The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $1.5 million in the Community Airport Partnership (CAP) program as part of Budget 2021–22. This funding will provide improvements to 19 community airports around the province. When combined with local matching dollars, CAP represents a $3 million investment in provincial airport infrastructure.
“As a commercial pilot myself, I know of the benefit these investments will have on some of our more rural and remote communities,” Highways Minister Fred Bradshaw said. “These revitalization and rehabilitation projects will bring some much-needed upgrades to some of our community airports and runways, leading to better usage and reliability for medical, emergency and transportation services to all regions of the province.”
Last year, the Government of Saskatchewan more than doubled its funding for the CAP program to $1.5 million, an increase of 114 per cent over the previous year. A portion of the 2021–22 investment, $650,000, comes from the $2 billion stimulus package announced in mid-2020. The Ministry of Highways will be investing $300 million from that stimulus fund over several years into projects like resurfacing of runways, improvements for pilot assists at airports and several other highways specific projects.
“It’s exciting to see the upgrades taking shape at the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport,” Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie said. “We thank the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan for recognizing the value of this project and making significant investments that will provide long-term benefits to our community.”
“The Tri-Communities of La Ronge, Village of Air Ronge and Lac La Ronge Indian Band, as well as the surrounding districts, are thrilled that we are receiving the CAP grant for the much-needed servicing and repairs of the La Ronge Airport,” La Ronge Mayor Colin Ratushniak said. “As a vital hub and gateway to Northern Saskatchewan, we provide an important service to air ambulance and aerial firefighting and ensure the capabilities to connect families and tourists with commercial services. The CAP grant will ensure that we can continue to offer the highest of standards and safety to our clients, which in return ensures the economic growth of Northern Saskatchewan.”
Since 2007, more than $10.5 million has been invested in Saskatchewan’s community airports. When coupled with 50/50 matching community contributions, the CAP program has generated more than $21 million in airport improvements. A total of 38 different communities have benefited since the program began.
April is Dig Safe month, as proclaimed by the province of Saskatchewan. And for more than 30 years, the Annual Contractor Dig Safe Awareness Breakfast program is held across dozens of communities around the province.
The Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance (SCGA) and 21 of its member sponsors, including our province’s pipeline and utility companies, make this the unofficial start to our digging season for the year.
The events educate the frontline workers, safety managers, emergency personnel and the general public about the importance of digging safely around underground and overhead infrastructure.
An anchor of the program is the locally made and produced safety videos where a number of digging awareness topics are covered, such as:
Costs to you, your family and your community when you contact underground facilities
What to look for before you dig
Proper pressures when day lighting
Safe excavation practices and tolerance zone
A powerful story of a man who sets himself on fire when he inadvertently pushes a pipe up into an overhead power line
The 2021 Contractor Dig Safe Breakfast program will look a little different due to the ongoing global pandemic. There will be no face-to-face sessions but there will be a chance for those frontline workers to win breakfast when our made-in-Saskatchewan safety video is watched.
Additional stimulus dollars will improve rural roads and bridges while contributing to economic recovery
Earlier in March, Premier Scott Moe announced that the province will advance $11.2 million in economic stimulus funds for the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (RIRG) program. The funds will give RIRG a head start on getting projects approved for the 2021 construction season.
RIRG will continue to assist RMs with the cost of construction and upgrading municipal roads, bridges and culverts to support growth. With the additional dollars, government is contributing more than $39 million to the program in 2020–21.
The Rural Integrated Roads for Growth program is an important component of the province’s plan to rebuild 100 roads over the next three years and 100 bridges over the next four years.
“Rural municipalities play a significant role in our plan to build a Strong Saskatchewan,” said Moe. “This funding will ensure projects will be ready for this construction season to help build rural infrastructure while protecting and growing jobs across our province.”
RIRG is an important component of the province’s plan to rebuild 100 roads over the next three years and 100 bridges over the next four years. Through the first two phases of funding, 89 road projects and 45 bridge projects have been provincially approved, receiving nearly $38 million in support. Several of the bridge projects are still going through the federal approval process.
