The following is a media release from Sources Community Resource regarding their Building Hope video, which raises awareness about the opioid overdose crisis and toxic drug supply affecting men in the trades.

July 27, 2022

(For immediate release) Building Hope: Men in the Trades and Substance Use, a video series raising awareness about the opioid overdose crisis and the impact of the toxic drug supply on people in the trades, is launching at a hybrid event at the Whiterock Community Center and on Zoom on July 28 at noon Pacific. The primary video, 9 minutes in length, features four men with experience in the construction industry and trades, as well as lived experience with substance use. The men speak to their fellow tradespeople about their experiences using substances and offer information on how to stay safer in the drug-poisoning era. There are also four 1-minute spotlight videos featuring each of the men: Trevor Botkin, Kale Moth, Daniel Snyder, and Rob Tournour.

The goal of the video series Building Hope: Men in the Trades and Substance Use is to raise awareness about the drug poisoning crisis, reduce the stigma toward people who use substances, and promote help-seeking among men in the trades and construction and inform workers about the employers ‘duty to accommodate’. Ultimately, the intention is to save lives. Men account for 80% of overdose deaths in Canada, which has become a leading cause of death across the country. Men in the trades are at particular risk of experiencing substance use-related harms, including overdose. Several factors contribute to these trends, including chronic pain, toxic masculinity and stigma, and workplace drug policies which can contribute to men being less likely to speak openly about their substance use and mental health.

Building Hope: Men in the Trades and Substance Use videos have been produced for The Tides of Change South Surrey, Whiterock Overdose Prevention and Response Community Action Team in British Columbia. Producers George Passmore, Matthew Huot, and Lorna Thomas worked with Base Two Media and a consulting team to develop the videos with the assistance of Health Canada, CAI Community Action Initiative, City of Whiterock, Sources Community Resource Center Community Resources Society.

The following is an article from the Journal of Commerce, featuring commentary from VICA CEO Rory Kulmala. Published on July 20, 2022

Russell Hixson 

The Lower Mainland is feeling the heat of supply chain issues.

Chris Atchison, president of the B.C. Construction Association (BCCA) said supply chain disruption and escalating costs of goods are worse than he’s ever seen and there doesn’t appear to be any relief on the horizon.

“Unfortunately, cost increases are widespread, affecting all trades and project stages,” said Atchison. “It’s not only the main structural materials — glass, rebar, steel, lumber — but crucial smaller items such as screws, plates, fasteners, metal door frames, electrical panels, and much more.” 

He explained this causes a double-impact as projects are delayed by shortages and then costs continue to climb during the delay.   

The BCCA recommended contractors currently working on projects should engage with owners proactively and regularly, bringing facts that clearly demonstrate the reality of price increases and communicating the anticipated impacts on the project. 

“You’re in this together and not talking about it is not a solution,” said Atchison. 

Contractors are being more selective about which projects to bid on, he said, making sure contract terms include escalation clauses and other risk mitigations.  

“If they can’t factor in an appropriate level of risk and make sure that the risk is allocated to the party best positioned to manage it, they won’t bid,” he said.

“Our members are bringing this to our attention more and more, specifically the cost escalations. It is a real pressure cooker for our members,” said Donna Grant, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA). 

Grant is taking these concerns straight to decision-makers. She has reached out to every single MLA in the Lower Mainland asking to chat while they are in their home ridings. She already has meetings set up and is working on more.
“Our MLAs need to hear about our industry,” said Grant. “We came to the table when we were deemed an essential service and kept the B.C. economy going with little fanfare.”

Despite this, Grant noted the province has dragged its feet on prompt payment legislation and is now being told it might have to be revisited next year. 

“That’s not good enough,” she said. “It’s low hanging fruit and our members are taking a lot of hits right now when they were the ones who kept the economy going.” 

Grant explained if issues around fixed price contracts, cost escalations and inflexible owners aren’t addressed, many might rethink being in the industry. 

“We need a bigger recognition of how important this industry is to all our lives,” she said. “We need passable roads, safe hospitals, schools for children and that all takes construction. There is a lot of pressure on our industry and that needs recognition.”

Vancouver Island is also feeling the pain. Rory Kulmala, CEO of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, explained supply chain and labour availability are lagging in light of the demand for construction. 

“Materials are in demand globally and this has stressed our B.C. and national markets significantly,” he said. “As little as three years ago, we saw that materials that would normally take four-to-six-month lead time are now, in some cases, near doubled. From fuel to raw materials such as cement, petroleum-based products, and special-order materials, add on the increased costs of distribution, and the costs of these materials are hitting an all-time high.”

