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B.C. picks P3 team for $2.8B Broadway subway project, construction to start later this year on 5.7-kilometre extension

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has selected a preferred proponent for a major subway expansion in Vancouver.

The province said July 17 it has picked the Acciona-Ghella Joint Venture team to design, build and partially finance the $2.83 billion construction project that will extend the Millennium SkyTrain line by 5.7 kilometres. The penultimate step in procurement clears the way for final contract negotiations between the P3 team and the province.

Carlos Planelles, the managing director for Acciona North America, said the subway project will become the Madridbased infrastructure firm’s sixth active project on Canada’s West Coast.

“We are proud to share the trust of the province of B.C. and are looking forward to another strong collaboration with Ghella,” Planelles said in a release, adding that the Rome-headquartered company has valuable experience in underground work.

Unlike other segments of the SkyTrain line, which make use of elevated guideways, the extension will be built mostly below Broadway. Tunnelling and underground station construction, therefore, are two key elements of the latest expansion. Five kilometres of the Millennium Line extension will run underground between Great Northern Way to Arbutus Street. The final 700 metres of the project will be elevated, linking up with the existing line at VCC-Clark Station.

All six of the new stations will be built underground, including a transfer to the Canada Line at Cambie Street.

Barring any last-minute issues with contract negotiations, the Acciona-Ghella team will have topped two other consortia vying for the project.

The province issued a request for proposals for the work more than a year ago and has been working through the competitive bidding process since. Last fall, one of the teams originally shortlisted for the work was forced to pull out when SNC-Lavalin Inc. restructured and ceased bidding on fixed-price construction contracts.

Construction on the subway line is scheduled to start later this year. Its first trains are expected to begin running passengers beneath West Broadway Street in 2025. Like other major projects recently tendered in the province, the subway project will be delivered using B.C.’s Community Benefits Agreement.

To form its building panels, Nexii uses an approximately half-inch layer of its proprietary material on each side of a

conventional insulating core. PHOTO: NEXII

Green building products start-up Nexii expanding across Canada, into U.S. with three factory deals

A Canadian cleantech company that’s developed a novel lightweight composite material used in structural wall panels is expanding east from its base in British Columbia with three new licensed manufacturing agreements in Canada and the U.S.

Nexii Building Solutions Inc. said July 16 it has reached deals with manufacturers in Alberta, Ontario and Pennsylvania that will see new plants built in each region that will produce millions of square feet of pre-fabricated building panels each year. The investments in the three facilities are expected to total $75 million

Stephen Sidwell, Nexii’s CEO, said strong demand for the company’s products has led it to accelerate the roll-out of further production plants. It currently has one operational facility in Moose Jaw, Sask., as well as a larger site under construction in Squamish, B.C.

“For North America to rebuild sustainably and achieve a green economic recovery, every industry needs to innovate and invest in new technologies,” Sidwell said in a release. “Buildings and construction together is the top contributor to global climate pollution, and Nexii has the potential to curb the environmental impacts created by our buildings.”

Nexii’s pre-fab components are built around a proprietary material it calls Nexiite. The company is keeping the make-up of the lightweight composite a trade secret, but previously shared a few added details about the material and its building method with On-Site. Because the panels do not contain any Portland cement and are highly energy efficient once in place, the company bills itself as a clean alternative to conventional building materials.

Unlike Nexii’s first two plants, which are corporately-owned, the three new sites will be run by independent manufacturers and produce panels through licensing agreements.

Newvi Building Solutions is one of the companies to sign on to produce the pre-fab building components. Nexii said the company plans to invest $15 million in an Alberta production plant capable of producing four million sq. ft. of panels each year. In Ontario, Symphony Advanced Building Technologies Inc. has committed to spend $30 million on a Toronto area plant that will manufacture more than eight million sq. ft. of building panels a year. Finally, John Wolfington plans to build a new facility in Hazleton, Penn. that will serve the northeast U.S. market.

All three of the plants are expected to start producing panels next year and will cumulatively create 450 full-time jobs.

The manufacturing agreements cap a busy couple of months for Nexii.

