Victoria, B.C. (March 19, 2020) – In response to the COVID-19 crisis, which is beginning to affect BC construction projects and employers across BC, the BC Construction Association is bolstering the resources its providing online with a “virtual hotline” to gather the observations, questions and requests for guidance from the construction sector, including trade and general contractors, project owners, tradespeople, manufacturers and suppliers, and other service providers.
The information shared will be considered by BCCA as it helps guide the industry response to COVID-19. To support any survey/hotline participant that requests assistance, BCCA has assembled a team of industry experts able to help address a wide range of industry issues in the areas of human resources, finance, project terms/contract terms, legal, health, safety, communications, supply chain, or government (regulation, policy, tax, program, legislation, etc.) BCCA’s team of industry experts include BC Construction Safety Alliance, BC Ministry of Finance, BCCA Employee Benefit Trust, CBRE Ltd., Canadian Construction Association, Council of Construction Associations, Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP, Jouta Performance Group, Myers Norris Penny (MNP), Pace Group Communications, Partnerships BC, Wylie-Crump Ltd., and WorkSafeBC.
“I want to thank these organizations for stepping up on behalf of the construction sector, and I urge all individuals and organizations in our sector to reach out to us for support should they need it,” said Chris Atchison, President, BCCA. “With construction contributing just under 10 per cent of provincial GDP, the sector is absolutely essential to the economic health of our province. Having guided our industry through numerous challenges over the past 50 years, we recognize that communication
is critical as we work to support our sector during this unprecedented crisis.”
BCCA was to have celebrated it’s 50th anniversary on March 25 and during Construction Month in April but has chosen to postpone the majority of its planned celebratory activities until a more appropriate time.
“Understandably, serving our industry must be our highest priority at this time,” said Atchison. “There’s no question we owe a tremendous debt to the construction leaders, employers and associations that helped create and guide the BCCA over these past 50 years. That said, it’s their expertise and dedication in guiding the construction sector through times of intense economic and political change, that reinforces our commitment to focusing on the crisis at hand. We look forward to celebrating their contributions and our association milestones at a later date.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BCCA is also advocating for the provincial government to, among other things, introduce deferred property and payroll tax payments, and review timelines for public sector construction projects in the event it’s possible to accelerate projects in K-12 and post-secondary institutions.
ABOUT BRITISH COLUMBIA CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION
The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) works with four Regional Construction Associations (NRCA, SICA, VICA, and VRCA) to serve more than 10,000 employers in the provinces industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) construction industry. For more information, visit us at www.bccassn.com (website), @ThisisBCCA (Facebook) and @thisisBCCA (Twitter).
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CONTACT:
BC Construction Association
Greg Descantes
604-646-3564
gdescantes@pacegroup.com