HVAC equipment, elevating equipment and specialty finishing items that are imported are taking much longer and at a higher cost. 

“Everything is costing more,” he said. “In some cases, anywhere from 30 per cent to 50 per cent.”

This is causing island contractors to be very careful with their bidding and not holding pricing very long. Kulmala explained they are less likely to provide guaranteed pricing for work that may not start for several months. If they do, they may be including further inflated pricing for both materials and labour.  

“If they are already under contract, they are either absorbing these price increases or making claims for reimbursement,” he said. “Ultimately, these costs will be borne by the owner.” 

Owners like the City of Vancouver acknowledged they have seen volatility in the supply chain sector and an increase in costs associated with the supply of materials and services that support our construction programs. 

“To mitigate against these challenges, we constantly monitor the inventory of material with our supply vendors, review service contracts against market inflationary conditions, evaluate alternate construction materials with lower cost escalations and maintain ongoing communication with our clients and service providers to ensure project delivery is maintained,” said the city. “In addition to the above, rigorous project schedule and budget tracking helps ensure impacts related to construction cost increases are minimized.”

The following is a letter from VICA’s CEO Rory Kulmala addressed to the Honourable Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education and Child Care regarding the proposed Cedar Hill Middle School replacement project.

Re: Cedar Hill Middle School – Shop Classroom(s)

Dear Minister Whiteside,

As I am sure you are aware, Greater Victoria School District 61 is currently reviewing requirements for the replacement of Cedar Hill Middle School (CHMS). The school has four exploratory classes in which all students participate over the three years they attend the school: Home Economics (Textiles & Food Studies combo), Art, Drama, and Tech Ed (Woodshop/Metal Shop combo). However, in the new school plans, the woodshop has been removed due to the estimated $500,000 average cost of the purchase and maintenance of the exhaust system required in the woodshop. It has been proposed that a Makerspace replaces the Woodshop.

As such, I must express my disappointment and concerns over the current direction of this project.

Our industry continues to struggle in attracting workers. According to BuildForce Canada, a national construction industry organization that provides key labour and market data for our sector, our “Industry faces the added challenge of replacing an aging labour force with the expected retirement of more than 41,000 workers, or 22% of the current labour force, over the next decade”. Further, “accounting for retirements and expansion demand, industry will need to recruit close to 59,650 workers over the coming decade”. Given the current tempo of construction, we are already experiencing significant challenges with meeting our skilled workforce demand. This is consistent with similar reports from WorkBC.    From an industry point of view, to address our future needs, we must pique the interest of our youth as soon as possible. We view our middle school-aged children as key to growing the future skilled workforce that our sector will desperately need. With that in mind, we cannot think that taking away resources and proper learning environments such as shop classes will help this cause. A properly equipped shop class is of great benefit for all students particularly those who are, or may not be, academically minded but demonstrate a high aptitude for such skills or interests.

With no access to the woodshop, basic skills with fundamental tools will be absent for 575 students per year; thus limiting the possibility of students selecting trades in high school, further into post-secondary, or even directly into the trades. We must start presenting the skilled trades to young people earlier in their education journey and creating a system that allows them to excel at shop and their continual interest in the trades upon graduation.

In your own words,

“Investments in schools are investments in student success, and we are putting more resources into buses, classrooms and schools so that students can thrive,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education. “That’s why our government continues to deliver on our commitment to support school districts in upgrading and maintaining their schools to ensure students are learning in safe, healthy environments.” (MoE News Release, March 15, 2022)

If a new building is going to be built, build it right the first time. Include a properly equipped shop class, install the required ventilation and equipment, and meet the needs of students. This is a long-term investment that will pay itself off in spades.

Time is of the essence as I understand the period to review requirements is nearing an end at which time I expect it will be presented to your Ministry for final approval.  As such, I would be happy to discuss this matter with you further and assist in any way possible as you explore this issue.

I look forward to your response and further collaborating with you as we mutually seek to support our sector.

Regards,

Rory Kulmala
Chief Executive Officer

cc:

Honourable Harry Bains, BC Minister of Labour
Honourable Anne Kang, BC Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training
Ms. Deb Whitten, Superintendent, Greater Victoria School District 61
Mr. Chris Atchison, President, BC Construction Association

The following is an article from the Journal of Commerce. Published on May 18, 2022

Warren Frey

For Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) harm reduction co-ordinator Greg Hemminger, the mission behind addressing the industry’s substance use crisis through the association’s Tailgate Toolkit is personal.

“I have lived experience unfortunately, or fortunately. I think I’m better for having gone through it,” Hemminger said. “I’m five years clean and sober.”

