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All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue of Construction Source Canada, the magazine that highlights the best in building and building products across the country. On our cover this edition is QM Environmental, one of the most capable environmental and industrial services providers in Canada. From offices across the country, their 400-strong team of experts help their clients to minimize waste, manage costs, and reduce their impact on the environment. We talked with them about some of those clients and their major projects, and about the ever-evolving nature of what they do. Also in this issue, for the first time, is a labour union – LiUNA Local 1059, to be specific. They represent approximately 5,000 construction workers and industrial/service sector workers employed in and beyond Southwestern Ontario. We spoke to Brandon McKinnon, Business Manager, about the services they provide those members – including a new wellness centre, which offers dental, optical, physio, chiro and massage services – and about the growing trend of employers coming to them and voluntarily signing up, because they see the benefits of having access to a trained and skilled workforce. The theme of this edition is diversity. Also included within are companies including Kinsol Timber and Pomerlau. Kinsol Timber is a BC-based mass timber frame company that works with architects, engineers and general contractors to in order to deliver care-fully detailed, constructible and environmentally-sustainable structures, from custom homes to playgrounds (under their KinsolPlay banner) to commercial and industrial projects. Pomerleau, meanwhile, is an Ontario-based leader in construction that works across Canada. They believe “innovation lies at the heart of the construction industry’s future.” In this issue, they lay out their history of innovation and some of the ways they remain at the forefront of innovation today. For those stories – and many more like them – just keep reading.
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THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA With over 90,000 senior executive readers, The Construction Source is proud to offer an attractive platform to share you message with the people that matter most - your customers. Whether your objective is to promote a new condo development, attract financial investment in your upcoming projects, or to build brand recognition, we stand ready to help! To find out more about having your company or latest project feature in The Construction Source, please contact our Group Publisher. Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource.ca The Costruction Source Canada 2201 - 250 Yonge St Toronto, Ontario M5B 2L7 E: info@theconstructionsource.ca Group Publisher Jermaine Poulsen General Manager Alexandra Box Operations Manager Michael Hinden Head of Editorial Content Paul Harrison Production Manager Vicki Lee Editor Zach Janes Graphic Design Pranim Thapa
AUGUST 2022 LiUNA LOCAL 1059 Making a difference for members QM ENVIRONMENTAL Innovative solutions to challenging environmental problems BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) Making safety simpler POMERLEAU KINSOL TIMBER Mass timber experts Vanmars Drilling Safe. Reliable. Quality Eurohouse Construction A class above the rest LEONE HOMES See the difference ANCHORED CONSTRUCTION Building a reputation INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS INCINERATING TOILETS IN THIS ISSUE AUGUST 2022 LEONE HOMES ANCHORED HOMES
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA LiUNA LOCAL 1059
AUGUST 2022 Industry INNOVATIONS MODERN & ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TOILET SOLUTIONS
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Water connection not required Requires little space No odour Easy installation No frost protection needed Secure for children ash to be emptied No waste handling, only and more Bunkies, For Home, Cottages, Shops, 3 - 4 visits per hour High capacity Propane&Electric models ABOUT CINDERELLA ECO GROUP Cinderella Eco Group is a family-owned company located in the north-western coastal community of Midsund in Romsdal, with deep roots in the beautiful Norwegian fjord-landscape. We have more than 20 years’ experience with the Cinderella Incineration Toilet, a water-free, ecological solution for the management of toilet waste. Cinderella, the natural first choice for those who place high demands on quality and functionality. HIGHLIGHTS OF INCINERATION TOILETS:
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Making a difference for members
The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) is a labour union formed in 1903, which now represents more than 500,000 members across North America. In Canada, those members enjoy many benefits and standards on the job every day, including great wages, healthcare benefits, set working hours, breaks, health and safety regulations, overtime pay, and lots more.
