New licensing, permitting will strengthen WorkSafeBC’s oversight of crane safety Government of BC News Release | Victoria | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 9:25 AM Summary __________ The Province is taking action to strengthen protections for workers and enhance crane safety with legislation enabling a new WorkSafeBC crane licensing and permitting program. “Major nation-building projects are moving…
Read MoreB.C. announces mandatory crane-related licensing after string of fatal accidents
Richmond News | Canadian Press | March 4, 2026 VICTORIA — The British Columbia government says it will make crane-related licensing and permitting mandatory in a bid to increase safety after a string of deadly accidents over the last five years. The announcement comes after a WorkSafeBC report last year on the February 2024 death…
Read MoreIndustry Perspectives Op-Ed: WorkSafeBC crane series Part 3 – The people factor
Journal of Commerce | Todd McDonald | March 4, 2026 Competency and training: More than a credential Crane safety starts with ensuring people have the right skills and knowledge for the work they are assigned. We’ve seen that workers are sometimes assigned crane-related tasks without the instruction, training or supervision needed to perform these tasks safely….
Read MoreProsecution in J. Cote & Son case asking for $1 million fine
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | March 2, 2026 B.C. crown prosecutors signalled a stern warning to the construction industry, calling for a $1 million fine for J. Cote & Son Excavating at a B.C. Supreme Court sentencing hearing Feb. 26 and 27. The hearing follows a December ruling that found the company guilty of criminal negligence…
Read MoreB.C. worker’s muscle, joint injury claims cost more than $2 billion over five years
Richmond News | Canadian Press | Feb 26, 2026 10:41 AM WorkSafeBC is urging employers to assess the risks in their own workplaces to remove or minimize the problem. RICHMOND — British Columbia’s workers’ compensation agency says claims for musculoskeletal injuries — those involving muscles, joints, tendons and nerves — have resulted in more than $2.35…
Read MoreElectrician Cronk appointed WorkSafeBC’s new chair
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | February 24, 2026 VICTORIA — William Laird Cronk has been appointed chair of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors for a three-year term, effective Feb. 26. Cronk succeeds outgoing chair Baltej Dhillon, who began his term in June 2023. “We thank Baltej Dhillon for his invaluable leadership,” said Jennifer Whiteside,…
Read MoreB.C.’s 2026 budget a ‘mess’ and is ‘awful for construction,’ says ICBA’s Bateman
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | February 20, 2026 When NDP Finance Minister Brenda Bailey’s 2026 budget speech announced the government was re-pacing several large and planned capital expenditures, it plunged billions of dollars in projects into a freefall with no delivery timeline. The largest of these was phase two of the Burnaby Hospital Redevelopment,…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC welcomes newly appointed board chair – William Laird Cronk
Strengthening WorkSafeBC’s focus on workplace injury prevention News Release | Victoria | February 19, 2026 Summary __________ William Laird Cronk has been appointed chair of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors for a three-year term, effective Feb. 26, 2026. He brings extensive labour, trades and governance experience to the leadership of B.C.’s workers’ compensation system. “We thank Baltej…
Read MoreB.C. budget delays care homes, hospital and cancer facility, student housing
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | February 18, 2026 VICTORIA — British Columbia’s budget is hurting the young, the old and cancer patients alike as government construction undergoes what the government says is a “re-pacing” to address fiscal pressures. There are delays to seven long-term care projects from Abbotsford to Fort St. John, as…
Read MoreBudget secures B.C.’s future, protects critical services
Victoria | Government of BC Press Release | February 17, 2026 B.C. makes disciplined spending choices while growing the economy Summary __________ In a world of ongoing and heightened economic uncertainty, Budget 2026 makes careful choices to protect what matters most to British Columbians through investments to protect services, such as health care, education and…
Read MoreBC’s Construction Industry Ready to Deliver as Budget 2026 Bets Big on Infrastructure Investment
BCCA | February 17, 2026| BCCA’s official response to BC Budget 2026 https://bccassn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BCCA-BC-Budget-Response_Feb17_2026_FINAL.pdf VICTORIA, BC (FEBRUARY 17, 2026) — As British Columbia navigates a challenging fiscal environment, the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) is pleased to see continued commitment to capital spending on critical infrastructure. BC’s construction industry will play a pivotal role in delivering…
Read MoreDebt, Deficits, and a Hidden Construction Tax: ICBA Responds to B.C. Budget
ICBA | February 18, 2026 SURREY – Tax increases, historic deficits, and record debt make Premier David Eby’s 2026/27 B.C. Budget challenging for B.C. construction businesses, says the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA). The provincial budget includes a torrent of red ink: $36.9BN in deficits over three years ($13.3BN in 26/27, $12.2BN in 27/28, and…
Read MoreRob Shaw: Tax hikes, record debt leave no winners in B.C. budget
Business in Vancouver | February 18, 2026 ‘This is a very deep hole and, sadly, I’m not sure how British Columbia gets out of it,’ says GVBOT president It’s quite an accomplishment to produce a provincial budget that nobody likes. But the B.C. government managed to pull it off Tuesday, with its 2026-27 fiscal plan….
Read MoreIndustry Special: The BCCSA’s new Vancouver Island Regional Safety Committee invites construction employers to its first public event in Victoria
Journal of Commerce | An Industry Special | February 4, 2026 The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) has long counted on its Prime Contractors Technical Advisory Committee (PCTAC) and Fire and Flood Restoration Program Technical Advisory Committee (FFRP TAC) to help identify and address health and safety challenges and priorities at the provincial level. Launched in…
Read MoreRecent construction work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
January 27, 2026 Construction incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Burns (1 worker); Smoke inhalation (1 worker) Core Activity: Plumbing, heating, vent, residential air conditioning, or central vacuum system…
Read MoreSending the wrong message: Still no answers after deadly 2021 Kelowna crane collapse
Journal of Commerce | Lindsey Cole | January 28, 2026 This July it will be five years since five young men lost their lives in a tower crane collapse at a development under construction in Kelowna, B.C. While many years have passed, there’s still no word on if and when any criminal charges will be laid…
Read MorePMI Redefining Construction Success Event
The PMI Canadian West Coast Chapter, Programs Team is hosting an upcoming in-person professional development event explicitly tailored for construction professionals, and would be delighted to extend this opportunity to COCA members. Event DetailsTitle: Redefining Construction Success: Applying PMI-CP Principles to Real Projects in 2026 Date & Time: February 4, 5:00–9:00 PMLocation: Uber Lounge at Steamworks Brew Pub,…
Read MoreB.C.’s Economy Stuck as Housing Starts Fall Off a Cliff: ICBA
ICBA | January 21, 2026 SURREY – British Columbia is staring down another difficult year, with ICBA forecasting real GDP will expand by a meagre 1.1% in 2026 – a level that signals an anemic economy and more financial and business pressure on contractors looking for work. The warning comes in the newly released B.C. Construction Monitor, an…
Read More‘Tragic accident’ kills worker at central B.C. gold mine
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | January 26, 2026 QUESNEL, B.C. — Osisko Development Corp. says in a statement a contractor working on the surface at the Cariboo Gold project “suffered a fatal injury following an isolated incident” on Thursday. The company says authorities were notified and an investigation is underway into what is…
Read MoreCompanies fined after worker dies their first day on Nanaimo mixed-use jobsite
Journal of Commerce| DCN-JOC News Services | January 27, 2026 NANAIMO, B.C. – Three companies are facing fines after a young worker was killed when a double-door frame fell on them during their first day on the job. According to a WorkSafeBC report, on Sept. 25, 2024, the worker was alone installing heating, ventilation and air…
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