He and VICA CEO Rory Kulmala recently spoke at the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s Construction Leadership Forum on May 13.

Their session, entitled Tailgate Toolkit: Addressing the Substance Use Crisis detailed how construction can better deal with the tragic and ongoing substance use crisis throughout British Columbia, which disproportionately affects men aged 19 to 54 in the industry.

Hemminger explained to attendees he used harm reduction, saw a doctor regularly, used sanitized supplies and went through a complete rehab treatment. He also shared he was involved with a woman who also struggled with substance use who passed away three months into his rehabilitation.

“My fiancé was too scared of who she was sober, but unlike me she could hide it,” he said. “Harm reduction saved my life. If she’d practiced it, it would have saved hers.”

Hemminger explained he and Kulmala are trying to change the terminology used when people speak about substance use including moving away from the term “overdose.”

“I think people think (when that term is used) you have a death wish. They think copious amounts of drugs and an overindulgent lifestyle and that’s simply not the case. We’re dealing with a toxic drug supply and people are making small mistakes,” he said.

“These are recreational drug users, sometimes first-time drug users, and they’re getting one drug or think they’re getting that drug and they’re getting fentanyl and they’re dying. No one should die for a mistake, whether they’re young, old or in-between. The goalposts have moved so we need to approach this from a different perspective.”

“We spend a lot of time on harm reduction on the jobsite, PPE, fall protection. That’s all great when you’re on the site, but 69 per cent of the people who die are dying alone, in their own homes,” Kulmala said.

“We spend so much time making sure people go home safe. Now we want them to come back safe. Your problem has just started if they don’t come back the next day.”

VICA’s Tailgate Toolkit project, in partnership with other B.C. construction associations, aims to formalize these efforts through a series of components including toolbox talks to reduce stigma, supervisor training, regional resources in both print and digital form and an online forum exclusive to construction workers called “Hammer Time.”  

“The Tailgate Toolkit is a project we initiated a year ago to introduce our workers and our sector to the overdose crisis, which we’d rather call a toxic drug supply, and how it’s affecting our workers. It’s a way to introduce this issue to our workers, reduce stigma and try to help workers find the resources they need ultimately for recovery and better health,” Kulmala said.

Outdated attitudes about masculinity in the industry add to the problem, Hemminger explained.

“As men, we are graded on how little we complain. We celebrate toughness and not talking out our fears or vulnerabilities. We need to change those attitudes because people are dying alone. They’re suffering in silence,” he said.

“They think there’s going to be punitive measures against them if they say, ‘Hey, I’m not doing too well. I’m struggling and now I’m dependent upon a pain medication,’” Hemminger added. “We need to change the attitudes and start a discourse between employer and employee. We need to normalize this, realize it’s a human and societal problem and we’re all at risk.”

To read this article on the Journal of Commerce’s website, click here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Victoria, BC (May 5, 2022) – The Vancouver Island Construction Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 3^rd Annual VICA Awards, which recognize the work its members do to build and regenerate our local communities: the universities, hospitals, historic sites, airports, and condominiums.

“In what has been a turbulent past two years, I am proud of the resilience and dedication that VICA Members have displayed,” says Rory Kulmala, CEO of the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA). “Our VICA Awards recognize their efforts, showcasing the best work being done on Vancouver Island. The construction industry continues to be one of the largest economic drivers on the island, we could not be more pleased to celebrate the great work our members are doing throughout our communities”.

The 3rd Annual VICA Awards were presented as a pre-recorded online broadcast, in-lieu of a live event and featured over 50 submissions and 15 category winners.

“With everything the construction industry has endured over these past 2 years I’m extremely proud of VICA’s membership, who express the best of the construction industry on Vancouver Island”, says VICA Board Chair, Chris Lyons of Omicron Construction. “We’ve endured a worldwide pandemic, extreme weather events, and global unrest, that have created significant challenges for the world, as well as our industry. Through all of this, while many sectors ground to a halt, we kept the construction industry moving forward — and we should celebrate these achievements”.

The 2022 VICA Awards saw an equal representation of projects across Vancouver Island, with winning projects from Port Hardy down to Victoria. This year’s panel of judges consisted of industry veterans, Katy Fairley (Fairley Strategies), Mark Taylor (Mark Taylor Construction Advisory Services), and Barclay Ellis (Trades Labour Corporation Victoria).

MEDIA INQUIRIES & INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Owen O’Rourke, Manager, Marketing & Communications

Vancouver Island Construction Association

250.800.1722| owen@vicabc.ca

A recording of the broadcast is now available on VICA’s website, www.vicabc.ca/awards

For high-resolution photos and project descriptions, please contact Owen at owen@vicabc.ca

VICA MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

MKM Projects Ltd. (1 – 20 Employees)

Allterra Construction Ltd. (21 – 50 Employees)

Island West Coast Developments Ltd (51+ Employees)

The VICA Member of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a company in the construction industry. The nominated companies have made a significant contribution to VICA through years of continuous membership, involvement in various VICA committees, and/or involvement in VICA programs and events.

PRIME CONTRACTOR – OVER $20 MILLION AWARD

Knappett Projects Inc. | CRD 200 RSCL: Pump Stations, Bridge Crossings and Valve Chambers

PRIME CONTRACTOR– $10 – $20 MILLION AWARD

Kinetic Construction Ltd. | Port Hardy Airport Expansion

PRIME CONTRACTOR– $5 – $10 MILLION AWARD

Island West Coast Development (IWCD) | Sooke Library Branch New Build

PRIME CONTRACTOR– UNDER $5 MILLION

MKM Projects Ltd. | Cumberland Fire Department

SUBCONTRACTOR – OVER $5 MILLION

Banyan Group of Companies | Victoria Customs House (Concrete Formwork)

SUBCONTRACTOR – UNDER $2 MILLION

Houle Electric | Nanaimo Airport Terminal Expansion

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN CONSTRUCTION AWARD

Leslie Myers, Number Ten Architectural Group

The 2022 Woman in Construction of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution or positive impact to the construction industry. This award is presented to a member who is an ambassador for women in construction and has made contributions to the VICA and/or the community through volunteer work or business accomplishments.

U40 PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD

AJ Winters, Wilson M Beck Insurance Services (Victoria)

The 2022 U40 Person of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated the potential for leadership and is committed to the advancement of the construction industry. This award is presented to a member that has made a significant impact or contribution to the workplace and/or a project; to VICA directly and/or VICA’s U40/YBN network; and to the community through volunteer work and/or business accomplishments.

EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AWARD

Sidney Reist, EllisDon Corp.

The 2022 Education Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has volunteered a considerable amount of time in the role of advancement of education for the betterment of the construction industry.

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

Mazzei Electric

The Employer of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a VICA Member company within the construction industry that has demonstrated sustainable compensation and finances, employee retention, and personal/professional development, while providing a safe and healthy workplace environment.

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR (NEW)

Sean Wallace, Knappett Projects Inc.

The Employee of the Year Award recognizes an employee who has made a significant contribution and/or positive impact to the company they work for. Nominees should have outstanding performance, superior dedication, and positive attitude on the job and be a leader in their respective company who has demonstrated a commitment to improving our industry.

SAFETY AWARDS

• Durwest Construction Management
• Houle Electric Ltd
• Island West Coast Development (IWCD)
• Knappett Projects Inc.
• Lewis Sheet Metal
• Mazzei Electric Ltd.
• PREP Energy Limited

The Safety Award is designed to honour those contractors who have maintained a superior safety record during the year. Awards are based on a contractor’s claims experience record with the Workers’ Compensation Board. 

-30 –

This briefing was provided by VICA Member Roper Greyell LLP. For more information or questions regarding this briefing please visit their website at www.ropergreyell.com

Effective January 1, 2022, the BC government added employer-paid sick leave under BC’s Employment Standards Act (“ESA”). Previous RG updates have covered this topic, please see our articles on November 25, 2021, and January 26, 2022.

The BC government announced on Monday, March 28, 2022, that it would introduce further amendments to the ESA paid sick leave. Bill 19 introduces three changes:

• ESA paid sick leave is removed from the “meet or exceeds” table in section 3 of the ESA, meaning unionized employers can no longer avoid the strict application of the ESA paid sick leave, regardless of their collective agreement provisions. Unionized employers will be required to provide the ESA paid sick leave or top-up any existing collective agreement provisions to the ESA paid sick leave entitlements.
• ESA paid sick leave is removed as an exception from section 3(6), meaning that union employees will now have to proceed by way of grievance/arbitration for any ESA paid sick leave dispute, and not through the Employment Standards Branch complaint process.
• Under section 49.1, “employment year” is replaced by “calendar year” thus simplifying the calculation for an employee’s entitlement to sick days. This means that employers will no longer need to track each individual’s employment anniversary date for the purposes of paid sick days. Instead, the 5 paid sick days entitlement will apply for the calendar year. If an employee has already received 5 paid sick days in 2022, this change does not entitle them to additional paid sick days in 2022. There may be employees who, due to the old employment year calculation, may have already received more than 5 days of paid sick leave this year. There is no clear mechanism to seek repayment in this scenario.

