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.

 

 

Thiel Group sues over Nova Centre planning exemption

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The development of the $500-million Nova Centre complex under construction in downtown Halifax has taken a new litigious twist.

The Thiel Family Group of Companies, owners of the Bank of Montreal Building, the TD Centre and the downtown block of buildings proposed to be redeveloped as 22nd Commerce Square, has launched a Nova Scotia Supreme Court action, alleging that the provincial government broke its own laws by granting Argyle Developments Inc., owner and developer of Nova Centre, an exemption from municipal planning rules.

Read more.

CANS Launches Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership Program

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CANS is partnering with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management, to deliver the Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership, a five month long cohort made based experience consisting of 15 courses where participants will develop critical leadership and industry specific behaviours, skills and attitudes.

Learn more and apply for the program today!

 

PRESS RELEASE
A new Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership will be introduced at Dalhousie’s University in the fall of 2014

The new professional development program is the result of a partnership between the Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) and the Faculty of Management’s Executive Education Program.

The Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership is designed to support high potential candidates in Nova Scotia’s construction industry, developing the knowledge, behaviours, skills and competencies demanded from leaders in the sector. The program consists of 15 courses designed to develop leadership skills delivered through a blend of on-line and face-to-face learning. The program will also satisfy 25 educational credits for qualified candidates seeking to obtain their Gold Seal Accreditation, a nationally recognized level of experience and competence.

Dalhousie brought its innovative approach to the field of executive education in the fall of 2012 with the launch of a cohort-based leadership and management development program, which is adapted specifically to the needs and context of organizations in order to enhance productivity, efficiency and profitability.

“With the success of our first four cohorts from the Halifax Port Authority, IMP and Lindsay Construction, we have continued to refine our programming, enabling their teams to contribute to the success and long-term sustainability of their organizations and for individuals to enhance their professional profiles. Through our relationship with our partners at CANS, we’re pleased to open the doors to a different kind of cohort – individuals who are associated with the construction industry. What they have in common is not their company, but the vertical in which they work,” said Peggy Cunningham, Dean, Dalhousie Faculty of Management.

CANS partnered with Dalhousie University to further its mandate to deliver world-class leadership development training. “At CANS we work with organizations to help them become more productive and efficient, to develop their capacity and the capabilities of their people, and to attract and retain the future leaders of our industry,” said President Duncan Williams.

The Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership program was officially launched at a ceremony held in the Rowe Management Building on Feb. 10. Premier Stephen McNeil and a wide range of representatives from the construction industry were in attendance along with Labour and Advanced Education Minister Kelly Regan, and Dalhousie University President Richard Florizone.

“The partnership we have established with CANS is just one of many examples of how we intend to work to be an integral part of the growing prosperity of our province, our region and beyond. We look forward to welcoming the first cohort to the Executive Certificate in Construction Leadership to Dalhousie in the fall of 2014 – they represent the future of a more competitive, productive and efficient construction industry in Nova Scotia,” said Florizone.

(CANS represents over 760 large and small companies that build, renovate and restore non-residential buildings, roads, bridges and other engineering projects. As an industry trade association CANS represents the interests of contractors, suppliers and service providers throughout Atlantic Canada and across the country.)

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For more information contact:

 

Janet Tobin
Communications & Marketing Lead
jtobin@cans.ns.ca
(902) 468.2267 x. 713
cell: (902) 818.0835

BuildForce Canada Provincial Preliminary Investment Trend Report

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BuildForce Canada has produced provincial Preliminary Investment Trends (2013 – 2018) reports . These reports provide initial insight into new major projects, maintenance, sustaining capital, and ongoing investment trends that are impacting constructionlabour markets. They serve as a precursor to the more detailed Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward 2014–2023 reports to be released in early 2014.
The information has been validated through consultations with government and industry, including owners, contractors, and labour groups.However, changes in anticipated project schedules can alter these expected trends. BuildForce Canada is monitoring economic conditions and the scheduling of major construction projects and will incorporate relevant changes into the new forecast scenario for release early in 2014. We hope you will find this information useful in the interim. We have also updated the Construction Map App to reflect the major projects that we are tracking. The Map App can be accessed at www.constructionmapapp.ca.

 

 

CANS Connect

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To help meet the needs of our members across the province and region, CANS has developed CANS Connect, a fully integrated, high definition video-based system to be used for delivering education, presentations and connecting members to each other and their contacts. This state of the art video system includes two fully-equipped physical classrooms and the ability to provide dedicated connection for virtual meeting spaces simultaneously.

 

Learn more about CANS Connect.