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0IS
SUE 4
• wIn
tEr 2
014
LookIng Forward, LookIng Back
a Strong FoUndatIon LEtS thE Sca takE a BIg LEap Forward Into 2015 – 54 ImprovIng procUrEmEnt opportUnItIES – 40 canada-SaSkatchEwan JoB grant opEnS doorS For SaSkatchEwan companIES – 48
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4 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
In thIS ISSUE of
© 2014 DEL Communications Inc.All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.
Publications mail agreement #40934510Return undeliverableCanadian addresses to:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2L 0G5Email: [email protected]
PRINTED IN CANADA 12/2014
6 Message from SCA President & CEO Mark Cooper
8 Board of Directors
IndUStry nEwS
10 Advocacy Update
14 Member Services Update
16 A Collaborative Approach for Construction Workers
24 Profile: New SCA Chair Corey Hunchak
28 Profile: SCA Past Chair Kelly Miller
30 SCA Awards Gala Celebrates 50 Years of Achievements
FEatUrES
40 Efforts to Improve Procurement Opportunities Ramp Up
48 Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant Helps Fund Employee Training
54 Two Steps Back, One Giant Leap Forward
56 Oh, Canada! Safety Infrastructure in the Nation’s Public Spaces
thE ExpErtS
58 Canadian Construction Association: A Look Back at 2014 and Ahead to 2015
60 All Aboard for the New Express Entry Program
62 The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be
63 Marketing for Employee Recruitment
64 Fixing People Challenges in 2014’s Workplace
66 Apprenticeship: A 360-degree View
68 The State of the Saskatchewan Construction Industry
72 Safety…Always Looking Forward!
74 Big Enough To Compete?
320 Gardiner Park Court
Regina, SK S4V 1R9
P: 306-525-0171 • F: 306-347-8595
W: www.scaonline.ca
2014 SCA Board of Directors
Sam Shaw, chaIrcorEy hUnchak, vIcE-chaIrJaSon dUkE, trEaSUrErkELLy mILLEr, paSt chaIrroB IStacEdavE kancIrUkLaIrd rItchIEmIkE LamontagnESEan hamELInrandy SchEntagtodd craIgEnaLLan wEBBron SmIth
President & CEO mark coopEr
Vice-President of Industry Workforce Development doUg FoLk
Manager of Member Services krIStIn wagman
Finance Manager amanda thIck
Communications & Marketing Coordinator UJU nwEzE
Human Resources – Career Coach ErwIn kLEmpnEr
Career Coach, Skills Link Program howard JESSE
CORRECTION: In the Fall 2014 We Build, we mistakenly published “half decade” instead of “half century” in the Barry Headrick industry leader profile entitled “Tip Top Work for 50 Years” (page 82). DEL regrets the error. The online edition was subsequently corrected: http://issuu.com/delcomminc/docs/sca_we_build_issue3_2014.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 5
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6 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Mark Cooper, President & CEO,Saskatchewan Construction Association
prESIdEnt’S mESSagE
This issue of We Build is our fourth and final
edition for the 2014 year. With a release
in December of 2014, it provides us a great
opportunity to reflect back on the 2014 year
while also looking forward to 2015. In the
Features section of this issue, we look to do just
that.
In this issue we look to the tragic events in
Ottawa earlier this fall. We talk to some who
were in Ottawa that day, and we consider what
implications these events might have on how we
secure public spaces. You can read this feature
article on page 56.
The Features section also includes an article
on the efforts of the SCA and our partners to
improve provincial procurement practices in
Saskatchewan. This article looks at the progress
that has been made in 2014 and speculates
on where we might end up in 2015. For
information on this important topic, visit the
article on page 40.
We’re also exploring the great potential
opportunity that is available for construction
companies through the new Canada-
Saskatchewan Jobs Grant Program. This program
provides government funding to cover the cost
of up to two-thirds of training costs for upskilling
existing employees. So, if you want to learn how
to use government money to train your next
generation of project managers, supervisors,
estimators, and safety officers, read the article on
page 48.
In the Industry News section of this issue you
can read a profile on the new SCA board chair,
Corey Hunchak of Clearlite Glass, as well as
review a profile of our recently retired past chair
Kelly Miller. This section also contains updates
on SCA activities, including our advocacy work,
workforce development programs, our 50th
Anniversary Gala and Member Awards night,
and our member services efforts.
After four issues of this publication, I think we’re
starting to find our identity. I’m proud of the
content we’re generating, and the stories – your
stories – that we’re learning to tell. I hope you
feel the same way. As we move into 2015 and the
second year of We Build, I look forward to your
comments, feedback, and suggestions. You can
reach me anytime by phone at 306-525-0171 or
by email at [email protected]
On behalf of all of us at the SCA, I want to
wish you, your company, your employees, and
your families a very Merry Christmas, and a
wonderful New Year. Thank you for all that you
did to build Saskatchewan in 2014. May 2015
bring you all great joy and success.
Regina | 498 Henderson Drive | 306-525-0175Saskatoon | 2365 Ave C North | 306-652-0907
www.scsaonline.caf t inCelebrating 20 Years of Industry Driven Commitment to Safety
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Companies serious about High Performance are serious about Safety. Get COR Certified.
Regina | 498 Henderson Drive | 306-525-0175Saskatoon | 2365 Ave C North | 306-652-0907
www.scsaonline.caf t inCelebrating 20 Years of Industry Driven Commitment to Safety
Is Safety Your
Strategic Advantage?Get CORTM certified and set your business apart with the national industry standard in safety certification.
The SCSA Certificate of Recognition (COR) program is designed to assist your company in developing, implementing andmaintaining a health and safety management system that can reduce workplace injuries and incidents, improve safety culture and help you progress towards your performance goals.
Companies serious about High Performance are serious about Safety. Get COR Certified.
8 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews next Page
8 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
2014 Board oF dIrEctorS
roB IStacEDirector At LargeAlliance Energy
davE kancIrUkAdvisory Council Chair
Associated Asbestos Abatement
Sam ShawChair, Moose Jaw
C&S Builders
LaIrd rItchIEAdvisory Council
Ledcor Construction Limited
todd craIgEnSaskatoon
PCL Construction
corEy hUnchakVice-Chair, Director at Large
Clearlite Glass
mIkE LamontagnERegina
Westridge Construction
aLLan wEBBPrince Albert
RNF Ventures
JaSon dUkETreasurer, Advisory Council
CertaPro Painters
SEan hamELInRegina
PCL Construction
ron SmIthHeavy Construction
W.F. Botkin Construction
kELLy mILLErPast Chair
RNF Ventures
randy SchEntagSaskatoon
Graham Construction
mark coopErPresident/Staff
SCA
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Bay 3 , Saskatoon , SK
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CALGARY 3458 – 48th Ave SE
Calgary, AB
T2B 3L6
403‐248‐8500
EDMONTON 16935 – 111th Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5M 2S4
780‐483‐0920
SURREY #115, 19358 – 96th Ave
Surrey, BC
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604‐513‐5878 1‐877‐244‐5434 www.mvs.ca [email protected]
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transmitters, concrete stakes & clamps, masonry cutting blades, shovels, gloves, low pressure sewer testing equipment,
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For these or more of our products and services, please call us!
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SASKATOON 3403 Mil la r Avenue
Bay 3 , Saskatoon , SK
S7K 6J4
306 ‐978 ‐8500
CALGARY 3458 – 48th Ave SE
Calgary, AB
T2B 3L6
403‐248‐8500
EDMONTON 16935 – 111th Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5M 2S4
780‐483‐0920
SURREY #115, 19358 – 96th Ave
Surrey, BC
V4N 4C1
604‐513‐5878 1‐877‐244‐5434 www.mvs.ca [email protected]
GPS & Total Stations
Universal LasersLaser Levels
LL500
Machine Control
Trimble
Survey Tools
Stringline, plumb bobs, line locators, safety equipment, detectors, rods & poles,
transmitters, concrete stakes & clamps, masonry cutting blades, shovels, gloves, low pressure sewer testing equipment,
manhole tripods, lath, paint, flagging and much more.
Associated SuppliesA large selection of supplies to suit your needs
For these or more of our products and services, please call us!
General Construction and Layout Tools Lasers and tools that can stand up to any tough job site!
Steel & Aluminum Trench Boxes / Slide Rail Systems
Commercial Weighing Systems& Sewer Test Plugs
UL 633
Stringline, plumb bobs, line locators, safety equipment, detectors, rods &
poles, transmitters, concrete stakes & clamps, masonry cutting blades, shovels,
gloves, low pressure sewer testing equipment, manhole tripods, lath, paint,
flagging and much more.
“using technology to change the way work is done”
CONTACT US
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10 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
In the SCA’s annual report for the 2013-14 year that
was released in November, I provided an update on your
association’s efforts this past year with respect to advocacy
on behalf of our members. In particular, I wrote about the
five priority policy areas as established by the industry’s
advocacy council. The council established these five
priorities in order to bring focus to our advocacy efforts.
The five priority policy areas for 2014 were:
• Improving WCB’s accountability to construction
employers;
• Improving provincial procurement practices;
• Ensuring the industry is ready for the introduction of P3s
as a procurement methodology;
• Opposing the use of project bundling by the province; and
• Securing financial incentives for COR certified companies.
For information on what the SCA has done on these
issues in the past year, and what we’re looking to do in
the coming year, please have a look at our annual
report, which is located on our website at
http://www.scaonline.ca/news.html?id=129.
Rather than rehash the content of the annual report, I
thought I’d use this column to provide information on how
the SCA does our advocacy work on behalf of members.
Achieving results consistently with advocacy – which is
really a fancy way of saying lobbying – can be difficult, and
success requires having a solid and repeatable process. Here
at the SCA, we’ve worked hard to build just such a process.
In this article we’ll explore what that means and how we try
to use it to benefit our members.
Focus is the first important element of any organizational
advocacy strategy. Focus needs to come into play at least
twice in crafting a solid strategy. First, you need to focus
on a small number of issues at once. If you’re really
going to make improvements, no organization can very
effectively manage more than a handful of issues at one
time. Narrowing the list of priorities is a key first step.
Through the advisory council, we did this by conducting a
poll of each group where we voted on top priorities. In the
end, we settled on the five above, but even within those
five it basically boils down to two main themes: safety
(WCB improvements and financial incentives for COR) and
provincial procurement (procurement improvement, P3
preparation, and opposing bundling). Two main themes that
drive the advocacy agenda for the SCA and for our non-
residential industry. That’s focus.
The second time that focus becomes important is with
respect to the individual issue or theme itself. You need to
develop a clear understanding about exactly what you’re
trying to do and not allow that purpose to get diverted. The
challenge can be making sure that you’re focusing on the
right thing. Let’s look at WCB as an example. Complaints
from our industry generally relate to two things: 1) the
WCB rate is too high; and 2) the employer feels like they’re
treated as the bad guy when it comes to workplace safety.
If we invested our energy into addressing the surface of
these complaints, we’d never get anywhere. WCB rates
are set based on a formula that is both reasonable and
foundationally similar to those approaches used in other
jurisdictions. Instead of focusing on the complaint, we need
to dive down into the issue to understand the root cause
and develop a strategy to address that root cause. Fixing the
root cause will also eventually address the complaint. So, in
short, it is critical that you focus on fixing the right thing
and avoid getting distracted by other diversions.
Another important element of advocacy work is expertise.
You need to know what you’re talking about, and it helps
to be recognized as an expert. In the work we do at the
SCA, we rely on industry leaders from our members and
from our partners to provide the expertise required. When
By Mark Cooper, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Construction Association
advocacy UpdatEKey Elements of a Solid advocacy Strategy• Focus
• Expertise
• Coalitions
• Solutions
• Alignment
• Communication
• Engagement
• Patience
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 11
Industrynews
we’re dealing with labour issues, we engage with Merit
Contractors, with the Building Trades, and with the
Construction Labour Relations Association. When we’re
talking about WCB, we engage with the Construction
Safety Association, the Heavy Construction Safety
Association, and others. We’ve also worked to improve our
own expertise in a few areas, specifically in advocacy and
in workforce development. As industry leaders in these
areas, the SCA is often called on to support our partners as
they advance their issues. As good partners, we’re happy
to help.
To further bolster our expertise, the SCA entered into a
partnership with Sask Trends Monitor (STM) in this last
year. STM, run by Doug Elliott, is the province’s premier
data tracking and statistical analysis service. Through
our agreement, every SCA member gets free access to
the monthly STM report, along with monthly updates
on the provincial construction labour force statistics
and building permit statistics. On a quarterly basis, STM
updates a large data warehouse which contains all of the
relevant information about the construction industry in
Saskatchewan. As well, Doug always provides insightful
articles in this publication. All of the content provided by
STM will soon be available to SCA members on the SCA
website.
Building coalitions to support a common position is a
third vital element in advocacy. That’s why the SCA is
so committed to partnering with all of the members of
the industry advisory council. The council includes more
than 20 different industry associations within the non-
residential sector in Saskatchewan. When all of these
groups speak with a common voice – as we have in this
past year – it significantly strengthens the effectiveness
of that voice. Coalition-building takes lots of time and
effort, and frequently requires compromise as the
groups involved need to find a position every group can
accept. While the effort involved in building coalitions is
considerable, the benefit makes the effort worthwhile.
Once you’re focused, have established expertise, and
have identified your coalition, the next step is to create
solutions. Every group goes to the government with
problems or concerns. In order to establish credibility
with government, it is important to go to them with viable
solutions to those problems as well. A viable solution is one
that creates a win-win situation, and considers the specific
objectives and priorities that government has. Ideally,
you develop multiple solutions so that you can present
a range of options. Without solutions, all you’re doing is
complaining. With solutions, you’re a problem-solving ally.
Above, I mentioned the importance of considering the
government’s objectives when developing solutions.
This speaks to another essential element of advocacy,
which is alignment. Governments have strategies, and if
you’re going to come to them with solutions, you need to
make sure that those solutions align with the strategies.
Governments will respond much more positively to your
suggestions when they complement their plans. In the
Saskatchewan context, that means that any solutions
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12 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews advocacy Update
we present need to align with the
provincial growth strategy. The
growth strategy is the central plan
for the provincial government, and
they are looking for opportunities to
work together with organizations,
like the SCA, that can support the
achievement of that strategy.
Communication is a very important
element of good advocacy. You need
to refine an effective message that
explains your issue very simply. For
every issue you’re advancing, you
should have an “elevator pitch”, the
ability to explain in 30 seconds or
less the essence of the issue and your
proposed solutions. Everyone involved
in your advocacy strategy should know
that pitch and be able to deliver it. I
look to our coalition work on WCB
accountability. Our pitch is fairly simple:
WCB is entirely paid for by employers.