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In Southwestern Ontario, LiUNA members are represented by their regional chapter, called a ‘local.’ Today, Local 1059 represents approximately 5,000 construction workers and industrial/service sector workers employed in and beyond Grey, Bruce, Middlesex, Oxford, Huron, Elgin and Perth counties. Those workers include construction, maintenance, light manufacturing, and security employees working for more than 300 different signatory employers. Many of those employers are industry-leaders and award-winners. They include companies like Bruce Power and Dancor. Bruce Power, for example, is a leading supplier of medical isotopes that are used worldwide in life-saving cancer treatments and sterilization of medical devices. Additionally, they are Canada’s only private sector nuclear generator, annually producing 30 per cent of Ontario’s power at 30 per cent less than the average cost to generate residential power. Skilled trades are critical to their success and central to the operation and life extension of their facilities. Since forming in 2001, they have developed strong working relationships with these trades, including labourers from LiUNA Local 1059. Dancor, meanwhile, is a leading general contractor and construction company based out of Brampton, and serving businesses and manufacturers across London and all of THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Southern Ontario. Over their years in business, they have won a wide variety of awards and accolades at the local, regional, and national levels – nationally, for example, they have been proudly recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. Their expert team has become known for providing seamless, exceptional service on projects of all sizes, from the drawing board right all the way through to completion. The success of these companies relies on their dedicated, hardworking people. People who are skilled at working with their heads and their hands. People like the members of Local 1059. Brandon MacKinnon is the Business Manager of LiUNA Local 1059. He comes from a background as a labourer, having started working in construction during summers in high school and university, and he has been a member of Local 1059 since 1999. About 18 years ago, he started working out of the local’s office as a business representative, and in the years since he’s held a number of different positions, including President. About three years ago he transitioned to the role of Business Manager. According to Brandon, LiUNA Local 1059 has evolved considerably in his time there, in virtually every way: “The skilled trades have really expanded,” he explains. “We’ve increased our market share, our contributed hours are way AUGUST 2022
up, and we’ve added extra services for our members. The growth has been massive.” Examples of extra services include a Wellness Centre in their office where they offer members and their dependents dental, optical, physio, chiro, and massage services covered by the local’s benefit plan, at no out-of-pocket expense to members. They have also introduced a multitude of social events for members, as well as discounts at local businesses, and tickets to community events. “First and foremost, our obligation is to find employment for our members and ensure they receive a good wage and compensation package,” Brandon explains. “But over and above that, we want to give back to them and their families. We want to do more than just provide employment. We want to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families.” Brandon believes those extra services go a long way in attracting workers to LiUNA Local 1059. The biggest draw, however, is the job security: “Our members typically have full-time employment, 12 months of the year,” Brandon says. “That’s one of the main reasons workers come to us.” Other main reasons, Brandon adds, include: the quality of their representation; their comprehensive benefits package (which includes prescriptions, dental, paramedical, optical, mental THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
health and addictions counselling, and even medical cannabis coverage); their pension coverage; and their skills and safety training. For those reasons and more, LiUNA Local 1059 has consistently grown and expanded. That’s been especially true over the course of the pandemic. In 2019, the local had their best year ever in terms of ‘contributed hours,’ meaning the number of hours their members worked. Then the pandemic hit, and in 2020 and 2021, their contributed hours went up by 37 per cent. “That shows the growth,” Brandon says. “Also, we’ve just eclipsed 5,000 members. We probably added about 1,000 of those members just in the last 18 months. We’ve increased our apprenticeship intake tenfold – we take close to 160 apprentices in a year now.” That growth is a testament to a combinationof factors, Brandon reiterates. There’s the appeal of being a LiUNA member, of course, but there’s also the fact that the market is currently there to accommodate that growth – “there’s just that much infrastructure work out there,” Brandon says. In addition, Brandon believes “the stigma around skilled trades is starting to dissipate.” “People are realizing that it’s a good first-choice career. Instead of pursuing university and a white-collar career, where people are getting out into the workforce and finding that they can’t find steady AUGUST 2022
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employment and benefits and a pension plan, a lot of people are choosing skilled trades as a first choice. They know they can get a good career out of it.” Currently, one of the key focuses of LiUNA Local 1059 is getting that message out there even more. They are now reaching out to public schools and high schools. They have commissioned large advertising campaigns, including billboards, ads online and on social media, and newsletters. They also recently created a virtual reality platform, and they filmed content on their job sites with VR headsets. “We’re going to drop those off to school boards and guidance counsellors as a way to try to engage youths and encourage them to get into the trades,” Brandon explains. In particular, they want to get more underrepresented groups into the trades. For example, they want to attract more women, Indigenous peoples, and new Canadians. “Recruitment is a big focus,” he adds. “We need to do that to meet the demand of all the infrastructure projects that are ongoing, and we also have a lot of boomers that are retiring and we need to make sure we have enough members to fill these vacancies. That’s priority number one.” Priority number two, meanwhile, is to continue attracting employers. According to Brandon, however, in recent years that goal has been easier to achieve than ever before. AUGUST 2022
“In the past, the way we’d bring in signatory employers would be the employees deciding they wanted their employer to be union,” Brandon says. “What we’re finding now is we have employers coming through our doors to actually sign up voluntarily with the union. That’s because they see the benefits of having access to a skilled workforce that’s trained. They see the benefits of having access to our young apprentices who have chosen construction as their career path.” “That’s a trend that’s changed fairly recently,” he elaborates. “There are companies out there that have the capacity to do more work, but they just don’t have the skilled workforce to do it. Instead of trying to find those people on their own, and then not having any idea who’s going to walk through their door, they see the value in working with the union to find people with the requisite skills and training to fill those required spots.” Moving forward, driven partly by that collaboration with THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
employers, Brandon says that LiUNA Local 1059 will continue to expand and grow. Roughly two-and-a-half years ago, they moved from a 38,000 square foot building to a 100,000 square foot building, and they are already almost out of room again. “I see us continuing to expand the services we provide our members,” Brandon says. “I see us expanding our physical footprint, I see us increasing the number of signatory contractors we have aligned with us, and I see us continuing to increase our membership as well as our contributed hours. I just see us continuing to grow.” Lastly, Brandon says they will continue to grow their geographic reach. They cover a large geographic area, including seven counties in Southwestern Ontario. They recently opened a satellite office in Hanover, and they intend to do the same in some of the other communities they are active in. “Basically, we’d like to expand all over,” Brandon concludes. “We want to keep doing what we’re doing, but we want to do more of it, and we want to do it on a bigger scale. We believe the opportunity is definitely there.” AUGUST 2022
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For a whole lot more on LiUNA 1059, including the benefits of being a member, how they give back to the community, and how to start building a career in skilled labour – plus all the latest news and updates – visit https://liunalocal1059.com/ You can also find LiUNA 1059 on social media, including on Instagram and Twitter (@liuna1059), Facebook (facebook.com/LiUNA1059members), and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/liuna-1059)
Innovative solutions to challenging environmental problems
With a history spanning more than 40 years, QM LP (“QM” or “QM Environmental”) has earned a reputation as one of the most capable environmental and industrial services providers in Canada. From offices located across the country – managed through their corporate headquarters located in Mississauga, Ontario – over 400 industry experts leverage an extensive, tested network of highly qualified subcontractors, vendors and equipment suppliers to help their clients minimize waste, manage costs, and reduce their impact on the environment.
