ICBA is a member of Merit Canada.

Merit Canada, representing more than 70 per cent of Canada’s construction industry—today released Building Confidence in Canada: Growing National Prosperity, a five-pillar plan to unleash significant, sustainable and shared prosperity for all Canadians as we enter a new decade. The five pillars are:

1. Investment, Trade and Growth;
2. Open and Fair Government Procurement;
3. Responsible Resource Development;
4. Building Enabling and Sustainable Infrastructure; and,
5. Skills, Training and Education.

“A growing economy provides people with jobs and governments with tax revenues to pay for health, education and social programs,” said Walter Pamic, Merit Canada Spokesperson. “Merit Canada is providing the blueprint to support a strong construction sector which employs approximately 1.5 million men and women, grow our economy, and ensure prosperity for all Canadians.”

“The stakes are high in this federal election,” said Pamic. “On October 21, we encourage all Canadians to think carefully about the challenges our country is facing and to cast a ballot for candidates committed to the investment, jobs and opportunities required to support the important health, education, and social programs upon which we all depend.”

Please visit www.meritcanada.ca/decision2019 to read the detailed blueprint.

Merit Canada is the national voice of Canada’s provincial Open Shop construction associations. Its roughly 5,000 members employ more than 100,000 Canadians. Merit Canada is the voice of the approximately 70 per cent of the construction contractors and the men and women working in construction who build more than 70 per cent of the industrial, commercial, and institutional, and residential construction projects across the country. Merit Canada was created in 2008 to fight for fairness and transparency in government infrastructure project procurement on behalf of construction contractors and workers. Through its provincial partnerships in seven provinces across Canada, Merit Canada helps Open Shop employers develop the next generation of construction trades workers.

Surrey’s LMS Reinforcing Steel Group s one of BC’s great success stories – and a proud ICBA member. But they’re part of the 85% of the BC construction industry that the Horgan NDP don’t want working on the new Pattullo or Broadway subway.

And it’s taxpayers who will be hurt most, as they explained to Business in Vancouver:

While LMS has worked on many of B.C.’s largest infrastructure projects over the past 20 years, it won’t be working on the $1.4 billion Pattullo Bridge project.

Are you a front-line supervisor or manager? Our Supervisors Bootcamp October 11 in Langley, October 16 in Victoria and November 8 in Prince George is designed specifically for you!

Participants will be given a leadership “tool kit” as well as self-assessment questionnaires and exercises based on the actual work they do and the people they lead.

The ideas covered in this course will assist employers to tackle important and emerging issues facing business operations today, including:

• Greater productivity and quality outcomes
• Greater safety program effectiveness
• Greater worker retention and engagement

You’ll also earn 1 Gold Seal Credit and 7.5 CPD Points from BC Housing! Register for this or any of our other upcoming courses at www.icba.ca/courses. If you miss this course, we are offering it again in Burnaby on December 18.

And don’t forget, you don’t have to be a member of ICBA to take our courses. Everyone is welcome!

One week ago, tickets went on sale for the 44^th Annual ICBA Gala Dinner, to be held Nov. 5 in Vancouver. Our special guest this year, NFL Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman, has caused quite a response: more than 70% of our tickets have sold in this first week.

And it even got discussed on TSN 1040’s Sekeres and Price Show yesterday. Listen to that clip below:

Don’t miss out on the biggest celebration of construction in B.C. that will be held this year. We expect tickets to sell out soon, so go to icba.ca/agm and buy your tickets today.

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) and WorkSafeBC are pleased to announce the 2019 Gord Stewart Construction Workplace Health and Safety Innovation Award is now open for entries from eligible ICBA members and their employees.

About the Award

The Workplace Health and Safety Innovation Award is presented annually to acknowledge individuals and companies for their efforts in the prevention of workplace incidents, injuries and illnesses. By honouring safety leaders and sharing their ideas ICBA and WorkSafeBC hope to encourage new programs, policies, and projects that improve the health and safety of workers.

The award recognizes the employee or team of employees who come up with an innovative program, policy, tool or project that demonstrates a proven accomplishment in the area of health and safety for the construction industry sector.

There is a $5,000 prize for the best submission and will be presented at the ICBA Gala Dinner on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Eligibility

All employees of ICBA member companies are eligible for the Annual Awards for Innovation in Workplace Health and Safety for Construction.

For an application or more information, click HERE or email sabine@icba.ca.

When John Horgan killed the new Massey crossing, he doomed us to sit in B.C.’s biggest traffic bottleneck for another 10+ years.

Let’s call it what it is: It’s Horgan’s parking lot.

Tell John Horgan to smarten up and do something now on the old, unsafe, undersized Massey Tunnel.

Reading blueprints is an integral part of many construction careers, whether you work in residential or commercial construction. Unfamiliar with how to read blueprints and specifications? We’re here to help.

Our Introduction to Blueprint Reading course is perfect for those who have little or no background in blueprint reading. Here’s what’s covered in this one-day course:

• Blueprint reading basics
• Design process and the role of design professionals
• Building Codes, bylaws and building permits
• Find trade information using blueprints
• Layout basics
• Architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical drawings, and how they fit together
• Architectural & engineering scales
• Floor plans, sections and elevations
• Symbols, notation, abbreviations and material schedules
• Dimension, finishes, details, area calculations, and material take offs
• Understanding specifications
• Commercial and residential blueprints

Our next session is September 13 in Kelowna, September 18 in Burnaby, October 23 in Fort St John, and October 30 in Prince George. You’ll also earn 1 Gold Seal Credit and 8 CPD Points from BC Housing!

We always get great feedback on this course so don’t miss your chance to register! You can sign up for this or any of our other workshops at www.icba.ca/courses.

And while you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for our bi-weekly training newsletter at www.icba.ca/trainingnewsletter.

It is the biggest annual celebration of B.C. construction: The ICBA AGM Gala Dinner is a must-attend event for our industry. Over the past two years, as we hosted NFL legends Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, the ICBA Gala has grown to attract nearly a thousand people to toast the companies and workers who build British Columbia.

On Tuesday evening, November 5, in Vancouver, our 44^th ICBA Gala will be our biggest yet. Continuing our NFL Leadership Series, we will host Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. Aikman led the 1990s Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships, and then went on to a stellar career as FOX’s #1 football analyst. Troy will share stories from both on and off the field and what it takes to build and lead a winning team.

Tickets are now on sale – and will go fast. Last year, tickets for the Favre event were gone within a few weeks. In July, our ICBA Golf Tournament sold out in less than three hours. Don’t miss out on this event – go to www.icba.ca/agm and buy your tickets today.