Shantel Lipp
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

Common Sense Practices Help Keep Our Workers Safe

Shantel Lipp

Construction season is once again upon us. For Saskatchewan, that means we must concentrate our efforts on building and maintaining our infrastructure through a limited window. That usually means it’s all hands on deck when it comes to the workforce needed to start and complete projects.

A road construction project is a busy place. Anyone who has driven on a Saskatchewan highway over the years would attest to this. Co-ordinating the flow of ongoing traffic while manoeuvring a piece of heavy equipment is a carefully choreographed process. One wrong move can mean the difference between life and death.

When it comes to safety, our industry is at the forefront of delivering the necessary training to ensure that anyone in the heavy construction industry can expect to work in a safe environment. It is often external factors that limit the industry’s ability to guarantee an accident-free work site.

In 2012, a young woman was working as a flag person on a road construction crew in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan. Her name was Ashley Dawn Richards, and she was 18 years old. She had just started work on the highway project, when a driver sped through the construction zone driving 90 to 100 kilometres an hour. The driver hit and killed Ashley.

Ashley’s death was completely avoidable, had the reckless driver adhered to the rules of driving through a construction zone. While additional safety measures have been put in place since Ashley’s death, there is still work to be done to educate and remind drivers that they need to slow down and be safe.

That is why our industry continues to advocate with stakeholders and partners to inform the general public on the importance of understanding and practicing road safety.

Adopting common sense practices when behind the wheel, such as slowing down in a construction zone, being aware of your surroundings, and paying attention to the road and not your phone, will create a safer workplace for highway construction workers.

Avoiding a life-changing tragedy by simply slowing down and paying attention should be the easiest decision any driver makes.

Have a safe summer.

Cover photo of CCA's Building resilience: A guide to climate governance for Canada's construction sector publication
by SHCA SHCA

New Guide Helps Construction Leaders Build Climate-Ready Companies

As climate change intensifies across Canada, a new report released by the Canada Climate Law Initiative (CCLI) and the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is calling on the construction sector to embed climate resilience into their core governance. Building resilience: A guide to climate governance for Canada’s construction sector provides a practical roadmap to help industry leaders address growing climate risks across the entire construction value chain.

Cover photo of CCA's Building resilience: A guide to climate governance for Canada's construction sector publication

With nearly 30 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to construction, companies within Canada’s construction industry can play a significant role in addressing climate change and creating more sustainable and resilient communities.

“The construction and buildings sector holds enormous potential to drive positive change,” said Rodrigue Gilbert, CCA president. “Through effective governance, leadership and collaboration across the value chain, the sector can play a pivotal role in creating more sustainable, climate-resilient communities. From project financing and design through to construction, maintenance and renovations, each actor plays a critical role.”

While construction has always faced environmental challenges, climate change introduces more severe risks – like heatwaves, wildfires and flooding – that disrupt projects and endanger communities. The guide calls for long-term, governance-driven strategies to build resilience.

Key messages from the report include:

  • Directors and senior leadership are central to climate action. They hold significant power to ensure that climate risks and opportunities are properly considered in business decisions.
  • Climate action is a competitive advantage. By adopting long-term strategies around mitigation and adaptation, companies can lead in a changing marketplace, enhance business resilience and meet evolving client expectations.
  • A systems-level coordinated approach is essential. Projects involve many players at different stages in the life cycle – from project inception and financing to maintenance and renovations. Building climate resilience requires cross-sector coordination, continuity and shared accountability.

“Climate governance is a strategic imperative for Canadian construction companies to build sustainable and resilient businesses and communities for the future,” said Jacqueline Fitzpatrick, author of the guide and CCLI affiliated research scholar.

“Climate governance is not merely a corporate initiative – directors must be aware of their evolving fiduciary duties,” said Amee Sandhu, a volunteer climate change governance expert at CCLI as well as senior legal counsel at Alstom. “As citizens, regulators and stakeholders demand accountability, this guide provides practical insights to construction firms’ management and directors as they navigate this newly emerging area of law, ethics and business.”

Building resilience offers clear, actionable guidance tailored for construction companies of all sizes. It includes legal context, risk assessment frameworks and tools to help boards and management teams embed climate governance into their core operations. “Directors have a clear role to play in shaping the future of the industry,” said Gilbert. “This guide makes it easier for them to lead with confidence, fulfill their responsibilities and align with the transition to a low-carbon, climate-ready economy.”