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These days, they are a company known for delivering the nation’s largest and most complicated environmental contracting programs – from permeable reactive barrier (passive treatment wall) installation in Vancouver, to remote uranium mining complex decommissioning in Saskatchewan, to the construction of an entirely new river mouth through highly contaminated industrial infill in Toronto. Over the years, QM and its constituent companies have successfully and safely completed literally thousands of projects across every Canadian province and territory, to a total value of well over $1 billion (CAD). Their unparalleled track record is due to their dedication to quality, attention to detail, integrity, and vigorous adherence to health and safety protocols. Today, QM gives clients access to an extensive range of relevant core competencies, including: • Environmental Remediation and Specialty Construction • Waste Management and Facilities • Water Treatment • Demolition and Decommissioning • Hazardous Materials Abatement • Emergency Management and Environmental Response Services; and • Training AUGUST 2022
Growing strong QM Environmental has a history of more than 40 years in the Canadian market. In that time, they have undergone various transformations and acquisitions that have allowed the company to develop from a small environmental firm into a full-service environmental and industrial company with over 400 employees and offices throughout Canada. The most recent and significant evolution of the company occurred in 2016. That’s when QM(at the time, called ‘Quantum Murray’) became part of Wes Hall’s KSS group of companies. Wes, now one of the “Dragons” (the “Fixer”) on “Dragon’s Den” and the founder of the BlackNorth Initiative, immigrated from Jamaica at the age of 16 and literally worked his way up from a Bay Street mailroom to become one of the most influential businessmen in Canada. (Hall’s remarkable journey, from a tin shack to THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
the halls of power, has been chronicled in his 2022 book “No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot: My Rise from a Jamaican Plantation Shack to the Boardrooms of Bay Street” and in the 2016 Samuel Lehner documentary film “Wes”.) While QM had always been at the forefront of Canada’s environmental industry, Wes’s team has worked to balance out the cyclic nature of big projects such as $100-plus million remediation of the Pottersburg Creek PCB storage area (2009 to 2011) in London, Ontario, or the the Rock Bay Remediation Project, Stages 1, 2 & 3, in Victoria, British Columbia, (2004 to 2016, $60 million overall). Under Wes’s leadership, iconic major projects such as the $140M-plus contaminated sites work QM is executing in the Toronto Port Lands has been better balanced with responsive, continuous, coastto-coast engagement with all of their many clients (79 per cent of which are repeat clients). Wes has also helped the company deeply internalise Canadian values of diversity, fairness and inclusion – ensuring, for example, that management at all levels reflects all of Canada’s strengths, and devoting significant resources to reconciliation and indigenous inclusion. Not surprisingly, QM was also one of the earliest signatories of the BlackNorth Initiative CEO pledge to eliminate anti-black racism in corporate Canada. Showing the fruits of Wes’s vision, the last two years have been exceptionally successful, with very strong growth, solid financial performance, good backlog and aggressive growth plans. AUGUST 2022
Mutual success According to Pete Craig, Marketing Manager, clients choose QM the first time for their “low cost, demonstrated expertise and unrivaled experience.” They continue to use QM because of their culture – “a culture that solves our client’s problems and shields them from harm with safe, wellplanned, high-quality work.” “Our problem-solving, creative culture – when combined with the full range of expertise from our various divisions – has no current parallel in our industry,” Pete says. “Literally no other firm has the same track record of success on the same breadth of work – from radioactive waste in Ontario to PFAS in BC.” As testament to their track record, he cites a recent internal analysis that showed that over 85 per cent of the company’s remediation-related revenue was from repeat clients. An example of a repeat client is THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Keystone Environmental. Most recently, in May 2022, they completed the Royal Oak and Broadway Building abatement demolition. Akaash Khokharis the Regional Manager of QM’s HazMat West team, who worked on that project. He says they were able to provide the stakeholders there “a turnkey solution” for their abatement and demolition needs: “The work was completed safely with no incidents, on-budget, and on-time – despite working through provincial flooding and pandemic related delays,” Akaash says. “Communication remained high throughout the project and was a key factor for our mutual success.” Overall, Pete believes the relationship between Keystone and QM has been successful due to “the naturally high demand of quality.” “Keystone retains clients that hold high expectations for their projects,” heexplains. “Keystone is thorough in their contract management thus allowing more open communication between their team and QM’s. Through this open dialogue, QM can continuously deliver the high-quality service that has become expected of us.” In the case of the Royal Oak and Broadway Building, specifically, Pete adds that he’s proud of their work there for the same reasons as Akaash: “It revealed the versatility of the three professional cultures: the owner, consultant and contractor,” he says. “We were openly communicating over a good distance to provide exactly what was agreed upon for the right price and staying on schedule.” QM’s emphasis on culture has also led to strong relationships with their other stakeholders, including their suppliers and vendors. An example is James Dick Construction Limited, one of Ontario’s leading suppliers of aggregate, sand, stone, and gravel. Their partnership is a natural one, as James Dick is an environmentally conscious enterprise that takes great pride in their corporate philosophy of environmental protection and wise land stewardship. For instance, they have created hundreds of acres of productive fish and wildlife habitat through the progressive rehabilitation of their aggregate operatons. AUGUST 2022
