change & innovation · saskatoon unit 10, 713-66 street e, saskatoon, sk s7p 0e4 306-978-8500...

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iNNOVATiNG TO ReduCe WAsTeWATeR ANd AiR emissiONs AT THe CO-Op RefiNeRy COmplex

iNfRAsTRuCTuRe sOluTiONs TO meeT lONG-TeRm Needs

WORkiNG smARTeR,fAsTeR ANd leANeR

THe Time is RiGHT fOR NeW TeCHNOlOGy

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S7K 6J4

306 ‐978 ‐8500


Calgary, AB

T2B 3L6

403‐248‐8500


Edmonton, AB

T5M 2S4

780‐483‐0920

SURREY #115, 19358 – 96th Ave

Surrey, BC

V4N 4C1




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Trimble

Survey Tools









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Stringline, plumb bobs, line locators, safety equipment, detectors, rods & poles, transmitters, concrete stakes & clamps, masonry cutting blades, shovels, gloves, low pressure sewer testing equipment,


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Unit 10, 713-66 Street E, Saskatoon, SK S7P 0E4 306-978-8500 [email protected] www.mvs.ca



CONTACT US



S7K 6J4

306 ‐978 ‐8500


Calgary, AB

T2B 3L6

403‐248‐8500


Edmonton, AB

T5M 2S4

780‐483‐0920

SURREY #115, 19358 – 96th Ave

Surrey, BC

V4N 4C1




LL500

Machine Control

Trimble

Survey Tools









UL 633



CONTACT US



S7K 6J4

306 ‐978 ‐8500


Calgary, AB

T2B 3L6

403‐248‐8500


Edmonton, AB

T5M 2S4

780‐483‐0920

SURREY #115, 19358 – 96th Ave

Surrey, BC

V4N 4C1




LL500

Machine Control

Trimble

Survey Tools









UL 633

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4 sAskATCHeWAN CONsTRuCTiON AssOCiATiON

iN THis issue of

© 2016 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.

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PRINTED IN CANADA 12/2016

320 Gardiner Park CourtRegina, SK S4V 1R9P: 306-525-0171 • F: 306-347-8595E: [email protected]: www.scaonline.ca

2017 SCA Board of DirectorsJAsON duke, CHAiRCORy RiCHTeR, ViCe CHAiRCORey HuNCHAk, pAsT CHAiRROb isTACebRiAN WAllACelAiRd RiTCHieJAN mClellAN fOlkmiles dyCkCAROle mORskysHAuN CRippsJusTiN HOyesRON smiTHmONique buCkbeRGeRdeAN COCHRANe

President & CEO – mARk COOpeR

Senior Advisor to the President & CEO – deRek lOTHiAN

Manager – AmANdA THiCk

Manager – JOHN lAx

Executive Coordinator – meGAN JANe

Job Coach – sHAWN mCCAll

Job Coach – JON THiesseN

Accounting Coordinator – Tess kOssiCk

6 President's Message

14 SCA Board of Directors

iNdusTRy NeWs 8 Engagement Report: New Year, New Opportunity

10 Advocacy Report: One Step at a Time

16 A Fond Farewell

18 Access to Opportunity

20 A Letter from the Saskatoon Construction Association President

22 Proposed PST Change Will Harm Provincial Economy

feATuRes 24 Incoming Chair Jason Duke Sees the Big Picture

26 The New One Per Cent

28 The United States of Uncertainty

31 Co-op Refinery Complex reduces wastewater and air emissions through

innovative process

34 Concrete Roads as an Infrastructure Solution

38 New Buying Rules to Help Local Companies

40 Work Smarter, Faster and Leaner

42 Enhancing Design-Build in Canada

expeRTs 44 Construction Ripe for Innovation and New Technologies

46 Productivity in the Construction Industry

49 Think Small to Go Big

50 Meetings: An Idea That Has Stood the Test of Wasting Time

52 Innovative Training for Apprentices in the Skilled Trades

54 The Changing Face of Women in Trades

56 How to Shut Down Employee Innovation

58 Résumés: They’re so 2015

60 Creating Real Behaviour Change for Your Business

62 Navigating Injury

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30 Degrees and View of Palm Trees

Attend CCA’s Conference

IN MARCH?

FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE CCA CONFERENCE1. Five-star Barceló Maya Palace

all-inclusive resortIt is hard to imagine a better setting for a conference.

2. Fabulous business and general interest sessions

There are 13 business, 4 general sessions and 2 keynote speeches to quench your thirst for knowledge.

3. Famous archeological & historical sites – Chichen Itzá, Cobá & Tulum

The optional CCA Tour will cover some of these sites or you can explore them on your own. Tulum is only 20 minutes

away!

4. Fellow attendeesFor many attendees, networking is a crucial part of the conference. Past first-timers have told us that while networking at an event where you don’t know anyone can appear daunting, it is extremely easy to strike up conversations at the CCA conference. For some long-time attendees, the relationships and friendships started at the CCA conference are what brings them back year after year.

5. Fun in the sunThe weather during the conference is guaranteed to be better than anywhere in Canada with average lows around 22 and highs around 30 degrees Celsius. We’ve left some open afternoons and evenings for

you to relax at the resort or to discover some of the nearby sites. During Tuesday’s event at Xcaret!, an eco-archeological park, everybody will have some time to do an activity of their own choosing (float on the underground river, check

out the jaguars?) before dinner and a performance showcasing Mexico’s history and culture.

The CCA annual conference provides a great opportunity to get the most current information on industry trends and market updates. The information available from high-quality guest speakers isn’t available anywhere else in one location. The networking opportunities with industry peers from across Canada are second to none.

Visit conference.cca-acc.com for more information and to register

march 20 – 23 mexico 2017

Hear It from Your Peers

“

”Sam Shaw, President & GM, C & S Builders Ltd., Moose Jaw

conference Ad-SCA.indd 1 02/12/2016 3:16:06 PM

Mark Cooper, President & CEO,Saskatchewan Construction Association

pResideNT’s messAGe

This is our first ever Change &

Innovation-themed issue of We Build,

and I am very excited to touch on this

fascinating range of topics at such a

crucial time for our province and our

industry. Change & Innovation are

among the most underappreciated

facets of our industry for investors,

owners and the public.

However, as the industry recovers

from the economic downturn, new

work will be characterized by more

competition and thinner margins.

One of the best ways for business to

succeed in that kind of market is to

offer better value through improved

processes and better materials.

Obviously, we can’t cover every

innovation in a single issue, but we

have set out to provide an overview of

the sorts of things that are happening

today or are on the horizon and that

are relevant to the construction

market in Saskatchewan today.

One change important to us is the

introduction of Jason Duke, the

new Chair of the Saskatchewan

Construction Association (SCA) Board

of Directors. He is profiled on page 24.

On page 26, Paul Martin addresses

the sort of transformational change

it will likely take for Saskatchewan to

meet the challenges of the future, and

on page 28, we take a look at what a

Donald Trump presidency may mean

for Saskatchewan businesses.

On page 31, we explore the

Wastewater Improvement Project

(WIP) at the Coop Refinery Complex

in Regina – which is precisely the

kind of innovation that will make

Saskatchewan’s resource economy

sustainable well into the future. We

take a look at alternative building

materials for roadways on page 34 and

consider the rationale and benefit of

Priority Saskatchewan’s move to Best

Value procurement on page 38.

We also explore new building

methods and strategies like Lean

on page 40 and Design-Build on

page 42. In addition, we have

spectacular contributions from many

of our regular experts – including

a look at construction productivity,

innovation updates from the Canadian

Construction Association (CCA),

harmonization in trade credentials

between provinces, and how to get

your people to change.

My hope is that you find both

inspiration and value in our high-

level look at Change & Innovation

in the construction world and what

it can mean for our province and

your business. New processes and

materials provide an unprecedented

opportunity for our members and

stakeholders to realise value in

construction – often the biggest and

most important business decisions in

any project or start up.

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Size: 1/6 horizontal 4.625 x 2.125 Bk & White

Date: February 28, 2014

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PHONE: (306) 757-9681FAX: (306) 757-9684

30 Degrees and View of Palm Trees

Attend CCA’s Conference

IN MARCH?

FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE CCA CONFERENCE1. Five-star Barceló Maya Palace

all-inclusive resortIt is hard to imagine a better setting for a conference.

2. Fabulous business and general interest sessions

There are 13 business, 4 general sessions and 2 keynote speeches to quench your thirst for knowledge.

3. Famous archeological & historical sites – Chichen Itzá, Cobá & Tulum

The optional CCA Tour will cover some of these sites or you can explore them on your own. Tulum is only 20 minutes

away!

4. Fellow attendeesFor many attendees, networking is a crucial part of the conference. Past first-timers have told us that while networking at an event where you don’t know anyone can appear daunting, it is extremely easy to strike up conversations at the CCA conference. For some long-time attendees, the relationships and friendships started at the CCA conference are what brings them back year after year.

5. Fun in the sunThe weather during the conference is guaranteed to be better than anywhere in Canada with average lows around 22 and highs around 30 degrees Celsius. We’ve left some open afternoons and evenings for

you to relax at the resort or to discover some of the nearby sites. During Tuesday’s event at Xcaret!, an eco-archeological park, everybody will have some time to do an activity of their own choosing (float on the underground river, check

out the jaguars?) before dinner and a performance showcasing Mexico’s history and culture.

The CCA annual conference provides a great opportunity to get the most current information on industry trends and market updates. The information available from high-quality guest speakers isn’t available anywhere else in one location. The networking opportunities with industry peers from across Canada are second to none.

Visit conference.cca-acc.com for more information and to register

march 20 – 23 mexico 2017

Hear It from Your Peers

“

”Sam Shaw, President & GM, C & S Builders Ltd., Moose Jaw

conference Ad-SCA.indd 1 02/12/2016 3:16:06 PM


Industrynews

NeW yeAR NeW OppORTuNiTyBy Derek Lothian, Senior Advisor to the President & CEO

eNGAGemeNT RepORT

Saskatchewan construction

companies enter 2017 with a lot of

question marks: Will commodity

markets show signs of recovery?

Will private sector investment begin

to pick up? And, what impact will

a tough economic climate have on

government decision-making?

Throw in a President Trump south of

the border, as well as an ongoing call

for “transformational change” in the

province, and the universal answer

may simply be it’s anyone’s guess.

For many folks, however, flipping

the calendar could be the fresh start

needed. After all, 2016 — by almost

every measure — was nothing to write

home about.

While the data for the final three

months of the year has not yet been

released, the value of non-residential

building permits in the province is

on pace to have dropped 42 per cent

over 2015, led by a 47 per cent decline

in commercial construction, which

accounts for roughly half of the

total spend. Industrial construction,

meanwhile, is set to dive by close to 64

per cent.

In practical terms, you have seen fewer

projects, stiffer competition, and tighter

budgets across the board, making it

more difficult to source work, and even

tougher to turn a profit.

Granted, a new year will not

necessarily translate into new

realities. Many of the same challenges

that existed in 2016 will undoubtedly

still be there on January 1 and

beyond. But, as you lock in your

resolutions and recalibrate your

business operations, remember that

the SCA is here as a resource, walking

alongside you to navigate obstacles

and capitalize on opportunities.

We recognize our success is your

success. That is exactly why we are

retooling our own operations — to

better engage, serve, and provide

tangible value for you, our members.

Our focus on member services for

2017 will centre around four priority

areas:

1. Strengthening SCA’s position as the

industry connector;

2. Facilitating linkages between

members on issues of common

interest;

3. Enhancing member ROI in the SCA

and its integrated partners; and

4. Growing our — and your — influence

through collaboration.

This effort will take the shape of several

exciting new initiatives, including the

rollout of the Advantage Construction

Savings Program and the launch of the

first-ever Saskatchewan Construction

Week, just to name a couple.

But we don’t want to stop there. We

want to continue adapting and evolving

to offer the world-class member

supports you need, when you need

them. To do that, though, we need your

guidance.

Give us a call. Let us bring you coffee.

We want to hear what is going on in

your business and how we can help.

You can connect with me personally at

(306) 380-3765 or by e-mailing derekl@

scaonline.ca.

From all of us at the SCA, have a very

Happy New Year — I hope to be in touch

with you soon!

P.O. Box 1299 |1304 11th St. NCoaldale, AB T1M 1N1

[email protected]

www.inlandscrewpiling.com

INNOVATIVE SCREWPILESOLUTIONS

Tel: 403.345.6781Fax: 1.866.798.0965Cell: 403.382.1942

Companies serious about

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SAFETYhigh pErFormAncE

REGINA | 498 HENDERSON DRIVE | S4N 6E3 | T: 306.525.0175 | F: 306.525.1542 | 1.800.817.2079 SASKATOON | 2606 KOYL AVENUE | S7L 5X9 | T: 306.652.0907 | F: 306.652.0923 SCSAONLINE.CA


Industrynews

ONe sTep AT A TimeBy John Lax, Manager, Saskatchewan Construction Association

AdVOCACy RepORT

The SCA continues to represent the interests of its

members and the non-residential construction industry

as a whole through partnerships, relationships and

collaboration. Our business is connecting people

and securing a positive business environment in

Saskatchewan. To this end, we work with members,

industry associations, investors, governments and

government agencies to encourage open dialogue and

mutual respect for demands throughout the construction

supply pyramid.

To achieve these goals, the SCA employs multiple channels

from direct advocacy and civic engagement to data

management and industry leadership through committees,

councils and partnerships. In all of these activities, the

SCA is committed to demonstrating the highest standards

of professionalism and adherence to our Mission and

Values. This enables us to work in a nonpartisan manner

with all relevant stakeholders to achieve outcomes that

support the construction sector and the province.