It should be run efficiently, effectively,
and in a way that is accountable to
those employers. Employers want to
be viewed as partners in creating safe
workplaces, and they should be. Three
sentences can explain the issue. They’re
easy to remember too. What I’ve been
pleased with is that I’ve heard other
coalition partner groups talking to
others about this issue, and I’ve heard
them use this pitch.
When you’ve got solutions that
are aligned with government
strategy, and you also know how to
communicate them, then you need
a great plan of engagement. An
engagement plan outlines who you
need to engage, how you can engage
them, and the process for doing so. In
the case of provincial procurement
improvement, the network of
individuals that need to be engaged
is quite complex. It involves multiple
ministries: Central Services;
Highways and Infrastructure; Justice;
Crown Investment Corporation; and
Economy. An engagement strategy
needs to involve these ministers,
their chiefs of staff, the deputy
ministers, and senior and junior
officials with relevant responsibilities
in each of those ministries. A good
engagement plan includes specifics
on what is needed to get the support
of those individuals for your
preferred solution.
While we mentioned the importance
of communication with respect
to crafting the message about the
issue, it is also important in terms
of keeping your coalition, and your
members, updated on progress.
This is particularly important
because – generally speaking –
these advocacy issues don’t change
overnight. Most change campaigns
take at least eighteen months.
As a result, patience is the last
element of an effective approach
to advocacy. If you’ve identified the
issue, you’re a recognized expert,
you’ve built a coalition, you have
solutions that are aligned with
government strategy, and you’re
executing a strong engagement and
communications plan, then you will
likely be successful. It just takes
time. By keeping members informed
about progress, letting them know
what’s coming up next, and being
conservative when estimating how
quickly the issue will be resolved,
everyone will know what’s going
on and it will be easier to maintain
patience throughout the process.
The SCA is advancing the five policy
priorities identified by the industry
advisory council. We’ve been
working on each of them throughout
the last year, and will likely keep
working on them in the coming
year as well if the council decides to
maintain that focus. We’re tackling
those issues using the elements of an
effective advocacy strategy. As you
can imagine, making progress on five
policy priorities while employing this
kind of advocacy strategy involves a
lot of moving parts. To support us in
this work, we’ve retained the services
of Hill & Knowlton, a national public
affairs (lobbying) firm with a strong
presence in Saskatchewan.
Together with our coalition partners,
and with the support of Sask Trends
Monitor and Hill & Knowlton, the
SCA is making progress on the big
issues that will make a difference for
our members. As a member of the
SCA, if you’ve ever got any questions
about the advocacy work we’re doing
on your behalf, please contact me at
the SCA office. You can reach me
at 306-525-0171 or by email at
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14 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
mEmBErSErvIcES UpdatEBy Kristin Wagman, Manager of Member Services, Saskatchewan Construction Association
This past year has been one of
change and progress for SCA
Member Services. We accomplished
many of our priorities by delivering
successful events, changing our
sponsorship program, revamping
our member awards, and developing
and enhancing our communications
services. All of these activities
have been in an effort to offer our
members with the best service and
value possible, and are outlined in
detail in our 2014 annual report.
While we made great strides to
providing our members with
extraordinary value, there is
certainly more work to do. Our focus
for the year ahead will be to maintain
an excellent level of service that
we hope you have come to expect,
and to be able to offer even more
value with your membership. Our
plan is to provide members with a
competitive edge in the marketplace
through group purchasing programs
and other services, promoting the
successes of our members and
telling their stories, continuing to
enhance our communications tools,
and to continue to be responsive to
members’ needs as they arise.
programs
Last year, the SCA introduced
the Skilled Workers Immigration
Program for members. In partnership
with Imagine Immigration, the
program assists members with the
immigration process from start to
finish at a discounted rate. Several
members have accessed this service,
and we expect even more in 2015.
Building on that success, we want to
provide our members with a suite of
programs and services at discounted
rates. We have been in discussions
with several service providers from
uniforms, to hotels, to shipping, to
workers compensation consulting
services, and are assessing the value
of each potential program. Any
program we launch will be evaluated
and designed to ensure it meets our
mission and vision as an association,
responds to a member need, and that
it brings the extraordinary value we
are looking for.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 15
Industrynews
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communications
Continuing to enhance our
communications tools is another
area we are investing a great deal
in. In October, Uju Nweze joined the
SCA team as our Communications
and Marketing Coordinator. With
her help, we are able to better
engage with our members to tell
their stories, and to expand our
own network, which allows us to
effectively promote the industry, and
the province.
To give members greater value, we
are improving the usability and
functions of our website and the
members’ only section. We are
also further developing the online
membership roster, including using
MasterFormat Specifications for our
trade listings to add value to our
Buyer’s Guide. We have expanded
our social network to include
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube,
and are increasing exposure to the
industry and our members through
these platforms.
Events
It will be an exciting year for
events at the SCA, as we will offer
members several opportunities to
engage in sessions and to network
with industry players. We will be
hosting member advocacy sessions
in Regina and Saskatoon, our Annual
Summer Meeting on June 4, 5, and 6
in Elk Ridge, and are adding several
industry workforce development
events to our roster. More
information about SCA events will be
rolled out throughout the year.
Member Services is an integral part
of the Saskatchewan Construction
Association, and is at the center
of all our activities. Our mission
clearly states that we exist to create
extraordinary value for members,
and that is what we will continue
to do in 2015. To be successful, we
need to make sure we are meeting
your needs, so please continue to
provide feedback to the SCA. There
is also an opportunity to participate
in developing services and planning
events for member services. If you
are interested in participating in
that capacity, please contact Kristin
Wagman at 306-525-0171. We
definitely look forward to another
year of progress and growth, and
providing value to our members.
If you have any comments or
questions about SCA member
services, or want to get involved, please
contact our office at 306-525-0171, or
[email protected]. Your feedback is
always welcomed and encouraged.
16 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
Background
The SCA’s coordinated approach
to accessing skilled trades’ workers
initiative is a creative, employer-
driven solution to maximize
opportunities for construction
employment in Saskatchewan. This
industry workforce development
(IWD) initiative seeks to match labour
market demands with supply needs
across Saskatchewan.
It speaks to skills shortages, inevitable
changes in the labour market and
government policies that impact our
members across Saskatchewan. SCA’s
position is that with a comprehensive
IWD strategic plan our work will have
a positive impact on the economic
well-being and competitive ability of
SCA member companies.
The past three months have been very
productive in meeting the needs of
our members. It should be noted that
much of our IWD work is intended
to promote construction careers to
Saskatchewan youth. The career
promotion work is intended to ensure
we have a strong labour market
supply for years to come. However,
these efforts have not curbed our
efforts in delivering extremely
successful direct entry trades
programs for Saskatchewan youth.
the Issue
Skills shortages have been
consistently identified as one of
the most significant threats to
the economic competitiveness
of Saskatchewan construction
companies. Finding the skilled
workers necessary to meet the
current and future demand in
construction is and will be an on-
going challenge for the next decade.
It will require attracting workers
from outside the region and even
outside the country, but at the same
time it will be vitally important to
maximize local labour pools.
Every significant challenge brings
with it significant opportunities and
one of the greatest of those is the
chance to connect unskilled and
skilled workers in Saskatchewan
with a career in construction. What
is needed, however, to enable that
employment, is a working connection
between the demand and the supply.
There must be a “connector”, someone
who understands the province,
understands the education system,
understands the industry and is
capable of developing the right
relationships and facilitating the
necessary collaboration to ensure
successful employment for the
worker.
The coordination of supply and
demand is particularly critical within
the construction industry. Finding
new workers is challenging at the
best of times, and many simply
resort to poaching workers from
other companies. When there is an
oversupply of workers, poaching may
a coLLaBoratIvE approach For conStrUctIon workErS
The Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant helps you train people to meet your requirements and provides the skills they need to achieve their career goals.
The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are offering this program to provide funding – up to $10,000 per trainee – to train new or existing employees for available jobs.
Program Features:
• You select the people you want to train and the training program.
• You pay at least one-third of the cost and the program funds the rest.
• You provide a job at the end of training.
Visit economy.gov.sk.ca/job-grant to learn more about program criteria and how to apply.
This program is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s commitment to keep our economy growing.
Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant.
Receive up to
per trainee
$10,000
Train the employees you need
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The Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant helps you train people to meet your requirements and provides the skills they need to achieve their career goals.
The Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada are offering this program to provide funding – up to $10,000 per trainee – to train new or existing employees for available jobs.
Program Features:
• You select the people you want to train and the training program.
• You pay at least one-third of the cost and the program funds the rest.
• You provide a job at the end of training.
Visit economy.gov.sk.ca/job-grant to learn more about program criteria and how to apply.
This program is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s commitment to keep our economy growing.
Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant.
Receive up to
per trainee
$10,000
Train the employees you need
18 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
be a viable approach to recruitment;
however, when supply is tight, as it
certainly is now in Saskatchewan, the
result is an inability for companies
to bid on new work. It also serves
to drive up costs for owners,
challenging the viability of projects.
Most companies simply do not have
the capacity to investigate new
labour pools or provide opportunities
for new workers who may require
some short term training or supports
prior to taking the job. Neither do
they have the capacity to organize
or directly fund those short training
programs. The small to medium
company, when faced with such
a challenge will generally default
back to poaching or simply not bid
on work. In addition to a low level
of internal HR support for most
companies, timing can be a significant
barrier in the recruitment process.
The cyclical nature of the industry
fueled by the tendering and bidding
process (P3s and bundling), the multi-
level contractual relationships, and
the need to coordinate the trades
on the jobsite, results in significant
challenges when workers may have
to be sourced and trained. A fruitful
approach to recruiting requires
significant planning in order to match
up the timing on labour needs with
available workers.
Finally, adding to the HR and
timing issues, there are unique
challenges to training within the
construction industry. While
many industries recruit and hire
college graduates already trained
in the appropriate discipline, in the
construction industry the company
must recruit untrained workers
and see to their training on the job.
The apprenticeship system works
well in the construction industry,
but it requires not only an ability to
match up an eager worker with an
available job, it also requires skilled
journeypersons on site who are able
to train the apprentice. As baby
boomers retire and major projects
get underway the ability to take on
apprentices will lessen without an
influx of experience and qualified
journeypersons to fill the gaps. Those
skilled journeypersons will have to
be sourced from across Canada and
ultimately even other countries.
The more that can be sourced and
put to work, the better the chances
will be for employers to increase
apprenticeship numbers and open up
new entry level jobs.
The Saskatchewan Youth
Apprenticeship (SYA) Program and
the SYA Scholarship have given us
more young workers in the industry
but more must be done to transition
youth from high school to a skilled
trades career. Especially at a time
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a collaborative approach for construction workers
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 19
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20 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews a collaborative approach for construction workers
when approximately only 20 per cent of our high school
graduates attend university. Many high school graduates
are leaving secondary school with no career path, nor
have they acquired the hands-on skills in applied classes
necessary for a successful career in the trades.
In short, a coordinated approach of supply and demand
initiatives within the construction industry is needed if
major projects are going to get built on time and on budget.
To help guide the IWD team our activities have been
strategically planned in the following areas:
1. Investment Outlook: Identifying construction labour
needs in Saskatchewan
The work in this area is defined by our ability to
identify what the construction labour needs will
be for the province in the foreseeable future. Many
tools are utilized to accomplish this work including
the Saskbuilds website, BuildForce Canada long-term
projections, SCA’s Data Warehouse, Sask Trends
Monitor and the KPMG Report – SCA Assessment of
Non-Residential Construction Cost Drivers. Through
our communications strategy, this information is
being disseminated to all members and construction
stakeholders.
Plans for the remainder of the year are to regularly
interface owners, government, designers, general
contractors, subcontractors, other associations and
members to determine the investment/projects planned
for the province. This will help establish labour needs
for the last three quarters of the year.
2. Communicating Construction Industry Workforce
Development Initiatives
Communication of IWD Initiatives and services are
essential to ensure our members are able to take the best
advantage of new and existing programs. It is crucial to
future growth and the development of IWD initiatives
that all available communication tools are been utilized
to educate our members. In the past three months, the
IWD team has used the following strategies to promote
activities:
• SCA Website – Newsletter – We Build magazine
• Social Media Outreach – Facebook and Twitter
• National news magazines – local newspapers
• SCA Board - Advisory Council – Human Resource
Manager meetings
• Brochures – Posters - Presentations
• TradeUp Sask website
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 21
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22 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews a collaborative approach for construction workers
Future work under this initiative will center on
expanding and enhancing the TradeUp Sask website and
providing members with an opportunity to communicate
their suggestions for expansion of labour market supply.
3. Saskatchewan Youth: Education - Career Promotion –
Direct Entry Programs:
SCA continues to serve the membership by their
successful grant applications to the provincial and
federal governments for funding to ensure youth have
the knowledge and the opportunity to seek a career in
the skilled trades. The employment strategy paid for by
the government grants is used to promote opportunities
for youth to participate in the construction trades
by way of youth fairs, career days, seminars, work
experience, scholarships, trades training, direct trades
training/employment and other activities throughout
the province. To accomplish this, we have developed
partnerships and coordinated initiatives with many
other agencies to help deliver effective programs
targeting youth. Promotion has focused on those
youth ready to enter the construction labour force
and continues to provide venues to link youth with
SCA employers. A particular emphasis is placed on
developing skills and opportunities for targeted youth
in Saskatchewan. During the last three months the IWD
team has:
• Completed the SCA Summer Internship Program for
20 students
• Delivered a Skills Link Employment Program in
Regina and Prince Albert
• Worked with the Prairie South and Sun West school
divisions to develop grade 7 and 8 construction tool
kits
• Attended eight youth career fairs throughout the
province
• Attended Try-a-Trades youth events in two
Saskatchewan communities
• Delivered a presentation to provincial Practical and
Applied Arts Teachers
• Delivered 10 presentations on Careers in Construction
to high schools
• Delivered Career Spotlight events in Prince Albert,
Moose Jaw and two in Regina
• Delivered a cheque for $20,000 to SATCC - SCA
Annual Scholarship Fund
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 23
Industrynews
• Participated on the following boards:
• Regina Trades and Skills Centre
• Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre
• Skills Canada: head office Saskatoon
• Regina District Industry Education Council
• SIIT Construction Careers - Regina
• Hosted a TradeUp Saskatchewan website founders
committee meeting
• Planned for a Try-a-Trades event with partners in
Saskatoon
• Finalized a construction career manual for teachers
and parents
4. Redistribution of Provincial and Canadian Skilled
Workers
The IWD team continues to work on developing the
TradeUp Saskatchewan website and utilizing Saskjobs
in providing the most up to date information on job
openings in the construction trades. This work will be
enhanced throughout the year with enhancements to
the TradeUp website and programming in this area as
requested by members.
