We Build Winter 2014

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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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© 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

E: [email protected]

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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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

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Industrynews next Page


2014 Board oF dIrEctorS

roB IStacEDirector At LargeAlliance Energy

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LaIrd rItchIEAdvisory Council

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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


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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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

[email protected].

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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.


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.


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.

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Visit economy.gov.sk.ca/job-grant to learn more about program criteria and how to apply.

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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


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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


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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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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.


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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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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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!


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.


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


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.


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

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SCA President Mark Cooper.



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


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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RNF Ventures has been involved

in the Saskatchewan construction

industry since 1979 and currently

employs approximately 60 people.

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


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.



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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.”


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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.


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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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

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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.


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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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.

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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.

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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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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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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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SCA Chair Corey HunchakSCA Past-chair Sam Shaw


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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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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Bill Ferreira, director of Government Relations & Public Affairs, CCA.

David Hyde, David Hyde and Associates.


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

CCA

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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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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.

FOUNDATIONS - GRADEBEAMS RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

ROB DAVIDSONOwner/Supervisor

Box 835Langham, SK S0K 2L0

Tel: 306-380-6128Fax: 306-283-1221


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


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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• Garage Wiring • Air Conditioner Wiring • Kitchen Renovations • • Hot Tub Wiring • Repairs to Existing Wiring •

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www.cal-tech.cawww.cal-tech.ca


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


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

Insuring the Construction Industry for over 35 years.

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thE ExpErtShumanresources


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

www.PINESTAR.ca

Fred Roy(306) 961-0707

Joe Cook (306) 930-7908

Box 337 Christopher Lake

Saskatchewan S0J 0N0

[email protected]


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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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


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


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...


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.

GENERAL CONTRACTING

• Commercial and industrial building

• New construction and renovations

• Design/build and construction management services

• Supply and install pre-engineered steel buildings

• Certified Robertson Builder...........

Contact the Morsky Group of Companies 306.924.1065for General Contracting, Heavy Civil Construction,Specialized Soil Solutions and Railway Services.

www.morsky.ca

Robertson Building Systems

We are proud to offer Air Miles

CHRIS MCGAUGHEY RONA STORE MANAGER – SASKATOON

1722 PRESTON AVENUE N S7N 4Y1PHONE: 306-933-1903

FAX: 306-652-1911

legalthE ExpErtSconstruction data


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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[email protected]

Ambassador Mechanical is a full service mechanical contractor serving Western Canada for over 23 years.

We are pleased to announce the opening of our Regina office at 129 N McDonald Street. Kevin Price has been

appointed as General Manager, Southern Saskatchewan.

Contact Kevin Price at (306) 584-9644 or (306) 536-1005Fax: (306) 584-9643 | Email: [email protected]

[email protected] | www.ambassadormechanical.ca

HUMBOLDTELECTRICLIMITED

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIALData & Fiber Optic • Design & Build

102 Gladstone Crescent | Saskatoon, SK S7P 0C7

Tel: 306.665.6551 • Fax: 306.653.4999www.humboldtelectric.com


THE EXPERTSSCSA

CONSTRUCTION

Quality without Compromise

Residential • Commercial • FramingICF Basements • Finishing

Gerard [email protected]

Damien [email protected]

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:


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


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


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


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

President & CEO

davId LangStaFF

Publisher

JaSon StEFanIk

Senior Editor

katrIna a.t. SEnyk

Managing Editor

Lyndon [email protected]

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dayna [email protected]

Advertising Sales Representatives

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© 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 RoadWinnipeg, Manitoba R2L 0G5Email: [email protected]

PRINTED IN CANADA | 12/2014


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*

KRAMER.CAWe’ve moved! Please visit our new Regina location on the corner of Albert Street North and Inland Drive.

RENTAL SOLUTIONS

THE RIGHT SOLUTION. RIGHT NOW.

SASKATOON2215 Faithfull Ave.

306.343.RENT

REGINA2351 Albert St. N.

306.564.6464

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


IndEx to advErtISErS

KRAMER.CAWe’ve moved! Please visit our new Regina location on the corner of Albert Street North and Inland Drive.

RENTAL SOLUTIONS

THE RIGHT SOLUTION. RIGHT NOW.

SASKATOON2215 Faithfull Ave.

306.343.RENT

REGINA2351 Albert St. N.

306.564.6464

Regina: 1 306-359-3121 Saskatoon: 1 306-931-0044

smsequip.com • Wide, spacious cab with excellent visibility

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• The short nose design with rounded engine hood provides improved front visibility

• Colour rearview monitoring system

• The wide cab offers a comfortable operator and passenger environment

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Komatsu HM300The HM300-3 has an increased body capacity that yields a 28.0 metric ton (30.9 US ton) payload to help improve productivity.

For more information, contact your local branch.

SE202•SMS14-257_PRT Sask Construction Mag Ad.indd 1 2014-07-28 2:34 PM

We Build Winter 2014

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