Sixty-four seats. Two recounts. Ten days until B.C. has a cabinet. And the biggest copper mine in the country is still shut — with every union member in the province now asked not to touch its product.
Episode 50 of ICBA Coffee & Construction — the news that matters to the people who build British Columbia and Alberta, with ICBA's Jordan Bateman. On today's show:
☕ THE BIG ONE: Elections BC finished the final count Sunday night. 64 Conservatives, 27 NDP, 2 Greens. Kelowna Centre sits at a 43-VOTE margin and Ladysmith-Oceanside at 50 — both inside the automatic judicial-recount line — and Burnaby South-Metrotown flipped to the Conservatives on the absentee ballots. Lorne Doerkson is due to be sworn in Nov. 19. Since 2019, B.C.'s public sector grew 44 per cent; the private sector grew 3. Open tendering, a 120-day permit clock, no PST on machinery, a bridge in Delta. We will hold him to it.
👷 Highland Valley Copper: about 1,300 Steelworkers have been out since Oct. 24, talks have been dead since Oct. 8, and on Friday the BC Federation of Labour declared a "hot edict" — asking every union member in B.C. not to load, haul, store or ship the mine's product. A $2.1-to-$2.4 BILLION mine-life extension is under construction on that site. Get a deal.
🖥️ Where the work is: Calgary paused data centres. Parkland County said come on in. TransAlta, Brookfield and CPP Investments have named their project beside the Keephills gas plant the Boreal Technology Hub — 230 megawatts granted for a first phase, a 1,600-MEGAWATT ceiling, more than $5 billion and 1,000 construction jobs in phase one. Not a contract yet. Watch the file.
💸 The tax man at city hall: industrial tenants pay about $29,000 per million dollars of property in Edmonton and about $11,000 in Leduc County — and Nisku and Acheson are filling up while Edmonton's industrial space goes backwards. Calgary's four-year budget lands Tuesday after early numbers pointed to a 15-to-20 per cent property tax hike. Surrey votes tonight on a 60-DAY residential permit guarantee and a four-year tax freeze.
🇺🇸 The U.S. ambassador says a trade deal could be signed before New Year's. Until then, the 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel stays on the books — and so does the price of your rebar.
🎙️ Programming note: no show Wednesday (Remembrance Day) or Friday. We're back Monday, Nov. 16. On Wednesday, take a few minutes to remember our heroes.