“Our rural municipalities greatly value this continued financial support through this time of economic recovery,” said Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. “Well maintained rural infrastructure is critical to the sustainability and growth of Saskatchewan’s economy and the rural-based industries using it daily.”
The Government of Saskatchewan is meeting its target of improving more than 1,000 km of provincial highways this year, the first of its 10-year Growth Plan goal to build and upgrade 10,000 km of highways. Another $300 million in highways stimulus funds is being invested over two years in thin-membrane surface upgrades, passing lanes and improvements to municipal roads and airports.
The Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $9.8 billion in highways infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 15,800 km of Saskatchewan highways.
Canadian Construction Association welcomes its new Board of Directors for 2021–22 with Ray Bassett at the helm as chair
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is pleased to announce that Ray Bassett is the chair of the 2021–22 Board of Directors. CCA sincerely thanks outgoing chair, Joe Wrobel, for his dedicated leadership.
Bassett is the vice president and chief underwriting officer at Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, where he manages client relationships with national and larger regional construction companies, leads strategic initiatives in product development and technology and guides the business strategy of the Construction Services Group for Travelers in North America.
A 37-year veteran of the construction surety industry, Bassett has led both claims and underwriting practices for leading national surety companies in Canada and is focused on improving collaboration and value among stakeholders in the construction industry, including public and private project owners, the construction and project finance lending community, financial ratings agencies, consultants, the construction law bar and the surety industry.
Bassett joined the CCA Board of Directors in 2010, has chaired the Manufacturers, Suppliers & Services Council, as well as an executive committee focused on federal prompt payment, which was instrumental in having industry concerns and recommendations addressed in the Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act.
In his address to members at the annual general meeting, Bassett articulated one of CCA’s advocacy focuses for the association over the next year.
“(We need) a long-term federal infrastructure plan, that is evidence-based and is better aligned with the needs and priorities of provincial and municipal governments, and has a clear and uncluttered funding mechanism – this will bring more public and private projects to the market in a more predictable flow,” he said. “This is good for our industry and good for Canada.”
Joining Bassett on CCA’s 2021–22 Board of Directors are:
Jean François Arbour, President, Groupe SCV
Andrew Arnill, Operations Manager, West-Can Seal Coating Asphalt Products
David Bowcott, Global Director, Growth, Innovation & Insight, AON
Rob Carvell, Chief Operating Officer, Trane
Charles Caza, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Bird Construction
Nicole Chabot, Vice President, L. Chabot Enterprises Ltd.
Leslie Doka, Director of Construction, Wright Construction
Trevor Doucette, Vice-President Stakeholder Management, Graham Construction & Engineering
Wayne Ferguson, Senior Vice President, EllisDon Corporation
Branden Kotyk, Division Manager, Western Canada, Victaulic
Patrick Lafrenière, Director of Projects, Atlantic, JCB Construction Canada
John Mollenhauer, President & CEO, Toronto Construction Association
Brendan Nobes, Director Major Projects, Rcs
Francis Roy, President, Groupe Humaco
CCA thanks these leaders for their generous commitment to the industry and to advance our united vision to Build a better Canada.
New SHCA affinity partner: Shamii
A new partner to the SHCA affinity program is Shamii, a pickup/drop-off full service for your vehicles. By using Shamii, SHCA members can avoid lineups, wait times, arranging pickups, drop-offs or awkward courtesy car rides with strangers. Shamii chauffeurs pick up your vehicle from wherever you are, detail your car with the package you choose and then deliver it back to you.
SHCA members, use the promo code “SHCA21” and receive a 10 per cent discount on all packages.
Changes to the WCB’s Employer Initial Report of Injury (E1) form
To continuously improve its customer service, the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has made changes to the online E1 form.
The new features of the online E1 form include:
A document upload feature – Employers will be able to attach documentation with the E1 form submission. This could include pictures related to the worker’s injury, incident reports or medical notes.
Fewer required fields – This will allow users to get the E1 form submitted to the WCB faster so injured workers can get the support they need sooner.
