CCA Weekly - April 11, 2012

Economy

Building Permit Values Increase in February

The total value of permits rose 7.5% to $6.5 billion in February, following an 11.4% decline in January. The advance in February was the result of an increase in the non-residential sector, which offset the decrease in the residential sector. Read more

Infrastructure

Webinar: US Government Procurements in Infrastructure-Buy American Update – April 25, 2012

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), in partnership with Export Development Canada (EDC), invites you to participate to a special webinar on April 25, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST to hear from the experts regarding the current status of Buy American and other domestic sourcing measures affecting the infrastructure sector in the United States. This webinar is free of charge. Read more

Interest in Precast Concrete Could Grow after Ontario Trial

It’s been several years since precast concrete patches were first trialed on Ontario highways as a fast track repair and the data so far shows they’re standing up to the test of traffic and time. Read more

Labour

Citizenship and Immigration Canada Announces its Intention to Create a New Skilled Trades Program

To fill Canada’s growing labour shortages in construction, natural resources and similar industries, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced plans to make it easier for skilled tradespersons to immigrate to Canada. Read more

Canada records strongest employment gain in March since September 2008

According to Statistics Canada, Canada recorded the highest month-to-month leap in employment since September 2008; a net increase of 82,000 in March 2012. Construction saw employment increases of 9,000 in that time period. Read more

International Business

Webinar: Understanding Russia’s Business Climate – April 13, 2012

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada is conducting a webinar on April 13, 2012, for Canadian companies considering participation in the upcoming Canada Trade Mission to Russia. This webinar will help uncover the business landscape in Russia by providing an overview of the market and its opportunities with a focus on the sectors being targeted by the Canada Trade Mission: Building Products and Construction (including infrastructure services), Aerospace (aviation and space), and Mining (equipment, services and technology). Register here