Kerry and Jordan talk about ICBA’s latest featured course. Blueprint Reading for Construction Projects Live Online | 3 hours/week X 4 weeks September 19 – October 10, 2024...
ICBA NEWS RELEASE: ICBA Praises Falcon’s Decision to Suspend Campaign, Unite Free Enterprise Voters
ICBA Praises Falcon’s Decision to Suspend Campaign, Unite Free Enterprise Voters SURREY—Kevin Falcon’s decision to suspend the BC United campaign and endorse John Rustad’s Conservative Party of B.C. is a historic moment in B.C. politics and a turning point for this...
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY #165: Keanu Reeves Helps Canadian Mental Health
It’s a legendary story in Windsor, Ontario: a teenaged Keanu Reeves was THISCLOSE to making the local Ontario Hockey League team as a goalie, but an injury kept him from his tryout. Keanu, of course, did just fine for himself and went on to be a huge movie star and...
ICBA OP/ED: Canadians weary after years of brutal inflation
The following piece, by ICBA Chief Economist Jock Finlayson (in his role for the Fraser Institute), first appeared in the Toronto Sun on Aug. 28, 2024. The last four-plus years have been a rollercoaster for millions of Canadians. The pandemic, which began in early...
ICBA ECONOMICS: Inflation Added 18% More Cost For Canadians
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist The past four plus years have been a rollercoaster for much of the world. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 quickly led to mass layoffs (most temporary), business closures, and unprecedented disruptions to normal life....
ICBA OP/ED: Bigger Government is Crushing Free Enterprise
The following, co-authored by ICBA Chief Economist Jock Finlayson and Business Council of British Columbia Chief Economist Ken Peacock, first appeared in Business in Vancouver on Aug. 23, 2024. The B.C. economy is flagging. Business investment is falling, job creation...
TRAINING THURSDAY: Painter and Decorator Interprovincial (IP) Red Seal Exam Preparation
Are you an experienced painter/decorator? Want your Red Seal but can't afford 6 weeks off to attend a Lower Mainland school? Kerry and Jordan talk today about a program that's a game changer for working painters -- no time off work...
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY #164: Let’s Close This Summer Out Right!
Mindset is a weird thing. We got back from a vacation on Saturday and immediately put our son back on the ice to get ready for the hockey season. Then the weather dimmed a bit, and suddenly we felt like Summer Is Over. But it’s not! It’s only August 21, and even if...
ICBA ECONOMICS: Digging Into British Columbia’s Lopsided Job Market
By Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist July 2024 brought another downbeat report on the state of the B.C. labour market, confirming that the province currently faces an unappetizing mix of feeble employment growth and rising joblessness. According to the July Labour...
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TRAINING THURSDAY: Blueprint Reading for Construction Projects![]()
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Kerry and Jordan talk about ICBA’s latest featured course.![]()
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Blueprint Reading for Construction Projects![]()
Live Online | 3 hours/week X 4 weeks![]()
September 19 – October 10, 2024![]()
icbatraining.arlo.co/w/courses/550-blueprint-reading-for-construction-projects![]()
Missed this one? Check out icba.ca/courses![]()
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In this course, participants will learn the functions of different plan views, elevations, sections, details, and schedules presented on Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) drawings. Participants will practice identifying standard construction graphics and interpreting specifications and key terminology relevant to interpreting graphical and written construction documents.![]()
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This course would be considered intermediate. Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of construction concepts and terminology. The course will build on foundational knowledge, focusing on practical skills for interpreting and using construction drawings effectively in real-world projects.![]()
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By the end of the course, participants will be able to:![]()
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• Interpret graphical information shown on construction drawings.![]()
• Identify different types of construction drawings: architectural, structural, and MEP.![]()
• Determine where information is located on a set of construction drawings.![]()
• Interpret various drawing views - plans, elevations, sections, and details.![]()
• Assess information on schedules relative to plans, elevations, sections, and details.