Fewer questions – Based on the feedback from users, the E1 form was redesigned so the WCB is not asking questions that did not provide value for an injured worker to receive support.
An enhanced dashboard that gives the users a better view of what E1s are submitted and saved.
When you submit your E1 form online, the form is automatically entered into the WCB system, which eliminates delays that can occur if mailed.
Government announces increased funding for channel clearing
Premier Scott Moe recently announced $2 million over two years in funding to expand channel clearing for rural municipalities across Saskatchewan.
“As we work through economic recovery, investments in our communities will help build our future,” said Moe. “Increased funding for water management in rural communities will not only help protect essential infrastructure but also help our producers grow Saskatchewan’s economy.”
The Water Security Agency originally budgeted $600,000 over two years for channel clearing. This increase in funding will allow for the program to grow to $500,000 for the 2020–21 fiscal year. In 2021–22, funding will increase again to $1.5 million for a total investment of $2 million over two years. This is an additional $1.4 million over two years to support RMs with channel clearing activities.
Channel clearing involves removing beaver dams, debris, trees and shrubs, and the removal of silt and blow dirt from and along natural channels, lessening the possibilities of blockages that can cause flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Obstructed creeks and channels cause flooding and erosion problems to many RMs and local landowners. This program supports RMs in the removal of these obstructions.
“Our members welcome the news of this timely additional support for a needed program, especially as we enter the spring season,” said Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. “Our communities are concerned not only about proactively dealing with situations like flooding, but also practicing good water management that protects our ratepayers’ investments.”
Clearing dense vegetation can also reduce unwanted nutrients from water bodies and is an essential component of any long-term water management plan.
Channel clearing involves removing beaver dams, debris, trees and shrubs, and the removal of silt and blow dirt from and along natural channels, lessening the possibilities of blockages that can cause flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Melfort STARS heliport project
Redhead Equipment is pleased to announce that it was named the Mission Lead Pilot Donor of the Melfort Heliport Fundraising Campaign with a contribution of $100,000.
“Since acquiring the dealership in Melfort, we have strived to support our customer’s needs and to give back to Melfort and its surrounding communities. The health and safety of our customers, staff and community is of great importance to Redhead Equipment, and we hope this $100,000 donation reflects our commitment to the people of northeastern Saskatchewan,” said Gary Redhead.
The Melfort Hospital serves approximately 12,200 people and previously did not have a heliport. All patient transfers occurred by ground EMS directly or through the Melfort Airport via fixed wing air ambulance or STARS service. The City of Melfort proposed developing a heliport beside the Melfort Hospital. The landing area would be a certified area used by STARS for the transport of patients from the emergency department at the hospital.
The heliport is an important service for the growing community of Melfort and area. The greatest risk for patients being transported is during handover. With STARS service, the care team can come right to the patient, get a report from the team providing care and transfer directly to tertiary care in Saskatoon.
A heliport will save STARS critical time, in some cases up to 50 minutes from Melfort to Saskatoon’s hospitals.
“When I reached out to Gary Redhead about supporting the Heliport Project in Melfort, there was no hesitation,” said Heliport Fundraising Committee member, Rod Gantefoer. “Redhead Equipment is a proud, active member of all the communities they serve throughout Saskatchewan and is committed to supporting charities and community organizations across the province, through sponsorship, donations and participation.”
Thanks to the support of businesses and families in the Melfort area, the campaign has raised more than $750,000.
Peggy George, chairman of the North Central Health Care Foundation stated, “Raising funds during a pandemic had its own special challenge, but with the support of all our donors, we have been able to exceed our fundraising goal by over $100,000. Excess funds from this campaign will further the work of the foundation. The foundation plays an important role in supporting our local healthcare professionals by providing funding for equipment in the facilities throughout the district.”
As of Dec. 1, 2020, the helipad was completed and certified by Transport Canada, making it operational. Redhead Equipment is happy to know that every time STARS lands in Melfort, their team helped make it happen.