Safety without compromise A vital part of QM’s heralded culture is their commitment to safety. The company are COR™ certified throughout multiple provinces, and they describe one of their core values as ‘Done Safely, Without Compromise.’ “At QM Environmental safety is of paramount importance,” he says. “It is the filter we use for all decisions. Nothing matters more than protecting the safety andwellbeing of our employees, subcontractors, clients, visitors and the surrounding community.” Recognizing the various risks associated with our lines of business, QM has implemented an Environmental Health & Safety program with a goal of achieving zero harm through effective safety control measures (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls andpersonal protective equipment). “One of the keys to ensuring that THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
our program is most effective is to properly communicate and engage our team and clients on our shared responsibility for safety,” Pete explains. “It is a responsibility that requires a continuous collaborative effort from all of us.” “Safetyriskispresentwithinallofourbusinesslines: Remediation, Emergency Response, Hazardous Materials Abatement, Waste Management and Demolition. It is present in our day-to-day life at home, office work, in our warehouses, and on our jobsites across the country. Every person working at a QM Environmental work site should be able to go home safely at the end of the day. In our complex and fast paced industry, safety becomes a shared responsibility. To remain safe each of us must understand the risks and realize the critical importance that safety plays in our daily lives.” To keep safety top-of-mind, and to ensure consistent and organized messaging about their program, QM has developed this list of eight ‘Safety Fundamentals’ accompanied by a ‘Communication, Awareness, & Engagement Plan.’ “The safety of everyone at QM Environmental depends on the adherence to these principles at all times and in all circumstances, without exception,” Pete says. Historically, the company’s strict adherence to those principles – and their driving commitment to health and safety in general – has been well recognized. In 2020, for example, QM Environmental was the Gold Winner for ‘Best Safety Industry Provider’ at Canada’s Safest Employer Awards. According to Pete, that recognition means a lot: “It is amazing for us to be recognized with this achievement amongst our peers. Everyone at QM is truly committed to safety and to our motto done safely without compromise. It is wonderful for our team to be recognized for our amazing safety culture!” AUGUST 2022
An exciting time Moving forward, QM expects their proven culture to continue to power their growth. At the moment, they are already seeing strong organic growth in their main service areas (including Remediation, Hazardous Material Abatement, Emergency Response and Demolition), and that growth has been bolstered by “exciting new hires as well as substantial investments in equipment and systems,” Pete says. “Tightening regulations, public scrutiny, corporate risk management and ESG goals continue to drive core market expansion,” he explains. “StatsCanada and analysis by specialists such as EcoCanada project sustained growth in Environmental Services outpacing the growth of the economy at large. By capitalising on that growth and displacing lower-value-added firms, we project average annual growth rates of 12 per cent to 22 per cent, depending on specific service and market THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
segment, over the next three to five years.” “Frankly, our biggest growth limiter has been recruiting the right people in large enough numbers. But it’s a limit we have to respect and manage: our culture and dedication to each other is what has sustained the firm through thick and thin. It’s existential.” No matter how fast the company grows, however, or how big, Pete says they want to continue pursuing and taking on some of the industry’s most challenging and complex work: “While our core office network ensures responsive, day-today services for all of our clients, some of our most interesting opportunities are large, complex, long-lead projects, often in partnership with other leading firms. We love the strange and difficult – remote sites, complex deals, exotic contaminants, that sort of thing. That’s an easy thing to say, but in our case, our track record actually shows it. And it’s part of who we are: it helps us attract and retain some of the best, most client-centered, creative problem-solvers in our industry.” “It’s surprising, also, how much of a gap there can be in the market when a client needs to weave together many strands in a solution, like traditional civil construction, water management, reactive barriers, indigenous sourcing, ecological restoration guided by traditional knowledge, and so on. While we will never give up our very satisfying day-today support of consistently great clients, we see more and more one-off challenging jobs – we call them ‘Special Projects’ – that really do need a contractor with our capacity and appetite.” Through targeted moves, including acquisition, Pete says the company is also seeing specific new opportunities in water treatment, treatment systems,ecologicalconstruction and multidisciplinary projects with balanced environmental, climate change resiliency and development objectives. “We’re also returning again and again to whether to yield to requests to operate internationally,”Peteconcludes. “All-in-all, there has probably never been a more exciting time for QM Environmental.” AUGUST 2022
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Making safety simpler The BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) is a not-profit organization serving British Columbia’s construction sector, with a mandate to engage employers and employees and assist them in making construction safe. Today, that means providing health and safety services to over 52,000 companies employing over 220,000 workers. Those services are all compliant with WorkSafeBC requirements and emphasize straightforward and practical assistance to help contractors meet their health and safety requirements.
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THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA BCCSA’s current slate of services includes best-in-safety programs, no-cost safety training, consultation services, and other tools and resources. All of the items in the Alliance’s offeringarevaluableandsoughtafter, but among the most sought-after is the Certificate of Recognition (COR®) program – a voluntary incentive program that recognizes companies who develop and implement health and safety systems that meet an industry standard. That program rewards those employers who take a “strategic vision to workplace safety,” and those who are “committed to reducing both the human and financial costs of workplace injuries,” according to Vernita Hsu, Director of COR® & Injury Management. COR® certification is offered by WorkSafeBC and delivered through ‘Certifying Partners,’ with the BCCSA being the certifying partner for employers in the construction industry. All employers that are registered through WorkSafeBC are eligible to participate in the COR® Program, and all companies in the construction sector are automatically eligible to participate in BCCSA’s COR® program. (Companies outside the construction industry that are interested in pursuing a BCCSA COR® should first search for the Certifying Partner that services their industry before submitting an application for review.) “COR® has been and will continue to be an effective and respected initiative for our industry as it works to reduce injuries – most significantly, serious injuries,” Hsu says.
Although available to other industries now, the COR® program actually has its origins in construction – it found its genesis in the construction sector in Alberta, and was first made available to BC employers in 2002 as a pilot program for the construction sector. Back then, Hsu says the sector saw an opportunity to bring a “made for construction” safety audit/certification program to the province in an effort to decrease the human and financial loss associated with workplace injury and disease. Since then, the program has been continuously honed and refined, and that effort has paid dividends. In BC, there is now empirical evidence that COR® certified employers exhibit reduced injuries and therefore improved safety outcomes. “COR® has been and will continue to be an effective and respected initiative for our industry as it works to reduce injuries – most significantly, serious injuries,” Hsu says. “We know the current audit tool produces empirically proven positive safety outcomes. Any program that can help construction employers in decreasing financial and human losses associated with workplace injury is a success for the industry we serve.” Currently, approximately 33 per cent of all workers in BC’s construction sector work for COR® certified companies. The BCCSA has seen that number increasedemonstrably in recent years – since 2010, for example, there has been almost double the number of participants. Hsu credits that participation, in part, to the fact that more general contractors and owners are making it preferential for bidding purposes, and in some AUGUST 2022
cases they are making it a prerequisite. She also credits its proven efficacy. “Our sense at the BCCSA is that COR® demand will continue to grow – particularly, as mentioned, because the program has been empirically proven to reduce injuries,” she says. “There is no other person, product or system that can claim that.” The feedback from contractors sofarhasbeenstrong.According to Hsu, companies that have obtained the certification have consistently reported a “positive difference,” thanks to the program’s emphasis on improved hazard awareness and formalized safety practices and procedures for preventing accidents and injuries. As a result of that industry acceptance, COR® is becoming less and less of a voluntary program, as employers and associations recognize its value as a safety program that meets a recognized standard. There are now an increasing number of owners, such as BC Hydro, that are demanding COR® certification of their contractors working in safety sensitive environments, primarily because it has been proven to reduce serious injuries, making it appealing from a cost reduction perspective. “This expansion of COR® as mandatory speaks volumes to the credibility, reputation, and effectiveness of this program,” Hsu says. There are also direct financial benefits to COR® that add to the appeal of the certification. Firstly, employers who achieve and maintain COR® may also be eligible to receive 10 per cent in annual incentive payments from WorkSafeBC. Secondly, over time, lower injury rates – and thus lower claim costs – will reduce insurance premiums. In addition, COR® is “a practical way of demonstrating to the public that you take safety seriously,” Hsu says – and that is also appealing. “COR® Certification makes a strong statement about a contractor’s commitment to protecting the well-being of workers and maintaining a culture of safety on jobsites. Having a third party audited system shows the world someone, other than you, thinks your safety system is good.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Pre-planning is key Two COR® programs are offered by the BCCSA – Small COR®, for companies with 19 or less employees, and Large COR®, for companies with 20 or more employees. To obtain certification, companies in both categories must complete and submit a BCCSA COR® Application Form, ensure their company has a health and safety management system that meets audit standards, and then have a permanent employee complete the Alliance’s two-day COR® Internal Auditor Training. After the employee has obtained their COR® Auditor Certificate, they will be qualified as the company’s COR® internal auditor and will have an understanding of the COR® audit standard. From there, Large COR® applicant companies have to hire a BCCSA-qualified COR® external auditor, who will conduct a Large COR® Certification Audit, while Small AUGUST 2022
