dard, which is recognized as the inter- national mark of excellence for green buildings. Pre-construction work is to be com- pleted by July 1, including bringing util- ities to the site and construction of a temporary construction road. The gov- ernment had earlier committed $129 million for site preparation and to start construction. Plenary Health earlier won the con- tract from SaskBuilds. MANITOBA CSC Conference in Winnipeg May 27 to 31. The annual Construction Specifica- tions Canada (CSC) conference has been scheduled in Winnipeg from May 27 to 31. CSC represents an interdisciplinary group of architects, engineers, build- ing product and technology represen- tatives, and other professionals concerned with the specifications process. For more information, see http://csc-dcc.ca/Conferences. Red River College awarded $1.75 for building envelope research Red River College has been awarded $1.75 million over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engi- neering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to establish the Centre for Building Envelope Performance (CBEP) at the Notre Dame Campus in Win- nipeg, the college has announced. CBEP is expected to significantly in- crease access to the college’s facili- ties, equipment, and expertise for Manitoba’s building industry, espe- cially small and medium-sized enter- prises whose products and services directly impact a building’s envelope. “This grant will provide a meaning- ful enhancement to our ability to serve Manitoba’s construction sector with advanced graduates and professional training, as well as fostering innovation in a critical component of building de- sign and construction,” said David Rew, interim president and CEO of Red River College. CBEP will be operated under Red River College’s School of Construction and Engineering Technologies, and will leverage the Centre for Applied Re- search in Sustainable Infrastructure as well as a previous $2.3-million five-year grant to conduct applied research on improving the energy performance of commercial buildings. ONTARIO PCL wins OGCA's best project recognition in OGCA's Ontario Builder Awards PCL Constructors Canada Inc.’s Toronto Pan Am Aquatics Centre has been named the best project built in Ontario for 2015 by the Ontario Gen- eral Contractors Association (OGCA). The OGCA’s Ontario Builder Awards, presented at the OGCA's Con- struction Symposium at Blue Moun- tain in April, showcases members’ recent and best projects, declaring one winner in each of six categories according to construction volume (from $5 million to more than $300 mil- lion). This year’s ceremony contained an element of surprise, as the associ- ation decided to choose an overall ‘Best of the Best’ project from amongst the winners. “It is an honour for PCL to receive OGCA’s inaugural distinction of the Best Project Built in Ontario for this legacy facility,” said PCL executive vice-president Chris Gower. “As one of the largest buildings constructed for the 2015 Pan Am/Para Pan Am Games, the project was achieved on time and on budget thanks to the power of in- novation and the collaborative relation- ships built between our team and multiple partners and stakeholders.” With a construction value of $160 million, the world-class facility is the largest new-build sports facility for the Pan Am Games and is considered the largest investment in Canadian ama- teur sport history. At 312,000 sq. ft., it includes seating for 8,000 spectators, two internationally sanctioned 10-lane 50-metre pools, a 5 m. deep diving tank, a four-court gymnasium, an in- door walking/running track, a climbing wall, conditioning rooms, a high per- formance testing centre, studio spaces, and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. Earlier this year, PCL accepted the Best of the Best Large Project Achievement Award by the Toronto Construction Association for the proj- ect, which was also recently certified LEED Gold by the Canada Green Build- ing Council. As design-builder, PCL worked closely with consultants, trade partners, sponsors and owners to complete the project in July, 2014 fol- lowing an aggressive 24-month sched- ule, enabling the facility to begin operations and complete testing events one year before the games. Bruce Reynolds begins Ontario Construction Lien Act review Bruce Reynolds has started his On- tario's Construction Lien Act (CLA) re- view as he prepares to consult with stakeholders sharing some common perceptions but with significant differ- ences about how the industry's pay- ment challenges should be resoled. The provincial government ap- pointed the Borden Ladner Gervais lawyer with colleague Sharon Vogel in February to conduct the CLA review after a failed attempt last year by asso- ciations representing sub trades to push through prompt payment legisla- tion, largely because of objections by several owners and the OGCA. Speaking at a special session within the OGCA Construction Symposium on April 10, Reynolds said the “expert review” will need to cover some “core issues which are very contentious” as he explores ways to modernize the four-decade-old CLA. “Where once you consider chang- ing the status quo, somebody is going The Canadian Design and Construction Report — April-May 2015 – 15