Amidst a housing crisis (and election season), the BC Construction Association (BCCA) and Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) are pushing the Government of British Columbia to establish a new Ministry of Construction.
"With BC's construction industry contributing $27 billion to the province's GDP and the total current value of construction projects sitting at $160+ billion, the associations argue it's high time the sector had its own dedicated voice at the legislature in Victoria," the two organizations said in a joint press release.
The BCCA and VRCA note that they also have the support of the Northern Regional Construction Association (NRCA) and Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA).
The associations say that they envision a new Minister of Construction as "the ultimate project manager who can cut through the red tape and lay the groundwork for a smoother, more efficient construction process in BC" and be "the go-to for everything construction-related in BC."
When cabinet ministers are appointed, the Premier publishes a mandate letter that outlines the expectations for them, and the BCCA and VRCA have also drafted a mandate letter for the hypothetical position.
The draft mandate letter outlines expectations such as working with the Ministry of Housing to accelerate the construction of multi-family buildings, encouraging sustainable construction practices, addressing the skilled labour shortage in the construction sector, and ensuring strict adherence to workplace safety standards.
Aside from the big picture issues, the BCCA and VRCA also point to the need for British Columbia to introduce prompt payment legislation and builders lien reform "to ensure timely payments for contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry."
The Ministry of Construction would also be responsible for the BC Building Code and updating it "to reflect current best practices and emerging technologies." This week, the Province announced updates to the BC Building Code to allow single egress designs for buildings up to six storeys, which was a change led by the Ministry of Housing.
Other aspects of the Minister of Construction position would include promoting practices that reduce construction waste, engaging with industry groups and stakeholders, and overseeing reporting and accountability on key projects. In recent months, high-profile infrastructure projects have had to significantly increase their budgets and extend their timelines, such as the Broadway Subway Project, the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, and most-recently the new Vancouver Art Gallery, which announced on August 29 that it was expecting a 50% cost increase that will balloon the budget to $600 million.
"Construction isn't just about buildings," said VRCA President Jeannine Martin. "It's about communities, infrastructure, and the future of this province. We need a minister who will ensure our industry gets the voice and attention it deserves. It's time we had someone in charge of this vital, economy driving, entrepreneurial industry."
"The BC Construction Association has been calling upon the Government to create a Ministry of Construction since 2019," said BCCA President Chris Atchison. "Given the importance of BC's construction industry, not to mention its size, complexity, and impact on communities across the province, we remain steadfast in asking for this commitment."
This time around, the industry groups may have higher hopes. This week, after it was announced that BC United Leader Kevin Falcon was withdrawing from the October election and throwing the party's support behind the Conservatives, one of the first public appearances Conservative Party Leader John Rustad made was at a VRCA event as part of the association's construction conversation series. Rustad expressed willingness to collaborate with industry groups, but stopped short of a definitive commitment to create a Ministry of Construction, however, according to a VRCA press release.
"With the provincial election on the horizon, the associations call on all parties to consider this forward-thinking proposal," Martin added. "We're not just building buildings here. We're building the future. And we think it's time the government had someone in charge who gets that."
