At 15 tonnes, Alberta uses more tonnes of aggregate per capita than any other province. Despite the province’s needs for stone, sand and gravel products, industry still has its challenges starting up and operating pits and quarries in many communities, due to concerns from residents related to groundwater quality, increased truck traffic, and potential dust and noise. In areas where residents are especially concerned, community outreach and regular communication between producers and residents are keys to creating positive relationships between municipalities and aggregate companies.

Land reclamation is of great importance to sand and gravel producers in Alberta, and from smaller operators to larger ones, all of them realize the value of being good stewards to the environment in which they operate. The Alberta Sand & Gravel Association’s (ASGA) very roots go back to ensuring that players in the aggregate industry in Alberta go about their work in an ecologically responsible way; which ensures that land is reclaimed to a state which makes it usable once more.

Lafarge Canada was awarded the 2018 ESAA Industry Award for Environmental Innovation.

The results are in from the 10-week field test of the Electric Site research project in Sweden, and the results are even better than anticipated.

Check out the highlights from Lafarge's Habitat for Humanity Partnership Carter Work Project in 2017.

Luck Stone, the crushed stone and aggregates division of Luck Companies, has significantly broadened its footprint into new areas of the southeastern U.S. following the acquisitions of Stephens Industries in Atlanta, Ga., and Willow Oak Quarry in Kershaw County, S.C.

Lehigh Hanson, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of HeidelbergCement, is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Quarry Life Award for North America. The Quarry Life Award program is HeidelbergCement's international research and education competition focusing on mining sites and the need to raise awareness about the biological value of mineral extraction sites worldwide.

Darren Neil has built and grown Darren Neil and Sons Excavating Inc. from the ground up in the heart of Ontario’s cottage country. Born and raised in Collingwood, Ont., Darren identified several opportunities in his hometown where a person with a strong entrepreneurial spirit could build a business doing niche work within the construction sector. In 2003, he did exactly that.

The future of a long-standing and successful program that sees spent pits and quarries rehabilitated is in doubt after months of no movement by the provincial government to flow funds to pay for the work.

Toronto has placed first among 20 of Ontario’s large cities and regions for its performance in recycling concrete and asphalt.

The largest producer of natural stone in North America, Polycor Inc., is pleased to announce the completion of its merger with Indiana Limestone Company (ILCO), a leading dimensional limestone quarrier and building products producer headquartered in Bloomington, Ind. This announcement comes shortly after Polycor's recent acquisition of four limestone quarries in France in July, now positioning the company as a global leader in the natural stone industry.

The Highway 97 six-laning project is complete, making it easier for people to travel through the area by widening the highway and upgrading several busy intersections.

Improvements will soon get underway on a number of busy intersections along the Haney Bypass corridor in Maple Ridge, B.C., which will significantly improve safety for people travelling through this area.

The Government of Canada has announced it will spend $23.1 million for four contracts awarded for maintenance and construction work on the Alaska Highway.

The government of Manitoba will proceed with $20 million in infrastructure projects for the remainder of the 2018-19 fiscal year, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced this morning at an event hosted by the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.

Strategic investments in safe and efficient transportation infrastructure help northern businesses better compete in local, national and international markets. These investments support economic sustainability and provide a better quality of life for those living and working in the North.

The MHCA and Merit Contractors Association will be testing public attitudes towards infrastructure, specifically their top of mind concerns about highways, and how Manitoba can adequately invest in those roads to ensure the economy continues to grow.

Commuters will need to wait a little longer to drive across the fully constructed new Champlain Bridge.

The Highway 16 Bunce Road to Blackwater Road improvement project west of Prince George, B.C. is complete, making it a safer and more efficient drive for people travelling throughout the community.

A new contract has been awarded for Howe Sound Service Area 04, requiring higher standards and quicker responses to stalled vehicles on the Lions Gate and Ironworkers’ Memorial bridges.

Ernest S. Matheson (Ernie) was a true entrepreneur, always adapting to his environment and circumstances. Shortly before The Second World War, Ernie started up his own trucking business, hauling whatever needed moving.

The Government of Canada is making investments that will help create good middle-class jobs, promote trade and productivity, and grow the economy. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will ensure people and goods move safely and smoothly between Canada and the U.S., facilitating economic activity, growth, and prosperity on both sides of the border. 

Monitoring tools have taken shape for the purpose of transforming subjective sensations on equipment performance into objective comparative data. Every step can be improved again and again. This is exactly the reason why BKT has developed Spotech, an innovative device able to provide exact information on the equipment position traced by satellite. It can be programmed and tailored as to the application site volumes and type of equipment in use. The objective is a kinematic motion analysis: The system, indeed, comprises a triaxial accelerometer positioned on the equipment in order to record latitudinal, longitudinal, and vertical movements as well as the forces involved in addition to speed, cycle duration and other useful parameters for increasing the customer’s job efficiency in the earthmoving and port sector.

