Voices
More LED lighting tips
by Rob BlackstienBack in mid-October, we ran a video offering tips about how best to plan the layout of complex lighting systems. Well, the timing is surprising, but nonetheless, Doug McGinley has offered up his own take on these tips, with a…
Housing an essential service during COVID-19
by canadiancontractorBy Casey Edge First a little history. COVID-19 got its name because it was identified in late 2019. Apparently the global medical community and political leaders were unable to identify the widescale threat of this virus until only recently. One…
Covid-19 from a contractor’s perspective: What a difference a week makes
by Rob BlackstienIn response to our Covid-19 coverage, we’ve had some great insights from contractors to let us know what’s happening on the front lines of the crisis. Ben Polley, in particular, has been diligent about providing us with updates. Last week,…
Covid-19: “The situation is fluid”
by Rob BlackstienFurther to Steve Payne’s article about the Covid-19 crisis, Ben Polley provided some important updates: Thanks for touching base, Steve. The situation is fluid though here are more updates from our own outreach: At present Dufferin County (which provides building…
Happy to spend other people’s money
by Rob BlackstienLast week, Jay posted a response to one of Paul Duffy’s code changes articles. In response to this comment, our own columnist Casey Edge defended Duffy’s piece, writing the following: Duffy is correct when he says “…there are huge opportunities…
How is Covid-19 affecting you?
by Rob BlackstienCovid-19 represents the most disruptive event that many of us will likely ever see in our lifetimes. No one is immune to change that been ushered in as a result of this pandemic. You’ve likely already seen our initial coverage…
Do you really want to go cheap?
by Rob BlackstienIn August, Paul Duffy wrote the second of his three-part series about code changes that could really help save money, in this particular installment focusing on slab on grade. It’s taken some time to get any reaction to this piece,…
I second that emotion
by Rob BlackstienJust over three years ago, we published an article by architect Brad Green, who offered up an alternative solution to keep water and drain pipes flowing year round in cottage country. The article prompted a few comments over the years,…
Opinion: Glad to see thugs get shut down
by Rob BlackstienAbout a year and a half ago, we had a reader write in to argue against the closing of the Ontario College of Trades. Needless to say, this post prompted a stream of vitriol from Contractor Nation, but the anger…
Simple math
by Rob BlackstienLast month, in response to an article we ran from Skills Ontario, Peter Jerva bemoaned the fact that today’s youth are generally less capable when it comes to handyman-type skills. This resonated with Marten, who adds to this discussion with…
A plea for open source standards
by Rob BlackstienThe discussion about why the Building Code isn’t free dates back several years on our site and has received plenty of responses over time. However, the thread had been dormant since Halloween — perhaps fittingly — but now Brad C.…
New Code driven by fear of jurisdictions not adopting National Code
by canadiancontractorBy Casey Edge Codes Canada has announced proposed changes to the National Building Code including energy efficiency. The opportunity to provide feedback ends March 13, 2020. The changes to Part 9 outline tiered energy performance levels similar to the BC…
Will Mike Holmes help this widow?
by Rob BlackstienSeveral years ago, we gave Mike Holmes an opportunity to respond to the criticism he had received from our readers. Unsurprisingly, the post garnered plenty of responses. And by plenty, we mean we received enough words from readers to write…
Pretending to be an electrical contractor
by Rob BlackstienSeveral years ago, we did a piece on an unlicensed electrician who earned himself a 30-day jail sentence. The article prompted a wave of comments from Contractor Nation, but the thread had remained dormant for over three years until Matt…
The struggle to hire qualified workers
by Rob BlackstienWe recently ran an article discussing the current landscape of the industry in British Columbia, specifically how the skills shortage was becoming an increasing issue. This prompted the following response from Robin, who is clearly experiencing a similar challenge: We…
Opinion: young people are far less capable
by Rob BlackstienA couple of weeks ago, we ran an article from Skills Ontario that aimed to debunk some of the myths about skilled trades. The article prompted a classic Questo rant, and now Peter Jerva has thrown his two cents in,…
I am afraid
by Rob BlackstienA couple of weeks ago we wrote an article about a contractor in Pennsylvania who got nailed with a massive fine for safety violations. This struck a chord with electrical contractor Norm Cormier, who summarized the landscape of fear out…
We need a better way
by Rob BlackstienOur article about getting paid is among the most commented on pieces we’ve ever done, and it’s never really slowed down over the years. Clearly, this is a hot topic among contractors. Just over a month since we last visited…