HAVAN’s “Bringing it Home” campaign is created to inform and engage municipal candidates across Metro Vancouver, and to advocate on behalf of our members. 2022 Municipal Elections With municipal elections being held across BC on October 15, 2022, there is no doubt that housing will be at the top of the list of issues that…

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November 1, 2022 11:00 AM – November 5, 2022 7:00 PM (PDT) Source Real Time Leads. Profile Your Company as an Industry Leader. In response to the industry’s skilled labour shortage, under the support of CHBA BC and presenting sponsor FortisBC, HAVAN’s Women’s Council is launching the inaugural online Residential Construction Career Expo on November…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 20, 2022 KIMBERLEY, B.C. — WorkSafeBC has imposed a massive penalty on GFL Environmental for failure to provide workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) when conducting asbestos abatement work. The Kimberley, B.C. company is being fined $719,488.79, the maximum administrative penalty that can be imposed in 2022,…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 22, 2022 VICTORIA – The Building Builders mentorship program is officially open. The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) program is designed to connect unemployed and underemployed workers in British Columbia with experienced mentors across all disciplines of the provincial construction industry. “If you don’t have the right…

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Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | September 26, 2022 A new construction and demolition bylaw is coming into effect in Burnaby, B.C., this fall which is aimed at encouraging builders and developers to divert discarded materials from landfills to recycling facilities. Contractors who carry out demolitions will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee…

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Construction workers account for a disproportionate number of overdose deaths. Through the pandemic, the opioid crisis has further worsened. The Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) is a union and employer funded organization dedicated to providing treatment for substance use and related mental health issues. CIRP is in the process of assessing how to best meet…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 8, 2022 VICTORIA — The Fenestration Association of British Columbia (FenBC) is a Canadian region of the Fenestration and Glazing Industry alliance (FGIA) as of Sept. 1. The boards of both organizations approved the creation of FGIA’s first Canadian region by integrating FenBC as the newly formed…

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Richmond News | Alan Campbell | September 15, 2022 WorkSafeBC fined the firm $57,282.25 after one of its employees caused a gas main leak while working on two high-rises A construction firm has been fined more than $57,000 after one of its excavators struck a gas main while working on two high-rises in Richmond. WorkSafeBC…

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Journal of Commerce | Sponsored by WorkSafeBC | September 14, 2022 Keep at least 10 feet (three metres) away from high-voltage power lines and conductors. If you work around high voltage equipment you need to be aware of the safe distance (limits of approach) to stay away from it. This safe distance applies to workers, machines,…

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BC Housing is offering a two-part series webinar entitled Building Smart: The Economics of Building with Mass Timber – Part One and Two on October 4 and 18, 2022. What are the costs to build a 7-12 storey multi-family building with mass timber in BC? How will these buildings meet BC Energy Step Code requirements? Join us online for the answers…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | September 7, 2022 TORONTO — Those working in construction may be at higher risk for mental illness and suicide, but there are ample tools and resources available to help. Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. The Daily Commercial News has put together a list of tools and…

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Journal of Commerce | Angela Gismondi | September 7, 2022 Sept. 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, with the month also being dedicated to suicide prevention. In anticipation of the day, the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce reached out to those directly impacted by suicide as well as stakeholders who are trying to make the…

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Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | September 7, 2022 Slips, trips and falls from heights often top the list when safety issues on construction jobsites are discussed – and rightly so – but the mental health of workers is another less visible threat that’s just as important. Alarmingly, work-related stress, depression and anxiety are the…

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Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | August 31, 2022 A new caveat puts the onus on employers to inform their workers of previous refusals of unsafe work. WorkSafeBC’s safety regulator recently amended its Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) and now requires employers to inform workers of previous work refusals before reassigning a task. Prior…

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August 25, 2022 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: Penetrating wound Core Activity: Steel frame erection or structural repair of steel frames Location: Lower Mainland Date of Incident: 2022-Aug A…

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Journal of Commerce | DCN-JOC News Services | August 23, 2022 VANCOUVER – WorkSafeBC has made amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) as of Aug. 22 to strengthen worker protections regarding their right to refuse unsafe work. “All workers in British Columbia have the right to refuse work where there is reasonable cause…

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A $35 tracking device helped a Calgary contractor find $13,000 worth of stolen construction material earlier this month. After having a full siding package and a trim package ripped off from residential building sites in the northeast neighbourhood of Cornerstone, the owner of Pierrefect Contracting spent $130 for a four-pack of Apple AirTags. “A lot…

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A new section, 3.12.1 – Reassignment of refused work, has been added to the regulations relating to section 3.12, Refusal of Unsafe Work. The purpose of these amendments is to enhance worker safety and promote increased worker engagement by: Introducing new requirements for an employer to provide written notice of an unresolved work refusal to any worker who…

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Stakeholder feedback received by the Board of Directors informed its decision-making on the policy changes, and is now available to view on the WorkSafeBC website. Determining Workplace Status The Board of Directors approved amendments to policy on determining workplace status to align policy with the Workers Compensation Act and the common law, and to reflect the changing…

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Journal of Commerce | Jon Hogg | August 10, 2022 The current labour shortage issue compounds an already tough economic environment for builders and contractors. But hiring uninsured subcontractors isn’t the way to go, as one accident or mishap involving an uninsured worker can devastate your finances and business. Across Canada, construction firms and general contracting…

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