“Redhead Equipment is a proud, active member of all the communities they serve throughout Saskatchewan and is committed to supporting charities and community organizations across the province, through sponsorship, donations and participation.” – Rod Gantefoer
Municipalities of Saskatchewan elects new president
Municipalities of Saskatchewan delegates recently elected Naicam Mayor Rodger Hayward as their newest president.
“It is an honour to be elected Municipalities of Saskatchewan president,” said Hayward. “I look forward to continuing to work with Municipalities of Saskatchewan’s Board of Directors as president, and our member municipalities, to ensure our hometowns have the resources we need. We are stronger when we work together.”
Hayward has served as Municipalities of Saskatchewan’s vice-president of towns since 2012. He was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2010 as northeast regional director. Hayward has represented the community of Naicam since 1996, and has served six terms as mayor.
Municipalities of Saskatchewan’s towns and villages, resort villages and northern municipal sectors also elected their sector representatives. Nipawin Mayor Rennie Harper will serve as the new vice-president of towns, and incumbent Mike Strachan, Mayor of Torquay, will continue to serve as vice-president of villages, resort villages and northern municipalities.
SGI scam warning
SGI warns the public that scammers could be targeting SGI customers by sending them an email posing as their bank and asking them to provide a photo or scan of their driver’s licence.
If you come across a similar request in your inbox, take steps to verify that the email is coming from a trusted source before providing any personal information. Be sure to use publicly listed contact information, not a phone number or email address included in the suspect email.
SGI warns the public that scammers could be targeting SGI customers by sending them an email posing as their bank and asking them to provide a photo or scan of their driver’s licence.
If you have provided this information to someone who shouldn’t have it, you should contact the police and take steps suggested by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, such as gathering information about the fraudulent activity and contacting your financial institutions and reporting the incident.
SGI asks that customers who suspect they’ve fallen victim to a fraud to please notify SGI of the potential issue. You can have your SGI information password protected – in order to do so, customers will have to go to any SGI motor licence issuing office.
Construction requirements across Canada are expected to rebound in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise through the coming decade – albeit at more muted levels than in the past 10 years. The strength and pace of recovery, however, will vary among provinces, and will depend significantly on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the recovery in consumer and business confidence, the global demand for Canadian exports and the lifting of restrictions on international travel. This is according to the latest labour market forecast released at the end of March by BuildForce Canada.
BuildForce Canada’s 2021–2030 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward national report forecasts construction employment to rise by 64,900 workers over the next decade. This represents an increase of 6 per cent over 2020 workforce levels. While the outlook forecasts much of that growth to take place through 2025, by the end of the decade, the respective provincial industries will have to cope with the need to replace nearly 259,100 workers, or about 22 per cent of the current labour force, due to retirement.
“Canada’s construction outlook is strong for 2021 and well into the middle portion of the decade thanks to gains in the residential and non-residential sectors,” said BuildForce Canada executive director Bill Ferreira. “And while we forecast growth to slow over the later years of our forecast period, we nonetheless expect that the industry will be challenged to recruit more than 309,000 new workers to replace retirees and keep pace with demand.”
BuildForce Canada anticipates that the non-residential sector will lead industry growth between 2021 and 2023 and be driven by a large list of public transit, health care, education, roadwork and other civil infrastructure projects. Overall, non-residential employment is projected to increase by more than 39,800 workers between 2021 and 2025, and another 5,000 to 2030.
Activity across the Atlantic provinces is expected to vary. Newfoundland and Labrador will see a modest recovery through 2021, but long-term growth will be constrained. The forecasts for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, meanwhile, will be bolstered by in-migration trends. Prince Edward Island was the only province of the four to experience a rise in construction employment in 2020, and that increase is expected to continue through 2022.
Quebec’s market is expected to rebound from the pandemic in 2021 and grow through 2024 on the strength of private-sector spending and strong levels of government investment.
Ontario will be driven by a growing pipeline of major infrastructure projects across all regions. An additional recovery in commercial and industrial investment will bring labour demands to a peak in 2026.
In 2020, Manitoba experienced its first year of negative construction growth in several years. Declines in major-project requirements and lower levels of institutional and residential growth may cause employment levels to drop slightly – by 1 per cent – over the forecast period.
