Standata on Occupancy of Buildings Under Construction

The 2006 Alberta Building Code allows for an authority having jurisdiction to issue an occupancy permit for a building before construction is actually finished. This commonly occurs in multi-unit residential buildings that are being built in phases, whereas the first phase sells out and is used to finance the next phase of construction. A Standata has been created by Alberta Municipal Affairs which specifies the fire safety requirements at construction and demolition sites for occupancy permit issuance, which can be downloaded by clicking here.

EI Rates and Insurables

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) announced on November 14th that EI premiums for 2009 would be kept at current rates, (i.e. $1.73 per $100 of insurable earnings for employees and $2.42 for employers) in line with the Chief Actuary’s recommendations. (The January 27 Budget has since frozen the rate for 2009 and 2010). The annual maximum insurable earnings for 2009, however, are increasing to $42,300 from $41,100 as a result of a statutory imbedded formula. As a result, the total amount of EI premiums paid by both employees and employers will increase in 2009.

Online Subscription Service for Codes

The 2005 National Building, Fire and Plumbing Codes of Canada are used as models for virtually all building and fire regulations in Canada. They establish the minimum requirements for a safe and healthy built environment and they contain new information describing the goals that the Codes’ provisions are intended to achieve and the conditions that help satisfy the intended objectives. Considered as an indispensable source of information for building, fire and plumbing officials, as well as construction professionals and educators, the Codes are available in printed formats and CD-ROM formats. Effective January 26, 2009 the 2005 National Building, Fire and Plumbing Codes and supplementary Guides, as well as the 2006 Alberta Building and Fire Codes, will also be available as an online web-based subscription service. To order, please visit NRC’s Virtual Store.

Reclaimed Water Working Group

The Government of Alberta has established a Reclaimed Water Working Group to facilitate the safe use of reclaimed water in Alberta. This could include developing new regulations, codes, guidelines and policies to maximize the benefits of using reclaimed water to mitigate potential health and environmental risks. This initiative supports Alberta’s “Water for Life Strategy”, which commits the province to improving the overall efficiency and productivity of water use by 30 per cent from 2005 levels by 2015. Using reclaimed water for various purposes both inside and outside buildings will contribute to meeting this goal. For more information click on the Reclaimed Water Working Group website.

Reporting & Investigating Injuries & Incidents

The information in this Safety Bulletin is intended to help employers report and investigate workplace injuries and incidents as required by the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. This is the law that governs workplace health and safety in Alberta. Injuries may also have to be reported to the Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta as outlined under the Workers’ Compensation Act, which falls outside the scope of this bulletin, which can be downloaded by clicking here.

Professional Selling 2 Course

PHBIA is offering the Professional Selling 2 course in Edmonton. If you have successfully completed Professional Selling 1, we invite you to register for this offering being held March 10/11. Business Principles is also being offered in Edmonton on March 13/14 & 27/28 and is a valuable course that shows how business management principles have been successfully applied to the home building industry. Click here for more details and the registration form.

Creating Universally Designed Healthy Sustainable Communities

The conference being held in Prince George, BC, April 6 - 8, is aimed at presenting current trends in creating livable universally designed inclusive environments for all citizens and visitors. As we face an increasing aging population, we need to prepare our buildings, homes and communities to be better designed for all. This conference brings together internationally known experts in the field. You will learn how universally designed inclusive communities are healthier more sustainable communities for everyone. For more information click here.

National SAM Winners Announced

The National SAM winners were revealed at the 66th CHBA National Conference held this past weekend in Quebec. Congratulations to all CHBA - Alberta members for their recent wins. For a complete list of winners, click here. CHBA also honoured leadership and accomplishment among its membership at the conference. To view a complete list of award recipients click here.

Sustainable Urban Development

Leadership Summit

Energy and the Future of Cities will be led by speakers and thought leaders who study energy in the context of urban systems while focused on the key urban issues that affect everyone's quality of life. This conference is planned as a region-wide conversation about the near-future, and it is highly relevant to a wide range of constituent Calgary interests in business, community and governance. It's an especially relevant conversation for Calgary because the city is a global centre of energy expertise. For more information, click here.

CHBA - Alberta BUILD 2009

CHBA - Alberta's annual conference, BUILD 2009, will be held September 17-20 at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The event unites industry members and provides opportunities for personal and professional growth while networking and having fun in a beautiful setting. Finishing touches are being made to the online registration and website. Watch for registration to begin later this month. If you are interested in sponsoring or participating in the trade show, please click here.