This month's feature member is IQ Safety Solutions!

IQ Safety Solutions offers a range of comprehensive safety consulting services, including the development and implementation of health and safety systems, processes, and programs.

They have been an associate member of the MHBA for 2 years. Iqbal Brar (President/Principal Consultant) believes that the best part about MHBA membership is being exposed to valuable networking opportunities which allows him to connect with like-minded individuals and construction leaders.

Read the full interview with Iqbal Brar to learn more about the company, click HERE.

This profile was posted on MHBA's website and social media feeds! If you are interested in your company being featured on our Monthly Member Profile, please contact Amanda at aserediuk@homebuilders.mb.ca.

Advertise in the Parade of Homes Magazine! - LAST WEEK TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT

As Manitoba’s most widely circulated new home publication, the magazine is distributed to city and rural Free Press subscribers. Additional copies are also distributed by the MHBA and builders at the show homes and in their offices.

Both the magazine and the Parade of Homes are promoted extensively by the Free Press and the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.

View the rate card and the sponsored content special offer HERE

To reserve your advertising space, contact Rob Waite at 204-782-6992 or rob.waite@freepress.mb.ca

Booking Deadline: Friday, June 16th, 2023

ATTN: BUILDERS - Parade of Homes Cover Search - LAST WEEK TO ENTER

We are looking for a front façade – specifically the front door entrance to the home to feature on the cover of our next Parade Magazine!  

It's easy to enter!

1. Take a photo of your home's exterior (this does not need to be professionally done) - remember we want to see the front door specifically
2. Submit the photo of the home to us, along with the following information: builder name, contact person, address of the home

View the full entry qualifications and process HERE

If you think that you’ve got a cover-worthy façade, we encourage that you submit your photos to agomes@homebuilders.mb.ca by Friday, June 16th 

2023 Annual Meet & Greet Reception - LAST WEEK TO REGISTER

When: June 21, 2023, 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Where: The Gates on Roblin

Please join us for a fabulous evening as we celebrate all Manitoba Home Builders' Association members. Whether you have been a member for years', or just joined - come catch up with old friends or meet new ones at our signature networking event!

We will be kicking off the evening by presenting our "Membership Milestone Recognition Awards"!

Registration is $45.00 (+ GST) per person.

The deadline to register is Thursday, June 15, 2023



REGISTER HERE



Topic: "Heat Stress"

When your body loses too much sweat through heavy labour or when working under hot, humid conditions, you can become dehydrated.

If your body doesn’t have enough water to cool itself down, your temperature can rise above 38o C. That’s when you can get a heat-related illness such as: heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke

Learn more about Heat Stress in CSAM's toolbox talk HERE

Suspension trauma is the natural physiological response to the human body being held motionless in a vertical position for a period of time, resulting in injury or loss of consciousness.

Learn more in the safety alert HERE

On June 1, Manitoba Hydro met with members of the MHBA for an all-day workshop to discuss and prioritize pain points that home builders have experienced as part of Manitoba Hydro’s Customer Journey Optimization process. 

In the earlier stages of the Customer Journey Optimization process, Manitoba Hydro solicited input from the homebuilders in identifying pain points with their experiences requesting new service connections. These (along with the input from Hydro employees) became the “why”- Why is change required to existing practices? From these pain points, initiatives aimed at alleviating or eliminating those pain points were identified, the “how” – How will these challenges be addressed? And finally, we have the outcome – What is Hydro intending to accomplish and how will success be measured?

A goal of the session was to help Manitoba Hydro have a greater appreciation of which pain points are most impactful to our members. 

In a facilitated discussion, our members and Hydro officials went over the pain points that have been identified, validating the completeness of the list, and prioritized the pain points. In addition, MHBA members were asked to validate how will “success” be evaluated by Manitoba Hydro and by our industry.

The MHBA’s Technical Research Committee will continue to work closely with Manitoba Hydro officials on the next steps in their Customer Journey Optimization for home builders aimed to improve service levels and timelines for our members.

The Manitoba government has now officially launched a new Construction, Renovation and Demolition Task Force that will explore ways to divert waste materials from Manitoba landfills.

The Task Force, co-chaired by Manitoba Heavy Construction Association President & CEO Chris Lorenc and Winnipeg Metro Region CEO Colleen Sklar, includes participation from the City of Winnipeg, Association of Manitoba Municipalities, Winnipeg Construction Association and the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association. 

The Task Force will submit a report with recommendations to the Manitoba government in the fall on effective ways to reduce construction waste entering Manitoba landfills.

You can view the province’s press release here.