5. Recruitment of Foreign Workers
The SCA IWD staff continue to maintain an ftp site of
foreign workers. In addition, the staff have stayed abreast
of changes in the government’s policy on hiring foreign
workers by attendance at conferences, presentations and
working with the SCA consultant Anika Henderson at
Imagine Immigration. We are currently working with the
SCA’s president and ministry officials to participate in job
expos to be held in Ireland and Poland in the spring of
2015.
6. Retention: Construction Industry Workforce
Development Initiatives
Initiatives with respect to the retention of construction
industry workers continues to focus on the development
of a highly trained and respected workforce. The
IWD team uses meetings, presentations and products
to work with our members to ensure they have the
information required to take full advantage of training
and government programs. We continue to provide the
CCA-endorsed HR Managers Binder and Toolkit both in
print and digital copy to our members. In addition, we
have provided members with presentations on how to
access the Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant and on the
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Applied Project Management
Certificate Online Program. We look forward to
hearing from members on their labour retention issues
throughout the year to better help us meet their needs.
The Saskatchewan Construction Association is the largest
construction employer organization in the province. With
close to 1,400 members active in the industrial, commercial
and institutional sectors of the industry, we have a strong
base in every city and town across the province. Our
association has always maintained a steady focus on
industry training and labour market needs.
The SCA Industry Workforce Development initiative seeks
to bring employers, other associations, training providers,
the provincial government and the federal government
together to establish a coordinated labour market solution
for the construction industry in Saskatchewan. Even
with an extensive amount of work dedicated to this area
more work must be done. Once the IWD work plan is
fully established, it will serve as an excellent model for
other industry sectors and provinces experiencing similar
difficulties in finding skilled workers.
24 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
Having been a long-time industry and association
veteran, Corey Hunchak is well prepared to take over as
the new Board Chair for SCA. Hunchak, President and
CEO of Clearlite Glass Ltd., brings 25 years of industry
experience to the position, along with more than a decade of
association work.
“I am very excited,” he says. “I believe we’ve got a great team
of people together. The industry changes all of the time,
and the board has to grow and evolve to stay relevant. For
the first time in a long time we have a lot more candidates
wanting to sit on the board than we have positions
available. I am so gratified to see so many really good
candidates coming forward who want to be involved in the
SCA. I believe this is a key identifier that our association is
heading in the right direction.”
Long-term commitment
Hunchak has been on the SCA Board of Directors since
2010 and was on the Saskatoon Construction Association
Board of Directors from 2004 to 2011 (he was President
of the Saskatoon Construction Association in 2010) and
served a two-year term on the Executive of the Glass
Dealers Association of Saskatchewan. He also sits on the
current Board of Directors for CANet.
“Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to have
worked for several individuals who were involved in
local, provincial and national industry associations,” he
explains, naming Terry Kotyk, founder of Clearlite Glass,
and Ron Asher, both of whom strongly encouraged him
to get involved with industry associations and of the
importance of giving back to the industry. He adds that
he is surrounded by amazing partners and co-workers
at Clearlite, who afford him the time to be involved in
association work.
“It’s easy to sit back and reap the benefits of other people’s
hard work but I much prefer to be hands on,” he says.
“I encourage the people around me to get involved. The
work we do at Clearlite Glass on a day-by-day basis is
great and very rewarding. But the association work, trying
to improve the industry as a whole – that’s a completely
different type of rewarding and fulfilling experience. The
people and relationships that I have made through the
associations are friendships that will last forever. These
are like-minded individuals who want to see the industry
prosper.”
Hunchak was the first Saskatoon Construction Association
appointee to the revised SCA Board structure in 2010.
“I believe that the revised board structure was a key step
in getting to where we are today,” he says. “I hope I played
a part in helping to get through a difficult time in our
association’s history. In 2009-10, when I sat as the Vice-
President and President of the Saskatoon Construction
By Melanie Franner, Staff Writer, DEL Communications Inc.
nEw BEgInnIngS: Sca wELcomES nEw Board chaIr
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26 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews new Beginnings: Sca welcomes new Board chair
Association, the two large local
construction associations (Saskatoon
and Regina) and the Saskatchewan
Heavy Construction Association
(SHCA) faced the difficult decision
to either totally disband from the
provincial association or re-engage
with our provincial counterpart and
help facilitate the changes needed
to mend the fences in an attempt to
unify the industry in Saskatchewan.
Fortunately our associations chose to
re-engage with the SCA, as it was our
belief that the need to be a unified
industry was key to our industry’s
long-term survival.”
the term ahead
Today, Hunchak is surrounded by a
solid team of committed individuals
and is prepared to take the board into
the next exciting and challenging year.
“I think that the relationships
Mark Cooper and the SCA board
have forged over the past couple
of years with the government, the
local construction associations and
the SHCA, and their engagement
within the industry have taken SCA
to a level that has not been seen
before,” he says. “I believe that we’re
in unchartered territory and the
possibilities that lie ahead are very
exciting.”
At the same time, Hunchak is
well aware of the issues that will
demand imminent attention, such
as P3, immigration and workers
compensation.
“Our primary role is advocacy and
we take that role very seriously,” says
Hunchak. “For example, we know
P3s are here to stay and they are
the only model that currently works
for the government for some of the
mega infrastructure projects being
undertaken in the province. We need
to help educate our members to find
the opportunities available in the P3
models and their potential roles in
these types of ventures and to ensure
we stay engaged with the government
going forward to evaluate how these
projects affect our industry.”
Whatever the issues in the upcoming
year, it would appear that the SCA,
with their industry partners, are
prepared to tackle them head on and
take the industry into the new and
evolving future of construction in
Saskatchewan.
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Industrynews
wIth gratItUdE: Sca paSt chaIr rEtIrESBy Melanie Franner, Staff Writer, DEL Communications Inc.
It is with a deep sense of gratitude
that SCA says goodbye to Kelly Miller,
a long-time board member of the
SCA. Miller most recently served as
Past Chair and was Chair for the four
years prior to that. He has been an
active board member since 2004.
“My view has always been that if
you’re going to get involved, you
might as well get really involved
or else just get out of the way,” says
Miller, who is the longest-serving
Chair in the association’s history.
A proactive and passionate individual,
Miller claims that his service with
the SCA is in response to his 35-
year career in the Saskatchewan
construction industry. “I make my living in this industry,” he
says. “It’s like people who don’t vote.
How can you complain if you don’t
exercise your option? The only way
you can really make a difference is to
sit at the table.”
And Miller has gladly sat at a few
tables over the years.
“Right now, I would say that the
association is in a period of growth
and transition,” he says. “There have
been a few issues in the past, but
all have been resolved over time.
I think the current leadership has
really moved us forward by taking
on new initiatives and expanding the
level of membership services. Also
important is the fact that there is a lot
more interest in getting involved at
the board level. The more people are
interested speaks well for the entire
industry. We need fresh ideas.”
In good hands
Although Miller is leaving the
SCA board, he will remain actively
involved in the industry as President
and General Manager of RNF
Ventures Ltd.
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 29
Industrynews
The SCA thanks Kelly Miller for his incredible service to our association and to the
construction industry in Saskatchewan. Kelly’s leadership and engagement in this
industry stand as a call to others to get similarly engaged. Kelly, you will be missed.
Thanks again for all you’ve done, and thanks to RNF for sharing Kelly with the rest of us.
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“My time with the association has
provided me with opportunities to get
to know my peers and competitors
better, not necessarily from an
adversarial perspective,” Miller says.
“We all have common goals. I can
honestly say that my best friends
are people from the industry. My
company is small compared to some
of the industry giants in this province.
But the SCA has provided me with the
opportunity to meet with and mingle
with these people, many of whom
have since become friends.”
Miller admits that he’s leaving behind
a few “issues” for the next board
members to resolve, issues like the
bundling of P3s, which has essentially
removed many government projects
from the prevue of the smaller
construction companies.
“I am vigorously opposed to the
bundling of P3 projects, which I see
as a threat to companies like mine,” he
says. “Our membership is made up of
1,400 to 1,500 companies, 80 to 90 per
cent of which have 20 employees or
less. How can they compete?”
a Better tomorrow
Looking back over his years of service
to the SCA, Miller describes one of
his proudest moments as having
witnessed the industry come into its
own.
“We’ve always had a special industry
here in Saskatchewan, with a lot of
camaraderie,” he explains. “But I’m
proud that during my tenure, the
industry has become an entity that
people are starting to identify with.
When I came out of school, the trades
were for people who didn’t have the
aptitude for other careers. I’m proud
that the industry has managed to raise
its profile. I am also excited about the
association having been able to make
inroads politically. The SCA has come
a long way during the last 10 years,
and it’s on a good path going forward.”
Miller will view that future path
forward, however, from the sidelines.
“Personally, I am going to focus on
enabling my company to grow and
provide prosperity for all of the young
people we’re trying to attract to this
industry,” he says, adding that he may
also use some of his newfound time
for a few more games of golf!
30 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
Half a century has come and gone
since the SCA came into being so it
seemed only fitting that a special 50th
Anniversary and Member Awards
Gala Banquet was held to honour
such a milestone achievement. Close
to 300 of the industry’s finest came
out to display their support of the
event itself and of the industry peers
being recognized.
“It is a very special time in the
history of this organization,” says
Mark Cooper, SCA President. “I am
happy that so many people were able
to attend and help make it such a
memorable evening. It was a sold-out
awardS gaLa cELEBratES 50 yEarS oF achIEvEmEntSBy Melanie Franner, Staff Writer, DEL Communications Inc.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 31
Industrynews
event that managed to bring together
the past, present and future of the
Saskatchewan construction industry.”
the power of the people
Held on October 23rd at Prairieland
Park in Saskatoon, the 50th
Anniversary and Member Awards
Gala Banquet brought together a
range of industry, members and
dignitaries. Among those who
attended the evening’s festivities
were the Honourable Don Morgan,
Minister of Education, Labour
Relations and Workplace Safety; the
Honourable Nancy Heppner, Minister
of Highways and Infrastructure;
The SCA Board of Directors in attendance, L - R - Kelly Miller, Laird Ritchie, Jason Duke, Allan Webb, Sam Shaw, Todd Craigen, Rob Istace, Randy Schentag, Sean Hamelin, Mike Lamontagne.
5019642014
Celebrating 50 Years
32 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews awards gala celebrates 50 years of achievements
the Honourable Jennifer Campeau,
Minister of Central Services; and the
Honourable Gordon Wyant, Minister
of Justice and Attorney General.
Also in attendance were City of
Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison
and City of Regina Mayor Michael
Fougere.
Steve McLellan, CEO of the
Saskatchewan Chamber of
Commerce, emceed the SCA event,
which began at 5:30 with a cocktail
hour sponsored by Supreme Steel LP.
Hilda Szabo, Executive Director of
the General Contractors Association
of Saskatchewan, gave the Grace
prior to dinner, which kicked off at
around 6:30.
The evening paid special recognition
to several key individuals. For the
first time in the history of the SCA,
the association’s Past Presidents
and Past Chairs were recognized
for their years of service through
a special plaque that was unveiled
that night. Harold Haid, 1981 Board
Chair, was on hand to help unveil
the plaque, which was presented by
Sam Shaw, current SCA Board Chair,
and Manley McLachlan, SCA Past
President.
“I think it was particularly
appropriate and very enjoyable to
listen to Harold Haid recount the
events in the early stages of the
association from his perspective as a
Past Chair,” says Manley McLachlan,
SCA Past President and current
President of the British Columbia
Construction Association. “He
captured everyone’s attention as he
described those early times in the
association.”
The event also recognized two key
individuals with the presentation
of Association Honourary Life
The unveiling of the First Fifty Years of the SCA Plaque, with former SCA President Manley McLachlan, current SCA Board Chair Sam Shaw, and Past Board Chair Harold Haid.
Erick Erickson, Honourary Life Membership recipient Michael Fougere, Mark Cooper.
Honourary Life Membership recipient Leon Friesen, Hilda Szabo, Mark Cooper.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 33
Industrynews
Memberships. Erik Erickson,
Vice President of Commercial
Construction at Deveraux
Developments, presented one of the
awards to Michael Fougere, former
SCA President, while Hilda Szabo
presented the other to Leon Friesen,
former SCA Board Chair and now
President and General Manager of
Westridge Construction Ltd.
Another high point of the evening
was the presentation of the 2014
Lifetime Achievement Award from
Fraser Sutherland, Managing Partner
at Alpine Interior Systems Ltd. to
Darrell Kincaid, President of Kincaid
Interiors Ltd. Kincaid has spent
over 40 years in the Saskatchewan
construction industry. He founded
Kincaid Interiors in 1974, focusing
primarily on residential drywall.
Today, the company has evolved to
meet the demands of the changing
Emcee Steve McLellan, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce CEO.
Construction Management Design-Build
General Contracting
306.979.2232eteraconstruction.ca
SCA President Mark Cooper.
34 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews awards gala celebrates 50 years of achievements
business environment. It now offers specialty subtrade
drywall, metal stud framing, acoustic ceiling and
insulation services.
member awards
The banquet also provided the perfect opportunity to
recognize individual companies with several prestigious
industry awards.
“The award categories were redesigned this year to reflect
the ‘team’ approach, rather than individual organizations,”
says Sam Shaw, President and General Manager of C&S
Builders Ltd. and current SCA Board Chair. “Of course,
the awards were given to individual firms but recognition
was noted to the participating organizations to reach the
award.”
The 2014 recipient of the Community Builder award is
Alliance Energy Ltd. This award recognizes the role that a
member company has played in community development.
Alliance Energy has provided professional electrical
contracting services to the Saskatchewan construction
industry for over 100 years.
Industry Builder winner Wayne Morsky, Morsky Group of Companies, and presenting sponsor Brenda Braaten, buildsask.
Project Recognition over $10 Million presenting sponsor Larry Rosia, SaskPolytechnic, and winner Harley Friesen, Westridge Construction Ltd.
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Industrynews
Community Builder winner Paul McLellan, Alliance Energy, and presenting sponsor Greg Erikson, Affinity Credit Union.
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The winner of the 2014 SCA Industry Builder award is
The Morsky Group of Companies, an organization that
offers a diverse base of expertise across a variety of
construction sectors.
The 2014 SCA Innovation in Action award recognizes
the role a member company has played in innovation,
including innovations in the construction process,
material development, detailing, fabrication, equipment,
procurement, administration, management, labour
relations, environmental management, training, safety
or other. This year’s award recipient is PCL Construction
Management Inc., recognized for its work on the
University of Saskatchewan’s International Vaccine
Centre (InterVac) project, the largest vaccine research
laboratory in North America. This bio-containment
facility, in conjunction with the Vaccine and Infectious
Disease Organization (VIDO), provides space for the
research of current and emerging infectious diseases.
