to get back to work, The Financial Post
reports. He estimates the rebuild will
take a year or two.

“We are pushing to get some of the
smaller projects going, and the
cleanup,” he said. “The biggest thing
is that as people start rebuilding their
lives, they get back to work so they
come back to Fort McMurray.”
Iggulden said in the published re-
port that Fort McMurray’s construction
industry was working at half capacity
because of the downturn. But it’s
ready to step up immediately, and is
pushing to get the work associated
with the reconstruction. The associa-
tion sent letters to the Alberta govern-
ment seeking bridge financing to get
construction going.

The Financial Post also reports that
Russell Dauk, vice president, land and
commercial, at the Rohit Group of
Companies, said the time is right to
get started because companies such
as his have access to people and
equipment that have not been put to
work in the past 15 months.

SASKATCHEWAN Elevator building
boom continues
An elevator building boom on the
Prairies shows no signs of slowing as
new facilities continue to come online
and existing ones are upgraded to ac-
commodate faster unload times, more
efficient rail car loading and longer
grain trains, The Western Producer re-
ports. In central Saskatchewan, Cargill
and Richardson are expanding existing
facilities at Davidson.

Cargill officials were in the commu-
nity in June to mark the completion of
the upgrade, which included the addi-
tion of four concrete storage bins, a
120 ft. scale with 85 tonne capacity, a
50,000 bushel per hour conveyor, a
160 ft. leg and an expanded 100 car
rail spot.

Richardson is also upgrading its Pi-
oneer facility in Davidson, with addi-
tional steel storage and an expanded
rail car spot.

Jeff Wildeman, Cargill’s regional
manager for Saskatchewan, said the
expansion will increase storage capac-
ity by more than 10,000 tonnes to
roughly 25,000.

He said nearly 25 per cent of Cargill
Canada’s annual investment takes
place in Saskatchewan. The company
has invested roughly $300 million in
the province over the past five years
with major construction or expansion
projects in Clavet and Davidson.

“It’s a great time for us to put more
dollars out because the industry needs
the work and we’re getting better pric-
ing,” Wyatt is quoted as saying.

Wyatt says the city looks set to
save at least $8.65 million on three
construction projects where bids
came in lower than expected this sea-
son, which should be invested now.

ONTARIO OCOT achieves $7.4 million
financial surplus in 2015:
$6 million allocated for
‘long-term strategic initiatives’
MANITOBA Manitoba construction
industry leader fears
government delays,
restraints causing
“Perfect Storm”
A Manitoba construction leader
fears government delays and re-
straints are directing his industry to-
ward a “perfect storm.”
An email obtained by the Winnipeg
Sun, which is attributed to Manitoba
Heavy Construction
Association (MHCA) president Chris Lorenc, claims
the city failed to tender enough con-
struction work and uses a tendering
process that is “so bureaucratic it en-
sures failure.”
This, combined with provincial and
federal cuts, threatens to spark layoffs,
lead workers to leave the province
and/or have companies run out of
work within the next six weeks, the
newspaper reports the email as say-
ing. “The City of Winnipeg’s budget
award process has been nothing short
of appalling; the change in the federal
government and its infrastructure
budget priorities are still unclear; and
we have a new provincial government
which, while in the throes of reviewing
the fiscal situation it is in, has cut the
highway program by $50 million – 10
per cent – and has apparently stalled
further tenders pending review,” the
email says.

The Sun says Coun. Russ Wyatt
(Transcona), who’s taken out radio ads
to pressure council to approve more
road work, said the statement is proof
council must add to its list of projects
for this construction season.

If the Ontario College of Trades
(OCOT) was a private business, share-
holders would be happy with the in-
come statement and balance sheet,
based on documents in the organiza-
tion’s 2015 annual report released in
time for its annual general meeting on
June 14.

The “statement of financial posi-
tion” reports that the OCOT at 2015
year end had net assets of
$28,627,456, an increase of approxi-
mately $7.4 million from the
$19,613,440 in net assets at the end of
2014. The OCOT says it had 232,189
members in 2015, suggesting a sur-
plus of about $31 per member.

A note to the financial statements
says “during the year, cash in the
amount of $6,000,000 was internally
restricted for purposes of long-term
strategic initiatives.” The note doesn’t
say what these initiatives will be but
observes: “The reserve will be in-
vested according to the College’s in-
vestment policy.” Overall the OCOT
had at year end $19,845,348 in cash –
compared to $12,809,266 at the end of
2014. “As anticipated and in line with the
budget, the College achieved an ex-
cess of revenue over expenses,”
OCOT spokesperson Tyler Charlebois
said in a statement. “Part of the excess
of revenue at year end relates to the
fact that membership fees are recog-
nized in the year to which they relate,
advanced billings for next year’s fees
are deferred and recognized into in-
The Canadian Design and Construction Report — September 2016 – 19