Save the date!
The Road Builders of the West are heading back to Maui and you’re invited! The Meet in Maui 2022 Conference will be taking place at the Wailea Beach Resort in Maui, Hawaii, Feb. 6–10, 2022.
Registration will be opening soon. Click here for more information about the Meet in Maui conference!
It is hard to believe December is here already, but with everything that has taken place over the last 12 months, I have been fully focussed on the work that our members expect of me and the association. A look at the calendar shows me I’ve got just a couple weeks to get my Christmas preparations complete!
But before I handle that, I appreciate the opportunity to explain what I have been doing on your behalf to ensure the heavy construction industry remains at the forefront of policy decisions.
Keeping close to government
Maintaining close contact with governments of all levels means a lot of discussion and organization. Sometimes I work to ensure SHCA is fostering a direct, one-on-one connection with governments. Other times, SHCA partners with those who share common interests to form new groups or support existing ones.
SHCA’s approach to working with government has always been strategic. Work is underway on a new policy paper highlighting the importance of a National Infrastructure program with a specific focus on Western Canada. It will be presented to the federal government by the Canadian Construction Association along with our partner organizations to highlight the importance of our supply chain and the transportation logistics that underlie them.
This paper will also help Saskatchewan’s government with its own infrastructure planning by pointing out the pinch points in its transportation system and explaining what can be done to keep the economy strong. Saskatchewan suffers from what is known as “first mile access issues.” If we want to attract investment into our province, the gaps that exist within our local supply chain must be identified and I am working to accomplish that. This paper has created a renewed opportunity for political leadership and public discussion of the role that trade infrastructure plays in Canadians’ quality of life.
It is not just the federal and provincial government that needs to know about our industry. I also maintain a connection at the municipal level as well. I, along with members of the SHCA Board of Directors, meet regularly with members of Regina City Council as well as the executive director of Citizen Services. Most recently, I participated in the City of Regina’s operational efficiency review. The review focused on several areas of interest to our members, including fleet services, procurement, parks, facilities, roadways and information technology.
I keep up to date with what is happening in Saskatoon through members of the SHCA Board and our Saskatoon members who meet quarterly with the City of Saskatoon’s Transportation, Utilities, Procurement department heads. They are discussing procurement, contract specifications and current supply chain issues.
There are issues beyond infrastructure planning and funding that I bring forward to government. I work with other groups, partnering SHCA with those that share a common concern.
Advocating shared common interests
The Western Canadian Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association Another is one of those groups. While economic growth continues to be its advocacy priority, a pressing need by our industry to address climate change is accelerating its advocacy.
SaskBuilds is another group I am active in. SHCA is a part of an industry task force tackling the challenges related to Saskatchewan’s post-pandemic recovery and our province’s continued economic growth. There are quarterly interactions with government to identify possible pinch points in the supply chain or industry capacity changes. The province has committed to sharing with industry its entire capital program and work has begun with us helping with planning. It’s a work in progress, but an important start.
Having a competitive, equitable and predictable municipal tax system in Saskatchewan and the policy changes required to achieve that is the focus of another Saskatchewan group I am in. The Saskatchewan Growth Coalition is made up of 20 industries critical to Saskatchewan’s economic recovery and continued prosperity – rail, agriculture and agri-food, mining, oil and gas, pipelines and the business chamber organizations.
The coalition met with Minister of Government Relations Don McMorris, Minister of Finance Donna Harpauer, Minister of Energy and Resources Bronwyn Eyre and Colleen Young, Chair of the Standing Committee on the Economy. It was made clear to them the risk to investment and competitive disadvantages of allowing tax policy inequities to continue, which was a message well received by the ministers. To continue to spread that message through Saskatchewan, an email campaign and a series of radio ads asking government to take action will be launched by the coalition.
Then, there is the labour need that is growing in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan is heading into another cycle of growth that will require a strong labour force to meet the demand as many developments and projects come online.
To address the labour shortage, SHCA co-founded the Saskatchewan Workforce Alliance. Industry leaders will continue to discuss solutions that will allow them to fill positions to keep businesses strong. An idea that is coming together is the Saskatchewan Workforce Retention Program to be presented to the provincial government to encourage more people to choose to live and work in Saskatchewan for years to come. Saskatchewan’s labour situation and this solution are described in detail in the Q1 2022 issue of SHCA’s magazine, Think Big.