The amendments will be effective upon Royal Assent and are not retroactive.  The status of Bill 19’s Royal Assent can be tracked here.

Please contact our office if you have questions.

Michael R. Kilgallin is a partner at Roper Greyell LLP, where he provides advice to employers on employment, labour relations and human rights issues in the workplace.  He can be reached at mkilgallin@ropergreyell.com.

Janna Crown is a lawyer at Roper Greyell LLP, practicing in all areas of workplace law, including human rights, labour law, and WorkSafeBC matters.  She can be reached at jcrown@ropergreyell.com.  For more information about Michael, Janna, and the rest of the Roper Greyell team, please visit www.ropergreyell.com.

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this article, you are urged to seek specific advice on matters of concern and not to rely solely on what is contained herein.  The article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

This bulletin has been provided by VICA Member Roper Greyell LLP. For more information on their services or questions about this bulletin please visit www.ropergreyell.com

By Sandra Guarascio + Sabrina Anis

On March 10, 2022, the BC provincial government announced certain changes to its COVID19-related restrictions. As of March 11, the provincial health order requiring face coverings (i.e. masks) was repealed, except as it applies to schools.¹ Other measures announced include an easing of the requirement that faith communities restrict attendance based on vaccination status, and the requirements applying to overnight camps for children and youth.

In addition, the Provincial Health Officer announced the forthcoming lifting of other protective measures. Specifically, the government announced its intention to lift the BC vaccine card proof of vaccination requirement on April 8, 2022, ² and to make changes relating to visitors to long-term care facilities by March 18, 2022.

In conjunction with the foregoing changes, the provincial government repealed and replaced its workplace safety order made on February 16, 2022. The revised workplace safety order will apply between now and April 8, 2022, and provides:

• An employer must maintain its COVID-19 safety plan; however, the revised order removes the requirement that COVID-19 safety plans require workers in indoor common areas to wear face coverings (and all related requirements);
• A worker must wear a face covering if required to do so by an employer in fulfillment of the employer’s obligation to put in place measures and reduce the risk to workers from communicable disease; and,
• An employer must permit a worker to wear a face covering if the worker chooses to do so.

The government has stated that following April 8, 2022 employers will no longer be required to have a COVID-19 safety plan, but will be subsequently required to follow communicable disease prevention guidance from WorkSafeBC.

While the province has affirmed that individual businesses can choose to continue requiring masks and proof of vaccination on their premises, in light of the changes to provincial requirements it is no longer mandatory that businesses maintain such requirements. There are a multitude of considerations organizations should keep in mind in tailoring their COVID19 safety/communicable disease plans to their workplace including any policies related to vaccination or rapid testing.

_______________

¹ i.e. to school students, school staff members, and visitors to school spaces. The mask requirements applying to schools will subsequently be repealed following students’ return from spring break. For a list of spring break dates by school district, visit the province’s website here
² Requirements applying to post-secondary institution residential housing will also be repealed on April 8, 2022.

Please contact a member of the Roper Greyell team if you have questions about how these changes might impact your operations.

View the province’s March 10, 2022 news release here and additional information about provincial restrictions here. See WorkSafeBC’s news release here.

Navigating COVID-19 in the Workplace

 For further information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it may impact your workplace, please look to our previous bulletins. They can be found on the Roper Greyell COVID-19 resource page.

This bulletin is current to the morning of March 14, 2022, but the pandemic and the responses of the federal and provincial governments continue to evolve, and this may impact the accuracy of the information set out here. If in doubt about whether anything in this document is still current, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sandra Guarascio and Sabrina Anis are labour and employment lawyers at Roper Greyell LLP where they practice in all areas of labour, employment and human rights law. To obtain contact information of any other lawyer at our firm, please visit https://ropergreyell.com/ourpeople/

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in this bulletin, you are urged to seek specific advice on matters of concern and not to rely solely on what is contained herein. The document is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Briefing Provided by VICA Member PD Stover Professional Corporation. To learn more about PD Stover, visit their website, www.pdstoverinc.ca

Bill 5 Worker’s Compensation Amendment Act, just passed its first reading in the 42^nd Parliament, and until it receives royal assent, it is still only a bill.  However, should this bill receive royal assent, then BC will be the first jurisdiction in Canada, to implement a licensing requirement for asbestos abatement contractors.

Asbestos abatement work, is defined in part as: as identifying material that is or is not asbestos-abatement material (“ACM”) collecting samples, assessing the risk posed or not posed, removing, repairing or transporting or disposing of ACM material, etc.

