Ottawa Construction News staff writer

Thousands of Canadians took steps toward safer workplaces during May, helping Steps for Life raise more than $1 million for the fourth consecutive year.

The milestone was celebrated during a special wrap-up episode of Steps That Matter, the official podcast of Threads of Life, with hosts Eugene Gutierrez, Executive Director and Heather Lyle, National Manager, are joined by Sarah Wheelan, Communications Coordinator, to discuss big milestones and stories from the 2026 Steps for Life fundraising walks that happened earlier this month.

Wheelan also shared her personal milestone, running 20 kilometres to celebrate 20 years of participating in Steps for Life, and honouring her late brother, Lewis.

To watch the full episode, click here:

Across Canada, participants gathered in communities large and small, creating what organizers describe as a “sea of yellow” as walkers donned the event’s signature safety-coloured shirts. More than a visual symbol, the shirts represent a shared commitment to supporting families impacted by workplace fatalities, life-altering injuries and occupational diseases.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

New home sales in Ottawa surged in April, driven largely by recent expansions to new home tax relief, according to the latest data from the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) and PMA Brethour Realty Group.

The region recorded 744 new home sales, representing a staggering 203.7 per cent increase from the 245 homes sold in April 2025. April’s totals also mark a 164.8 per cent jump from March, which saw just 281 sales.

Year-to-date sales now stand at 1,558, up 41.3 per cent compared to the 1,103 homes sold during the same period last year.

“This month’s sales activity clearly demonstrates how directly policy decisions can influence housing markets,” GOHBA executive director Jason Burggraaf said in a statement. “The expansion of sales tax relief to all new home buyers has helped restore confidence in the market and encouraged many buyers who had been waiting on the sidelines to act.”

Burggraaf added that the robust spring figures are proof that “meaningful policy reform can directly support housing activity, improve affordability, and help get more homes built.”

Geographically, Ottawa’s south end led the region in April, accounting for 41 per cent of all new home sales. The west end followed closely at 37 per cent, while the east end captured 20 per cent of the market. Central Ottawa made up the remaining three per cent.

When breaking down by housing type, townhomes maintained a steady stronghold on the market, accounting for half of all sales (50 per cent). Single-detached homes saw a 16 per cent increase from March to capture 46 per cent of April’s sales activity. The remainder of the month’s sales were divided between condo townhomes and condo apartments.

The monthly report is published in partnership between GOHBA and PMA Brethour Realty Group to provide market data on local housing activity in the nation’s capital.

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The City of Kingston is calling for nominations for its 2026 Livable City Design Awards, recognizing projects that have enhanced the city’s built environment and public spaces over the past three years.

Held every three years, the awards celebrate excellence in urban design, architecture and landscape design that contributes positively to Kingston’s livability.

City officials say eligible projects can range from housing and mixed-use developments to heritage conservation initiatives, parks and other public realm improvements completed between Jan. 1, 2023 and Dec. 31, 2025.

“Whether it’s a new housing or mixed-use development, a heritage conservation project, a new park space or anything in between, we want to know what projects have resonated with the public and made a positive impact on the livability of Kingston over the last three years,” said Sukriti Agarwal, manager of policy planning for the City of Kingston.

“A livable city is one that is designed for all residents to move around easily, connect with one another, and enjoy,” Agarwal added.

The competition is open to both public and private projects, and nominations may be submitted by anyone. Full eligibility requirements are available on the City of Kingston’s website.

Submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. Eligible entries will be reviewed over the summer by a panel of experts, while members of the public will also have an opportunity to vote for a People’s Choice Award winner in the fall.

Award recipients will be recognized at a ceremony later in the year.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

The Ontario government is launching a fifth year of Level Up! skilled trades career fairs, with events planned in 12 communities across the province to connect students and jobseekers with careers in construction, infrastructure and other in-demand sectors.

The 2026 fairs are expected to attract more than 60,000 attendees through a series of multi-day events running from Sept. 23 to Dec. 10. Organizers say the fairs will feature interactive exhibits, hands-on demonstrations and opportunities to meet employers, unions and training providers representing Ontario’s 144 skilled trades.

The events are aimed primarily at students in Grades 7 to 12, but will also welcome parents, guardians, educators and jobseekers interested in apprenticeship and training opportunities.

“Level Up! Career Fairs play a critical role in engaging students, giving them hands-on exposure to in-demand careers, and helping them see the real opportunities these pathways can lead to,” said Ian Howcroft, chief executive officer of Skills Ontario.

“For more than 35 years, Skills Ontario has worked alongside the Ontario government to strengthen the skilled trades and help build the workforce of the future. Together, we are opening doors, inspiring the next generation, and equipping young people with the skills they need to succeed.

“We are proud to support Level Up! once again and look forward to another successful year.”

Last year, more than 58,000 people attended Level Up! career fairs across Ontario.

The 2026 fairs will be held in the following communities:

• Cobourg — Sept. 23–24
• Kingston — Sept. 29–30
• Barrie — Oct. 6–7
• Timmins — Oct. 14–15
• Thunder Bay — Oct. 21–22
• Sudbury — Oct. 28–29
• Hamilton — Nov. 3–5
• Windsor — Nov. 11–12
• London — Nov. 17–19
• Ottawa — Nov. 24–26
• Oshawa — Dec. 1–3
• Mississauga — Dec. 8–10

Each fair will include daytime sessions for students attending with their schools, followed by free public open houses intended to help families learn more about skilled trades careers.

“Five years on, Level Up! continues to open doors for young people across Ontario, giving them real, hands-on exposure to the skilled trades and the careers they could build,” said Candice White, chief executive officer of Skilled Trades Ontario.

“The career fairs make that possible by connecting students and jobseekers directly with the tradespeople and employers shaping the work today.

“Skilled Trades Ontario is proud to deliver Level Up! alongside the Ontario government, and proud to support every young person discovering a career that is in demand, well paid, and built to last.”

The province said roughly one in three tradespeople is nearing retirement and hundreds of thousands of additional workers will be needed over the next decade. Ontario has set a goal of engaging 500,000 youth in the skilled trades by 2030 through programs including Level Up! and the Trade and Tech Trucks initiative.

The government said one in six job openings in Ontario is expected to be in skilled trades-related occupations by 2034, as the province continues work on a $236-billion infrastructure plan that includes housing, highways, hospitals and schools.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) Ottawa chapter is inviting industry professionals to go behind the scenes of high-performance door manufacturing during an upcoming technical seminar and facility tour.

The event, titled “Sound Matters: Acoustic Performance & AMBICO Facility Tour,” will take place on Oct. 16 at the AMBICO Limited headquarters at 1120 Cummings Ave. The session is designed to provide architects, engineers, and specifiers with a deep dive into the technical requirements of acoustic openings and the manufacturing processes that support them.

The afternoon will begin with a technical presentation focused on the science of sound control in the built environment. According to the event organizers, the session will cover critical topics such as Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings, the impact of perimeter sealing systems on acoustic integrity, and how to properly specify door assemblies for sensitive environments like healthcare facilities, recording studios, and government buildings.

Following the seminar, attendees will be guided through AMBICO’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

“This is a truly exciting time at AMBICO,” the company said in a recent statement regarding its ongoing growth. “As we enter our 70th year of family-owned operations, we continue to purposely invest in our future… not only in state-of-the-art machinery—new press brakes and process improvements—but also in a top-tier management team.”

The tour portion of the event will offer a firsthand look at how specialized products—including blast-resistant, fire-rated, and acoustic doors—are engineered and fabricated. Experts will be on hand to demonstrate the precision required to meet rigorous international standards such as ASTM and ANSI.

The event is scheduled to run from noon (lunch provided) to 4:00 p.m. EST. Registration is required, and tickets are available through the CSC Ottawa Chapter’s Eventbrite page. Participants may be eligible for continuing education credits, as the technical content aligns with the professional development requirements of several architectural and engineering associations.

For more information and to register, visit the CSC Ottawa Eventbrite listing.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

Ottawa’s new home market showed signs of life in February, with sales rising from both the previous month and the same period last year, according to a new industry report.

There were 278 new home sales in the capital in February, representing a 6.5 per cent increase from the 261 homes sold in February 2025, according to data released March 23 by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) and PMA Brethour Realty Group.

Month-over-month, sales rose nine per cent from the 255 transactions recorded in January.

“While buyers remain cautious, February’s increase could be an early sign of stabilization for the Ottawa market,” Jason Burggraaf, executive director of GOHBA, said in a statement.

Despite the monthly bump, year-to-date sales continue to trail last year’s pace. The 533 homes sold in the first two months of 2026 represent a six per cent drop compared to the 567 sales recorded over the same period in 2025.

“Market conditions are still adjusting,” Burggraaf said. “Hopefully, recent clarity on the federal tax rebate will drive more sales in the last week of March and into April.”

The city’s south end was the most active market in February, accounting for 46 per cent of all new home sales. The west end followed with 33 per cent of the market share, while the east end made up 19 per cent. Central Ottawa continued to see minimal activity, representing just two per cent of sales.

Townhomes were the most popular property type for buyers, accounting for 54 per cent of February’s sales. Single-family homes made up 41 per cent of the total, while condo townhomes represented three per cent and condo apartments rounded out the market at two per cent.

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Ottawa Construction News Staff Writer

City BuildHERS is preparing to host its latest industry event, “The Ripple Effect,” an evening designed to highlight the influence of women in shaping the built environment.

The event will take place on April 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Huguette Labelle Hall, located within the University of Ottawa’s Tabaret building.

Organizers say the gathering is built on connection and designed for change, offering participants a chance to explore how women’s voices are fundamentally impacting design, engineering, and construction.

“This will be one of the most beautiful and inspiring events that I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating on,” said Lauren Epp, who is managing event co-ordination for the program.

The initiative follows previous City BuildHERS efforts to foster professional development and relationship-building within the local industry, such as past programs focused on enhancing golf skills to facilitate business networking.

“The Ripple Effect” is being held in collaboration with the University of Ottawa and is supported by several industry leaders and organizations, including the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA). Key organizers and collaborators associated with the event include Jennifer Cross, Kristen Buter, and Trista Lynch-Black.

