Trending Industry News
Construction labour shortage weighs on Alberta businesses as growth accelerates
CBC News, Madeline Smith, May 20, 2024
Alberta's population boom is increasing pressure on the construction sector to build the infrastructure to accommodate growth and business owners say they're already feeling the labour crunch.
A shortfall of workers in skilled trades is an issue across Canada, but with Alberta adding more than 200,000 new residents last year, the industry needs to find a way to keep up with more road and bridge repairs, new housing development and major infrastructure work.
Alberta market heading for a record 2024 in housing construction
Daily Commercial News, Jean Sorensen, April 15, 2024
BILD Alberta, which represents Alberta developers and residential builders, expects 2024 will be one for the record books after the housing market soared in February to heady heights, said CEO Scott Fash.
“It is caused mostly by unanticipated demand from a large population growth,” said Fash. “We are building more than we have ever built.”
Alberta’s economic dashboard indicated 3,679 housing starts in February, with a year-over-year increase of 65.6 per cent.
Construction industry leading province in employment growth, says GOA
Lethbridge News Now, April 9, 2024
Officials say Alberta’s construction industry is leading the province in employment growth.
The province claims investment in the industry is forming the foundation of strong employment growth, with 12,767 more Albertans employed in the sector in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Officials say the growth has been driven by an increase in building construction investment, and a healthy surge in housing starts in the last quarter of 2023 and into 2024.
Alberta to spend $1.9 billion on planning, design and construction of major highway and bridge projects
Ontario Construction News, Robin MacLennan, April 1, 2024
Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors is investing $1.9 billion for planning, design and construction of major highway and bridge projects in 2024.
“Alberta’s highways connect families and friends and get local products to market. We all count on well-built roads to get where we need to go, and that is why we are investing in major upgrades to our road and bridge network. With smoother and more efficient traffic flows, families can spend less time on the road and more time together,” said Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. Investing in upgrades to the provincial road and bridge network will thousands of jobs building infrastructure needed to get goods to new markets and support the higher traffic counts that come with a growing population.
Calgary Stampede gets keys to expanded BMO Centre, key milestone in $500M project
City News, City News Staff, Services- March 13, 2024
The keys to Calgary’s new BMO Centre were given to the Calgary Stampede Wednesday after four years of construction.
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the Stampede say the project has now moved into its final stages, preparing to begin operating following a June grand opening. The $500 million expansion pushes the building to more than one million square feet, which will allow for the hosting of up to 33,000 people at once.
Calgary’s convention centre is now the largest in western Canada. To prepare for those crowds, Stampede employees will soon start loading in furniture, dishes, cutlery and catering equipment, including 6,500 stacking chairs, 600 round banquet tables, 500 rectangular tables, 7,680 forks and knives, and 6,200 dinner plates.
Alberta budget pleases some but not all construction stakeholders
Calgary Construction Association, Lena Hogarth, March 6, 2024
Some Alberta construction stakeholders are reacting positively to the province’s latest budget announced Feb. 29, but others have a dimmer view.
Calgary Construction Association president Bill Black said the budget recognized the need to deal with an ongoing labour shortage, something his organization and others have lobbied for.“The $5,000 incentive added to the ‘Alberta is Calling’ campaign, funding for collegiate schools, funding for the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s technical training centre, these are all good to see because the government is recognizing that they have a role to play in our long-term workforce challenge,” Black said. He added housing as an issue that is “inextricably linked.” “We need people to move here, they need homes, we need people to move here to build homes,” Black said.