The Construction Record™ Podcast

On a special Halloween episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey is joined by ConstructConnect director of news media Vince Versace and contributing writer Peter Kenter to discuss both ghost towns and participate in our annual horror film geek-out. Peter has been crafting an article about ghost towns in both Canada and the U.S. and explains how abandoned places frozen in time can feel just as haunted as supernatural locales. Vince and Peter also discuss the phenomenon of “ghost cities” in China where entire neighbourhoods are built and unfilled and the eerie atmosphere of architectural styles frozen in time. Warren, Peter and Vince also speak to both the latest horror films they’ve been watching and some classic horror they think deserves another viewing. You can listen to our recent interview with VRCA president Jeannine Martin about the 2024 Awards of Excellence gala here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. The Construction Economy Outlook: 2025 Starts Now Night of the Living Dead Dawn of the Dead Evil Dead Terrified Rec History of the Occult DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey and daily news editor Lindsey Cole look at not only the 2024 Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) Awards of Excellence but also the leading stories in construction across Canada. Lindsey spoke about the Ontario Building Trades convention covered by staff writer Don Wall, with a focus on the NextStar plant currently being built in Ontario, as well as coverage of RESCON’s housing summit.  Warren also talked about his recent story covering industry reaction to the recent B.C. election which as of publication still doesn’t have a clear winner. We also have a feature interview with VRCA president Jeannine Martin, who talked about the changes to this year’s awards, including VRCA director of advocacy and engagement Craig Larkins co-hosting the event with Juno winning Vancouver comedian Ivan Decker.  She also explained the Awards role in celebrating the Lower Mainland’s construction industry and some of its biggest and most innovative projects.  You can listen to our recent interview with Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) executive director Vicki Waldron and Community Savings Credit Union vice-president of strategic partnerships Raj Khunkhun here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. The Construction Economy Outlook: 2025 Starts Now DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) executive director Vicki Waldron and Community Savings Credit Union vice-president of strategic partnerships Raj Khunkhun about their partnership in deploying the Recovery Protection Program (RPP), which addresses the financial needs of those suffering mental health or substance use pressures and are going through CIRP’s rehabilitation process. Waldron said the impetus for the partnership was that a big barrier to people staying in treatment was their finances, which often were affected negatively by their mental health or substance use struggle and that the RPP allows them to focus on their recovery. Khunkhun said Community Savings waives banking fees and postpones loans for three months, and noted there are regulatory restrictions on going further than that time period. He added they modeled their part of the initiative on a previous policy used to help workers on strike or in a lockout situation.   You can listen to our recent interview with Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) CEO Caroline Gumble here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services The Construction Economy Outlook: 2025 Starts Now

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) CEO Caroline Gumble about skilled trades recruitment and DEI initiatives in both the UK and North America. Gumble explained the CIOB has existed for 190 years and stands for science, ethics and practice of the built environment. She detailed some of the ays the UK has encouraged diversity in hiring through the use of “blind CVs” where no personal information in included in a resume to discourage unconscious bais. She also explained that while there are slight differences in terms of the makeup of the workforce in North America and the UK, both face the same demographic challenges of a looming wave of retirements with not enough workers ready to replace them. You can listen to our recent interviews from the ICBA Construction Innovation Summit here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services The Construction Economy Outlook: 2025 Starts Now

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey has two interviews from the Independent Business and Contractors Association’s (ICBA) 2024 Construction Innovation Summit. The first interview is with BuildForce Canada executive director Bill Ferreira, who addressed attendees at a session called The State of the Construction Workforce - Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities, laying out the current and future labour trends affecting the industry. Dusty Robotics CEO and co-founder Tessa Lau explained the cutting edge of automation in construction with a session titled “The State of Robotics in Construction - Today’s Reality and Tomorrow’s Possibilities” which looked at some of the technology on the horizon for one of the oldest industries in the world. You can listen to our most recent podcast interview with urbanist, author and Creative Class Group founder Richard Florida here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services The Construction Economy Outlook: 2025 Starts Now

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with urbanist, author and Creative Class Group founder Richard Florida about a new report he’s written about the need to revamp Toronto’s waterfront. Great Waterfront, Great City compares Toronto’s development on its waterfront with other world-class cities such as Dubai, New York and London and points to how while residential and office development has gone forward, the area needs to draw in not only Torontonians but increase tourism to the city. He added focusing on the tech sector, creating sports infrastructure and said Bily Bishop Airport which resides on the waterfront is key to expansion and bringing in international business and tourists. You can listen to our most recent podcast with interviews with ICBA president Chris Gardner and BC Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke about the B.C. election here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services Toronto’s waterfront ‘boring,’ needs fun, attractions: Florida