According to City BuildHERS, the evening is intended to provide strategic networking with a curated group of industry leaders. The goal is to facilitate new connections, project leads, and working opportunities for women across all sectors of the construction and design industries.

“This is your chance to gain insights from design, engineering, and construction innovators that will leave you inspired and empowered to lean into your career,” the organization stated in its event announcement.

The venue, Huguette Labelle Hall, is a heritage space within the historic Tabaret building, which dates back to the early 20th century (with the hall itself seeing significant use and recognition in its current form since circa 1971).

Tickets for the event are currently available for purchase online. For more information on City BuildHERS and their upcoming initiatives, interested participants can visit the organization’s registration page or follow their updates through industry channels.

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March 2026

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Ontario Construction News staff writer

A key City of Ottawa committee has approved a plan to slightly decrease the one-time fees developers pay to fund the city’s growth, a move municipal officials say balances the need for new infrastructure with the demand for housing affordability.

The Planning and Housing Committee voted Wednesday (March 4) to amend the Development Charges (DC) By-law and update the 2026 Development Charges Background Study. The decision, which still requires final approval from full council, would see residential development charges for single and semi-detached homes decrease by approximately one per cent inside the Greenbelt and two per cent in suburban areas.

The shift follows an update to the city’s Transportation Master Plan and new requirements under provincial legislation, including Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025. The new rates reflect a revised schedule of infrastructure projects and a “new method” of calculating how much of a transportation project supports new growth versus how much benefits existing residents.

Geographic impact on homebuyers

The financial impact of the proposed changes varies significantly based on location, though the overall city-wide trend is a slight reduction in the “fee stack” for new builds:

• Inside the Greenbelt (IGB): Total charges for a single-detached home would drop from $56,399 to $55,982, a one per cent decrease. While area-specific road charges in this zone are set to surge by 104 per cent—climbing to $1,148—this is offset by a major 11 per cent reduction in city-wide public transit fees.
• Outside the Greenbelt (OGB): Suburban developers would see a two per cent drop, with total fees for a single-detached house falling from $63,745 to $62,568. This area benefits from decreases in both area-specific and city-wide road charges.
• Rural areas: Charges remain largely stable. Both serviced and unserviced rural developments are projected to see a nominal increase of only $130, or zero per cent.
• Non-residential development: Industrial and non-industrial rates are slated to decrease by an average of three per cent city-wide.

Legislative shifts and infrastructure funding

A major driver of the rate adjustment is the creation of a distinct “Land Acquisition” service category, a requirement under Bill 60. This adds a new fee of $1,344 per single-detached unit to the calculation. However, this new cost is countered by an 11 per cent reduction in public transit charges, stemming from the removal of the Transit Priority Network from the transit budget and its reassignment to Roads and Related Services.

Development charges are used to pay for essential services like water systems, public transit, and libraries. The city acknowledged that while these charges ensure “growth pays for growth,” they also represent a cost pressure “ultimately borne by property buyers and renters”.

The total gross 10-year capital program cost for these services is estimated at $12.3 billion. Of that, $8.0 billion is identified through grants and subsidies, which the city relies on heavily to fund large-scale Public Transit infrastructure.

The proposed changes are expected to come before City Council for a final vote on Wednesday, March 11.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

Ontario Construction News (OCN) is the first Ontario construction trade news website to provide a dedicated digital filing service for Form 6 (Notice of Annual Release of Holdback), ensuring the province’s construction industry can meet the new mandatory reporting requirements that came into force on Jan. 1.

The updated service, available immediately at ontarioconstructionnews.com/certificates, addresses the recent amendments to the Construction Act. These changes mandate that owners release holdback funds on an annual basis for multi-year projects, rather than waiting until the end of a contract—a significant shift designed to improve cash flow across the supply chain.

“The industry is adapting to a major legislative shift this year with the mandatory annual release of holdback,” said Chase, publisher of Ontario Construction News. “We have upgraded our platform specifically to handle the new Form 6 filings, ensuring that owners and contractors can comply with these annual obligations just as easily as they have always handled their Certificates of Substantial Performance.”

While the standard Form 9 (Certificate of Substantial Performance) continues to be published as usual to trigger the 60-day lien period upon project completion, the new Form 6 is required specifically for the annual release of accrued holdback funds.

“Compliance with the annual release rules is critical for keeping projects moving and ensuring trades get paid on time,” Chase added. “By digitizing the Form 6 submission process, we are simplifying what could otherwise be a complex administrative hurdle. Our system provides the immediate proof of publication required by the Act to greenlight those funds.”

Construction professionals can now access the reporting tool for both Form 6 (Annual Release) and Form 9 (CSP) directly through the OCN website.

OCN is a Canadian Owned and Operated daily digital construction newspaper and website compliant with Construction Act regulations, providing essential news, tender information, and certificate publication services to the province’s architecture, engineering, and construction community. OCN is the only provider to offer free universal search for all Form 6 (Annual Release) and Form 9 (CSP )and other notice requirements at certificatesubstantialpeformance.com.

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