In June, the company added several high-profile business executives to its team, including Michael Burke, the chairman and CEO of engineering firm Aecom. Burke and several others joined the Vancouver-based start-up’s board of directors. At the same time, Ronald Sugar, the chairman of Uber Technologies Inc. and Apple Inc. board member, signed on to serve on Nexii’s advisory board.

N.L. issues RFQ to replace 160-year-old penitentiary in St. John’s

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has begun the procurement process for a new penitentiary on the northeast end of St. John’s.

The province issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for the designbuild-finance-maintain contract July 17. Construction teams looking to bid on the project will have until October to express their interest and outline their capabilities.

Andrew Parsons, the province’s minister of Justice and Public Safety, said the new facility will “transform” corrections in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Corrections has evolved over the years and the reality is HMP makes it difficult to facilitate programming inmates of the 21st century deserve,” he said in a release. “We remain committed to a new facility that will increase safety for inmates and staff.”

HMP, or Her Majesty’s Penitentiary, in St. John’s has facilities dating back as far as 1859 and has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. The province committed to building a new lockup to replace the aging facility last year.

At about 21,000-square-metres (225,000 sq. ft.) the new penitentiary will have double the capacity of HMP. The Department of Transportation and Works said it will make use of technology to increase safety, while allowing for more access to mental health and addiction services and other programming.

The estimated cost to build the new prison is about $200 million.

The province anticipates shortlisting bid teams and issuing a request for proposals (RFP) early next year. Construction is likely to start in 2022 and run through 2025.

Pomerleau wins contract to build new passive house student residence at U of T Scarborough campus

The University of Toronto has tapped Pomerleau for a major new construction project at its Scarborough campus.

The contractor said June 23 it has been awarded the design-bridge-build contract for a nine-storey, 746-bed residence hall at the university on the eastern edge of Toronto.

Built to passive house standards, the new student housing project at 3300 Ellesmere Rd. will cover approximately 265,000 sq. ft. The low-energy design includes high-efficiency insulation and windows and a range of building systems geared toward slashing energy use compared to traditional structures.

Work will get underway shortly, with delivery scheduled for the start of the fall semester 2023.

“Our focus on building innovative and sustainable buildings has never been stronger, and we are excited to work with the U of T Scarborough to create a safe, healthy and inspirational living environment for its students,” said Patrick Stiles, vice-president and regional manager at Pomerleau, in a release. “The future of construction is here, and we are very excited to be

undertaking this flagship project for many generations to come in the GTA.”

The new residence includes both single and double bedrooms, a cafeteria, kitchen and a range of mixed-use spaces. A rooftop garden and terrace are also planned.

Handel Architects served as U of T Scarborough’s primary design architect for the new building, with support from Toronto-based Core Architects. IBI Group, MCW, RDH and EXP will also take part on behalf of Pomerleau as part of the design-bridgebuild process. The financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Along with a focus on ensuring the new building is highly energy efficient once completed, the Saint-Georges, Que.-headquartered contractor said it is also employing a range of emerging technologies, such as building information modeling (BIM) to pare down on waste during the construction process. The contractor plans to unleash Spot, a dog-like robot built by Boston Dynamics, on-site to keep track of site progress and monitor health and safety.

Construction is scheduled to get underway on the east end of Toronto later this summer.

A rendering of the new residence at 3300 Ellesmere Road at the eastern edge of Toronto.

The new campus in Markham, Ont. is scheduled to open in fall 2023.

PHOTO: DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS

Construction to start on new $275.5M York University campus in Markham, Ont.

Construction crews will get to work in the coming days on a major new university campus just north of Toronto.

York University, along with several tiers of government, announced July 24 it was moving into construction on a $275.5 million, 400,000 sq. ft. (37,160 square metre) facility in Markham, Ont.

The Markham Centre Campus will become the first university in fast-growing York Region, as well as the first to use the Ontario government’s updated Major Capacity Expansion Policy Framework, which aims to get the province off the hook for capital funding for college and university building projects.