COR® applicant companies can use their BCCSA-qualifiedCOR® internal auditor to conduct a Small COR® Certification Audit. To receive the certification, companies must achieve a passing mark – which means a minimum score of 80 per cent overall, and a score of at least 50 per cent in each element. According to Hsu, the BCCSA COR® audit tool specifically considers the industry they serve. It consists of a three-part evaluation of the effectiveness of a company’s occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS). Specific documentation is requested and reviewed, observation is conducted on-site, and interviews are conducted with employees at every level – from workers, to supervisors, managers, and owners. Companies are required to demonstrate effective implementation of all aspects of their health and safety program – including their training program, inspection program, incident management program, and emergency response program, to name a few. Continual improvement is built into BCCSA’s COR program and audit tool – participating companies can demonstrate continual improvement through the various phases of corrective action plan implementation. For companies pursuing COR® Certification, Hsu says that “pre-planning is key!” “The length of time required to achieve COR® Certification will depend on the status of the contractor’s occupational health and safety management system,” she explains. “Recipients must have sufficient evidence to demonstrate the development and implementation of a functioning system that meets the 14 Elements evaluated by BCCSA’s OHS COR® National Audit Document. Some contractors may already have systems that meet all program requirements in place, while others may require additional time to develop a system or augment an existing system.” To support contractors pursuing COR® Certification, BCCSA offers a network of Regional Safety Advisors (RSAs), who are available to answer safety questions or concerns or assist in the development of a COR®-aligned safety program. BCCSA also offers a suite of safety training courses, including ‘Leadership for Safety Excellence,’ ‘COR® Internal Auditor Training,’ ‘Train the Safety Trainer,’ ‘Principles of Health and Safety Management,’ ‘Principles of Injury Management,’ and more. Construction contractors (sector 72) are eligible to access the RSA service and complete these training courses at no cost. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
AUGUST 2022 • RKM Crane Services Ltd. • Campbell Construction Ltd • Canem Systems Ltd • Creative Door Services Ltd • Team Construction Management (1981) Ltd • Dynamic Industries Ltd • Wismer & Rawlings Electric Ltd • Nutech Facility Services Ltd. • Dixon Networks Corporation • Parke Pacific Projects Ltd • Division 2 Contracting Limited • Tri City Canada Inc. • Cariboo Central Railroad Contracting Ltd • N R G Electric Ltd. • Met-Stra Contracting Ltd. • Nickel Bros Industrial Ltd. • Mccue Environmental Contracting Inc. • Competition Glass Company Ltd • Axiom Builders Inc. • Terracana Foundation Solutions Inc • Norco Septic Service (2006) Inc. • 0864449 B.c. Ltd. • Baylink Networks Inc. • Rize Alliance Properties Ltd • Vanmars Drilling Ltd. • Venture Elevator Inc • Mud Bay Drilling (2015) Ltd. • Sanexen Environmental Services Inc. • J. Floris Construction Ltd. • Falcon Equipment Ltd. • Ic Expert Painting Ltd. • Jacob Arthur Menning • Ironclad Developments Inc. • Go Flooring Ltd. • Attridge Contracting Ltd • Banyan Structural Ltd. • Banyan Construction Ltd. • Conquest Electric Inc. • Sov Construction Inc • Urban Elegance Homes Inc. • Izinga Commercial Contracting Inc. • Digger Civil Contractors Ltd The Construction Source in conjunction with The BCCSA are pleased to present the companies who achieved BCCSA COR® Certification in 2021.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA • Baker Creek Estates Ltd • H2x Contracting Ltd. • Dig Right Enterprises Ltd • Cantower Coatings Inc • Chapman Industries Ltd. • Raven Rescue Safety Medical Ltd. • Cormac Projects Inc. • Blue Universe Communications Ltd • Broadway Drywall Distribution Ltd. • Fine Drywall Ltd. • Westurban Developments Ltd. • Urban Environmental Asbestos Abatement Ltd • Reg Norman Trucking Ltd. • Borrow Enterprises Ltd • Empower Energy Corp. • Division 2 Environmental Ltd. • Kal-West Mechanical Systems Inc. • Bova Projects Ltd. • Jen-Col Construction Ltd • Cooper Equipment Rentals Limited • Rivermist Excavating Ltd. • Jul Construction Ltd. • 1106314 B.c. Ltd. • Mdbs Quattro Constructors Ltd. • Alpha Sky Development & Construction Ltd. • Cobra Electric Regional Services Ltd. • Cobra Electric Services Ltd. • Vortex Pneumatics Ltd. • Mainroad Mid-Island Contracting Limited Partnership • Mainroad North Island Contracting Ltd • Marwest Industries Ltd • Enroute Traffic Solutions Inc. • Metro Traffic Ltd. • I.D.R. Commercial Construction Management Inc. • Eastside Movement For Business & Economic Renewal Society • Ballina Contracting Ltd. • 1206576 B.c. Ltd. • Sangha Framing Ltd. • Leverage Construction Inc. • Castlebrook Income Properties Ltd. • Ron’s Drywall Ltd • Skwlax Resource Management Ltd. • Dcn Civil Constructors Ltd. • Paragon Business Services Ltd • Integral Energy Services Ltd. • Infinity Industrial Safety Services Ltd. • Argo Safety Services Ltd. • Pagnotta Industries Inc • Pacific Flagging Ltd • Enersolv Design & Build Ltd • System One Floor Solutions Inc. • Sonic Enclosures Ltd. • Tower Engineering Canada, Ulc • Cascadia Metals Ltd. • Bar Engineering Co Ltd • Pacific Cutting & Coring Ltd • Broadway Corporate Solutions Ltd. • Broadway Hvac Ltd. • Glenform Building Limited • Plan Group Inc. • Kaefer Industrial Services Ltd. • Tsain-Ko S-P’atl’-Em Gp Corp. • Helix Advanced Communications & Infrastructure, Inc. • Dorosh Construction Ltd. • Miracon Development Inc. • Orion Electrical Systems Ltd. • A.c. Civil Contracting Ltd. • Ac Formworks Ltd. • Pacific Blasting & Demolition Ltd. • Tarrier Deep Construction Ltd. • Arnica Contracting Inc. • Raskob Enterprises Inc. • Matra Construction Inc • Barnard Construction Companies Of Canada Ulc • Lansons Drywall Systems Ltd
