by SHCA SHCA

CCA Unveils New Gold Seal Certification Portal and Directory

Canadian Construction Association

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has launched a new online portal and directory to improve the user experience for current and future Gold Seal Certified industry professionals. The new directory also allows employers and industry partners to easily verify and identify accredited professionals across Canada, supporting the program’s credibility and visibility.

“This portal and directory have been a very important project for our Gold Seal team over the last year as part of our ongoing commitment to digitize first,” said Rodrigue Gilbert, president of the CCA. “The Gold Seal portal joins our various digital resources and directories, which help to maintain and increase integrity and transparency within our services.” 

CCA’s Gold Seal Certification is a nationally recognized standard of excellence for construction management professionals. Earned through industry experience, education and examination, Gold Seal Certification enhances professional development, improves job mobility and demonstrates skills, competence, and experience.  

“In our industry, we have to keep raising the bar – and that is exactly what our Gold Seal Certified workers and Gold Seal Employers do each and every day,” said Gilbert. “We will continue to make it easier for construction professionals to become Gold Seal Certified and encourage them to continue leading with the highest standard of excellence so our industry can continue to build a stronger Canada.” 

Employees who enroll and complete Gold Seal Certification take pride in their work and expertise. As we seek to develop and enhance our workforce, programs like Gold Seal help to not only ensure confidence in the industry, but to set a standard to which new workers can model during the early stages of their career. 

Tractor loader machine uploading dirty snow into dump truck. Cleaning city street, removing snow and ice after heavy snowfalls and blizzard. Snowplow outdoors clean pavement sidewalk road driveway
by SHCA SHCA

Proposed Amendment to Snow Hauling Tarping Regulations Open for Feedback

Tractor loader machine uploading dirty snow into dump truck. Cleaning city street, removing snow and ice after heavy snowfalls and blizzard. Snowplow outdoors clean pavement sidewalk road driveway
gorlovkv/123rf

The Government of Saskatchewan is proposing an amendment to The Security of Loads Regulations, 2013 to clarify tarping rules for equipment hauling snow. The change would remove the 80 km/h speed limit exemption and possibly extend the rule to private snow haulers.

The Ministry of Highways is consulting municipalities, agencies, industry groups and commercial operators before finalizing the amendment. 

Complete the survey
Industrial containers with flags of Canada making a rising graph. Economic growth related 3D rendering
by SHCA SHCA

Procurement Update

Industrial containers with flags of Canada making a rising graph. Economic growth related 3D rendering
moovstock/123rf

The Government of Saskatchewan returned to its standard procurement processes and documentation, effective June 9, 2025.  This means the changes put in place in response to U.S. tariffs are no longer in effect. As of June 9, procurements no longer have additional clauses, declarations or rated criteria and reporting the use of U.S. products for capital projects in progress is not proceeding. 

For procurements that are open as of June 9, 2025, an addendum may be added to remove the U.S. declaration form and rated criteria requirements. Procurements that are closed as of June 9, 2025, will be awarded based on the requirements that existed when the competition closed. 

Government will continue to focus on delivering capital projects while supporting industry efforts to source local products. These changes will reduce administrative burdens while continuing to make efforts to support Saskatchewan and Canadian businesses. 

For information on procurement, visit sasktenders.com.

Shantel Lipp
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

Nation-Building Begins with Us

Shantel Lipp

With the busy season for construction underway and no elections on the horizon, we turn our sites to what the federal and provincial governments have in mind with respect to infrastructure funding. 

It was encouraging to hear the results of the Western Premiers’ Conference that recently took place in Yellowknife, N.W.T. The premiers indicated that they had received consensus on ways to identify, plan and develop new economic corridors to connect provincial resources to international markets. This is something our industry has been advocating for a very long time. 

In a joint statement, the premiers wrote, “Nation-building infrastructure in Western Canada, such as highways, railways, ports, airports, pipelines, nuclear projects and electricity transmission systems, are crucial for driving Canadian productivity growth, energy security and economic competitiveness.”  

SHCA could not agree more.

The premiers also advocated for the west to become the economic engine for the country. They said that the only thing holding Western Canada back is the lack of infrastructure required to transport our resources to new markets. 

These statements are encouraging for our industry. Building the means to get our products to market around the globe is key to economic success in the face of the ongoing tariff fight. The premiers also called on the federal government to ensure that Western Canada receives its fair share of funding toward infrastructure and economic development projects and flexible, predictable and long-term federal infrastructure funding from the federal government. 

On the heels of this meeting, the Prime Minister and provincial premiers met in Saskatoon on June 2 to hold a First Ministers’ meeting, the first in Saskatchewan in over 40 years. The premiers brought with them a list of nation-building projects for consideration that could be funded to help build some economic resilience for the country in the face of economic challenges. The order of the day is to get Canada back to building its economy, which cannot be done without proper investment in infrastructure. For more than a decade, we have been working toward this goal, and hopefully, it is not too late. 

While these words by the Prime Minister and the premiers are music to our ears, it is incumbent upon the industry to follow through and keep the pressure on our elected officials to ensure that these pronouncements go beyond the paper that they are written on.