Our priorities are determined by industry conditions

and focused by pan-industry collaboration through

the SCA Advisory Council – a committee of the SCA

Red Deer, AB | Calgary, AB | Fort St. John, BC | Midale, SK

Office: 780-875-8845 Dispatch: 780-214-7711

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Red Deer, AB | Calgary, AB | Fort St. John, BC | Midale, SK

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Industrynews Advocacy Report

Board of Directors that brings together representatives

from construction-related industry associations and

industry relevant organizations. The Advisory Council

represents the best, most diverse voice of non-residential

construction in Saskatchewan and the commitment of its

members provides a clear voice and usual consensus on

industry opinion.

At the moment, the SCA has four key areas of advocacy

focus: the PST exemption for construction labour, which

Mark Cooper addresses on page 22 of this magazine; the

#TransformSK public consultation; procurement and

Prompt Payment.

psT on Construction labour

The SCA has been busy researching and meeting with

stakeholders to ensure the outcome of any PST changes

will not negatively impact the construction sector’s ability

to support the broader economy and improve the quality

of life in Saskatchewan.

This is a delicate process that involves considering tax

expenditures, tax revenues, investment incentives,

employment, housing costs and even the potential for

growth in the underground (untaxed) economy.

We are working through the appropriate channels to ensure

these concerns are heard. Our position is that adding the PST

to construction labour will:

• increase construction costs with no additional benefit to

homebuyers, small business investors, entrepreneurs or

any enterprise;

• risk the existing income tax and PST bases by slowing

down the construction market;

• unfairly ask one sector to bear much of the cost for

shortfalls in other sectors;

• pose the same threat to construction that carbon pricing

poses to Saskatchewan – for the same reasons; and

• threaten our competitive position by taking us out of line

with more favourable policies in Alberta and Manitoba.

#Transformsk

#TransformSK is the largest pan-industry consultation in

Saskatchewan history, mandated to develop the collective

vision and action plan necessary to shape the next generation

of provincial economic and social prosperity. This initiative will

culminate in a final set of recommendations to be tabled with

the Premier.

At the time of this writing, Mark Cooper, President and CEO,

and Megan Jane, Executive Coordinator, are living out of

suitcases travelling the province with representatives from the

Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, Saskatchewan Mining

Association, Saskatchewan Manufacturing Council and

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan.

By holding meetings in communities across the province, the

consultation will draw together the best and most creative

ideas for the people and government of the province to

consider when crafting the policies and policy ideas that will

shape the Saskatchewan of tomorrow.

Keep up to date at TransformSK.ca or by calling the SCA

directly at 306-525-0171.

procurement

Priority Saskatchewan has completed its procurement manuals

and has started the process of training procurement officials

throughout the civil service and Crowns. The process brings

best value to Saskatchewan public procurement. Reagan Reese

Seidler goes into greater detail in a piece on page 38.

Through the Saskatchewan Construction Panel, the SCA

is working to take the Priority Saskatchewan message out

to other sectors that are not obligated to adopt the new

procurement guidelines such as health regions, school

Complete Residential

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We build – WiNTeR 2016 – CHANGe & iNNOVATiON 13

Industrynews

60 YEARS OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS EXPERTISE

www.agra.com

2016 SCA Magazine 7x4.625 Version 3.indd 1 6/8/2016 9:51:16 AM

districts and municipalities. To date, the response has been

positive as the benefit of the Priority Saskatchewan model

to all stakeholders is immediately apparent when explained

thoroughly.

Businesses encountering issues with provincial government

or Crown procurement that they believe fall outside of the

Priority Saskatchewan guidelines are encouraged to contact

the SCA immediately – the sooner we are notified the more

likely a positive solution can be reached.

The Procurement Manual is available online at: http://www.

saskbuilds.ca/PrioritySK/index1.html

prompt payment

The SCA continues to work with Prompt Payment

Saskatchewan to seek a solution to the issue of consistent and

systemic late payment within the construction pyramid. In

the end, it is an issue of business fairness, delayed payments

negatively impact: margins; planning ability; capacity to train

employees; ability to purchase equipment; and even the ability

to bid on work. All of these are the result of capital tied up in

payables long after work is completed.

Saskatchewan has the right conditions to reach a solution. And

if not here, the federal government has a bill that has passed

its second reading in the Senate, and Ontario is moving on

Prompt Payment as a result of the Reynolds Report, a review

of the Ontario Lien Act and prompt payment.

Prompt Payment Saskatchewan is committed to these key

principles:

• a payment cycle;

• the right to suspend work;

• a dispute mechanism;

• interest on overdue payments; and

• transparency and disclosure.

To learn more, contact the SCA at 306-525-0171.

Of course there are other advocacy issues that the SCA

continues to address and more coming on the horizon. In 2016,

the SCA was again critical in securing the return of WCB

overfunding to employers, to the tune of $241 million. The

SCA also has an ongoing commitment to provide meaningful,

accurate construction and economic data to our members and

other groups engaged with the industry. In this regard, the

SCA works closely with Sask Trends Monitor to create high

quality reports and presentations on Saskatchewan economic

performance for the purposes of business and investment

planning.

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Industrynews

This edition of We Build focuses on how

our industry and, for that matter, the

whole world is constantly changing.

As individuals, groups, businesses,

employees and citizens we too must

change to meet the world anew. But

some changes are harder than others

and this fall we at the SCA dealt with an

exceptionally difficult change.

Part of the SCA’s work has long included

an Industry Workforce Development

(IWD) strategy to make sure that our

member companies have the people they

need, with the skills they need, to meet

the demands of the marketplace.

Unfortunately, as much of our work was

based on managing funded programs

for others – specifically the provincial

government – we have always risked

losing that funding if the economic

winds changed. This year, amid the

deficit and associated cutbacks we were

informed that the government was

unable to continue supporting the IWD

program at this time.

While we understand the decision,

we were saddened to see both Erwin

Klempner, Manager, and Alieka Beckett,

Workforce Development Coordinator,

leave our ranks.

Erwin, a retired teacher, was an eight

year veteran of the SCA with a passion

for bringing the message of hands-

on careers and real world skills to

Saskatchewan youth. He is a tireless

advocate for the industry and for the

youth who will drive it well into the

future. His leadership and expertise will

By Mark Cooper, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Construction Association

A fONd fAReWellbe sorely missed.

Alieka came to the SCA within

the last year but proved her mettle

immediately, bringing a strong and

successful presence to the Saskatoon

and northern region. She consistently

brought creativity to her engagement

work and stretched every opportunity

to maximum effect. Her community

development experience was critical

in enabling her to reach communities

and youth that are a struggle for any

organization. Her ability to produce

both independently and within a team

will be an asset to any organization and

it is a shame we couldn’t keep her on

our team.

Although I am sure both Erwin and

Alieka will do well wherever they go,

I know our team will miss them and

the high-quality work they delivered

for us, our members and the youth of

Saskatchewan.

The SCA will remain committed to IWD

work through the federal Skills Link

Program and in whatever capacity we

are able outside of that program. Our

strategy remains the same, even if we

must adjust our expectations in the light

of the loss of such wonderful people.

For now though, I will wish Erwin and

Alieka all the best in everything they

do moving forward and the fondest of

farewells. The SCA is better for having

had you, and the best I can hope for is

that our professional paths will cross

again at some point.


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Industrynews

The planroom service is the often

the primary reason members join

a construction association. Tender

information is the original premise for

the formation of local construction

associations. The electronic age has

motivated us to change how we

present information, as well as what

information we as associations gather

to best serve our members.

This begs the question, what are the

associations doing to change and

innovate the core services? Second,

are those changes necessary? Below

are some of the initiatives the

Construction Association Network of

Saskatchewan (CANet) is working on.

By Matthew Farthing, CANet Manager, Saskatchewan Construction Association

ACCess TO OppORTuNiTy

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P. 306.979.9500 | F. 306.979.5990 | E. [email protected]

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Industrynews

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We are working to promote Bid

Depository procurement in the

industry.

Bid Depository procurement is

a uniform and practical system

for subcontractors to submit

tenders to general contractors. By

defining the trade scopes that these

subcontractors submit bids through,

issues with scope definition can be

sorted out during the tender phase

rather than on site. In a competitive

bid marketplace like we have today,

the Saskatchewan Bid Depository

system helps reduce contractor risks

when pursuing competitions.

We are engaging necessary parties to

ensure this process is well explained

and researching ways to make

procurement through this process

fully electronic. For more information

on Bid Depository process, please visit

www.sbdi.ca.

We are working to introduce

electronic bidding to the

construction marketplace.

Electronic bidding is a crucial part

of innovating association services.

Analysis shows that electronic

procurement reduces non-compliant

bids, reduces the time and expenses

related to bid preparation, has a

significant return on investment,

and is highly secure compared to

other processes followed today.

As mentioned above, this means

electronic bidding not only in the Bid

Depository environment, but also in

traditional procurement.

CANet, in collaboration with the

SCA, is in contact with several

major owner groups, including the

Government of Saskatchewan, in

order to push this agenda forward.

We are building relationships with

the consultant community.

Consultants are a crucial part of

our industry. Consultants are in

direct communication with owner

groups on a regular basis and

often recommend the procurement

methods best for the job. Growing

these relationships will enhance

all aspects of our core information

services.

Stay tuned to www.canetsk.ca.


Industrynews

As Past President Brian Wallace reported at our AGM, the past

year has been extremely busy at the Saskatoon Construction

Association and I’m excited to lead the Board into the coming year.

Everyone knows that the shift in the economy has been challenging

for members of the construction industry. While it’s easy to be

discouraged by current market conditions and news reports, we see

this an opportunity to focus on building our community, our skills,

and the services that we offer to members.

Fall is a time of transformation. This was especially true for

Saskatoon, as residents voted in their first new mayor in 13

years. Our association has been fortunate to have a longstanding

relationship with previous administrations and members received

their first address from Mayor Clark at our AGM in November.

This change in leadership provides an opportunity to build our

established relationship with City Council and advance the interests

of our local industry.

We also see this as a chance to build the association and

opportunities for our members. We are constantly developing

the association staff to better serve you through our planroom,

education and networking events. This year we’re offering more

educational opportunities than ever before to ensure that your

staff have the skills you need to navigate the current market. Our

networking events continue to build momentum and are selling out

sooner than ever before. Finally, the Young Executives have never

been more engaged and capable of building the next generation of

the construction industry.

So, while this is undoubtedly a challenging time across the industry,

we trust that members will find opportunities in our services so that

your company is prepared to get building again! I looking forward

to working with the other qualified industry leaders you’ve chosen

to sit on your Board of Directors and serving the members of the

Saskatoon Construction Association in the upcoming year.

A leTTeR fROm THe sAskATOON CONsTRuCTiON AssOCiATiON pResideNT

exeCuTiVe COmmiTTeePresident

Dean Cochrane - Humboldt Electric

1st Vice President

Chris Doka - Wright Construction

2nd Vice President

Kim Sutherland - Alpine Interiors Systems

Secretary/Treasurer

Brad Barber - Clearlite Glass

Past President

Brian Wallace - Wallace Construction

Executive Director

Deb Labersweiler – Saskatoon

Construction Association

diReCTORsCarey Tait - PCL

Gord Harris - Pow City Mechanical

Tom Holfeld - Graham Construction

& Engineering

Peter Davies - Weldfab

Greg Hipperson - Hy-Grade Millwork

Jerrett Bergovich - Scorpio Masonry

Conal Hancherow - Thermo Design Insulation

iNTeGRATed pARTNeR updATe

Dean Cochrane, 2017 Saskatoon Construction Association President

Mark your Calendarsfor our 2017 Major Events

All Registrations Are Now Online!www.saskatoonconstruction.ca

Sign Up for news & updates by email ing [email protected] Us: 532-2nd Ave N, Saskatoon, SK

Ph: 306-653-1771

Mexican Fiesta Members Gala - May 5

Meet the General Contractors - Apr. 6

YE Taxes & Tastings LB Distillery Tour - Jan. 19

Masters Classic Golf Tournament - Aug. 11

Bonspiel Week - Jan. 9 - 13

Honouring Darren McConnell & Laird Ritchie

Watch for our popular Young Executives events & education for additional networking opportunities!

@buildyxe /buildyxe


Industrynews

The provincial government is projecting a $1 billion-plus

deficit in the current fiscal year. Facing this challenging

economic reality, the government is seeking opportunities

to reduce expenditures and grow revenues. Recently our

finance minister, the Honourable Kevin Doherty, implied that

the removal of the PST exemption for construction labour

costs is under consideration. This move would devastate an

already fragile provincial economy and harm Saskatchewan’s

competitive position. Just as Premier Wall rightly says that

“now is not the time” for a carbon tax, now is not the time to

push investors away from Saskatchewan.

The SCA will be active in encouraging the provincial

government to keep Saskatchewan growing by maintaining

a competitive and attractive investment environment. To this

end, we are working with a broad multi-industry and labour

coalition to make the case that taxing construction labour will

shrink investment, drive business to neighbouring provinces,

cost Saskatchewan jobs, and reduce provincial revenue. In

short, this plan will hurt the province and its economy.

If the province proceeds to tax construction labour, it will have

an irrevocably negative impact on the Saskatchewan economy.

Here’s why:

• None of our New West Partnership provinces (British

Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba) tax construction labour -

although Manitoba does tax electrical and mechanical work.