You will also read in that issue about the work being done by the Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan (HCSAS). My work involves explaining why changes by other organizations that impact ours are necessary and this year, I have had a focus on Saskatchewan’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB.)
For the past number of months, SHCA has been lobbying the provincial government about changes made to the funding application agreements between WCB and the various industry safety associations. The new agreement makes safety associations accountable to WCB – not the industries funding them. WCB has reduced funding to the HCSAS by $100,000. This reduction will impact the safety association’s ability to deliver services and fulfill its workplan.
Letters have been sent to the CEO of WCB, Minister Don Morgan and the premier. A complaint has been filed by SHCA with the Government of Saskatchewan’s Red Tape Reduction Unit. I have also met with the official opposition, who agree with our position. In the coming weeks, an ad campaign targeting WCB and the provincial government will be launched with further action planned.
Keeping SHCA at the forefront
You will also have noticed SHCA began a very calculated radio and social media campaign targeting both the provincial and municipal elections. The campaign was very strong and got great results. There was a lot of interaction and comments during both campaigns.
Social media is a great tool for our members to participate in SHCA’s communication efforts. I encourage you to tag SHCA in your company posts or comment on SHCA’s posts.
I am also committed to continuing to share with you through our strong publications – Think Big and The Interchange – updates about this work and our industry.
As 2021 winds down, I hope each and every one of you has the opportunity to reflect on the good that you experienced during the year. As you look forward to 2022, I hope you have plenty to look forward to in your business and at home. The last few years have been challenging for all of us in Saskatchewan and around the world, but working with great people – like you – makes it worth all the effort. Have a Merry Christmas and fulfilling holiday season!
The 2022 SHCA Media Kit, which outlines print and digital advertising opportunities in SHCA’s publications, is now available.
Plan your 2022 advertising and contact a sales representative today to confirm your placements.
Click here to download the 2022 Media Kit.
You don’t have to look very far in the business community to find organizations and leaders willing to share their frustrations with filling jobs. Identifying talent and hiring are probably the biggest issues businesses are facing these days. And it seems widespread, not restricted to one or two sectors.
And now we have some numbers that support the feeling of frustration and identify which industries are facing the steepest climb in securing personnel.
StatsCan has updated its payroll and vacancy numbers. The latest are for August. It shows employers are paying workers more money and there are nearly 30,000 more people with a job than a year earlier. But even higher wages are not enough to fill the gaps in payroll numbers.
There were 20,000 vacant jobs in Saskatchewan in August – about 4 per cent of the overall workforce.
Source: Martin Charlton Communications
This week, 18 chambers of commerce in Saskatchewan and several businesses began distributing rapid tests for individuals across the province.
“The response has been amazing. In Swift Current, they ran out of kits within 45 minutes and people are thrilled to finally have access to these important tools to aid in the fight against COVID-19. […] People have been expressing how appreciative they are to have access,” said Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
The 18 local chambers of commerce and the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce will be distributing rapid tests over the next few weeks as supply and demand require. Additionally, 10 Canalta Hotels and the Market Mall in Saskatoon have also agreed to distribute kits.
Rapid tests will be given to households to help curb infection. The chambers are providing the distribution service at no cost to the province or residents and have based their current hours on anticipated supplies.
Hours may change in upcoming weeks depending on test availability. Chambers are only one avenue the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Health Authority are using to distribute the tests, with other community agencies stepping in to help across the province.
For more information on distribution hours and locations, visit: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/testing-information/rapid-testing
On March 1, 2022, The Builders’ Lien (Prompt Payment) Amendment Act, 2019 will be proclaimed into force.
“This government is committed to supporting the construction industry,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant. “These changes will ensure the prompt payment of contractors and subcontractors and will enable parties to resolve issues quickly and without added costs – which in turn will help projects move forward without delays.”
This new provincial legislation will protect and define the rights and obligations of owners, developers, contractors and subcontractors by establishing reasonable payment timelines for construction projects and introducing an interim adjudication process as an alternative to arbitration and litigation.
The payment timelines will mandate that owners and developers provide payment within 28 days of receiving a proper invoice for construction services. Contractors will have seven days to provide payment to subcontractors after receiving a payment from the owner or developer.
