Manitoba Heavy Construction Association

W hat's a mayor to do? As we sit, weeks away from the spring thaw that will trigger construction season, Winnipeg does not know if it will have funding to invest in regional roads at the top of the list for repair. Among these are Portage Avenue, Pembina Highway and Main Street, each needing significant work. Moreover, what is going to happen to the next leg of the southwest rapid transit route? We've constructed the leg to speed buses from Queen Elizabeth Way to Jubilee Avenue. But the 'corridor' stops there, a stub of the bigger idea, which is to move commuters quickly to and from south Winnipeg. Rapid transit is the kind of amenity almost universally available in modern, competitive cities. e city has made the decision to proceed. So why are we still in the funding weeds on this? Winnipeggers should have been dismayed, yet again, to see Mayor Brian Bowman at the steps of the legislature, hat in hand, asking the province to flow the funds for the southwest transit corridor's Phase II, along with almost $55 million to honour funding agreements made in 2017 for infrastructure shared-costs. And he was in Ottawa last month, seeking federal help to get the province to approve the flow of dollars from the New Building Canada Fund for Winnipeg's regional road budget. e federal budget, released a week aer his visit, confirmed protracted delays — years, not weeks — are expected before infrastructure funds flow to their intended targets. So, what is the mayor to do? What is any mayor or reeve in Manitoba or Canada, to do? ere is a painfully common theme to these stories. No municipality can afford on its own to write large-scale projects into their capital budgets. So Winnipeg, like every municipality, is forced to await the nod from higher levels of government, which may decide to re-negotiate agreements their predecessors signed, or change direction based on fiscal realities they face. Fair enough, but it's no way to plan strategically for critical investment in transportation infrastructure — systems that move people to jobs and goods to market. ese are the arteries of trade that keep the heart of the economy pumping. Municipal governments, being the legislated creatures of provincial governments, are at the mercy of provincial and federal priorities. Funding transfers from higher levels of governments, which help sustain the budgets of basic services, can and do change. ese sometimes unreliable funding relationships were created at the turn of the century; they do not meet the demands upon today's cities and towns. Municipalities rely too heavily on regressive property taxation to raise revenues, and the results are insufficient to the demands. Progressive taxation would see municipalities raising more revenues from consumption or income taxes, which grow as the economy does. Relying on current funding and fiscal arrangements wreaks havoc with long-range service planning, including infrastructure investments, as illustrated by Winnipeg's funding relationship with Manitoba and the delayed flow of dollars from the federal New Building Canada Fund (which also messes with provincial planning). It's time we re-thought municipal taxation powers, so they can explore new sources of revenue, to alleviate their dependence on property taxation and the political agendas of other governments. Not a blank cheque, but a coherent, transparent, accountable series of revenue streams that rebalance roles, responsibilities and relationships among the government levels, mindful that there is only one taxpayer. So what, indeed, is a mayor (or a reeve) to do? Good question. ere's no better time than now to explore solutions. As we move into municipal elections this fall, Manitobans need to hear what incumbents and aspiring candidates would do to engage with the public and senior levels of government to re-visit and re-engineer the wonky relationship and rework the roles and responsibilities between them. Manitobans should make this the ballot box question for the fall elections. And that's what candidates for the office of mayor and reeve should do, too. Chris Lorenc is president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association mhca.mb.ca THE BALLOT BOX QUESTION FOR FALL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS B Y C H R I S L O R E N C THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 13 75 GROUNDBREAKING years in 2018 COR Certified Gold Seal Employer Specializing in • Asphalt Paving/Concrete Paving • Site Development • Sewer & Water Services • Diamond Grinding 777 Erin St. Winnipeg, MB R3G 2W2 Phone: 204-783-7091 | Fax: 204-786-3106 www.mapleleafconstruction.mb.ca Recognition) safety Currently, construction like to see cent. thing to which I industry do. It's mpany and Why Some Others Don't, Collins, the (MHCA) to raising values, because it's a the right Construction safety HD safety organizations that co-hosted Rodrigue WORKSAFELY™ safety for new sessions and inspections compliance wearing conducting hazard assessments first thing in the morning and reassessing potential hazards throughout the day. "Someone might notice a tree with a big wasp nest later," he says. "In the last year we have had two employees working for us that were highly allergic to bee stings… those things also have to be brought up to the crew." When in doubt, Rodrigue calls upon WORKSAFELY™ staff and other companies for advice, and he's happy to return the favour. Good has been with Hugh Munro Construction for more than 30 years, and since 2010, he has been teaching safety in formal classroom and workshop settings as well as in the field. "If you're working with a subcontractor who isn't, say, up to par on their safety, we would make sure to help them out, give them some guidance, make them aware of things they should have in their safety program." Hugh Munro general manager Wayne Loo says it benefits everyone to help smaller compan ies bridge any safety gaps and increase baseline knowledge throughout the industry. "e best thing we can do as an industry is make sure that everybody working in this industry is getting to the same standards and levels," he says. "Because we all have to work alongside each other and if everybody is held to the same standards that will help take safety from good to great." Earlier this year, Hugh Munro initiated a Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) program as an incentive to encourage workers to focus on safety behaviours, both good and bad. Workers fill out cards and submit them in a ballot box, with the option to be entered in a draw for small prizes, or remain anonymous. Reported behaviours might be anything from noting that an equipment operator failed to use three-point contact while climbing off a machine, to acknowledging a worker who drove at a safe speed through a job site. e reports are not used for punitive response but rather as valuable feedback. Good has used some issues in his toolbox talks. Loo says the open communication contributes to a culture of safety from the top to bottom. Rather than laying blame, the company uses incidents for learning purposes, and shares that information with others. "Sharing what's been successful and not successful for companies is not going to create any unfair advantage competitive edge to contractors. It's all leading to growth." ❱❱❱ Accurate HD safety coordinator Marc Rodrigue reviews safety logs. Photo by DARCY FINLEY Celebrating 75 GROUNDBREAKING years in 2018 THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 3 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

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