This week on the Construction Record podcast digital media Warren Frey shares a couple of interviews from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s Construction Leadership Forum in Whistler, British Columbia. This was the first time the conference has been in-person since the start of the pandemic and the sessions included topics such as substance use, retrofits and truth and reconciliation.  The first interview included in this episode is with Vancouver Island Construction Association CEO Rory Kulmala and harm reduction coordinator Greg Hemminger. Their session explained VICA’s Tailgate Toolkit program which helps those in the industry address substance use and keep workers safe, and Greg speaks to his own personal journey and the importance of addressing B.C.’s toxic drug supply. The second interview is with RDH Building Science principal, construction specialist and British Columbia Institute of Technology instructor James Bourget, who was one of the participants on a panel about the increasing importance of retrofits in combating climate change. Bourget is passionate but practical as he looks at ways for the industry to respond to the climate crisis. Next Wednesday we’ll have an interview from the Construction Leadership Forum with Rise Consulting founder Annie Corver, who spoke to attendees about how the construction industry can engage with and move forward the truth and reconciliation process with Canada’s indigenous peoples. If you’d like to see the full webcast and other videos click here. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to our recent podcast featuring highlights of the recent ConstructConnect economic webcast here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

This week we have something a little different. ConstructConnect held their State of the Construction Industry – 2022 and Beyond economic webcast on May 10 and digital media editor Warren Frey  goes through some of the highlights as a series of experts looked at the highs and lows of the economy in the recent past, right now and in our immediate future. American Institute of Architects chief economist Kermit Baker, ConstructConnect chief economist Alex Carrick and Associated General Contractors of America chief economist Ken Simonson all analyzed factors influencing the economy including continued pandemic mitigation, supply chain worries and the state of construction employment. Construct senior economist Michael Guckes also looked at labour mobility and ConstructConnect senior director of content services Fonda Rosenfeldt examined data points showing a shift from general work to more civil projects. If you’d like to see the full webcast and other videos go here and You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to our recent interview with Cromeens Law Firm LLC owner and managing partner Karalynn Cromeens here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

This week on the Construction Record podcast digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Cromeens Law Firm LLC owner and managing partner Karalynn Cromeens about her Houston-based law practice which also boasts a nearly all-woman staff. Cromeens delved into the nature of construction law in Texas and throughout the United States, and explained she specialized in construction out of necessity when her and her husband started a construction business in her last year of law school.  She also pointed out while an all-woman construction law firm is at present not the norm. construction companies have always had women in administrative positions making sure companies ran smoothly in the background. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to last week’s interview with Clever Samurai president and CEO Stuart Lewis about construction and marketing here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week.

This week on the Construction Record podcast digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Clever Samurai president and CEO Stuart Lewis about how the construction industry can better market itself to address labour concerns. Lewis said it’s critical for both industry and the various levels of government to generate more interest in the trades, and that at the micro level people are reevaluating their work lives due to the pandemic and other societal changes which may give construction an avenue by which to market their appeal. He added construction is an ideal field for those looking to run their own business, which is a long- established path within the industry and that it can be an excellent opportunity for people from “non-traditional” demographics looking to enter the construction workforce. He stressed however firms should go to those communities to communicate with them and tailor marketing to their needs and interests. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to last week’s interview IBI Group associate planning manager David Sol about flood risk assessment and mitigation planning here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

On this mid-week episode of the Construction Record Podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey checks in with Journal of Commerce staff writer Russell Hixson for a look at some of the issues he covered at the 2022 Council Of Forest Industries conference held last week in Vancouver. Some of the key takeaways were the supply chain and supply and demand issues the sector went through during COVID and currently with disruption due to the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine. Warren also spoke to Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce daily news editor Lindsey Cole about staff writer Don Wall’s ongoing coverage of ICI sector labour negotiations, which remain fluid. She also mentioned staff writer Angela Gismondi’s look as part of Construction Safety Week and Mental Health week at a project where George Brown College students impacted by mental health issues are helping to build cabins at -- a wellness retreat to help others going through similar experiences. You can listen to The Construction Record podcast on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. You can listen to the previous mid-week episode here and our previous Friday podcast featuring IBI Group associate planning manager David Sol here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