This creates a competitive disadvantage for Saskatchewan in

attracting investment;

• Saskatchewan construction companies will see overhead

and administrative costs increase as they will be forced to

register as PST collectors;

• Increasing the cost of construction will dampen the

likelihood of investors spending money now. The

Saskatchewan economy is already operating at reduced

capacity and investors are holding on to cash rather than

investing. This is despite an economic environment that

is very attractive for investment. This tax increase would

certainly make things worse;

• It will cost Saskatchewan construction jobs. Construction is

Saskatchewan’s second largest private employer, after the

retail sector. In the last eighteen months, our province has

lost more than 5,000 construction jobs. We can’t afford to

lose more;

• It makes the cost of housing less affordable, which will

slow the housing market and depress local economies. This

comes on the heels of multiple changes at the federal level

that have already made housing less affordable. We need

to reverse this trend;

• When construction gets taxed, it harms the construction

industry but, more importantly, it hurts everyone else. As

a service industry, construction flows its costs through to

those who purchase construction services. Increased taxes

make every investment decision more expensive (and more

difficult) for everyone, so the effect on the economy will be

widespread and negative;

• The things potentially not being built — residences,

commercial and industrial facilities, and major renovations

of commercial spaces — not only require investment, but

drive future growth. These are the facilities that create

jobs, stimulate consumer spending and enable businesses

to grow and hire – contributing to a broader tax base;

• As jobs are lost, investment falls and business slows,

the province will lose income tax revenue and sales tax

revenue. Any perceived gain from adding a construction

labour tax will undoubtedly be offset by the lost

revenue the government will give up, and the economic

opportunities that will be lost.

The SCA will work with our partners, both within the

construction industry and outside, to convince the provincial

government that adding a tax on labour is a self-destructive

policy. We’re going to ask our members to help as well. If you

believe that taxing construction labour is a bad idea, then we

need you to meet with your MLA and tell them so. Send me an

email ([email protected]) or give me a call (306-527-6854)

and let me know that you’re interested in helping stop this tax.

If we don’t act, we may end up with a terrible tax that will set

our whole province back. We can’t let that happen.

pROpOsed psT TAx CHANGe Will HARm pROViNCiAl eCONOmyBy Mark Cooper, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Construction Association


pROpOsed psT TAx CHANGe Will HARm pROViNCiAl eCONOmyBy Mark Cooper, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Construction Association

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Industrynews

One does not need to spend long speaking to Jason Duke to

realize that he is passionate and thoughtful about a great many

things: community; family; business; and the construction

industry. Jason’s passion and insight is made all the more

apparent by his frenetic energy – volunteering, running

multiple businesses and parenting, to name just a few of his

commitments.

Jason is principal at CertaPro Painters in Regina and one of

the nine original owners of the 25 year old company that now

has 350 offices across North America. Recently Jason accepted

the role of Chairperson of the SCA Board of Directors for the

2016-2017 year.

For Jason, paint is in his blood. His grandfather was district

manager for Benjamin Moore after the Second World War

and then opened a paint store in 1951. His father took over

the store in the 1960s and later became a contractor. Through

high school and university he worked with his father and with

College Pro Painters, alongside one of the original College Pro

franchisees. Shortly thereafter, Jason was approached about

starting CertaPro – the business that has most defined his

professional career.

CertaPro joined the Regina Construction Association (RCA)

early on and Jason’s inclination to get involved and make

a difference would lead him to serve on the RCA Board of

Directors and eventually as their President in 2003. As RCA

President, Jason also served on the SCA board.

Known for being a strong advocate, Jason was approached

about running for Chair of the SCA Advisory Council. Some

of those who encouraged him to run for the position were

hopeful that he could provide a new voice and shake things

up. When he ultimately did take the role it meant he was once

again a member of the SCA Board of Directors as well.

In 2014 the SCA changed their governance practices - allowing

for more seats from local boards and a succession ladder for

the Chair position. As he transitioned off of the Advisory

Council, Jason became Vice-Chair of the SCA board, a position

he has held for two years. This year he took on the role of

Board Chair.

moving forward

In his time with the SCA, Jason has seen positive change.

Along with governance transformation, he says the

association has become much more responsive to members –

open to hearing all voices and better at communicating.

“Over the last couple of years, the SCA has put together a good

staff to take on issues, and they’re getting results,” he says.

The association’s recent work has helped shape best

practices, such as procurement set out by organizations like

SaskBuilds. Jason also sees SCA engagement with the Workers

Compensation Board (WCB) as a major success.

“There are issues with the WCB governance structure and

the association has been among those calling on them to be

more efficient and responsive than in the past, with regard to

overpayment and overfunding,” he says. “There needs to be a

level of trust and the end result will make Saskatchewan more

enticing for business and better for taxpayers.”

As Chair, Jason says one of his top priorities – which the SCA

has been working towards – is emphasizing and enhancing the

benefits of membership through the Construction Advantage

program which will benefit small and medium sized members

with things like co-op purchasing and discounts.

Expanding the association’s sphere of influence is also high

on the to-do list. The recently launched #TransformSK

initiative places the SCA in a leadership role working with

the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, Saskatchewan

Mining Association, Saskatchewan Manufacturing Council,

and Agricultural Producers of Saskatchewan to consult with

communities and individuals on the ideas that will make the

province prosperous and sustainable for the next generation.

seeiNG THe biG piCTuReIncoming SCA Chair Jason Duke

By Lyndon McLean, DEL Staff Writer


Industrynews

“We need to capitalize on the wisdom of the crowd,” Jason

says. “A lot of people have a lot of good ideas.”

He emphasizes the importance of hearing a variety of voices

and opinions within the industry. The association wants to

talk to everyone involved in the construction industry at all

stages, including the banks, building owners and managers,

to get everyone in the chain involved in making projects more

successful.

Another priority is what he refers to as “taking back social

license” – essentially, maintaining control of the SCA’s

messaging. Too often today, he argues, all of the information

about an issue (i.e. carbon tax, pipelines), isn’t presented or is

incorrect, so the public don’t understand the overall benefits.

The association and the industry need to make sure everyone

sees the big picture.

Headed in the Right direction

“Saskatchewan is in a unique place,” Jason says. “We’re nimble,

and we make good connections – we can make change when

it’s needed.”

With the state of the economy in recent years, an important

industry issue that will require that flexibility is Prompt

Payment, and the SCA is working to put together a solution

that will be rolled out in 2017. Previous efforts in Ontario fell

short, but Jason has high hopes for this approach, and he sees

it as an example for the rest of Canada.

“In the next few years, Saskatchewan will be on the front

line of some of these issues and be a leading voice. We have

to be united and make sure the message and its value remain

focused.”

Collaboration is one of the association’s key strengths and the

SCA has forged strong relationships with partners, vendors,

and other associations to get results.

“We’ve highlighted that we’re leaders in the business industry

and can connect and get results – a big difference from

five or six years ago,” he says. “There’s more respect for the

construction industry now; people are seeing us as partners

and leaders able to make things happen.”

Jason takes pride in the transparency, accountability and

service he and the industry put into making lives better

in Saskatchewan. He looks forward to seeing the province

prosper and believes others can learn a lot from Saskatchewan.

“I see it as the last bastion of common sense. I’m thankful for

the honour and opportunity to be Chair, and I’m a bit nervous

and excited to make things happen,” he says. “There’s so much

to accomplish.”

Rob Cote: (306) 380-6624 | Banain Cote: (306) 280-2089Office: Ph. (306) 384-3700 | Fax: (306) 384-3713

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Feature

Much was made of the Occupy movement and its call for the

global community to address the gap between rich and poor.

Wall Street, for example, turned into a protester encampment

to bring attention to the widening gulf in societal strata.

Now, new information is emerging in Saskatchewan of

another one per cent benefiting from a disproportionate

share of the pie and the information may well set the stage

for a significant realignment of the role of the provincial

government. These figures are staggering, and I’ll return

to them in a moment, but first a thought or two on a topic

that is also getting more than its fair share of attention:

transformational change.

In a global context, transformational change has centred on

commercial endeavors as individuals – entrepreneurs – have

developed enterprises that have revolutionized entire sectors.

The examples are well documented. Uber is the world’s biggest

taxi company but owns no vehicles. Alibaba and Amazon

dominate retailing but neither has a store. Airbnb is the biggest

hotelier without owning a single property. And so it goes with

Facebook and others.

These enterprises have changed the way we do things. Hence

the descriptor: transformational change or, perhaps more

accurately, transformational change agents sometimes called

disruptors.

In the Saskatchewan context, the words transformational

change have been kicked around a lot since the finance

minister first put them in play. The words haven’t, however,

been defined by the government so the conversation has

turned into a free-for-all with everyone relabelling their pet

project or hobby horse as a portent of transformational change.

My guess is we’ll begin to see a little clearer definition of the

subject in the coming months but here’s my best stab at it.

first, do we need it and, if so, why?

Most would say the answer to that first question is yes.

Whether a supporter or opponent of the Wall administration

which has advanced the idea, most would agree that changes

are needed. My answer to the why is a bit different than

most.

It starts with the norm and aberrations. Ask yourself: is

a bumper grain harvest or a devastating drought for that

matter the norm or the aberration? Obviously they are

aberrations. When you apply that thinking to the public

purse, you ask whether the last ten years were the norm

or the exception as we allowed, encouraged in fact, our

government to match spending with inflated revenues.

In the 2007-2008 budget, the finance minister of the day

projected total revenue of $7.8 billion. Nearly a decade later,

this year’s number is in the neighborhood of $14 billion.

Yes, in that time Saskatchewan saw significant economic

expansion and roughly a 15-per cent increase in our

population but public spending rose at a far faster clip, nearly

doubling in a decade. Is that sustainable? Probably, if you

think the last decade was the norm and not the aberration.

Unsustainable if you don’t. A case in point: 35-per cent raises

for nurses.

Now back to the New One Per cent as they factor into this

public sector spending equation.

Increasingly those who travel in policy circles or watch

them closer are beginning to talk about the social spending

envelope which accounts for somewhere between 75 and

83 per cent of all government spending, depending on

whose definition you adopt, but in broad terms think health,

education, social services and justice. From an individual

citizen’s perspective these ministries intersect more often

than not or look alike but the departments themselves don’t

actually collaborate or see it the same way. Turf and all that.

Figures are beginning to emerge suggesting they have much

in common in terms of who they serve with that about one-

third of the more than $11 billion directed to human services

spending being consumed by one per cent of the population

THe NeW ONe peR CeNTBy Paul Martin, Chair, Martin Charlton Communications; Chair, TEC Canada


Feature

THe NeW ONe peR CeNTBy Paul Martin, Chair, Martin Charlton Communications; Chair, TEC Canada

as they utilize services from one government agency then

another.

Yes, that’s roughly 11,000 people in a population of 1.1 million

using services costing the treasury more than $3 billion.

The next five per cent of the population – roughly 56,000

people - consumes a further one-third of the human services

budgets and the remaining third covers the cost of services

for the other 94 per cent of the population.

To put it another way, about $340,000 per person is directed

to services assisting the neediest in our community through

various agencies and ministries. On a per capita basis, the

cost of delivering services to the middle group is $68,000, and

the last third draw about $3,600 in public services annually

per person.

Clearly, when our society is spending north of $300,000 per

person without truly resolving their problems the time for

a massive overhaul of the way we deliver the social safety

net. We are not serving them nor are we serving taxpayers

very well when we evolve a system where we buy houses for

those can’t acquire their own, subsidize them to live in those

houses and then watch the province transfer funds to local

governments to pay for roads and such to support those same

residences. The time for a Maggie Thatcher style program to

sell those homes or "council houses" in the British example

to the people living in them or to private sector landlords

is upon us, a small transformational step that would put

hundreds of millions if not a billion in to the public purse.

efficiency lost

None of this is new; it’s simply becoming more important.

A finance minister has little leverage playing with the

18 per cent outside the government’s social spending envelope

meaning he or she has no choice but to address the 82-per cent

fiscal elephant.

In an earlier attempt, at the urging of his health ministry, Brad

Wall borrowed some best practises from other jurisdictions

by applying Lean concepts in the medical field in hopes of

improving operational efficiency and lowering costs. Although

not well publicized, Lean produced some significant wins.

In one ward in Regina’s General Hospital, for example,

nurses doubled the face time with patients, eliminated 1,900

kilometres of needless walking while reducing the amount

of inventory required on the ward. All of this was done

by empowering the nurses to improve their own working

conditions.

That is, after all, what Lean is all about: empowering the

workers who know their work space best to improve efficiency.

Empowered workers, however, is not something organized

labor encourages as it reduces the need for high-priced union

bosses. So Lean became a political football, was vilified and

ultimately discarded.

The need for operational efficiency, though, did not disappear

with Lean whose replacement will be transformational

change…a wholesale rewriting of the way government

services, particularly social or human services, will be

delivered. Silos will fall. Analytics will grow in importance. The

private sector will play a bigger role.

All of this because the last five years have proven that even an

economic boom cannot generate enough revenue to fund all

the current model of meeting the social needs of our citizens.

Sure there will be some easy decisions, like privatizing

highway maintenance, that have been discussed before but

the big changes – the transformational ones – will come

in areas that have largely been unchanged for decades,

growing to account for more than three-quarters of all public

spending.

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Feature

On November 8, 2016, the American

people shocked the world and

elected Donald J. Trump as the 45th

President of the United States.

As of this writing, it appears

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton

will receive somewhere around three

million more votes than Trump, a

projected margin of 2.2 per cent.

However, the United States does not

elect presidents by the popular vote

and never has. Instead, they use an

arcane system – the Electoral College

– originally designed to protect

the interests of states with smaller

populations.

In the Electoral College, Trump didn’t

just win, he won by a big margin.

Why he won is irrelevant for the

purposes of this discussion, suffice

it to say that a popular vote loss does

not delegitimize a president in the

near or long term. Trump will be the

fifth president to take the oath of

office after having received fewer

votes than his opponent – and the

second in just the past five elections.

