Builders’ Lien Act Clarified

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Amendments introduced today, Oct. 2, to the Builders’ Lien Act expand on changes made in 2013, and bring more clarity and consistency to the act. 

The act governs practices by owners, contractors and subcontractors for claims against a property by a business or person who has supplied labor or materials for work on it. The liens protect people from not being paid for their work or goods they provided on a project. 

Previous amendments allow owners and contractors to release holdback money to subcontractors as stages of a large project are completed. Before then, commercial builders would hold back 10 per cent of the total cost and could not fully release the holdback until the entire project was complete. 

Minor amendments now being made include:

— allowing an owner to continue to make payments to a contractor, up to 90 per cent, after receiving notice of a lien 
— requiring an owner to pay interest if they do not make a payment within 65 days of being permitted to, after a subcontract has been certified complete 
— allowing a holdback to be released if a lien has been vacated or cancelled
— aligning language introduced in the 2013 amendments with the language of the act.

To review amendments introduced in 2013, visit http://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20130506007 .

152nd Annual General Meeting

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The CANS 152nd Annual General Meeting was held October 3rd-5th, 2014 at Rodd Brudenell River Resort in PEI. Over 130 CANS members attended the weekend-long event and enjoyed networking, keynote speakers, and Strategic Priority Area Committee Reports at the CANS AGM Business Session.

Read more.

CANS CAMPAIGN FOR IWK RAISED $1,581,543.00!

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“CANS and members of the construction industry know the importance of building healthy communities,” said Adrian Morrison, regional vice president with Black & McDonald and chair of the CANS Campaign for the IWK. “As Atlantic Canadian builders, we believe in creating world-class facilities right here at home. Our families deserve nothing less. We’re extremely proud to be able to have this kind of impact.” Read more.

Non-Residential Construction Investment 2nd Quarter 2014

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Revised data from Statistics Canada made only small changes to non-residential construction activity for the first half of the year. Nova Scotia’s non-residential construction investment was revised to $175.2 million in the second quarter from the initial estimate of $173.5 million.
In the second quarter of 2014, non-residential building construction in Nova Scotia declined 5.4 per cent from the previous quarter to $175.2 million (seasonally adjusted). Compared with the same quarter in 2013, non-residential building construction is down 7.0 per cent. This decline appears to be more pronounced in Halifax non-residential construction, which declined by 9.6 per cent compared to Q1 2014 and 19.5 per cent compared to Q2 2013 .  Read more.

Report says universities must invest in aging infrastructure

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A new report from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) says that Canadian universities face approximately $8.4 B in deferred facilities maintenance, but still have an opportunity to address the backlog before it becomes a critical problem. According to the report, the deferred maintenance costs faced by participating universities have more than doubled since 2000. The report warns PSE leaders that without a significant investment, more than 60% of the space studied in the report will have gone 25 years since its last renewal, and 25% will have gone 50 years. Many of these facilities are described in the report as “mission-critical,” including core research facilities; failing to maintain this vital infrastructure, the report says, could negatively affect teaching and research activities. Fewer than 20% of Canadian universities are on-track to meet necessary stewardship targets. Read more.

 

 

What Are Today’s Young Professionals Looking for in a Workplace

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Ever wonder what draws young professionals to certain companies? Three millennials in the construction industry weigh in on what they look for in a job. Read more.

Without Offsets, New Foreign Worker Regulations Will Impede Economic Growth

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Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program were intended to make it more difficult for companies across the country to hire foreign workers. However, as John Clinkard writes, these restrictions would appear to be at odds with the recent observations that “many employers … are already experiencing shortages of certain types of workers.” Moreover, these shortages will likely become more acute due to an aging population and an accompanying shrinkage of the labour force. Faced with this more restrictive hiring climate and an expanding global economy, firms in “footloose” industries now have an increased incentive to move offshore, Clinkard notes. Read more.

Government of Canada Helps More Skilled Newcomers Get Jobs in Their Fields Faster

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The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, and the Honourable Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, announced that the Government of Canada, in partnership with the provinces and territories, will improve foreign credential recognition for 10 additional priority occupations including the skilled trades and healthcare. They made the announcement today at separate events in Vancouver and Toronto. The 10 new priority occupations are: geoscientists, carpenters, electricians, heavy duty equipment technicians, heavy equipment operators, welders, audiologists and speech language pathologists, midwives, psychologists, and lawyers. Read more.

The 2014-2015 Industry Education Course Catalogue is now available!

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CANS’ Industry Education and Training program, which provides valuable training opportunities for career development, skill building and enhancement, is designed specifically for the construction industry.

The 2014-2015 Course Catalogue is now available!

No Seal, No Deal

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A few years ago, CCA created some documentation regarding the proper use of CCA/CCDC documents. There has been a recent resurgence in interest in this material, so we wanted to remind everyone that it is still available for your use.  Read more.