Canada's Building Trades Unions Launches Campaign to Bolster Energy Workforce — Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU)

Event summary

Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) launched the 'Hey Canada, We're Ready' campaign on July 1, 2026.
The campaign aims to highlight skilled trades workers and their role in future infrastructure and energy projects.
CBTU represents 500,000 skilled trades workers across more than 60 trades, contributing 7% of Canada's GDP.
The initiative follows the 'We Built That' campaign from 2025, which focused on LNG Canada.

The big picture

Canada's Building Trades Unions is positioning itself as a key player in shaping the country's energy future through workforce development. The campaign underscores the critical role of skilled labor in delivering major projects, aligning with broader industry trends toward sustainable infrastructure and energy transitions. With 500,000 members contributing significantly to Canada's GDP, CBTU's initiatives could have far-reaching economic and employment impacts.

What we're watching

Workforce Development: How CBTU's apprenticeship and training programs will address Canada's growing labor needs in the energy sector.
Project Execution: Whether unionized workers can sustain the pace of major infrastructure projects amid increasing demand.
Policy Impact: The extent to which CBTU's advocacy influences public policy and work opportunities for construction workers.