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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba ‘particularly vulnerable' to tariff-fuelled core building materials price hikes: CMHC
Due to a reliance on imports, tariffs on core building materials could hit Manitoba harder than other provinces. A Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. report in February flagged Manitoba and Saskatchewan as facing the highest potential cost increases because of a 'heavy' reliance on imported U.S. steel, aluminum and concrete. The market insights report was assembled as Canadians braced for sweeping 25 per cent tariffs. It was shared with the Free Press recently via a freedom of information request. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES A Winnipeg Construction Association memo notes a 10.7 per cent drop in permit numbers during the first three months of 2025. At the time, the CMHC projected Manitoba could see a 3.7 per cent price increase on core building materials: steel, aluminum, concrete and softwood. 'Regions like Manitoba and Saskatchewan are particularly vulnerable due to limited local production capacity,' the report reads. Four months later, blanket 25 per cent tariffs haven't appeared. However, a levy applies to all steel and aluminum imports to the U.S.; Canada reciprocated with a swath of 25 per cent tariffs on inbound steel and aluminum. U.S. President Donald Trump doubled his tariff on the two core building materials Wednesday. 'This report certainly shows that the construction industry in Manitoba has exposure to the evolving tariff situation,' said Darryl Harrison, Winnipeg Construction Association director of stakeholder engagement. Industry members have been altering their supply chains to minimize costs. It includes sourcing more Canadian steel and ensuring contracts don't specify American products, Harrison said. Manitoba imported $32.9 million worth of U.S. iron and steel more than it exported in 2023, per Statistics Canada data. It saw a similar deficit — but $51.9 million — for aluminum. Despite the economic uncertainty, Manitoba contractors have more bidding opportunities now than a year ago, Harrison said. The Winnipeg Construction Association has an online tender platform. The projects awarded during the first three months of 2025, however, was a noticeable drop from the same period in 2024. 'The tariffs certainly would have an impact,' Harrison said. U.S. levies — and Canada's reciprocal fees — came online in March, after months of threats and uncertainty. A Winnipeg Construction Association memo notes a 10.7 per cent drop in permit numbers during the first three months of 2025. Then, $988 million worth of permits were awarded; the number was $1.1 billion a year earlier. Institutional permit numbers plunged 53 per cent; industrial followed with a 36 per cent decline. Commercial and residential permits bucked the trend with year-over-year increases. 'My feeling is that people are more comfortable (now) in trying to find ways to manage the uncertainty of tariffs,' Harrison said. But the recent doubling of American steel and aluminum import tariffs — and possible reactive tariffs from Canada — could have an impact, he added. Supply-Build Canada hasn't clocked big differentials in tariff exposure across the country, said president Liz Kovach. Some U.S. suppliers have eaten tariff costs. 'I don't know how long they're going to be able to do that,' Kovach said. '(And) now that the tariffs have doubled, it's going to take a little while to see what that impact will be on the industry.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Canadian construction firms also face a headwind from an ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the U.S., Kovach added. She's bracing for a doubling of duties on such exports this year. Manitoba exported more softwood to the U.S. than it imported in 2023, at a net export of $244 million. Freight costs — and the distance required to get material — seems to be a large factor in price fluctuations, Kovach said. The CMHC hasn't analyzed whether core building material prices have increased since February, but stakeholders say rising prices are affecting construction, spokesman Leonard Catling wrote in a statement. 'We continue to closely monitor housing market activity.' Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Winnipeg residents hope new bylaw offences lead to fewer demolished, derelict buildings
People living in Winnipeg neighbourhoods plagued by burnt-out and partially demolished buildings hope a host of proposed new bylaw offences lead to the cleanup of more problem properties. A report from the City of Winnipeg's property and development department recommends adding 37 new offences, under the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act — provincial legislation that allows the city to issue tickets for offences like neighbourhood liveability concerns. The new recommended offences include failing to start or complete demolition projects on time. Breaking one of the new rules could carry penalties up to $1,000. That comes as good news to people like Cheryl Martens, who has documented derelict buildings in the Spence neighbourhood for years. "I think $1,000 is not that much for somebody who owns property in the area, so I suppose if we were being critical, we could say it could be more," Martens said in an interview. "But the fact that they're doing it feels like they listened, which is worth a lot." The property and development committee delayed a vote on the proposal at its Wednesday meeting. The Winnipeg Construction Association and the Manitoba Home Builders' Association made a joint submission asking the city committee to lay it over to its next meeting, to give them time to consult with their members. That disappointed William Whyte Neighbourhood Association president Darrell Warren. "I really would like the city to take a stance, and we need to go ahead and hit these guys where it hurts, and that's in their pocketbooks. And we need to be tough," Warren said. Like Martens, the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association has asked the city to get tougher with derelict property owners, and recorded dozens of burned and demolished buildings, including a row of four vacant and boarded up houses at the corner of Powers Street and Aberdeen Avenue. "There are property owners here that own their houses and they take care of their properties. It's not fair that we as homeowners have to take care of our properties … and yet this stands for years and years and years," Warren said. If approved by council, other offences that would be added include failing to comply with a stop work order, and failing to leave a site or maintain it in a safe condition when work is suspended or terminated. The property committee will debate adding the new fines at its meeting next month.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba Construction Career Expo pitches post-school possibilities to 1,500 students
