NEWS BRIEFS
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Opioid addiction problem
plagues BC Construction
Industry Demand for a construction industry
program that offers services and men-
tal health treatment has more than
doubled in the past year, mainly driven
by the fentanyl overdose epidemic and
the organization’s efforts to reach
more workers, The Vancouver Sun has
reported. “It is frightening what is happening
in our industry,” said Vicky Waldron,
executive director of the Construction
Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CRIP).
“One of the reasons we are seeing so
many people coming in is because
they are scared. Fentanyl has a huge
amount to do with it … And it’s just
not showing any signs of slowing
down.” The published report says the exact
number of construction trades work-
ers affected by opioid addiction isn’t
known, though it is a small portion of
the overall population working in the
industry. Still, the challenges are ex-
ceptional. The Fraser Health Authority has said
a “disproportionate number” of those
overdosing in the region are working-
age men employed in the trades.
In just over a year, CIRP has helped
200 clients, Waldron said. She said it
isn’t easy to explain why the construc-
tion industry has been hit so hard, be-
cause the reasons behind addictions
are often complex.
One reason could be the fact that
the mostly male members of the in-
dustry are reluctant to discuss their
health or other concerns, the newspa-
per reported. Other factors assessed
include co-curing mental health is-
sues, early childhood trauma, and
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
“I can really see what is going on in
the construction industry isn’t dissimi-
lar to what is happening in (Vancou-
ver’s) Downtown Eastside,” Waldron
was quoted as saying. “These are peo-
ple who are really struggling and trying
to cope.”
CIRP is funded by the Construction
32 – Winter 2018 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
CONSTRUCTION ACROSS CANADA
Labour Relations Association, repre-
senting employers and contractors,
and the Building Trades Council, an
umbrella organization representing 17
construction unions with 35,000 mem-
bers. Lantern-inspired condo
building to rise in
Vancouver’s Chinatown
To contribute to Chinatown’s neigh-
bourhood identity, the designers of a
mixed-use development set to rise at
239 Keefer in Vancouver have de-
signed a structure that resembles a
Chinese lantern.
Based on the development applica-
tion submitted to the city by Mallen
Gowing Berzins Architecture, the
building will feature eight levels. The
ground floor and mezzanine will house
retail spaces, while the second and
third will house office spaces. The re-
maining levels have been designed for
residential use, delivering a total of 25
condo units.
According to the architect, it recog-
nizes that “the challenges of develop-
ment in Chinatown have been
increasingly evident.” Therefore, its
team came up with a “design lan-
guage” that “looks to the existing ar-
chitectural stock and fabric of
Chinatown, incorporating precedents
of materiality and existing design lan-
guage without being merely deriva-
tive.” In a design rationale included in the
development application, the architect
wrote that “community sensitivities to-
wards development formed the pri-
mary driver to the approach of this site
renewal project.”
ALBERTA TransAlta and Tidewater
announce plans to
construct 120-kilometre
natural gas pipeline
Clean electricity provider TransAlta
Corporation and natural gas company
Tidewater Midstream and Infrastruc-
ture Ltd. have announced they have
entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) for
Tidewater to build a natural gas
pipeline extending for 120 kilometres
from its Brazeau River Complex to
TransAlta’s generators at Sundance
and Keephills.
This pipeline is a part of TransAlta’s
strategy to use natural gas instead of
coal to power its units at Sundance
and Keephills. This conversion will ex-
tend operating life, cut operating costs
and reduce emissions.
The pipeline’s initial capacity is ex-
pected to be at 130 MMcf/d by 2020,
with an expansion capability of 340
MMcf/d. The latter figure represents
about 50 per cent of TransAlta’s gas
demands when running at full capac-
ity. In the LOI, the company has the op-
tion to invest up to 50 per cent in the
pipeline. “Construction of the natural gas
pipeline supports our strategy of being
a low-cost provider of firm, clean and
reliable energy,” said TransAlta CEO
and president Dawn Farrell.
“In addition, having greater access
to natural gas allows TransAlta to
blend natural gas with the coal, prior
to fully converting the units, allowing
us to take advantage of low natural
gas prices and to reduce our carbon
costs,” Farrell said.
