Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | March 3, 2021 VANCOUVER, B.C — Fiona Famulak, who previously led the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, has been appointed president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce. “I have enormous respect for the BC Chamber of Commerce and am honoured and excited to lead the organization at…
Read MoreWorkSafe BC Public Hearings this Wednesday
This is just a quick reminder about this week’s WorkSafe BC public hearings. They are being held this Wednesday, March 3rd from 11am to 1pm and then from 3 to 5pm. The actual submission deadline is Friday March 12th. Please note a maximum of 10 minutes will be allotted to each person or organization per regulatory…
Read MoreLetter to the Editor: Article feedback on, ‘Unsecured material claims industry veteran’s life, raises questions about site safety.’
Journal of Commerce | Dave Baspaly | February 18, 2021 To the Editor, On Feb. 5, 2021, the Journal of Commerce (JOC) ran an article entitled, “Unsecured material claims industry veteran’s life, raises questions about site safety.” The Council of Construction Associations is deeply saddened by the tragic death of John Scheeren. Unfortunately, this article inaccurately…
Read MoreB.C. construction safety officials explain how to be prepared for a pandemic
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | February 17, 2021 It has been over a year since the coronavirus reared its ugly head in Canada. Judging from the uneven success of combatting the spread of the disease in many jurisdictions here and in the rest of the world, and considering the infrequency of pandemics, one could…
Read MoreThird wave of asbestos-related deaths looms as NDP at a standstill on taking action
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | February 15, 2021 As Canada’s third wave of asbestos-related deaths looms, B.C.’s government appears to be no closer to implementing the sweeping changes outlined in its December 2018 report on the asbestos industry, including licensing and standardized training. “This is not controversial,” said Neil Munro, business manager for the…
Read MoreB.C. program funds in-demand career training
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | February 9, 2021 VICTORIA — B.C. officials have unveiled a new Skills Training for Economic Recovery program that includes training for industrial projects in the north. The project is designed to train those heavily impacted by COVID-19 for in-demand jobs. “As the Labour Force Survey has shown us,…
Read MoreIndustry Perspectives Op-Ed: LMS is an apprenticeship powerhouse, to be celebrated during Apprenticeship Week
Journal of Commerce | Chris Gardner | February 8, 2021 When it comes to trades apprenticeships in British Columbia, it is the open shop that is leading the way, sponsoring 82 per cent of all the apprentices in this province, according to the Industry Training Authority (ITA). The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) is the…
Read MoreWebinar series provides mental health tips for B.C. first responders, construction safety staff
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | February 10, 2021 Construction safety staff will be among the attendees of the 2021 BC First Responder Mental Health Speaker Series conference, which is taking place in webinar format until the middle of March. “A safety officer will encounter incidents that are anywhere from just a Band-Aid to a…
Read MoreAfro-Canadian Contractors kick off Black History Month
Journal of Commerce | Don Wall | February 2, 2021 Canada’s new Afro-Canadian Contractors Association celebrated its launch the first day of Black History Month with its first president acknowledging that the ACCA has assigned itself multiple challenging mandates. “We started talking about this organization three years ago, and we’ve had lots of meetings, but COVID…
Read MoreNew WorkSafeBC Board Member
Lorna Ann Pawluk has been appointed as a director of the Workers’ Compensation Board, representative of employers, for a term ending December 1, 2023. See the Order in Council. Congratulations Lorna!
Unsecured material claims industry veteran’s life, raises questions about site safety
Journal of Commerce | Shannon Moneo | February 5, 2021 On Nov. 30, 2020 John Scheeren, a superintendent with Campbell Construction, was responding to a call that unsecured material was being blown off a 20-storey building under construction in downtown Victoria. While standing on the sidewalk, where bundled insulation had fallen, more insulation fell on Scheeren…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC finds more than 1,600 violations of COVID-19 safety plans
Agency has completed more than 21,000 scheduled and spontaneous work site inspections as of Jan. 22 CBC News · Posted: Jan 31, 2021 Inspectors with WorkSafe BC have now found more than 1,600 violations of COVID-19 health and safety plans in workplaces across the province, according to the agency. The numbers spiked in December, with 392 violations…
Read MoreVRCA board and president agree to part ways
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | February 1, 2021 VANCOUVER, B.C. – Fiona Famulak and the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) are parting ways. Famulak has served as the group’s president since 2013. In a statement to VRCA members, it was announced that after recent discussions, the group’s board of directors and Famulak agreed…
Read MoreVaccine found 92% effective in Israel, in first controlled result outside trials
Times of Isreal | By NATHAN JEFFAY | 28 January 2021, Only 31 out of 163,000 fully vaccinated Maccabi members caught virus, indicating Pfizer shots living up to expectations; expert: Results ‘well within expected standard deviation’ Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is showing 92 percent effectiveness in Israel, according to the world’s first big controlled investigation on how it…
Read MoreVaccinated People Are Going to Hug Each Other
The vaccines are phenomenal. Belaboring their imperfections—and telling people who receive them never to let down their guard—carries its own risks. JANUARY 27, 2021 | Julia Marcus | The Atlantic When Americans began receiving coronavirus vaccines last month, people started fantasizing about the first thing they’d do when the pandemic ends: go back to work, visit family,…
Read MorePrivate sector and unions filling B.C. void in asbestos training
Journal of Commerce | Jean Sorensen | January 29, 2021 Unions, training institutes and private companies in B.C. are stepping in to fill the void created by the lack of any provincial sanctioned training programs for those that work in the asbestos abatement industry as companies are required to meet WorkSafeBC standards and qualifications. “We are…
Read MoreHas technology and innovation in construction made sites safer?
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | January 29, 2021 Everyone in construction knows that digital communication devices, and machinery that uses digital technology, are being used more and more in the industry. It’s also old news that they are affecting, directly and indirectly, the way buildings are designed and constructed. Often overlooked, however, is that…
Read MoreMandatory COVID-19 vaccination a prickly subject
Journal of Commerce | Shannon Moneo | January 29, 2021 With at least two COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada, debate about whether employers can force employees to get a needle could become a prickly topic. Unlike health-care workers, construction industry employees work in a far different environment, a factor that will likely influence decisions…
Read MoreB.C. construction workers face complex COVID-19 risks
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | January 29, 2021 An economic model created by the University of British Columbia (UBC) says construction workers face an additional risk of contracting the coronavirus because of who they live with. According to the Vancouver School of Economics COVID Risk/Reward Assessment Tool (RRAT), construction workers, along with couriers and…
Read MoreBCICA is looking for an Executive Director
BC Insulation Contractors Association is looking for an Executive Director. As the principal salaried executive officer of the BCICA, the Executive Director serves as the primary liaison for the Association with all external partners. The Executive Director is responsible for the effective operation of the Association and for providing oversight of the administrative functions of…
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