VRCA celebrates silver winners and goes for gold

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) is looking to the past while highlighting some of today’s best projects.

The association highlighted its Silver Award nominees at a reception held Sept. 26 in downtown Vancouver. There were 205 projects nominated worth over $2 billion and out of those nominations 49 Silver Awards were given out.

“Last year the value of the projects was $0.5 billion and this year the value is over $2 billion,” said VRCA president Fiona Famulak.

“The nominations have to be substantially completed by April, and this year we had more nominations and value because the projects reached substantial completion.”

The categories range from general, trade, electrical and mechanical contractors’ projects at varying cost levels along with awards for manufacturers and suppliers.

A Tenant Improvement category for general contractors was also introduced last year.

In addition to the contractor-focused awards, Outstanding Achievement awards are given out during the ceremony to both companies and individuals in the categories of education leadership, outstanding woman in construction, innovation and productivity, safety, VRCA member of the year, construction workplace health and safety excellence in construction and the U40 excellence in construction award.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS — ETRO Construction Ltd. is a 2018 VRCA Silver Award of Excellence winner in the Tenant Improvement category for their work on Parq Vancouver, as is Houle Electric Limited in the Electrical Contractors over $5 million category, PMB Joint Venture in Mechanical Contractors over $9 million, Ebenisterie Beaubois in the Trade Contractors over $7 million category and Glastech Glazing Contractors Ltd. in the Trade Contractors $3 million to $7 million category.

Submissions included post-secondary facilities and student residences, health-care facilities, a transit station upgrade, hydro-electric dam upgrades, port expansions, tenant improvements to office and retail spaces, both residential and mixed-used towers and a new hotel and casino, a VRCA news release stated.

All projects have been completed in the past two years.

“In terms of current trends, this year has been very competitive in all categories. Given the City of Vancouver’s push for zero emission buildings, we’ll likely see more projects focusing on emission reduction becoming a trend through 2019,” Famulak said.

This year is the 30th anniversary of the VRCA Awards of Excellence and Famulak said the theme of the gala will be a “walk down memory lane.”

“We want to recognize those who began the event in 1988,” she said.

The awards also have a connection to the Journal of Commerce, she added, as former publisher Brian Martin was one of the founders of the awards.

“It was a quite small event at the time, recognizing general contractors, but it’s grown substantially,” Famulak said.

Every year the VRCA Awards of Excellence feature elaborate theatrical entertainment and this year is no different, she added.

“There could be a historical aspect, to the entertainment, depending on how you interpret it,” Famulak said.

The Gold winners will be announced at the 2018 Awards of Excellence Gala on Oct. 23.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS — EllisDon Corporation won a 2018 VRCA Silver Award of Excellence in the General Contractors over $50 million category for the Emily Carr University of Art + Design. The building also netted Holmes & Brakel a Manufacturers and Suppliers award.

VRCA Awards of Excellence Silver winners

The Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s (VRCA) 30^th Annual Awards of Excellence culminate in a gala on Oct. 23, when the Gold winners are announced. Gold winners are picked from the below list of Silver Award winners, who were recently recognized by the VRCA at a reception in downtown Vancouver.

General Contractors – Tenant Improvement
Canadian Turner Construction Company	Metro Vancouver Headquarters
ETRO Construction Limited	Parq Vancouver
ICE Development Ltd.	BCLS Park Royal Shopping Centre
Ledcor Construction Limited	Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World – Tsawwassen

General Contractors – Up to $15 Million
Jacob Bros. Construction Inc.	Jacob Bros. Construction Office & Maintenance Facility
Peter Kiewit Sons ULC	Powell Spillgate Rehabilitation Installation
Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd.	Viterra Pacific Terminal Ship Loading System Upgrade

General Contractors – $15 Million to $50 Million
Graham Construction and Engineering LP	Metrotown Station and Exchange Upgrade
Graham Infrastructure LP	Burrard Bridge Rehabilitation
Smith Bros. & Wilson (B.C.) Ltd.	Surrey Biofuel Facility
Smith Bros. & Wilson (B.C.) Ltd.	West Vancouver Public Service & Municipal Hall Building
Urban One Construction Management Inc.	UBC Brock Commons Phase 1 Student Residence

General Contractors – Over $50 Million
EllisDon Corporation	Emily Carr University of Art + Design
FRPD-BEL Gateway Joint Venture	Fairview Container Terminal – Phase 2 North Expansion
ITC Construction Group	3 Civic Plaza
Ledcor Construction Limited	BC Children’s and BC Women’s Redevelopment Project Phase 2

Trade Contractors – Up to $1 Million (Chairman’s Trade Award)
Centimark Ltd.	Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World – Tsawwassen
Horizon Landscape Construction Inc.	South Surrey Operations Yard
Seagate Structures Ltd.	UBC Brock Commons Phase 1 Student Residence

Trade Contractors – $1 Million to $3 Million (President’s Trade Award)
Columbia Glazing Systems Inc.	Five Ten Seymour
Keith Panel Systems (KPS)	The Polygon Gallery
Rufus Enterprises Ltd.	Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World – Tsawwassen

Trade Contractors – $3 Million to $7 Million (Founder’s Trade Award)
Glastech Glazing Contractors Ltd.	Parq Vancouver
Phoenix Glass Inc.	1245 Harwood
West Coast Cutting & Coring Group Ltd.	Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse Upgrade Project

Trade Contractors – Over $7 Million (Director’s Trade Award)
Ebenisterie Beaubois	Parq Vancouver
Starline Windows	3 Civic Plaza
West Coast Cutting & Coring Group Ltd.	Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse Upgrade Project

Mechanical Contractors – Up to $3 Million
Black & McDonald	Metrotown Station and Exchange Upgrade
Gisborne Industrial Construction Ltd.	BC Hydro Wahleach Powerhouse Fire Protection System
PMB Joint Venture	Parq Vancouver

Mechanical Contractors – $3 Million to $9 Million
Division 15 Mechanical Ltd.	West Vancouver Public Service & Municipal Hall Building
Sentrax Mechanical	Ellsworth
Trotter & Morton Building Technologies Inc.	UBC Brock Commons Phase 1 Student Residence

Mechanical Contractors – Over $9 Million
Fred Welsh Ltd.	BC Children’s and BC Women’s Redevelopment Project Phase 2
PMB Joint Venture	Parq Vancouver
Sentrax Mechanical	3 Civic Plaza

Electrical Contractors – Up to $2 Million
Houle Electric Limited	Victoria International Airport – HBS Recapitalization Project
Status Electrical Corporation	Fraser Valley Cancer – ACU & Chemo Expansion Phase 1
Western Pacific Enterprises	Deltaport Rail Maintenance Building

Electrical Contractors – $2 Million to $5 Million
Houle Electric Limited	Fairview Container Terminal – Phase 2 North Expansion
Western Pacific Enterprises	Campbell River Water Treatment Building
Western Pacific Enterprises	Johnson Street Bridge

Electrical Contractors – Over $5 Million
Allteck Line Contractors Inc.	Shinish-Pennask 34.5kV
Houle Electric Limited	Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Houle Electric Limited	Parq Vancouver

Manufacturers and Suppliers
Amico Accessories Inc.	BC Children’s and BC Women’s Redevelopment Project Phase 2
Engineered Assemblies	Langara College Science and Technology Building
Holmes & Brakel	Emily Carr University of Art + Design