What matters now is assessing

what president-elect Trump intends

to do with the powers of the office

and what he is actually capable of

doing – and what gaps may exist

between those two things in each

policy area. There are limits to what

we can reliably forecast because

the facts are that Trump is the least

experienced, least civic-minded

and least philosophically grounded

person to ever win the presidency.

Trump was scattershot in his

campaign, alternating between

vulgar, nonsensical and angry

as he railed against democratic

institutions, norms and processes.

He ran against the Washington

establishment, the media and

“coastal elites” – of which he happens

to be. He had no real platform and

contradicted himself from week to

week and, at times, within the same

speech. Nonetheless, his message

resonated with a swath of the

electorate that, data shows, feel left

behind and betrayed by conventional

politics of the post war era.

The inconsistency of his positions

through the process is of particular

importance. To savvy observers

it was a sign of shallowness but

as Salena Zito at The Atlantic has

presciently pointed out: while non-

supporters took Trump literally but

not seriously, his supporters didn't

take him literally, but did take him

seriously.

In this regard, his supporters

– who, judging by his cabinet

selections thus far, are the people

he is interested in satisfying – don't

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Feature

actually expect him to build a

Mexican border wall or deport every

undocumented worker or deliver on

any other specific promise. They just

expect him to "lead."

We have no idea what that

leadership will look like.

For the sake of the republic and the

global economy, we should all hope

that President Trump demonstrates a

keener and more serious sense of the

importance of policy details once in

office because Republican majorities

in the U.S. Senate and House of

Representatives rode his coattails

into power. Unified government is

not the norm in the United States.

And even when it has existed in

the past the judiciary and Senate

filibuster served as tools to check the

ruling party, even if only in protest.

But Trump flouted political norms

without penalty because political

norms themselves have been dying

for a generation. The filibuster is

likely to be repealed in the coming

months. There is a vacant Supreme

Court seat and more justices likely to

retire this term.

Altogether, this means that Trump

has captured the presidency and

the Republican Party itself at a very

opportune moment in history: he

has cooperative majorities in both

congressional chambers, the ability

to reset the judiciary, and a mandate

without any genuine expectations to

limit him.

This makes Trump the most

powerful president to take office

since at least Franklin Delano

Roosevelt’s landslide election in

1932. It was FDR's first 100 days

that set the modern standard for

how all subsequent presidents have

been judged. But few remember that

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Roosevelt campaigned on the idea of

a balanced budget. Once in office, he

never bothered trying; he completely

changed his agenda after being

elected and paid no price – in fact,

his popularity soared as he moved

very quickly to reshape American

politics.

Trump may have that same

flexibility because expectations of

him are so fluid. He also has the

type of personality necessary to take

advantage of this – both brazen and

confident.

Many in the Republican

establishment are celebrating

Trump’s election under the thinking

that his lack of government

experience or policy commitment

essentially makes him tabula rasa –

a blank slate – through which the

entire Republican policy wish list


Feature

can be implemented. It’s the Reagan

Revolution on steroids: upper end

tax cuts; entitlement reform; and

expanded free trade. The trade-offs

are likely to be immigration and a

more isolationist foreign policy.

On trade agreements, Trump may

follow through and renegotiate here

or there but his targets seem to be

mostly regional in flavour: Mexico

and Asia. These are the homes of

cheap outsourced labour that Trump

railed against during the campaign.

They are also easy targets.

However, most trade deals come

with tangible benefits as well as costs

and untangling the web once it is

spun is terribly difficult. Does Trump

or anyone in his sphere have the

patience, skill and desire? It’s unlikely.

But he will need to project strength

from time to time and on a spectrum

of issues. So there are likely to be

some marked changes – we just have

no basis for guessing when or where

the administration will see fit to take

its principled stands.

Where Canada may find strength

is in the fact that we are the largest

single exporter to 23 U.S. states,

13 of which gave electoral votes to

Trump. We are also the single largest

exporter from 35 U.S. states including

25 that gave electoral votes to Trump.

So, while Trump may be looking

for a big early win and unilaterally

renegotiating trade agreements is

within the power of the presidency,

he may need to take a more measured

approach than his rhetoric has

implied. This matches several other

policy areas where his rhetoric has

toned-down significantly since the

election even as he continues to

appoint cabinet secretaries with

on-the-record aspirations for radical

change.

That said, some provisions could

impact Canadian and Saskatchewan

businesses including specifics

on preferential trade provisions

(duty rates, domestic content

rules, etc.) and the movement of

business personnel. The first step in

mitigating risk is recognizing it may

exist and Saskatchewan companies

– especially those with operations in

the U.S. – need to do more than "wait

and see" to meet the obligation of

due diligence.

Some questions they should be

asking are:

• Do we source inputs directly or

indirectly from the U.S. (steel,

drywall for example)?

• What portion of those inputs are

currently subject to preferential

NAFTA tariffs?

• How would a removal of that

preferential treatment impact my

supply chain?

• How would a rule change on

regional value content affect the

classification of my inputs?

• What would this all mean to

the cost of construction and to

owners?

Hopefully the impacts will be

marginal. But businesses should be

considering the initial steps in case

they are not.

What we can say is that Trump is

not an outlier. He is the natural

progression of American politics

and society which have grown

more divided, inward and angry

since the Greatest Generation or the

Kennedys’ Camelot or even Reagan’s

Morning in America.

Trump may not have the support

of a majority of Americans but his

party – and it is his party – hold all

the levers of power and can go as far

as they want, probably right up to or

even well past constitutional limits.

Mid-century American journalist

and satirist H.L. Mencken once said,

“Democracy is the theory that the

common man knows what he wants,

and deserves to get it good and hard.”

The fact is we have no idea what we

are getting with Trump.

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Feature

Water scarcity is a world-wide concern

and hits closer to home as human and

industry demand increases and supply

dwindles. Federated Co-operatives Ltd.’s

Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) in Regina

is looking to a sustainable future by not

only reducing their water consumption,

leaving more for their community to

use, but also reducing wastewater and

air emissions through an innovative

wastewater recycling and treatment

process.

In 2013, the CRC completed a

$2.8-billion expansion, increasing

its oil production by 30 per cent to

more than 130,000 barrels a day.

But the expansion created a new

challenge: producing more oil also

meant the refinery consumed more

water, potentially enough to exceed its

provincially regulated allocation for

withdrawals from the local aquifer. The

refinery could pull water from the city

of Regina, but the refinery’s leaders

wanted a more sustainable solution.

The task was great as oil refining and

oil upgrading are very water-intensive

processes. The Regina complex uses

an average of 1,500 to 1,700 gallons of

water per minute, or 2 million gallons

a day, for tasks such as generating

steam, making hydrogen, and cooling.

It became clear that a new approach

to water use would be necessary, says

Gilbert Le Dressay, the Co-op Refinery

Complex’s Vice-President of Refinery

Operations.

In partnership with their technology

provider, GE, the CRC designed and

developed a $200-million sustainable

system called the Wastewater

Improvement Project (WIP). Once fully

operational, the CRC will be the only

refinery in North America that can

clean and recycle all of its wastewater

for the purpose of steam production.

The zero-discharge design utilizes a

multi-pronged approach. Stage one

WAsTe NOTThe Co-op Refinery Complex’s new Wastewater Improvement Project looks to a sustainable future

By Carly Peters, DEL Staff Writer


Feature

sees the separation of oil and water by

gravity in holding tanks, skimming oil

off the top as it floats above the water,

while during stage two, microscopic

bubbles of nitrogen are pumped up

through the water, binding with

suspended oil particles and bringing

them to the top of the unit where they

are removed. The recovered oil in both

processes is returned to the refinery for

processing.

Stages three and four are where WIP

moves beyond all other water recycling

systems. The water moves on to a GE

membrane bioreactor where specially

designed bacteria break down volatile

organic compounds (VOCs) and

ammonia, improving the quality of the

water and reducing odours associated

with oil refining. It then flows through

GE’s patented ZeeWeed®, long

spaghetti-like strings, which are in fact

heavy fibre-membrane technology that

remove suspended solids.

“To the eye, it looks like really clean

water at this point, but there’s still a

lot of biomass,” explains Le Dressay,

adding that’s why at the next stage the

water is sent to a centrifuge to separate

and return the special live bacteria to

the reactor, and to recover any water

so it can be fed back to the recycling

process.

The system then employs high-

efficiency reverse osmosis, or HERO

mode, to clean wastewater for steam

production. This high-efficiency

method – which is certainly not a

standard procedure in other refineries

– ensures the water is free of any

remaining solids, heavy metals, or salts

that might collect on equipment and

interfere with their operation.

While the benefits to the plant are

apparent, it’s the community-driven

results that will take the company in to

the future, notes Le Dressay.

“Water is a very precious resource,

and we didn’t want our refinery to be

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Feature

a burden on Regina’s water resources.

This is a blueprint for our long-term

success as a refinery. It’s also our

industry finding a way to balance the

work of providing energy and being

environmentally and socially conscious

for the community,” he explains.

With the elimination of city water,

the refinery’s reliance on freshwater

resources will be reduced by an

estimated 30 per cent or the equivalent

of freeing up water usage for 3,100

homes in Regina on an annual basis.

Also, since the water is recycled and

returned to the plant, the refinery

will have zero discharge into the city’s

municipal waste water treatment plant.

Along with the reduction in water

usage and wastewater, WIP will also

significantly decrease VOC emissions

from the refinery’s wastewater ponds,

substantially reducing the nuisance

odours the refinery’s neighbours

sometimes smell. Le Dressay says there

will be zero discharge from the ponds

once the system is fully operational.

While new technology and

sustainable initiatives keep the CRC

modern, Le Dressay says it’s the Co-

op’s business model, which has been

in place for almost 100 years,that will

continue to take the company and

refinery into the future.

“The co-op movement comes from

a different perspective because it

comes from small communities.

There’s a focus on community,

environmental stewardship for

future generations, as well as fiscal

responsibility. There is no financial

recoup on WIP; it’s a break-even

project, but the recoup of social

responsibility is huge.”

Projects like this demonstrate precisely

why Saskatchewan’s resource sectors

will be viable and capable of sustaining

the provincial economy well into the

future.


Feature

Every day, tens of thousands of vehicles drive along

Saskatchewan’s 26,000 kilometres of roads and highways.

Including municipal roads, the province’s total road surface is

160,000 kilometres. That’s enough to circle the equator four

times. And it’s a massive amount of infrastructure to build

and maintain. But it’s vital to our resource-based economy and

sparsely populated province.

Of paved roadways, the overwhelming majority are made

with asphalt – a sticky, bitumen petroleum product used

as glue and mixed with aggregate material to create road

surfaces. However, there are other options and in times of

transformational change it makes sense to look at when and

where those other options may provide value.

One municipality in the province has switched to concrete

and seen some benefits. Yorkton, home to just shy of 16,000

people, has recently been invested in concrete roads. The

Saskatchewan Ready Mixed Concrete Association Inc. reports

that in 2015 Yorkton city council unanimously voted for

concrete to be the material of choice in the reconstruction

of Highway 10 between Highway 9 and Mayhew Avenue,

with another section to be paved in concrete along Mayhew

Avenue as well. Sherry Sullivan, Director of Transportation &

Built Environment for the Cement Association of Canada, says

that Yorkton allowed both concrete and asphalt bids for these

projects and found that concrete made economic sense.

“A long time ago, concrete was the first material that would

have been chosen to build roads, but then asphalt became less

expensive and the go-to product,” explained Sullivan. “Concrete

is known for durability; it requires less maintenance over a

50-year period than asphalt. For example, a recent study by

Applied Research Associates (ARA) for Ontario found that

over a 50-year life, a concrete road needs only a third of the

maintenance of an asphalt road.”

So why do we use asphalt if concrete is so much more durable?

The answer comes down to the strengths and weaknesses

of each material. Asphalt is flexible so it can withstand

dOWN THe ROAdReconsidering Infrastructure Norms

By Shayna Wiwierski, DEL Staff Writer


Feature

imperfections in underlying surfaces and will bend and groove

rather than breaking. It’s relatively simple to lay down and

when it does break, it is simple to repair. On the other hand,

no one claims asphalt lasts as long or provides as powerful

a surface as concrete which matters in high heavy-traffic

corridors.

Sullivan says that in places like Ontario and Manitoba, a

procurement process that allows for competition (both asphalt

and concrete design bids) is becoming increasingly popular

with provincial and municipal authorities because it lowers

prices and improves quality, both of which help stretch their

budgets. She says that the Ontario government has used

this process for several years now. Concrete proved to be an

economical enough option over the life cycle in some projects

that the government saved $45 million on 10 suitable projects.

Although there will always be a need for both materials,

Sullivan points out that concrete is a viable option. Concrete is

a local material produced in communities in Saskatchewan, as

the industry contributes around 65,000 direct and indirect jobs

in the Prairies. Concrete is ideal for high-volume highways,

streets, local roads, roundabouts and intersections; parking lots;

airport runways, taxiways and aprons; and heavy industrial

facilities.

Concrete pavement needs less maintenance, as it is more

resilient to extreme weather and harsh conditions, meaning

less potholes. Concrete is also environmentally friendly,

requiring a third less energy to install and maintain and three

quarters less resources (stone, sand and gravel) to install.

Concrete is completely recyclable and studies have shown that

concrete roads also increase the fuel efficiency of traffic by up

to seven percent, yielding potentially significant reductions

in carbon emissions – up to 12,000 metric tonnes per lane

kilometre over the life cycle of the pavement. This effect is

because as a flexible paving material, asphalt will deflect more

under wheel loads requiring additional fuel to overcome.

