Journal of Commerce – Western Canada’s Construction Newspaper since 1911

SPECIAL SECTIONS

Building Envelope Concrete Engineering Green Building Heavy Equipment O H & S Professional Services Roadbuilding Skills Training Steel Trade Contracting Water & Wastewater

WEEKLY POLL

FACT: The federal government has introduced the Canadian Experience Class program to help foreign workers in Canada become Canadian residents.

Will the Canadian Experience Class program help ease the construction industry skills shortage?

ARCHIVES

PREVIOUS ISSUE \| NEXT ISSUE
Stories for August 27, 2008

Golden Ears Bridge takes shape over Fraser River in British Columbia

Golden Ears Bridge

TRANSLINK

The Golden Ears bridge is taking shape over the Fraser River.

Full Story

Occupational Health and Safety

Unionized construction workers in British Columbia subject to new drug policy

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Unionized construction workers, who have a problem with drinking or getting high on the job, are being targeted by a new drug testing program, which is the first of its kind in Canada.

Full Story

Supply Chain Management

Vancouver Island construction companies feeling the pinch from rising B.C. Ferries costs

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

The construction industry on Vancouver Island is being hit hard by rapid increases in B.C. Ferries fares, while escalating costs are contributing to an increase in the cost of living in small island communities.

Full Story

Point Counter Point

Warm summer days and legal risk

Norm Streu and Chris Hirst

As we approach the final stretch of summer, and with another long weekend around the corner, many people are planning parties and barbecues. Those hosting the parties, the “social hosts” can reduce their party-planning stress by preparing strategies to deal with potential drinking and driving.

Full Story

Work at Vancouver’s Vita at Symphony Place continues

Vita at Symphony Place

BRADLEY FEHR

Vita at Symphony Place is taking shape in Vancouver.

Full Story

Sustainable Building Practices

Vancouver architect extolls the virtues of wood for sustainable building

VANCOUVER

Vancouver architect Larry McFarland is a wood advocate, and proud of it.

Full Story

Foreign Labour

Saskatchewan changes temporary worker program

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Some labour unions in Saskatchewan are skeptical about a joint initiative between the federal and provincial governments to make improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Full Story

EllisDon wins contract for Education Centre in Calgary, Alberta

An $80.5 million contract for an Education Centre for the Calgary Board of Education has been awarded to EllisDon.

Full Story

Economy at a Glance, August 28, 2008

Canada’s housing starts plunge in July

Prepared by Alex Carrick, Chief Economist, CanaData

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has announced a sharp pull-back in housing starts in the latest month, to 187,000 units (seasonally adjusted at an annual rate) in July 2008 versus 216,000 units in June. Year-to-date starts (-2.0%) have now fallen slightly behind last year’s comparable level. The most likely outlook is that the shortfall versus last year will continue to widen as the year progresses.

Full Story