The new adjudication process under the Act will enable parties to seek interim resolution for disputed payments. It will be overseen by the Saskatchewan Construction Dispute Resolution Office (SCDRO), a not-for-profit corporation designated by the Minister to act as the official Adjudication Authority. The SCDRO will work with the ADR Institute of Saskatchewan Inc. to provide trained, independent adjudicators for disputes under the process.
These changes are similar to amendments recently introduced in several other Canadian jurisdictions, such as Ontario and Nova Scotia.
SHCA member Brandt Tractor Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brandt Group of Companies, recently announced its successful acquisition of Cervus Equipment Corp., following a 97.66 per cent endorsement for the deal in an Oct. 12, 2021 vote by Cervus shareholders. The transaction sees publicly traded Cervus transition to 100 per cent private ownership in an all-cash deal.
The landmark transaction creates Canada’s largest-ever equipment dealer network, adding 64 agriculture, transportation and material handling equipment locations to Brandt’s existing John Deere Construction & Forestry dealerships across Canada. When fully integrated, it will give Cervus’ customers access to Brandt’s extensive national parts and technical support infrastructure.
The purchase further establishes the firm’s position as a premier privately held Canadian company and the largest John Deere dealership in the world.
“The addition of Cervus’ branch network is a big win for customers in all of the affected markets,” said Brandt owner and CEO, Shaun Semple. “We’ve got a lot to offer and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and earn the loyalty of our new customers through a combination of premium products and services and a consistent, high-quality customer support experience.”
With the acquisition of the Cervus locations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Brandt now owns and operates 120 full-service equipment dealerships with an additional 50 service points and employs over 5,100 people.
The transaction will make a significant impact across the industry as the company rolls out plans to introduce expanded parts inventories, service department capacities and extended hours of operation at the former Cervus dealerships. As operations are integrated, staffing in these locations is expected to increase by up to 40 per cent with significant new facility construction across the entire network.
“Cervus staff, customers and their communities will all benefit from this acquisition through a stronger, more diversified network of support dealerships,” concludes Semple. “Brandt is fully committed to ongoing investment in business infrastructure and community enhancement; there is tremendous opportunity for everyone in this deal.”
The transaction officially closed on Oct. 22, 2021.
There is a saying that anything worth having is worth the wait.
That’s definitely true of the SHCA Convention. You might have recently noticed receiving postcards with new spring dates for that event.
The new dates for the SHCA Convention are set for April 7–8, 2022. The convention will be held at the same place – the Delta Bessborough Hotel and Convention Center in Saskatoon – and the same speakers will be ready to present. I am also grateful our sponsors have agreed to carry forward their sponsorships into next year.
Since this event is being held in the spring, which is when SHCA’s annual general meeting is typically held, these two events will be combined. The AGM will be added to the agenda that will see us spending two full days discussing our industry, the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association and you, its members.
We will hear from two wonderful speakers – Darci Lang and retired Colonel Mark Gasparotto – during the convention.
Darci has discovered a solution to help each of us do our jobs, connect with the people who matter most and live our lives to the fullest. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, a professional speaker, a bestselling author, a blogger, a wife and a mom. She brings her message of “Focus on the 90%” to help others find the positives at work, rise above adversity and triumph in their lives.
Then there is Mark, who provides leadership solutions inspired by his two decades of military service. Mark is highly decorated, serving in key leadership roles in international hotspots such as Bosnia, Afghanistan and Haiti, doing everything from commanding small tactical units, to overseeing large, multinational peacekeeping operations.
Mark is passionate about self-reflection and personal development. He emphasizes results, teamwork and effective communications, which is how he was able to elevate to the upper ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces.
As always, the convention will wrap up with the Chairman’s Banquet. New at this convention is that the capacity for this event is set at a maximum of 300 delegates. That makes registering and booking your room early extra important.
If you had hotel rooms booked for the November dates, there is information on the postcards about what to do about rescheduling those dates. If you are still thinking about booking rooms and attending, I would encourage you to consider all that this type of event has to offer.
Events such as this convention allow us to gather, which helps each of us to reconnect to learn from one another and to share our experiences so we can recognize our successes and opportunities. It is also how we can determine where improvements are needed and how to address making those improvements. I look forward to all of you gathering in the spring to help develop and strengthen the voice of the association to benefit you, our members and your businesses.