Two other SCA awards that were presented during the
banquet included one for Project Recognition Under $10
Million and one for Project Recognition Over $10 Million.
The 2014 recipient for the former category is RNF
Ventures Ltd. for its renovation work to their office
36 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews
Penn-Truss Mfg. Inc.Phone: (306) 744-2403
Fax: [email protected]
Penn-Truss Mfg. Inc.P.O. Box 418 Saltcoats, Sk. S0A 3R0
www.penntruss.com
Innovation in Action presenting sponsor Jeff Ritter (R), Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trades Certification Commission, and winner Todd Craigen, PCL Construction.
Project Recognition under $10 Million winners Kelly Miller and Allan Webb, RNF Ventures, and presenting sponsor Cory Richter, Graham Construction and Engineering.
awards gala celebrates 50 years of achievements
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The 2014 recipient for the Project
Recognition Over $10 Million is
Westridge Construction for its
work on a $51 million joint-use, K-8
education facility in Swift Current for
the Chinook and Holy Trinity School
Divisions. Westridge Construction
was established in 1989 and provides
a diverse range of general contracting
services.
Spotlight on Sponsors
“I believe our recent 50th Anniversary
and Member Awards Gala was a
huge success,” says Shaw. “It gave the
association the opportunity to recognize
some long-time contributors who
helped mold our association into what
it is today. It also recognized companies
for their contribution to our industry
through their individual projects. And,
of course, this type of event would
never be the success it is without the
tremendous support of the sponsor
companies which either sponsored a
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 37
Industrynews
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specific award or provided monetary
contributions.”
The list of generous sponsors who
helped make the gala such a success
includes the following: Affinity Credit
Union; buildsask; Saskatchewan
Apprenticeship and Trades Certification
Commission; Graham Construction
and Engineering; Supreme Steel
LP; Allan Construction; Alliance
Energy; Saskatchewan Building
Trades; Saskatchewan Polytechnic,
Saskatchewan Construction Safety
Association, Inland Concrete and
Aggregates; Travelers Insurance; and
Merit Contractors Association.
an Event to remember
The 50th Anniversary and Member
Awards Gala Banquet provided
the SCA and the Saskatchewan
construction industry with a time
to reminisce and celebrate a half a Fraser Sutherland, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Darrell Kincaid, and Mark Cooper.
38 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Industrynews awards gala celebrates 50 years of achievements
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century of accomplishments. It also
gave recognition to whom it was due.
“I thought it was a very successful
event in that it provided an
opportunity to bring together the
past and current directors of SCA,”
says McLachlan. “It provided a unique
opportunity for those who were a
fundamental part of the history of the
organization to have a conversation,
one which current members of SCA
could witness and participate in.”
These people are the ones who laid
the groundwork, clearing a path for
the rest to follow.
“The people and organizations in
attendance are a true reflection of
what our province and association
is all about,” concludes Shaw. “They
may be competitors by day but they
become business associates and
friends by night.”
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 39
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Feature
The spotlight on procurement issues
has garnered increasing attention
throughout 2014, with elevated
dialogue between government and
industry and a concerted effort to
devise practical solutions. The call for
open, interprovincial market access,
value-based procurement, and a
standardization of the procurement
process are best practices that promise
to improve efficiency, competitiveness
and business opportunities for
Saskatchewan contractors. New
guidelines and policies, developed
with input by industry, will benefit
all stakeholders right through the
supply chain and ensure the future
sustainability of Saskatchewan’s
thriving economy.
“Procurement is a big file for us, and
there are a lot of initiatives in the
works that will come to fruition in
2015,” says Mark Cooper, President
and CEO of SCA. “We recently
submitted recommendations to the
Premier that include how we can
ensure that Saskatchewan companies
have access to Saskatchewan
procurement opportunities. We also
EFFortS to ImprovE procUrEmEnt opportUnItIES ramp UpBy Lisa Fattori, Staff Writer, DEL Communications Inc.
Executive SummaryHealthy competition, both within Saskatchewan and out
of province, is dependent upon a procurement system that
is fair, transparent and inclusive. While 2014 has been
the year for discussion, 2015 will see talk turn to action,
with the implementation of new initiatives to improve
procurement opportunities for industry, and to make
procurement agencies more accountable in the awarding
of contracts.
Calls for a level playing field, with no trade barriers or
distorted trade practices, is a key issue that will require
compliance among all provinces and penalties for those
who fail to meet rules and requirements. Alternative
procurement models, including P3 and bundled projects,
offer opportunities for some, but restrictions for others. As
in all publicly-funded capital projects, awarded contracts
should display the greatest cost-efficiency and take into
account value-added benefits, such as a contractor’s
knowledge of the marketplace and demonstrated quality.
In 2015, a proposal for harmonized procurement policies
and procedures will lay the groundwork for more
simplified documentation and delivery of tenders. More
clearly defined procurement requirements will increase
efficiencies for all parties and give a greater number of
contractors the opportunity to submit bids. Enhanced
competition ensures the best pricing and quality for
projects, for the most efficient use of taxpayers’ dollars.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 41
need a standardization of processes
and documents to make it less difficult
for contractors who bid on provincial
and Crown projects.”
Submitted to Premier Brad
Wall in November 2014, the
recommendations were co-written
and endorsed by the SCA, Canadian
Manufacturers & Exporters (CME),
the Saskatchewan Manufacturing
Council (SMC), the Saskatchewan
Heavy Construction Association,
the North Saskatoon Business
Association (NSBA) and the
Saskatchewan Industrial & Mining
Supplies Association (SIMSA).
The six recommendations include
establishing an evaluation of value
in awarding contracts, and that this
should be the principle criteria for
Crown and government-funded
procurement. The lowest bid does not
necessarily deliver the best value, and
procurement officers should consider
the larger impact of a proposal,
including product and process
innovation, as well as a contractor’s
knowledge of the marketplace and
ability to provide timely support
services. Demonstrated quality, in lieu
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of warranty, could also be considered,
as well as a candidate’s community
participation and investment,
including job creation.
“We believe in value-based
procurement and accountability to
the taxpayer,” says Derek Lothian,
Vice President of CME and Executive
Director of SMC. “Just as you wouldn’t
buy a car based solely on price,
procurement decisions shouldn’t be
centered on price and price alone. Is
the contractor offering timely support
services? What is the company
contributing to the community, in
terms of investment and job creation?
Does the supplier know the market
and have a track record of quality
and reliability? If these factors are
not taken into consideration, you
are doing your economy, and the
taxpayer, an injustice.”
With the advent of the public-private
partnership (P3) procurement model
and the bundling of projects, provincial
governments are under more scrutiny
to ensure that these alternative
procurement options deliver the best
value for publicly-funded capital
projects. Despite Alberta’s recent
rejection of a P3 school build, the
Saskatchewan government announced
plans in August to move forward with
the construction of 18 new schools,
using the P3 model. The project entails
two bundles of schools: one bundle of
three schools in Regina, and one bundle
of six schools in Martensville, Saskatoon
and Warman. The single Request
for Qualifications (RFQ) closed in
September, with a Request for Proposal
(RFP) by three short-listed candidates
planned for release in fall 2014.
The P3 model is considered more
cost-effective for large-scale projects,
such as hospitals and highways, by
transferring the risk to contracting
recommendations by Industry:• Established evaluation of value, as the principle criteria in
awarding contracts, taking into consideration: product and
process innovation; demonstrated quality; timely access to support
services; demonstrated knowledge of the marketplace; and
community participation and investment.
• Embed regional supplier development resources, tasked
with sourcing and communicating supplier opportunities to
Saskatchewan businesses; guiding Saskatchewan companies
through bid and procurement processes; and advising
Saskatchewan companies about future needs, so that they may
capitalize on supply chain opportunities.
• Establish a dedicated strategic supply chain innovation fund for
small and medium-sized Saskatchewan companies to pursue R&D
and business development activities.
• Clarify, streamline and standardize procurement policies and
procedures, including the maintenance of one, single-window
access point, and provide public disclosure of all awarded tenders.
• Work with signatories to NWP Trade Agreement and other
provinces to harmonize regulatory controls and procurement
practices, and pursue legal action (and restrict access) against
parties who fail to meet rules and requirements.
• Introduce, through Priority Saskatchewan, an industry-led task
force to monitor the state of supply chain access.
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44 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
firms. The contractor is responsible
for cost overruns and, as such, will
perform due diligence at the front end
of a project to ensure a good design.
Bundling a series of projects under
one contract offers efficiencies of scale
– such as bulk buying opportunities
– but may not, in the long run, offer
more bang for the buck because of
reduced competition.
“With the P3 model, in general, there
is no disagreement within industry
for building and managing large
projects, but our members are, for the
most part, not in favour of bundling,”
says Karen Low, Executive Director
of Merit Saskatchewan. “Competitive
bidding results in the best value, but
with these large bundled projects, you
are limiting the number of companies
that can bid. Some companies may
choose to change their business model
and enter the P3 market. However,
that requires quite a bit of up-front
investment. Travel expenses, staff
working to prepare a P3 proposal,
and legal costs to partner with other
companies all take a lot of time and
money. Medium-sized companies
have probably taken a look at the
P3 business model and are saying
that they are doing okay without
them. Saskatchewan has a very busy
construction market with plenty of
other traditional projects available,
so the incentive to change isn’t as
compelling right now.”
While P3 and bundled projects are
only accessible to a handful of qualified
general contracting firms, work gets
contracted out to local sub trades.
Also, the P3 model could benefit
smaller municipalities, who haven’t
the funding on their own for major
infrastructure projects. For example,
a small community in need of a new
water-treatment facility could partner
with other municipalities with the
same needs for the construction and
delivery of the facilities under the P3
model.
“We think there’s the opportunity for
a P4 model – that is, a $2-million to
$3-million dollar project, but one that
is well beyond the capacity of a small
municipality,” says Steve McLellan,
CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of
Commerce. “Financing can, in part, be
through personal investments in the
project by members of the community.
Average incomes have increased, and
people have a lot of interest and pride
in investing in their communities and
seeing them grow as a result.”
While Saskatchewan has a flourishing
construction industry, trade barriers
and trade distorting practices
continue to limit opportunities for
contractors and threaten the long-
term prosperity of the local economy.
Criticisms of unfair bidding processes
for government projects prompted
the province to launch Priority
Saskatchewan, a branch of SaskBuilds
that has been tasked with creating a
more level playing field, in June 2014.
At issue is the lack of an effective,
interprovincial trade agreement,
devoid of loopholes and protectionist
clauses, as well as enforcement
mechanisms, which penalize provinces
that don’t comply. The 1995 Agreement
on International Trade (AIT) has failed
to inspire free trade practices and, in its
wake, a series of micro agreements – in
eastern and central Canada, as well
as in the west, through the New West
Partnership Trade Agreement – have
sprung up to accommodate free trade,
at least regionally. Saskatchewan’s
lack of free trade restrictions, together
with its booming economy and high
volume of public projects, has made
Saskatchewan a mecca of opportunities
for out of province contracts eager to
big on lucrative projects.
“We recently lost a project to a
subsidized Quebec company, so we lost
in an unfair situation,” says Ross Fraser,
Vice President of Supreme Group,
East Region. “The price difference was
less than $50,000, but the cost to the
province in lost wages is $700,000.”
A recent article in The Globe and Mail
reported that subsidies accounted for
four-fifths of the profits of Chinese
steel companies in the first half
of 2014, making it impossible for
Canadian companies to compete.
Saskatchewan companies also have to
contend with higher wages for labour,
when compared to other provinces,
which puts them at a competitive
disadvantage. Labour restrictions
posed by other provinces not only
prevent Saskatchewan companies
from bidding on external projects,
they undermine national training
and certification programs that are
designed to streamline skills sets
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for enhanced worker mobility. In its
recommendations to Premier Wall,
industry has asked that the province
work with other provinces across
Canada, to harmonize procurement
practices and to jointly pursue legal
action and restrict access against
those who fail to meet the rules and
requirements.
Industry is partnering to streamline
and standardize procurement policies
and procedures within government
and Crown corporations. Common
procurement requirements included
in all tender documents would
eliminate unnecessary redundancy.
Project-specific criteria needs to be
communicated clearly to give all
proponents the opportunity to bid
successfully. A single comprehensive
procurement system would reduce
the time and costs associated with
the bidding process, creating a more
competitive bidding market for owners,
thereby reducing overall construction
costs.
“When project scope is unclear and
differs within the government and
Crowns, it increases risk,” says Brenda
Braaten, Executive Director of the
Regina Construction Association. In
our meetings with owners they are
frustrated with the lack of clarification
in the tender documents, contractors
tend to bid projects where the
documents are standardized.
The SCA has been actively working
to standardize procurement processes
and documents across government,
through the Saskatchewan
Construction Panel (SCP). In February
2014, the group’s mandate was updated
to address growth constraints and
cost management challenges. With
representation by both industry
and government agencies, the SCP’s
government representatives are now
more senior and have the authority
to commit to new initiatives that are
developed by the panel.
Within SCP, a nine-member working
group has been established to manage
the association’s standardized
procurement project. In October,
the group issued a RFP to secure a
consultant who will report on options
and recommendations for harmonizing
construction procurement practices
and documents. The report is expected
to be completed and presented to the
working group by June 2015.
“The consultant will be able to identify
new efficiencies and help us to know
where we should focus,” says Tracey
Bakkeli, President of T. Bakkeli
Consultants Inc. “When contractors
are presented with a number of
different documents and processes,
they have to deal with a lot of unique
requirements. Sometimes there are
legitimate reasons why these processes
have to be different, but if it’s not
necessary, then those documents
should be streamlined.”
Despite the conveniences of the
many online procurement systems,
a single access point simplifies the
communication of tendered projects.
The objective of buildsask is to be the
construction industry’s single point of
access to project opportunities. While
the use of buildsask has more than
doubled since its inception in 2011, it is
only one of many online procurement
systems, including MERX and
SaskTenders.
“When you have a number of portals
and ways to communicate, it creates
inefficiencies.” Braaten says. “We
have one member who has 83 unique
log-ins to access projects. It would be
more efficient if people had one central
system.”
In the next six months, government
and industry can expect proposed
solutions to public procurement.
Implementing change may begin with
a small group of procurers, which could
become a template for other groups.
Enhanced communication about
government’s long-term plans, well
in advance of tendered projects, will
enable industry to better respond and
enhances the investment climate for
the province.
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Feature
canada-SaSkatchEwan JoB grant hELpS FUnd EmpLoyEE traInIngBy Lisa Fattori, Staff Writer, DEL Communications Inc.
