New Stamps Emphasize Art Deco Design

By Lisa Rochon, Globe and Mail

June 8, 2011

Muscular details of some of Canada’s most monumental works of Art Deco architecture are being downsized to fit on Canada Post stamps. Released to the public on June 9, the stamps use black and white photography and colourful, rounded fonts to emphasize the strength of Art Deco design that, during the Depression era, transformed water filtration plants and bridges into civic works of art. The domestic stamps, created by Toronto graphic designer Ivan Novotny, feature five structures from across Canada. More …

Is LEED the Gold Standard in Green?

A lawsuit challenges the claims of the nation’s foremost green building effort — the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program

By Ben Ikenson, Miller-McCune

June 13, 2011

It is telling that the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., wants the design of a biblical theme park that will showcase a 500-foot-long replica of Noah’s Ark to qualify for certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, an industry standard for sustainable buildings. Mike Zovath, senior vice president of Answers in Genesis, the “apologetics (i.e., Christianity-defending) ministry” that built the museum, is a climate change sceptic who told The Washington Post that he liked the idea of energy efficiency: “There is a pretty significant return on investment,” he said. More …

Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers – Shaken Not Stirred! How Will The Lower Mainland Survive an Earthquake?

What would be the outcome if an earthquake happened here? Join us for this half-day session on earthquakes and what the construction industry needs to know. Participants will hear experts on seismicity in coastal British Columbia speak to the different types of earthquakes we can expect, earthquake effects upon buildings and infrastructure, building code objectives for building performance in earthquakes, insurance aspects, effects of earthquakes on economies, and emergency planning. Learn more about the expectations of damage and possible budgets for repairs following an earthquake, and the challenges for the industry to respond to such a disaster. Using examples from Chile, Haiti, Christchurch, Northridge and Japan, the presenters will talk about their experiences and offer advice to the construction industry. Speakers include:

• Heather Lyle, Emergency Management British Columbia
• Lindsay Olsen, Insurance Bureau of Canada
• Garry Rogers, Geological Survey of Canada, Pacific Geoscience Centre
• Heidi Sieck, California Resiliency Alliance
• Rob Simpson, Glotman Simpson Structural Engineers
• Carlos Ventura, University of British Columbia Department of Civil Engineering

Mark your calendars: Thursday, June 23, 2011, 7:30 – 11:30a.m. at the Holiday Inn Vancouver, 711 West Broadway. To register, go to http://www.bccr.net/event-register.php?id=129.

3.5 Core LUs

Singleton Urquhart LLP – Construction Law Seminar: Construction Projects, Start to Finish – Managing Your Risks

Seminar Series #1

1) Construction Contracts: Allocation of Risks by Derek Brindle Q.C. and Stephen Berezowskyj

• What construction risks can be dealt with in contract?
• How do typical risk allocation clauses work?
• How have our courts interpreted these provisions?
• What can you do to mitigate your risks?

2) Construction Insurance: A Changing Landscape by John Singleton Q.C. and Scott Brearley

• COC Insurance -Who is an Insured; Revisiting Imperial Oil v. Commonwealth Construction, [1978] 1 SCR 317
• “Property damage” and “Accidents” in a CGL; A consideration of Progressive Homes Ltd. v. Lombard General Insurance Co. of Canada, 2010 SCC 3366

These seminars take place Tuesday, June 21, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Segal Building – SFU, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver. Each session will be offered in both the morning and afternoon. For more information, visit http://www.singleton.com/Our_Events/Current_Events/Construction_Projects_Start_to_Finish_Managing_Your_Risks.aspx.

2.5 Core LUs per seminar