NEWS BRIEFS PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Skilled trades shortage looms There continues to be a shortage of skilled trades workers on P.E.I., with electricians, plumbers and carpenters particularly in demand, a problem many in the industry say is about to get worse, CBC has reported. In Canada, 250,000 people are ex- pected to retire from skilled construc- tion work in the next several years, Sam Sanderson, general manager of the Construction Association of P.E.I. said in an interview with the broad- caster. He said it’s urgent to get young people interested in the trades. “We need to get youth involved, get some excitement into it for them, really show them what the trades sector and construction industry is all about,” said Sanderson. As an example, most trades stu- dents won’t have to look far to find work once they graduate from Holland College’s Summerside campus. Kent Sheen, the college program manager for Industrial Technology and Trades, said employers often seek out students months before graduation. “The resounding comments from all of our trades advisory groups are yup, we’re having challenges, yup, we’re al- ways on the lookout for people,” he said. NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Tenders called for new Virginia Park Elementary School The provincial government has is- sued a call for tenders for the next stage of construction on a new Virginia Park Elementary School in St. John’s. The province spent nearly $8 million to carry out site development, and this latest tender call is to complete the building, CBC has reported. “This is a tremendous investment in the families and community of Virginia Park which will result in a modern learning environ- ment,” said Transportation and Works minister David Brazil. Earlier, a member of the school CONSTRUCTION ACROSS CANADA council questioned why it’s been months since any construction has taken place on the site of its replace- ment school, in the east end of the city. In a statement, the department said the tender delays are “due in part to un- foreseen issues that were identified with the site for the school, and site preparation.” The site sits atop a former American military base. Site remediation has re- vealed buried debris, including an air- plane fuselage. things that you hope to develop, that certainly helps you when you go look- ing for funding or you’re trying to con- vince someone that your idea’s a good one,” said Stone. NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Bird Construction to build Yellowknife hospital Harvard students visit rural Newfoundland A group of Harvard University archi- tecture students spent a week in New- foundland communities in October helping the towns develop innovative new designs and expansions. The 14 Masters students visited Harbour Grace, Twilingate, and Port Union as part of the Outports in Transi- tion program, studying the towns, with public discussions and meetings to fig- ure out fresh ideas for the communi- ties. “I’d like to think that these architec- tural students are going to come in and look at some of our potential places here in the harbour and around the town, and see it through those new eyes,” said Harbour Grace councillor Gordon Stone. Stone said that opportunities for growth can sometimes be overlooked by those who have been in the region for a long time, according to a pub- lished report. He mentioned the Admiral’s Marina in Harbour Grace, which was simply a small salt water pond for years before it was made into a thriving harbour. “Here’s an idea now of something that went on for years that nobody saw the potential,” he said. “A group saw it with fresh eyes, and lo and behold, here it is.” The students will help the town councils put together comprehensive plans for the towns, which will include architectural designs of proposed proj- ects. “Having a set of architectural draw- ings that could back up some of the 20 – November 2015 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report Bird Construction Inc. has an- nounced financial close of the Stanton Territorial Hospital renewal project for the government of the Northwest Ter- ritories. It will design, build, finance and maintain the Yellowknife hospital. Bird is the managing partner and has a 50 per cent interest in the construction joint venture to design and build the project. It also holds a 25 per cent eq- uity interest in the concession respon- sible for the design, construction, financing and maintenance of the proj- ect through Bird Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary. The new hospital is located adjacent to the current facility. It will include a floor area of more than 280,000 sq. ft. and will offer outpatient and inpatient services including emergency, medical imaging, dialysis, obstetrics, pediatric, cardio and mental health departments as well as day procedure and surgery suites. “The company is very excited to begin work on site,” said Bird president and CEO, Ian Boyd. “The project pres- ents a number of unique design and execution challenges. By providing an entirely new facility, we can deliver the project faster and with minimal disrup- tion to services. As well, a ground up design approach provides the maxi- mum opportunity to create a facility which best meets the requirements of the residents of the Northwest Territo- ries and the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut.”