The threat of poor industry support and declining investments in major projects is alarming despite the value of existing projects continuing to grow, according to the B.C. Construction Association (BCCA)

In its Fall 2024 Construction Industry Stat Pack, BCCA  found that since spring 2024, the value of proposed major infrastructure projects has decreased in value by five per cent and nearly 20 per cent over the past five years, which makes the future of the industry look problematic as current major projects begin to wind down with no guarantee of being adequately replaced.

British Columbia is in high demand for major infrastructure projects. Hospitals, schools, multi-unit housing, bridges, and supporting infrastructure across the province must be built. Still, the decreasing value of proposed construction projects suggests that the province is not invested in making these a reality.

This decrease in investments is coupled with the concurrent need for more robust support mechanisms to ensure that said projects can be delivered. The underlying factors of payment uncertainty, workforce shortage, and high labour costs pose significant strains on the construction industry, which need to be addressed by our political leaders.

“British Columbia’s construction industry will be paramount to building our province’s critical infrastructure and alleviating the housing crisis,” said Chris Atchison, BCCA president. “During the election campaign, B.C.’s political party leaders committed to supporting the construction industry. Now that the results have been finalized, we need the government and opposition caucuses to work together to implement policies geared towards payment certainty and workforce development to ensure the construction industry can meet the current and future demand to build B.C. better.”