The project comes two years after York’s original plan for a Markham campus, as well as two other schools’ expansion plans, was shelved by the Progressive Conservative government, which cited the province’s considerable deficit.

“Instead of the province writing multi-million-dollar cheques, we have developed a system that encourages the development of new campuses with a much smaller cost to the taxpayer,” Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, said in a release. “The new Markham Centre Campus is a model of responsible expansion, which will offer local students access to a world-class education and prepare them for the jobs of the future.”

The new site will expand the university’s footprint beyond its main campus at the northwest end of Toronto. York University, York region, as well as the City of Markham will foot the bill for construction of the new 10-storey campus. The province said it will provide funding to support operations once the facility is complete, but is not contributing to the initial capital costs of the campus.

Diamond Schmitt Architects designed the new building, which consists of a five-storey podium with a five-storey tower above it. Among other features, the firm said the tower will include bronze-anodized aluminum cladding and fritted birdfriendly glazing. It is designed to house 4,200 students.

Stuart Olson Inc. is taking on construction of the building, located at, roughly, Highway 407 and Kennedy Road.

Construction is set to get underway this summer and the campus is scheduled to open in time for the fall school semester of 2023.

“Instead of the province writing multi-million-dollar cheques, we have developed a system that encourages the development of new campuses with a much smaller cost to the taxpayer.” – Ontario Premier, Doug Ford

OPG’s Calabogie facility on the Madawaska River is more than 100 years old.

PHOTO: ONTARIO POWER GENERATION

M. Sullivan & Son, SNC-Lavalin win $100M contract to redevelop Calabogie hydro station outside Ottawa

Nearly two years after a tornado tore the roof off Calabogie Generating Station in eastern Ontario, construction has started of a major project to redevelop the century-old hydro plant.

Ontario Power Generation announced June 22 it has awarded a more than $100 million cost-reimbursable contract to a joint venture between SNC-Lavalin Inc. and Arnprior, Ont.-based M. Sullivan & Son Ltd.

The project covers the demolition of the existing powerhouse, built in 1917, and construction of a new, larger facility about 50 metres upstream. At 10 megawatts, the upgraded generating station will have double the capacity of the previous five MW facility.

“We’re excited to rebuild one of our oldest generating stations, especially during these unprecedented times,” Mike Martelli, OPG president of Renewable Generation, said in a release. “Many options were considered over the years, including retrofitting the existing century-old powerhouse, but a complete redevelopment was determined to be the best option.”

The crown-owned power company had settled on starting from scratch on the new generating station even before the powerhouse was severely damaged by the tornado in in September 2018.

In accordance with its shift away from on-the-ground construction last summer, SNC-Lavalin will take on the design, engineering and procurement for the project. It will also lead the construction management portion of the job, with support from Sullivan & Son.

The joint venture team is scheduled to complete the project by 2022.

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Walmart Canada spending $1.1B to build new distribution centres in Toronto, Vancouver areas

Walmart Canada plans to spend billions to shore up its supply chain and modernize more than 150 stores across the country.

The U.S.-based retail giant said July 20 it plans to invest $3.5 billion over the next five years on new construction, renovations, as well as a range of technology to simplify both in- and out-of-store shopping.

The capital plan includes $1.1 billion for the construction of two new fulfillment centres — one in Vaughan, Ont. and one in Surrey, B.C. The funding will also pay for the installation of new automated equipment and associated renovations at an existing warehouse facility in Windsor, Ont.

“The retail business is as dynamic as ever and this investment ensures we’re developing a supply chain that is the envy of the world,” said John Bayliss, senior vice-president for Logistics and Supply Chain at Walmart Canada, in a release. “The better the supply chain, the quicker our customers can get the products they want. This investment will transform our supply chain and create hundreds of Canadian construction jobs along the way.”

Work is already underway on the facility in the Vancouver area, with the 300,000 sq. ft. site at 19500 26th Ave. in Surrey scheduled to open in 2022. The retailer is working with Germany-based Witron on automated sorting equipment for the facility.