Empirically effective As previously mentioned, the current BCCSA COR® audit tool has been empirically proven to produce positive safety outcomes. Ongoing research conducted by the University of British Columbia (UBC) shows that COR® certified employers demonstrated, on average, a 12 per cent decrease in short-term disability, long-term disability, and fatality rate between 2003 and 2016 compared to noncertified employers, and an 11 per cent decrease in the serious injury rate. In a separate study, UBC assessed the predictive validity of the BCCSA COR® audit tool, in order to find out if better audit scores are associated with lower employer injury rates, and whether individual element and sub-element scores on the audit tool are associated with lower injury rates. Findings from the 2019 study support the thesis that overall audit performance is strongly predictive of employer level work injury rates. According to Hsu, the BCCSA AUGUST 2022
can now use findings from that research to further improve the design, delivery, and effectiveness of the COR® program. The BCCSA is also currently focused on a number of initiatives outside of the COR® program – they are interested in any offering that will help improve safety outcomes for BC construction employers and the workers they employ. To that end, they have recently developed tools and programs such as the ‘Silica Control Tool, the ‘Certified Concrete Pump Operator Program,’ and ‘SiteReadyBC.’ The Silica Control Tool is a tool that assists employers in conducting appropriate risk assessments and implementing effective controls and safe work practices where respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust may be an occupational hazard. Through the compilation of data relating to RCS dust exposures pertaining to various materials, tools and tasks in construction, the Tool can predict the expected exposures to workers under similar conditions. It is currently being trialled in Ontario, as well as to other BC-based industries such as mining. The Certified Concrete Pump Operator (CCPO) Program, meanwhile, is a professional certification program delivered by the BCCSA, and launched in September of last year. The program was built by industry and safety professionals to ensure holders of the certification are operating to a standard of high competence – one of safety, environmental consideration, and value. Employers who employ CCPO’s benefit through reduced THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
risk, fewer accidents and injuries, less property damage, improved safety records, and enhanced public image. Then there’s SiteReadyBC – the first comprehensive construction site safety orientation program developed in British Columbia, providing workerswiththecoreknowledge they need to understand the safety requirements of any construction site in the province and to work there with confidence. Already, that orientation is now required of every worker on a large scale provincially-funded project, and it’s a four-credit component of the Ministry of Education’s Workforce Training Certificate 12 program in BC high schools. The BCCSA is also focused on bringing to market online Asbestos Control Training (ACT), a series of courses complimented by a newlydeveloped Asbestos Control Tool – a Tool that they are working with government to have recognized under the Ministry of Labour’s new asbestos licensing/certification scheme. “Finally, we believe that data and evidence should drive all decisions,” Hsu says – and to that end, they have a Research, Development and Opportunity (RDO) fund that has been the financial source for many of their most successful programs and activities (including the CCPO, Silica Tool, COR® Research, SiteReadyBC, and more). “Our aim is to continue to leverage this fund to remain on the cutting edge of safety offerings for BC contractors.” “Again,” Hsu concludes, “Our number one goal is focussing on programs and services that will improve safety outcomes in BC.” AUGUST 2022
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on the research conducted by UBC on COR®’s efficacy, visit https:// pwhs.ubc.ca/research/policy-and-program-evaluation/certificate-ofrecognition-audit-program/ And for more on the BCCSA in general – including more on their other services, designations, and resources – visit https://www.bccsa.ca/
How Pomerleau has become an industry leader in innovative solutions Innovation lies at the heart of the construction industry’s future. As projects become more complex and factors like the environment and sustainability become key players in the future of construction, companies are developing innovative solutions to adapt their trusted methods of planning and operating effective digital tools. Pomerleau has been incorporating innovation into their work and culture since its early beginnings.