A1A Software LLC continues to improve the interface and features of 3D Lift Plan, making it easier for customers to use the crane lift planning program as a sales tool, for bid proposals, crane selection and setup, lift planning, and documentation.

When telematics solutions were first introduced, fleet managers and owners were excited at all the possibilities to optimize their operations that the data they received from their fleets offered them.

Superior Industries Inc., an American-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and handling systems, says its presence at bauma 2019 will be three-times larger than previous editions of the world’s largest trade show. Today, the builder of crushing, screening, washing and conveying equipment unveiled its display plans.

Automatic lubrication systems specialist FLO Components Ltd. continues to expand its resources to better serve construction, road building, aggregate, trucking, manufacturing and processing companies in Manitoba and Ontario. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Munroe as territory sales manager for southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. 

Every region of Canada has unique geographic features; ones that set them apart from the rest. However, while that description also applies to our newest province – Newfoundland – when you are there, there is also a vaguely perceptible “other world” sense about the place.

BAIER + KÖPPEL has announced the appointment of Aykut (Ike) Ozdemir as president, Beka-Lube Products Inc. Aykut succeeds Sven Pitman, who has returned to the firm’s head office in Pegnitz, Germany, to assume leadership of BEKA’s products and services in the mining sector worldwide.

Epiroc has added two new models to its Combi Cutter range. Designed for carriers in the 20- to 30-ton (44,000 to 66,000 lb.) and 25- to 40-ton (55,000 to 88,000 lb.) operating weight classes respectively, the CC 2300 and CC 3100 offer a productive combination of short cycle times, easy handling and simple maintenance.

Roadtec recently announced that Darin Grimes has joined the company as regional sales manager, serving the Wisconsin market. Grimes has more than 20 years of construction industry experience, specifically heavy construction tool products. The Wisconsin market includes American State Equipment, which offers the complete line of Roadtec equipment.

David Chickowski has been appointed Western Region vice-president for Manitou North America. In this key leadership role, Chickowski will oversee all sales activities for Manitou, Gehl, Mustang by Manitou and EDGE brands in the western region of the United States and Canada. He will be focused on driving overall growth and profitability in the region by developing strategic market initiatives and strategies for the dealer network, rental customers and other market channels.

TerraPro Inc., Canada’s second largest remote access matting company, has officially opened their doors to the Ontario market with the creation of TerraPro East Inc. Through TerraPro East Inc., the company now offers access matting sales, rentals, and logistics to energy and utility companies within Ontario. They have also finalized an agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793.

The 2019 edition of the National Heavy Equipment Show is approaching this March 28 and 29 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont. With event preparation in full force, visitor registration is now live and the expanded exhibit floor is closing in on sold-out status.

PaveTech’s call for proposals is officially open!

Canada’s largest trade event for the heavy equipment industry is making its return to Mississauga’s International Centre this March 28 and 29, 2019. As part of its 22nd year, the event is planning a variety of special pavilions and activities for all corners of the industry.

It is official: recreational marijuana is legal in Canada with effect from October 17. With that comes a patchwork of jurisdictional laws establishing where and how marijuana products will be sold and used by consumers.

General registration for the Alberta Sand & Gravel Association’s 2019 Annual General Meeting is now open.

Topcon Positioning Group announces its representatives’ participation in the Strategic Partner Panel and Alliance Partner Sessions during the upcoming Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure 2018 Conference in London.

From the Baltimore Opera to QVC shopping channel, Executive Producer and TV Host Mike Rowe has had hundreds of jobs and relished his role as a chronic freelancer. He's best known as the "dirtiest man on TV," a title he earned on the hit TV series Dirty Jobs. He has narrated hundreds of documentaries about space, nature, dinosaurs, and how stuff works. He has also forged a handful of partnerships with iconic brands and filmed a boatload of Ford commercials. 

Quarry Tech's call for proposals is officially open! This is your opportunity to submit presentation proposals for Rock to Road’s upcoming Quarry Tech forums taking place in Richmond, B.C. and Moncton, N.B. 

GeoShack announces the arrival of the 2018 Topcon Technology Roadshow to the Toronto area. From September 26 to 27, the expandable semi-trailer truck with a seated theatre room and product showcase stops in Limehouse, Ont., along with the GeoShack team.

Managing workplace injuries was at the top of the agenda during the B.C. Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association’s 2018 Fall Conference, which took place from Sept. 16 to 18 at the Grand Okanagan Resort & Conference Centre in Kelowna, B.C.

SC&RA is seeking subject matter experts to speak at the 2019 Specialized Transportation Symposium, Feb. 19 to 22 in Houston, Texas. The annual event brings together specialized transportation professionals and government permitting officials to discuss a variety of topics, including permitting harmonization, safety, regulations, compliance, and the most pressing topics in the industry.