By Cheryl Jahn

Construction Association pursues a new ministry

Oct 22, 2024 | 4:00 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – There are currently 22 ministries in the provincial government. And the BC Construction Association wants to add to that list. A Ministry of Construction and cites an example why that would make sense.

“Infrastructure is going to be focusing on these capital projects and putting these projects into motion in that capital spending. But workforce and labour falls under a different industry,” says Nicole Bryant, CEO of the Northern Regional Construction Association. “And when we find a shortage of workforce and labour and we have spending happening on the other side, we need to be able to put that together to make sure that these projects can become a reality.”

The BC Construction Association says the construction industry brings more to the provincial coffers by way of the GDP than many of the other ministries. For example, the industry to date accounts for 10.3 per cent of the GDP or over $27 billion. Tourism contributes 2.4 per cent to the GDP, or $7.2 billion. It also argues construction is one of the largest employers in the province, putting 230,000 people to work, each of whom is earning more than $74,000 in taxable wages.

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And the timing to make the argument is now, with a new government, whatever it is set to take power.

“There are a lot of different components of construction, so it’s actually would be a bad idea to have a ministry that is focused on making sure that you can get through those things,” says John Rustad, Leader of the BC Conservative Party. “One of the things, of course, that we ran on and we want to be able to do is to be able to implement a single permit, a single project.”

Bryant says should a ministry be created, the minister, whoever that might be, would act as something of a provincial project manager on a construction site.

“On a construction site. The project manager gets to sort of direct traffic. There are a lot of other moving parts that fall within that system, underneath that project manager. This would be no different.”

With a new government taking power in the coming weeks, the association feels now is the time to strike, while the iron is hot.

“Right now there’s a lot of uncertainty. We’re just waiting to see what’s going to happen and the formation of government. And then, when the new government forms, there are a lot of priorities that are put in place and forming the new cabinet and all those steps that need to happen and we want to make sure that we put our voice in there.”

The Association has set out a mandate for such a ministry, if formed, would be affordable housing and infrastructure development, labour and workforce development, regulatory framework, climate action, stakeholder engagement and accountability.