NEWS BRIEFS Advanced construction technolo- gies and modern mass timber prod- ucts are making building tall with wood a viable option that is gaining traction and appeal from design and construction communities who face growing pressures to reduce the car- bon footprint of buildings. Wood prod- uct based construction remains a great solution to these challenges as it is a renewable building material, origi- nating from sustainably managed forests in Canada. Poor economy drags Quebec construction workers’ vacation pay A poor economy is dragging the construction industry down with it and is being blamed for another decline in the annual vacation pay for construc- tion workers, says the Commission de la construction du Québec, the Mon- treal Gazette has reported. The CCQ (Commission de la con- struction de Quebec) reported that va- cation pay is down three per cent compared to figures for last year, mak- ing it the third annual decline. Approximately 147,000 vacation pay cheques have been issued for a total of approximately $364 million. The two-week construction holiday this year runs from July 24 to Aug. 6. NEW BRUNSWICK Construction has started on Irving Oil Ltd.’s new 11-storey headquarters in uptown Saint John The start came a little over a month after Saint John Council pushed through the changes to the city’s Her- itage Development bylaw, CBC re- ports. Irving Oil president Ian Whitcomb said in a news release that the new home office project was an invest- ment in the community and people. “As our company continues to grow in a very competitive industry, it be- comes more and more important for our people to be able to work together in a modern and collaborative work en- vironment.” CONSTRUCTION ACROSS CANADA The changes came after neighbour- ing property owner Jim Bezanson ap- pealed the company’s plans to the province’s assessment and planning appeal board in early April. The Saint John heritage architect and contractor took issue with the building’s height and its positioning, which didn’t comply with the city’s heritage conservation area bylaws. Despite it being too tall and too far back from the sidewalk, the city’s Her- itage Development Board approved the plans for the company’s headquar- ters. The exemption was given, in part, because the board felt the plans fit the King’s Square location where it would be built. Following the launch of the appeal, Saint John city council fast tracked the change to the bylaw after city resi- dents and businesses rallied to sup- port the Irving project. After a three-week process, council passed the changes on May 2. The new building will bring 1,000 employees under one roof. Toronto based B + H Architects and landscape architect Alex Novell designed the project. Irving Oil would not disclose its costs, and none of the published material outlines if the com- pany has selected a general contractor or is building it with its own resources. Irving executive vice president Sarah Irving said the support from the community “has meant a lot to every- one at our company.” Federal government allocates $38 million for Base Gagetown training centre construction Defence minister Harjit Sajjan has 22 – July - August 2016 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report announced $38 million in federal fund- ing to establish a training facility for dealing with improvised explosive de- vices, as well as other upgrades on the military base. A National Defence press release says the bulk of the funding, up to $36 million, will go to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia based contractor Maxim Con- struction to build the facilities. Another $2.3 million is being set aside to improve infrastructure at the base. That money will be used to re- pair roads throughout the base that are washed out, and to upgrade the base’s airfield and its facilities. “The major construction work that is soon to begin will create new jobs for residents, and will create growth opportunities for businesses through- out the Atlantic region,” said Sajjan. The minister said that all work should be completed by November, 2017. NOVA SCOTIA Class action lawyers initiate legal action about Halifax Nova Centre construction Several downtown business own- ers—one of whom also happens to be running for mayor—are taking legal ac- tion over disruptions caused by the Nova Centre’s construction, The Coast reports. The Carleton, Attica and the Wooden Monkey are “negotiating pro- ceedings” against the municipal, provincial and federal governments in an effort to recover financial losses they say were incurred from the hotel and convention centre’s four years of construction. “They were supposed to be done in September 2015,” says Wooden Mon- key co-owner Christine Bower. “It’s re- ally changed, the timeline, and people don’t know what it takes to stay open, and pay your bills and keep your staff employed.” Halifax’s Wagners law firm is repre- senting the businesses in their notice, which also names the Halifax Conven- tion Centre Corporation, Argyle Devel- opments and Argyle’s parent