Last week, the BC Government announced their long-awaited housing targets for the ten municipalities across BC they identified earlier in the year. Of the 10, Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay are the only communities identified on Vancouver Island, with each municipality needing to build 4,902 (Victoria), 4,610 (Saanich), and 664 (Oak Bay) units within the next five years.

In addition to the targets, the Province has sent each municipality a list of housing target guidelines, including a recommended number of units by size (one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom), rental versus owned units, below-market rental units and units with on-site supports. Suppose a municipality has not met a target and is not making satisfactory progress toward meeting the housing target. The housing minister may appoint an adviser and/or issue a directive in that case.

The Vancouver Island Construction Association welcomes this legislation, and we look forward to working with our municipal and provincial partners to support our communities best to meet these housing targets.

For more information on the housing targets, click the link below: https://ow.ly/t9SI50PRgza

The Vancouver Island Construction Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the 4^th Annual VICA Awards, which recognize individuals and companies who have dedicated themselves to building excellence and advancing the construction sector on Vancouver Island.

“The VICA Awards are a symbol of pride as we showcase and celebrate the contributions and achievements of VICA Member companies,” said Rory Kulmala, CEO, Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA). “The crop of winners for this year’s awards reaffirms that Vancouver Island is home to some of British Columbia’s most competent, detail-focused and dedicated construction companies”

The 4th Annual VICA Awards, in conjunction with the BC Construction Association’s Construction Month, were presented during the 2023 Vancouver Island Construction Conference, which was held at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort on April 14^th in Victoria, BC.

Among the recipients is Victoria-based RC Roofing Ltd., who was awarded the VICA Member of the Year Award (1 – 20 Employees) for its support of the Association via longtime membership, engagement, event sponsorship, as well as supporting VICA’s Construct Your Future (CYF) Youth Employment Program through engagement and hiring students. VICA’s CYF Program specializes in supporting 18 – 29-year-olds who may have barriers to employment, and equips them with industry certifications, work experience, life skills and companies like RC Roofing play an integral part in making the CYF program a success.

“As a small business owner in the construction industry, the advantages and opportunities presented through my VICA Membership have been critical to RC Roofing’s growth and success,” said RC Roofing Owner Roy Corbett. “I’ve always believed in giving back to the industry, and it gives me great joy to support the association through its various programs — especially working with the students from CYF”.

The 2023 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 Jac-Lyn Mickelson (MGM Mechanical).  

MEDIA INQUIRIES & INTERVIEW REQUESTS

Owen O’Rourke, Manager, Marketing & Communications
Vancouver Island Construction Association
250.800.1722| owen@vicabc.ca

For high-resolution photos and project descriptions, please contact Owen at owen@vicabc.ca or visit www.vicabc.ca/awards

VICA MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

RC Roofing Ltd. (1 – 20 Employees)

Victoria Drain Services Ltd. (21 – 50 Employees)

Western Grater Contracting 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
Casman Projects Ltd. | CAMEO ft. Star Cinema Movie Theatre

PRIME CONTRACTOR– $10 – $20 MILLION AWARD
Kinetic Construction Ltd. | Canadian Coast Guard Base, Hardy Bay

PRIME CONTRACTOR– $5 – $10 MILLION AWARD
CGI Constructors | 1810 Blanshard St; 4th & 5th Floor Renovation

PRIME CONTRACTOR– UNDER $5 MILLION
Knappett Projects Inc. | Craigflower Hall

SUBCONTRACTOR – $2 – $5 MILLION
DenMar Electric Ltd. | Berwick Parksville Retirement Community

SUBCONTRACTOR – UNDER $2 MILLION
Kerr Controls Inc. | PEXISEN Elementary & Centre Mountain Lellum Middle Schools

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN CONSTRUCTION AWARD
Keri Ellis, Trades Labour Corp. (TLC) Victoria

The 2023 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
Diana Demmers, EllisDon Corp.

The 2023 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
Anna Hargreaves, Vancouver Island University

The 2023 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
Osprey Electric Ltd.

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
Sherry Bailor, 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 Inc.
• EllisDon Corporation
• Houle Electric Ltd.
• IWCD Ltd.
• Knappett Projects Inc.
• Mazzei Electric Ltd.
• Mustang Landscape & Design 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. 