As we are all aware asbestos has been widely used in a variety of building construction materials prior to 1990, and is not hazardous until it is disturbed, which then releases dust or fibres into the air, that we ingest or inhale. 

The Minister of Labour, Mr. Harry Bains, provided that there have been over 280 deaths from asbestos exposure over the past five (5) years, with 53 of those deaths in 2021. It is noted that some of these deaths are attributable to work performed up to 30 years ago.  This fact does not diminish those deaths, but places light on the longevity of this silent killer that causes lung disease/asbestosis.

The Minister of Labour, Mr. Harry Bains, has provided that BC has lacked a comprehensive licensing and training system for asbestos abatement contractors.   He has provided that Bill 5 Worker’s Compensation Amendment Act, 2022, is intended to create better safety standards for asbestos abatement contractors and to ensure that all businesses, and their workers are properly trained and certified.

By implementing Bill 5, Worker’s Compensation Amendment Act, 2022, the Board looks to have:

1. A registry of all qualified contractors in good standing, which would allow prime contractors, or other businesses, or individuals, to hire a licensed company with certified workers.
2. Licenses that would be valid up to 3 years; and are not transferable;
3. The authority for WSBC to deny, cancel or suspend licenses, for non-compliance/providing false information on the application/or issued fines for safety violations for ACM.
4. WSBC would control the certification of businesses, employers, and workers as they would perform the abatement certification through a mandatory safety training process, that is authorized by WSBC.

WSBC recently issued fines against a few businesses in BC, who failed to meet the standard of handling asbestos-containing material, which is considered a high-risk violation.  These few fines totalled over $50,000 and were due in part to failing to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety.

It is unclear yet, on how current fines, will be reflected on the amendment moving forward, or for the length of time a suspension.  Many factors are still incoming, as the board has yet to provide the policy or practice directives on how Bill 5, Worker’s Compensation Amendment Act 2022, will be enacted.

One thing is clear, WSBC will be overseeing all of the qualified contractors, and ensuring compliance, which I would almost guarantee, will include visits from prevention officers, to ensure compliance.

This is one of many matters that employers need to be aware of as the government and WSBC continue to focus their attention on workers’ safety, fairness in adjudication, with their newly adopted worker centric focus model, as more legislative amendments are on the way for 2022.

In the meantime, stay informed, stay productive and most importantly, stay safe!

Pamela Stover

Founder/Licensed Paralegal #12002

PD Stover Professional Corporation

VICTORIA – People working in the construction industry will benefit from life-saving harm- reduction training in the workplace, substance-use support groups and information on local community resources thanks to new provincial funding.

Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) has received a provincial grant to expand its Tailgate Toolkit project, a harm-reduction program to prevent toxic drug poisoning in B.C.’s construction industry. The project will reduce the stigma associated with substance use and raise awareness of pain management, pathways to treatment and other information about mental health and substance use. The Province is investing $1 million through the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division (CMHA) and the Community Action Initiative (CAI) to support this expansion.

“The toxic drug crisis continues to take lives at a tragic rate. In cases where we know where someone worked, nearly 20% of those who died worked in trades, transport or as equipment operators,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “I am grateful to the Vancouver Island Construction Association and our partners for bringing the Tailgate Toolkit directly to the workplace. It will save lives and connect people to the services and support they need.”

The expanded toolkit will allow workplaces to educate staff on substance use to help prevent toxic drug deaths, as well as harm-reduction and recovery strategies and employee resources. Workers with substance-use challenges will also have access to weekly support groups facilitated by front-line workers with lived experience of substance use and working in the construction industry.

“It’s heartbreaking that so many people throughout B.C. continue to be affected by the illicit drug-poisoning crisis. It’s essential that workers and all British Columbians have access to the information and supports they need to prevent toxic drug overdose,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. “The expansion of this program will ensure construction workers know the risks and feel empowered to get help when they need it.”

The toolkit will include training for managers and responders to recognize and provide support for people with substance-use and mental-health challenges, including mental-health first aid, naloxone training, pain management and more. As part of this project, construction associations throughout British Columbia, including the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA), the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) and the Northern Regional Construction Association (NRCA), will host dedicated harm-reduction co-ordinators. They will also provide access to print and digital resources developed in consultation with regional health authorities to highlight the harm-reduction and recovery services available to

workers within and beyond their benefit packages.

“We are eager to continue the work that we have been piloting over the past year and would like to thank the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions for entrusting the Vancouver Island Construction Association with this funding,” said Rory Kulmala, chief executive officer, Vancouver Island Construction Association. “Through the support of our membership and our industry partners, we have been able to develop a truly grassroots initiative specifically designed for our workers including access to resources and support, which they may not have realized were available to them.”

