Ottawa Construction News staff writer

Ottawa-based TCU Development Corporation is partnering with Fiera Real Estate to construct a 21-storey, purpose-built rental tower in the city’s rapidly growing Cyrville neighbourhood.

The partnership, announced in late April, will see the development of SOUL, a 271-unit apartment complex slated for construction in May. The project marks the inaugural investment for Fiera Real Estate’s Canadian Built Opportunities Fund (CBOF).

While recent project announcements focused solely on the 21-storey tower, municipal planning documents indicate the building is actually the first phase of a larger, multi-tower master plan for the consolidated site at 1137 and 1151 Ogilvie Rd., and 1111 Cummings Ave.

According to a site plan approval report signed by the City of Ottawa in March 2026, this initial phase features a four-storey podium, ground-floor commercial space, and a temporary privately owned public space (POPS). A future Phase 2 will introduce a second tower and complete the finalized public park area. A previous zoning bylaw amendment, passed in 2025, approved heights of up to 30 storeys for the property assembly.

“Strong partnerships and aligned teams are what drive successful projects and this one reflects that from day one,” Mike Corneau, co-founder and CEO of TCU Development Corporation, said in a corporate release. “Partnering with Fiera Real Estate is a strong signal of both the quality of SOUL and the long-term fundamentals we see in Ottawa. This project is distinctly Canadian, from capital to expertise to trades and we’re ready to deliver.”

The development is designed to address a need for modern accommodations in an area where much of the existing apartment stock is aging, according to the Real Estate News Exchange (RENX). The site sits a block from the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, providing future tenants with close proximity to transit networks and employment hubs.

For the local construction sector, the project brings a commitment to domestic, organized labour. Pierre Pelletier, senior managing director and head of development and debt at Fiera Real Estate, noted the importance of union involvement in the build.

“SOUL represents an ideal inaugural investment for the Canadian Built Opportunities Fund — a well-located, purpose-built rental development delivered by an experienced local partner and built by Canadian union tradespeople,” Pelletier said in the release. “It demonstrates how institutional capital can generate long-term value for our investors while creating meaningful opportunities in the communities where we invest.”

The property is the former home of the Mandarin Ogilvie restaurant, which closed in 2024 after a 36-year run, according to the Ottawa Business Journal.

Occupancy for the building is expected to begin in approximately two years.

TCU Development Corporation, founded in 2010, focuses on Class A purpose-built rental housing and has developed a significant multifamily portfolio in Ottawa. Fiera Real Estate, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiera Capital, manages over $11.9 billion of commercial real estate globally.

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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

The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) is looking to expand its eastern Ontario operations, launching a recruitment drive for a new provincial representative based in its Ottawa member centre.

The position, based out of the union’s office at 38 Antares Dr. in Nepean, will see the successful candidate take on a multifaceted role as a lead advocate for employees in CLAC-unionized workplaces across the region.

According to the job posting, the provincial representative will be responsible for the full spectrum of labour relations, including collective bargaining, grievance handling, and the training of workplace stewards.

Unlike traditional trade unions, CLAC operates on a “wall-to-wall” multi-sector model, meaning the new representative will likely oversee diverse bargaining units ranging from construction and maintenance to healthcare and service sectors.

The role carries significant legal and administrative weight. Key duties include enforcing employment rights, navigating the Labour Relations Board (LRB) application process, and conducting all facets of collective agreement negotiations—from collecting member proposals to presenting final contracts for ratification.

CLAC, which remains independent of the Canadian Labour Congress, emphasizes a “partnership model” of labour relations. The organization notes that the provincial representative is expected to resolve workplace issues with a view toward reducing conflict and promoting stability on the job site.

The union is seeking candidates with a firm grasp of labour and employment law, as well as an “intimate familiarity” with provincial labour legislation and arbitral jurisprudence.

The hiring process for the Ottawa post reflects the union’s rigorous standard for field staff; new hires typically undergo a year-long probationary period featuring regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure they can handle what the union describes as the “rough and tumble” of labour relations.

In addition to member advocacy, the representative will also be tasked with “solidarity work,” aimed at expanding CLAC’s presence in the Ottawa area through local initiatives and the organizing of new groups of workers.

Qualified applicants are expected to have strong public speaking skills and the ability to address media inquiries regarding union policy.

Interested parties can find more information or apply through the union’s career portal at clac.ca.

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Ottawa Construction News staff writer

BROCKVILLE – GerrAudio Distribution has been appointed as the exclusive Canadian distributor for CEDAR Audio, a global leader in digital dialogue noise suppression and audio restoration.

The partnership, announced March 25, brings CEDAR’s full portfolio of Emmy and Academy Award winning technologies to the Canadian market, supporting sectors ranging from broadcast and live sound to forensic analysis and security.

Based in Cambridge, U.K., CEDAR Audio is credited with inventing digital dialogue noise suppression and spectral editing. Its solutions are used worldwide to enhance audio clarity and remove noise in high-stakes environments, including film studios, newsrooms, and live concert venues.

“We are pleased to welcome GerrAudio as our distributor for Canada,” said Andy Trott, CEO of CEDAR Audio, in a statement. “GerrAudio has a strong national presence and a longstanding commitment to serving the Canadian professional audio industry. The company has built deep relationships within the live and broadcast markets, and the team clearly shares our ambitions for growth and continued expansion in North America.”