Of course, there are also many advantages of asphalt

pavement as well. Asphalt can be less costly upfront. It takes

less time to pave an asphalt road, as the asphalt dries faster,

although new innovative approaches like the use of precast

concrete pavement and fast-curing concrete can minimize

road closures to a few hours in areas that need to be opened

more quickly. Further, asphalt is a recyclable material, meaning

that it can be used many times, and repairing it is a simple

matter of relayering overtop of the damage. Both are good in

the Saskatchewan winters.

Curtis Bouteiller, president and CEO of Proform Concrete


Feature

Services Inc. in Red Deer, says that asphalt is good to use for

roads that don’t experience heavy traffic. He mentions a recent

project they worked on, a large roundabout located at 67th

Street and Johnson Drive in Red Deer, which experiences very

high traffic counts and lots of truck traffic.

“The City of Red Deer was concerned about the performance

of asphalt in this scenario because of the heavy truck traffic.

It’s also the entrance to Edgar Industrial Drive and the Flying J

Truck Stop, which is the largest truck stop in Central Alberta,”

says Bouteiller, who mentions that the design they put in to the

city for the project has a 40- to 50-year life cycle span. “They

were visionary because they had the foresight to do an RFP

for asphalt and concrete although they didn’t have a concrete

specification; they also allowed a design-build. As well, they

took into consideration life cycle costing.”

Bouteiller says that anywhere there are heavy trucks

stopping, starting, and turning, concrete is a good option and

should compete on a life-cycle cost basis. He also mentioned

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Feature

Anthony Henday Drive, a 77-kilometre freeway that encircles

Edmonton, mostly built with asphalt except for one-quarter,

which was built with concrete pavement as they knew they

were going to have a lot of heavy traffic on that road.

Both Bouteiller and Sullivan say that both materials have

their pros and cons and that municipalities and provincial

governments should take the long-term view, weigh all options

and consider life-cycle performance before making a decision.

“We haven’t done a thorough analysis in Saskatchewan,

but elsewhere we are finding that on first costs, concrete is

typically competitive,” says Sullivan, who adds that looking at

life-cycle costs that include maintenance and rehabilitation

costs over a longer period (i.e. 50 years) is the only way to get a

true measure of the cost of the road.

“Asphalt is the main road structure for most roads across

the prairies,” says Bouteiller. “We’re not going to replace

asphalt anytime soon, as it’s the leading material used in road

construction. But concrete has a place.”

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Feature

In the past, government purchases

often thought only of lowest price.

It was a standard meant to ensure

fairness. Bidders knew what the term

meant. Public servants could defend

why one team won over another.

In theory, it saved money. Its intent

was good. But industry knew of its

shortcomings.

In the name of lowest price, some

won contracts by reducing quality,

compromising safety, missing

deadlines, or providing poor

customer service. Even after a bad

experience, purchasers could do little

to stop additional contracts being

won in the same way.

Government responded by writing

more complex requests. They

prescribed every what, when, where,

and how. It extinguished creativity.

Rather than letting businesses offer

solutions based on their expertise

and experience, government chose

the technically compliant answer to

every need.

The lowest price mantra wasn’t good

for taxpayers. It didn’t improve public

services. It didn’t foster innovation.

Most of all, it wasn’t particularly

good for Saskatchewan industry.

The Priority Saskatchewan agenda is

set to change that.

NeW buyiNG Rules TO Help lOCAl COmpANiesBy Reagan Reese Seidler, Director, Strategy & Engagement, SaskBuilds Corporation

In 2014, Premier Wall created

Priority Saskatchewan to improve

how government awards contracts.

After long talks with groups like

the Saskatchewan Construction

Association, his government

announced an action plan that will

make local companies, taxpayers,

and public services better off.

“We want to do what we can to

help Saskatchewan companies be

successful,” says Gordon Wyant,

Minister for SaskBuilds. “So when

groups like the SCA tell us there are

ways to help, we listen very closely.”

Big changes are already taking place.

Crowns like SaskPower, which are

investing nearly $2 billion dollars

a year on infrastructure, are now

issuing competitions within the New

West Partnership.

“Free trade is key to our export

economy,” comments Wyant. “So

while respecting our agreements,

we’re going to use all possible

room within them to benefit

Saskatchewan companies.”

Steps are also being taken to reduce

the cost of bidding on contracts.

When Priority Saskatchewan began,

government was using over 100

different procurement templates.

That complexity made it difficult for

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Feature

smaller firms to get involved. Now

there are just four templates.

At the core of the action plan is

a shift from lowest price to best

value. Upfront cost is now only one

factor in the mix. Experience, safety

records, material quality, long-term

operation and repair costs, and the

potential for innovation are just

some of the measures that can be

considered.

“In everyday life, we rarely trust the

cheapest house on the market, or

the cheapest lawyer, or the cheapest

winter coat,” notes Wyant.

Sometimes, the most important

aspect of value is local knowledge.

“If I’m building a house, I want

a company familiar with Regina

gumbo. I want to be equally sure

companies working for taxpayers

can demonstrate their knowledge of

Saskatchewan’s climate, laws, and

the local market.”

More than 200 public servants and

private sector bidders have now been

through a Priority Saskatchewan

training course. A new procurement

guide is also up on the SaskBuilds

website so that vendors can see what

is being taught. So while changing

course takes time with a ship as big

as government, improvements are

more visible every day.

The Priority Saskatchewan team

continues to consult on ways to

further improve the system. More

changes are likely once the province

is familiar with lessons of the first

action plan. If you’d like to share

your thoughts, feel free to be in

touch with the SCA at any time.

“The SCA strongly supports the

work of Priority Saskatchewan.

The Priority Sask team is to be

commended for their very genuine

desire to enable local companies to

compete for the work we know they

are capable of doing,” says John Lax,

Manager with the SCA.

“Many of the changes in the

action plan were the result of SCA

suggestions. We will continue

to be closely involved moving

forward. If you have thoughts or

ideas to share, please reach out to

us. Together, the SCA and its 1,400

members will continue to advocate

for a prosperous and successful

construction industry.”

For more information, check out the

Priority Saskatchewan website at

SaskBuilds.ca.

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Feature

The Lean Construction Institute of

Canada (LCI-C) was established in

2015 as a special committee of the

Canadian Construction Association to

help transform the building industry

in Canada by making a difference in

how projects are planned, designed

and managed in all forms of project

delivery.

What is lean Construction?

Lean construction embodies the

principles of lean, and can help deliver

construction projects more efficiently,

while increasing productivity in all

aspects of a project. Its principles

are already being utilized in other

industries, and projects around the

world are benefiting from the use of

lean construction.

“The principles behind lean

construction are designed to find

value throughout the construction

process, including in the design and

actual building of the project,” said

Serge Massicotte, co-chair of LCI-C.

What does lCi-C do?

LCI-C is dedicated to sharing

and promoting lean construction

WORk smARTeR, fAsTeR ANd leANeRBy Ken Lancastle, Secretary, Lean Construction Institute of Canada

principles in all aspects of building,

including new approaches to planning

and control, the use of cross-

functional teams, the utilization of

modeling in project definition and

design, and new tools for production

workflow in construction. Through

local Communities of Practice (CoP)

and and its national membership,

LCI-C is dedicated to transforming

the Canadian building industry by

making it work smarter, faster, and

leaner.

LCI-C’s objectives are to:

• Develop the environment

to facilitate the exchange of

knowledge and experience;

• Deliver education and training;

• Deliver a certification/

accreditation program;

• Challenging conventional

thinking; and

• Create industry awareness.

Membership in LCI-C is open to

individuals and firms interested in

gaining a competitive advantage. By

joining the institute, members have

access to a network of lean practitioners

across Canada, and discounted access to

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Lean Construction Institute of Canada Co-Chairs, Kathleen Lausman (l) and Serge Masicotte


Feature

training, seminars, workshops, and the

LCI-C conference. Members are listed

in the member directory on the LCI-C

website.

How to start with lean?

Visit lcicanada.ca to learn more

and bit.ly/LCI-Csubscribe to get our

newsletter directly to your inbox. Our

website’s resources section features

blog posts, videos, project profiles, a list

of recommended literature and white

papers related to lean construction.

Our website’s Communities of Practice

section lists who to contact if you

are interested in joining or starting a

CoP. CoPs help owners, designers and

contractors understand and find their

way in the lean world.

LCI-C will deliver the Lean Construction

Education Program (LCEP) that was

developed by the Associated General

Contractors of America (AGC) and Lean

Construction Institute (LCI). AGC’s LCEP

consists of seven units that instruct all

aspects of lean, allowing practitioners

to benefit from these principles. The

seven-unit series is intended for

those individuals who will design

and implement a lean transformation

strategy within an organization.

LCI-C annual conference will take place

May 4 – 5 in Toronto with a separate

training day on May 3. Registration will

open on January 16. If you would like to

share your “lean journey story” or “lean

bites” and present at the conference,

submit your presentation proposal by

January 18.

“It was fantastic to see so many

enthusiastic delegates who were

interested to learn more about lean

and, more importantly, looking to

improve the overall performance of

our industry,” said Kathleen Lausman,

co-chair of LCI-C, referring to the 2016

inaugural conference in Calgary.

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Feature

The Canadian Design-Build Institute’s

(CDBI) has recently released a new

bulletin designed to help owners better

understand design-build. Document

105: Design-Build Now 2016 is now

available on the CDBI website. This

is a great tool for contractors and

consultants to give to owners who

are considering design-build but want

more information.

There is a number of different project

delivery systems that owners may

choose. Choosing the right project

delivery method is a critical part of the

strategic plan that every owner must

develop when embarking on a new

project. Owners can influence desired

results from everyone involved

by the way they strategically and

proactively plan from the beginning

of the project. Among the project

delivery methods that owners may

choose are traditional design-bid-build,

construction management and design-

build.

Design-build project delivery is

a single source for design and

construction that includes a

comprehensive process spanning

planning, design and construction

eNHANCiNG desiGN-build

iN CANAdANew Tool to Educate Owners

By Dianna Fournier, Executive Director, Canadian Design-Build Institute

required to execute and complete

a building facility or other type of

project.

Over the past few decades, use of

design-build in both private and

public sectors has greatly accelerated

in Canada, making the design-build

project delivery method one of the

more effective and widely used

delivery methods for design and

construction.

Design-build is intended to be a

highly-collaborative, integrated

process that is built on trust, mutual

respect, teamwork, innovation and

creative problem solving. Design-

build unleashes the power of the

team to deliver projects faster, better

and for optimum cost – best value

for the money, time and effort

invested. Owners find that when

design-build is done right, their

level of engagement with the entire

team is more meaningful than with

other traditional delivery methods.

Design-build can successfully deliver

construction projects with superior

results.

New Trade Contractor Category for Cdbi Award of excellence

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Gary Bale, Chair, CDBI Trade Contractors’ Committee

trade contractors, recognizing teams

whose projects contribute to the

highest standard,” said Gary Bale,

chair of the CDBI Trade Contractors’

Committee.

Trade contractors are often active

members of the design-build project

team, bringing ideas and insight to

complex projects. CDBI recognizes

the role of trade contractors taking

part in Canadian design-build

projects with design and construction

responsibilities. Starting in 2017, the

CDBI Awards of Excellence will now

include a category specifically for

trade contractors.

The CDBI Trade Contractor Design-

Build Award will be presented

annually. The purpose is to recognize

excellence in Canada’s design-

build industry and to acknowledge

design-build teams whose projects

contribute to the growth and stature

of the design-build community. The

winner(s) demonstrate the highest

standards and principles in the

design-build industry and the business

community in pursuit of excellence.

important dates for 2017

• April 1 – Deadline for design-build

award submissions

• June – Registration opens for the

CDBI conference

• Oct. 11 – Fundamentals of design-

build tutorial in Calgary

• Oct. 12 – 13 – CDBI conference

in Calgary; design-build awards

ceremony

CDBI mission is to promote best

practices to enhance design-build

project delivery in Canada. CDBI

members enjoy reduced fees for

workshops, seminars and conferences,

as well as for the Design-Build

Practice Manual; gain access and input

into current Canadian design-build

policies and practices, and have have

input in CDBI documents; can join any

of our committees; enjoy networking

opportunities and increase their

visibility among the design-build

community. Visit cdbi.org for more

information and bit.ly/cdbisubscribe to

opt in to our newsletter.

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Next PageTHE EXPERTScca

The Canadian Construction Association’s Innovation and

Technology Committee is responsible for the development of

policy and dissemination of information on new technologies

and industry innovation to the CCA board. The committee’s

priorities include monitoring innovative trends, examining

new technologies that will contribute to an improved

construction market, advancing and promoting the work

of CCInnovations (CCI), as well as liaising with outside

organizations such as the Institute for BIM in Canada (IBC), CCI

and Lean Construction Institute of Canada (LCI-C) to promote

the best interests of the Canadian construction industry.

CONsTRuCTiON Ripe fOR iNNOVATiON ANd NeW TeCHNOlOGiesBy Bob Hildenbrandt, Chair, CCA Innovation and Technology Committee

Wef: improvements within Our Reach

A recent report released by the World Economic

Forum entitled “Shaping the Future of Construction: A

Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology” found that

substantial improvements are already within reach for

construction firms. The report emphasizes cross-company

collaboration and the need for governments to take action,

both as regulators and major clients.

The report - available on the WEF website weforum.org. -

highlights trends (e.g. aging infrastructure and workforce

as well as sustainability requirements) that are shaping the

industry’s future.

3d printing

Dubai and China are making significant strides related to

3D printing. Last year China announced it had 3D printed

10 single-storey homes in a single day, and Dubai, in April,

announced that 25 per cent of Dubai buildings will be 3D

printed by 2030. At the same time, 3D printing is expected to

contribute $300 billion to the worldwide economy by 2025.

