USA and Canada

In Vancouver, Canada, the local community has recently been united as the University of British Columbia commences the construction of The Student Residence at Brock Commons. This major new project started in November of last year and aims to be completed by September 2017: ‘Everything is currently running to schedule’ according to John Metras, Managing Director of Infrastructure Development at the University of British Columbia. This innovative project will stand a staggering 53 metres high.

Microsoft announced a $26.2 billion deal on Monday to acquire professional social platform LinkedIn for $196 per share.

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have named Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS)—a consortium of equal share partners ACS Infrastructure Canada, Aecon, EllisDon, and SNC-Lavalin—the preferred proponent to design, build, finance, and maintain the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project using the alternative financing and procurement (AFP) model.

The Rt Hon Dr Vere Cornwall Bird Sr was the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, serving from 1981 to 1994, just five years before his death in 1999 - and upon retirement he was declared a national hero. Bird was unique among West Indian politicians, lacking any formal education except primary schooling. He was an officer in the Salvation Army for two years but because he saw the way the land owners were treating the local black Antiguans and Barbudans he decided to leave his post to fight for the freedom of his people.

Though it’s barely six months since we last reported on progress at NAN’s 3,601 square kilometre property, which encapsulates the nickel-rich Greenland norite belt (GNB) and where the company was embarking on an ambitious drilling programme, the results and the indication of future discoveries has been so encouraging that it is quite difficult to know where to start.

Canada’s enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy, “Doing Business the Canadian Way: Advancing Corporate Social Responsibility in Canada’s Extractive Sector Abroad” was announced by the Canadian government on November 14. It builds on experience and best practices gained since the 2009 launch of Canada’s first CSR strategy, “Building the Canadian Advantage: A Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy for the Canadian Extractive Sector Abroad.” The idea is that Canadian companies operate abroad with the highest ethical standards.

WireIE, a licensed wholesale carrier specialising in the development of carrier ethernet networks to Canada’s underserved markets, has won the 2014 Capacity Global Carrier Award program’s Special Recognition for Corporate Social Responsibility. The winners were announced on November 4 at the annual Capacity awards gala dinner, part of the Capacity Europe conference taking place this week at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam.

CSL Group’s MV Baie St. Paul will arrive in the shipyard in January for a period of six weeks in order to perform repair and maintenance activities.

The recipients of the prestigious 2014 Projects of the Year Awards were declared during the 6th North American Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum in Washington, DC. The awards were selected from an initial list of 400 projects valued at $370 billion.