President’s View: History Tends To Repeat Itself And We Will Be Ready

Jul 5, 2017 - 8 years ago

It is a great honour and privilege to be leading the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association into its next 50 years. Looking at our history book published last year and our Transportation Infrastructure in BC magazine, it is interesting to note how the changes and challenges we faced in years gone by continue.

As we go to print, our province is facing uncertain governing times. What is certain is that for BC and Canada to continue to grow economically, we need to invest in transportation infrastructure. The federal and provincial governments have both been in agreement on this issue. They understand that a safe, reliable and efficient transportation network allows other sectors and industries to prosper.

With all opportunities, there will be challenges. The proposed ramp-up of major projects will bolster our industry’s workforce significantly. Our challenge will be finding the right people for the right job at the right time.

As noted by BuildForce, “It’s potentially the most rapid rise we’ve seen in BC’s construction workforce in the past decade…the pace and magnitude of many of these proposed projects will require the steady recruitment of new workers from the local workforce and from outside construction or outside the province to meet labour demands, especially in remote locations.”

We have been here before and if history repeats itself we will rise to the challenge.

by Kelly Scott
President, BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association