The announcement was made at the unveiling of Dubai’s

first 3D office. The office was built in 17 days and cost

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about $140,000, and with the material tested by Britain

and China for reliability. The company behind the project

was the Dubai Future Foundation.

Robotics, drones and Other Related Tech

Automated vehicles are seeing increased research in

terms of their implications for construction with both

Caterpillar and Komatsu. The latter is using drones

to assist automated bulldozers on sites, exploring this

technology with their equipment.

The use of drones appears to be growing as collaboration

with software companies increases. 3D Robotics recently

announced a partnership with Autodesk to examine sites

with the drones and to feed the collected information

back to the model for project time and progress.

smart materials

The University of Victoria is undertaking several

research projects related to concrete; the focus is to come

up with a variety of mixtures that allow for crack-free

concrete. The university is testing the healing and sealing

abilities of concrete as varying amounts of fibres, such

as industrial waste like fly ash and wood cellulose, are

added to the mixture.

The university is also working on new ways to test

concrete strength. Electrical resistivity meter tests

the strength of concrete through electrical resistance

currents in minutes as opposed to hours, and without

drilling core samples. The university is also testing the

country’s first laser scanning vibrometer, a hand-held

infrared device that, when pointed, can determine the

strength of a structure through its heat signals.

sensors

Sensors are being studied for their use in health and

safety. An Australian firm, Laing O’Rourke, is trialing an

array of sensors mounted onto a sweatband inside a hard

hat, which feeds data related to temperature and heart

rate of the wearer. The system is then able to respond and

alert workers of heat stroke.

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Next PageTHE EXPERTSconstruction data

Productivity is important for businesses. If the owners ensure

that workers have the right equipment, work in modern safe

facilities, and are properly managed and if workers work

diligently and think creatively, the business will thrive. Higher

profits will enable higher salaries and a growing business.

Productivity is important for the construction sector as a whole.

Saskatchewan firms and workers need to build houses, roads,

hospitals, and industrial plants as efficiently as possible or

investors will go elsewhere or hire out-of-province firms to do

the work in Saskatchewan.

This article looks at productivity measures for the aggregate

Saskatchewan construction industry. The published data from

Statistics Canada defines the construction sector quite broadly.

The figures include both residential and non-residential building

construction as well as heavy or engineering construction.

Unfortunately, we cannot isolate productivity differences

within the different subgroups.

Productivity is defined as the efficient use of capital and

labour to create economic activity. Unfortunately, measuring

productivity is not a simple task, particularly in a small

economy. The “activity” is measured as contribution the

provincial economy as measured by the gross domestic product

(GDP) and there are measurement problems with GDP. Labour is

also difficult to quantify when a good deal of construction work

is performed by self-employed individuals, often as a second job,

and when labour mobility across provincial borders is common.

There are three measures of productivity examined here

– labour productivity, capital productivity, and total factor

productivity (TFP). The third measure, TFP, combines the first

two measure and also takes into account intangible factors such

as innovation and human resource management.

labour productivity

Labour productivity has negative connotations in some circles

because the term is often used as a criticism of workers. In

fact, labour productivity is largely determined by the amount

pROduCTiViTy iN THe CONsTRuCTiON iNdusTRy By Doug Elliott, publisher, Sask Trends Monitor


THE EXPERTSconstruction data

and kind of capital investment that enables labour to be

more productive and has very little to do with how hard we

work. The most effective way to increase the productivity of

carpenters, for example, is not for them to work harder but to

ensure that they have good tools and are trained to use them

properly.

The simplest measure of labour productivity is the value of

output per hour worked. Figure 1 shows how this has changed

over time. The highest values for labour productivity were in

the mid-2000s when output was typically near $50 per hour of

work measured in constant 2007 dollars. The trend has been

downward since then with particularly sharp drops in 2011

and again in 2015. In effect, the average 2015 construction

worker contributed $34.70 to the value of the project for every

hour worked compared with $49.60.

Productivity is often compared with labour compensation to

arrive at what is called unit labour cost. This represents the

amount paid in wages and benefits to produce $100 of output.

In other words, are the benefits to the average construction

worker in line with their output?

Unit labour cost is a function of two variables, the

remuneration of employees and the efficiency at which

they work, that is, their productivity. Labour productivity is

declining but average wages in the Saskatchewan construction

industry grew by 68 per cent between 2005 and 2015; it is no

surprise that unit labour costs have increased dramatically.

Figure 2 shows how unit labour costs have changed over time.

Adjusted for inflation, employers compensated workers $44.50

for $100 in output in 2005. By 2015, the figure had increased to

$109.90. Paying $110 to get $100 of output is hardly sustainable.

This seems like particularly bad news but it turns out

the decline in labour productivity is not unique to the

Saskatchewan construction industry. Figure 3 shows that,

averaged over three years to remove annual fluctuations,

labour productivity in Saskatchewan is near the national

average and fifth highest among the provinces – near the

middle of the provincial pack. Whatever is causing the lower

productivity in Saskatchewan’s construction industry also

seems to be affecting the industry in other provinces.

We should still be concerned, however, because the

productivity of construction workers in the other three

western provinces – our main competitors – is higher than

in Saskatchewan. Furthermore, labour productivity is falling

in Saskatchewan whereas it is stable in Alberta and B.C. and

increasing in Manitoba.

Capital productivity

Capital investment can add productive capacity to a business

because a new facility or more efficient equipment can

mean more output without an increase in labour. The capital

productivity statistic looks at the extent to which that new

investment leads to an increase in economic output. One

example for the construction industry might be computer-

controlled woodworking machinery.


Next PageTHE EXPERTSconstruction data

Capital productivity is measured using an index with 2007

set to 100. Figure 4 shows that, like labour productivity,

capital productivity has been on a downward trend in the

province. From 2005 to 2014 (the latest year available), capital

productivity has fallen by a third.

Total factor productivity (Tfp)

TFP combines labour and capital productivity to answer the

question “Is the Saskatchewan construction industry making

effective use of labour and capital?”. It is calculated using a

mathematical model and is published using an index with

2007 = 100. TFP is more than a simple average of the labour

and capital productivity measures because it takes into account

some of the intangible factors affecting output – factors such

as innovation, technological progress, project and human

resource management.

With both labour and capital productivity falling, it is no

surprise that TFP is declining too. Figure 5 shows that TFP

has been on a downward trend from 2010 to 2014. With the

decline in labour productivity in 2015, TFP will undoubtedly

have declined in 2015 as well.

Figure 6 shows the change in productivity from 2009 to 2014

by province. Saskatchewan is one of six provinces that show a

decline over the five years. Both Alberta and Manitoba show

increases over the period.

summary

In simple terms, this analysis shows that both capital and

labour productivity in the Saskatchewan construction

industry has declined in recent years. We have also learned

that this decline is not unique to the province.

Productivity in construction is affected by the interaction of

a long list of tangible and intangible factors. These include, for

example, the skill level of the labour force and management,

the quality of the machinery and equipment, the quality of

public infrastructure, the mix of projects in a given year, and

the regulatory environment.

Understanding why productivity in construction is declining is

no simple task because it will be a combination of these factors.

In particular, it may be the case that the booming economy

enabled construction firms to prosper with no improvements

to productivity. That will now have to change as the economy

slows.

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THiNk smAll TO GO biGBy Collin Pullar, President, Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association

Often when we think of innovation, we think of incredible

and unique "ah-ha" inventions no one has ever thought of

that change the world. In practice; however, this is not how

innovation typically works. Even revolutionary ideas are

not necessarily instances of lightning that suddenly appear

in a bottle. Most innovations are small, and often unnoticed,

changes to previously well-established ideas, practices, or

products. More often, they are the result of combining and

applying existing ideas for the simple goal of making things a

little better.

As ideas are integrated, a new product comes

forward. Some are winners that others carry

on, but the majority are failures, some of

which have tragic results. In either case,

there are learnings that can be built on.

The fascinating documentary series

called How We Got to Now, with

host Steve Johnson, reveals

the stories behind amazing

ideas that we benefit from

in our modern lives. More

importantly, it takes an idea

through history and shows the

unsung heroes who, at the time,

were unaware of how their ideas

would shape the future. These

are the ones whose ideas formed

the foundation for the next set of

innovations.

When asked about innovations

in the world of safety, people are

typically waiting, with bated breath,

to hear about the latest safety app,

virtual reality experience, digital

hearing protection device – the next

technological breakthrough that will

make all of their safety problems go

away. The latest and greatest tool

will certainly be important

in people’s lives; however,

the greatest innovations in

safety have simply been a

result of making those small, unnoticed changes with regard

to approaches in how employers and workers do their work,

recognize hazards, and take steps to mitigate risks. These are

the noteworthy ideas that will have the greatest impact and

benefits in the long-term, all for the shared purpose of trying

to make things a bit better each day.

All we have to do is look back over the last 20 years in the

Saskatchewan construction industry to see the massive

effect of small, but continuous, changes to the industry. Some

of the change can be attributed to a combination of greater

education, changing attitudes, and the use of technology. I

often emphasize the difference in more than $200 million a

year in Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB)

premiums that is being realized, year over year, because of

the small innovations of business. For most companies, the

innovation took the shape of recognizing that their businesses

would yield long-term performance improvements if they

embraced and applied some safety leadership principals. As a

result, they found their own breakthroughs in terms of costs,

turnover, and reputation.

The benefits of integrating safety in general business

management practices are now well known and the future of

safety is what we need to focus on. While progress has been

amazing, there are still hurdles to overcome. Workplace deaths

and injuries are still far too high, and the next breakthroughs

are going to require a continued commitment to creativity and

discipline. Much like other innovations, collaboration with

other like-minded individuals, businesses, and government

entities, may be necessary to make transformations to the

Saskatchewan workplace.

When strategizing to advance any aspect of your business,

remember that innovation is far more basic than an invention

or breakthrough. Look at innovation as a state of mind, an

attitude that continually seeks opportunities to improve the

current state of operations. It is an approach that learns from

previous errors, mistakes, and losses, and builds on known

successes in our industry. Think small to capture the big,

long-term goals you have. The next great innovation in the

industry may very well be the result of a modest change over

time, brought to the industry by your business for all to see,

embrace, and build upon.


Next PageTHE EXPERTSSCC

Since this issue’s theme is

“innovation,” I was thinking

about writing some paragraphs

on commercializing clean energy

research out of our universities,

or the importance of improving

industrial energy efficiency.

While these are both very important

topics, I then thought about what

kinds of innovations would have an

immediate and far-reaching impact

across all industries, government,

and non-profit organizations. If we’re

truly looking for “transformational

changes” that can be applied to how

we function as a province, then I

think the following one is a good

place to start.

Here’s my innovative and

transformational idea…we should try

not to have any more meetings than

is absolutely necessary.

In my seven years working for a

Chamber of Commerce, I have been to

nearly every kind of meeting possible.

Meetings to check the government’s

box for “having consulted with the

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business community,” meetings to plan

what the organization’s priorities will

be three years in the future, meetings

to “keep me in the loop,” and meetings

to plan who we should be meeting

with next.

I fully realize that there are

legitimate reasons for holding

meetings and some of the most

important things that we do within

a society could not be accomplished

without sharing information

and planning our collective path

forward, but every day I see

meetings occurring all around me

that simply don’t need to be taking

place. They happen in all levels

of government, in all non-profit

organizations, and they even happen

within the private sector.

If we’re committed to stopping

waste as a province, including

financial waste and a loss of focus

and effectiveness, then perhaps

we should make this change for

ourselves first. If you look at the

calendar of nearly any employee

or manager engaged in any sector

throughout the province, you’re

almost guaranteed to find meetings

that really don’t need to exist, so

clearly this is a problem that impacts

nearly all of us.

Let’s face it: creating meetings is easy.

You send someone a quick email, or

call them, or walk over to their office

and before you know it, you’re sitting

there for two hours trying to figure

out what the colours are going to be

on the fancy report cover before you

even write the report.

Bosses also love creating meetings.

What better way to show who’s in

charge than by calling a meeting.

No matter if you’re short on time

or already working on something

important, if you’re summoned to

gather with your fellow workers you

nearly always have to go.

I know that we’re not going to be able

to stop having all meetings, nor would

I want to. Some are very useful and

a lot of great things get done because

of them. I just think we should try

to get rid of the other 80 per cent of

them. The ones that make you grind

your teeth as you look at the calendar

invite on your phone.

If we truly want to be innovative

as a province and fundamentally

transform how we operate, then we

should do this for ourselves. I expect

we’ll eliminate so much wasted

time and money by making this one

change that we’ll then be able to

schedule a meeting to decide how to

spend our collective savings.


Next PageTHE EXPERTSSATCC

The Saskatchewan Apprenticeship

and Trade Certification Commission

(SATCC) works continually to improve

the apprenticeship training system in

our province. We want to offer the best

training options we possibly can.

One of the ways that the SATCC has

worked to enhance technical training is

through the Harmonization Initiative.

This has been a strong area of focus for

us in recent years. I recently wrapped

up a two-year term as the Chair of

the Canadian Council of Directors of

Apprenticeship (CCDA), and I remain

the Chair of the Harmonization

Taskforce. Loreena Spilsted, SATCC’s

Chief Operating Officer, is the Vice-

Chair of the Taskforce. When it comes

to harmonizing trades across the

country, Saskatchewan is leading the

way.

The harmonization initiative aims to

substantively align the requirements

and processes for apprenticeship

technical training nationwide. It has

the potential to increase opportunities

for apprentices, reduce barriers to

certification and improve the efficiency

of the apprenticeship system.