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The following is an article from VICA Instructor Tony Healy. For more information on Tony and his courses, visit his instructor page, here.

Harnessing the Power of Strategy Systems to Win Big

Those who have to win, win a lot. Those who fear losing, lose a lot. – John Whitmore

How did you get into business? Were you motivated by the idea of a greater sense of control over your life, greater work-life balance, create generational wealth, challenge the status quo, serve your community or pursue your life’s passion? Whatever your motivation, you are in the game now. As such, have you figured out if you are playing to win or just playing to play. You had better be playing to win. In the harsh reality of the business market, competitive advantage provides the only protection a company can have. So, if you want to survive, you had better be playing to win, and solid strategy is a way to increase your chances to win—and nothing less. What is your strategy for success? Not your business plan; your strategy. Have you defined it?

You should have because a good strategy provides a set of guiding principles or rules, that clarify the actions people in the business should or should not take and the things they should prioritize (or not) to achieve desired goals. [1]

If you are realizing that you haven’t given it enough thought before now, Harvard University’s strategy expert and world-respected business consultant, Roger Martin, provides a simple system from one of his seminal works on strategy and playing to win in today’s turbulent world. He breaks down his approach to strategy as a coordinated and integrated set of where-to-play, how-to-win, core capability, and management system choices that uniquely meet a consumer’s needs, thereby creating competitive advantage and superior value for a business.[2]

How you define winning should be at the heart of any strategy. Building on that, in Martin’s terms, a strategy is a coordinated and integrated set of five choices: a winning aspiration, where to play, how to win, core capabilities, and management systems. Your choices at each level and the relationship between them can be thought as reinforcing feedback loops that cascade down with the choices at the top setting the context for the choices below, and choices at the bottom influencing and refining the choices above, and so on.

Using this model, have a look at your company, division, market segment etc. and ask yourself, “what is our winning aspiration?” Aspirations are statements about the ideal future. Whatever the aspiration, your company must play to win. Simply participating is self-defeating and a recipe for mediocrity. Do your current actions align in strategic terms with the purpose of your organization, your guiding mission and aspirations, and set you up to win?

The next two steps on the cascade, where-to-play and how-to-win, are tightly bound up with one another, form the very heart of strategy and are the two most critical questions in strategy formulation. Without clearly defined where-to-play and how-to-win choices connected to the aspiration, a vision is frustrating and ultimately unfulfilling for employees. The company needs accurate where and how choices in order to act. Without them, it can’t win.

Where-to-play represents the competitive field—in which markets, with which customers and consumers, in which channels, in which product categories, and so on. Choosing where to play is also about choosing where not to play. Where one market may be saturated or dominated by outsized competition, other markets may suit your company perfectly. These questions are important to understand which where-to-play choices will best enable your company to win.

While where-to-play selects the playing field, how-to-win defines the choices for winning on that field. It means providing a better consumer and customer value equation than your competitors do, and providing it on a repeated basis within a suited context. Beware though, you cannot be all things to all people. Focus on where you can provide your best value. It is not how to win generally, but how to win within the chosen where-to-play domains.

Where-to-play and how-to-win choices work best together; a strong where-to-play choice is only valuable if it is supported by a potent and actionable how-to-win choice. The two choices should reinforce one another to create a distinctive combination. Use a tool like Porter’s Five Forces to get valuable insight when making your where-to-play and how-to-win decisions.

Once you have set aspirations and determined where to play and how to win, you can consider capabilities with respect to those choices. You must then align your core capabilities to support your strategy. You need to ask two questions: (1) what capabilities must be in place to win, and (2) what management systems are required to support the strategic choices?

Your capabilities are the activities and competencies that critically underpin your specific where-to-play and how-to-win choices. When your core capabilities are performed at the highest level, they enable your organization to bring its where-to-play and how-to-win choices to life. Think of them as operating as a system of reinforcing activities that designed to deliver your chosen strategy.

Even if you set a winning aspiration, determine where to play and how to win, and define the capabilities required, your strategy can still fail—spectacularly—if you fail to establish management systems that support those choices and capabilities – systems that foster, support, and measure the strategy. Don’t forget measurement provides focus and feedback.

