C.A.C.E. Construction president Paul Lemire is also the 2022-2023 National Capital Heavy Construction Association’s (NCHCA) president.
Members approved Lemire and other executive members and directors at the association’s annual meeting on April 7.
Lemire has been a NCHCA board member since 2016, and C.A.C.E. Construction’s president since 2015. He joined the business in 2012 as an estimator and project manager.
In his introductory message as NCHCA president posted on the association’s website, Lemire says his priority will be advocacy, “which aligns with NCHCA’s first objective to advocate strong, clear positions and expectations to regarding issues that affect the heavy construction industry.”
He says advocacy efforts in 2022 will build on the work of previous years including:
- Promoting the safe use of broadband backup alarms to the City of Ottawa
- Advocating for timely locate services with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services
- Offering webinars and bulletins on excess soil management
- Working with the City of Ottawa to manage COVID-19 safely on construction sites
- Suggesting improvements to the City of Ottawa VPM (vendor performance management) system
- Participating in City of Ottawa specification reviews
- Advocating for increased investment in road building, and sewer and watermain construction projects with the City of Ottawa
- Addressing labour shortages through NCHCA’s Recruitment Project, developing strategies and solutions with input from industry
- Working with the city on its social procurement initiative
- Continuing with “construction community cares” initiatives such as the construction equipment parade in in support of CHEO and Roger Neilson House last held in 2021
He wrote that the association plans to hold several networking events through the balance of 2022, including a new slo-pitch tournament, Manhole and Pothole Open golf tournaments, BBQ Shine and Show, and the Fall Dinner Dance.
Another priority will be improving the retention and recruitment of heavy construction workers.
“In 2020, NCHCA undertook a multi-year recruitment project with funding from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to address industry labour shortages in the Ottawa area,” Lemire wrote. “We have submitted a follow-up request for funding to assist us in support us in rolling out the strategies and solutions identified.”
“We will continue to work closely with our partners – municipal governments, private sector owners and consulting engineers – and will build on the success of the 2022 Education Series, which brought together over 600 industry professionals at this industry-wide educational and networking event,” he wrote.
Other executive members include: Past president – Steve McEachen, Aecon Construction Ontario East Ltd.; Past-past president – Darrin Alberty, R. W. Tomlinson Ltd.; first vice-president – Brian Lane, Taggart Construction Ltd.; second vice-president – John Dekroon, K.C.E. Construction Ltd.; and treasurer – Dale Downey – Thomas Cavanagh Construction Ltd.
Directors include: Nick Bray, Louis W. Bray Construction Ltd.; Brian Gooderham, Coco Paving Inc.; Chris Lesaux, Wolseley Waterworks Group; Drew Paulusse, GEMTEC Consulting Engineers and Scientists Ltd.; Dave McClure, Tomont Cat; Nick Regalburto, LDC Precision Concrete Inc.; Sandro Ricci, ASL; Stephen Turner, Ottawa Residential Consultants Inc.; and Bob Watson, Marathon Underground Constructors Corp.
Representatives to the board include: Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) – Jeff Mulcock, Taggart Construction Ltd; ACEC (Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada) – EdsonDonnelly, Novatech Engineers, Planners and Landscape Architects; and Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA) – Ivan Levac, R.W. Tomlinson Ltd.