It is with much regret that we announce the resignation of Chantal Lauzon, VRCA’s Manager, Member Relations, who is leaving her role at VRCA for an exciting new opportunity effective July 9, 2020. Chantal joined the VRCA team in 2019 and quickly established herself as a trusted advisor and advocate for our members and [...]
The construction industry partners challenging B.C.’s Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) will be in court July 16 and 17 to appeal the B.C. Supreme Court ruling that stalled the judicial review last February. The B.C. Court of Appeal will be asked to overturn Supreme Court Justice Christopher Giaschi’s decision striking portions of the petition for [...]
Big changes lie ahead for British Columbia’s $22 billion construction sector. But what will the shift mean for the people on the ground?Between today and 2032, recent and forthcoming energy and climate regulations will fundamentally change the way we build, heat, cool, plumb, and connect new buildings in this province. As of that year, [...]
To help companies navigate these turbulent times, VRCA’s long-time strategic partner, Results Canada, has launched a complimentary weekly webinar series designed to bring you tools, strategies and best practices to unleash the potential in yourself and your business. Each week, a one-hour webinar features subject matter experts and thought leaders on all topics related [...]
There is still time to lend your support to the construction industry’s push for the federal government to establish an emergency COVID-19 Construction Cost Relief Program. VRCA has joined the Canadian Construction Association in calling for the federal government to exercise fairness and consideration when addressing schedule and cost impacts experienced by contractors on [...]
The Government of Canada has released additional details about the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program, which will lower rent by 75 per cent for small businesses affected by COVID-19. The program will provide qualifying commercial property owners with forgivable loans to cover 50 per cent of monthly rents payable by small business [...]
Companies and not-for-profit organizations that have been affected by COVID-19 can now apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Applications opened on April 27, with the first payments expected to be issued by May 7. Employers can apply to receive a wage subsidy of 75 per cent of employee wages for up to 12 [...]
Scott Construction Group has partnered with ITC Construction Group to launch the #LunchBoxChallenge to support local restaurants while also protecting the health of its employees during COVID-19. The idea of the #LunchBoxChallenge is simple: construction companies buy lunches locally for their sites and nominate another company to do the same. “Our mental health committee [...]
The Government of Canada has released additional details about the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which is intended to help businesses keep workers on payroll or rehire workers previously laid off as a result of COVID-19. The federal wage subsidy will cover 75 per cent of an individual’s salary, up to a maximum benefit of [...]
The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) has launched a daily video conference to answer COVID-19 related questions from the province’s construction industry. Each morning at 9 a.m., BCCSA’s regional safety advisors will be joined on the line by Dr. Melanie Gorman-Ng, BCCSA’s senior research scientist. Dr. Gorman-Ng is a hygienist with a sub-specialty in [...]
To slow the spread of COVID-19, many employees have been asked to work from home to protect their friends, family, and communities. To make sure your time spent online is as productive and dynamic as possible, VRCA is proud to support the industry by offering a full range of flexible online courses. With hundreds [...]
The governments of Canada and British Columbia have both announced financial measures to help businesses and individuals weather the economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures, which are described as first steps, range from wage subsidies to business loans and deferred payments of taxes and import tariffs. Since various program details are still [...]
With coverage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continuing to dominate the news, VRCA has launched a new resource page to help member companies and their employees be informed about the illness and current advice from health professionals. The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) resource page includes: • Up-to-date information provided by HealthLinkBC; • Advice on [...]
Employment in British Columbia’s construction industry is expected to grow by nearly 8 per cent – approximately 16,600 jobs – over the coming decade. At the same time, B.C.’s construction workforce is getting older. By 2029, some 44,200 men and women – approximately 22 per cent of construction workers – are expected to retire. [...]
VRCA is excited to announce that a brand new CCDC workshop, hosted by the Canadian Construction Association, will be debuting this spring. Join us on May 14 for a one-day workshop that will cover: A description of the changes to CCDC 2 ‘Stipulated Price Contract’ Introduction of a new master specification for Division 01 [...]
Contractors wanting to understand how B.C.’s Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) will be applied may find the answers they need in an updated Contractor & Subcontractor Q and A document produced by B.C. Infrastructure Benefits Inc. (BCIB). The updated Q&A, which was posted recently to a redesigned BCIB website, provides answers to several questions VRCA [...]
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is aware of concerns related to rising insurance costs for certain lines of business, such as commercial condominium, commercial trucking and school boards. Consumers in other sectors may also experience similar challenges. To address the concerns, IBC has created a National Commercial Insurance Task Force to examine the [...]
VRCA members surveyed tell us the No. 1 issue keeping them up at night is the skilled labour shortage. And with good reason: The Lower Mainland will be short 7,300 skilled tradesmen and women by late 2021, and short 17,400 by 2029. Province wide, the construction industry will be short 11,700 skilled trades professionals [...]
The VRCA school outreach program recently visited Kwantlen Park Secondary School in Surrey and explored a fresh new way to engage with the students there. The school had planned a Career Speed Chat event, where volunteers from various industries could meet with smaller groups of students and have more in-depth chats, a different scenario [...]
VRCA members surveyed tell us the No. 1 issue keeping them up at night is the skilled labour shortage. And with good reason – the Lower Mainland’s construction industry is busy and unemployment in the construction industry is below 4 per cent, placing it near historic lows. On Feb. 6, BuildForce Canada released its [...]