b'BCCA UPDATEWHAT WE LEARNED FROM 2020Chris Atchison,President, BCCAhe construction industry is used to dueling. In fact,throughout the pandemic. This doesnt mean that our industry T we thrive on it. We go where others dont, every day,escaped unscathed. Contractors already struggling to make ends facing down myriad risks inherent in the work wemeet were pushed into closure, projects were cancelled or delayed, do. Whether its extreme weather, physical hazards on a job site,costs got bigger and margins smaller, workers lost their jobs, a opaque procurement documents in the office, late payments,handful of sites had COVID-19 outbreaks. It was stressful. But labour or supply shortages, equipment malfunctions, biasedoverall, we iterated, we kept going, and we did it safely.political moves, new taxes, tariffs or demonstrators, we face challenges every day. And we prevail. And we build. We learned how well we can collaborate. The level of competition in this industry is legendary and can be our Achilles heelRisk, carefully calculated and balanced, is part of the constructionsharing what works for us helps our competitors, so it doesnt life. Each day, as owners, as employers, as skilled tradespeople,come easily. But during COVID-19, that melted away like the we look it in the face and weigh our choices based on experience,snow in spring. Larger contractors with more resources willingly knowledge and instinct. We know that the decisions we makepublished protocol guidelines and best practices. Industry affect our families, the projects for which we hold responsibility,associations and stakeholder groups came together to amplify the workers we employ or work alongside and the Britisheach others work. Everyone pitched in, communicated and Columbians who will live and work inside the structures we build. served for the greater good.If there are miscalculations along the way, we learn from them. ItsBritish Columbians learned something about the construction when we achieve our goals and stand back to recognize a job wellindustry. Thousands of employees from other sectors had to stay done that the payoff comes. home, and if they walked their dogs past a job site, they saw our teams going to work every day. They saw our skilled tradespeople This has been a year for risk like no other. We added a pandemiccontinue to earn and contribute and provide for their families. to our list of challenges, and we learned a few things. The role of our industry as the number-one employer in B.C.s goods sector, our massive contribution to the provincial economy, Most obviously, we learned how to manage the risks ofwas on display, and we have benefitted from that. Despite the COVID-19 on our job sites and continue as essential workerschallenges of this year, we have seen an influx of new entrants WEST KOOTENAY MECHANICALGeneral Mechanical ContractorWorking safely,Keeping safetyMotivatedPhone:Fax:E-mail:licensed by:14 SOUTHERN INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION'