandate) — sets out to improve cash flow efficiency between owners, contractors and sub-contractors by both (a) setting timelines for the prompt payment of invoices and (b) speeding up the resolution of payment-related disputes through an adjudication process. This is the first major update to the Act in more than 30 years and it appears to apply across the board, from relatively small projects to large megaprojects such as the major transit expansions planned for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in the coming years.

Read more.

 

Federal Budget’s trickle of infrastructure money slower than hoped

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The Liberals will delay billions in planned infrastructure funds until after Canadians go to the polls next year, this week’s budget shows, underlining slower-than-expected spending at a time when the government was under pressure to spend faster. Read more.

Federal Budget lacks emphasis on infrastructure: stakeholders

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National construction indsutry leaders agree there were few surprises in this year’s federal budget and little mention of infrastructure spending, however, many lauded the government initiatives to expand the skilled trades workforce. Read more.

CCA unveils new strategic plan, renewed vision.

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Canadian Construction Association (CCA) chair Chris McNally says the association’s recently unveiled strategic plan will be more provocative and work harder to unite the industry. Read more.

2018-2019 Federal Budget Highlights – Impact to the Construction

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Apprenticeship / Women in Construction             

  • $65.9 million in targeted grants and commitments to apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs have been announced for over the next five years.
  • $19.9 million over the next 5 years has been earmarked to pilot an ‘Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women,’ resulting in increased support for women in red seal trades. Women in male-dominated Red Seal trades would receive $3,000 for each of their first two years of training. This is in addition to the existing Apprenticeship Completion Grant of $2,000. About 90 per cent of Red Seal trades would be eligible for the new grant.
  • A new ‘Pre-Apprenticeship Program’ is being funded beginning in 2018 with $46 million over the next 5 years, changing to $10 million per year after that.  The program will assist underrepresented Canadian groups in entering the trades, gaining work experience, accessing skills development opportunities, and ultimately making informed career choices.
  • The announcement of the new ‘Women in Construction Fund’ includes a committed $10 million to attract women to the trades over the next 3 years by investing in the further development of existing models designed to attract more women to the trades.

Infrastructure

  • Short-term infrastructure spending is once again lower than expected with more budget reallocations toward departmental spending. The projected infrastructure spending lapse in this past year was $2.67 billion, with budget projections showing the lapse hitting $2.19 Billion in 2018/19.

Small Business Tax Reform

  • The budget unveiled new details on the taxation of passive investment income inside private corporations. When companies earn between $50,000 and $150,00 in a given year from passive investments, a reduced amount of their active business income will be eligible for the small business tax rate, which will be 9 per cent in 2019. (The upper limit for business income that can be taxed at the small business rate is $500,000.) The reduction will occur on a straight-line basis, with eligible income decreasing by $5 for every $1 of passive income above the $50,000 threshold.

Rental Housing Construction

  • Potential construction of affordable rental housing has received a $1.25-billion boost over the next three years. The federal government expects the extra investment will spur the construction of 14,000 new rental units across Canada.