Executive Summary
A new job grant is helping Saskatchewan companies to
train newly hired employees or to advance workers within
the ranks of an organization to more senior positions.
Introduced in September 2014, the Canada-Saskatchewan
Job Grant (CSJG) pays two-thirds of the cost of training,
with the final third paid by the employer. A maximum
training cost of $15,000 per trainee per year is allowed,
and employers can make multiple grant applications, to a
maximum of $250,000 annually.
While the grant cannot be applied to apprenticeships,
companies within the construction industry can benefit
from training other staff, including personnel in HR,
accounting, marketing and communications, and support
staff. As foremen, supervisors and estimators retire,
positions will have to be filled and contracting companies
can access the CSJG to help fund the training needed to
upskill and promote existing staff.
Industry is currently in discussion with training providers,
including Saskatchewan Polytechnic, about the opportunity
to develop training programs that meet the parameters of
the CSJG, which include an industry recognized credential.
Flexible and accommodating, CSJG training can include
full/part-time programs, as well as online workshop and
seminar training. In the new year, employers can expect to
hear more details about training programs that will be made
available to specific sectors.
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 49
The Canada-Saskatchewan Job
Grant (CSJG) provides Saskatchewan
companies with a funding source
for upgrading the skills of existing
employees or to train new hires to their
organizations. Born out of the Federal
Government’s 2013 Economic Action
Plan, the CSJG received provincial
approval in August 2014 and was made
available to employers September 2nd,
via the Government of Saskatchewan’s
provincial website (www.economy.
gov.sk.ca/job-grant). Available for the
next four years, the CSJG is expected to
kick-start more employer investment
in training, which will help narrow the
skills gap and meet the future labour
needs of industry.
According to the 2013 Saskatchewan
Employment Forecast, Saskatchewan
will need approximately 35,000
new workers and almost 60,000
replacement workers in the next five
years. As in all sectors, the construction
industry is facing a labour shortfall, as
more and more baby boomers retire.
As middle management and supervisor
jobs become available, contracting
firms will have to train employees
to fill those positions. The CSJG was
designed to alleviate the financial
burden of providing that training, so
that companies can maintain a robust
workforce.
“When the jobs grant was first
announced, it was primarily focused
on getting employers to pay more
for training for new staff. In the
construction industry, our companies
already pay the vast majority of
training costs for new employees
through the apprenticeship model, so
the program didn’t make sense. Then
the federal government heard these
concerns and opened up this program
to include the opportunity for upskilling
existing employees,” says Mark Cooper,
President and CEO of SCA. “There is
a pending expertise and productivity
gap in our industry, and the job
grant provides a great opportunity
for companies to manage this gap by
enhancing the skills of their existing
employees and preparing them for more
senior roles.”
The CSJG is available to Saskatchewan
businesses and non-profit organizations,
as well as federal or provincial Crowns
and Indian bands, when jobs are
located in small or remote communities.
Eligible trainees are new or existing
employees who are Canadian citizens
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50 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
or permanent residents. The program
excludes temporary foreign workers
and apprenticeships, and the grant
cannot be used to replace employers’
existing investments in training.
Employers must demonstrate that they
have jobs available for candidates at the
end of the training period.
Each CSJG is a maximum of $15,000 per
trainee, per year, with the government
contributing up to $10,000 and
the employer up to $5,000 towards
eligible training costs. Employers can
make multiple grant applications, to a
maximum of $250,000 annually. To
help offset the costs associated with lost
work time by employees undergoing
training, small businesses with up to
50 workers may be eligible to claim
trainee wages, for up to one-half of
their total contribution. Employers pay
the training costs up front, and then are
reimbursed for two-thirds of those costs
upon completion of the training session,
although pre-payment of the grant is
negotiable in special circumstances.
“This grant is very employer driven,
where employers get to make the
decisions about who they will train
and what kind of training will take
place,” says Jan Kot, Associate Executive
Director for Labour Market Services,
Ministry of the Economy. “Employees
can enhance their skills for a better job,
and employers only have to pay for
one third of the eligible training costs.
Employers needing to upskill entry level
employees to fill available positions now
have a tool to achieve this. We’ve had
great discussions with the construction
industry about the opportunities
provided by the CSJG, and I expect a
good take-up by this sector.”
A key attraction of the CSJG is that
eligible training is flexible. Training
programs are required to be a minimum
of 25 hours, and a maximum of
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canada-Saskatchewan Job grant• Available to all Saskatchewan business looking to upskill existing
employees or train new workers
• Grant pays for two-thirds of training costs
• Allows for a maximum of $15,000 in training costs per trainee, per year,
and multiple grant applications to a maximum of $250,000 yearly.
• Training is a minimum of 25 hours in length, completed within a 52-week
period.
• Industry-recognized credential earned at end of training.
• Fast and easy one-page, pre-qualifying process.
canada-SaSkatchEwan JoB grant hELpS FUnd EmpLoyEE traInIng
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 51
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52 weeks, in length. There are no
restrictions on part-time training
or learning method, and the grant
can be applied to tuition, mandatory
student fees, textbooks and software,
examination fees and GST/HST. The
training must result in a credential,
including a record of completion,
certificate or industry-recognized
credential, by a third party not affiliated
with the employer.
“The beauty of this job grant is that it
can be applied to a number of different
programs, including full-time, part-
time, seminar or workshop type
training,” says Anne Neufeld, PhD,
Provost and Vice President, Academic
at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. “We
applaud the Government of Canada
and the Province of Saskatchewan
for putting this program in place. It
encourages employers to identify their
workforce training needs and provides
the opportunity for industry to partner
with post-secondary institutions, who
can provide the required training.”
While discussions are still in the early
stages, various industry groups are
collaborating with Saskatchewan
Polytechnic to provide input about their
specific needs in employee training. For
many positions, the school’s curriculum
may already accommodate employers,
while more specialized training – such
as courses in estimating – may require
the development of new programming.
Industry’s preference for online or
blended offerings, the opportunity for
evening/weekend training, and specific
skills to be learned will all be taken
into consideration in designing new
programming.
“We’re very excited about this job grant
and think that the program will benefit
Saskatchewan companies in a number
of sectors,” says Dennis Johnson,
Dean of the Schools of Construction
and Transportation at Saskatchewan
Polytechnic. “Right now, discussions
are very preliminary and we’re having
conversations about what might be
needed in developing new programs.
This is a priority and, in the new year,
we’ll be in a better position to share
more details about the training that will
be available.”
In order to measure the impact of the
CSJG investment, the province requires
employers and trainees to report on the
training and results, upon completion
of a program. A follow-up report 12
months later is also required to report
on the longer-term impact of the job
grant.
Applying for the CSJG is simple and
user-friendly, to encourage maximum
participation in the program. Employers
fill out a single page pre-assessment
checklist and application, which is
turned around within a few days.
canada-SaSkatchEwan JoB grant hELpS FUnd EmpLoyEE traInIng
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 53
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CSJG staff will then assist qualifying
employers in completing a two-page
application, which receives approval
in one to three weeks, depending on
the complexity of the application.
Employers can apply online or in person
at six Ministry of the Economy, Labour
Market Services offices, in North
Battleford, Prince Albert, Saskatoon,
Meadow Lake, Regina and Yorkton. As
of the end of October, 14 job grants have
been approved and an additional seven
applications are in various stages of
processing.
“We know employers are busy, so
one of the things we’ve tried to do is
reduce the red tape,” Kot says. “Rather
than have a multiple-page application
process, we created a quick check-list to
pre-apply. Employers can email it, send
it in the mail, or drop it off at one of our
offices. They can call if they have any
questions and we’re happy to provide
assistance. We want to hear from
employers and, even if they are not
eligible for the CSJG, it opens the door,
so that we can start the conversation
about their employment needs and the
services we can offer.”
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54 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Feature
To get where you’re going, you have to know where
you’ve been, and of course, where you are. So agrees the
Saskatchewan Construction Association (SCA), which
over the past two years has taken steps to rework its
foundation in order to step confidently into the New
Year—and beyond.
“2013 and 2014 was all about getting the foundation
in place,” says SCA President Mark Cooper of the work
within the SCA. “We have gone through, and are still
going through, a process of completely transforming every
aspect of the SCA to fully align it with the mandate to
create extraordinary value for members.”
Integral to this transformation is a five-year strategic
plan that will see the association through to 2019. Key
initiatives of the plan include:
• A revised vision and mission statement to become
highly member-focused;
• Plans and efforts structured around member feedback;
• An expansion and improvement of communications
efforts;
• Focused efforts on core services of advocacy, workforce
development, and member engagement;
• Annual operating plans that match up with budget and
are aligned with strategic plans;
• An elevated presence within the industry and the
province through building coalitions; and
• Revisions of governance and operations.
According to SCA past-chair Sam Shaw, the change has
largely been about creating value for dollar. “The last year
or so has been a step back and a re-gathering of the forces
in the association in order to make it more efficient and
better for the member,” says Shaw.
Building upon relationships with government
was invariably high on the list in the association’s
restructuring, according to the SCA past-chair.
“Government relations has been high priority, really
lobbying efforts with government just to make things
better for our industry on a provincial basis,” says Shaw,
who cites the ongoing P3 school contract dialogue as a
prime example of the association’s lobbying on members’
behalf.
For Chair Corey Hunchak, collaborative realignment
with members and local associations was integral to the
association’s restructuring. “We need to make sure the
lines of communication are always open with our member
associations,” says Hunchak. “We’ve made a lot of changes.
We’ve got the new president in place. Communications
and trust [with local associations] need to be reestablished,
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 55
and Mark has done a great job in gaining that ground in a
relatively short time.”
Looking forward to 2015, Cooper shares that the
association will continue to build upon this new
foundation, namely consolidating the changes made and
ensuring they become part of the “new normal” before
confidently stepping into its new identity and moving
forward with the five-year strategic plan.
“[It’s] all about consistency and congruency,” says the SCA
president. “Consistency comes in delivering the same
message in the same way, over and over again until it
becomes routine. Congruency comes in making sure that
our actions match our words – so we can’t get too far
ahead of ourselves.”
Following that, the challenge will be to manage risk while
moving boldly. “Our organization has a lot of work to do
to become the type of vibrant association it should be,”
adds Cooper. “Getting there is going to take bold actions,
in terms of doing lots of new things and doing old things
in new ways. In order to safely take those bold actions, we
need to manage our down-side risk – by minimizing our
cost of failure.”
Hunchak echoes Cooper’s sentiments. “We have to be
careful and cognizant that we don’t take on too much and
that what we do take on, we do well – and that we relay
that back to our members,” he says. “We have to make sure
that we do our own report card and that we’re passing.”
For Shaw, the future of the association will build upon
this foundation accordingly. “My hopes and vision for
2015 is more of a harmonious relationship between local
associations,” he says, “ that we are streamlining our
efforts to provide services to the individual member,
which in turn is value for dollar.”
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56 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Feature
The recent attack on Parliament
Hill has invariably re-opened an
important dialogue within the
construction sector, one pertaining to
the relationship between safety and
public access in public infrastructure.
Competing priorities for security
and public access in public spaces
certainly bring forth an intricate
challenge: the task of securing public
spaces without sacrificing freedom
of access. It is a delicate balance
tasked to the design and construction
community that, in some instances,
may falter.
“Naturally, there are many questions
that must be answered in the advent
of an attack, including enhanced
security measures,” says CCA’s Bill
Ferreira, director of Government
Relations & Public Affairs, who
was working in the association’s
office, just three blocks away from
Parliament Hill, during the October
22nd incident. “Whether additional
security measures are to be adopted
at this point is difficult to say.”
Security measures rumoured to be
under consideration include locking
the main entrance to the Centre
Block, the installation of vestibules in
front of the building’s interior ornate
wooden doorways, and the extension
of the Hill’s security perimeter.
Currently, this type of heightened
perimeter screening is used for
vehicles entering the grounds, but
not for pedestrians.
“Clearly, Hill security, the RCMP and
Members of Parliament will want
to conduct an extensive review to
ensure that they balance the need for
additional security with continued
public access to Parliament,” says
Ferreira. “Personally, I hope any
enhanced security will not make
the parliamentary precincts less
accessible to the general public.”
According to security expert David
Hyde of Toronto-based David
Hyde and Associates, the incident
in Ottawa resulted from improper
risk assessment, particularly in
relationship to the building’s design
and security programming.
“Security is only effective when it’s
integrated and layered and when it’s
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 57
aligned with the risks,” Hyde says.
“You still need to have security staff
who knows how to operate in that
environment.”
As Hyde explains, the first objective
of an effective security program is
to create standoff. “We want the
first layer of security as far away
from the object of protection as
possible,” says Hyde, who cites the
on-foot assailant’s ability to gain
Parliamentary access through the
vehicular bollards as a prime example
of a faulty security plan. “You can’t
protect it by having security standing
at the door because now we’ve let
[the threat] come too far.”
The importance of conducting risk
assessments in public spaces cannot
be understated, and it is ideal – but
not always possible – to conduct
such assessments during a building’s
design phase. As such, retrofits are
common in Hyde’s industry.
Integral elements of a risk
assessment include access control
(restricting access to the lowest
number of entrances that support the
operation and segregation of users)
and defence in-depth (implementing
security at different levels of the site,
such as at the property line, building
envelope, and select interior rooms).
“If we can’t ramp up the levels on one
layer because of the building’s design,
then we need to supplement other
layers so that we get that overall
equilibrium,” Hyde adds.
All told, Hyde is convinced an
unobtrusive balance is an attainable
goal if the proper measures are
enacted. “We now need to do a
very thorough risk assessment at
the outset and really be prepared to
recalibrate the traditional
balance, in my view,
between security on one
hand and accessibility on
the other,” he says. “And
that’s certainly not to say
that we have to forsake one
for the other; it’s my view
that you can have a process
that embraces both.”
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58 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Next PageTHE EXPERTS
Looking back on 2014 and forward to 2015 from the
perspective of a national association like the Canadian
Construction Association (CCA), the following three events
at the federal level from the past year immediately come to
mind:
• The kick-off of the new Building Canada Plan;
• The federal government’s revisions to the Temporary
Foreign Worker Program;
• The announced details concerning the new Express Entry
system and the increases in annual immigration levels.
the new Building canada plan
The new 10-year $53 billion federal Building Canada Plan
(BCP) came into effect on April 1, 2014 replacing the former
seven-year $33 billion BCP. This new program marks the
largest and longest commitment by the federal government
to infrastructure investment in a single plan. Some $14
billion of the $53 billion requires matching provincial/
territorial/municipal funding and/or provincial/territorial
government approvals. While the new BCP in the view of
many got off to a slow start this year due to the need to
renew federal-provincial Gas Tax Agreements and to revise/
negotiate federal-provincial framework agreements for the
new BCP, it is now in full swing and the number of projects
actually underway should pick-up in 2015 and beyond.
the temporary Foreign worker program
As a result primarily of national media stories regarding
alleged abuses and misuses of the Temporary Foreign
Worker Program (TFWP), the federal government took
steps this past year to significantly curtail the use of that
program. While most of the new restrictions are focused on
lower-skilled, lower-wage occupations, the new measures
have made it much more difficult to obtain positive Labour
Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for higher skilled/
higher wage occupations as well.