Ultimately, when it comes to strategy, there are no absolutes or guarantees, and things change. Having a clear definition of winning, a solid analytical framework and a thoughtful review process can help organize thinking, improve analysis and set you up for a win, but even with all that, a successful outcome is not guaranteed. There are other players in this game and they are all trying to win too. In the end, building a strategy is about shortening your odds and giving yourself the best chance to win!

[1] https://hbr.org/2007/09/demystifying-strategy-the-what

[2] Lafley, A.G.; Martin, Roger L.; Playing to Win (p. 25). Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition

It is with mixed emotions as we wish long-time Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) Member and Kinetic Construction Ltd. (Kinetic) Executive Mark Liudzius a happy retirement. Over his 40-year career in construction, and 25 years spent at Kinetic, Mark played a pivotal role in establishing Kinetic as one of the largest construction firms on Vancouver Island.

Joining Kinetic in 1988 as a carpenter, Liudzius advanced through several positions, ultimately moving to Branch Manager then Director of Operations. Additionally, Mark sat as Board Chair of Kinetic for four years, retiring as Executive Vice President.

 “Some people just add to culture by being who they are.  No evidence is more compelling than the many people who love Mark and we will have to make conscious efforts to provide what he brought naturally every day,” said Tom Plumb, President & CEO of Kinetic.

As someone who’s dedicated nearly their entire life to construction, Mark is grateful for the opportunities afforded to him throughout his career. “The opportunities that a career in construction can provide are huge – it is easy to get into at entry level, but it also provides opportunity for many types of professionals,” said Mark. “This industry provides amazing potential for progressing your career, and it is global and transferable. Advances in technology and process are bringing this industry into new era.”

VICA is grateful for the time Mark spent on our Board of Directors, carrying on a longstanding tradition of Kinetic representation on the VICA Board.  

“Mark always considered the entirety of the VICA Membership during his time on the VICA Board of Directors,” explained VICA CEO Rory Kulmala. “His veteran leadership and extensive experience in construction ensured all members of our association were represented at the board table, continuously pushing to enhance the value of their membership.”

During his time on the VICA Board, Mark oversaw the implementation and expansion of several key initiatives, including VICA’s Construct Your Future youth employment program as well as their Tailgate Toolkit Harm Reduction Project.

On behalf of the VICA Board of Directors, its members, and staff, we wish Mark, his wife Lisa, and the rest of Mark’s family all the best as they move into the next chapter of their lives.  

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

Breia Monti
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Kinetic Construction Ltd.
bmonti@kineticconstruction.com | 250-381-6331 Ext 1235

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.

ABOUT KINETIC CONSTRUCTION LTD.

Since its inception in 1984, Kinetic Construction Ltd. has been making the construction industry better for everyone through process transparency, strong, lasting relationships with clients, trade partners, and suppliers, and continuous improvement in everything it does.

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It is with great sadness as we learn of the death of a long-time VICA Member Duane Roger Fournier of Fournier Excavating.

Duane served as Board Chair of the Mid-Island Construction Association (MICA) from 2001 – 2002 and again in 2007 – 2008, serving on the MICA Board from 2000 to 2011. Born into construction, Duane took over operations of the company from his parents Sid and Dorothy in 2005, spending his entire career with the company.

Duane was a familiar face around the construction community in the Nanaimo area and his absence will be truly missed. Duane is survived by his wife of 16 years, Marcia, parents Sid and Dorothy, sisters Diana (Greg), Denise (Brian), and nephews Erick and Chase.

On behalf of the Vancouver Island Construction Association staff, board and members, we send our deepest condolences to Duane’s family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held in his honour Saturday, January 28 from 1-4 p.m. at the Nanaimo Golf Club.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Birds of Prey, Wildlife Recovery, or Wild Arc.

The following is an article from VICA Instructor Tony Healy.