If there are plenty of jobs in a

particular trade in a particular

province, it means apprentices can

move there without having to worry

about whether their apprenticeship

technical training will align with the

province they’re moving to. And it

means employers should have access to

more apprentices in the event of work

shortages.

It’s a nationwide initiative that

industry has demanded for years. But

implementing it requires such a large

amount of work and collaboration

that it was once thought to be almost

impossible. The success of the initiative

so far proves it’s not.

On a monthly basis, pan-Canadian

webinars take place, involving industry

stakeholders such as employers,

employees, instructors, subject matter

experts and apprenticeship authorities.

These webinars help determine the

best path forward for individual

trades—what content should be taught

at what levels, for example.

Already we have reached consensus

with industry across the country for

the path forward for all of the first 18

trades, and we'll continue the work

to implement the changes over the

next while. Changes for the first nine

trades—eight of which are designated

in Saskatchewan—were implemented

across the country in most jurisdictions

this fall. They are: Carpenter, Metal

Fabricator (Fitter), Welder, the two

Ironworker trades, Mobile Crane

Operator and Mobile Crane Operator

(Hydraulic)—which have now been

merged into one trade, Mobile Crane

Operator, as a result of industry

feedback through harmonization—and

Tower Crane Operator.

The remaining nine of the first 18

trades—eight of which are designated

here—will be implemented by the fall of

2017. They are: Heavy Duty Equipment

Technician, Truck and Transport

Mechanic, Agricultural Equipment

Technician, Construction Electrician,

Industrial Mechanic (Millwright),

Automotive Service Technician,

Plumber and Steamfitter-Pipefitter.

Moving forward, the Harmonization

Taskforce is working to align Phase

Three trades. The goal is to have these

trades harmonized and implemented

by September 2018. Phase Four will

be implemented by September 2019

and Phase Five, the final phase, will be

implemented by September 2020.

Once implementation is complete,

apprentices will benefit from increased

mobility and will be able to easily

continue their apprenticeship training

in other provinces or territories.

Employers should also be able to access

a larger pool of apprentices, and will

be able to reliably predict the skills and

abilities of those apprentices.

As far as we know, harmonization on

this scale has never been completed

iNNOVATiVe TRAiNiNG fOR AppReNTiCes iNTHe skilled TRAdesBy Jeff Ritter, Chief Executive Officer, Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission


THE EXPERTSSATCC

by any other country or for any other

occupation, demonstrating just how

innovative the national Harmonization

Initiative is. It is already improving

technical training across the country.

Another way we have worked to create

a more innovative, flexible training

system right here in Saskatchewan is

by having Saskatchewan Polytechnic

deliver more hybrid (online / in-class)

technical training for apprentices.

Right now, we offer hybrid training

for the Carpentry and Cook trades.

The theoretical portion of the training

is delivered online and the hands-on

component takes place in a campus

setting.

Many apprentices benefit from this

type of training model. It allows

them to continue working to support

their families while completing

the theoretical components of

their training. Instructors support

apprentices during the online portion—

even on evenings and weekends. The

online training component does not

replace any of the practical, hands-on

learning that takes place at a technical

training institution.

Hybrid training has been implemented

successfully in other jurisdictions,

including in Ontario. And studies

have shown that hybrid training

delivers completion rates and student

grades that are comparable to those in

traditionally delivered programs.

We began offering hybrid Carpentry

courses in 2014, and since then have

offered classes for Levels 2, 3 and 4.

The first delivery of Level 1 hybrid

training for the Cook trade is scheduled

from January until May 2017.

With funding support from

Employment and Social Development

Canada, we will be able to deliver

similar types of training that

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incorporate both online and in-

class training in the Construction

Electrician, Plumber, Heavy Duty

Equipment Technician and Truck

and Transport Mechanic trades.

Apprentices complete up to two

weeks of their training at home

before attending a Saskatchewan

Polytechnic campus for the rest of

their training. Training is offered

for Levels 1 and 3 in the 2016-17

academic year and will be offered

for Levels 2 and 4 for the 2017-18

academic year.

At the SATCC, we believe change

is good. But we don’t want change

for the sake of change. We work for

change when it helps us build a better

training system for Saskatchewan

apprentices. Through harmonization

and hybrid training we are doing just

that—creating more flexible, effective

training options for apprentices and

employers.


Next PageTHE EXPERTSwomen in construction

Workplace culture is often viewed as

“the way we do things around here.” It

embodies the behaviours, attitudes and

shared practices of employees. Studies

have shown that workplace culture

is influenced by leadership style,

social support and work environment

conditions.

Workplace culture has a huge influence

on the success of the organization and

THe CHANGiNG fACe Of WOmeN iN TRAdes The importance of an inclusive workplace environment

By Jessica Baldwin, Women in Trades and Technology provincial facilitator

its employees. There is a perception

that the trades sector is not an inclusive

place to work. It is unfortunate that

some women in the construction

industry share they feel the need

to work harder than their male

counterparts to prove they belong.

Women working in trades also share

they experience some form of bullying

or harassment on the worksite.

Heather Hamilton-Peebles, a

journeyperson carpenter with 18

years of experience, shares that

progress has been made but more

work needs to be done to address

inclusivity, harassment and bullying

of women working in trades. “Some

guys are bolder than others, and

some guys don’t see it as harassment.”

In some cases women hesitate to

bring forward any perceived bullying

or harassment for fear of potential

backlash from their male colleagues.

In order to effect positive change

toward a more inclusive workplace

free of bullying and harassment,

youth, parents, educators, employers,

and employees need to recognize

women can be just as successful as

men working in the trades. Respectful

and inclusive work environments

will encourage more women to enter

a trades career, attract new talent,

increase productivity and improve the

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According to a study produced

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Construction Owners Association of

Alberta, a positive work environment

can increase productivity by up to

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worksite has effective communication

and more productive employees,

resulting in less time spent managing

personnel issues and more time on

daily operations.

How can employers create an

inclusive workplace culture? Inclusive

work cultures have:

• clear policies and procedures,

especially surrounding bullying

and harassment;

• engaged leaders to serve as

inclusive role models;

• access to training to build

awareness of and break down

stereotypes and unconscious bias;

• programs that encourage and

reward employees for actively

standing up against harassment

and bullying.

A respectful and inclusive workplace

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clearly communicated expectations

around behaviour, encourages

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Next PageTHE EXPERTShuman resources

Yoshimuni Tokugawa of Japan is not a familiar name for most

of us. In 1721, the eighth shogun posted the following note,

“Make your idea known. Rewards are given for ideas accepted.”

Now, almost 300 years later, very few companies have effective

programs to learn about ways to improve business by listening

to the employees.

Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder in the book, The Idea-

Driven Organization, say 80 per cent of an organization’s

performance improvement potential lies with front-line

employees. It’s their ideas that make the organization push

forward.

It was an Air Canada employee that saved the airline $240,000

a year. An employee noticed its planes were hauling empty

wine bottles back to Canada on return flights. "Why not

dispose of the bottles at the foreign destinations?" was the

suggestion. Air Canada did and it brought savings of almost a

quarter of a million dollars per year.

According to the National Association of Suggestion Systems,

employee suggestion programs have saved organizations more

than $2 billion in the United States of America. Generally,

Canada is somewhat behind the results reflected in the US

because of the differences in population. If Canada only sees

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THE EXPERTShuman resources

10 per cent of the savings experienced by the USA, there

would still be huge savings!

Here are ways employee innovation could be shut down in

your organization:

1. Don’t respond to the idea – whether it is good or bad.

When an employee takes the time to suggest an idea for

implementation, don’t bother to respond and see how

quickly one’s enthusiasm to help you build your company

diminishes! Solution: Respond to EVERY submission.

2. Don’t respond in a timely manner so employees know they

are being taken seriously. Solution: Respond within 48 hours

of submission.

3. Don’t publish the ideas. Now no one can look at these

ideas and build on them. There is absolutely no possibility

or collaboration when no one knows what is happening.

Solution: Post the ideas on the internal website.

4. Don’t ask for fleshed out submissions so you get half

baked ideas which may mean less opportunity for value.

Solution: Ask for a clear outline of objectives, competitive

advantages, level of difficulty for implementation, estimated

time lines, costs and revenues, size of the team needed for

implementation, and a risk assessment.

5. Don’t set up a committee of in-house employees to vet the

submissions. Without a committee employees assume their

efforts go into Neverland. Solution: Set up a committee of

staff and let the entire organization know this is the case.

6. Don’t reward the individual who brought forward an idea

that helped the organization make or save money. Solution:

Everyone likes to be recognized – sometimes monetarily.

Perhaps a reward of a percentage of the savings in the first

year. The most important part here is to have everyone

aware of the reward and be critically honest when it comes

time to reward.

You don’t need an employee suggestion program with

all the bells and whistles which we know can sometimes

cause more harm than good. What you do need in your

organization is a method to gather those stellar ideas that

ensure your customers get the best product and service

from your organization! Surprising, isn’t it – so little has

been done in the last 300 years to draw on the expertise

of the people who actually do the job. Start today – it’s only

money you are losing!

Sherry Knight is an executive, author, speaker and trainer guiding

employers in creating a workplace where people want to stay.

You can connect with Sherry at [email protected] or call

306-586-2315.

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Next PageTHE EXPERTSlegal

The majority of literature concerning change and innovation

regarding candidate recruitment tends to highlight what I

consider to be obvious approaches that most organizations

have already adopted. For the purposes of this article, I want to

focus on two “techy” trends most of us are aware of but ignore

based on our fear of change and aversion to technological

innovation.

Techy Trend # 1: Video interviewing

Your mobile platform is not enough. You may need video-

interviewing capability – videos (in particular, one-way

videos) are beginning to dominate many aspects of recruiting.

Let’s think about this for a moment: most companies... have

figured out that individuals should be able to apply for a

job directly from their mobile phone (if you haven’t figured

this out, stop reading and find your IT guys immediately!). A

mobile enabled platform should be your company’s primary

mechanism for communicating with prospective candidates

and spreading your employer brand messages (the really tech

savvy companies have even figured out how to integrate

candidate offer acceptance directly on their mobile phones

through software like DocuSign). We all know employees and

candidates alike should be able to view recruiting ads and job

descriptions on their smart phone and be able to push relevant

content to their applicant communities. However; the cutting

edge companies have now moved to offering live Hangouts/

Meetups/videos, etc. for candidate skill assessment and

interviews.

Videos (rather than static pictures or text) have become widely

accepted in recruitment and for many hiring teams have

become an essential tool. We all know that visual content is a

rising trend across most industries; not a surprise considering

most people respond better to visual communication. The

video interview trend isn’t going anywhere for a numerous

reasons. Videos assist us in saving time, money, and energy.

For example, video screening is replacing the outdated phone

screen, largely due to the fact that you can watch 10 one-way

video interviews in the same time it takes to perform a single

phone screen.

Techy Trend # 2: shifting from Résumés to Online profiles

Many companies are deemphasizing résumés and now

accepting online profiles — résumés have many weaknesses,

but the primary reason they need to be made optional is

hiring speed. This is because few employed candidates have

any interest in, nor do they have the time required, to update

their résumés, however; you can rest assured their on-line

profile is live. Companies must learn to eliminate the “résumé

update” waiting period by instead accepting LinkedIn profiles

for referrals or at the very least the initial application for

job openings. As more companies begin to switch from the

traditional one-page paper résumé to an updated online

version, it will become essential for your company’s hiring

practices to be more flexible and accommodating. Building

an online presence or a brand is becoming increasingly

important to potential candidates. Online profiles are visible

24/7, meaning potential hiring managers can always see that

information versus a résumé, whereby a candidate is waiting

for an opportunity to ‘send’ it in. In my experience; an online

profile, such as LinkedIn and a one-way video interview has

provided significantly more information than a one page

résumé ever could.

Happy Hiring!

Résumés: THey’Re sO 2015By Jacqueline Gallagher, MBA, BPR, Vice President / Managing Partner, Saskatchewan & British Columbia, David Aplin Group


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Next PageTHE EXPERTScommunications

CReATiNG ReAl beHAViOuR CHANGe fOR yOuR busiNessBy Lindsay Bryson

Regina District 306-347-42001433-1st Ave., Regina, SK S4R 8H2

Sharing your vision.BUILDING SUCCESS.

Watch us build at PCL.comTOGETHER WE BUILD SUCCESS

Creating real tangible behaviour

change with your employees or

customers can be like walking up hill,

both ways. Whether it’s encouraging

people to stop smoking, reduce power

consumption, or practice safety in the

workplace, it’s not easy to get people to

do something differently.

Humans are incredibly complex and

many visible and invisible forces

influence their behaviour - our

thoughts, our heart, the environment

we live in, peer influence, etc. We can

strive to make it as easy as possible for

that person to adapt, but often fail to

achieve real results. Why?

People are generally apathetic toward

brands. You can’t expect them to be

always thinking about your company.

In reality, they have so much going on

in their own lives that if they give your

brand a quick second of thought you’re

lucky! So if you only get a few seconds

of thought, it can be exceptionally

difficult to get an audience to really

engage and change the way they act.

There are many examples of

campaigns and programs that aim to

change behaviour – some successful,

others not.

Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia

wanted to create a campaign that was

aimed at reducing the amount of “risky

behaviour” on train platforms. To

address this challenge they created a

very catchy safety video called “Dumb


THE EXPERTScommunications

Ways to Die” which showcased things

not to when at the train station. This

campaign was a huge success and

decreased the incidences of near misses

at the station by 20 per cent. What a

relief!