BuildForce Canada says that the construction industry
needs to find an additional 300,000 workers by 2023 to
replace retirees and to keep pace with demand but that
approximately half will have to come from outside the
industry or indeed outside the country. Today’s shortages
relate to experienced journeypersons, not apprentices or
new entrants. This means that for the short term, the use of
temporary foreign workers must remain a viable, effective
option where no experienced Canadian workers are
available. This is especially true for large resource projects
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 59
THE EXPERTSCCA
or “centres of resource construction”, as BuildForce Canada
calls them, where hundreds of workers are required for a
finite period in often very remote areas of the country.
It would appear pretty apparent that we can expect no new
expedited measures or relaxation of the strict requirements
for the TFWP prior to the next federal election. Many
believe the answer may lie in a more regionally focused
approach that addresses regional shortages and challenges.
Five provincial/territorial governments (Alberta, British
Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Yukon) currently
have annexes to their immigration agreements with the
government that establish LMIA exemptions in their
jurisdictions. In these cases, the provinces and territories
may propose LMIA exemptions for certain occupations in
high demand.
The federal government, however, has given notice that
it will be changing the existing agreements to make LMIA
exemptions for certain occupations much more restrictive.
It will be interesting to see how federal-provincial
discussions proceed in this area particularly where regional
acute shortages are being experienced that may threaten
the success of major construction projects such as LNG or
hydroelectric plants.
Express Entry and Immigration Levels
Starting January 1, 2015, the federal government is
embarking upon a new online system for permanent
immigration to Canada under the various economic
immigration streams including the Federal Skilled Trades
Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Provincial
Nominee Program. Under the new system, foreign
individuals can register on an online database and, where
they have a job offer from a Canadian-based employer and/
or are in occupations in high demand, will be accordingly
ranked and offered an express entry (i.e. no later than
six months processing time) for permanent residency
applications. Annual limits for these economic streams have
been significantly increased for 2015 in anticipation of a
much more expeditious treatment.
Be aware, however, that under the new Express Entry
system candidates must be pre-registered in the database
and must wait to be invited by Citizenship and Immigration
Canada to apply for permanent immigration. The
immigration process cannot be initiated by the applicant
unless invited to do so. The details as to when invitations
will be made for which programs and in what frequency
and number are still unknown.
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Next PageTHE EXPERTSthE ExpErtSimmigration
aLL aBoard For thE nEw ExprESS Entry program
By Anika Henderson, Imagine Immigration & Consulting Services
In January 2015, Citizenship and
Immigration Canada (CIC) will be
launching the Express Entry program,
a new application management
system for economic immigration
programs to help better identify
the best applicants for permanent
positions from a pool of candidates
that both CIC and employers alike are
hoping will meet current and future
labour market needs.
No longer based on a first-come,
first-served application process,
Express Entry will instead rank
candidates using points-based criteria
before candidates are invited to
apply under existing immigration
categories (Federal Skilled Worker,
Federal Skilled Trades, and Canadian
Experience Class). The theory goes
that those who rank higher than their
peers in their select categories for
education, skills, experience, language
ability and other such associated
criteria will ultimately have a better
chance at succeeding in Canada.
The government is claiming that
the benefits of Express Entry lie
in the new program’s similarities
to an online dating service, where
employers must register in the soon-
to-be launched and newly improved
Government of Canada Job Bank.
They can then scroll through the pool
of qualifying applicants and search
for their perfect “match”. Once a
potential employee is selected by an
employer, a notification will be sent
to the candidate to connect with the
employer. If the employer decides
to offer the candidate a permanent
position and obtains a positive Labour
Market Impact Assessment (LMIA),
if necessary, CIC will then issue the
candidate an invitation to apply
for permanent residence. Those
luckless few candidates who are not
selected based on their score and/or
an approved job offer within a year
of their profile’s creation have an
opportunity to reapply the following
year and attempt to improve their
rankings for further consideration.
It is a program that is touted to
improve upon the “passive” process
of old to become a demand-driven
system that actively looks to recruit
candidates based on real employer
needs. It is also believed to be one
that will be much faster, with CIC
promising a six-month processing
time for 80 per cent of applications
after a complete permanent residence
application is received.
In addition to the aforementioned
Job Bank, employers can still access
potential candidates abroad through
traditional methods of advertising.
The major difference being that those
employees sought through those
means will then have to complete
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 61
THE EXPERTSimmigration
the online profile to be entered and
ranked into the Express Entry pool
and then selected by the employer.
While the onus will still lie on
employers to apply for a Labour
Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
and to show evidence that they
were unable to fill the position using
a current permanent resident or
Canadian citizen, Express Entry
LMIAs will be free of charge instead
of the requiring the usual $1,000
LMIA application fee that exists for
foreign workers geared for temporary
contracts. This will offer considerable
savings to the employer. However,
these special LMIAs used to support
permanent residence applications will
not allow the candidate to apply for a
temporary work permit.
For those employers who may already
have a temporary foreign worker,
obtained via the traditional LMIA/
Work Permit process, the temporary
foreign worker employee will need
to create an Express Entry profile,
including the employers job offer
and they should then receive an
invitation to apply for permanent
residency that will be processed in six
months or upon receipt of a complete
permanent-residence application
As a whole, the strength of this
program lies in the ability for CIC to
prioritize candidates that meet current
labour market needs to apply for
permanent residence. It allows those
candidates with LMIAs and job offers
or who have been nominated through
provincial nominee programs to
automatically receive extra “ranking
points” that will boost them higher in
the Express Entry rankings.
In this way, Saskatchewan employers
can have a direct role in recruiting
new immigrants and know that
they are here for the long haul as
permanent residents of Canada. The
end result for employers will be less
time spent looking for highly skilled
employees, less time spent trying
to help these employees acquire
permanent residency, and less money
spent in providing the government
required LMIA. Note, however, that
Express Entry cannot be utilized
for NOC C- and D-level occupations.
To bring in lower skilled workers,
employers will have to continue
to rely on the Temporary Foreign
Worker Program and the traditional
LMIA process.
The remaining details of this program
will unfold when Express Entry
comes into effect in January 2015.
There is no doubt that the impact
of the Express Entry program on
Saskatchewan’s construction industry
will be significant indeed.
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62 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Next PageTHE EXPERTSlegal
LookIng ForwardBy Murray R. Sawatzky, McDougall Gauley
Yogi Berra played Major League Baseball for 19 years for
the New York Yankees. He played on ten World Series
championship teams, is an MLB Hall of Famer, and was
probably one of the best catchers in baseball history.
However, his legacy includes many of his quotable quotes,
which includes the topic of this article.
The theme of this issue is looking back at what has
happened and also looking into the future. From a legal
perspective, one of the most interesting developments
was the evidence of the Charbonneau Commission, a
commission of inquiry on the awarding and managing of
public contracts in the construction industry in Quebec.
The mandate of the commission was to examine the
existence of schemes involving collusion and corruption in
the provision and management of public contracts in the
construction industry and to include any links with the
financing of political parties. The commission was also to
look into the possible infiltration of organized crime in the
construction industry and examine possible solutions and
make recommendations to identify, reduce and prevent
collusion in construction. Sixty-seven written briefs have
been filed. Over 118 suspects, including several mayors,
have been arrested.
The testimony was fascinating. Details of bid-rigging
and awarding public contracts in exchange for political
donations were provided in salacious detail. Envelopes and
briefcases of cash were allegedly provided to politicians. We
saw the resignation of Lavalle Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt
in November of 2012, although he denied all corruption
allegations against him (he was later charged with
gangsterism). We saw the resignation of Montreal Mayor
Gerard Gerald Tremblay on November 25, 2012 as a direct
result of the revelations made in the commission. Then
the resignation of the interim Mayor of Montreal Michael
Applebaum on June 18, 2013 after his arrest and fourteen
criminal charges stemming from activities linked to
companies central to the commission’s testimony.
However, the report itself is not due until April of 2015. It
should be an interesting read. On a happier note, perhaps
the result of the inquiry will make everyone more aware
and concerned about the propriety of tendering and the
awarding of contracts in the construction industry.
We have had a discussion on the use of P3s in an earlier
edition of this magazine. I predict that the use of the P3
model will continue to flourish into the New Year and the
years beyond. The City of Regina has recently reported on
the award of the wastewater treatment plant project. This
is the largest design build, finance, maintain and operate
project relating to a wastewater treatment plant in Canada.
Hopefully, the private business model is exposing
efficiencies in the construction and management of larger
facilities.
This year also marks the completion of the world’s first
integrated carbon capture and storage demonstration
project at Boundary Dam, near Estevan, Saskatchewan.
Needless to say, Saskatchewan has been at the forefront on
many projects, and there appear to be many more to come.
Despite some concerns that the economy may be slowing
somewhat, and given that the resource based aspects of this
economy are not as robust as a few years ago, it appears
that the year ahead will be challenging, and hopefully
prosperous. As we look to the future, remember these
famous words from Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where
you are going, you might wind up somewhere else”.
“The future ain’t what it used to be.” - Yogi Berra
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 63
THE EXPERTS
Marketing and branding serve many different purposes,
not just increasing sales. They also impact another very
important part of your business: recruiting and retaining
top employees. To be the best, you need to hire the best. Top
talent wants to work for companies that are leaders in their
industry.
When individuals make career decisions, a large portion
of that decision is based on the company itself, not just
the role. The stronger your brand and the more positive
association’s people have with it, the easier it will be for
people to make the decision to work for you. Potential
employees are watching, reading and listening to your
company every day, and their opinions of your business will
be a major influence on how they view you as an employer.
The existing skills and experience gap facing the
construction industry is very apparent. There are currently
not enough workers with the right mix of skills and abilities
in Saskatchewan to do the work that is required. Given the
current situation, it has become increasingly important to
have talented people working for your company.
Marketing your business as an industry leader can not
only help to increase sales, but also help attract and retain
employees. Overall, the goal of marketing and branding is to
ensure your business gets potential customers to see your
company as a solution to their needs. Marketing to potential
employees is the same idea; you want them to see your
company as a solution to their career needs. The candidate’s
excitement turns into loyalty and retention.
Some of the largest companies in the world market
themselves to recruit and retain top talent. Take Caterpillar
as an example. They are one of the most recognizable
industrial brands in the world and have been a very
traditional brand over the last number of years. Recently,
though, they’ve begun shifting their marketing approach.
Caterpillar released a new series of videos showcasing the
benefits of their products, the “Built For It Trials” (http://
www.cat.com/en_US/built-for-it.html).
In one video, Caterpillar showcases their heavy machinery
playing a game of Jenga with 600-pound blocks. The
videos have garnered a lot of interest from a whole new
audience. Renee Richardson, Global Brand Marketing Head
at Caterpillar, noted the strategy was not only about getting
new customers, but also attracting potential employees with
content that engages and excites them. “We’re a very large
company and we like to attract the best and the brightest.”
Employees want to take pride in their work; they want to
do something meaningful. They want to see that potential
in your business when they make career decisions, and
therefore, you need to ensure that you stand out from your
competitors so the best employees choose you. You probably
pay relatively the same as others in your industry, and so
it will be the “soft” factors that will tip the scales in your
direction.
You may not need to increase sales, but do you have the
right people to do the work?
By Lindsay Bryson, Account Executive, Look Matters
communications
markEtIng For EmpLoyEE rEcrUItmEnt
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64 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Next PageTHE EXPERTShumanresources
By Sherry Knight, President and CEO, Dimension 11 Ltd.
Surprisingly, 2014 saw Dimension 11 Ltd. conduct a large
number of outplacements – people losing their jobs due
to a variety of reasons. The biggest reason is based on the
economic situation in the province in the natural resources
and agricultural fields which has created a restructuring.
Recognizing that the speed and amount of growth will drop
in Saskatchewan in 2015, there are still huge needs.
Employees are becoming a rare commodity. Even
immigration has changed in Saskatchewan so filling roles
through this process will not be as easy as it was in the past.
Let’s have a look at the four biggest challenges for 2015.
recruitment
The majority of those who have lost their jobs are re-
employed. Some, however, have chosen to retire and a few
have either started a business or gone back to school. This is
great news for employers as it provided more individuals to
fill vacant recruitment positions.
Knowing you are fighting for a smaller pool of people (and it
will get smaller in the years to come), you want to think six
months ahead about your needs and start preparing. Yes, I
know, you don’t need anyone right now and you don’t think
you will need anyone in the near future. Wrong! Today
we are living at a time where the relationship between
employers and employees are very fragile and the age of
“unquestioning loyalty” is over. People today are known to
leave without the requisite two weeks’ notice! The reality
is you should always be thinking about possible openings
on your staff. The chances of people not leaving are slim –
consider these common reasons why people leave today:
• Decisions to retire
• Spouse has retired
• Desire for more satisfying work
• Desire for promotion
• Desire for travel, sports, etc.
• Desire for a relocation to better climate or to be closer to
friends
retention
As discussed, the biggest challenge next to recruitment in
2015 will be retention. Many clients are beginning to make
the kinds of adjustments necessary to think outside the box.
Here are a few ideas to retain younger and older employees:
Younger
• Give people their birthdays off
• Provide work time off when the weather is good for
skiing, surfing, etc.
Older
• Pay a premium on the retirement plan if an individual
chooses to top it up while the initial payment is totally
covered by employers
• A professional-grade putting green
A major element in retention is to ask your employees what
they want when they go above and beyond their regular
work. Having asked that of various employees, we heard
such responses as: more training, time off to spend with
family and verbal recognition. Interestingly, no one asked
for more money.
transfer of knowledge
In 2015, some companies will have a minimum of 40 per
cent of their personnel eligible for retirement! Add this to
the fact that as much as 80 per cent of how the job is done
is in the heads of those who have done it for years, and you
have a potential disaster. A certain amount of knowledge is
unique to each company; thus, it cannot be acquired from
outside the organization.
FoUr StEpS to FIxIng thE pEopLE chaLLEngES In 2014’S workpLacE
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 65
In one case, a client hired three different employees but had
no action plan to transfer knowledge to his new employees.
None stayed because he did not recognize his organization’s
unique knowledge base needs.
