NEWS

Despite a cooling housing market and mounting economic uncertainty, Premier Doug Ford insists his government can still meet its ambitious goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

The City of Toronto issued $1,287,183,720 in building permits in March. The city processed 3,369 permits. While the permits issued declined from about $1.56 billion in February, the overall number of building permit applications filed in the month reached more than $5 billion, according to city documentation.

A group of Canada’s general contractors has launched the Canadian Construction Safety Council (CCSC), aiming to improve safety performance and set new industry benchmarks to better protect construction workers across the country.

The federal government will provide billions in low-cost, long-term financing to help build thousands of rental units in Toronto, including more than 1,000 affordable homes. A total of $2.25 billion will be allocated through Ottawa’s Apartment Construction Loan Program.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has confirmed that Canada will implement retaliatory tariffs against the United States. Tariffs will be placed on U.S. goods including steel and aluminum, orange juice, peanut butter, wine, coffee and vehicles, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to place 25 per cent tariffs on most Canadian imports and 10 per cent on energy, starting Tuesday.

The Building Union of Canada determined that the CG Group failed to comply with the pension rates according to the present Collective Agreement (withheld some pension contributions) over a period of several months.   Upon discovering that the pension contribution was incorrectly remitted, BUC contacted the employer  CG Group, who paid in full the contributions owed to our 50 members. 

While welcoming former RCMP deputy commissioner Kevin Brosseau’s appointment as Canada’s new ‘fentanyl czar,’ mental health organizations say Ontario leadership candidates need to sharpen their focus on an overdose crisis that has taken a disproportionate toll on construction workers.

The Ontario construction sector is facing a complex economic picture in early 2025, marked by a significant jump in unemployment alongside a welcome, though incomplete, cooling of building cost inflation, according to a report released Tuesday, 2025, by the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS), representing unionized contractors and construction trade unions.

The Board of Directors of The Building Union of Canada are proud to announce our support and election  endorsement for Premier Doug Ford and The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.   

Ontario builders are eyeing a pivot to local and offshore suppliers of construction materials currently sourced from the U.S. including ceramics and architectural glass, specialized machinery and HVAC components.

The feds say reducing immigration will alleviate housing demand, but with a chronic worker shortage, the construction sector has increasingly relied on immigrant labour to build new homes.

As we welcome 2025, we look forward to building on our successes and creating new opportunities together.
Here’s to a safe, prosperous, and productive year ahead for all our members and partners. Let’s make it our best year yet!

Statistics Canada is reporting a 1.1 per cent drop in building construction investment to $21.4 billion in October. Investment in the residential building construction sector decreased by $312.3 million to $14.9 billion in October and non-residential building increased by $69.0 million to $6.5 billion.

Thank you to our members and partners for your hard work and support this year. Together, we’ve built more than projects—we’ve strengthened our community.
Wishing you and your loved ones joy, peace, and a safe, prosperous 2025!

The Construction Employers Council of Ontario (CECCO) has assured the Ontario Building Trades it is committed to being a better partner at a critical time for both councils, with negotiators representing the province’s unionized ICI sector preparing to hammer out a new set of three-year contracts for 25 trades.

The recent collaboration agreement between the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 and the Carpenters’ Regional Council has rekindled friction with the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).

The Ontario government is taking action to address the growing demand for skilled workers. Last Friday (Nov. 29), the government announced a second round of funding for the Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream, with more than $74 million available to support the construction, expansion, and renovation of training facilities in areas like construction, manufacturing, healthcare and technology.

We are deeply saddened to share that Steve Tarsitano, a valued member of the Building Union of Canada, was involved in a serious multi-car accident and is now in serious condition in the ICU.

On behalf of the union, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Steve’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. To support them, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-tarsitano-family

Thank you for your generosity and solidarity. Our thoughts and prayers are with Steve and his family.

Toronto has approved a plan offering hundreds of millions in incentives for the development of affordable rental homes. Mayor Olivia Chow said private builders are eager to get started.

To tackle the ongoing housing crisis, City of Toronto staff has released a report recommending the creation of 20,000 new rental homes. The plan, outlined in the report titled Build More Homes: Expanding Incentives ...