A new non-profit organization will develop voluntary certification standards for responsibly sourced sand, stone, and gravel.

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate (SERA) will collaborate with not-for-profit group Environmental Defence and manufacturer Holcim Canada to create, administer, and promote widespread support for certification of responsibly sourced construction materials.

A Canadian firm—sustainable.TO Architecture + Building—has won an international competition to design a passive house for New Orleans.

The firm’s “Low Cost, Low Energy House” was selected from 65 entries from around the world in the competition launched by website ArchDaily and online community DesignByMany.

Last month’s CSC National Conference in Montréal not only attracted design professionals from across Canada, but also building information modelling (BIM) experts from around the world. This is because the event was held in conjunction with meetings for buildingSMART Data Dictionary.

Half of Canadian construction and property (C&P) companies will be hiring this year, according to the firm, Hays Specialist Recruitment.

“The response to the 2011 Canadian Salary Guide was brilliant this year and we were able to gather some really useful data and industry insight,” Rowan O’Grady, Hays Canada president, told Construction Canada Online.

Last month, the University of Calgary’s (U of C’s) Schulich School of Engineering launched the Centre for Project Management Excellence (CPME)—a program for education, training, and research.

“Projects have become more complex and the business climate more competitive,” explained Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura, director of the centre and Canada Research Chair in Project Management Systems.

A major hotel, river bridge, and a border crossing facility were among this year’s Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) winning projects in the 21^st Ontario Steel Design Awards.

“The awards are to share and recognize steel design and innovation excellence—helping to keep the Ontario industry on the leading edge,” Suja John, CISC’s Ontario regional manager, told Construction Canada Online.

“Migrating Landscapes,” a project by Winnipeg firm, 5468796 Architecture, has been selected to represent Canada at the 2012 Venice Biennale in Architecture.

A representative of Migrating Landscapes Organizer (MLO) told Construction Canada Online the team is incredibly excited to realize the project at the famous event, which takes place from August to November, 2012.

Last month’s fire at the Remy housing project construction jobsite in Richmond, B.C., has led to the questioning of the safety of wood-framed buildings. The fire destroyed one of the first six-storey structures in the process of being constructed under the province’s revised building codes for mid-rise residential construction.

The B.C. Ready-Mixed Concrete Association said in a statement that balanced design is a vital requirement for multi-family structures to be capable of protecting people and property against the hazards of fire.

Earlier this month, downtown Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital opened its new Keenan Research Centre and Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre. They are among the first medical facilities in the world specifically designed to bring together researchers, educators, and clinicians to brainstorm ideas and quickly deliver best practices and research discoveries to patients.

Three Canadian projects have nabbed top “Restoration/Renovation” honours under the continent-wide Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association (CCBDA) and Copper Development Association (CDA) awards competition.

The 2011 North American Copper in Architecture (NACIA) program recognized a trio of domestic envelope cladding projects for their work in “showcasing the beauty, longevity, and workability that is offered by mankind’s oldest metal.”