Construction

Ask Mark Norkum, president and general manager of Timmins' Gorf Contracting, what the name of his company stands for, and you'll hear a series of uncertain and unlikely possibilities.

The positive outlook for Timmins' financial future isn't exactly reflected in its housing market, as prospective homebuyers have become increasingly skittish in the face of the global economic chill.

Not all the high-value rock excavated from the Canadian Shield can be measured on the London Metal Exchange.

Digging up the Main Street of Kenora last summer for the Big Spruce downtown revitalization was like swallowing a spoonful of bad-tasting medicine for many.

The launch of Wincrief Forest Products this summer will be a huge boost for area forestry mills and provided more than 20 jobs at start-up.

Nearly $20 million in infrastructure projects are scheduled or underway in the City of Timmins.

At the request of the Canadian Auto Workers Union, over a dozen Ontario municipalities have adopted “Buy Canadian” policies for all municipal projects, including construction.

After enjoying a robust construction season last year, most Ontario contractors are expecting to do the same or less work in 2009.

Four-laning work continues this spring with Pioneer Construction of Sudbury being awarded a $16.8 million paving contract for 11 kilometres of work on Highway 69, south of Sudbury. The road stretches from Trout Lake Road near Estaire to Highway 537.

The North York-based Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) has come out strong against provincial plans to harmonize GST and PST, pointing out that Sudbury would see a substantial increase in housing costs.