ments in its five-year plan, fourteen
years ahead of schedule. “A collabora-
tive partnership with government and
private sector stakeholders is key to
moving this project forward,” says
Hall. Commitment to Clarington
In the last year, existing Clarington
business have invested millions in ex-
pansions with the upgrading and pur-
chasing of new machinery and
equipment, training and hiring. For ex-
ample, in 2016, Salit Steel in Bow-
manville invested in a new crane
runway and new 14,000 sq. ft. build-
ing. “We’ve invested in Bowmanville
because we have a tremendous
amount of confidence in the direction
that Clarington is headed. We have
identified Bowmanville as an area in
which we want to be long term. With
infrastructure already being built, we
foresee good economic growth
ahead,” said Michael Cohen, branch
manager of Salit Steel Bowmanville
Plant. Economic activity is creating in-
creased attention to Clarington, ac-
cording to Bonnie Wrightman,
manager of business development for
CBOT. In 2015, 25 inquiries from busi-
nesses to locate or expand in Claring-
ton came through the CBOT office.
Eighty inquiries were received in 2016.
To date in 2017, CBOT has received 30
inquiries direct from business, or from
commercial realtors. “CBOT antici-
pates the number of expressions of in-
terest to greatly exceed 2016
numbers by the end of the year,”
Wrightman says.
Businesses are looking for anything
from 800 to 500,000 sq. ft. of space
and one to more than 50 acres of land.
“We work with the real estate commu-
nity to provide space options for busi-
ness and help meet their needs from
space inquiry to grand opening. We
also enjoy helping business and their
employees integrate into the commu-
nity,” says Wrightman.
Hall says CBOT considers it a privi-
lege to be a part of Clarington’s
growth. “We are committed to maxi-
mizing opportunities, making connec-
tions and supporting established, and
future business.”
CBOT also recognizes the impor-
tance of celebrating growth and dedi-
cation of the existing business
community. Hall says CBOT makes a
point of telling Clarington’s story
through various communication ven-
ues, through presentations, at events,
newsletters, media outlets, and
through social media. Creating aware-
ness of successes and opportunity is
essential when trying to attract invest-
ment and facilitate partnerships. “Sup-
porting business is not our job, it is
our passion,” she says.
Y ou r Opp or ut nit
nity y f or
Sma r t In v esest
es t ment
Co ur tice - Bo wman ville - Ne w castle - Or o no
o n!
So ing
C om
40 407 7 Eas
East t Ext
Extension ension
Phase 2: t o highw a y
35/1 1 5 in Claringt on.
Optimizing transpor tation
ne tw or .k
Darlington Darlingt
on Nuclear
R Refurbishment
efurbishment Project: 96% of
e xpenditures f or the pr oject
occur in Ontario
Port P or t Granby
Granb y Project:
Project :
En vir onmental solution.
Clean-up and safe,
saf e, long-t erm
management of hist oric
contaminat ed w ast e.
T rain Extension:
Ext ension :
GO Train
(In service by 2023-24)
60 de v elopment sit es near
4 ne w stations be tw een
Osha w a and Bo wman ville
: :ɏFʋɚȱɰʙɞ\ʝɤȩɏɈSɈԭԷʝʦɠʔUʝZʃɓ
ɏ F ʋ ɚ ȱ ɰ ʙ ɞ \ ʝ ɤ ȩ ɏ Ɉ S Ɉ ԭ Է ʝ ʦ ɠ ʔ U ʝ Z ʃ ɓ
Land & Space Options • De
Development ev lo pme nt Process
Pr oce ss Support
Su ppor t • Connect
Co nne ct to t o Local
Lo cal Supply
Su pply Chain • Community
Commu nity Integration
Int e gr atio n
54 King St. E., Unit
U nit 1 102
02 Bowmanville,
Bo wman ville , Ontario Canada L1C 1N3
905-623-3106 905-623-3 1 06 • bonnie@cbot.ca • www
www.cbot.ca .cbot.ca
44 – Spring 2017 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
TOP 40 UNDER 40
Sonny Sangha
Building ICE Development Ltd. to become
a major construction industry leader
Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature
A problem solver who understands the
benefits of learning by experience and being
hands on, Sonny Sangha has translated his
passion for project management into a pas-
sion for construction.
In 2004, at the age of 27, he founded ICE
Development Ltd. Today, as president of this
growing project management and construc-
tion management firm, he leads his team,
tackling significant B.C. commercial and in-
dustrial projects.
After completing a degree in computer programming
from BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology),
Sangha established himself within the dot com world and,
he says, foresaw where the tech industry was going.
He first developed the business that led to ICE Develop-
ments in 2003. Sangha got into the real estate market, start-
ing with housing projects, moving to condominiums and
commercial and industrial projects. His self-taught knowl-
edge comes from being, in his words, “Hands-on so I
would be helping out wherever I could, asking questions,
and learning from the trades as we went.”
The knowledge he picked up in construction has the
same principle foundation as project management – dele-
gation, understanding the different stages required, and en-
suring each task is delivered and comes together as
expected, he says.
Sangha says the key to ICE Development’s success
comes from principles of providing honest client care, fos-
tering relationships, and a dynamic team. A focal compo-
nent of the organization “is to simply make life easier for
project managers by ensuring that projects are run effi-
ciently and effectively.”
His hands-on approach, from the project’s conceptual-
ization to its conclusion, is evident in results with the City
of Richmond, the B.C. Liquor Distribution
Branch (BCLDB), as well as restaurant chains
and hotels.
Currently some of ICE Development’s proj-
ects include a 29,000 sq. ft. flagship store for
BCLDB and a 90-unit hotel in Merritt, B.C.
The ICE team fosters a corporate culture of
growth and learning, he says. He encourages
an open exchange of ideas and candid cri-
tiques to encourage the team’s evolution and
his own as well. “If I’m doing something
wrong, unless someone tells me, I’ll keep
doing it. I’m always asking what I can do better, what we
as a company can do better,” he says.
Sangha isn’t shy when it comes to crediting his col-
leagues. He says emphatically that it is because of ICE’s
staff that “people come back to us and we have these re-
lationships.” In 2012, Sangha changed the company’s business
model to focus on general contracting and project manage-
ment. He spent a year rebranding and since that time the
company has grown, in staff, in capacity, and in reputation.
“In the early days, it was me and a few support staff. Now
we are close to 50 and generally have 20 to 30 active proj-
ects at a time, with several others in various stages of esti-
mating and approval.”
Sangha says he expects the business will continue its
growth path over the next few years. He says he tells peo-
ple he would like to be the next PCL in the next five to 10
years. “My dad taught me that respect and reputation have to
be earned. With every project we take on, that is the goal,
to earn respect and to continue to grow our reputation for
being able to deliver projects successfully.”
For more information on ICE Development, visit
http://ICEdevelopment.net. ICE Development specializes in project
management, general contracting
and tenant improvement services.
icedevelopment.net 26020 31B Ave, Aldergrove BC
604-381-2202 1-888-273-1012
iceteam@icedevelopment.net The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Spring 2017 – 45