With the busy housing construction season arriving, here are a few tips to avoid delays and help your inspections go smoothly:

• Schedule inspections through the Housing Inspections Online Request form (preferred method) found at: https://ppdportal.winnipeg.ca/Permits/InspSched/Housing_RequestForm.jsp
• Inspections can be scheduled up to 4 weeks in advance – (remember the 24 hours cancellation rule)
• Have your site supervisors pre-inspect the house prior to the inspector attending, to remediate any last-minute details
• Use the monthly defect reports sent to each builder to ensure the common deficiencies are taken care of
• Ensure safe access to the dwelling and into the basement via a ramp (see attached inspection advisory)
• Ensure the city stamped construction drawings are on site at all times along with the roof truss layout and drawings and the floor layout and engineered drawings if applicable
• If deficiencies are found, use the Defect Certification Program (DCP) through your Permits Online account to expediate the re-inspection process.
• Remember deadlines for deficiencies – 1 month. If additional time is required to repair the issue, request an extension online at: https://ppdportal.winnipeg.ca/Permits/InspSched/DefectExt_RequestForm.jsp
• The Alternate Video Inspection (AVI) Program is an alternative method for inspections for the builder or homeowner if required: https://winnipeg.ca/ppd/inspections/Residential/AlternateVideoInspections.stm

The Manitoba Government has launched another public review and consultation of the 2020 National Model Code Adoption regulatory project.

The proposed 2020 Code changes are now available for public review on the Manitoba Regulatory Consultation Portal website and can be accessed using the following link: https://reg.gov.mb.ca/detail/7769053

You can find the Province of Manitoba’s news release on the Code consultation here.

Please be advised that the project will be available for comment for 21-days, ending at 11:59 p.m. on June 26, 2023. We encourage our members to provide their comments to the public review and please ensure they are submitted through the portal website before the review period concludes.

The MHBA will be providing feedback once again on behalf of our members and our Technical Research Committee.

Does your construction company need to hire workers?

The Construction Career Pathways program matches eligible workers and employers to create 16-week entry-level placements across the civil, residential, and industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sectors. A $2,400 onboarding incentive is available to those companies that qualify.

More details are available in this fact sheet, or on the program website here.

Wildfire season is already underway in parts of Canada. Did you know that wildfires destroy thousands of acres or land and hundreds of buildings annually? Although environmental factors such as high temperatures, low humidity, and high winds increase the risk of wildfires, there are steps you can take to help reduce the risk to your property this wildfire season.

Wildfires can propagate quickly, and when one occurs, there may not be a lot of time to react. To help you be prepared, we’ve created risk management resources that outline common property fire hazards, building design considerations, as well as best practices before, during, and after a wildfire event:

• Wildfire plan and protection for businesses
• FireSmart at home

To learn more about Federated Insurance, visit www.federated.ca or if you’re a Federated customer, you can contact your Commercial Insurance Specialist with any questions. 

Did you know that CHBA members receive discounted pricing on the nationally bestselling Builders’ Manual, the Renovators’ Manual, and the Adaptiv Home Renovation Manual? Get a discount by bundling all three, then stack your member discount on top!

Visit chba.ca/bundle for more information.  

As part of ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of processing applications, the City of Brandon Development Services Division will now be processing rezoning and rezoning/subdivision applications differently, where development agreements are required, to ensure fewer delays between second and third readings.

New Method

Rezoning with Subdivision

• All development agreements to be tied to subdivision applications
• Unless there are sufficient objectors to a rezoning in accordance with The Planning Act, Council may consider second and third readings concurrently with the following conditions:
• The by-law doesn’t come into force (zone change doesn’t occur) until registration of the associated subdivision application in the Brandon Land Titles Office
• The by-law will be automatically repealed (rezoning dies) if subdivision is not registered within three years, unless the applicant applies for a deadline extension
• Applicants objecting to development agreements, or conditions in them, may still file an appeal under subdivision to the Municipal Board

Rezoning Only

• No change in process if applicant objects at a public hearing to a development agreement or conditions in the agreement, or there are sufficient objectors to a rezoning in accordance with The Planning Act
• Council and City administration will wait after second reading in case applicant files an appeal to the Municipal Board, or there are sufficient second objections to refer the application to the Municipal Board
• Otherwise, Council may consider second and third readings concurrently with the following conditions:
• The by-law doesn’t come into force (zone change doesn’t occur) until registration of the executed development agreement in the Brandon Land Titles Office
• The by-law will be automatically repealed (rezoning dies) if the development agreement is not registered within one year

Anyone with questions on the new process may contact Senior Planner Andrew Mok at 204-729-2115 or a.mok@brandon.ca.

The City of Winnipeg has launched consultations on its new long-term development plan for Downtown Winnipeg. CentrePlan 2050 will guide investments in Downtown parks, streets and buildings. The Plan will help transform what Downtown looks like, how we get around, and how we experience Downtown.