“Experience is the knowledge you gain just after you needed it.” Anonymous

As the saying goes, “the only constant in life is change.” It doesn’t take much to notice that, these days, change is ever accelerating. Technology, demographic shifts, and evolving economic conditions are transforming our world in ways that we have yet to truly appreciate. Some changes are wonderful while some destroy our environment, undermine the human spirit and threaten our very survival. All are a challenge to our traditional institutions, practices, and beliefs, and your organization or company is no different.

Often, we look at these challenges and look to prescribe traditional management practices of pushing harder or longer or looking for new people to replace the “ineffective”. Many times, however, the effort to solve pressing problems is met with policy resistance, where our policies are delayed, diluted, or defeated by unseen forces. Frequently, our best efforts to solve a problem actually makes things worse. Moreover, the pace of change means that we sometimes feel that we are constantly reacting, scrambling and chasing.

What if there was a new way to do things? What if I told you that there was a new (existing) way of leading that could move with the times, anticipate change, stay more than one step ahead of your competition and create the kind of environment where emergent systematic success is possible? I would certainly hope to get your attention. Well, thinking about your organization as a dynamic system is where we begin and turning you into a systems thinker is where we’d like to take you.

Let’s start with recognizing that we are all part of a complex social system comprised of systems built upon systems embedded in still more systems in exactly the same way that you as a human being are governed by the multiple systems keeping you alive. A system is defined as a group of interdependent entities working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network in pursuit of a common goal. Systems must consist of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose[1] – think nervous system, cardiovascular system, ecosystem etc.

A system is more than the some of its parts and there are some fundamental things to understand about their dynamics. First, the structure of the system generates its behaviour. Dynamics emerge from the interaction of each element in their physical space especially regarding information availability and decision rules. Secondly, your mental models matter a lot. It is not enough to just change the physical structure of your system or alter information flows to change its behavior. Thirdly avoid the fundamental attribution error. The first instinct is to blame the person in the system. This is almost always a low leverage reaction. Lastly, there are system structures that produce such common patterns of problematic behavior that we consider them archetypes. Being able to identify them and their impacts enables a leader to recognize where to make high-leverage change in structure, behavior and impact outcomes.

Your company is a system with elements such as workers, forepersons, superintendents, project managers, business developers, office staff and so on. The interconnections are the rules of the game, the company strategy, the communications, and the business rules and laws that govern the activities of the marketplace. The purpose of any company is to be productive, or create high quality, or deliver innovation, or make millions of dollars, or all of the above. What’s yours? Have you considered the structure of your system? Do you know where to look for limits and constraints or the root causes of unwanted outcomes? Do you think systematically?

Systems thinking is a way of understanding and analyzing the relationships and interactions between the parts of a system. It is a holistic approach that recognizes that the parts of a system are interconnected and that the behavior of one part can have an impact on the behavior of other parts.

In systems thinking, the focus is on understanding the dynamics of the system as a whole rather than just the individual parts. We understand that “you can’t just do one thing” and that “everything is connected to everything else.” More and more this approach is being used in fields such as engineering, management, and biology to analyze and improve complex systems.

There are several key concepts in systems thinking, including feedback loops, stocks and flows, and emergent behavior. Feedback loops are pathways in a system through which information or energy can flow, and they can be positive (amplifying) or negative (stabilizing). Stocks and flows refer to the accumulation and depletion of resources within a system, and emergent behavior refers to the unexpected and often complex patterns that can emerge within a system as a result of the interactions between its parts.

Systems thinking can be applied to a wide range of problems and situations, including organizational and business problems, environmental and ecological issues, and social and political challenges. By understanding the dynamics of a system, it is possible to identify leverage points where small changes can have a big impact, and to design interventions that can improve the performance of the system as a whole in the pursuit of its goals – your goals.

Those leaders who develop a systems-thinking mindset and see that the world is a complex system with non-linear feedback loops and emergent behaviours learn to know where to make changes and where not. They know who to empower and who to support. They learn how to listen to the system and apply leverage at the right spots. They also learn how to systematize their success.  What kind of a system are you building?

[1] Meadows, Donella H.. Thinking in Systems (p. 11). Chelsea Green Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The following article was written by Dr. Lindsay Langill, Director of People and Strategy for VICA-Member PPM Civil Constructors.