The toolkit has been developed in consultation with people with lived and living experience to ensure it is useful and relevant to people in the construction industry.

Enhancing B.C.’s response to the drug-poisoning crisis is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap for building the comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care that British Columbians deserve.

Quotes:

Jonny Morris, chief executive officer, CMHA, BC Division –

“The toxic-drug crisis affects people from all backgrounds, ages and socio-economic experiences, and we need a variety of tools and strategies in place to save lives. We applaud the work of the Vancouver Island Construction Association in developing resources designed to respond directly to the needs of people in the trades and construction industries in a way that works for them. We are encouraged by the project’s focus on reducing stigma and the important effort to connect trades and constructions workers to care.”

Emily Wagner, acting executive director, CAI –

“We’re pleased to help with the provincial expansion of the Vancouver Island Construction Association’s Tailgate Toolkit Project to support people working in construction and trades. We know that substance use is present in all industries and in all communities across B.C., and that VICA has done an incredible job reaching this community to stop preventable overdose deaths. This funding will allow for much-needed provincial expansion so that more employers have the tools and resources they need to offer meaningful mental-health and substance-use supports to their teams.”

Chris Atchison, president, BC Construction Association –

“This is another important example of how construction leaders are leaning in to support the industry’s essential workforce. By creating safe and accessible resources that help destigmatize the realities of mental-health and addictions issues, we can further demonstrate our commitment to the communities in which we live, work and build. We’re looking forward to supporting this regional initiative as it rolls out across British Columbia.”

Trevor Botkin, executive director and project manager, HeroWork Victoria –

“My career in construction has spanned more than 25 years. When I had struggled with my addiction, I was completely unaware of any resources that might be available to me or how to find my way out of the situation I was in. I believe the toolkit will reduce stigma surrounding

substance misuse in the trades and save lives by fostering deeper conversations, understanding and highlighting the resources needed to support workers, supervisors and employers. It is my hope that others may find the support, direction and courage they need to step out of the darkness and find the peace in their lives that they deserve.”

Quick Facts:

• According to the BC Coroners’ Service, between January and October 2021, 79% of those who died from suspected illicit drug toxicity were men.
• According to the 2020 Labour Force Survey, 86% of the construction workforce is male.
• VICA represents over 450 industrial/commercial/institutional construction companies, with members employing more than 4,000 individuals on Vancouver Island.
• VICA is associated with the British Columbia Construction Association and its regional construction associations, including VRCA, SICA and NRCA, which serves approximately 2,000 companies provincewide.

Learn More:

For more information on the Tailgate Toolkit, visit: https://thetailgatetoolkit.ca/

A Pathway to Hope: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our- governments/initiatives-plans-strategies/mental-health-and-addictions- strategy/bcmentalhealthroadmap_2019web-5.pdf

Stop Overdose BC: https://www.stopoverdose.gov.bc.ca/

Contact:

Vancouver Island Construction Assocation

Owen O’Rourke, Manager, Marketing & Communications

250-800-1722 | owen@vicabc.ca

Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions Communications

250 208-0307

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: news.gov.bc.ca/connect

Introduced at our 2021 Annual General Meeting, the Vancouver Island Construction Association is proposing a significant renovation for its Victoria office.

Members have until December 16, 2021, to provide their feedback. Please forward all feedback, questions, or comments to VICA CEO Rory Kulmala at VICACEO@vicabc.ca.

To quickly summarize the project; the VICA Victoria Office was built in 1971 and aside from cosmetic alterations over the years, there have been no major renovations to the building. Currently, the building is requiring significant maintenance work (roof, doors, HVAC, etc) and we (VICA) believe it would be in the best interest of the Association to commit to a major renovation and extend the life of the building for another 20+ years.

For a copy of the presentation which includes renderings of the proposed renovation: click here.

New Board Members Elected at the 109^th Annual General Meeting

November 23, 2021 (Victoria, BC) – The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) and its membership elected four industry leaders to its 2021-2022 Board of Directors at its Annual General Meeting on November 18, 2021. There were eleven nominees from across Vancouver Island.

By way of VICA’s online election platform, this year’s election saw record highs for both nominees and number of votes cast. Incumbents Paul Gray, Farmer Construction, and Barclay Ellis, Trades Labour Corporation Victoria, were re-elected to their positions on the board. In addition, we are pleased to welcome new board members Allison Greaves from Durwest Construction Management, and Jac-Lyn Mickelson from MGM Mechanical.

