Voices
The Inner Life of a Contractor, Part 1: Are you just molecules or more?
by Steve Maxwell“The extent to which you thrive or wither as a contractor ultimately comes down to who you are inside. Nobody talks much about this, but some of us think about it, at least from time to time.”
“Many consumers do more due diligence shopping for a $20 toaster than for a $200,000 renovation”
by canadiancontractorProbably because they buy multiple toasters during their lives and have less experience with renovations
Insulated building blocks: Cambridge, ON manufacturer has something really cool
by canadiancontractorBen Polley, one of Canada’s leading sustainable/green builders, gives us the lowdown on a Canadian-made insulated block option
What IS this mold-preventing product that Mike Holmes used?
by canadiancontractor“It was an all-in-one product to paint basement blocks to prevent mold.”
Comment on the contractor who got cash from homeowner’s wife – after homeowner refused to do cash deal
by canadiancontractor“There is SO much wrong with his scenario,” says veteran contractor Darryl Labay
I’m not paying you cash, he tells the contractor, firmly. So the contractor collects the cash from his wife while he’s out…
by canadiancontractorLeft hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing?
Apprenticeship ratio stupidity in Ontario: Comment number 5,033
by canadiancontractorWell, probably not five thousand comments, but it sure feels like it. So many young people want to work in the trades in Ontario but the ratios system prevents them.
Comments about the Alberta homeowner who won two judgments against fly-by-night ‘contractor’
by canadiancontractorA lesson to young contractors from a veteran: Listen To Your Gut!
Quebec, unions and construction ‘volunteers’
by canadiancontractor“Job sites without power tools… might be a good opportunity for positive community activism,” says Neil Damackine
Dispensing with GreenOn rebate program in Ontario, without a replacement plan, was unwise
by canadiancontractorWhatever you may think about the paperwork and bureaucracy of government subsidized renovation programs, they DO keep the cash operators out of the game
Why doesn’t Ottawa seek industry sponsors so that National Building Code can be FREE for EVERYONE to read?
by Steve PayneContractor Randy Elliott asks a good question: If the Criminal Code is available free online, why isn’t the National Building Code of Canada?
Are these guys for real? Politicians tap dancing as fast as they can on stupid decisions
by canadiancontractorCasey Edge of the Victoria Residential Builders Association digs up three quotes from politicians that make us wonder about their sanity
Wish you’d chosen a 9-5 job? Lessons from Anthony Bourdain’s apprenticeship bestseller
by Steve PayneWhy should a contractor read the very first book of a famous TV chef? Because this legendarily hard-living man had a contractor’s soul
Scam where “customer” needs renovations on a home they do not own is common
by canadiancontractorThey need electrical work done on a house they are buying but haven’t got the money to close the deal, is one version of the scam
An old pro has some valuable advice for frustrated youths trying to break into the trades
by canadiancontractor“Try to get a position as anything in an institution or factory. A mine, steel mill, refinery, hospital, school board or prison are all good places to look. Good luck.”
“It’s inconceivable that the IBEW have so much power to screw people over…”
by canadiancontractor“(IBEW) lied to and cheated both myself and the employees who wanted nothing to do with the union,” says this electrical contractor
This insulation contractor is sorry to see the end of GreenOn rebates
by canadiancontractor“This program was good for the honest contractor and the client,” says Joel Starkman
Ontario’s screwed up apprenticeship ratios: Is IBEW “a closed shop catering to sons or daughters of members?”
by canadiancontractorSean Gander details just how far his son went trying to break into the electrical field. He says the IBEW treated his son unfairly. Does this sound like a fair system to you?