On behalf of the Rise Memorial Foundation, we are sharing a major memorial project that is anticipated to start construction in March 2025 in Kelowna, BC. The project’s name is RISE Memorial and it is a proposed commemorative garden space indowntown Kelowna in remembrance of the five young men (Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, Brad Zawislak, Eric…
Read MoreB.C.’s Baltej Dhillon among 3 new senators announced by Justin Trudeau
Vancouver Sun | Feb 07, 2025 | Canadian Press Dhillon has worked with B.C.’s anti-gang agency since 2019 and, in 1991, became the first RCMP officer to wear a turban. OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the appointment of three new independent senators to fill some of the Senate’s few remaining vacancies. The…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
WorkSafeBC | January 31, 2025 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 Core Activity: Plumbing, heating, vent, residential air conditioning, or central vacuum system installation or repair /…
Read MoreCCOHS unveils free mental health toolkit
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | January 30, 2025 HAMILTON, ONT. — The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has released a free Workplace Mental Health Toolkit for Canadian organizations. “The online toolkit aims to empower business owners, managers and supervisors to build a workplace culture where employees feel safe, respected, and valued,” a…
Read MoreBCCWITT News and Events
On behalf of BC Construction Women in the Trades | January BCCWITT’s ConnectHER: Journey to Success for Women Apprentices in BC We have a new initiative to support women apprentices in BC, and we need your support! Our ConnectHER program provides fully funded training, mentorship and community to help women apprentices in BC complete their apprenticeship…
Read MoreCCA, MCAC ask for carveout from retaliatory tariffs
Journal of Commerce | Don Wall | January 29, 2025 Key construction stakeholders are urging the federal government to exclude construction-related products and materials from any retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. imports into Canada if the Donald Trump administration goes ahead with its threatened tariffs on Feb. 1. A coalition of four associations sent a letter…
Read MoreTwo companies fined after worker seriously injured at residential construction site
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | January 28, 2025 CALGARY, ALTA. — Two construction companies have been fined $168,000 each in relation to a serious workplace injury that occurred in 2023. Ihawk Construction Ltd., as an employer, pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker under…
Read MoreNew first aid regulations roll out across B.C.
WorkSafeBC The new first aid regulations have significantly changed the way many employers manage their first aid programs. Find out what actions three B.C. employers took to align with the changes that came into effect on November 1. Read More!
Burnaby foreman and his employer face criminal trial after 2012 workplace death
The charges are possible under the rarely used law passed in 2004 to establish criminal liability of corporations for workplace deaths and injuries. It’s called the Westray law Vancouver Sun | Jan 20, 2025 | By Susan Lazaruk More than 12 years after a pipe layer was crushed to death by a collapsing trench wall on…
Read MoreMinister of Labour Receives Mandate Letter
Our new Minister of Labour, the Honourable Jennifer Whiteside, received a Mandate Letter from the Premier. With respect to COCA’s focus, the Premier highlighted the following priorities: The full mandate letter can be found here.
Trudeau prorogues Parliament, will step down as prime minister after leadership race
Journal of Commerce | The Canadian Press | January 6, 2025 OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau said he will resign as prime minister and leader of the Liberal party following a leadership contest, after months of growing calls from within the Liberal caucus that he step down for the good of his party. A teary-eyed Trudeau told…
Read MoreIndustry Special: Mining actionable safety insights from big data
Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | January 6, 2025 If you could stop potential construction safety incidents before they happened, you’d do anything you could to prevent them. While we don’t have anything approaching a device that can look into the future, the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) is leveraging the next-best thing — a…
Read MoreWorkSafeBC’s premium rate remains unchanged in 2025
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | January 3, 2025 RICHMOND, B.C. — WorkSafeBC is reporting B.C. employers will see no change to the average base premium rate in 2025. For the eighth consecutive year, WorkSafeBC has set the average base rate at 1.55 per cent of assessable payroll (or $1.55 per $100 of payroll),…
Read MoreBCCWITT News and Events
On behalf of BC Centre for Women in the Trades Sign up TODAY: ConnectHER Journey to Success for Women Apprentices In collaboration with the national ConnectHER program, BCCWITT is looking for tradeswomen in British Columbia to join our Journey to Success for Women Apprenticesprogram: Connect with mentors, peers, and training, and gain skills to advance your…
Read MoreSpecial to the JOC: 2025 road safety resolutions for small business owners
Journal of Commerce | Road Safety at Work | January 2, 2025 Do your company’s New Year’s resolutions include a commitment to road safety? They should if your employees do any work-related driving, from picking up office supplies to making sales calls to travelling between jobsites. You’ve got legal responsibilities for employees who drive full time,…
Read MoreBoard of Directors approves amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
At its November 2024 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These amendments will become effective on March 31, 2025. Strikethrough versions of the amendments with explanatory notes can be accessed below. Deletions in the regulatory amendments are identified with a strikethrough and additions are in bold text and highlighted in yellow. The…
Read MoreHoliday Wishes from COCA
As 2024 comes to a close, we want to thank you, our members, partners and stakeholders, for your unwavering support this year—it’s been a pleasure working with each and every one of you to keep BC workers safe and employer perspectives top of mind for WorkSafeBC and the Provincial Government. We wish you and your…
Read MoreSharon Giffen appointed to WorkSafeBC’s board of directors
Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | December 20, 2024 VICTORIA — A new director has been selected for appointment to WorkSafeBC’s governance board. Effective Dec. 31, Sharon Giffen, who is an actuary, will be appointed as a director of the Workers’ Compensation Board for a term ending Dec. 31, 2027. Giffen replaces Donald Smith,…
Read MorePremier’s statement on agreement with BC Greens
Office of the Premier | December 13, 2024 VICTORIA – Premier David Eby has released the following statement about an agreement with the BC Greens: “British Columbians expect us to work collaboratively to deliver on the most important issues people are facing. “I’m pleased to share that the government and BC Greens have reached an agreement…
Read MoreIndustry Special: Timely new construction resources aim to reverse a rising tide of musculoskeletal injuries
Journal of Commerce | ConstructConnect™ Media | December 16, 2024 The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) recently uploaded a series of 11 short videos — Essential Stretches for Construction Workers — to YouTube. The simple exercises, which take no more than about a minute each to complete, represent only a small part of a collection of new resources…
Read More