Business Moves: March 2026

AtkinsRéalis partners with NVIDIA to develop AI data centres

AtkinsRéalis and NVIDIA have announced a collaboration to develop nuclear-powered, large-scale AI data centres, combining AtkinsRéalis’ 70-year legacy in nuclear infrastructure — including its proprietary CANDU reactor technology — with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing, digital twin, and AI simulation capabilities. The partnership will use digital twin technology and OpenUSD frameworks to design and optimize integrated facilities before construction begins, focusing on three areas: nuclear integration, accelerated computing and project delivery, and power and data centre engineering. The initiative responds to surging global demand for AI infrastructure that outpaces current power supply, with nuclear emerging as a leading low-carbon baseload solution for next-generation AI facilities.

Unitech expands into Alberta

Unitech Construction Management Ltd. is expanding into Alberta, one of Canada’s most active construction markets, driven by strong client demand and a track record of delivering over $3 billion in complex projects. Leading the new Edmonton office are Directors of Project Delivery Aaron Corser and Aaron Giebelhaus, who together bring 50 years of collaborative construction experience and have delivered over $1 billion in projects — including $200 million in IPD contracts — across sectors such as recreation, education, transportation, and housing. Their addition reflects Unitech’s core philosophy of mitigating client risk, maximizing value, and exceeding expectations through collaboration, transparency, and senior-level involvement from day one.

Renokrew acquires Jancon assets

Renokrew has acquired select project experience and portfolio assets from Jancon in a 2025 strategic asset purchase, bolstering its delivery capabilities across Ontario’s ICI sectors. The move integrates high-value portfolio credentials into Renokrew’s organization and reflects the company’s disciplined, growth-focused approach to expansion while maintaining continuity for its existing clients and partners.

Health and Safety Advisors opens Ottawa office

A Toronto-based occupational health and safety consulting firm, Health and Safety Advisors, is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026 with the opening of a new downtown Ottawa office, expanding its capacity to serve organizations across Ontario. For a decade, the firm has specialized in building COR 2020 and ISO 45001 safety management systems that help employers demonstrate due diligence, improve safety performance, and strengthen their competitiveness on major project bids. The new Ottawa location will offer the full suite of services — including gap assessments, system design, custom program development, and audit preparation — positioning the firm to better support employers operating across multiple regions of Ontario.

NEXT Environmental adds biological services division

NEXT Environmental Inc. has launched a new Biological Services Division, expanding its offerings to become a full-service environmental consulting partner across Western Canada. The division provides biological and natural environment assessments to help clients evaluate site viability, manage risk, and plan ahead of land acquisition or development — complementing NEXT’s existing contaminated sites and regulatory services. As President Harm Gross noted, the move brings environmental and biological services under one roof, giving clients earlier, clearer insight into development potential without the delays of coordinating across multiple firms.

Cando plans to acquire Savage Rail

Cando Rail & Terminals has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Savage Rail, a deal that will make Cando North America’s market leader in first and last mile rail operating services and terminal infrastructure. The combined company will operate a coast-to-coast network of 36 terminals, three short-line railways, and 80 rail service operations with access to all six Class I railroads, accelerating Cando’s U.S. expansion while strengthening its Canadian presence. The transaction — Cando’s fourth acquisition in just over two years, representing more than $1 billion in total capital investment — is expected to close in Q2 2026, with Cando maintaining its Manitoba headquarters and establishing a new U.S. headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Inline purchases Challenger Geomatics

Inline Group has acquired Challenger Geomatics, uniting Challenger’s 40-year track record of technical precision in surveying, geotechnical services, and materials testing with Inline’s strategic infrastructure and growth momentum. The combined organization expands its capacity to deliver complex, multi-discipline projects across Western Canada and the North under one coordinated team, while preserving the professional standards and client relationships both companies are known for. Underpinned by an employee ownership model that gives field staff a direct stake in outcomes, the partnership is focused on long-term, sustainable growth built on shared accountability, quality, and culture.