The UK government’s “five-a-day”

campaign targeted its residents to

encourage them to eat more fruits

and vegetables to reduce the amount

of deaths from their country’s

biggest killers: heart disease and

cancer. They implemented a multi-

faceted educational campaign aimed

at changing behaviour long-term.

In the end this campaign was

largely unsuccessful with vegetable

consumption dropping by 11 per cent.

Both campaigns had goals to change

behaviour, but why did one succeed

and the other fail? How do you get

people to care?

Create opportunities for participation:

Get people to formally commit

to something. If you can create

communications or programs that lead

to action you are more likely to make

an impact.

“Actions change attitudes faster than

attitudes changes actions” – Adam

Ferrier

Choose the right messenger: People are

herd animals by nature, we want to

feel connected to something and are

strongly influenced by those around

us. Choose a few people to deliver the

message who have strong influence on

those around them. If they commit to

the action, others will be more likely

to follow suit.

Make the barrier of entry easy: Create

easy to achieve steps that allow for

simple engagement and make the

goal short-term. One of the reasons

the UK five-a-day campaign failed to

make an impact is that people weren’t

seeing immediate tangible results. The

goal was too far off and too hard to

achieve.

Understand your audience: Learn all

you can about your target audiences

and their current behaviours so

that you can reach them with your

message in the most appropriate

way. If they eat lunch everyday in a

lunchroom, activate your program

there.

Stand out: If you don’t stand out people

will gloss over your message.

Connect on an emotional level:

Connecting on a rational level is easy

but will achieve less result. If you

can connect on an emotional level

(whether that’s through happiness,

sadness, surprise) with compelling

information, behaviour change will be

more real. This is another key reason

that the Metro Trains example was so

much more successful – it was unique

and made people feel something.

Give people some incentive: Whether

they know it or not people analyze

the benefits and drawbacks of a choice

before they make a change. Understand

why your audience does something one

way and incent them for the change.

In order to create meaningful,

sustainable behaviour change in your

workplace or with your customers you

first and foremost need to get inside

their heads and understand why they

behave the way they do. If you simply

tell people to change, or give them

information and expect them to change

on their own you are not likely to create

the change you desire.

If you engage your audience in a

meaningful way, and take a person-

centered approach, you will ensure

that the benefits offered are ones your

audience values and achieve the results

you strive for.

I’m hopeful that this will work on our

spouses and kids too!

Humans are incredibly complex and many visible and invisible forces influence their behaviour.


Next PageTHE EXPERTSinjury solutions

What a fabulous fall so far! In

this article, we will be discussing

some of the new changes that will

be occurring with the Workers’

Compensation Board (WCB) in

Saskatchewan starting in 2017. I

know, I am very excited as well.

Currently, when an injured

worker misses work to attend an

appointment, and is only gone for

a short time, the Saskatchewan

Workers’ Compensation Board

counted that as a full day of lost

time and that was recorded on your

account as a full day of lost time.

It did not matter that the injured

worker was only gone for an hour

and it did not matter that you as

the employer were paying them for

attending to attend the appointment,

be it a doctor, physio, chiropractic or

other approved medical appointment.

As of 2017, the Saskatchewan

Workers’ Compensation Board will

now not be recording that as lost

time for purposes of your company

lost time days. This is very good

news and a long time overdue. The

WCB’s computer system will now

record lost time far more accurately

and the employer will not be unduly

penalized for lost time. This should

make a very big impact on any

employer that has lost time injuries

come the new year.

Another change coming in 2018

- which is far less exciting but

nonetheless very important for all

employers to be aware of - is how

the share of injury costs are to be

calculated. This is really good news

for employers who do not have any

injuries, and far less exciting for

employers who do have lost time

injuries. The prevailing thought

is that the system of premiums

and surcharge & credits will be

calculated in a way that will more

accurately reflect the distribution

of penalties (surcharge rates up

to $200) and credits (credit up

to 30 per cent). There has been

non-determination on the exact

structure of this program to date,

and the Saskatchewan Workers’

Compensation Board will be holding

a series of Town Hall Meetings

to share with employers their

perspective, and they are looking for

input from employers on this change

in policy.

Now, why would that concern

business owners? It appears the

intent of this change in premium

calculations is two-fold. do not have

any injuries at all will be rewarded by

paying a smaller share of the overall

costs. Second, the employers who do

have over the industry standard of

lost time injuries will end up paying

NAViGATiNG iNJuRyBy Cliff Gerow, Injury Solutions

more of the overall cost that will, in

the view of the Saskatchewan WCB,

be financial burden on the firms that

are using it more.

Why would you care? Well, if your

firm is in any kind of a surcharge, it

seems that when the new changes

come to fruition, you may well be

paying more for the same safety

record. If you are presently in a

surcharge positon of let’s say 45

per cent, the new changes may

well move that up to a much higher

number meaning, you will be paying

substantially more, not to mention if

you are in that Surcharge territory

(never a good place to be), you may

be restricted by some contract

management companies from bidding

on certain jobs or being removed

from a work site that you are

currently on. Again, never a position

to be in.

OK, now that this will become an

issue for some employers, what

can they do? Again, we believe

employers can attack their premiums

and surcharge situation in three

ways. The first is by setting up a

quality safety program and Return

to Work program that is structured,

documented and followed evenly no

matter who may be involved. Well

that was easy, right? Well your safety

association can assist you with some


THE EXPERTSinjury solutions

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aspects of your day to day safety

program. The next step is to develop

a sound Return to Work Program (as

all employers must have by virtue

of the WCB Act). Again, your safety

association should be able to assist

you to a point on how to develop a

comprehensive RTW program or they

may refer you to companies like ours

that can set up both a Safety Program

and a Return To Work Program

tailored to your individual companies

needs and objectives.

The third and final step that you can

take as a firm, prior to the upcoming

changes in premium calculations is

to clean up your old injury records?

You can review all your claims,

current and past, to ensure you are

not paying too much on each claim.

If you have any claim that is over

the American Medical Association

expected timeline for recovery, you

should be concerned. You can review

your individual claims and look for

reasons for each that can be appealed,

limiting your financial liability and

reducing the overall costs that are

being assessed to your company.

Again, there are experienced firms

like ours that specialize in reviewing,

assessing claims for appealable issues,

and then submitting your appeal

in a professional manner that has

proven to yield very good success.

Successful appeals can lead to

reduced WCB claims costs and reduce

your surcharge thus saving you on

premium costs, and either winning

cost relief in the way of future WCB

premium credits or actual cash back.

Things are changing and staying

informed and prepared will reduce

your current and future risks.


ADVERTORIAL

Listen, we need to talk. It’s not that we’re

upset. We just can’t understand why an

integrated component to any finished

space is left to last.

You’ve seen it before. Your client’s

project systematically coming to life as

each trade is provided designs, time,

notice and scheduling to accommodate

the specific order of completion. Then

comes the furniture, the interior

design work and Ta-Da. (insert sparkle

magic sound here). Hands are shaken,

congratulations and back patting all

around. And then, “Uh-oh, here come

the AV guys.” Ceiling tiles out, drywall

dust up, electrical outlets moved and the

cleaners stand in shock as all of their

hard work becomes slowly undone by

this late edition of audiovisual.

It’s not that we plan it this way. Honest!

It’s a common oversight, one that rears

it ugly head too often for our liking. We

get caught in the middle of a general

contractor trying to hand over a project

while the client has brought us in late

to the races. This, my friend, is what we

are here to talk about.

I’m here to talk to you, architects,

interior designers, electrical engineers,

IT and yes even you general contractors.

See, you have an advantage at times.

You are at the forefront of a project

with a client and the opportunity is

in front of you to ask ahead. Is there

audiovisual? Those four words can

save you a headache of dismantling,

relocating, messing, and save your

schedule. Those four words - “Is there

audiovisual?” - can save the client a list

of grief, but more specifically, it can save

them costly change orders, loose or

exposed cabling, and can ensure outlets,

cabinets, artwork, or furniture are all in

the right place once the dust has settled.

Like you, we love a beautiful space,

we love a functioning work room, a

is THeRe AudiOVisuAl?By Jarrod Hillman, President, Hillman Audio Video Inc.

productive classroom, an interactive

boardroom and we like them done right.

This means collaboration between all

parties to really reach a point of true

perfection.

We aren’t asking you to determine the

clients needs, create an AV design and

off you go. That is exactly what we are

here for. Use us, use our services. We

love to play nice with others.

How does it work?

Keep us in your back pocket. Ask your

client: “Is there audio visual?” If it’s a yes,

then get us involved, and we’ll do the dirty

work.

When you take the opportunity to

work with a company like ours, we

begin with the client consultation or

“fact finding,” as we like to call it. We

will provide a complete set of drawings,

which includes plan views and elevation

drawings for the builders to include and

be aware of any products coming in that

they may not have otherwise known

about. Once we’ve started, we manage

ourselves. Our project managers

will work closely with you to stay on

schedule and keep communication with

all necessary parties. We can provide all

the information required to make sure

that when the space is complete, and

the handover occurs, your client will get

to move into a beautiful, finished, fully

functioning space.

So all we ask is that the next time you

are designing, engineering, planning

or running a project and you have the

opportunity, ask “ Is there audiovisual?”

and then get us involved. The sooner

the better.

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THE SOONER YOU INVOLVE US, THE BETTER!PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE

STAY ON BUDGET AND ON SCHEDULEGET YOUR INSTALL RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

866.848.6111 • h i l lmanav.com

WESTERN CANADA’S MOST TRUSTED AUDIO VISUAL TEAM • DESIGN & DOCUMENTATION • PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • SERVICE & MAINTENANCE

IS THERE AUDIO VISUAL?

THE SOONER YOU INVOLVE US, THE BETTER!PLAN WITH CONFIDENCE

STAY ON BUDGET AND ON SCHEDULEGET YOUR INSTALL RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

866.848.6111 • h i l lmanav.com


Produced and published for the SCA by:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, Manitoba R3L 0G5www.delcommunications.com

President & CEOdAVid lANGsTAff

PublisherJAsON sTefANik

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Toll Free: 1.866.424.6398

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© 2016 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]

iNdex TO AdVeRTiseRsA & B Concrete Pumping Ltd. ..................................... 63Aberdeen Specialty Concrete Services ....................... 40Active Electric .............................................................. 17Affinity Credit Union ................................................... 36Aggreko Ltd. ............................................................. OBCAgrA Foundations Limited ........................................ 13All-Pro Excavating 2005 Ltd. ...................................... 48Aquifer Distribution Ltd. ............................................. 45Associated Asbestos Abatement ................................ 27ATS Traffic group ........................................................... 5Big Bore Directional Drilling Ltd. ................................ 11Big rock Trucking Ltd. ................................................. 56BN Metals .................................................................... 23Brandt Tractor .............................................................. 19Brock White Canada .................................................... 50Broda Construction group .......................................... 15Business Furnishings Ltd. ........................................... 56Canada's Building Trades Unions ............................... IBCCandorBuild Construction Corp................................... 44Cara-Dawn Transport .................................................. 36CFN Construction ........................................................ 28Commander Spray Foam Inc. ..................................... 57Concept group ............................................................ 32Cornerstone Insurance Services Incorporated ............ 50Fabco Plastics Saskatoon Limited ............................... 16Final Touch Flooring and Interiors .............................. 27

Fries Tallman Lumber .................................................. 18Frontier Supply ............................................................ 57grandeur ..................................................................... 54Handy Special Events .................................................. 33Hillman Audio Video Inc. ............................................ 65Hipperson Construction .............................................. 63HjH Tech Inc. ............................................................... 12Hub City Contracting Services .................................... 18Humboldt Electric Limited.......................................... 56Impact Energy Services............................................... 29Inland Aggregates Ltd. ............................................... 39Inland Screw Piling Ltd. ................................................ 8Innovative Piling Solutions ......................................... 25Iron Workers of Saskatchewan, Local 771 .................. 30Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd. ................................. 43KgS group ..................................................................... 6Lindsay Construction Ltd. ........................................... 36LUK Plumbing Heating & Electric Ltd. ....................... 28Maxie's Excavating ...................................................... 15Metro Fire Protection Ltd. ........................................... 53Morsky Construction Ltd. ............................................ 17Mountainview Systems Ltd. ...................................... IFCNational Leasing ......................................................... 25Nu-Trend Industries Inc. ................................................ 3Operation Dirt 2006 Inc. ............................................. 37Optimum Spray Tech ................................................... 63

Penwest Sales Inc. ....................................................... 42

Polar Mobility research Ltd. ....................................... 41

Pre-Con Limited .......................................................... 38

Precision Autodoor Systems Ltd. ................................ 29

Pro-Western Mechanical ............................................ 18

Proform Concrete ........................................................ 35

r.H. Electric Ltd. .......................................................... 44

regina Asphalt Paving ................................................ 15

rempel Engineering & Management Ltd. ................. 61

resource Management International Inc. .................. 10

ric's radiator & Industrial (2013) .............................. 40

rubber Stone .............................................................. 55

S. Wilson Construction Ltd. ......................................... 57

Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission ........................................ 45

Saskatchewan Association of Optometrist ................. 37

Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association........... 9

Sheet Metal Workers Local 296 .................................. 23

Solid Start Foundations .............................................. 50

Spence Heavy Equipment Sales & rentals ................. 54

Tri Clad Designs Inc. .................................................... 51

Troy Monz Construction .............................................. 51

Ultimate Insulation Foam and Fire Inc. ...................... 23

Wallace Construction Specialties Ltd. ......................... 18

Westcon Equipment and rentals ............................... 17

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16AGG047 Canada Construction Ad.indd 1 9/2/16 4:07 PM

change & innovation · saskatoon unit 10, 713-66 street e, saskatoon, sk s7p 0e4 306-978-8500...

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