Andrea Markey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 16/05) - It is important for those in the building trades to stay as up-to-date as possible on recent regulatory changes and design innovations.

To that end, a three-day conference in Yellowknife next week will focus on improvements for the Northern construction industry, as well as doubling as the venue for the first NWT Construction Association trade fair.

The biennial project management conference at the Explorer Hotel will look at this key function on both a national and regional basis.

"Similar courses are offered in the south, but this is more effective training as the North of 60 conference focuses on things such as the effects of climate change on permafrost," said Joe Auge, director of the asset management division of Public Works and Services, which organized the conference.

Government staff, as well as consultants and contractors from across the North will be some of the estimated 220 people in attendance.

More than 15 experts, including Northerners such as Jerry Jaud, of FSC Architects and Engineers, and Gino Pin of Pin/Taylor Architects, will present and moderate an array of topics and discussions.

Information sessions will cover things such as the legal aspects of contracts and tendering, Auge said.

Other national initiatives on the agenda, such as LEED green building technologies, will have a Northern twist.

"Some of the stuff they do down south with sustainable development just doesn't make any sense here," he said.

For example, when talking about green buildings, one of the steps is identifying a nearby bus route, he said.

"Once you get out of Yellowknife, who cares? There are no bus routes."

The national trend of filing information and meeting minutes on-line also has important implications for Northerners, he said. Jerry Jaud with FSC Architects and Engineers will present the topic along with Dennis Cleaver.

"If you are building a new school in Inuvik, and your consultant is in Yellowknife and the builder is in Hay River, there is a lot of sense in using as much online project management as possible," said Auge.

The national shortage of skilled labour and rising costs of fuel and steel are no less important in the North.

"Alberta is attracting trades people from across Canada and Northern contractors have to compete with them for labour," he said, adding that often means paying higher wages to keep people or get them to come North.

"Planning ahead is key, especially in more remote communities," he said.

"Sometimes you just can't throw bodies at it because sometimes you can't get those bodies."

A major advantage of getting people under one roof is they hear the same message at the same time, he said.

"Getting co-operation and a team approach to project management is probably the most important thing there is," he said.

"When problems come up, it is important for everyone to say, 'How are we going to solve this one?' not, 'It's your fault.'"

Networking is also an important part of the trade fair, said Don Worrall, executive director of the construction association.

Thirty booths will be set up at the Explorer Hotel, featuring information on Northern and national construction and consulting companies.