Stories often have a way to help our minds further understand a phenomenon. According to Greek mythology, Procrustes was an innkeeper who operated his establishment along a busy road. He believed in uniformity. Yet not all travelers that he compelled to sleep in the iron guest bed were the same size and thus if they were too tall, he would cut off their limbs or if they were too short, he would stretch them to make them fit the bed. This story has led us to what we understand today as the Procrustean Rule – a standard that enforces uniformity without regard for individuality.

Within education there are well established learning theories that not only explain how learning takes place but also why learning occurs. These theories provide us with a relevant conceptual framework for interpreting the learning processes and direct our attention to those variables that are crucial in achieving the desired outcomes. There are many long-standing learning theories such as behaviourism, constructivism, cognitivism, and social learning theories, so it would be appropriate to state that learning theories provide guidance in the design, development, and implementation of an effective training program intended to increase workforce competence, capacity for change, and competitiveness. What must be understood is that no two people learn in the same way.

Current Model of Apprenticeship Training

The current Canadian model of apprenticeship training has seen little change over time. Better known as a “time-based system,” it is a system that requires each registered apprentice to attend the same amount of time in school and compile a minimum set number of work-place hours prior to writing a final qualification exam. Apprentices are released from their place of employment to attend school for a short period of time each year. The period of time spent in school is the same for each student. To provide example, an electrical apprentice attending the second level of technical training will attend school for 10 weeks and the lesson constructs will follow a prescribed program outline that covers all the competencies/tasks required of a second-year apprentice. This current program methodology works if all students have the same background, experience, and learning style. But what about the student who comes to the class with advanced experience in support of these competencies or for the student who may do better through a different learning modality? Time based systems follow the Procrustean rule of uniformity where individuality is not a consideration.

The Current Employment Dilemma

A recent news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics put out by the US Department of Labor shows the current unemployment rate at 3.5% with a continued downward trend. The Canadian Labour market reveals a similar trend with the unemployment rate at 5.2%. One sector that relies heavily on the apprenticeship system to train up skilled men and women is the construction sector. Residential, Commercial, and Industrial construction employers depend heavily on having a skilled workforce to complete their projects. Skilled trades are in demand and companies are competing for labor. In many instances, employers are holding their apprentices back from attending technical training as they can not afford the loss of a productive apprentice in a tight labor market. It is not that employers do not value the schooling; they just do not have the labor capacity to replace the apprentice during this time while they are away at school.

A Model for Consideration – Competency Based Training

Long practiced in countries such as Australia, Europe, and the UK, competency-based training and assessment have a respected history. But what is competency-based training? According to the National Skills Center of Australia, “competency-based training is a structured approach to training and assessment that is directed toward achieving specific outcomes.” Another research group states that “what sets competency-based training apart from other more traditional methods of training and assessment, is that it is learner-focused and flexible. Leaners are actively involved in shaping their learning journeys, supported by competencies which allow a natural progression through the hierarchy of expertise.”  When learners have a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and the competencies where they lack or excel, they are better able to focus their development efforts to improve their shortcomings. Identifying a learner’s training gaps allows for targeted training which can lead to a more highly skilled individual. Competency based training places the emphasis on individual skills rather than the overall learning experience which can save considerable time. Another researcher stated that “compared with the traditional approach to training, the competency-based approach potentially leads to individualized flexible training, a reduction in time away from the workplace, transparent standards, and increased public accountability.”

In summary, a modernized approach to apprenticeship training could be a move away from the time-based model to a competency-based approach, thus saving the apprentice time away from the workplace while allowing individuality to occur in learning using the behavioral approach. Reducing time away from the workplace would benefit the employer while a tailored training approach that focuses on individual skills could help modernize the Canadian apprenticeship system. A competency-based system could benefit all stakeholders in trades and apprenticeship training and would provide a good starting point towards modernizing apprenticeship.

Dr. Lindsay Langill holds Red Seal certification as a Welder and Industrial Mechanic and has a Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts degree from UBC along with a Doctorate from the University of Calgary. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education at UBC, Director of People and Strategy for Pacific Pile and Marine ULC, and Chair of the JLATA Board.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 21, 2022 (Victoria, BC) – The best part of the holidays is giving back. In the spirit of the season, members of the Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) raised over $20,000 for families in need on Vancouver Island. Through VICA’s Grocery Gift Card program and Holiday Toy Drives, members donated $13,000 and $7,000 respectively.

