Industry Updates
Canada launches $6 bln housing fund in bid to quell housing crisis
April 2, 2023
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday launched a C$6 billion ($4.42 billion) Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction and upgrading of housing. Canada faces a housing affordability crisis as a rapidly increasing immigrant population has far outpaced the number of available homes, leading to increases in prices and rents. High inflation and 22-year high interest rates have also driven up mortgage costs.
A 2023 recap of new home construction trends in Canada
March 27, 2024
New home construction in Canada’s 6 largest census metropolitan areas (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal) remained high in 2023. Apartment starts surged, driven by more favourable demand and financing conditions predating 2023, alongside government support for rental construction. Despite the growth in apartment starts, supply has not kept pace with demand, worsening affordability issues.
Record growth reported for industrial construction in Canada
January 24, 2024
Industrial construction continues to be one of Canada’s most reliable building sectors with record completions in Q4 2023, balanced fundamentals and anticipation of robust demand going forward. Two Altus Group analysts said recently industrial has remained strong despite high interest rates and continued inflationary pressures, continuing its pandemic and post-pandemic momentum.
The Construction Activity Arising from Canadian Resource Development & Exports
March 22, 2023
Much of Canadian construction activity ties to extraction (or harvesting) of the nation’s resources. Canada has such an abundance of resources that, with respect to most commodities, domestic demand can be readily satisfied, leaving a great deal of scope for export sales. The difference between big export dollar volumes and low import dollar volumes makes a significant contribution to gross domestic product (GDP).
U.S. and Canadian 2022 Construction Overviews
February 21, 2023
Canadian construction starts fell 12.1% in 2022 with similar rates of declines of 12.2%, 13.9%, and 9.5% in residential, non-residential building, and civil engineering projects respectively. In the residential sector, both single-family and multi-family construction starts fell at a similar rate, by 12.1% and 12.4% respectively. The decline in new residential construction mirrors that in house prices, so last year’s weakness was to be expected.
Five strategies to keep construction sites safe in winter
November 28, 2022
Preparing for winter means knowing exactly what types of hazards will be encountered and then planning control methods, according to Jeff Laing, occupational health and safety lead for ETRO Construction. He says it’s important to develop a standardized plan based on the hazards typically encountered, “really analyzing the impacts of the weather, and really focusing on how that impacts the day in day out dynamic of a construction site is super important.”
Building construction costs rise in Q3: StatCan
November 2, 2022
“The rate of growth for both residential and non-residential building construction costs has notably slowed when compared to the past year and a half,” the national statistics agency reported, adding that skilled labour shortages and high labour costs were major market pressures over the past year or so.
What are the pressures facing the Canadian construction and roofing industry?
September 1, 2022
Economic uncertainties fuelled by mounting inflation and global supply chain delays are weighing into the construction industry – and underwriters are feeling the pressure. Project delays, material price increases, and labour shortages continue to impact premium costs for policyholders.
Construction sector spotlight: What’s in store for the future?
August 5, 2022
The construction sector is a massive industry in Canada, employing approximately 1.2 million men and women, or approximately 7% of the Canadian workforce. That’s a 50% increase in jobs from the prior decade. As Canada’s economy and population continue to rise, largely due to strong immigration, the need for infrastructure and housing continues to expand as well. That’s positioned the construction industry for strong growth in the coming years.
2022 Forecast is bright for Canada’s construction sector
April 5, 2022
While economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is underway in Canada, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages have added to challenges felt across most industries, and the construction sector is no exception. The good news is that investments bounced back in the sector for residential and non-residential construction after a slowdown early into the pandemic.
Construction industry salutes its top B.C. companies, projects, leaders
March 3, 2022
The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) recognized the finest in B.C.’s construction industry at its 32nd annual Awards of Excellence gala, held Wednesday night at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
Vancouver new house construction costs highest in Canada
February 2, 2022
The annual Altus Group’s Canadian Cost Guide 2022, tracking hard construction costs across Canada, has been released and it shows a sharp increase in costs in 2021 compared to 2020.
