Québec
Levis – New sources of energy may be coming to Québec. A limited partnership between Gaz Métro, Enbridge, and Gaz de France are proposing to construct a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Levis, Québec. The proposed facility will comprise two storage tanks, a marine jetty to receive the LNG tankers, pumping, compression and vaporizing facilities and a 50 kilometer pipeline to connect the terminal to the existing facilities of Trans Québec & Maritimes Pipeline Inc. in St. Nicolas. The project has been under review by Québec’s natural resources department since 2004, and a final decision on the facility is imminent. While no engineers or general contractors have been selected for the project, construction could begin within two years if approved. The construction cost is estimated at $860 million. – John Gracey

Ontario
Ottawa – The Ottawa Congress Centre is seeking funding for a new congress centre. The project includes the demolition of the existing facility and construction of a new facility in its place. The project is expected to cost up to $160 million. Plans will increase green space on the property and improve pedestrian traffic flow. The Ottawa Congress Centre is seeking $50 million from both the Federal and Provincial Governments for the project. – Samantha Vartiamaki

Toronto – The Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced last month that they have awarded the General Contractor to build the $54,000,000 Toronto headquarters for Corus Entertainment. The 500,000 square foot office building will include a broadcast centre and more than 1000 offices. It will be LEED Gold certified. The project was designed by Toronto-based architects Diamond + Schmitt, with Quadrangle Architects providing interior plans. Site work has been ongoing during the last several months and deconstruction of the MT28 building on the site — the first phase undertaken by Aecon — began early in October 2007. Construction of the TEDCO-Chorus Entertainment office building is expected to be completed in spring 2009. – Chrissie O’Brien

Barrie – On October 12, 2007, the City of Barrie issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for the development of the Painswick Town Centre Block. Located at 48 Dean Avenue in Barrie, the four-acre parcel of land will be developed into a mixed-use development. Plans include a new 15,000-square-foot library. The Request for Expression of Interest closes December 7, 2007 and a construction budget will be identified upon its award. Construction is set to begin by March 2009. The awarded proponent will work with the Town Centre Steering Committee throughout the development process. – Samantha Vartiamaki

Aurora – York Catholic District School Board has issued tenders for a new high school to house 1300 students in Aurora. The school is to be located on Wellington Street East near Industrial Parkway. Designed by Stevens Group Architect Inc. in partnership with IBI Group in Toronto, the building will be 16, 200 square meters and is estimated to cost $25 million. The three storey building’s structural designs were completed by Stephenson Engineering Ltd in North York. The Mechanical and Electrical designs were completed by Ellard-Willson Engineering Ltd in Markham. The school board has also hired Hanscomb Consultants Inc. of Toronto to complete the Cost Consulting and Graham Hess and Associates Ltd. of Oakville to complete the landscape designs. Construction is expected to begin imminently and should be complete in time for the 2009 school year. – Samantha Vartiamaki

Waterloo – The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is short-listing consultants to complete detailed designs for upgrades to the Waterloo Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is located at 190 University Avenue in Kitchener. Detailed designs for the project are forecast to begin early in the New Year. The project was first identified in the Water and Wastewater Master Plan completed by Earth Tech (Canada) Ltd. of Kitchener, Ontario. – Samantha Vartiamaki

Manitoba
Headingley – LM Architectural Group of Winnipeg has issued a tender for a general contractor to build a new Sobey’s Distribution Centre in Headingley, Manitoba. The $27 million project will include a 379,286-square-foot retail support centre with a 17,848-square-foot mezzanine. The Civic Engineering designs were completed by UMA Engineering of Winnipeg. Crosier, Kilgour and Partner Ltd. and Tower Engineering Group completed the structural, mechanical and electrical engineering designs. The tender closed October 17, 2007 and construction is expected to start in November 2007. – Samantha Vartiamaki

Saskatchewan
Belle Plaine – Fertilizer manufacturer Saskferco announced in September its plans to expand its Belle Plaine nitrogen plant. This latest expansion, the third since the plant opened 15 years ago, will increase anhydrous ammonia production by 200 tonnes per day and urea production by 400 tonnes per day. The $84-million project is in the advanced planning stages. Saskferco is finalizing negotiations with its planning, consulting and construction teams. Construction is scheduled to begin during a planned shutdown in June 2009. – Simon Dickie

Alberta
Edmonton – The Century Park development has begun conceptual planning for the next phase of condominium towers for the site. The jointly developed and constructed project by Westbank Projects Corporation, Vancouver and ProCura Real Estate in Calgary will be adding six more 15- to 18-storey towers over the next five years. The estimated construction budget is well over $100 million dollars. The master plan for Century Park has been conceived by Arndt Tkalcic Architects Inc. of Edmonton and James KM Cheng Architect Inc of Vancouver. There will be related commercial and retail space in the towers, sustainable building elements, extensive landscaping and amenities through the Century Park Club facility. No construction schedule has been confirmed at this time. – Sam Van Aert

Fort Saskatchewan – On September 4, 2007, Keyera Inc. announced a major expansion to their NGL processing and storage facility in Fort Saskatchewan. The work involves the mining of four new underground storage caverns and the construction of a new brine pond. Once in operation, the project will add three million barrels of storage capacity for condensate, propane, butane, and other hydrocarbons. The name of the engineer is withheld at this time and a contractor has not been appointed. However, if all regulatory approvals are in place, construction could begin in 2008 with completion by late 2009. The total construction cost is estimated between $70 million to $80 million. – John Gracey

Conklin – North American Oil Sands Corp. has named their new facility the Kai Kos Dehseh. Translated as Red Willow River, it is the Chipewyan Dene name for the river known as the Christina River that flows through North American Oil Sand’s lands. In March, the Calgary-based company released a disclosure document outlining their plans for the facility 30 km northwest of Conklin that will ultimately produce 220,000 barrels per day of bitumen through steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology. Depending on regulatory approvals, the first phase is scheduled to start construction in 2009 with completion scheduled for 2011. The facility will be designed by Worley Parsons Resources & Energy, and constructed by Peter Kiewit & Sons. The construction cost has not been released. – John Gracey

Calgary – Calgary Olympic Development Association along with construction manager Cana Construction Co. Ltd. will construct Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the proposed National Athletic Ice Complex. To be completed by 2011, the project will be a Centre of Sport Excellence and will include four hockey rinks and approximately 100,000 square feet of office space. The facility will be the home of the national women’s hockey team, Hockey Canada, a sports school and physical training facilities. The project is being designed by Stantec Architecture and prime consultant is Graham Edmunds Cartier Architect. Construction costs are estimated at approximately $190 million. – Jenniffer Hall

Sylvan Lake – Keystone Real Estate Investments and Diamond Keys Home is proposing to build The Lake House, a 170-unit multi-family development with unit sizes averaging 1,000 square feet. The entire development will span a total of 2.29 acres. Luxury amenities include a resort and spa, swimming pools and on-site lounge. Construction costs are estimated at over $25 million. Construction is expected to commence in summer 2008, pending municipal approvals. – Jenniffer Hall

British Columbia
Kootenay Regional District – Big White Ski Resort will be the home of a new four-star resort hotel and spa in 2009. The Chateau Blanc Resort is a $200-million-dollar project developed by Berezan Management Ltd. of Langley, B.C.. The project will be constructed in three phases and will include a 600 unit hotel; convention centre; retail and commercial space; restaurant; health and wellness centre with spa; indoor swimming pool; four-level underground parkade; and proposed casino. The casino portion will depend on receiving approval from the BC Gaming Commission. The resort is being designed by Downs Archambault & Partners Architects of Vancouver. Construction management services will be provided by R-Four Contracting Ltd. of Langley. Construction of phase one will commence in late spring 2008. – Sam Van Aert

Wood Lake – The Amadon Group has big plans for British Columbia’s Okanagan area. In April 2006, the Vancouver-based developer announced their proposal to construct a resort community on 460 hectares of vacant land on the hillside of Wood Lake. The proposed resort will consist of two championship 18-hole golf courses with an interconnected club house; a destination restaurant/banquet hall; a winery; a wellness centre with spa; a 60-room boutique hotel; 240 resort residences; a guest ranch; organic vineyards; 170 townhouses; 130 garden homes; and 150 single family residences. Designed by Coast Architectural Group, the project is currently under review by provincial authorities. A construction start date has not been announced and a general contractor has not been selected. Construction costs are estimated at $700 million. – John Gracey

Chilliwack – The City of Chilliwack is getting closer to realizing a long-awaited $38-million overpass and interchange for Evans Road. The project has been on the shelf for over two years while governmental funding approvals and a land agreement with the Squiala First Nations were finalized. The Evans Road connector will bring a much-needed link between north and south Chilliwack. The project is currently in the conceptual planning stage and is waiting for approval from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation. A prime engineering consultant has not yet been retained and a request for proposal for a Design/Build proponent will be called by the City of Chilliwack in early 2008, pending approvals. Construction is anticipated in late 2008 or early 2009. – Sam Van Aert

Mission – The City of Mission is currently reviewing a large $50-million multi-family development which would bring 333 units to Parr Avenue. The controversial project will have 296 townhouses and a 36-unit condominium building. The developer, Jim Pattison Developments Ltd., has secured Robert Ciccozzi Architecture of Vancouver to design the new neighbourhood. Construction of phase one could commence by the summer 2008, pending municipal approvals. – Sam Van Aert

Abbotsford – Developer Karen Matty, of Matsqui Joint Venture Group of Abbotsford, has found a way to fast-track the construction of a 28-storey condominium tower on the corner of Marshall and McCallum roads. In only 18 months, construction crews with Scott Construction Ltd will building Brio, a 173-unit tower. Designed by IBI/HB Architects of Vancouver, Brio will be 11 floors higher than any other building in Abbotsford. The 244,000-square-foot building will feature three penthouse suites, four ground-level townhouses, two guest suites, fitness centre, a residents’ fireside lounge, media room, large outdoor patio areas with built-in BBQ's, and a French-style garden. The construction budget for the project is expected to be around $90 million. Construction is to be completed by late April or early May 2009. – Sam Van Aert

Surrey – The president of Quibble Creek Developments Inc. (or Young In Development), He Yong Yang. has retained Patrick Cotter Architects of Richmond to design his latest 40-storey condominium tower development. The new $350-million Sky Towers complex will have two towers of 40 and 34 stories. Together they will offer a total of 844 units in 61, 494 square meters. The top of each tower will have a landscaped glass solarium and at the bottom, the towers will be joined by a four-story podium. Construction of Tower One is anticipated to start in late spring or early summer 2008. A contractor or construction management company has not yet been finalized, but completion of the whole complex is expected by 2012. – Sam Van Aert

Prince George –British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell has announced funding for a major cancer care centre at the Prince George Hospital. The centre will include radiation therapy and a cancer lodge to provide patients and their families with accommodation. While no architect or general contractor has been selected, construction is scheduled to begin in 2009 and completion is anticipated in 2012. Construction costs are estimated at $80 million. – John Gracey

Greater Vancouver Regional District – A transportation study of the rail corridor west of Mission Bridge to Roberts Bank by ND Lea Consultants of Vancouver identified ten road and rail crossings as candidates for grade separations. The study was commissioned by Transport Canada with its stakeholder partners: the Vancouver Port Authority; the Province of British Columbia; Tran slink; affected municipalities; Canadian Pacific Railway; Canadian National Railway; BC Rail; and the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council. A joint funding announcement was made in June 2007 to proceed. Formal design, detailed engineering and construction schedules are undetermined at this time. Total capital funding for the overall corridor project is $300 million.

Yoruba – A destination resort called Yoruba Beach Resort is proposed for the former Timber West sawmill site on the north shore of Lake Coition. A total budget for the development has not been released, but is estimated at over $200 million. Currently, the proposed project is making its way through a lengthy rezoning process with the Coition Valley Regional District. The master plan by Hot son Baker Boniface Haden Architects of Vancouver includes approximately 800 single-family lots, 1,700 multi-family units in a mix of condominiums, townhouses, resort cottages, rental cabins, and affordable housing. A destination resort hotel, conference facility, restaurant and spa is also proposed. There is also related commercial, retail and cottage-industry space planned in the village core. Some acreage has also been set aside for a community centre, possible fire hall expansion and school. The developer behind the resort is 0741817 BC Ltd (Chris Clement Group) of Duncan, B.C. – Sam Van Aert

Contributors: Simon Dickie, John Gracey, Jenniffer Hall, Chrissie O'Brien, Samantha Vartiamaki and Sam Van Aert.
Sources: RCD Canada, Daily Commercial News, Journal of Commerce, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Canada News Wire.

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