Digging In Podcast: Vancouver Art Gallery goes back to the drawing board

Transcript:

Before we get into the headlines, I want to tell you about the Site Service Awards. Behind every build, there are countless skill sets: trades, marketers, managers, tech leads, HR pros, designers, and more. They often do not get their chance in the spotlight. That is why the team here at Site News has officially launched the Site Service Awards to celebrate the full spectrum of talent that keeps Canada’s construction industry strong. If you know someone who fits the bill, head over to siteserviceawards.com to nominate today. There is a wide range of roles that we want to highlight. There is no age limit and very few restrictions, so we want this to capture everyone that might have been overlooked by previous awards programs.

All right, I think we are ready to get into our headlines. The first story will be the federal budget; it is being rescheduled around builders. After that, we are going to dig into Alberta’s next big pipeline push. Then, it is back to the drawing board for the Vancouver Art Gallery, as they have picked some new design partners. Rounding out our headlines, builders are rallying to defend Ontario’s skills development fund after a major scandal. If you stick around all the way to the end, you get to check out our fun bonus story. Before this Canadian project is built for real, it is being built brick by brick in Lego, and I am going to tell you which project it is. Without further ado, let us get into it.

First up, the federal government has announced that it is moving to a fall budget cycle instead of the traditional spring budget cycle. Future budgets are now going to be delivered in November instead of the spring. Here is what Finance Minister François Philip Champagne said. Quote, “By moving to a fall budget cycle and introducing a new capital budgeting framework, we are making better timed and more transparent decisions. This is how we will deliver generational investments”. These capital investments include government-funded infrastructure projects, housing, and other physical assets. Officials say that delivering the budget in the fall gives businesses and construction organizations more lead time to plan projects ahead of the spring construction season. Canada is a very large nation, and we have some pretty extreme weather, meaning some activities are very weather dependent. This is going to ostensibly help the construction sector. They say transparency in the new framework is intended to help MPs and stakeholders better oversee planned spending on infrastructure and capital projects.

I think it is very interesting and maybe even indicative of the government’s mindset right now that they say they are planning their budget cycle around the construction process. Perhaps this means that construction, infrastructure, and some of these large “nation building projects” are top of mind for Ottawa and officials.

Next up, Alberta is gearing up for a major project push. They have announced that they are going to lead the application for a proposed crude oil pipeline to BC’s northwest coast. This is supported by Enbridge, Trans Mountain, and South Bow. A formal submission is expected in spring 2026. The province says it is committing $14 million right now to early planning processes and they promise that there will be significant Indigenous engagement and potential co-ownership right from the outset.

Premier Danielle Smith and Energy Minister Brian Jean say the project is critical to Canada’s energy future, aiming to expand export capacity to Asia and bolster the country’s position as a global energy leader. A lot of Canadians have warmed to the idea of more pipelines and more energy infrastructure, whereas years ago, people might have had a lot more push back. They are starting to see some of the realities of not having those alternatives and energy independence. The province has formed a technical advisory group, supported by those pipeline companies I mentioned earlier. Here is what Danielle Smith had to say: Quote, “This project application is about more than a pipeline. It is about unlocking Canada’s full economic potential. By doing this the right way from day one with Indigenous partners and industry expertise, we will deliver a proposal that proves this project is undeniably in the national interest”. It looks like she is really trying to pitch this as not just something that is going to benefit Albertans, but it is going to benefit all Canadians.

Let me paint you a picture of our next story. The Vancouver Art Gallery has selected Formline Architecture Plus Urbanism and KPMBB Architects to design its new homes at Larill Park, making it the city’s largest cultural infrastructure project in over 30 years. This is pretty interesting because this happened before. This follows a previously stalled attempt with Herzog & de Meuron that began in 2014. The goal at that time was to double exhibition space to accommodate a growing collection and also increase attendance.

We have heard about plans for a new Vancouver Art Gallery for a long time. Like most answers to life’s big questions, the root of it is money. Initially estimated at about $400 million, the project’s budget skyrocketed to over $600 million. That prompted the art gallery to halt construction in August 2024, after they broke ground. Unfortunately, the museum had already invested $60 million into the project. This is a great lesson in life: when do you quit, when do you go back to the drawing board, or do you keep sinking money into something that you do not think is going to be a good plan? For now, the site of the art gallery’s future building is being repaved and will once again become a parking lot. The city says that is just a temporary measure. We will see if this project can get off the ground on the second go.

Rounding out the week’s top headlines is Ontario’s skills development fund drama. Ontario’s $2.5 billion Skills Development Fund came under scrutiny last week after the Auditor General found that the selection process was quote “not fair, transparent or accountable”. It seems like lower priority projects and things that were not in the best interest of what the development fund was supposed to be working towards were receiving funding. Despite the criticism, the fund continues to receive strong support from construction stakeholders, including contractors, unions, and training organizations that rely on it and say it has delivered a great deal of benefit.

The Auditor General said that 549 lower rated applications received $742 million. However, the Ministry of Labor maintained that these interventions were made to meet government priorities, such as increasing skilled trades participation and supporting workers with disabilities. The fund has enabled targeted industry-led training programs that support workforce development, including housing, hospital, and transit projects. Some projects in the industry funded by this include the Ontario General Contractors Association’s Pathways to ICI, the Construction Labor Association of Canada’s Construction Boot Camp and Supervisor Micro-certification program, and training programs from the Progressive Contractors Association and LiUNA unions. The list could go on.

While this is getting a ton of bad press, the industry is trying to remind government officials and the public not to throw the baby out with the bath water. If there are issues, let us fix them. It is a great fund that the industry has gotten a lot of great mileage out of.

Finally, thank you so much for sticking around to the end; we have the bonus story for you. This might be the funnest way to prepare for a major construction project. In Halifax, they are building it brick by brick out of Lego. Kids and adults alike can now explore Halifax’s future emergency department, brick by brick, thanks to a gigantic Lego model that is on display right now at IWK Health. The health centre in Halifax unveiled the Lego model of this new emergency department, which is set to open in 2027.

The award-winning LEGO artist Shawn Mcloud is behind this; he is from a company called Holdfast Bricks. They designed and built the model using 25,000 bricks and it took more than 400 hours. Mcloud is no stranger to this kind of work. He has previously created Lego models of maritime icons such as the Bluenose (that famous ship), Pier 21, the Harbour Hopper, and the Halifax town clock. This project started as an idea about two years ago, and assembly started about a year ago. Officials say that this model is intended to entertain children visiting the hospital while giving a preview of the new emergency department. I think this is a super fun way to showcase some of the construction projects happening in a city, get kids interested in the built environment, and just have fun. Not everything has to be so serious.

I remember growing up with a big tub of Lego bricks that my brothers and I would pour out and go through, and we would build all sorts of cool and fun things. Legos are a great way to get people interested in construction, how things fit together, and how to build. Hopefully, there are more brick projects on the way. Drop a comment on my LinkedIn and tell me what project you think should get the Lego brick treatment. That is it for this week. Thank you so much for listening. Give us a rating and tell us how we are doing. Give us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcast so other people can help find Digging In and get their construction headlines so they can be better prepared for their roles. Have a good one