Thursday, October 22, 2026
Reframing the trades
Canada stands at an unprecedented economic and industrial crossroads. Across the country, federal and provincial governments are aligning behind an ambitious mandate to “build, baby,…
labour
Ontario to build workers’ memorial at Queen’s Park
On the recent National Day of Mourning the Government of Ontario unveiled the design concept for a new memorial to commemorate the contributions and sacrifices…
Federal, provincial ministers meet to discuss safety training harmonization
Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) pressed the country’s labour ministers to provide the needed political momentum towards the national harmonization of safety standards training in…
Provincial government invests to connect more Nova Scotians to skilled trades
The Government of Nova Scotia announced it is helping more Nova Scotians explore and connect to careers in skilled trades through a $10-million investment in…
Closing the labour gap in construction
Employing more than 1.6 million people and generating $150 billion of annual economic activity, construction accounts for 7.4 per cent of Canada’s GDP. However, a skilled…
Ontario investing $260M in Skills Development Fund Training Stream
The Government of Ontario announced it is investing up to an additional $260 million through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Training Stream to tackle the province’s…
Annual OCS survey finds contractors are expecting more business growth in 2024
With an abundance of current work and more projects on the horizon, Ontario contractors are expecting 2024 to be a busy year, the Ontario Construction…
Ontario construction associations call for update to Labour Relations Act
The General Contractors’ Association of Toronto (GCAT) and the Golden Horseshoe General Contractors’ Association (GHGCA) have published an industry paper calling on the Government of…
Ontario to increase immigration to fill jobs in skilled trades, tech, and health care
The Government of Ontario announced it is doubling the number of economic immigrants it selects in 2025 to over 18,000 to help solve the province’s…
Canada doubles immigration program for out-of-status construction workers
The Government of Canada announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is extending and expanding the pilot program for out-of-status workers in the construction…
RCCAO submits three construction priorities to federal government
The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) is calling on the Federal Government to welcome more construction workers to Canada through immigration reforms,…
Annual survey reveals major shifts in B.C.’s construction industry
The findings of the annual BC Construction Association (BCCA) Industry Survey highlight the key issues facing employers and workers during a period of heightened construction…
Near-term rebound and peak retirements create labour challenges for construction
Canada’s construction and maintenance industry rebounded strongly in 2021 and is expected to continue growing through 2027 on the strength of strong near-term demand and…
Ontario’s construction market sees sustained demand through 2026: report
Labour market challenges could be an ongoing preoccupation across Ontario as unemployment rates return to pre-pandemic lows, and construction demand in the residential and non-residential…
RESCON encourages open conversation about mental health issues
The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is supportive of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) and is encouraging anyone in the construction industry with issues – whether…
Majority of Canadian businesses plan to make vaccinations mandatory: poll
As many employers gear up to return employees to the workplace, 62 per cent of Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses are making or plan to make COVID-19…
B.C. names new Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
British Columbia Premier John Horgan has named Rob Fleming as the province’s new Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. Fleming was first election to the legislative…
Ontario investing in youth programs to promote skilled trades
The Ontario Government is investing $43 million in expanded youth training programs to help increase awareness and encourage youth to acquire the skills that will…
Ontario allowing some construction to run 24 hours
In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, Ontario is extending construction hours for essential construction projects, like critical projects in the health care sector, to…
CBTU members donating protective gear to frontline workers
Canada’s Building Trades Unions has announced a partnership with Canada’s Federation of Nurses Unions to donate extra N-95 respirator masks and other protective equipment to…
McNaughton issues statement on construction site safety
Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, issued the following statement regarding health and safety on construction sites: “The health and safety of…
A moment to give thanks
It has been a difficult few weeks. Some have lost their job, some have watched loved ones fight a disease that they can’t understand, and…
New program building skilled trades opportunities for B.C.’s Indigenous communities
More than 475 people in Indigenous communities throughout British Columbia are gaining skills to succeed in high-opportunity trades careers, with six new two-year training programs.…
B.C. training program helping women secure roadbuilding jobs
Women in the Lower Mainland will get training and work experience in the road-building industry, giving them opportunities for job success and improved lives, thanks…