Top 10 largest construction project starts in Canada
January 7, 2022
There are several reasons for highlighting upcoming large projects. Such jobs have often received a fair amount of media coverage. Therefore, people in the industry are on the lookout for when job-site work actually gets underway. And, as showcase projects, they highlight geographically where major construction projects are proceeding.
How Ottawa plans to jump-start housing construction next year
December 24, 2021
The federal government wants to help municipalities build 100,000 new ‘middle-class’ homes by 2025.
Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates
July 12, 2021
Climate change is fundamentally altering the environmental conditions in which buildings are designed to function.
Construction in Canada – Key Trends and Opportunities to 2025 (Q1 2021)
May 2021
Following a decline of 3.4% in 2020, Canada’s construction industry is now forecast to grow by 0.6% in 2021, up from the previous forecast of -2% in the Q4 2020 update, as activity in the housing market has been stronger than expected.
Canadian construction companies rate digital maturity as ‘under-developed’ in new survey
April 5, 2021
When asked in a survey to evaluate their digital transformation efforts, 64 per cent of construction industry respondents said they are not currently exploring new business models and a majority of respondents rated their digital maturity as “under-developed.”
Canada construction industry to rebound in 2021
March 31, 2021
Construction across Canada is expected to rebound in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise through the coming decade, according to the latest labour market forecast released by BuildForce Canada.
CCA announces new board of directors, with Ray Bassett as chair
March 15, 2021
Following the election at the recent annual general meeting of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the 2021-22 board of directors was announced with Ray Bassett at the helm as chair.
Federal prompt payment act ‘in limbo’ says Canadian Construction Association
March 12, 2021
OTTAWA — According to the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), it has been almost two years since the Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act passed but the legislation still remains in limbo with no legal coming-into-force date.
BC Construction Association Announces New Board Chair
September 23, 2020
Mike Fawcett of Brock White steps up to lead. “We welcome Mike to the Chair’s role and look forward to his contributions as an experienced, long-time Board Member” says Chris Atchison, President of the BCCA.
August’s Canadian Housing Starts Increased
September 9, 2020
The national trend in housing starts increased for a third consecutive month in August. Higher multi-family starts in Ontario, including Toronto, drove the national increase. We expect national starts to trend lower by the end of 2020 as a result of the negative impact of COVID-19 on economic and housing indicators.
Vancouver Economic Commission draws attention to city’s $426-million construction sector
August 1, 2020
According to a recent paper by BCIT Sustainable Business Leadership researchers Lara Azarcon and Felippe Calçado, there are 66 companies in Vancouver that could be characterized as “contech”.
Our News
BuildApp Systems Corp. Provides British Columbia Construction Industry Outlook
After a decline, growth resumes in the construction sector in British Columbia in 2021.
The wellbeing of Canada’s national economy is primarily determined by the state of its construction sector. British Columbia was among those provinces hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 there was a huge decline in new housing, commercial, and industrial building construction in the province, in comparison to 2019. Fortunately, Canada’s construction sector is returning to growth and is expected to have an annual average rate of 1.1 percent over 2021 to 2024 due to major project demands increase and industrial and commercial investment recovery.
BuildApp Systems Corp. Adapts to COVID-Related Challenges and Continues Project Development
BuildApp Systems continues developing an application for construction project management.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented impacts and challenges for the construction industry to deal with. Although the pandemic remains far from over, construction projects have resumed, and the industry’s labour levels are nearing their early 2020 peaks. According to the latest annual report from BuildForce Canada, it is expected that the construction industry will continue rebounding this year as the recovery takes root. Based on these predictions, it seems that sector growth is forecast throughout the 2020s.
BuildApp Systems Corp. Launches System Development
A disruptive ConTech startup’s unique project enables efficiency and safety optimization for Canada’s construction industry workers.
Construction is a primary industry in Canada, employing more than 1.2 million workers. Every development site presents unique efficiency and safety challenges for project managers, who are forced to accommodate each of them. However, there hasn’t been an excellent way to look at projects holistically, including budgeting and planning hurdles. The solution lies in looking at several data sources at once to help mitigate those challenges. There is a huge opportunity gap that the team behind BuildApp is well poised to address.