b'CONSTRUCTIONChandos carpentry apprentices - as work on publicly funded projects continues, so does the companys effort to engage and train Indigenous youth the Canadian Construction Association (CCA). Of particular concern is a slow- It is the small and medium-sized, down of project tenderings, which couldfamily-run businesses, which make result in a gap of work.up 70 per cent of the industry, that Few construction firms have come away unscathed and all have felt the pinchcarry much of the upfront costs of of reduced activity due to lockdowns, project delays and logistical disruptionsprojects and are most at risk. Of posed by the global pandemic. Yet despite initial shutdowns and adjust- particular concern is a slowdown ment periods, publicly funded proj-ects continue to move forward, and inof project tenderings some cases construction activity has increased in response to the COVIDMary Van Buren,pandemic, i.e., in the case of criticalCanadian Construction Associationhealthcare infrastructure projects. The government focus on infrastructure investments has kept many large-scale construction companies busy. Case in point is Aecon, an industry leader in infrastructure development andAecon proudly construction. While the pandemic has certainly impacted us, the majority ofcollaborates governments have deemed the types of construction projects that constitutewith Indigenous the majority of Aecons contracts to be essential services and Aecons under- communities to develop lying business performance remains strong, notes John Bonin, directorindustry-leading of Indigenous relations with Aecon Group Inc.infrastructure and establish employment INDIGENOUS INFRASTRUCTUREIntermsofinvestmentimpactingopportunities for Indigenous communities, the federal government remains committed toIndigenous Peoples.providing $5 billion in funding specifi-cally for Indigenous infrastructure. Toaecon.com/indigenous-relationsdate, this has resulted in over 5,000 completed or ongoing projects in water Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT17'