A broad-based recovery is expected to take hold in Saskatchewan in 2021, as education, health care, utility and mining investment combine to boost growth across most construction segments to an expected peak in 2023.
Alberta, which was among the provinces hardest hit by the pandemic, could see further challenges ahead. Ongoing uncertainty in the energy sector and further deferrals and cancellations of major investments have significantly tempered expectations for a strong near-term recovery. A more material expansion is expected after 2023.
Finally, British Columbia is poised to enter the steepest period of growth in its forecast period. The province will add more than 11,400 non-residential workers through 2022, before shedding as many as half of those gains through 2026, before renewed growth later in the period adds new jobs. By 2030, employment is expected to increase by 9,900 workers compared to 2020.
“The unevenness with which provinces and even regions within those provinces will experience construction growth over the forecast period suggests that intra- and interprovincial mobility, as well as drawing workers from other industries, will be key to meeting construction demands,” said Ferreira.
The development of skilled tradespersons in the construction industry takes years, and often requires participation in a provincial apprenticeship program. As such, replacing retiring workers typically requires several years of pre-planning to avoid the creation of skills gaps.
Clearly, an ongoing commitment to training and apprenticeship development will be necessary to ensure there are sufficient numbers of qualified tradespeople to sustain a skilled labour force over the long term. What is yet unclear is how the pandemic will impact registration rates going forward. Limited data collected to date suggests that the pandemic has resulted in a steep decline in new registrations relative to employment across the country. It has also imposed significant obstacles to the in-person delivery of training, testing and certification, which may impact near-term completion rates.
Building a sustainable and diverse labour force will require the construction and maintenance industry to increase recruitment from groups traditionally underrepresented in the current construction labour force, including women, Indigenous people and new Canadians.
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage labour force requirements and build the capacity and capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance industry. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca.
The Western Canada Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association (WCR&HCA) has thrown its weight behind a campaign for renewed federal investment in trade gateways and corridors in the west.
The four western roadbuilder and heavy construction associations agreed at the April 6 meeting of the WCR&HCA to appeal to Minister Jim Carr, the Trudeau government’s cabinet appointee as Special Representative for the Prairies, to champion a recapitalization of the federal trade infrastructure investment program, specific to the arteries and hubs that move goods to domestic, continental and international markets.
“The push for a new Western Canada Trade Gateways and Corridors Initiative is gaining traction, with regional and national business organizations joining the appeal to federal and provincial governments,” said WCR&HCA president Chris Lorenc.
A letter to Carr from WCR&HCA, sent April 8, noted that trade carries 65 per cent of Canada’s GDP and initiatives that spur revitalization are critical now to ensure recovery from the pandemic economic recession.
“The trade-based nature of Canada’s economy means that a return to prosperity will not be fully realized without a strategic trade gateway and corridor investment initiative,” the letter signed by WCR&HCA chair Greg Orbanski and Lorenc said.
It pointed out that Western Canada “is strategically positioned to raise Canada’s export profile and potential,” being a vast, resource-rich region with “significant pent-up capacity to produce goods that are in demand domestically, continentally and globally.”
The WCR&HCA support follows letters sent to Carr by a number of Manitoba business organizations as well as by the Canada West Foundation, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
The Board also heard from the CCA. Participating in the meeting were CCA chair Ray Bassett, immediate past chair Joe Wrobel and president Mary van Buren.
The CCA outlined its current activities, including pressing the federal government to be flexible on projects for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan, to better meet local priorities and the release of in March of its report Strength, resilience, sustainability to help the construction sector adopt best practices and innovations to meet the challenges of climate change.
The Board also heard from the Canada West Foundation fellow John Law regarding a report to be released in early summer making the case for national strategic investment in trade supporting assets.
The British Columbia Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association was welcomed back into the WCR&HCA at the meeting. The other members of the association are the Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association, Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.
