b'COVID-19FALLOUT FROM COVID-19THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NEEDS TO PREPARE By Warren HeeleyCOVID-19 IS ARGUABLY THE MOSTAs Ontarios economy reboots andRegardless of whether there are or will be SIGNIFICANT EVENT TO IMPACTthe construction industry gets backanswers to these questions, construction OUR WORLD SINCE THE SECONDto work, the traditional remedies forcompanies need to get prepared to deal WORLD WAR. The pandemic has affectedcontract performance concerns willwith these concerns.virtually every person and industry on thenot apply. Due to the unique nature planet and is changing how people liveof the COVID-19 outbreak, the normalNEW REALITYand how industries operate. For its part,processes for claims, notices, liensPrior to this past March, the Greater the construction industry faces a numberand other such actions that have comeToronto Area was the third largest of challenges resulting from the measuresunder provincial orders will not be easilyconstruction market in North America, put in place by the provincial governmentsorted out.fuelled by federal and provincial projects to stop the spread of the virus. aimed at maintaining crumbling Will owners who have historicallyinfrastructure. The GTA industry has The first wave of the pandemic at thisdownloaded more and more risksimply been going flat out for more than point appears to be over in Ontario andto contractors be willing to provide15 years.the province is cautiously restarting thecompensation for added costs as a economy under new social and economicresult of the work stoppages? WhoAccording to consulting firm Asite, on the rules. The construction industry is nowconstruction industry, The collapsing back to work, but with lingering concernswill be responsible for the costsprice of oil and the impacts of COVID-19 about the impact of the governmentsof demobilizing and remobilizingare set to change predictions that the stop work orders and how the workworksites? How will current contractsNorth America market, in particular stoppages will be dealt with in lengthy andbe sorted out with no past experienceCanada, would witness a growing labour complicated project contracts. with government work stoppages?demand. The increase was linked BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 2 202011'