Articles from Building.ca

Investment in Ontario's ICI building construction sector increased by 17% year-over-year in Q1, according to OCS. The institutional sector showed the highest growth, with medical facilities, transportation, and educational buildings leading the way. Notable projects include the Windsor Acute Care Hospital and expansions in Thunder Bay and Barrie. Infrastructure investment also rose sharply in the transportation and utilities sector, particularly in Oshawa, London, and Ottawa.

The Ontario government is proposing changes to accelerate the construction of Skills Development Fund training centres to help workers affected by economic challenges such as U.S. tariffs. The initiative aims to cut red tape and facilitate quicker development of these facilities by exempting them from certain permit requirements. Additional measures include improving job posting transparency and reducing barriers for implementing health and safety systems. These efforts are part of Ontario's strategy to protect workers and boost the province's competitiveness.

Ontario will require certain construction sites to have automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of new legislative amendments. This requirement will apply to sites expected to last over three months with at least 20 workers. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will reimburse companies for the AED cost, anticipated to be around $2,300. Industry stakeholders, like RESCON, support this move, asserting it will save lives.

Amid tariff tensions between the United States and Canada that are exacerbating the housing crisis by increasing construction costs, Canada sees an opportunity to revamp its housing strategy through modular and prefabricated construction. Factory-built housing is not only faster and less expensive but also environmentally friendly, suggesting a sustainable way to meet urgent housing needs. Canadian initiatives like the Rapid Housing Initiative have shown success in scaling modular housing, and future plans include expanded funding and support from both federal and provincial levels. A global alliance on modular housing could emerge as a result, addressing both domestic needs and supporting international collaboration.