Of the $20,000, $13,000 will be used to purchase grocery gift cards that will be distributed to Vancouver Island elementary schools and given to families in need throughout the year. As many families are aware, the price of keeping food on the table is ceaselessly increasing, with many living paycheque to paycheque.

“Working directly with families, often we go beyond our educator role and learn the realities of the hardship many of our families are currently facing. Being able to offer support outside the classroom for our students and their families is essential in our community school,” said Shauna Coey Principal, Georgia Avenue Community School. “We are always appreciative of the generosity VICA-Members this time of year and thank them for their continued support of our school community”.

Recipient schools include Ruth King Elementary in Langford, Tillicum in Saanich, George Jay and Oaklands Elementary Schools in Victoria, and Georgia Avenue Community School in Nanaimo and Cedar Elementary in Campbell River. Each elementary school received $2,150 worth of grocery gift cards to give to families in their school communities that need it the most.

“Even through uncertain economic times, VICA Members always step up with their generosity year after year, making a difference in our Vancouver Island communities,” said VICA CEO Rory Kulmala. “We are fortunate to have a strong construction economy on Vancouver Island, allowing our members to express their support for the communities in which we work and live. The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone, and we hope our donations will be able to ease that burden for those in need.”

Money was raised for the grocery gift card program through VICA’s Annual Christmas Luncheon, which was held December 9^th at the Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel. Members donated through sponsorship, ticket sales, 50/50 tickets as well as a “change challenge”, which saw Members empty their pockets and fill buckets of paint cans with loonies and toonies.

In addition to the grocery gift card program, $7,000 worth of new, unwrapped toys were collected at both VICA offices and donated to CFAX’s Santa’s Anonymous, The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, and the Parksville Society of Organized Services; plus a $500 donation to the Ladysmith Resource Centre.

For a complete list of VICA Member toy donors, visit www.vicabc.ca/toys

Pictured (L-R): Rory Kulmala, VICA CEO, Shauna Coey, Principal, Georgia Avenue Community School. 2022

MEDIA CONTACT
Owen O’Rourke
Manager, Marketing & Communications
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.

– 30 –

Representatives from Victoria and Nanaimo voted in by the membership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 29, 2022 (Victoria, BC) – The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) and its membership received five industry leaders to its 2022-2023 Board of Directors during their Annual General Meeting on November 17^th, 2022. There were ten nominees from across Vancouver Island.

Continuing to utilize online voting software, the 2022/23 election saw a high percentage of eligible members participate in the election. Each Industry Member is entitled to one vote per election. 2022’s Annual General Meeting represented the first AGM since the loosening of pandemic restrictions, allowing VICA Members and their guests to celebrate their new board. The 2022 AGM was held at Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse in Saanichton, BC.

For 2022/23 we welcome Kate Ulmer, Herold Engineering, as our new Board Chair, Stuart Cuthbert, Slegg Building Materials, as Vice-Chair, Barclay Ellis, Trades Labour Corporation (TLC) Victoria, as Treasurer, and Scott Torry,

AFC Construction, as Secretary. Kate Ulmer represents the second woman ever to be VICA Board Chair in the 110-Year history of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, with Carole Bissett being first in 2009. As the industry continues to encourage women in find careers in construction, having women in leadership positions at the highest level of our sector will optimistically inspire women and girls to consider construction as a vocation.

VICA Members also welcomed Joshua Fayerman, Milestone Equipment Contracting, Mark Donahue, EllisDon, and Mark Wong, Kinetic Construction, to the board. Incumbent Directors James Clapp, Wilson M Beck Insurance Services and Chris Williams, Houle Elected, were re-elected for another term.    

Outgoing director Mark Liudzius, Kinetic Construction, was recognized for his years of service on the VICA Board. Mark has been a pivotal figure in the industry for over 40 years, and we thank him for his contributions to the Vancouver Island Construction Association as well as the construction industry on Vancouver Island.