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey has two interviews with Independent Contractors and Business Association (ICBA BC) president Chris Gardner and BC Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke about who they’re endorsing and what they want to see for their sectors after the election on Oct. 19. Gardner said the ICBA is supporting the BC Conservatives and its leader John Rustad and pointed to the current NDP government’s use of community benefit agreements (CBA) as one of the main reasons. Bourke said the BC Building Trades are allied with the BC NDP and current B.C. premier David Eby  and also voiced the organization’s support for CBAs and other NDP labour policies.   You can listen to our most recent podcast on the history of the hardhat  here and Part One of our BC Election podcast series here. Our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with ConstructConnect director of news media Vince Versace about the long history of the humble hard hat. Invented by American Edward W. Bullard in 1918 the hardhat is both the first and one of the most vital pieces of safety equipment on site and an iconic, instantly recognizable symbol of the construction industry. From its origins as an overlapping layer of canvas and glue to its current iteration, hardhats haved saved lives and prevented injuries for countless workers over the past century. You can listen to our recent podcast featuring an interview with Calgary Construction Association president Bill Black about the troubled Green Line project here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services More Than a Century of Safety: The Legacy of Edward W. Bullard Research looks to evolve the hard hat from all angles

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, Calgary Construction Association president Bill Black speaks with digital media editor Warren Frey about the many delays and governmental clashes affecting the City of Calgary’s Green Line light-rail transit project.   Alberta premier Danielle Smith recently said she wants the project to proceed as originally envisioned and expressed concerns the current project is not cost-effective. Black does not want to take sides on the design of the project or see it devolve into a political battle as he expressed during several media interviews but expressed concerns the conflict might sideline the local construction industry. He pointed to smaller member firms using the Green Line as an “anchor project” for their work being adversely affected by funding battles at the government level and that the uncertainty surrounding the project undermines confidence within the local industry when working on big projects. You can listen to our recent podcast featuring ConstructConnect director of news media Vince Versace discussing how the tragedy of 9/11 changed the construction industry here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with ConstructConnect director of news media Vince Versace on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 about how the subsequent study of the tragedy led to new designs and building practices. Vince explained how new forms of egress were adopted in tall buildings in order to facilitate evacuations, how construction moved away from the “core pillar” design of the Twin Towers and improved resiliency not only against a hostile attack but other stressors. Another change was adoption across the world of more uniform building codes and improvement of those codes to ensure such an event doesn’t happen again. As climate change continues to stress-test cities and buildings across the world, Vince speculated similar sharing might occur to improve resiliency of built forms. You can listen to our recent podcast with Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) president Jeannine Martin and British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) president Chris Atchison about the upcoming B.C. election here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this special episode of The Construction Record Podcast, as children and teens across North America make their way back to school for another year, digital media editor Warren Frey and ConstructConnect director of news media Vince Versace discuss construction as seen in the movies. Films and television can inspire future career choices for young people, and certainly The LEGO Movie, which celebrates becoming a master builder in a world of bricks is no exception. Vince and Warren also cover more adult fare such as Locke, a film starring Tom Hardy about real construction challenges as he drives across the UK. Other construction films include Bridge on the River Kwai, Darkman and other, as well as many documentary series such as Extreme Engineering, Megastructures and Cities of the Underworld and Design Canada, a film about how Canadian design from the 1960s influenced both graphic presentation and architecture.   You can listen to our recent podcast with Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) president Jeannine Martin and British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) president Chris Atchison about the upcoming B.C. election here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services With Locke, construction gets its movie LEGO builder captures The Post’s form and function in Vancouver Bridge on the River Kwai Darkman The LEGO Movie Extreme Engineering Megastructures Cities of the Underworld Design Canada

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey interviews Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) president Jeannine Martin and British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) president Chris Atchison about the upcoming B.C. election. The B.C. election race was upended on Aug. 28 when BC United leader dropped out and the party withdrew from the race, leaving David Eby’s NDP and John Rustad’s BC Conservatives going head to head. Rustad also spoke that same day at the VRCA offices in Vancouver as part of the association’s “Constructive Conversations” series, which previous featured both Eby and Falcon. Both association leaders took stock of the changed electoral landscape and focused on what’s needed for the B.C. construction industry regardless of who takes government on Oct. 19. Prompt payment legislation was top of min for both Atchison and Martin, as was addressing the ongoing labour shortage both by retaining the workers now in the province and gaining new workers through migration from other provinces and abroad.   Martin also discussed the idea of a “minister of construction,” a concept both associations advocate for as a way to streamline regulatory hurdles and focus on an industry that contributes significantly to the province’s GDP, and both leaders tackled how all three leaders addressed an ongoing affordability crisis. You can listen to our recent podcast with Wesgroup CEO Beau Jarvis about housing supply and regulations here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks to Wesgroup president and CEO Beau Jarvis about dealing with the housing crisis from a developer perspective. Wesgroup recently released a video titled “Housing Crisis 101: Why Homes Don't Just Happen” (embedded below) which illustrates through animation how changing government regulations and an uncertain building environment are adding risk for developers. Jarvis also noted that with 95 per cent of Canadian housing stock coming from the private sector, in his view it makes sense to work within the current paradigm to try to expand affordable housing stock throughout Canada. He also noted the current regulatory climate is leading Canadian developers to focus on U.S. housing opportunities rather than building at home. You can listen to our recent podcast with economist Jack Mintz about Canada’s ageing infrastructure here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjqPaqWpnYs

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with economist and President’s Fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy Jack Mintz about Canada’s reinvigorating and expanding ageing infrastructure. Mintz said privatization is one possible route to increasing infrastructure across Canada, and pointed to the telecommunications industry as an example of infrastructure that works reliably and upgrades at a regular cadence. Pension funds investing in infrastructure is another possibility, along with public-private partnerships (P3). Housing affordability is another factor and Mintz said a big issue is that installing new infrastructure can lead to a rise in housing prices. Green infrastructure can also be more expensive initially with benefits that aren’t immediately apparent leading to sticker-shock. He advocated for honesty from government in letting consumers and investors know what the costs are of green infrastructure up front. You can listen to our recent podcast with BCIT Centre for Welding Technologies and Metallurgy director Mathew Smith  here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with BCIT Centre for Welding Technologies and Metallurgy director Mathew Smith about “cobots,” robots designed to work collaboratively with students and workers in industrial environments. Smith said cobots differ from traditional industrial robots in size, function and cost and because of the use of sensors can maneuver around human operators, making them much more flexible in a learning environment. Cobots do not replace human skills, he added, as they follow preprogrammed instructions, and BCIT students are taught manual dexterity skills that remain fundamental to the welding trade. Cobots enhance work, Smith said, and alleviate tradespeople and students of rote tasks to focus on more complex work.  You can listen to our recent podcast with  ConstructConnect chief economist Michael Guckes here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with ConstructConnect chief economist Michael Guckes as he details his plans for his new role. Michael and Warren discussed what’s in store for the economy as summer turns to fall including the possibility of a rate cut from the Federal Reserve as well as the shifting political landscape as the United States heads to a presidential election in November. Michael also went into detail on his career and how it’s meshed with both construction and economics since the beginning and gave a preview of how he’ll present his economic insights in new ways going forward. Note: This episode was recorded before U.S. president Joe Biden announced he would stand down from re-election. You can listen to our recent podcast with  Yellowknife Consulting Services president Terry Dussault about emerging trends and safety risks on worksites here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Yellowknife Consulting Services president Terry Dussault about emerging trends and safety risks on worksites. Dussault highlighted rising risks such as struck-by incidents and the need for better respiration masks to deal with threats such as potential silica inhalation. He also said more awareness is needed about biological risks, such as harmful plant life on a site which can result in workers developing allergies or reactions to the environment. He also said supervisors should be equipped with essential steps for prevention and dealing with accidents when they occur such as understanding the incident, identifying causal factors, digging deeper into root causes, devising effective solutions, and verifying outcomes. You can listen to our recent podcast with  Substance Group chief accessibility officer Mark DeMontis here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Substance Group chief accessibility officer Mark DeMontis about how accessible buildings in B.C could be a new and lucrative market for developers. DeMontis said while there has been some resistance to BC Building Code changes that increase accessibility in new buildings, he thinks those attitudes focus on the short term rather than viewing those with disabilities as an untapped new market for residential units. He also said there is a common misconception that disabled people are also receiving assistance when not only are many disabilities invisible but the majority of disabled people have significant purchasing power, and said as the general population ages accessibility becomes mor and more important. You can listen to our recent podcast with  TAS CEO Mazyar Mortazavi and Creative Fire managing director Jordan Baptiste about the TAS Reconciliation Plan here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with both TAS CEO Mazyar Mortazavi and Creative Fire managing director Jordan Baptiste about the TAS Reconciliation Plan, a document intended to guide company actions as they engage with Indigenous communities to further development. Mortazavi described as an impact platform which uses real estate to drive positive change operating as developers, asset manages and through private equity. He said the firm released its plan is an evolution of their impact framework and work off od its interactions with Indigenous communities to create a “framework of accountability.” Baptiste said Creative Fire is a community owned advisory and consultancy and he said any significant development going forward will involve Indigenous communities, and  that TAS’s value system aligns with a desire to be “keepers of the land” which made developing the plan together a natural fit. You can listen to our recent podcast about the twin forces of immigration and addressing the labour shortage  here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services

On this episode of The Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with both BC Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke and British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) president Chris Atchison about Canada’s immigration system and how it intersects with an ongoing labour shortage in the construction industry. Bourke addressed what she said is an “addiction” to temporary foreign workers in the construction industry and advocated for changing the immigration system to both reflect modern labour needs and provide an easier path to permanent residency for skilled tradespeople looking to work in Canada. Atchison said he also supports not only trying to make skilled tradespeople into new Canadian citizens as a priority but also praised British Columbia’s provincial nominee program, which prioritizes getting skilled workers into the right roles in the province. He also said BCCA is collaborating with the Canadian Construction Association to pool resources and learning as immigration is in the end the domain of the federal government. You can listen to our recent interview with Alastair Hayfield about the state of construction in the UK in 2024  here and our episodes are available at the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites, on Libsyn and at  Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services