COOLnet Alberta
The principle objective of COOLNet Alberta is to provide all participants in the construction process with timely, convenient and cost effective access to construction procurement opportunities, regardless of their geographical location.
Government has committed to upgrade highways in the Fort McMurray area
Construction has begun on twinning the first section of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray from Highway 69 to south of Highway 881. This is the first section of the 240-kilometre twinning project to begin between Fort McMurray and the junction of Highway 55 near Grassland.
"This is the first leg of an immense 240 kilometers twinning project that will increase safety for motorists and improve access to the oilsands," said Luke Ouellette, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation. "This section of road has traffic volumes almost double the rest of the highway and is our top priority for twinning."
Twinning of the first section of highway will cost $53 million and is scheduled to be completed and open to traffic by fall 2008.
Construction will begin on the remaining 224 kilometres of twinning south of Highway 881 as designs are completed and federal environmental permits are obtained. The total cost of twinning the 240-kilometres of highway is estimated to be more than $940 million. The province will contribute more than $790 million toward the twinning project and up to $150 million will come from the federal government under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund.
This project is one of several underway this year to improve safety and expand the capacity of the provincial highway network in the Wood Buffalo region.
Source: Alberta Infrastructure
Contractors Adapting to Worker Shortage Crunch
While the shortage of skilled construction remains acute, a Merit Contractors Association survey completed in June points to a slight improvement in Alberta market conditions. "There are still not enough qualified trades people to fill available job opportunities. However, conditions appear to be gradually improving and contractors are adopting new strategies to cope with demands," stated Stephen Kushner, President of Merit.
In the open shop sector, which constitutes approximately 80% of Alberta's construction industry, employers in the latest survey reported that one position remained unfilled for every 9.4 employees. This is an improvement over the June 2006 survey that found that one in 7.8 trades positions were going unfilled. "The warm weather this summer has had a positive impact on project completion rates, but there is also a critical need for more workers," according to Kushner.
Shortages persist throughout Alberta. For example, 91% of companies employing lather/drywallers in Calgary reported shortages. In Edmonton, 73% of employers hoping to hire additional plumbers noted difficulties.
"Both industry and the various levels of government are making progress, but more needs to be done to deal with the current shortages," said Kushner. Merit continues to urge both the Federal and Provincial Governments to take action on providing more flexibility on journeyman/apprentice ratios so more first-year apprentices can be hired, expanding pre-trade training programs in high demand trades and fast tracking immigration processes for skilled construction workers from outside Canada.
Source: Merit Contractor's Association
Ground-breaking in August on leading-edge health campus in Calgary
The Alberta government has approved $1.25 billion for phase one of the South Health Campus. This project is being built as a partnership between government and the Calgary Health Region.
The campus will offer new models of health care delivery and a wide range of services in an innovative, state-of-the-art setting that will not only focus on inpatient, outpatient and community care but also on wellness and health promotion.
Given the magnitude of the project, construction will take place under the direction of a joint management team between the government and the Calgary Health Region to ensure it is completed on time and within budget. Phase one construction has begun and completion of this first phase is slated for spring 2011.
"We are pleased the final financial commitments are now in place so the project can move forward," said Premier Ed Stelmach. "The government is committed to this project which will be one of the biggest health-care projects in North America. We recognize it is urgently needed to meet the health needs in the Calgary region."
The 44-acre campus will be developed in two phases, with the first phase opening with 260 beds and 280,000 ambulatory visits. The $1.25 billion reflects the total cost for the first phase of the project and includes $552 million that was previously approved.
South Health Campus Fast Facts:
Project Location:
- 44 acres at Deerfoot Trail and 196th Avenue S.E. Calgary.
- Campus located in major new suburban employment centre.
Project Scope:
A 44-acre, 165,000 square metre health campus consisting of:
- Health services -medicine, surgery and operating rooms, pediatrics, obstetrics, mental health, emergency and outpatient services;
- Wellness services;
- Research and education.
Source: Alberta Government
