Construction: The cornerstone of the Canadian economy
Anibal Valente
The construction sector has been integral to Canada's development from inception.
Expansion of Canada's fledgling railway networks made Confederation possible turning the British North American colonies into the Dominion of Canada. Subsequent landmark projects were no less critical to nation-building and the development of the economic foundation of the country. Projects such as the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s that improve commercial sea transportation links to Europe, or the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway system that officially opened in 1962 and finally linked Halifax to Victoria by a road network spanning 8,034 kilometers. Today, through the daily contributions of the thousands that build our hospitals and schools, our infrastructure, workplaces and recreational facilities, construction remains integral to the economic development of Canada.
Annually, nearly $325 billion is spent on new and repair construction across Canada. As a sector, construction accounts directly for a $120 billion contribution to Canada's overall gross domestic product, or 7.3 per cent of the overall total. The industry employs nearly 1.4 million Canadians, many of whom work for micro businesses with fewer than 5 employees, and generates nearly $4.5 billion annually in tax revenues for governments across Canada. And despite the current downturn in energy and mineral prices, the sector is expected to continue to grow over the next 15 years driven by increasing global demand for Canadian natural resources and the need for governments across Canada to renew the aging stock of public infrastructure.
As we approach Canada's 150th anniversary, many impressive and important changes are underway within the construction sector that will shape its future for years to come. Modularization, 3D printing, new and stronger materials, changes in project design and contracting methods, as well as customer choices are all reshaping the industry and contributing to significant improvements in innovation and productivity.
Join Anibal Valente, Chair of the Canadian Construction Association, to hear more about this impressive industry and what to expect from the construction sector as we look beyond 2020.
About the Speaker
Anibal Valente is the 2015 Chair of the Canadian Construction Association and Vice President of PCL Constructors Inc.
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $7.5 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America.
Anibal, who has a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia, joined PCL in 1979 as a site engineer in Vancouver. He worked his way up as a project manager and senior manager, spending six years in Regina, leading PCL's Saskatchewan operations before returning to Vancouver in 2001 to manage PCL's BC Operations. He proudly displays his CCA Gold Seal certification in project management.
Anibal's project portfolio is vast – a few highlights include the Cathedral Place Office Tower in Vancouver, Saskatchewan Indian Federated College in Regina, Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, Vancouver Convention Centre West, and BC Place Revitalization.
Anibal's dedication to the construction industry has been recognized by his peers. In 2013, he was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal designated for Canadians demonstrating outstanding service in the construction industry. He has served as a board member on numerous industry-related boards including Regina Construction Association, and well as chairing the Saskatchewan Construction Association, the BC Construction Association, Vancouver Regional Construction Association, and the BCIT Foundation Advisory Board.
In 2014, Anibal was further recognized with two honors: he was named the CCA's General Contractor of the Year and inducted as a lifetime member to the Vancouver Regional Construction Association.
Anibal is a past board director of The Vancouver Board of Trade.
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