Regulations
COVID 19: construction legal Q&A
The McLennan Ross Construction Group is working hard to stay ahead of the legal challenges during the COVID pandemic, providing answers to top questions.
Sights and sounds of proposed code changes
A package of proposed changes to Canada's National Building Code aims to improve navigability and safety in large buildings for people with mobility, vision and/or hearing constraints.
Minimizing construction disputes
Delays and disputes can be disruptive and costly for construction projects. Learn about some of the common causes and how to resolve them.
Alberta cracks down on criminal trespass
Along with measures to discourage spurious lawsuits, the legislation has implications for commercial real estate operators and any organization with potential scofflaws among its employees or membership.
IAQ standards dissect freshness of outdoor air
Guidance related to natural ventilation, particulate filtration and compartmentalization of multi-residential HVAC systems are prominent in the list of identified "significant changes" compared to the incumbent 2016 version of the standards.
Alberta won’t rescue energy efficiency programs
The move concludes the process begun five months ago when the newly elected United Conservative Party government repealed the carbon tax and eliminated the funding source for the incentives.
Real estate flies red flags of money laundering
Some of the signals of potential malfeasance in real estate transactions are not obvious or only appear ominous when they are part of a pattern of questionable conduct.
Alberta enables long-term property tax breaks
Newly adopted amendments to Alberta's Municipal Government Act extend provisions that were initially devised to support the rejuvenation of derelict brownfields to all non-residential properties.
Alberta energy efficiency programs in question
Ontario draws on the legacy of more than a dozen years of programming, while Energy Efficiency Alberta has had little time to capture public or capital planners' attention.
B.C. RE sector boosts anti-money laundering efforts
Five agencies are uniting to combat money laundering in B.C.'s housing market.
RESCON: Toronto’s proposed restriction of high-rise concrete work to cost jobs, delays
The City of Toronto’s plans to stop after-hours concrete work on high-rise buildings will threaten thousands of jobs and delay the arrival of much-needed condo
B.C. construction industry deeply divided over CBA
When the B.C. government introduced the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) in July 2018, it set off a heated debate within the construction industry.
Clothing donation bins may pose liability risk
Commercial property owners who host clothing donation bins could run afoul of their province's Occupiers Liability Act or Occupational Health and Safety Act should an incident occur.
Protecting contract final payments
A frustrating recent trend in the construction industry is the improper withholding of the final construction payment by the owner.
NDP launches new agreement for public projects
The NDP government has introduced a new labour agreement for major public-sector infrastructure projects to be administered by a new crown corporation.
Developers decry pullback on property tax grant
Rules for the program are set to change, making the timing less than ideal for development proponents still awaiting a decision based on the original criteria in place when they submitted their applications.
Alberta retracts promised retrofit incentives
Despite information posted on the Energy Efficiency Alberta website for more than a month, commercial customers do not qualify for the new incentives announced in May 2018.