Generally, staff do the best job they can do. However, often
there is no training program to ensure people are doing
the job in the most appropriate manner. The most effective
training is orchestrated by experienced co-workers in the
actual job environment who provide the “informal” training
critical to a job well done!
coaching
Thinking ahead, you are going to be moving your Gen
X and even your Gen Y employees into supervisory and
management roles. Are you comfortable and ready with
the change this will bring? Change is their culture – they
know there is not one “perfect” way to achieve success. As a
generalization, these individuals are great with their technical
skills. Their challenge is in leading others because they were
brought up with less emphasis on face-to-face communication.
You will need to provide coaching to these “up and comers”
as you prepare them to take over new roles. If you choose
not to, you are setting yourself and them up for failure. It’s
not worth it – you will either pay for it before or after, and
usually when you pay for it after, the fact is you are paying
more. Coach these younger generations in a way that you
don’t override but instead enable their potential.
conclusion
The future has many bright spots. Today, we are in a time of
constant change where “old tricks” don’t necessarily work.
If you take the time to plan and organize your needs, 2015
can be the start of a great growth spurt regardless of the
slow upward movement in the GDP. Ask yourself how these
four areas: recruitment, retention, transfer of knowledge
and coaching will bring out and support a “culture of
change” where change is constant and supported. Plan,
execute and review each step of the way.
Copyright Sherry Knight 2014. All rights reserved.
Sherry Knight is President & CEO of Dimension 11 Ltd., a leader
in people and performance development. Dimension 11 helps
companies realize stronger profits so they can create more jobs
and better communities.
Sherry Knight, 306-586-2315
[email protected] • www.dimension11.com
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thE ExpErtShumanresources
66 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
The arrival of a new year provides a time for a 360-degree
look at the year we are leaving behind and the year we are
welcoming.
At the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade
Certification Commission, our goal is to build on the
previous year, reflect on lessons learned, and create a
continually better apprenticeship and trade certification
system. We are appreciative of all of our partners, including
the Saskatchewan Construction Association, who help us
accomplish this goal each year.
In 2014, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship continued to work
toward the strategic initiatives as outlined by our board of
directors in the strategic plan. We were pleased with the
results of many ongoing initiatives that resonated with our
apprentices and stakeholders.
The Government of Saskatchewan, our primary funder,
has continued to provide funding for an additional 300
technical training seats each year. We are maximizing the
number of technical training seats that are utilized. In 2013-
2014, we filled 98.1% of the seats purchased, showing a very
efficient use of public funding.
This statistic can be found in our 2013-2014 Annual Report,
which was tabled in late October. It contained highlights from
Saskatchewan Apprenticeship’s fiscal year of July 1, 2013 to
June 30, 2014. This year saw the highest number of registered
apprentices in Saskatchewan’s history, with 10,352.
The majority of technical training is provided through our
partners at Saskatchewan training institutions, including
Saskatchewan Polytechnic. We have introduced innovative
methods of delivering technical training in order to address
capacity challenges in high-demand trades, as well as to
assist apprentices for whom traditional delivery is not
feasible.
Saskatchewan Apprenticeship once again offered electrical
summer technical training classes, and hybrid online/
in-class training was developed in the carpenter trade for
Levels 1 to 3. For selected classes, this new training approach
replaces the traditional seven weeks of in-class technical
training with an instructor-guided online environment that
apprentices can access from home. This is followed by three
weeks of full-time, in-class training and allows apprentices
to remain at home and on the job longer than the traditional
approach to technical training.
A few policy and regulation changes were made in the
past year in response to internal and external needs.
Beginning January 1st, 2015, there will be a $10 per week
increase to apprenticeship tuition, to $85 per week in most
programs. These fees remain among the lowest in Canada,
and apprenticeship training remains one of the most cost-
effective methods of post-secondary training.
As of October of 2014, there was a regulation change to
remove the four-attempt limit to challenge certification
exams. In situations where circumstances warrant, clients
who exhaust their four attempts will now be allowed
an additional attempt at certification. Saskatchewan
thE ExpErtSapprenticeship
By Jeff Ritter, CEO, Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission
360-dEgrEE vIEw – LookIng Back and ahEad
Steel Screw PilesSolid Foundation Systems
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Fred Roy(306) 961-0707
Joe Cook (306) 930-7908
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Saskatchewan S0J 0N0
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 67
thE ExpErtSapprenticeship
Apprenticeship will continue to exercise due diligence in
developing and ensuring clients complete their training
plans, as this is not a change to simply allow more than four
attempts but rather to provide some flexibility when needed
for the SATCC in dealing with clients.
In September 2014, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship removed
the one year waiting period for Internationally Trained
Workers to challenge the Journeyperson exam. The waiting
period was implemented to allow workers to become more
familiar with Canadian codes and methods. However,
this change better aligns Saskatchewan with the rest of
Canada and removes potential impediments for individuals
achieving certification.
This change was part of our ongoing work with colleagues
on Canadian harmonization initiatives. Through the New
West Partnership initiative with Alberta and BC, our efforts
are to remove barriers to apprenticeship mobility between
the provinces. We are also part of the Canadian Council
of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) harmonization
initiative, which has the broader goal of harmonizing
apprenticeship between Canadian provinces and territories.
Any changes to our current system of apprenticeship
and certification would take place following significant
consultation efforts with our provincial stakeholders.
As chair of the CCDA for the next two years, I am focused
on encouraging dialogue between key stakeholders on
the Red Seal Program, determining how to best meet
stakeholder expectations, and ensuring that apprenticeship
training and certification are key components of policy
initiatives in government.
We are very proud of our delivery of ACCUPLACER® and
MyFoundationsLab®. This began as a pilot project in June of
2013, and is a new assessment tool. The assessment, called
ACCUPLACER®, is designed to strengthen the essential skills
of the 10 to 15 per cent of apprenticeship applicants who do
not meet the entrance requirements. The tool determines
whether the client has the ability to enter directly into
apprenticeship, or if additional training is required. A path
forward would then be designed using MyFoundationsLab®.
These tools have proven extremely successful and will be
utilized on an ongoing basis.
The successful Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (SYA)
program continues, and we are looking at methods to expand
the program to raise the awareness of the skilled trades and
apprenticeship in younger audiences as well.
Another focus for the SATCC in 2015 will be on employer
engagement. The broad goals of the plan are to: increase the
number of employers who hire apprentices, increase the
number of apprentices each employer hires, increase the
number of employers who hire first year apprentices, and
encourage tradespeople to challenge the journeyperson exam.
Saskatchewan Apprenticeship is a proud partner of Skills
Canada Saskatchewan, and we are very much looking forward
to the 2015 provincial event to be held in Moose Jaw in April,
in addition to the 2015 Skills Canada national event, which will
be held in Saskatoon from May 27th to 30th. The event is the
Olympics of the skilled trades and will showcase Canada’s very
best here in our province.
It is an exciting time to be working in Saskatchewan’s skilled
trades sector, and we look forward to continuing to support
and collaborate with all of our partners in 2015.
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68 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
This is a statistical summary of the Saskatchewan
construction industry in 2014 and the outlook for 2015.
The focus is on the non-residential sector, but some of the
statistics unavoidably include the residential part of the
industry and this is noted in the text.
capItaL InvEStmEnt
Economists classify the construction industry as a “goods-
producing” industry. The industry is, however, “service-
producing” in the sense that construction only happens
when others choose to invest.
Figure 1 shows that the driver for construction, namely
the amount invested by others to pave roads, drill for new
oil wells, or build new office towers was near $12 billion in
2014, the same level as in the previous two years and double
the level in the mid-2000s.
More than one-half of the $12 billion was invested in
the resource sector – mining, oil and gas extraction. The
transportation sector and governments were also major
investors with capital investments of $1.3 billion and $1.0
billion respectively.
BUILdIng pErmItS
The value of building permits is also a measure of the
investment that drives activity in the construction industry
but it is a narrower measure because it is confined to the
construction of commercial, industrial, or institutional
buildings.
Figure 2 shows that the value of non-residential permits
will end the year near $1.2 billion. This is lower than the
value in 2012 and 2013 but still double the level in the mid-
2000s.
The commercial sector accounted for nearly three-quarters
of the activity in 2014 and is the largest of the three
categories. The value of commercial projects will grow by
thE ExpErtSconstruction data
By Doug Elliott, Publisher, Sask Trends Monitor
thE StatE oF thE SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon IndUStry
$0
$2
$4
$6
$8
$10
$12
$14
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 1: Capital Investment in the Construction of Non-Residential Facilities,
Saskatchewan
billions
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 2: Value of Non-Residential Building Permits, Saskatchewan
millions
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 69
legalthE ExpErtSconstruction data
16 per cent this year to reach $855 million. The value of
industrial and institutional projects will decline by 63 per
cent and 16 per cent respectively.
Regionally, the slowdown is most evident in Saskatoon
where the value of permits is off by a third. Regina will see
a 10 per cent increase and activity outside the two major
cities will be unchanged from 2013.
EmpLoymEnt
Counting both the residential and non-residential
construction sectors, employment will grow by 8.5 per
cent this year to reach 52,200. This is an all-time high for
the province and occurred even when employers were
having trouble filling skilled positions. Construction now
accounts for nine per cent of those working in the province
compared with five per cent ten years ago. Among eighteen
industry groups, construction is the third largest behind
retail trade and health care.
As Figure 3 shows, 2014 marks the third year for strong
employment growth. From 2011 to 2014, employment has
grown by an average of 9.2 per cent per year. This compares
with 4.9 per cent per year in Alberta and declines in
Manitoba and B.C. The majority of these jobs are full-time
(93 per cent), permanent (59 per cent), and paid rather than
self-employed positions (71 per cent).
In seven economic regions in Saskatchewan, employment
grew this year in six – all but the northern part of the
province – with particularly strong growth outside the cities
of Regina and Saskatoon.
Paid employment is available by the type of firm. The
figures show that employment growth was strongest in a)
non-residential general contractors and b) specialty trade
contractors. Employment dropped slightly among heavy
construction firms.
nUmBEr oF FIrmS
With the strong demand, the number of construction firms
in the province is growing. This increase will be partly
because out-of-province firms have set up a business in the
province (or have moved here entirely) and partly because
the normal growth in the number of firms will have
accelerated.
Excluding firms exclusively involved in residential
work and self-employed individuals, there were 3,800
construction firms in the province in June 2014. The
number has grown steadily from fewer than 2,710 in 2008
(see Figure 4). The number of larger firms, taken as those
with at least 20 employees, increased from 281 in 2008 to
340 in 2014.
In 2014, there were increases in each subcategory of
firm but the fastest growth was among those involved in
structural work and exterior finishing.
Regionally one-half of these firms are located in Regina
or Saskatoon, 12 per cent are in other large urban centres,
leaving 38 per cent in towns and smaller cities.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 3: Construction Employment (residential and non-residential),
Saskatchewan
thousands
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 4: Number of Firms with at Least One Employee (excluding residential),
Saskatchewan
70 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
wagE ratES and EarnIngS
The economic law of supply and demand means that, with
the strong demand for employees, wage rates will increase.
This has been the case in Saskatchewan in recent years.
Counting both the residential and non-residential sector,
the average hourly wage rate in the construction industry
will increase by six per cent to reach $27.20 in 2014. As
Figure 5 shows, this follows a small decline in 2013 that
interrupted a series of rapid increases in the late 2000s. The
average annual growth rate from 2011 to 2014 will be 4.2
per cent which is well above the rate of inflation and higher
than in Alberta or Manitoba.
The $27.20 hourly wage rate in the construction industry
will be seven per cent above the provincial average of
$25.40 this year.
The sharp increase in wage rates is having the expected
effect on employee’s earnings. Excluding firms working
exclusively in the residential sector, average gross earnings
before taxes in 2014 will be up 4.5 per cent to $1,283 per
week if overtime and other premium pay is included.
Within the non-residential sector, earnings have increased
the most quickly among general contractors and the
specialty trade firms.
SUmmary and oUtLook For 2015
There is little doubt that 2014 was a good year for the
construction industry in general and the non-residential
side of the business in particular. Furthermore, this was
not a one-time occurrence. Depending on the indicator,
strong growth has been evident for at least the last three
$10
$12
$14
$16
$18
$20
$22
$24
$26
$28
$30
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 5: Average Hourly Wage Rate in Construction (residential and non-
residential), Saskatchewan
$700
$800
$900
$1,000
$1,100
$1,200
$1,300
$1,400
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 est
Figure 6: Average Weekly Earnings Including Overtime (excluding residential),
Saskatchewan
thE ExpErtSconstruction data
2014wasanotherbusyyearfor
thenon-residentialpartofthe
Saskatchewanconstructionindustry
withrecordsbrokenforthenumber
offirms,employment,andearnings.
Thestronggrowthhasbeenevident
forthepastthreeyears.From2011
to 2014:
• capitalinvestmentinnewnon-
residentialconstructionwill
average$12billion;and
• thevalueofnon-residential
buildingpermitswillaverage$1.3
billion.
Thishighlevelofinvestmentmeans
thatfrom2011to2014:
• constructionemploymentgrew
by9.2percentperyear;
• thenumberoffirmsincreasedby
6.5percentperyear;and
• averagegrossearningsgrewby
4.7percentperyear.
Thereareanumberofmajorprojects
underwayso2015willbeanother
busyyear.Butthestatisticaltea
leavessuggestthatgrowthwillslow
fromtheeye-wateringlevelsinthe
recentpast.
In a nutshell...
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 71
years and some could argue for the last ten. Nor is it limited
to any one sector – there has been growth in industrial,
institutional, and commercial work. How long can this
continue?
Several factors will limit short-term growth. The first of
these is the most important.
• Commodity prices, including grain prices, are falling
which will dampen investment in the mining and oil/gas
sectors and, to a lesser degree, in agriculture. This will
ripple through the rest of the economy.
• Falling commodity prices will have a negative impact
on the provincial treasury dampening infrastructure
spending by the public sector.
• Increasing construction costs and an ongoing shortage of
skilled workers will continue to limit growth.
• Alberta’s economy is growing rapidly which will attract
investment and workers.
On the other hand, there are just as many factors that
suggest growth will continue albeit at a slower pace. Again,
the first is the most important
• The Saskatchewan economy has a good deal of
momentum that will help the industry weather a short-
term downturn. In particular, there are a number of
large projects under way such as the football stadium in
Regina, new schools throughout the province, and the
children’s hospital in Saskatoon. These will keep the non-
residential building sector busy in the short term.
• The USA economy is recovering and this has traditionally
had a beneficial effect on the Saskatchewan economy.
• The lower commodity prices will have a beneficial effect
in the sense that materials needed in construction (e.g.
steel, diesel fuel, asphalt) will be less expensive making
new capital investment more attractive.