Get your copy of the guide at cca-acc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Climate-governance-report-en-Jun-25-2025.pdf.

Silhouetted business engineers examining blueprints at construction sites during sunset
by SHCA SHCA

More People Working in Saskatchewan Than Ever With 26,300 Full Time Jobs Added in June

Silhouetted business engineers examining blueprints at construction sites during sunset

The latest labour force numbers from Statistics Canada show that despite U.S. and Chinese tariffs, Saskatchewan continues to have the strongest labour market in Canada. Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate among provinces at 4.9 per cent, which is well below the national average of 6.9 per cent. Saskatchewan added 20,500 jobs year-over-year in June.

“Saskatchewan heads into the second half of 2025 with the strongest labour market in Canada,” Deputy Premier and Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter said. “Our government is committed to maintaining this continued growth ensuring that Saskatchewan people are prepared for the jobs provided by our strong economy.”

June 2025 saw all time historical highs (aged 15 and over), with:

  • Saskatchewan Employment: 636,800
  • Saskatchewan Full-Time employment: 533,800
  • Off-Reserve Indigenous Employment: 67,900
  • Off-Reserve Indigenous Full-Time Employment: 56,500

Year-over-year, full time employment increased 26,300, an increase of 5.2 per cent. Off-reserve Indigenous employment was up 6,300, or 10.2 per cent, for the 12th consecutive month of year-over-year increases. Indigenous youth employment was up 2,200, or 21.8 per cent, for the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year increases. Women employment is up 13,200 which is an increase of 4.6 per cent, and employment for men is up 7,300 an increase of 2.2 per cent.

Saskatchewan’s two biggest cities saw impressive year-over-year growth. Compared to June 2024, Saskatoon’s employment was up 7,600, an increase of 3.8 per cent, and Regina’s employment was up 6,400, an increase of 4.4 per cent. Regina’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 per cent, the fifth lowest among 41 major cities in Canada, and Saskatoon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6 per cent, ranked fourth lowest among major cities.

Major year-over-year gains were reported for healthcare and social assistance, up 11,800, which is an increase of 12.7 per cent. Construction is up 6,500, an increase of 14.5 per cent and public administration is up 5,000, an increase of 13.6 per cent.

The province continues to see economic growth in other areas. Year-over-year, Saskatchewan ranked first among the provinces for growth in the value of building permits an increase of 31.5 per cent and second among the provinces for growth in urban housing starts, a significant increase of 211.0 per cent.

This economic growth is backed by the Government of Saskatchewan’s recently released Building the Workforce for a Growing Economy: The Saskatchewan Labour Market Strategy, a roadmap to build the workforce needed to support Saskatchewan’s strong and growing economy, and Securing the Next Decade of Growth: Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy, a plan to increase investment in the province and to further advancing Saskatchewan’s growth plan goal of $16 billion in private capital investment annually.

A view of traffic on the Gardiner Express at rush hour
by SHCA SHCA

Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Delivers $1.54M in Grants to Saskatchewan Communities

A view of traffic on the Gardiner Express at rush hour

Flashing pedestrian crossing signs in Estevan, a crosswalk in Lampman and streetlights on the Red Earth Cree Nation are among the road safety enhancements that will be delivered using funding provided in the Provincial Traffic Safety Fund’s latest round of grants.

Sixty-two projects in 61 Saskatchewan communities will receive grants, totalling nearly $1.54 million. Grants in this round range from $853 to $100,000. “The Government of Saskatchewan and SGI are committed to delivering safer roads for everyone in Saskatchewan,” Minister Responsible for SGI Jeremy Harrison said. “This $1.5 million in provincial grants will enable 61 municipalities and First Nations throughout our province to deliver enhancements to traffic safety in their communities.”

The full list of approved projects and grant amounts can be found on SGI’s website.

Provincial Traffic Safety Fund grants are awarded to communities twice a year, using proceeds from photo speed enforcement. A total of $14.55 million has been awarded to 918 projects in Saskatchewan since the program was established in 2019. Eligible projects must focus on one or more of these traffic safety priorities: speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, occupant protection, intersection safety, aggressive driving, vulnerable road users or medically-at-risk drivers.

Applications are reviewed by a committee made up of representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Highways and SGI.

Applications are now being accepted for the next round of funding. The deadline for applications is Sept. 30, 2025. For more information and for the full list of approved projects, visit SGI’s website: https://sgi.sk.ca/community-grants-programs.

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. 

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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.