Cole Wiebe aspires to be a diesel mechanic after he graduates, but on Wednesday, he gave being a lineworker a try. The Grade 10 Windsor Park Collegiate student was among the hundreds of students who visited the power line technician climbing station organized by Manitoba Hydro at the Manitoba Construction Career Expo. After putting on a belt, spurs and an orange high-vis hoodie, Cole ascended the six-metre-tall pole at Red River Exhibition Place, ringing a Winnipeg Blue Bombers cowbell to signal he'd made it to the top. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Kenneth Neumann, a Grade 10 student at St. Paul's Collegiate in Elie, climbs a utility pole alongside schoolmate Jonas Dufresne (right) at Red River Exhibition Place on Wednesday as part of the 2025 Manitoba Construction Career Expo. 'It was pretty enjoyable,' the teen said once his feet were back on the ground. It was his first time at the annual expo, which is organized by the Winnipeg Construction Association and its partners, Apprenticeship Manitoba and the province of Manitoba. 'It's interesting to see all the stuff and it's interactive,' Cole said. 'I like that a lot.' At the Manitoba Masonry Institute's booth, Leah Lindell got a chance to 'butter a brick' — put mortar on a concrete block and add it to an arch participants were constructing with the guidance of an experienced mason. The Grade 10 student was one of about 40 teenagers from Lundar High School who made the 75-minute bus trip. 'I just wanted to see what it was all about,' Leah said. She's considering a career in veterinary medicine and has never thought about working in the trades before. 'But I thought this would be a neat experience. It's pretty fun.' There were around 30 career tracks on display at the one-day event, which attracted nearly 1,500 students from around Manitoba. Organizers paid for buses and lunch, as well as the substitute educators required to teach the students that didn't come to the event. Winnipeg Construction Association president Ron Hambley said the WCA has organized the expo for more than 15 years because its members — which include 800 businesses that work in industrial, commercial and institutional construction — are concerned about the future number of workers entering the trades. It's the 'single largest issue' on their minds, according to Hambley. 'This (expo) flows from that,' he said. 'So many (students) will never see anything; they'll never tour a construction site or have the opportunity to see any of the tools that are inside. So this is a one-day opportunity for about 1,500 kids to have a look around.' At the Manitoba Construction Sector Council's booth, students could play games that showcased different skills required to build a home. The activities, which included a virtual reality simulator, highlighted not only the importance of hand-eye co-ordination but communication skills as well. A $10,000 drone at the booth served to illustrate what Ramir Diaz, education and training manager at the council, calls 'a trending career path' in construction: drone operator. Students who visited the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology booth learned about the school's CAD (computer-aided design) technician program; at the St. John Ambulance display, participants got a brief introduction to CPR using one of two training dummies. Meanwhile, at one of the most popular booths, members of the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada showed students how to use glue, an air nailer and a router to assemble and sand their own shadow boxes — just in time to give mom on Mother's Day. 'We hope to introduce them to what woodworking's all about,' said Rick Mostert, an AWMAC member who has worked in the trades for more than 35 years. 'We want to invest in our future … Hopefully, they want to get into an apprenticeship.' It was an exciting day for Eleanor Wainio, a Grade 12 student at Sturgeon Heights Collegiate. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up Attending the school has introduced her to a variety of trades, including carpentry and power mechanics; next week, she's taking her exam to become a certified welder. 'It's incredible,' she said of the expo. 'Everything they have to offer is better than a presentation in a school gym.' She already has a full-time job lined up at a renovation company once she graduates in June, and plans to pursue a career in heating, ventilation and air conditioning. 'It gives you a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of pride knowing you did something not everyone can do,' she said of working in the trades. Aaron Epp Reporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
CBC
16-04-2025
- CBC
Winnipeg residents hope new bylaw offences lead to fewer demolished, derelict buildings
People living in Winnipeg neighbourhoods plagued by burnt-out and partially demolished buildings hope a host of proposed new bylaw offences lead to the cleanup of more problem properties. A report from the City of Winnipeg's property and development department recommends adding 37 new offences, under the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act — provincial legislation that allows the city to issue tickets for offences like neighbourhood liveability concerns. The new recommended offences include failing to start or complete demolition projects on time. Breaking one of the new rules could carry penalties up to $1,000. That comes as good news to people like Cheryl Martens, who has documented derelict buildings in the Spence neighbourhood for years. "I think $1,000 is not that much for somebody who owns property in the area, so I suppose if we were being critical, we could say it could be more," Martens said in an interview. "But the fact that they're doing it feels like they listened, which is worth a lot." The property and development committee delayed a vote on the proposal at its Wednesday meeting. The Winnipeg Construction Association and the Manitoba Home Builders' Association made a joint submission asking the city committee to lay it over to its next meeting, to give them time to consult with their members. That disappointed William Whyte Neighbourhood Association president Darrell Warren. "I really would like the city to take a stance, and we need to go ahead and hit these guys where it hurts, and that's in their pocketbooks. And we need to be tough," Warren said. Like Martens, the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association has asked the city to get tougher with derelict property owners, and recorded dozens of burned and demolished buildings, including a row of four vacant and boarded up houses at the corner of Powers Street and Aberdeen Avenue. "There are property owners here that own their houses and they take care of their properties. It's not fair that we as homeowners have to take care of our properties … and yet this stands for years and years and years," Warren said. If approved by council, other offences that would be added include failing to comply with a stop work order, and failing to leave a site or maintain it in a safe condition when work is suspended or terminated. The property committee will debate adding the new fines at its meeting next month. City hall wants new fines for derelict buildings, rubble-filled lots 52 minutes ago Duration 1:33 Unsightly and unsafe derelict buildings and rubble-filled lots in Winnipeg could soon cost property owners a pretty penny. A new proposal at city hall wants to add new fines, as part of an effort to address complaints around the eyesores and speed up demolition projects.