Building permits are, to some extent, a leading indicator
and they are lower in late 2014 so it is clear that growth in
2015 will not be as robust as in previous years. Our view is
that the positive factors listed above outweigh the negative
ones so there will still be growth in 2015, just not at the eye-
watering levels in the last few years.
Source: Sask Trends Monitor based on Statistics Canada data
All of the underlying data used in this report are from a “data
warehouse” maintained by the Saskatchewan Construction
Association. Some of the statistics, with employment and
hourly wage rates being the best examples, refer to the entire
construction industry whereas others refer specifically to the
non-residential sector.
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legalthE ExpErtSconstruction data
72 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
2014 has been incredible! This year, I
became President of your Saskatchewan
Construction Safety Association
(SCSA). Looking back over this period,
I am amazed that Saskatchewan has
continued its phenomenal growth in
the construction sector, and with that
growth a renewed effort by industry
leaders to drive and support a strong
safety culture on Saskatchewan
worksites. Evidence of this is seen
through the record number of safety
training requests and demand from
companies seeking to qualify for the
Certificate of Recognition (COR™)
program, the nationally recognized
standard in safety management
certification.
2014 has been a time of new transitions
within the SCSA and the world of safety
in general. We have started to see a
shift in business culture where more
and more companies are beginning
to see the benefits of strong safety
programs to protect their human
assets in a tight labour market. Many
are beginning to capitalize on this as
they proudly display their long term
commitments to safety and are able
to be more confident in controlling
avoidable losses due to injury or
property damage. Your SCSA has begun
thE ExpErtSSCSA
By Collin Pullar, President, Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association
SaFEty… aLwayS LookIng Forward!
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ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 73
THE EXPERTSSCSA
CONSTRUCTION
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Gerard [email protected]
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to adjust its focus on higher engagement
with clients, developing expertise and
ensuring the programs, services, and
business model through which we
deliver continue to be relevant, cutting
edge and of high value to the industry.
As an example, we are excited to be beta
testing a new electronic safety audit tool
with some of our members. The SCSA
developed this tool with our members
and is proud that it is the first of its kind
amongst Canadian construction safety
associations.
In the last several months, leaders in the
construction industry have also taken
steps to initiate a process to establish an
industry accepted training standard for
companies that deliver fall protection
training in Saskatchewan. While
this project is still in the embryonic
stages, it marks a collaborative
effort by our industry partners to
make improvements to safety while
reducing individual business costs and
duplication. The SCSA is excited to be
facilitating this work as we know it
can only assist companies in becoming
safer, strategic and more competitive in
bringing high value to their clients.
We look forward to what will unfold
over the next year. The association
will be celebrating its 20th year
with a gala formally recognizing
the volunteer contributions of
Saskatchewan’s construction industry
leaders who have made an impact
on lives of workers, performance of
companies, and competitiveness of
the entire industry in this province.
Please join us at this incredible event:
Saskatchewan Construction Safety
Association’s Evening of Honour Gala –
Celebrating 20 Years of Industry Driven
Commitment to Safety on May 1, 2015
at the Delta Hotel Regina. Watch for
event information coming soon.
Finally, we know to win big in safety in
2015, we will need to work even harder
at collaborating with key industry
partners such as the Saskatchewan
Construction Association, Regina and
Saskatoon Regional Home Builders
Associations, Saskatchewan Building
Trades Council, Saskatchewan
Apprenticeship and Trade Certification
Commission, Saskatchewan Workers’
Compensation Board and many others
to continue to raise awareness and
move a culture of safety forward in
Saskatchewan.
Collin Pullar is the President of the
Saskatchewan Construction Safety
Association, an industry driven enterprise
with nearly 9,000 homebuilding and
commercial construction member
companies in Saskatchewan. Its mission
is to provide high-quality safety training
and advice to construction employers
and employees that will lead to reduced
human and financial losses associated with
injuries.
Have a safe and happy holiday season.Please remember to always work safe.
w o r k s a f e s a s k . c a
74 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
Next PageTHE EXPERTS
Are Saskatchewan construction companies big enough to
compete on a national, let alone international basis?
This is an important issue for the present and future as
major construction projects are taking place across the
province. But a lot of the work we see being done on the
large commercial/industrial projects (which is where the
Saskatchewan Building Trades are focused) is increasingly
going to out of province companies, who have the size
to tackle the mega-projects in mining, energy and major
infrastructure projects like K + S Potash and Regina’s
wastewater project.
Trade and labour barriers are already falling within
western Canada, particularly due to the New West
Partnership between British Columbia, Alberta and
Saskatchewan, which will lower interprovincial barriers to
trade, investment and labour mobility to further enhance
the competitiveness of Canada’s western provinces. We
also have the Canada European Trade Agreement (CETA)
in the process of being ratified, which will allow greater
access for Canadian firms to do business in Europe, and
in reciprocation, greater access for European firms to bid
on Canadian projects. These two initiatives alone require
Saskatchewan companies to be more competitive. And let’s
not forget the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will
open up our markets to Pacific nations.
The opening of Saskatchewan to more out of province
companies getting work here presents both risk and
opportunity. The risk is smaller Saskatchewan companies
being unable to compete with the economies of scale
provided by larger national and international companies.
On the plus side, it opens up other markets to Saskatchewan
companies who have the will and ability to seek out new
opportunities in other jurisdictions. While the Building
Trades are happy to work with whatever company is
providing work, we do have a preference for working for
Saskatchewan-based companies or multinationals who have
a base in our province.
Who will be Saskatchewan’s champion to compete with these
multinationals? Which Saskatchewan company will take the
lead, not just in providing Saskatchewan contractors to work
on Saskatchewan projects, but also to take the lead in seeking
out business in other provinces and countries?
At one time not too recently, it would not have been
possible to consider Saskatchewan as being the kind
of province that had an economy that could support a
homegrown construction company that could compete on an
international scale. Now, with the boom maturing and our
economy one of the strongest and diverse in the country, it
is now possible to dream big, dream nationally and dream
internationally.
The solution may lie in consolidation, moving from small
owner-operators to bigger corporations. Companies like
Stanley Engineering and SNC-Lavalin started small and
developed into national and multinational entities. It may
make sense for the smaller companies to come together to
create a bigger entity better able to compete in the new, more
open Saskatchewan economy coming our way.
labour
By Terry Parker, Executive Director/Business Manager, Saskatchewan Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council
BIg EnoUgh to compEtE?
PRINTED IN CANADA | 12/2014
ISSUE 4 • wIntEr 2014 • LookIng Forward, LookIng Back 75
THE EXPERTSlabour
Another option might see far-sighted businesses that put
the current system into a more corporate mode. This is
happening in the auto dealership sector, driven in part by
the demographics that affect all businesses. As the Baby
Boomers retire out of the trades, they also retire out/sell
out of the ownership. In other fields, this has been viewed
as an opportunity, not a threat. The auto industry, for
example, has been a classic case of small dealerships run
by a single owner-operator. Now, a relative newcomer on
the scene, AutoCanada, is corporatizing the field buying up
the independent dealerships as the current owners look to
retire and don’t have interest within their families to take
on the business. AutoCanada is in the business of buying up
privately held auto dealerships, and improving profitability
through finding efficiencies and expanding marketing. The
company has benefited from an abundance of high-quality
dealerships in which the current dealer base is aging and
many owners are looking to sell their businesses and retire.
It currently has over 1,500 employees across Canada and is
one the hottest stocks on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Could such a thing happen here in our construction
industry?
It’s a provocative thought and one that bears some
serious examination – and debate – in the province.
More competition, not less, is clearly in the future for the
Saskatchewan construction industry. We also have to
consider that the current SaskaBoom is maturing; the big
mega-projects are underway but will be complete in the
near future. What then? And Saskatchewan historically
is a boom-and-bust province, driven by rising and falling
commodity prices. Once this upturn is complete, having a
few larger Saskatchewan-based construction companies
then could have the advantage of bidding on work in other
provinces and jurisdictions, riding out any slump that
Saskatchewan may find itself in the future.
Previewing the future is the theme of this magazine and
a constant concern for both business and labour. The
combination of greater access to our market and of an aging
demographic makes this an excellent time to start the debate
over our collective ability to compete in the future, and what
structures we need to have in place in order to better be able
to compete and support Saskatchewan-based construction
industries. The Saskatchewan Building Trades will be glad to
be part of that debate as we continue to work in partnership
with Saskatchewan construction companies.
Produced and published for the SCA by:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0G5www.delcommunications.com
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PRINTED IN CANADA | 12/2014
76 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
vISIonthe Sca provides collaborative and trusted leadership that sustains a prosperous construction industry and a better quality of life for the people of Saskatchewan.
mISSIonwe create value for our members through:• Providing members with a competitive advantage in the
marketplace;
• Encouraging investment in Saskatchewan;
• Growing business opportunities for members; and
• As the voice of the industry, advocating to government
and the public.
vaLUESour distinguishing values are the pursuit of:• Genuine collaboration and partnerships;
• Consistent transparency and accountability;
• Deep knowledge and strong networks; and
• High standards of quality.
IS YOUR INFORMATION
UP TO DATE?
The 2015 SCA Membership
Roster and Buyer’s Guide is
in currently in production.
Ensure your information
is up to date, and you have
selected your trade listings
in the SCA Online Database
at www.scaonline.ca before
January 30, 2015.
This information will be
used in the Roster and
Buyer’s Guide.
Contact [email protected] or
306-525-0171 if you need
assistance.
New in 2015
• The 2015 Buyer’s
Guide will now feature
distinct sections for
Associate Services, Trade
Contractors and Suppliers,
General Contractors, and
Heavy Construction.
• Members can select as
many listings as they
want, and receive two
selections complimentary.
• All trade listings now
match the nationally
recognized MasterFormat
specifications. *Members
must go into the database
and select their current
listings to be included*
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A & B Concrete Pumping ..................................................................... 41AR Plumbing & Heating ...................................................................... 58Agra Foundations ................................................................................. 76Air Tech Management .......................................................................... 61All-Pro Excavating 2005 Ltd. ............................................................... 13Ambassador Mechanical ..................................................................... 72Armour Safety Consulting & Training .................................................. 19 Associated Asbestos Abatement ......................................................... 21Barkman Concrete ................................................................................ 50Beaver Plastics ..................................................................................... 49Big Rock Trucking Ltd. .......................................................................... 19BN Steel & Metals Inc. ......................................................................... 47Brandt Tractor ....................................................................................... 27Brock White Canada ............................................................................. 46Builder’s Capital ................................................................................... 21Burco Electrical Contractors ................................................................. 37Business Furnishings............................................................................ 60Cal-Tech Electric ................................................................................... 63Calmont Group ..................................................................................... 51Cara Dawn Transport Ltd. ..................................................................... 51Catterall & Wright ................................................................................ 16CFN Construction ................................................................................. 73Christie Mechanical.............................................................................. 39Concept Electric .................................................................................... 28Consolidated Gypsum Supply .............................................................. 25Corix Control Solutions ......................................................................... 21Creative Door ........................................................................................ 14Dee-Jacks Custom Wleding Inc. .......................................................... 60Dunmac General Contracting Ltd. ....................................................... 13Dusyk & Barlow Insurance Brokers Ltd. ............................................... 11Emco Waterworks ................................................................................ 57Etera Construction Management ........................................................ 33 Fabco Plastics ....................................................................................... 19Farrell Agencies Ltd. ............................................................................. 65Flame Fabricators Inc. .......................................................................... 21Flyer Electric ......................................................................................... 67Fortune Hydrovac ................................................................................. 73Fortune Oil Field Construction Ltd. ...................................................... 22Fries Tallman Lumber ........................................................................... 26G.E. Environmental Solutions Inc. ....................................................... 22Gabriel Dumont Institute ..................................................................... 51Gang-Nail Trusses ................................................................................ 58Globe Excavating(2008) ...................................................................... 46HAL...Your Insurance Destination ........................................................ 36Hometown Electric .............................................................................. 25Humboldt Electric Limited................................................................... 72ICS Group................................................................................................ 5KGS Group ............................................................................................ 28Kramer ................................................................................................. IBC
L.M.O. Landscaping Ltd. ...................................................................... 25Lajcon Concrete .................................................................................... 59LUK Plumbing, Heating & Electric Ltd. ................................................ 16Lyle V. Schell Construction Maagement Services Ltd. ......................... 55McDougall Gauley LLP ......................................................................... 56Merit Contractors Association Saskatchewan ..................................... 35Mid-West Sportswear Ltd. .................................................................. 74Midwest Surveys ................................................................................. 50Ministry of Central Services ................................................................. 59Ministry of The Economy ..................................................................... 17Morsky Group of Companies ............................................................... 71Mountainview Systems ......................................................................... 9MSC ...................................................................................................... 54National Leasing .................................................................................. 34NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services .................................................... 45Nu-Trend Industries Inc. ......................................................................... 3Nuform ................................................................................................. 52OK Tire .................................................................................................. 53Penn-Truss Mfg. Inc.............................................................................. 36Pentec Energy Ltd. ............................................................................... 42Peters Excavating ................................................................................. 51Pine Star Enterprises Ltd. ..................................................................... 66RobWel Constructors Limited Partnership .......................................... 25RONA Home Center Saskatoon ........................................................... 71Ryderz Contracting Inc. ........................................................................ 61Saskatchewan Building Trades ............................................................ 22Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association.................................... 7Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority ............................................ 45Saskatchewan Roofing Contractors Association ................................. 39SaskEnergy Incorporate ......................................................................... 5SaskTel .................................................................................................. 43SIAST ................................................................................................... IFCSignal Industries (1998) Saskatchewan Ltd. ...................................... 53SMS Equipment Inc. ......................................................................... OBCSolid Start Foundations ....................................................................... 39Spence Heavy Equipment Sales & Rentals .......................................... 12Tenco Management Ltd. ...................................................................... 39Triad Power .......................................................................................... 19Truss T. Mfg. Ltd. ................................................................................... 41Ultimate Insulation Foam and Fire ...................................................... 72Unified Systems Group Inc. ................................................................. 59WCB Saskatchewan ............................................................................. 73Wellpoint Heath ................................................................................... 61Westcon Equipment and Rental Ltd. ................................................... 13Westridge Construction Ltd. ................................................................ 39Wilhelm Construction Services Inc. ..................................................... 47
78 SaSkatchEwan conStrUctIon aSSocIatIon
IndEx to advErtISErS
KRAMER.CAWe’ve moved! Please visit our new Regina location on the corner of Albert Street North and Inland Drive.
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SE202•SMS14-257_PRT Sask Construction Mag Ad.indd 1 2014-07-28 2:34 PM