HUGE BC POLITICS NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![]()
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🚨 ICBA Praises Falcon’s Decision to Suspend Campaign, ![]()
Unite Free Enterprise Voters![]()
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SURREY—Kevin Falcon’s decision to suspend the BC United campaign and endorse John Rustad’s Conservative Party of B.C. is a historic moment in B.C. politics and a turning point for this election, says the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), Canada’s largest construction association and a leading voice for free enterprise and a strong economy.![]()
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“Today, Kevin Falcon made a courageous decision to put personal ambition aside and unite the free enterprise vote in an effort to give British Columbians a clear and compelling choice on October 19th,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA President. “Over and over again in B.C. history, we have seen how splitting the vote accomplishes little except NDP victories. By bringing these two parties together, John and Kevin give voters the opportunity to bring much-needed change to the province.”![]()
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“After seven years of NDP Government, this election will be about change – we need a fresh start, new thinking, and a different approach to the challenges we all face in our daily lives. By every measure and every metric, B.C. has been moving in the wrong direction under the NDP,” said Gardner. “Our health care is collapsing, with emergency room closures, practitioners overwhelmed, and patients being sent to the USA for treatment; once-vibrant downtowns in every city are now defined by homelessness, open drug use, and random acts of violence; and the ability of our economy to create private sector jobs has been crippled by shocking levels of government hiring and taxation.”![]()
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When it comes to building homes and the infrastructure we need to support families and communities, the dismal record of the NDP is costing British Columbians dearly. “Whether it’s the Cowichan Hospital, the Massey Tunnel, or the Skytrain Expansion projects, every major infrastructure project is years behind and, combined, billions over budget.” ![]()
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On housing affordability, the most egregious failure of the NDP, Gardner pointed out that we are building about the same number of homes today as we were in the 1970s. “Every single policy enacted by the NDP Government has made affordability worse not better – it’s a government long on divisive rhetoric, taxes, and red tape and short on working constructively with builders to make meaningful change to deliver more homes faster and cheaper for young people and families struggling in one of the most unaffordable housing markets in North America.”
WELLNESS WEDNESDAY #165: Keanu Reeves Helps Canadian Mental Health![]()
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It’s a legendary story in Windsor, Ontario: a teenaged Keanu Reeves was THISCLOSE to making the local Ontario Hockey League team as a goalie, but an injury kept him from his tryout.![]()
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Keanu, of course, did just fine for himself and went on to be a huge movie star and all-round great dude.![]()
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Last week, the Windsor Spitfires (official) signed Reeves to a one-day contract, where he posed for photos and autographed items that will be auctioned off to support the Canadian Mental Health Association - Windsor branch.![]()
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“We thought by getting him to sign a jersey, we're going to auction it off for the CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association), and hopefully raise some money for a great cause,” Spitfires GM Bill Bowler told CBC News. “And again, we can't thank Mr. Reeves enough.”![]()
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Sounds like a fun way to support mental health services! The auction ends August 30, at 10AM Pacific. Details on the Spitfires’ website.![]()
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Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 100 companies and more than 10,000 construction professionals better understand mental health. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.
Our Jock Finlayson writes about inflation for The Fraser Institute in the Toronto Sun -- and considers the damage it did to Canadians: ![]()
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"A Statistics Canada survey conducted a few months ago found that 45 per cent of respondents reported difficulty meeting day-to-day expenses, a far bigger share than two years earlier. Those on fixed incomes and younger people striving to form separate households have been hardest hit. Meanwhile, workers whose pay hasn’t kept pace with above-normal inflation have seen their purchasing power diminish."![]()
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Read the piece at www.fraserinstitute.org/article/canadians-weary-after-years-of-brutal-inflation
Canada has faced an 18% rise in inflation since 2020, nearly double the typical rate! 📊 ![]()
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ICBA Chief Economist Jock Finlayson breaks down how this inflation spike has impacted everything from housing to transportation—and what it means for our industry. As inflation begins to cool, there’s hope for economic recovery, but the challenges remain. ![]()
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Read Jock’s full analysis for key insights at www.icbaindependent.ca/2024/08/27/icba-economics-inflation-added-18-more-cost-for-canadians/![]()
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#ConstructionMatters #Economy #Inflation
Our friend Carson Binda over at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation hit the nail on the head in his piece for The Orca -- we can't afford more of David Eby's terrible project management.![]()
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Adding unnecessary bureaucracy and excluding 85% of B.C.'s construction professionals from working on government projects just drives up costs. ![]()
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But it does make Eby's NDP friends and insiders at the Building Trades very happy🤑