“Tidewater is excited to enter into a
long-term arrangement with TransAlta
which is supported by a 15-year take
or pay agreement that provides oil and
gas producers throughout Western
Canada with direct connectivity to a
new large demand source,” said Tide-
water CEO and president Joel
MacLeod. New Calgary library on
Architectural Digest’s list of
the 12 most anticipated
buildings of 2018
The $245-million Central Library in
Calgary’s East Village has received in-
ternational recognition by Architectural
Digest as one of the 12 most antici-
pated buildings of 2018. The building
is the only Canadian project in the list,
which includes landmarks from sev-
eral other nations.
The structure due to be completed
later this year includes 30 free meeting
rooms, a 350-seat performance hall,
an Early Learning Centre for children
and a space just for teens with video,
music and gaming stations, CBC re-
ports. part of the dispute resolution process
within the New West Partnership
agreement designed to ensure free in-
terprovincial trade in the four western
provinces. The Herald reports that Alberta and
Saskatchewan have been sniping at
each other for a couple of years.
“Alberta poked Saskatchewan’s
craft beer industry in the eye by pro-
viding grants to local brewers — sub-
sidies that weren’t available to other
competitors in Canada,” the Herald re-
ported. “But the tit-for-tat tactics
turned into a full-scale feud.”
“Saskatchewan Infrastructure Min-
ister David Marit banned Alberta li-
cence plates on government-funded
project work sites, citing feedback
from provincial contractors who felt
their vehicles weren’t welcome on Al-
berta job sites and they were blocked
from bidding on Alberta contracts,”
the newspaper reported. However, the
Herald also reported that no one could
offer any tangible examples or proof of
discriminatory tactics.
MANITOBA Winnipeg budget 2018:
Larger funding for road
renewals, tighter for overall
infrastructure development
International architecture firm
Snøhetta and DIALOG have jointly
designed the building.
ALBERTA-SASKATCHEWAN Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman has
unveiled a $1.08 billion city budget
that increases spending on road re-
newals, while slashing overall funding
for infrastructure development.
Interprovincial license plate
trade war breaks out
An interprovincial trade war has bro-
ken out over contractor’s license
plates, as the Saskatchewan govern-
ment decided to ban vehicles with Al-
berta plates from working on public
job sites there.
The two sides indicated in mid-De-
cember they would meet in Lloydmin-
ster, a city which straddles the two
provinces, sometime in January 2018
to discuss their differences, the Cal-
gary Herald has reported.
Alberta says if it doesn’t get a reso-
lution by Jan. 22, the matter will be
headed to a binding arbitration panel,
The city plans to spend a record
$116 million on rebuilding roads on a
single project, the rehabilitation of Em-
press St. between St. Matthews Ave.
and Portage Ave.
The proposed amount reflects an
$11-million increase from 2017’s
spending. It will be sourced from a
property tax hike proposed for 2018.
Additionally, the reduced allocation for
overall infrastructure spending also al-
lows the city to rein in spending for
road renewals.
The tax-supported portion of the
city’s budget, which is used to pay for
new roads and bridges, major repairs
and equipment purchases, will drop by
$74 million. In 2018, Winnipeg plans to
spend only $246 million.
Moreover, the amount of actual
cash the city plans to appropriate to
overall infrastructure spending is down
from 2017’s budget of $31 million, to
$23 million.
This is the second consecutive year
the city has reduced its proposed in-
frastructure funding, which has been
down by about a third since 2016. This
dramatic dip is taking place when bor-
rowing costs are low, and according to
city finance officials, it presents a fu-
ture risk as borrowing costs are ex-
pected to increase.
The new city budget elicited mixed
reactions from different sectors. Ac-
cording to CBC News, Winnipeg
Chamber of Commerce president
Loren Remillard commended the city
for reining in spending, while Mani-
toba Heavy Construction Association
president Chris Lorenc said he ap-
proves of the spending for road reha-
bilitation. Manitoba Throne Speech
highlights infrastructure
investments and
implementation of
Made-in-Manitoba plan
In the Throne Speech presented
Nov. 30, the Manitoba provincial gov-
ernment reiterated its commitment to
invest in “strategic” infrastructure de-
velopments, and its intention to study
public-private partnerships (P3s) as op-
tions for construction of school pro-
jects. “Our ongoing commitment to mak-
ing strategic infrastructure invest-
ments on the basis of real value for
money, as we continue to make
progress on inherited fiscal chal-
lenges, will continue,” stated Premier
Brian Pallister in the speech delivered
by Lt. Gov. Janice Filmon.
The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Winter 2018 – 33