Canada-U.S. tariff battle to hit B.C. construction projects

British Columbians can expect the cost of building big projects, from bridges to residential skyscrapers, to rise as a result of the tit-for-tat tariff battle between Canada and the United States, according to one industry association. Read more.

Government of Canada signs a framework agreement with Quebec

Government of Canada signs a framework agreement with Quebec. Read more.

Inability to Measure Current Impairment Means Risk Can’t be Managed

Inability to Measure Current Impairment Means Risk Can’t be Managed: Employer’s Refusal to Hire Employee with Medical Marijuana Prescription on the Basis of Undue Hardship Upheld. Read more.

PM to pledge cash for Highway 104 as part of 100-series twinning plan

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce $90 million in funding for twinning part of Highway 104. A Liberal source confirmed on Monday that Trudeau, who will be joined by Premier Stephen McNeil, will reveal details of a project to twin a 38-kilometre stretch of the 104 from Sutherlands River to Antigonish on Tuesday morning.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1584312-pm-to-pledge-cash-for-highway-104-as-part-of-100-series-twinning-plan?utm_source=email&utm_medium=business_insider&utm_campaign=business_insider

Canadian Steel Conference Sept. 19 – 21, 2018

The CISC’s Canadian Steel Conference is the Canadian steel industry’s one and only business development and executive networking event and the largest gathering of senior level leaders and decision makers in the industry. The Canadian Steel Conference offers a comprehensive program that is packed with multiple business development, educational, networking and social events including multi-day, multi-track education sessions, and a trade show exhibit showcasing the latest products & services in the steel industry.

Location: Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax N.S.

Date: Sept. 19 – 21, 2018

More information: https://canadiansteelconference.ca/

Be the first to check out the new Respectful and inclusive workplace tools

BuildForce Canada has been building a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Tool Kit that includes a self-assessment tool to benchmark your organization’s progress toward a respectful workplace, a policy framework and implementation guide, and an online respectful workplace course for workers and supervisors. Before launching the tools in late fall, BuildForce would like to pilot test them to ensure they will be easy to use and impactful.

If your organization is interested, please contact Rosemary Sparks atsparks@buildforce.ca or 905-852-9186.

Construction innovation: Shedding the old paradigms

The term “innovation” conjures up images of drones, virtual reality, state-of-the-art sensing technology and leading-edge building materials. These products, however, are only enablers—the real innovation is in the changes companies have to make to adopt them. Read more

AI tool promises 15% reduction in construction time, costs

Reliance on artificial intelligence for complex construction tasks is not as farfetched as one might think with all the talk of robots and job automation. But human workers aren’t going away anytime soon, so AI adoption spreads, as with most new technologies, with tools that help workers do their job better, faster and more efficiently. Read more

Apprenticeship registration down across Canada: StatsCan

Statistics Canada has released the most recent numbers for apprenticeship, revealing registration has declined in every province and territory. The numbers have construction industry stakeholders concerned, reiterating the message that significant changes need to be made to fill the looming skills gap. Read more

Suffolk: Algorithms prevent accidents and delays, up productivity by 20%

Suffolk Construction Co., after hiring a chief data officer and a team of data scientists last year, said it is developing artificial intelligence tools that can analyze photos from jobsites to identify risks and prevent worker injuries, according to MIT Technology Review. Read more