Digging In Podcast: Vancouver Art Gallery goes back to the drawing board

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This episode highlights:

The federal government’s announcement to move to a fall budget cycle (delivered in November instead of spring), which officials say provides construction organizations and businesses with better lead time to plan projects ahead of the spring construction season. Finance Minister François Philip Champagne stated that this change, alongside a new capital budgeting framework, aims for more transparent and better timed generational investments in infrastructure and housing.

Alberta’s gearing up for a major project push by committing $14 million to the early planning of a proposed crude oil pipeline destined for BC's northwest coast, with a formal submission expected in spring 2026. Premier Danielle Smith and the Energy Minister Brian Jean claim the project, supported by Enbridge, Trans Mountain, and South Bow, is critical to Canada's energy future and economic potential.

The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) has selected new design partners, Formline Architecture Plus Urbanism and KPMBB Architects, for its new home at Larill Park, making it the city's largest cultural infrastructure project in over 30 years. This follows a previously stalled attempt where the project budget skyrocketed from $400 million to over $600 million, prompting VAG to halt construction in August 2024 after already investing $60 million.

The ongoing drama surrounding Ontario's $2.5 billion Skills Development Fund, which came under scrutiny after the auditor general determined the selection process was "not fair, transparent or accountable". Despite findings that 549 lower-rated applications received $742 million, the fund continues to receive strong support from construction stakeholders, unions, and training organizations who rely on it for targeted, industry-led training programs.

Plus, a bonus story spotlights the unusual way Halifax is previewing its future emergency department, set to open in 2027, by unveiling a gigantic Lego model. The model, designed and built by award-winning artist Shawn Mcloud of Holdfast Bricks, used 25,000 bricks and took over 400 hours to complete, serving to entertain children while showcasing the future built environment