If we ever needed a reminder of how significant an industry construction is, and how important skilled trades people are to the lives we live, coronavirus is providing that reminder.
If you鈥檙e one of the many British Columbians who considers construction work as a lesser occupation, this article is for you.
We鈥檙e recognizing the essential services which are continuing to operate because they are 鈥渆ssential to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning鈥he services British Columbians come to rely on in their daily lives.鈥�
This and the 180,000 skilled trades people in BC have been officially designated as essential workers.
BC鈥檚 health care workers and emergency responders are on the front lines of the war on COVID-19. They鈥檙e out there every day fighting the virus and risking their own lives in doing so, to care for the British Columbians who are ill and need their help.
And make no mistake: the skilled trades people who work in construction are also out there on the front lines. The front lines of our economy and our resilience. They鈥檙e out there applying their hard-earned skills and experience to build and maintain the structures we all rely on every day, to keep us functioning safely.
At nearly 10 per cent of BC鈥檚 total workforce and GDP, construction is essential to the health of our communities. Not just because of the size of the payroll, but because the built environment is essential to our very functioning as a society.
While we鈥檙e isolated at home because our businesses have been closed, or because we are caring for a loved one, we are 鈥� often invisibly 鈥� served by our tradespeople. Their work keeps the electricity and water and Netflix coming. It keeps the rain out and the heat in. It keeps the walls up and lights on.
And BC鈥檚 construction industry is building the new critical infrastructure that will be essential to recovery.
So this April, the third annual Construction and Skilled Trades Month in BC, please join the , four Regional Construction Associations, LNG Canada, and many other generous sponsors, in recognizing the efforts of the in your life and your community.
Next time you鈥檙e passing a worksite (from a six-foot distance), give the workers a nod and a thank you. They鈥檙e doing an important job. They are essential.
We briefly considered cancelling Construction Month this year. But in the midst of extreme hardship it鈥檚 even more important to take a moment to thank people for the work they do to make our community strong. When your moment comes to say thank you, use it well.
