Local 63 Project Update
With winter upon us, Local 63 members continue to be busy. Here’s a look at what members are doing across the province
Fort McMurray and the Wood Buffalo Region
Work for members and signatory contractors remains steady. Maintenance and small project work continues to occupy the majority of work in the region at all of the major sites and many of the smaller sites as well. Here’s an update on the largest current projects in the area.
Ledcor’s Coke Boiler Replacement (CBR) major project at Suncor Baseplant is nearly complete. It is currently in the commissioning phase and employs about 300 members. The project will be wrapped up and demobilized early in the new year.
As CBR winds down, another Ledcor project on the same site is ramping up. The Coke Drum Integrity Project (CDIP) is currently keeping about 400 members busy and will be crewing up to 800 to 1,000 members for a shutdown in the spring. The project entails the replacement of eight coke drums as well as foundational upgrades to extend the life of the plant for approximately another 30 years. The shutdown will involve one of the largest cranes in the world (Mammoet PTC210DS). Shipping the crane and assembly on site is a significant project in its own right.
Edmonton Area and Central Alberta
Members in Edmonton and the surrounding area are chugging along through lots of snow and lots of work. The Air Products project is looking to be a significant source of work for the next number of years, with Aecon Construction Solutions Inc., Graham Construction, and PCL Energy Inc. currently on site. The DOW Path2Zero project is looking to start significantly in the spring, which will be a welcome addition to the Industrial work available.
Mod yards continue to experience a slight boom, with Ledcor, Kiewit, PCL, and Aecon all having a good portion of work building mod packages for a variety of clients across Canada. The Shell Scotford site has a major shutdown coming this year, and CLAC-signatory contractors will play a pivotal role in the work. Notably, our scaffolding contractors will be doing a large amount of work and will be looking to play a critical role.
In the commercial sector, work continues to push forward through the snow that has blanketed the city since late November. PCL Builders Inc., TWI, and Golderado continue to work on Highway 16 (The Yellowhead), while Nason has had a solid crew of members working on a project with Epcor in downtown Edmonton.
TWI has just about materially finished the footbridge that crosses the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton and is working on the significant task of cleanup and demobilization from the area! Not too far away, PCL Builders has been working on a wastewater treatment plant that will provide over 35 million litres of fresh water for the capital region.
Ledcor has started work on the Capital Line (light rail) and is well on the way through their project at Macewan University. Ledcor is nearing completion of two large residential towers in Edmonton. Both buildings now have their occupancy permits, so well done!
Looking a little farther away from Edmonton, the pipeline sector will be employing about 1,000 members this winter across three jobs with a mix of pipe diameters. Work will continue across the province despite a lack or major projects in the short term, with a number of large projects rumoured to be on the horizon! Keep your ears to the ground everyone, as work in the Edmonton area will stay steady throughout the winter, with an incredible amount of work on the horizon.
Calgary and Southern Alberta
With the winter season underway, Local 63 members are keeping warm by keeping busy in southern Alberta. TWI continues to tend to Calgary’s water infrastructure needs, with members spread across the city on pump stations and wastewater treatment plants. In addition, TWI continues to enhance the city of Calgary with the addition of a soccer centre and continues work on the trendy University District buildings.
Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. is upgrading the Calgary compost centre, as well as some nifty office-to-residential conversions in the downtown Calgary core. Integral Energy Services Ltd. has a few crews upgrading security systems and sprinkler systems in three schools across Calgary. Similarly, Nason Contracting Group Ltd. hired a crew of 30 members to perform work at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Nason also has members far and wide, with small crews in Banff, Canmore, and up north in Tuktoyaktuk.
After a successful wage review effective January 5, members employed by Aecon will receive a five percent raise for operators and a three percent raise for all other crafts continuing work on the Deerfoot Trail enhancements project. Golderado and PCL are also continuing their work on the Deerfoot Trail enhancements, with PCL building eight new overpasses. PCL has crews scattered around some interesting projects in around Calgary, such as the Glencoe Golf and County Club, the Rocky View Hospital, Calgary Zoo, Airdrie Urgent Care, and the YYC airport.
PCL and Golderado are both in negotiations to improve and renew their collective agreement. Borea Construction ULC continues to build wind farms in southeast Alberta throughout the winter. As one project, Halkirk 2, is completed, another project, Wild Rose, begins. Brock Canada Field Services Ltd. continues work on the Nutrien facility in Carseland and recently won the contract to perform the maintenance work on the NOVA Petrochemicals plant in Joffre.
True North received a new coat of paint, and under new ownership has been rebranded and is now Elevate Energy Group. They’re off to a strong start with the recent addition/retention of new electrician apprentices and continue their various instrumentation and electrical work around Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake.
Summary
Look for 2025 to get busier as the year goes on, with Edmonton continuing to demand more and more manpower through the spring, and members in Calgary continuing to repair and improve their city and the province.
Fort McMurray remains a massive component of the energy sector, which puts Alberta on the map, with some of the biggest and most significant sites in the province. Whether it is maintaining what exists or building the economy for the future, Local 63 members maintain their place as a cornerstone of the energy sector in Canada!