IN THE NEWS: Indigenous Contractors Among 85% of Open Shop Banned from Projects by NDP

Jordan Bateman : Published February 14, 2023 Updated December 3, 2025

ARTICLES & OPINIONS

Indigenous-owned construction companies are being shut out construction work on the new Cowichan District Hospital, because they are not unionized, meaning they didn’t qualify for the project under the NDP Government’s Community Benefits Agreements (CBA).

These discriminatory policies have driven up costs by keeping 85% of B.C.'s construction professionals on the sidelines.

Jon Coleman, owner of Jon-co Contracting is part of the Cowichan Tribes, and his company is affiliated with the Cowichan's Khowutzun Development Company. But he has been forced to lay off workers and sell equipment because he's not allowed to work on the project.

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