This week on the Construction Record podcast digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with IBI Group associate planning manager David Sol about flood risk assessment and mitigation planning. Sol explained the challenges that large metropolitan areas such as Toronto and other densely populated areas face when dealing with flooding and explained that explained how a philosophy of adaption to flood cycles and creating structures exhibiting resiliency is a wiser course of action than trying to prevent a natural process. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to last week’s podcast featuring an interview with Athena Sustainable Materials Institute president Jennifer O’Connor here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week.  

This week on TCR Express, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Journal of Commerce staff writer Russell Hixson about the arrival of boring machines for use in creating the Broadway Skytrain line, a major multi-year project that could create a “second downtown” in the area for Vancouver. Russell also details a story he’s writing about the B.C. government looking into age limits on young workers in construction based on the hazards involved, which could affect mom and pop legacy businesses but could also raise awareness amongst young workers as to their rights to a safe working environment. Warren also spoke to Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce daily editor Lindsey Cole about staff writer Angela Gismondi’s recent Day of Mourning stories about a single mother recovering from the grief and loss of her husband’s untimely death on a work site and another story about a young worker who fell 60 feet from the roof of a building and the efforts of his family to share his story and the importance of workplace safety. Lindsey also talked about one of staff writer Don Wall’s recent stories about the recent launch of the World Urban Pavilion in Regent Park in Toronto, a gathering area to host in-person meetings and highlight the community redevelopment in the area. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. You can listen to last week’s episode of TCR Express here and our most recent Construction Record podcast featuring Athena Sustainable Materials Institute president Jennifer O’Connor here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

On this week’s episode of the Construction Record podcast in partnership with naturally:wood, British Columbia’s information centre about sustainable forestry, tree species, green building, and design, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Athena Sustainable Materials Institute president Jennifer O’Connor about the institute’s continuing mission to bring life-cycle assessment to the construction sector. O’Connor explained how the 25-year-old nonprofit research group focuses on materials that comprise the bulk of structures such as steel, concrete and wood, along with envelopes and other sections and buildings. The biggest change over the past 25 years, she said, is the rise in understanding within the construction industry as to the importance of life cycle assessment. O’Connor also explained how the institute employs software tools to evaluate a building’s life cycle including its Embodied Carbon Pathfinder web tool. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to last week’s podcast featuring an interview with Zensurance founder and CEO Danish Yusuf here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

This week on TCR Express digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with journal of Commerce staff writer Russell Hixson about the latest construction news of the week, including a look at creative sentencing for safety violations and determining whether monetary fines are effective in producing better safety results. Russell will also speak to an architect about their work on the Pendennis Hotel heritage building in Edmonton where several artifacts have been discovered which give a glimpse at daily life in 19th century Alberta. Warren also spoke with Daily Commercial News and journal of Commerce daily editor Lindsey Cole about stories from the east including a tiny homes project built through 3D printing in Leamington, Ont, along with Daily Commercial News staff writer Don Wall’s continued coverage of labor negotiations in Ontario’s ICI sector. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast section. You can listen to last week’s episode of TCR Express here and our most recent Construction Record podcast featuring national managing editor Vince Versace and our interview with Zensurance founder and CEO Danish Yusuf here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week. DCN-JOC News Services

The Construction Record – Episode 165: Zensurance founder and CEO Danish Yusuf This week on the Construction Record podcast, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Zensurance founder and CEO Danish Yusuf about how small firms can go digital with the help of the Canada Digital Adoption Program. Yusuf said while smaller companies can sometimes face challenges when it comes to security and adoption of digital methods to traditional industries but pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the move to digital first for many industries including construction. He also pointed to the significant cost savings and the role of insurance when a company moves from analog to digital. You can listen to The Construction Record and TCR Express on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music’s podcast, and you can listen to last week’s podcast featuring our look at the 2022 federal budget here. Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next week.