In the Toronto area, Walmart is planning a 550,000 sq. ft. distribution centre at 11110 Jane Street. The facility, which is expected to open in 2024, will integrate automated robotics from Netherlands-headquartered Vanderlande.

Walmart said the next-generation warehouse management systems at both sites will help the company keep its physical stores stocked and meet future e-commerce needs.

Along with the added distribution capabilities, Walmart plans to renovate 150 of its more than 400 Canadian locations over the next three years. The work will focus on “accelerating digitization” within the shops, Walmart said, pointing to the expanded use of shelf scanners, robotics and cameras, as well as overhauled checkout areas that include larger self checkouts.

The Walmart plan is one of two announced by major retailers this July. Sobeys and Safeway owner Empire Co. also said it plans to spend $2.1 billion to expand stores and build two new fulfillment centres over the next three years.

Walmart said the warehouse facilities will support physical stores and online shopping.

PHOTO: WALMART CANADA

Alberta awards contract for final $277M segment of Calgary Ring Road

In late June, the Alberta government handed down the final construction contract for the Calgary Ring Road, awarding the $277 million project to the Calgary Safelink Partners, made up of Carmacks Enterprises Ltd., Graham Infrastructure and Vinci Infrastructure Canada Ltd.

The last link in 101-kilometre Highway 201, or Stoney Trail, covers five kilometres of six- and eight-lane highway between Old Banff Coach Road and Highway 8 on the west end of the city.

“The ring road is a critical project that has been years in the making and Calgarians have been waiting decades for it to be completed, Ric McIver, the province’s Minister of Transportation, said in a release. “When construction wraps up, the ring road will provide more than 100 kilometres of free-flow travel, making it faster and easier for Calgarians and job creators to get around Alberta’s largest city.” Two major Canadian contractors are joining forces.

Amid the tough operating environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged slowdown in the Canadian oil and gas industry, Calgary-based Stuart Olson Inc. has agreed to a $96.5 million takeover offer from Bird Construction Inc.

“The combination of our two businesses will create a company with substantially increased breadth and scale, diversified across services, end-markets and geographies,” Terrance McKibbon, president and CEO of Bird, said in a release.

With a workforce of approximately 5,000 and a backlog of about $3 billion, Mississauga, Ont.-based Bird said the combined company will create a platform for growth. It added the business will be well positioned to benefit from infrastruc

Earlier construction on the southwest portion of the Calgary Ring Road. This segment is expected to

open in 2021. PHOTO: KGL CONSTRUCTORS

The Safelink consortium will take on the design-build contract for what’s known as the “south” portion of the West Calgary Ring Road. Along with the five kilometres of highway work, the final component of the new highway includes the construction of seven bridges and four interchanges.

Construction on the two other projects that make up the western segment of the ture stimulus spending as Canada works to recover from the pandemic.

The cash and stock deal totals $96.5 million. Bird will pay $30 million cash and $66.5 million in common shares – most of which will go to satisfying Stuart Olson’s lenders. Under the agreement, the company’s lenders and debenture holders will receive $70 million and $22.5 million, respectively, leaving approximately $4 million to be distributed among shareholders. beltway are already underway. Work is also nearing completion on the $1.4 billion Southwest Calgary Ring Road after more than three years of construction.

Shovel are scheduled to hit the dirt this summer on the final leg of highway. Crews will be aiming to complete the work and have the entire ring road open traffic

Bird Construction to buy Stuart Olson in $96.5M deal

by 2024.

David LeMay, the president and CEO of Stuart Olson, said the decision follows a period of “extensive” review and consideration.

With considerable revenues from its Industrial Group tied to Canada’s oil and gas sector, Stuart Olson, known as the Churchill Corporation until 2014, has faced increased pressure as energy firms curtailed spending in recent years. The deal was set in motion in early April, when, given increased financial and operational pressures, the company retained financial advisors to assist with a strategic sales process.

Both company boards have unanimously signed off on the agreement, but it’s still subject to shareholder and other approvals.

Bird and Stuart Olson expect to finalize the agreement in the fourth quarter of 2020. on-sitemag.com / 13