For Brockville-based GerrAudio, the addition of CEDAR Audio strengthens a portfolio that already serves specialized vertical markets, including test and measurement and mission-critical communications.

“CEDAR Audio is recognized worldwide as an innovator and leader in this specialized segment of the audio industry, and their hardware and software products fit naturally into our portfolio as another valuable tool in the professional audio signal chain,” said Bob Snelgrove, president of GerrAudio Distribution.

Snelgrove noted that CEDAR’s capabilities in speech enhancement and noise suppression align with the distributor’s work in broadcast and post-production, while also complementing its support of government and industrial applications.

“CEDAR’s capabilities also complement our efforts in vertical markets where we support test and measurement, communications, and mission-critical audio systems for government, forensic and commercial/industrial applications,” Snelgrove added.

GerrAudio will provide sales, technical support, and market development for CEDAR solutions across Canada, coordinating with dealers, system integrators, and broadcasters.

GerrAudio Distribution is a leading Canadian distributor of professional audio, communications, and test and measurement solutions.

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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

The Ottawa Construction Association (OCA) is entering 2026 with new leadership at the helm, reporting a record-high membership and a solid financial foundation following a busy year of industry advocacy.

Dan Leduc of Soloway Wright LLP has been elected to assume the role of OCA chair for 2026, officially taking the gavel from 2025 chair Ken Crawford of C & M Electric. The leadership transition coincides with a historic shift in the association’s executive office. John DeVries has retired as president and general manager after leading the organization for nearly 28 years.

DeVries has been succeeded by Bill Ferreira, who joined the OCA following eight years of service at BuildForce Canada and previous experience with the Canadian Construction Association.

“I don’t have to tell you what a contribution he has made to this association, to our local industry and to the community at large in that period of time,” Crawford wrote of DeVries in the association’s 2025 annual report.

Ferreira steps into the executive director role of an association experiencing steady growth. The OCA closed 2025 with a record 1,190 member firms, having achieved a net gain of 20 new companies over the year. The diverse membership base now includes 370 trade contractors, 368 manufacturers, services and suppliers, 184 general contractors, 169 mechanical and electrical contractors, and 99 roadbuilders and heavy construction contractors.

Financially, the association remains on firm footing. According to the 2025 financial statements, the OCA generated total revenues of $3,226,560 against operating expenses of $3,103,059, resulting in an excess of revenues over expenses of $123,501. The association’s total net assets at the end of the year stood at a healthy $8,020,748.

The regional construction market also maintained its momentum. In 2025, the City of Ottawa issued 7,492 building permits valued at just over $3.25 billion. While this represents a four per cent decline from 2024, it marks the seventh consecutive year that permit values have exceeded the $3-billion threshold. Correspondingly, the OCA’s plansroom saw a nearly three per cent increase in activity, hosting 2,769 projects over the year.

The OCA also secured significant advocacy victories for its members in 2025. The association successfully pushed back against the City of Ottawa’s plan to sole-source a $15-million newcomer reception centre to Toronto-based BLT Construction using a pre-engineered “sprung structure”. Following public criticism from the OCA and the General Contractors Association of Ottawa regarding the city’s assumption that local industry lacked the capability to deliver the project, the city cancelled the contract.

Additionally, the OCA successfully lobbied the city to modify liquidated damages provisions on the $300-plus million Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment—ultimately awarded to EBC Inc.—eliminating unpredictable risks that went well beyond standard delay costs.

Beyond industry advocacy, the OCA continued its strong tradition of corporate philanthropy. In 2025, the association donated more than $113,000 to local charities. This included a record $50,000 donation to the Ottawa Food Bank, raised during a massive spring golf tournament that attracted an unprecedented 648 players across three local courses.

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March 2026

The post March 2026 appeared first on Ottawa Construction News.

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

The Tomlinson Group of Companies has been awarded the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) Green Leadership and Sustainability Award for the third time, recognizing its ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions.

The Ottawa-based infrastructure and environmental services company received the honour for a successful initiative targeting the idling time of its heavy equipment and trucking operations.

According to a company release, Tomlinson reduced its fleet’s idling time by 2.12 per cent across 288 projects in 2024. The proactive measures resulted in the avoidance of 159,724 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

“We are honoured to accept the ORBA Green Leadership Award for our efforts in reducing CO2 emissions by minimizing idle times,” said Ryan Downing, Tomlinson’s vice-president of operations support. “Thank you to the entire Tomlinson team for their support on this initiative, this award is truly a testament of their dedication and hard work.”

The company credited the success of the emissions reduction to the unwavering commitment of its field operators, who demonstrated “exceptional awareness” in minimizing the daily idling time of their machinery. The initiative aligns with Tomlinson’s recent efforts to diligently track and report fleet energy consumption and emissions.

“Thank you, ORBA, for this prestigious award,” Downing added. “We are excited to continue building a more sustainable future.”

The company noted the recognition highlights its core values of growth, drive, and commitment to promoting sustainable practices while delivering goods and services to its customers.

Tomlinson has previously been recognized by ORBA for its environmental stewardship, having won the green leadership award for its pioneering use of recycled concrete in road construction and for innovative erosion and sediment control measures on previous bridge replacement projects.

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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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