Charlottetown, PEI — The Confederation Centre of Arts in Charlottetown, PEI, is undergoing a $47 million renovation to boost energy efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The project will see the 60-year-old building upgrade its HVAC system and install solar panels, meter and control equipment, windows, insulation, and new lighting. In addition, the building’s interior will be reconfigured using mass timber. Upgrades to the building are expected to reduce the facility’s energy consumption by an estimated 68.8 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 286 tonnes annual ..read more

North Surrey, B.C. — Wolseley Canada announces the grand opening of its latest branch. Located in North Surrey, at 13070 – 115 Avenue, the new 20,000 sq. ft. facility will offer a full range of plumbing and HVAC products, a studio showroom featuring a kitchen and bath, and lighting fixtures. The grand opening for the event is on April 24 and will feature raffles, prizes, food and entertainment. Guests of the event will have the chance to win one of two $500 gift cards to the Vancouver Canucks store, and the first 150 customers in person will receive a special gift. During the grand opening, Wo ..read more

Ottawa, ON — Canada will need a substantial increase in skilled trade workers to meet its goal of building 5.8 million new homes by 2033. BuildForce Canada announced that Canada’s residential construction workforce would need to grow to over 1,030,000 workers, 83 per cent above the status quo, in order to meet this goal. As part of its Residential Scenario Outlook 2024-2033 report, BuildForce Canada highlighted the support needed to reach the housing target. The scenario assumes that starts will begin rising in 2024, peak at 691,600 in 2029, and gradually de-escalate from the peak through 2033 ..read more

Ottawa, ON — Investments in building construction declined 0.9 percent to $19.7 billion in January, according to Statistics Canada. The residential sector saw a 1.4 per cent decline to $13.6 billion. The decline was led by a $228 million decline in Ontario. However, the decline was partially offset by increases in five provinces, led by Quebec, up $53 million. Multi-unit family investment also declined 4.5 per cent to $6.9 billion in January, driven by declines in Ontario. In contrast, investments in detached single-family homes increased 2.1 per cent to $6.7 billion in January, with eight pr ..read more

Samantha, right, Kevin, left, and their youngest two children celebrate winning the 2023 Live Net Zero Challenge. Photo by Craig Van Horne Airdrie, AB — One lucky family from Alberta will receive a sizeable cheque in honour of their “contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and embracing sustainable living practices.” The prize was given as part of the second annual Live Net Zero competition, which is run by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. The Shannon family from Airdrie, Alta, received a $50,000 cash prize as part of their winnings. They were one of eight finalists for the ..read more

Ottawa, ON— The total value of building permits in Canada increased 9.3 per cent to $11.8 billion in February, reports Statistics Canada. Gains were seen across the board, as both the residential and non-residential sectors had positive months. The residential sector increased 7.4 per cent to $7.1 billion. Ontario (up 21.7 per cent) led the growth in value of both single-family and multi-family dwelling permits. Building permit intentions for residential construction growth were divided between single-dwelling (up 9.6 per cent) and multi-dwelling (up 6.0 per cent) permits in February. Additio ..read more

The Greener Homes Grant program is anticipated to highlight energy-efficient rebates as part of the updated program. More information to coming in the following weeks. Ottawa, ON — The big question mark surrounding the future of the Greener Home Grant program has become a bit more clear in its intentions moving forward. On April 12th, Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, deputy minister and minister of finance, and Sean Fraser, minister of housing, infrastructure, and communities, unveiled the federal government’s new housing plan and green building strategy. When the p ..read more

Intended to train future trades and technology professionals, the complex will have the capacity for 700 new full-time students annually. Burnaby, B.C. — Students, staff, and faculty at the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s (BCIT) trades and technology programs will soon have access to new training facilities. The newly planned $220 million Trades and Technology Complex (TTC) will host a collection of newly renovated buildings and an enhanced campus infrastructure, which will create increased access to adaptive learning environments for trade education. “Investing in new trades traini ..read more

Victoria, B.C. — Eight schools in British Columbia will receive funding for ventilation upgrades. “Funding to improve indoor air quality is a very worthy investment in the health and well-being of all young learners. We are grateful to receive this federal funding, which will support optimization of both the ventilation and air filtration at Doncaster Elementary School,” said Nicole Duncan, board chair of the Greater Victoria School District. In Victoria, funding will help replace aging air handling units and unit ventilators, increasing outdoor air intake at Doncaster Elementary School and Sp ..read more

Toronto, ON — Small business owners may face higher bills as the federal carbon tax increases 23 per cent to $80 per tonne on April 1. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reports that this hike will force over half (56 per cent) of small firms to raise prices to accommodate the tax. Meanwhile, 45 per cent report they will need to freeze or reduce wages, and 33 per cent say it will reduce their ability to invest in environmental initiatives. “The giant hike in carbon taxes further highlights how unfair this tax is for small businesses. The first thing Ottawa must do is f ..read more