Where did they start? 1995: Pomerleau forms a board of directors consisting of seasoned internal and external leaders with different backgrounds to promote strong governance. 2011: Pomerleau builds the Centre for Sustainable Development in Montreal, the first building in Canada to obtain LEED Platinum Certification. 2012: Pomerleau begins to use BIM (Building Information Modelling) on its projects and wins its first major project in Toronto, the TTC Leslie Barns project. Some Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) coordinators were on site creating a virtual model of the existing worksites for proposals. A timeline of innovation at Pomerleau: AUGUST 2022
2015: Pomerleau wins its first CanBIM award (now called the Building Transformations award), taking home two top honours for Innovation and Best in BIM. The company was given the Innovation award for their work on Place BellCultural and Sports Complex in Laval, Quebec, and Best in BIM for their work on the multifunctional amphitheatre Videotron Centre, which is also in Laval. 2018: Pomerleau is a recipient of a CanBIM award for using innovative technologies and efficient collaboration to revitalize the Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec. The project utilized 3D clash detection and 3D collaboration with all project stakeholders along with visual planning and job-monitoring tools inspired by Lean principles. A 360-photo capture solution, laser scanning and an inhouse developed VR solution were used to increase the communication, quality, and safety of the project. 2019: Pomerleau is a recipient of another CanBIM award. It leveraged BIM-VDC to help build the Willow Sqaure Continuing Care Centre. The company delivered a coordinated and data-rich As-Built BIM model for the client to use for the operations and maintenance of the facility. Pomerleau creates an in-house training centre in Québec City: PX3. PX3 is an ecosystem of initiatives dedicated to developing talent. The dynamic environment seeks to rethink and improve employees’ learning experiences. Pomerleau launches the Foundation for Operation Excellence (FOX), a program aimed at operationalizing change management at Pomerleau and optimizing operational processes. More than 120 employees are now involved in the development of new tools and processes dedicated, which benefit site teams, partners, and clients. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Yuri Bartiz, Director of Innovation-Building Operations at Pomerleau Carolyne Filion, Director of Innovation-Research and Development at Pomerleau Etienne Gravel, Manager of Strategy and Operational Excellence at Pomerleau
2020: Pomerleau wins their fifth CanBIM award for the creation of their Equipment Delivery Simulation Tool. The tool allows teams to simulate equipment deliveries on their project. It helps the project team validate the correct path to take considering equipment dimensions by testing several paths to find the optimal route. Pomerleau excels in VDC and becomes a pioneer in constructing sustainable buildings, solidifying the foundations for their first Environmental, Social, and Governance report and platformwhich would later be released in 2022. A new initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge base and trainings for the construction of sustainable buildings and infrastructures, is developed alongside with four other sustainable development projects, in collaboration with the FOX team. It demonstrates how the innovation team can accelerate the path to their sustainability goals. Pomerleau welcomes Spot, an autonomous robot from Boston Dynamics to their team. It become the first company in the world to have a robot dog on its sites. Pomerleau acts as a leader in the creation of a COVID-19 response plan shared with the industry stakeholders (including Pomerleau’s competitors) to ensure worksites can operate safely. Pomerleau worked with partners to construct stackable “modules,” which are structures that can be prefabricated and delivered as fully furnished wards onsite. AUGUST 2022
2021: Pomerleau wins a CanBIM award for their tool, POMICapture. The tool uses AI algorithms integrated with Spot, to collect data based on project progress on jobsites. POMICapture enables construction stakeholders to address limitations of manual reality capture. Pomerleau launches its first whitepaper about BIM, which outlines its advantages and benefits in terms of facility management. This was an opportunity for Pomerleau to position themselves externally formally and publicly on BIM and share knowledge with the industry to accelerate change and modernization in the field of construction and building operations Pomerleau partners with La Factry, Canada’s first training centre that specializes in developing creative skills, to create the Pomerleau AXLAB, an innovation lab dedicated to integrating innovative technology into the construction industry. 2022: Pomerleau releases its first ESG report and platform, Perspective. Their ESG strategy outlines six priorities that seek to reaffirm their intention to take part in the construction industry’s shift towards more sustainable business practices. Since the beginning, Pomerleau’s innovation team has worked outside the box to create solutions that benefit the industry. Here’s an in-depth look into some of the projects and tools that are changing the way construction is realized. Figure 1 – The innovation process at Pomerleau THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
AXLAB: The AXLAB team ensures the acceleration of the integration of innovative technologies in the construction industry. The team works on several research axis to develop new ideas. Right now, the team is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect early warning signs on projects. Early detection can help promote better safety, quality, and productivity on Pomerleau job sites. They are also actively trying to find new ways to visualize and communicate relevant information for construction projects through their XR axis, by observing technology trends and mixed reality tools, such as, video engines. Their robotics axis focuses on integrating innovative solutions using autonomous robots and automated processes to increase productivity. “When we are looking at what is going on in the market (a lack of resources and the increasing price of materials) one solution is innovation. Innovation is the key to supporting our teams and increasing productivity with added value tasks. Our industry is ready.” Carolyne Filion, Director of Innovation-Research and Development at Pomerleau AUGUST 2022
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