Sunday, September 29, 2024 
Statistics Canada – June building permits rise to comparable pre-COVID levels
Statistics Canada reports that the $687 million dollar Oakridge Centre mixed use redevelopment project in the city of Vancouver helped raise the total national value of building permits 6.2% to $8.1 billion in June, to a level comparable to pre-COVID levels. Overall, seven provinces…
Carpenters’ union removes member over racist act on Toronto job site
In response to a racist and hateful act at an Eglinton Crosstown LRT jobsite, Carpenters Local 27 requested and received the unequivocal resignation from an individual who had recently joined the Union. After a review of the events that took place,…
Construction starts on primary fire hall in downtown Nanaimo
Shovels are in the ground to build a new multi-purpose fire hall # 1 in downtown Nanaimo, capping a roller-coaster ride to advance the project. A groundbreaking ceremony took place Wednesday for the facility budgeted at $20 million to be constructed…
Magic Lite’s robust new marker accent light provides safety and ambience
Canada’s trusted source for architectural and specialty lighting solutions, Magic Lite, announces the newest addition to their In Ground / Wall / Ceiling Disc light series. LED Disc Light Dome is made of marine grade stainless steel and makes the perfect…
The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel
As more of us flock to urban living, city designers are re-thinking buildings’ influence on our moods in an era of “neuro-architecture”. “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us,” mused Winston Churchill in 1943 while considering the repair…
GM starts construction on the cornerstone of its EV strategy
Steel construction has begun on the nearly 3-million-square-foot factory that will mass produce Ultium battery cells and packs, the cornerstone of General Motors’ strategy to bring 20 electric vehicles to market by 2023. The Ultium Cells LLC battery cell manufacturing facility…
Bird Construction to acquire Stuart Olson
Bird Construction Inc. and Stuart Olson Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement under which Bird will acquire Stuart Olson, pursuant to an arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) for aggregate consideration of $96.5 million. The Transaction, which was…
Guelph Police Headquarters reno could be at least $1 million over budget
The Guelph Police Headquarters renovation project could end up being $1 million over budget and the figure might go higher. An information report to city council released Friday says 99 per cent of the projects $34.1 million budget has already been spent…
Best practices for zero energy buildings and smart grid integration
When researching building energy efficiency, renewable energy and the electrical grid, industry publications and academic journals will invariably have articles and papers on zero energy buildings and the smart grid. To eliminate any discrepancies in terminology that may occur in the…
IAPMO and AWWA to develop Manual of Recommended Practice
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) have entered into a Cooperative Development Agreement to develop a Manual of Recommended Practice to support providing safe and effective water efficiency and water quality…
Outcome of court decision on Winnipeg’s impact fees will be more uncertainty
On July 8, the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench found that the City of Winnipeg’s “impact fee” on new housing developments exceeded city authority. And on July 11, the CBC published an opinion piece by University of Winnipeg Prof. Aaron Moore with three…
Singapore towers are 56 floors of prefabricated and prefinished construction
Prefabricated modular construction has been the future of the building industry for at least half a century, so I was intrigued when I got a press release announcing “Sustainability, access to green space and innovative PPVC modulation are at the core…
Lakeview Community Partners unveils stunning outdoor art installations at Lakeview Village site
Lakeview Community Partners Limited (“LCPL”) today unveiled the highly anticipated outdoor artist installation at the Lakeview Village site. The completed works were created by a group of 19 talented GTA artists through a unique artist-developer collaboration to animate the project site…
York University Campus in Markham to start construction
York University has officially received the green light from the provincial government to move forward with its long-awaited Markham Centre Campus (MCC). Construction for the campus, which will focus on courses geared toward themes of technology and entrepreneurship, will commence July 2020…
Schneider Electric Solar unveils Insight – Smart Digital Platform for solar & storage energy management
Schneider Electric Solar announced the launch of Insight, its new powerful yet simple energy management platform for residential and commercial users. It is available through their local, cloud, and mobile interfaces. Digital technologies have been transforming energy management. Digitalization utilizes communications…
