As COVID-19 continues to spread through the population and cause economic disruption, the CAA is determined to inform our members and industry partners as they strike the balance between protecting their staff and continuing essential projects. 

 

This page will provide updates on the government response to COVID and its impact on the construction industry. Also included is the Alberta Construction Association guide to pandemic planning, current as of March 24, 2020. This guide includes prevention and risk management as well as documents to inform employees and a questionnaire to assist in detecting individuals at risk of passing on the virus.

 

Government of Alberta List of Essential Services

September 16, 2021 – AHS Mandatory Vaccine Requirements:

To comply with the recent Public Health Restrictions, AHS has released a Mandatory Vaccine Requirement policy for all AHS Contractors and Providers. Refer to the attached communication from AHS for policy requirements and declaration deadlines.

Contractor Mandatory Immunization Policy Communication

 

May 20 AAA Media Release:

In consultation with the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Association of Architects has declared Architectural Services to be an Essential Service. Read the media release here.

 

May 12 Letter from The City of Calgary:

David Duckworth, City Manager for The City of Calgary, has published a letter to the Alberta building industry requiring vendors on City of Calgary projects to have COVID mitigation plans and to share them with their City contacts. Read the full letter here.

 

April 14 DIALOG Industry Qualifications:

COVID has created challenges which are not covered by many standard agreements, and firms are issuing notices and qualifications in light of this. DIALOG has kindly agreed to share their messaging on these issues, with the understanding that this terminology was developed for their own use and neither DIALOG nor the CAA accept responsibility or liability for its use by others.

 

April 3 Memorandum to CAA Members:

As part of the CAA’s continuing response to the COVID-19 crisis, CAA Chair Allan Partridge has produced this memorandum to our members detailing our current plans and actions. We are focused on ensuring that these circumstances do not provoke a race to the bottom in terms of project fees, which would be another serious blow to our membership in both the short and long term.

Mar 27 AAA Practice Advisory:

The Alberta Association of Architects has issued this advisory, discouraging the use of portable electronic devices as a replacement for conventional construction review services.

Mar 26 Letter to the Premier:

As part of our efforts to preserve industry stability CAA Chair Allan Partridge has written to Premier Jason Kenny requesting the clear distinction of architecture as an essential service. Read the full letter here.

Update for Mar 25th 2020:

  • The CAA is part of the Alberta Joint Industry Response Team working with our industry partners to address issues related to the current pandemic and its impact on the entire Albertan AEC community. A copy of a communique to the City of Edmonton is found here.
  • The CAA board has met today and set about to reach out to both member and non-member Alberta firms to  let them know CAA is working hard to connect with all levels of government on your behalf.
  • The Government of Alberta is eager to keep our industry going through this Pandemic, meaning sites can remain operational and are not required to limit the number of employees at each site to 50 provided they follow in the strictest ways protocols to keep workers safe. 
  • We are working to connect with Alberta Infrastructure to push for moving projects that were delayed into planning stage to engage as many firms as possible across Alberta.
  • We are working closely with the AAA to coordinate regulatory requirements and we will provide you more updates as it impacts the business side of your firms.

 

Industry Partners

Several other industry groups, as well as government departments, have created their own responses to COVID-19. These include: