Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 RBC report details $2 trillion transition for Canada to achieve net zero. Canada needs to build more residential homes and they need to be built to net-zero standards. FALL 2022 MAGAZINE BUILDFORCEBUILDFORCE MAGAZINE // Fall 20225 BUILDFORCE MAGAZINE Fall 2022 Published For: BUILDFORCE CANADA 220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1150 Ottawa, ON K1P 5Z9 Contact: Bill Ferreira, Executive Director Tel.: (613) 569-5552, ext. 2220 info@buildforce.ca www.buildforce.ca Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Return all undeliverable addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2S9 Toll-Free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-Free Fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Publisher Jessica Potter jpotter@matrixgroupinc.net Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Editor Alexandra Kozub akozub@matrixgroupinc.net Editor/Social Media Manager Jenna Collignon Finance/Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager – Winnipeg Neil Gottfred Sales Manager – Hamilton Jeff Cash Sales Team Leader Andrew Lee Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Account Executives Colleen Bell, Rob Gibson, Jim Hamilton, Frank Kenyeres, Sandra Kirby, Cheryl Klassen, Charlie Langsford, Andrew Lee, Brian MacIntyre, Jaime Schroeder Advertising Design James Robinson Layout & Design Cody Chomiak ©2022 Matrix Group Publishing 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. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Printed in Canada. GREETINGS 7 A Message from the Chair of BuildForce Canada 9A Message from the Executive Director of BuildForce Canada FEATURES 11 Retrofitting key to decarbonizing Canada’s building stock New federal plan calls for ambitious climate objectives; retrofitting Canada’s building stock is a major piece of the puzzle. 15A $2 trillion transition: Canada’s road to net zero RBC report details paths already available to combat Canada’s growing emissions. 18 Make more homes and make them efficient Tackling Canada’s housing demands while pursuing emissions targets is no easy task, but it is possible to meet these lofty goals. 21Climate action targets are transforming the business of construction Canada’s construction sector will have a major and historic role in advancing net-zero goals – it’s time to be dramatic! 26 Addressing labour availability requires multi-prong approach There may be challenges, but CBTU believes creative solutions will help increase capacity. 29Meeting targets requires growing the mechanical contracting sector Research shows that HVAC trades will be the most in demand across Canada between 2022 and 2050. 32 Building a foundation for respect Diversity and inclusion specialist, Sharon Barney, urges the construction industry to keep working to build a workforce representative of Canada’s demographics. 35Increasing diversity in construction through CBAs Increasing the use of community benefits agreements (CBAs) is key to providing access to good jobs, local economic development, and neighbourhood revitalization. 40 BOLT builds futures for youth Tailored construction career advice and training through BOLT helps GTA youth achieve financial stability and independence, while breaking the cycle of poverty. 42America’s impact on Canadian growth From high inflation and energy costs, to challenging supply chain shortages and labour conditions, 2022 will be a year to remember. 45 Rising to the challenge of lowering emissions Improving building envelopes, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, and embracing innovation will help Canada meet its emissions targets. 47Safe bodies, safe minds True construction leaders understand that all safety-related incidents are foreseeable, predictable, and preventable, and that “fit for work” includes mental and physical health. GET TO KNOW BUILDFORCE 51 BuildForce Board of Directors 53BuildForce Partnerships 54 INDEX TO ADVERTISERSBUILDFORCE MAGAZINE // Fall 20227 L ast year, my wife and I made the decision to move to Victoria, British Columbia, to take advantage of all that Vancouver Island has to offer. A short walk from home gets us to the water with our kayaks; contemplating retirement feels great in those peaceful moments on the water. Of course, like many in the construction sector who are my age, I continue to work in the industry. That said, I, like many, are not doing the heavy labour-intensive work we once did, and that is where the problem lies. BuildForce Canada’s 2021-22 annual report estimates that more than 171,000 workers will need to be hired by 2027 to keep pace with construction demands and growing retirements. We need to ask ourselves: Why would a young person want to work in construction today? Years ago, it was a natural progression for youth who worked on farms or spent time fixing up vehicles to build a career in the trades. Today, it’s not an industry of choice. Yet, construction is critical to every Canadian, and a shortage of workers impacts the homes we live in, the offices we work at, the recreational facilities we enjoy, the roads we drive on, and so much more. A top priority is an enhanced dialogue to ensure that youth, and their parents and guidance counsellors, as well as women, newcomers to Canada, and members of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities see opportunities for themselves in construction. This includes sharing what makes a job in the trades a smart choice, showcasing the innovation and technology that’s being used (this isn’t the same industry I started out in!), talking about how the construction industry is a key player in tackling climate change, and making sure everyone knows that workers make a great living and can advance if they’re interested. And we can’t forget to talk about how every day they’ll be part of creating something important. BuildForce Canada is taking these assignments seriously and I truly feel that we’re well positioned to make a difference. One of the real values of BuildForce is that the Board of Directors represents owners, contractors, and labour providers (union and non-union), and when we all meet, we leave our personal hats at the door so we can focus on what’s best for the industry. I am proud