CEO / CHAIR QUOTES

“Another year has passed and another year of challenges that went along with it. The industry continues to deliver on the unprecedented demand for construction services and we eagerly await any new challenges which may arise. With that said, I am pleased to advise that the Vancouver Island Construction Association has elected an experienced, diverse Board of Directors to steward the Association forward into 2023.”

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

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as the chair of the VICA board for 2023.  I look forward to ongoing collaboration with our talented and diverse board, the VICA members, and VICA staff for their continued commitment to our industry as we work to deliver projects that positively impact Vancouver Island Communities. As chair, I am committed to supporting VICA’s pillars of advocacy, professional development, good governance, and member value to keep our Island industry positioned for continued success.”

• Kate Ulmer, Board Chair, Herold Engineering

MEDIA & INTERVIEW INQUIRIES
Owen O’Rourke
Manager, Marketing & Communications
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) Joshua Fayerman, Milestone Equipment Contracting, Mark Donahue, EllisDon, Mark Wong, Kinetic Construction, James Clapp, Wilson M Beck Insurance Services, Chris Williams, Houle Electric.

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The following is an op-ed written by Dr. Lindsay Langill, Director of People and Strategy for VICA-Member PPM Civil Constructors.

I have often considered the early explorers as being those who had the desire to go just a little further than others, manage their fears, and conquer daily challenges that were completely foreign to them. Changing one’s career mid-life may not present the same challenges and fears as those experienced by early explorers, yet it is not without consternation, especially if you are a woman considering a career move to the industrial trades. Amanda is one such example.

Having raised three children and spent 17 years working in the human sector field, Amanda was not enthusiastic about her job and where it was leading– it was just a means to a paycheck. She would often think back to her younger days of growing up on the farm. In her youth, she was always fascinated by the creative abilities of her grandfather who was a welder and how he could apply his imaginative skills to life. Amanda asserted

“I loved being with him, helping him, and was intrigued by the beauty of working with metal, and his innate ability to fix metal. I just felt a connection to what he was doing. What he was able to do was utterly amazing and I always wanted to have those same skills.”

While working in the education system, Amanda would often see provisional opportunities for youth to enter the trades, but nothing for adults until last year when LNG Canada provided Women Building Futures the funding necessary to deliver a “trades readiness” program for adult women. This program became the pivotal turning point in Amanda’s life.

Today, Amanda is employed by PPM Civil Constructors and is welding on the LNG Load line Trestle project at Kitimat, BC. Helping build Canada’s largest private sector project while learning a trade is a dream come true. As an apprentice, Amanda is discovering what it is like to be a welder on a large-scale industrial project. Amanda comes to work each day with the mindset to learn, to achieve, and to contribute. Her General Foreman has commented on her work ethic and ability to fit in. He has stated “she just wants to learn – every day and gives it her absolute best effort.” Amanda fully recognizes that a cheerful outlook is everything and states, “I have such great mentors and journeymen leading the way, helping me with my learning goals.”

Amanda is scheduled to attend technical training in 2023. The immensity of this project has exposed her to a world class construction project and has provided this apprentice with an experience that will well position her prior to attending school and serve her well in her new sought career.

This opportunity did not happen by chance. It received the input and full support of many who understand the complexity of trades, and the apprenticeship journey. Key contributors to making an apprenticeship a success story for those who have shown the desire to begin this journey are:

• Matching the apprentice to a group of strong mentors who have received mentorship training
• As a company, staying true to the principles of having “zero-tolerance” for inappropriate behavior and any who discriminate against others
• Support groups such as Women Building Futures and provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities to individuals graduating from these programs
• Provide frequent progress reports to the apprentice outlining their growth, strengths, and signifying opportunities for growth
• Incorporate these workers into the team by having them take on team leadership roles
• Understand the technical training curriculum so to align the work-based tasks expected of the apprentice with their level of schooling

Remember, “someone once opened the door that gave each one of us the opportunity to begin on a successful trade’s pathway, and now it is our turn to do the same.” 

Dr. Lindsay Langill holds Red Seal certification in 2 trades and has a Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts degree from UBC along with a Doctorate from the University of Calgary. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education at UBC, Director of Labor Relations for Clough-Pacific, and Chair of the JLATA Board.

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.”