Further, the newly elected Board has elected to appoint two additional Industry Members Josh Fayerman, Milestone Equipment Contracting Inc., and Samer Akouri of AccessSMT Holdings Ltd., for a one-year term to ensure that the VICA membership is adequately represented across all sectors and regions of the Vancouver Island Association.

Chris Lyons of Omicron Construction has assumed the role of Chair of the Board from James Clapp of Wilson M Beck Insurance Services.

Outgoing Past Chair Roger Yager, Knappett Projects Inc., was recognized for 10 years of service on the VICA Board. During his tenure, Roger has provided both mentorship and leadership to fellow board members, as well as stewarding the Association through the first year of the COVID Pandemic. Additionally, Roger has represented our industry at both the regional and provincial level through his continued involvement with our partner association, the BC Construction Association. We thank Roger for his time on the board and wish him well with his future endeavours.


CEO & CHAIR QUOTES

“2022 is poised to be one of the busiest years for our Association in recent memory, and I look forward to working with our new Board of Directors on many of the initiatives VICA has planned. We are extremely pleased to expand the representation of women on our board as we welcome two new Directors, both of which bring years of industry experience as well as a unique prospective which will only prove to benefit the Association

•  Rory Kulmala, Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Island Construction Association

“The opportunity to represent one of the largest industries on the Island is exciting for me, and I eagerly anticipate working with our great group of industry leaders, continuing to provide excellent value for VICA Members. Further, our newly elected board is represented by diverse leaders with valuable industry experience which will afford our members success in the years to come. I would also like to extend my gratitude to outgoing Chair James Clapp for the exceptional work he did over the pandemic-laden 2020-21 fiscal year.”

• Chris Lyons, VICA Board Chair, Omicron Construction Ltd.
  
  

MEDIA & INTERVIEW INQUIRIES
Owen O’Rourke, Communications Specialist
Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA)
owen@vicabc.ca | 250-800-1722

ABOUT VICA
As the Vancouver Island Construction Association, we serve our construction community: the institutional, commercial, industrial, civil, and multi-family residential construction sectors on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and other coastal areas of British Columbia. VICA members come from all areas of our industry from owners, designers, and contractors to purchasers of construction services. With roots that date back to 1912, we are one of the oldest not-for-profit construction associations in Canada.

 (L-R) Paul Gray, Farmer Construction; Barclay Ellis, Trades Labour Corp. (TLC) Victoria; Allison Greaves, Durwest Construction Management, Jac-Lyn Mickelson, MGM Mechanical

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University of Victoria. Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Project – Spring and Summer 2021

Concrete and other cementitious materials are widely employed in structural engineering all over the world. However, due to their low tensile strength and low strain capacity at fracture, concrete is vulnerable to cracking, and the inherent brittleness may cause unexpected damage in the hardened state.

Adding fibers to concrete will solve these defects and further provides a practical means to improve the mechanical performance of concrete, such as increased toughness and ductility, improved fatigue and impact resistance, and reduced creep, shrinkage cracking, and permeability, as well as marked enhancement in post-cracking behavior.

The design and performance of a Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) project developed at the University of Victoria by UVic students proved to mitigate the propagation of cracks. All concrete specimens where Steel Fiber was added also had increased post-crack load-carrying capacity.

After the performance of several non-destructive and destructive tests, it was proved that the specimens containing SFRC had a higher tensile strength and flexural toughness, which was 1.5 times higher compared to the results of the test performed on the concrete with no steel fiber reinforcement. The results obtained will result in more durability, and therefore a longer service life of a concrete structure.

The SFRC can be applied in a wide range of construction applications.

Some of the applications of SFRC:

• Pavements
• Sidewalks
• Rock slope stabilization
• Construction of precast products
• Concrete pipes

The use of fibers in concrete can reduce the total energy consumption of a construction project and will contribute to sustainable building practices.

The graphics below show the results of increasing tensile strength and flexural toughness by adding steel fiber to concrete.

This project was performed by Civil Engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) at the University of Victoria: Blaise Eze Jared Barrow Jarod Rossander Perla Rodulfo

Supervisor: Dr. Rishi Gupta, P.Eng

The above-mentioned team expects that this project will add to knowledge and practices in local concrete construction projects by adding options for concrete reinforcements. Innovative construction methods and materials can add to more sustainable practices by reducing the amount of regular Portland cement used, and by using materials that can reduce the carbon footprint of certain projects.

There are opportunities for using these methods and materials for repair work as well as used in new construction. The team is looking forward to sharing more research and ideas to add to the concrete construction options here on Vancouver Island and beyond.

For more information on this project, please contact Perla Rodulfo at rodulfop@uvic.ca or 250-220-1783