Autodesk acquires workforce tech platform Rhumbix

Autodesk has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Rhumbix, a construction workforce technology platform founded over a decade ago to solve the problem of inaccurate, paper-based field data on large construction projects. The acquisition brings together Rhumbix’s resource management capabilities with Autodesk’s broader construction platform, with plans to explore deeper integration across cost management, scheduling, estimating, and planning to deliver real-time field-to-finance visibility. For existing Rhumbix customers, no immediate changes are expected — the same team and product offerings remain in place while the transaction works toward closing.

ATCO invests in major Arctic project proponent

ATCO Ltd. has announced a staged $10 million investment for a 40% stake in West Kitikmeot Resources Corp., the developer behind the Grays Bay Road and Port Project in Nunavut — a major Arctic infrastructure initiative comprising a deepwater port on the Northwest Passage, a 230-kilometre all-season road, and a 6,000-foot airstrip, with full completion targeted for 2035. Backed by significant Inuit ownership through the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and referred to the Federal Government’s Major Projects Office, the project will serve dual military and civilian purposes and create the first overland link between Arctic Ocean deepwater and the North American highway system. The investment aligns with ATCO’s long-term strategy of building essential infrastructure in remote northern regions, broadening its port and logistics portfolio while supporting sustainable Arctic development.

Kalesnikoff announces new modular timber classroom product

Kalesnikoff Mass Timber has launched a new line of modular timber classrooms, debuting the product at the world’s largest mass timber conference in Portland, Oregon. Built from cross-laminated timber sourced from Kalesnikoff’s own West Kootenays facility, the classrooms can be configured as a single unit or combined into multi-storey school expansions, and arrive with mechanical, digital, heating, and plumbing systems pre-installed for rapid deployment. The product addresses growing demand driven by school capacity pressures, rising construction costs, and labour shortages, offering communities a cost-effective, sustainable, and warm learning environment that Kalesnikoff sees as the future of educational infrastructure.

Spearhead begins $60M factor expansion

Spearhead, a timber fabricator based in Nelson, BC, is investing $60 million to expand its operations with a new production facility adjacent to its existing site. Equipped with a specialized Ledinek glulam line and advanced Hundegger CNC machinery, the facility will be among the few in North America capable of producing zero VOC glulam in complex, double-curved layups up to 80 feet. Construction is currently underway, with equipment installation scheduled for this summer and full product certifications expected by early 2027, significantly enhancing Spearhead’s ability to deliver sustainable, freeform timber solutions for high-end residential and commercial projects.

Mercer launches mass timber digital design tool

Mercer Mass Timber has launched BuildSpec, a free digital design tool designed to help architects, engineers, and developers evaluate hybrid cross-laminated timber and cold-formed steel structural systems during the early stages of mid-rise housing projects. By providing real-time comparisons of cost, constructability, and carbon impact against traditional materials like steel and concrete, the tool reduces design uncertainty and streamlines the decision-making process. Ultimately, BuildSpec aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable, prefabricated building solutions by allowing project teams to rapidly prototype and identify viable mass timber options earlier in development.

Alair moves into Seattle

Alair Homes has expanded into Seattle with the launch of Alair Seattle, led by Owner and Partner Jed Drenguis under the regional leadership of Stacy Eakman, who also oversees Alair Kirkland. The new location strengthens Alair’s growing Washington State footprint, bringing the company’s collaborative, design-driven approach to custom homebuilding to a market long defined by distinctive architecture, natural materials, and a strong connection to the surrounding landscape.

STEP merges with Sanjel

STEP Energy Services and Sanjel Energy Services have announced a merger to create one of Canada’s largest and most diversified oilfield services providers, with the combination also including Sanjel subsidiary Wayfinder Corp., operator of the Big Molly sand mine in Alberta. The deal brings together complementary capabilities across well cementing, stimulation and completions, and proppant supply into a vertically integrated platform positioned to serve growing activity in key plays like the Montney and Duvernay, supported by LNG export development across Western Canada. Existing STEP, Sanjel, and Wayfinder brands will be maintained, with clients continuing to work with familiar teams while gaining access to a broader, more integrated suite of services.