The GTA Construction Report – April 2009 – PAGE A5
Sites not secure from vandalism even in daylight
LOUIS TAM – Special to The GTA Construction Report
consume alcohol illicitly. development in Missis- says construction sites aren’t “Cameras record everything
“Some sites aren’t po- sauga. victimized at an alarming that goes on, even during the
Although suspicious fires guy can just drive up and liced or secured from 5 pm While investigators rate, he encouraged builders day.”
hit several GTA construction start loading up lumber or onwards, which is generally aren’t sure if foul play was to actively deter trespassers Although Sommer says
sites after dark in February, grab a furnace,” said Som- when they are victim- involved, the project’s de- by keeping sites well lit and UCIT Online’s surveillance
builders shouldn’t let their mer, whose company pro- ized,” said Const. Adam veloper, Dunpar Homes, has highly visible from sur- of its over 200 client sites
guard down in broad day- tects project sites. “If Minnion of Peel Regional since responded by upgrad- rounding streets. leads to an average of two
light either, the head of a somebody questions, he can Police. “A lot of times, you ing its 24-hour security cov- Because not all builders arrests per week, he added
Toronto security company just pretend (he’s made a see a high volume of people erage of the building site. can afford to hire security most incidents involving
says. mistake) by saying ‘oh in a minimal percentage of “There are now addi- guards, Sommer says in- trespassers are usually
According to Sidney shoot, I’m at the wrong hours.” tional cameras installed, as stalling surveillance cam- minor.
Sommer, owner of UCIT house.’” The four fires which well as security personnel eras can be a economical “Most of the vandalism
Online, construction sites On the other hand, Som- broke out in Peel Region on site,” spokesperson and effective way to keep that occurs are a few broken
can be “easy prey” for van- mer says low activity on last month all occurred be- Julien Diciano said of the building projects secure. windows and graffiti – it’s
dals after hours, but are construction sites after hours tween the hours of midnight changes. The CCTV services offered more of a nuisance,” he
equally vulnerable to theft can attract more destructive and 3:30 am. Minnion said Peel Re- by his company, he says, said.
when crews are on the job activities like graffiti and On February 22, one of gional Police have also in- can actually provide more
during the day. vandalism, which are some- those fires caused over $1 creased both a uniformed coverage than guards.
“Some of these construc- times fueled by intoxicated million in damage to eight and undercover presence “Sites usually only have
tion sites are very busy, so a trespassers using the sites to luxury townhouses under around the sites. Though he guards after hours,” he said.
Niagara Column: Understanding the new budget
SANDY KING – Special to The GTA Construction Report
child benefit by two years to eral funds, proposed for ad- formation and communica- MPPs’ pay and a five per
give low- and middle-in- ditional social housing and tion technologies. cent reduction of the size of
How will Dwight Dun- construction firms are gen- come families a maximum renovation of existing units. Tax relief and funds for the provincial civil service
can’s new budget affect us? erally in a better position to level annual benefit of An emerging technolo- the province’s manufactur- over the next three years
Well, that is really hard to deal with the recession, but $1,100 per child by July gies fund of $250 million ing sector and northern re- through attrition “and other
say. While many are upset what about the smaller firms 2009. over five years for clean gional economies, including means.”
over the new harmonized and the subcontractors? $1.2 billion over two technologies, as well as forestry and mining.
single sales tax that will Right now, it is all still fresh years, combined with fed- health and life sciences in- A one-year freeze in
have Ontarians paying a sin- and we’ll have to just wait
gle 13 per cent sales tax as and see how the actual im-
of July 1, 2010, (we will be plementation is going to
spending more in some play out.
areas), the construction sec- In the meantime, Niagara
tor should be happy with the is feeling the same crunch as
allocated funds for infra- everyone else, but there are
structure and job retraining. some positive indications in
According to the new the spring Niagara air. Deer
budget, Ontario will spend Park Villa, a long term care
$32.5 billion on infrastruc- facility in Grimsby will be
ture over the next two years. receiving a much-need $7.9
Transportation projects are million makeover. Work
slotted to get the biggest could commence as early as
chunk from the two-year in- the end of this year, bringing
frastructure fund at $9 bil- with it a great boost to the
lion, followed by health care local job sector.
at $7 billion and education Among the measures
at $4 billion. proposed in the budget are:
This substantial invest- $32.5 billion in proposed
ment, that will have Ontario infrastructure spending, in-
running at an $18 billion cluding $5 billion from the
deficit over the next two federal government, over
years, is expected to trans- the next two years to build
late into 146,000 jobs in the and repair roads, schools,
first year and 168,000 in the hospitals and public transit
second. This is great news in an effort to create
not only for the ICI sector, 300,000 new jobs.
but for our economic future A cut in the general cor-
as well. Despite operating at porate income tax rate from
deficit, Duncan’s budget 14 per cent to 12 per cent by
also forecasts that the July 1, 2010, with the rate
province’s economic recov- being reduced to 10 per cent
ery will begin in the latter by 2013.
half of this year and that we A one per cent decrease
should see a complete re- in the personal income tax
bound over 2010 and 2011. of those in the lowest in-
However, there is some come tax bracket who earn
concern regarding the allo- under $39,000 a year.
cating of these funds. Larger An acceleration of the
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