Orbanski, a former chair of the MHCA, was re-elected WCR&HCA chair. The 2021 Board executive, directors and officers of the association are:
President – Chris Lorenc, MHCA Vice-Chair – Carmen Duncan, SHCA Sec. Treas. – Jack Meseyton, MHCA
Members at large: Allan Barilla, SHCA Andrew Arnill, ARHCA Gary Zeitner, ARHCA Garson Doyle, BCRB&HCA Steve Drummond, BCRB&HCA
Chief Operating Officers Kelly Scott, President, BCRB&HCA Ron Glenn, President, ARHCA Shantell Lipp, President, SHCA Chris Lorenc, President, MHCA
The COOs were directed by the Board to review the basis upon which WCR&HCA conventions could resume. Their report to the Board is expected to be considered by early June 2021.
The Ministry of Highways is pleased to announce the official launch of its new Doing Business with the Ministry website. The current site has reached its end of life and we are now transitioning to the new site, which is located on Publications Saskatchewan. The ministry chose to move to Publications Saskatchewan to be consistent with all other ministries.
The new URL for the site is www.saskatchewan.ca/highways-business. Please update your bookmarks and use this URL moving forward. You will notice a new category structure on the site. Although there is a different structure, existing documents were not revised.
The new site has many features not previously available. These include:
A search function
The ability to tag specific documents or categories for quick reference
Availability on any iOS or android device with an internet connection
A future opportunity for push notifications to users
Future opportunities are in the works for live demos of the site, which will include a chance to ask questions to our project support office. In the meantime, please visit the site and familiarize yourself with the new category structure and features.
If you have any questions or feedback on the new system, reach out to the project support office at mhiknowledgewarehouse@gov.sk.ca.
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has released a research paper, Strength, resilience, sustainability: Canada’s construction sector recommendations on adapting to climate change. The paper highlights the benefits of sustainable and resilient infrastructure that can withstand the effects of climate change and stresses the imperative of investing in sustainable infrastructure, particularly as COVID-19 economic recovery efforts are underway.
Strength, resilience, sustainability explores both the global and Canadian construction industries’ adaptation measures to date and uses that insight to inform recommendations for how the industry can work alongside the government to accelerate progress in mitigating the impact of climate change on infrastructure.
“The construction industry in Canada has already implemented many sustainable practices and is eager to continue doing so, but a major challenge we face is the need for government investment and a more supportive environment for fostering innovation within the sector,” said Mary Van Buren, CCA president. “Economic recovery discussions are an opportune time for the government and our industry to partner to ensure that large-scale infrastructure is built with resiliency that can withstand changing weather patterns and events.”
To build Canada’s future clean economy and create good jobs, a change to the way that public infrastructure projects are determined and funded is required. The Canadian construction industry contributes $141 billion to the national GDP each year and employs approximately 1.4 million people across the country – making the potential to affect change in this sector significant. One barrier to green investment is the higher upfront costs, even though there can be lower costs over the lifetime of the asset. In fact, research indicates that benefits of investing in green infrastructure can outweigh the costs by a ratio of six to one.
Climate-related risks to physical infrastructure in Canada include damage from flooding, extreme precipitation, high winds or ice storms, wildfires, power outages and grid failures associated with heatwaves and high demand for air conditioning, and thawing permafrost, among others. To address some of these issues, the sector has already introduced innovations in building infrastructure that is more resilient to climate change; applied building retrofits for greater energy efficiency; integrated new (or time-tested) materials into projects; found opportunity in the growing need for transparency of climate risk of infrastructure; and maximized partnerships where possible.
The federal government has a strong role to play in changing its procurement practices to allow for higher upfront costs and to de-risk innovation. Without changes to existing practices to consider climate resiliency in infrastructure, climate change costs for Canada could escalate from roughly $5 billion per year in 2020 to between $21 and $43 billion per year by the 2050s.
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is hosting their annual conference virtually for 2021.
From March 23 to 25, CCA will bring industry members together to share best practices, network, stay current on industry trends and celebrate member accomplishments through its National Awards program. The virtual event will feature flexible scheduling with a mix of live stream and pre-recorded/on demand programming.