The City’s stated goal of CentrePlan 2050 is to get more people living and visiting Downtown.  

Public feedback is being accepted until June 15, 2023. To visit the CentrePlan 2050 consultation page, please click here.

Provide your Input

You can provide input until June 15 through online surveys, interactive mapping tools, and the ideas board on topics that interest you:

• Living & visiting Downtown
• Greening Downtown
• Getting around Downtown
• Building Downtown
• Re-imagining Graham Avenue

New-home construction in Manitoba slowed in April

Manitoba saw 343 shovels hit the dirt last month, down 37 per cent from the 543 that broke ground in April 2022: CMHC

The model city for transforming downtowns? It's in Canada

The downtown transformation that so many other cities are desperate for is underway in Calgary

City proposes massive changes in downtown redevelopment

CentrePlan 2050 would set annual targets for new residential units, reimagine Graham Avenue without buses, create new bike and pedestrian paths, slow traffic

Study finds search for women’s remains at landfill could take years, cost up to $184M

A search for the remains of two First Nations women at a Winnipeg-area landfill could take up to three years and cost $184 million, says a study examining whether a successful search is possible.

Winnipeg’s Portage Place set for massive $500m revitalization

After years of debate over the beleaguered downtown Winnipeg mall’s future, Portage Place got a massive shot in the arm Friday with a joint announcement from the province,

City to consider tax incentives to help transform vacant heritage building into 148 apartments

Winnipeg's Keewayden Block, scorched by fire in 2019, poised to become East Block Lofts

Pedestrian scramble at River and Osborne part of neighbourhood blueprint

Plan from Osborne Village BIZ also calls for allowing on-street parking on both sides, widening sidewalks

Competing motions on Portage and Main coming to Winnipeg city council

Winnipeg city councillors are veering off in opposite directions over the question of whether to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians.

New site for Transit garage elusive: city report

The City of Winnipeg is still searching for a site to replace Transit’s north garage, years after it began looking for one.

Summer indoor renos make sense

Summer time isn’t just for sprucing up the backyard or giving the house a fresh coat of paint. It can be the best and most strategic time to tackle that larger indoor project you’ve been planning.

MHBA RenoMark renovators deliver excellence

This year, we featured 88 different projects by 15 outstanding MHBA RenoMark renovators; renovators who follow the highest professional standards in Canada.

Spring and summer a great time to view MHBA show homes

While the MHBA’s Parade of Homes receive a lot attention while they are in full swing, it’s important to remember that the show homes featured in the Parade are open year-round.



Safety is always a priority on all job site

All visits to construction sites should be done by appointment only and with the full awareness of both the builder and their site supervisor.

Make sure to Click Before you Dig

Every year, homeowners in Manitoba damage buried utility lines on their property resulting in costly repairs, injuries and even fatalities.

Building economy a priority for Home Builder's Association ahead of fall election - Global News Clip

Manitoba Home Builders' Association president Lanny McInnes talks about the future of development in this province, and what the industry is watching ahead of a provincial election.

Winnipeg Home and Garden Show on now

With sub-zero temperatures hopefully fully behind us and the snow melting away, it’s a great time for home owners to begin planning for the renovation projects they want to tackle this summer or fall.

Protect yourself when doing home improvements

There are some key points to remember when you are getting a “really great deal” on home renovations, especially on “cash deals” where the person doing the work is being paid “under the table”. 

Latest update dated: June 12, 2023

• Appointments in the North area are available for the next day.
• Appointments in the East area are available for the next day.
• Appointments in the South area are available for the next day.

The Utility Billing Centre is currently responding to builder's webform requests within 2-3 business days.

The MHBA has been asked by the City of Winnipeg’s Water Services to provide the following reminder to our members:

Before a water meter installation appointment can be scheduled, a contact phone number is required. Please provide Water Services with a phone number where you can be reached during the day, evening or weekend.

To ensure customer’s and employee’s safety during the pandemic, you will receive a phone call, approximately 1 day prior to the appointment date, to ask you questions related to COVID-19. If the City is unable to reach you at the phone number you provide, your appointment will be cancelled.

When you respond to this email with a phone number, your appointment will be scheduled.

As a result of the Manitoba Construction Industry Job Fair on April 18, Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC) now has a database of over 400 job seekers. This includes but is not limited to drywallers, concrete finishers, project managers, retired company owners and construction labourers.

If you're interested in accessing this list of job seekers, please reach out to James Murphy at MCSC at jmurphy@mbcsc.com letting him know your needs.

See the latest newsletter and sign up for timely updates from the Manitoba Construction Sector Council here.