October_23

October 23, 2009

Greg Selinger voted Premier of Manitoba

At the NDP convention in Winnipeg on October 17th, delegates chose former finance minister, Greg Selinger, to lead the party and become Manitoba’s newest premier. Selinger’s overwhelming victory over Steve Ashton marks the largest win for a NDP leadership candidate since 1974.

Selinger’s campaign focused on innovation and investment, especially for Manitoba’s small businesses. Speaking to members of the Manitoba Building and Construction Trades Council in September, Selinger also expressed a renewed commitment to workplace safety, skilled trades training, and fiscal stimulus for government projects.

After over 20 years as NDP party leader and a decade as premier, Gary Doer moves to a new post in Washington, DC, as the Canadian Ambassador to the United States.

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GBCI to replace CaGBC in administering LEED AP Exams

As of January 1, 2010, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) will administer LEED Accreditation Professional Exams and maintenance programs in Canada. If you are on an existing LEED Canada NC or LEED Canada CI exam track, you must register before the end of TODAY, October 23rd in order to schedule and write your exam by December 31, 2009. Visit www.cagbc.org to register.

The new GBCI accreditation system will have three tiers: Tier 1 – LEED Green Associate, Tier 2 – LEED AP with Specialization, and Tier 3 – LEED AP Fellow. This multi-tiered system allows the marketplace to distinguish between practitioners with basic, advanced and extraordinary levels of knowledge. Existing LEED AP’s can choose to opt-in to the new system or continue with their existing designation.

Exams in English and French will take place through Prometric Test Centres across Canada (dates TBA Summer 2010). Select training workshops tailored to the new exam system are already available through the CaGBC.

Please refer to the CaGBC FAQ page for more information.

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Ontario HST Transitional Rules released by Ministry of Revenue

Manitoba contractors working in Ontario will soon have new Transitional Rules for HST to follow.

On October 14, 2009 the Ministry of Finance released the General Transitional Rules for Ontario HST. The HST, subject to legislative approval, will come into effect on July 1, 2010.

The Transitional Rules document provides details of proposed measures that would build on Ontario's comprehensive tax package and help consumers and businesses transition to the HST.

HST Transitional Rules

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Public Tender openings continue with City of Winnipeg

Following an ongoing discussion between the WCA and the City of Winnipeg concerning bid opportunities, the City has recently confirmed that Public Tender openings will continue.

The names of bidders and total bid prices for major construction projects and all other bid opportunities (excluding EOI, RFQ, & RFP’s) will continue to be available online after the submission deadline (12:00 p.m. for capital projects or 4:00 p.m. for all other bid opportunities). After the award of contract, the name and contract amount for all projects will be posted online.

Visit the City of Winnipeg Materials Management website to view upcoming bid opportunities as well as the results of closed competitions.

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WCA Education - COMING SOON!

Executing Standard CCA and CCDC Contracts - November 20, 2009

Doing Business with the Government - December 1, 2009

Effective Bidding and Tendering - December 4, 2009

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Labour Force Survey - September 2009

Employment increased for the second consecutive month, up 31,000 in September, driven by large full-time gains. The unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points to 8.4%, the first monthly decline since the beginning of the labour market downturn in the fall of 2008. Following an increase the previous month, employment in construction rose again in September (+25,000). Read more.

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Government of Canada facilitating access to federal government contracts

To highlight the 30th anniversary of Small Business Week, the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, launched October 19th a guide entitled: Your Guide to Doing Business with the Government of Canada. “This is a yet another tool to help small enterprises access federal business opportunities and navigate the procurement system,” said Minister Paradis. Read more.

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Gold Seal Reminder: Time is running out!

Due to the recent changes in the examination requirements, all automatic eligibilities for CSO, CEC and PQS applicants will expire on December 31, 2009. If you hold one of these three designations and are interested in challenging the appropriate Gold Seal exam, applications must be submitted to Kelly Thiessen at WCA by December 31, 2009.

The next Gold Seal exam is slated for January 22, 2010.

For more information, visit www.goldsealcertification.com or contact Kelly Thiessen, Gold Seal Administrator, Winnipeg Construction Association, at kellythiessen@winnipegconstruction.ca or 775-8664 x 2225.

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WCA Buyers' Guide and Online Membership Directory

With the fall season in the wings and winter not far behind, membership renewal will be upon us before you know it. In the past year we have had several inquiries as to why a member company is not listed on the WCA website under the “Membership Directory” or in the 2009 WCA Directory & Buyers’ Guide.

If you are a new member, please complete and return the Buyers’ Guide form that was given to you upon joining to ensure your company’s Buyers’ Guide category choices are listed in our database, on the website and in the current Buyers’ Guide.

Long-time WCA member companies not listed in the online “Membership Directory” can contact WCA to add their company to the listing.

The WCA Membership Directory and Buyers’ Guide is produced annually and each member company receives one copy at no charge.

It is imperative that you notify the WCA offices of any changes within your company, including contacts, emails, addresses, etc. so that we can keep our database and directories up-to-date. Please check your company’s current listing and let us know of any changes. Thank you.

WCA website address: www.winnipegconstruction.ca

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Online Planroom Tip of the Week: Bid Calendar

The Bid Calendar will allow WCA members to quickly view the list of current-day closing projects by clicking within the Calendar located on the Main page. Give it a try!

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ProEst Takeoff 2009

Perform tasks 50 per cent faster and save thousands on printing costs with Digital Takeoff Technology. This is an innovative software solution that revolutionizes the way construction companies perform takeoffs. Instead of using paper plans and manual methods or a digitizer, ProEst Takeoff allows estimators to perform takeoffs using on-screen digital plans and a mouse. The ability to view two plan sets at one time makes it easy to toggle between job specifications and the actual takeoff. And grid patterns, with best fit rotation, ensure quick material calculations.

Find out more about ProEst Takeoff 2009 HERE.

Download Free Trial: Can ProEst Takeoff save your company time, space and money? Download your free trial to find out: http://proest.com/wca

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