of this – that we represent the entire industry and work on behalf of what will improve it for everyone. There are hurdles, like the length of apprenticeship training and the fact that after considerable work, the needle hasn’t moved much in terms of the number of women working in construction. But hurdles are meant to be overcome, and while I say there are huge challenges, I would add that there are also huge opportunities. The prospects are exciting to think about! This issue of the magazine is dedicated to the topic of climate change and moving toward a net-zero reality. The shift toward a lower-carbon economy is happening and we have a real opportunity to be a part of this monumental change. The work our sector needs to do to retrofit the existing build to be net zero and create a new build to higher standards is immense. If any industry is up for the challenge though, it’s ours! Of course, we need people to do this and like many other sectors, filling positions has become an even greater challenge. Please visit our website (buildforce.ca) for resources designed to help employers understand, recruit, engage, and retain a diverse labour force. BuildForce Canada can help your business grow and strengthen. Reach out and we’ll tell you how! CLYDE SCOLLAN Chair, BuildForce Canada / GREETINGS // A Message from the Chair of BuildForce Canada Clyde Scollan Chair, BuildForce Canada “One of the real values of BuildForce is that the Board of Directors represents owners, contractors, and labour providers (union and non-union), and when we all meet, we leave our personal hats at the door so we can focus on what’s best for the industry.”BUILDFORCE MAGAZINE // Fall 20229 T his issue of the BuildForce Canada annual magazine has a deliberate focus to it. Many of the articles we feature touch on the public-policy impetus to drive the building sector toward net zero. With good reason. Climate change cannot be ignored. Collectively, Canada’s more than 16 million homes and commercial and public buildings contribute to about 13% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. That figure rises to 18% when electricity-related emissions are factored in. It rises higher still when the carbon output of the construction processes required to build those buildings is also accounted for. The drive to greening these buildings and reaching net-zero goals will require not only significant capital investments from public- and private-sector building owners, but also large deployments of construction workers. From a BuildForce Canada perspective, the very real question created by this dramatic change to our economy is, how will Canada’s drive to net zero impact the construction and maintenance labour forces? For the time being at least, the answer is, we don’t know. It would be an understatement to suggest that labour markets are currently strained. In many of the first eight months of 2022, key labour market indicators have approached or surpassed record levels. At more than 1.6 million people, construction’s labour force is larger than it ever has been. At 2.7%, construction’s unemployment rate reached its lowest-ever level in July 2022. And at more than 89,000, the number of job vacancies in the industry has never been higher. These trends make the data in our Construction Looking Forward labour market forecasts ever more important to industry. The next edition of our reports, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2023, will also include analyses of the labour force demand pressures created by the public-policy push toward net zero. We continue to develop other products as well. Our suite of e-learning courses, for example, is designed to meet construction’s ongoing need for growth and development. We refine these products and introduce new materials continually with a view to meeting industry’s emerging needs, and with a greater emphasis on programming around diversity, respect, and inclusivity in the workplace. Our Construction and Maintenance Performance Benchmarking Self-Assessment Tool, meanwhile, helps participating companies learn more about productivity, while our Respectful Workplace Online Self-Assessment Tool helps organizations evaluate corporate policies and procedures through an inclusivity lens, and close any gaps that may exist. It is our goal at BuildForce Canada to continue to support construction as it manages growth, develops its workforce, and responds to changing market conditions. We look forward to the challenge! BILL FERREIRA Executive Director, BuildForce Canada / GREETINGS // Bill Ferreira Executive Director, BuildForce Canada A Message from the Executive Director of BuildForce Canada Labour market information BuildForce Canada studies and forecasts long-term trends in the labour market. The resulting BuildForce labour market information (LMI) focuses exclusively on trends affecting the construction and maintenance industry, including an economic and investment outlook, and an assessment of labour availability for 34 trades and occupations for the residential and non-residential construction sectors over a 10-year period. www.buildforce.ca/en/lmi Recruitment and retention BuildForce Canada provides a wealth of studies, guides, best practices, and web resources designed to help employers understand, recruit, engage, and retain a diverse labour force, including youth, women, new Canadians, Indigenous people, and older workers. www.buildforce.ca/en/recruitment-retention Training BuildForce Canada’s E-Learning Centre offers a comprehensive catalogue of online training courses designed to promote the professional development of individuals working in the Canadian construction and maintenance industry. BuildForce also provides an online library of resources for educators and industry training professionals, including training standards, essential skills, and research reports. www.buildforce.ca/en/training Management resources BuildForce offers resources designed to provide employers with the information they need to meet labour market challenges and become more productive and competitive. Find research reports and self- assessment tools addressing issues that range from productivity to respectful workplace initiatives. www.buildforce.ca/en/management-resources BuildForce resourcesNext >