NEWS BRIEFS
Gagnon said he sees a “force of
inertia” and a system that has “be-
come difficult to justify in the current
economic and social context. It is
therefore not possible to justify the
current rules of regional hiring prior-
ity,” the newspaper reported.

NOVA SCOTIA
Feds and province to invest
$394.2 million in social
housing projects
The federal and provincial govern-
ments have recently signed an agree-
ment to provide long-term funding for
community housing in Nova Scotia.

Federal Minister of Rural Eco-
nomic Development Bernadette Jor-
dan and Nova Scotia Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Housing Chuck
Porter said in Windsor, N.S., that they
had reached a bilateral agreement to
prioritize affordable housing that will
be cost-shared by the two govern-
ments. The federal government says he
10-year agreement will invest almost
$394.2 million to protect, renew and
expand social and community hous-
ing in addition to supporting Nova
Scotia’s priorities related to housing
repair, construction and affordability.

The investment includes almost
$197.1 million each from the govern-
ment of Canada and the government
of Nova Scotia.

The two governments will also
work together on the design and im-
plementation of a new Canada Hous-
ing Benefit for the province to
provide affordability support directly
to families and individuals in housing
need. “We will now work with Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation
to finalize the first three-year action
plan that will advance our provincial
housing priorities, providing more af-
fordable and accessible housing op-
tions to those who depend on it,
especially for our most vulnerable cit-
izens,” Porter said.

The government of Nova Scotia
will develop and publish three-year
action plans, beginning in 2019-20,
CONSTRUCTION ACROSS CANADA
setting targets and outlining how it
will use federal and cost-matched
funding to achieve the desired out-
come. NEW BRUNSWICK
Moncton city manager
suggested treating major
landowner ‘different,’
report says
A major Moncton landowner
sought special recognition as city
council directed staff to have a patio
removed from a city nightclub which
was built without proper building per-
mits, CBC reports.

Coun. Bryan Butler said city coun-
cil twice directed municipal staff to
have the property owner remove
what had started as a patio in 2007
but had become a year-round en-
closed addition to a Robinson Court
nightclub by 2017, the broadcaster
reported. “I am very upset, and the buck
stops with the city manager, that
twice city council has given direction
… and it’s never been done,” Butler
said at a council meeting.

The report relates to Rouge Pre-
miere Lounge, a nightclub that
opened in 2006 in a building owned
by Galco Atlantic Investments Net-
work Ltd. on Robinson Court.

Galco president Stephen Gallant
declined an interview with CBC.

Rouge’s owners, who lease the
space from Galco, also declined an
on-the-record interview.

The report says city manager Marc
Landry told council during a spring
2019 private meeting that councillors
should remember the property owner
has millions worth of downtown
holdings. 26 – Summer/Fall 2019 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
The report says Landry said
“maybe we should treat him differ-
ent.” It says Mayor Dawn Arnold said
she did not want to take on the
landowner. Private meeting minutes
reviewed by CBC do not reflect the
statements. “The context of my comment re-
garding the landowner was to pro-
vide information to elected officials
on whether or not they wished to
allow the individual an opportunity to
speak to them,” Landry said in an
email to CBC.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Governments announce
$14.4 million investment for
eastern PEI infrastructure
projects The federal and provincial govern-
ments and local municipalities have
announced $14.4 million in infrastruc-
ture investments in 16 eastern Prince
Edward Island projects.

The work includes construction
and renovation of cultural, recre-
ational, water and wastewater pro-
jects, government officials said in a
news release.

The federal government is con-
tributing about $5.3 million at the pro-
jects through the Investing in Canada
infrastructure plan and the province
will spend about $6.2 million. Some
of the projects also have municipali-
ties and non-profits adding cash.

The most expensive project is $3
million to be spent on new trails in
Stratford to connect to the existing
Confederation Trail network.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND
LABRADOR Federal government to fund
more than $1 million for
women’s carpentry
apprenticeship training
The federal government will pro-
vide more than $1 million funding to
the Office to Advance Women Ap-
prentices of the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters Local 579, for its En-