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The recent Hamilton-Halton Construction Association Construction Forecast workshop offered HHCA members a typical overview of major regional projects to guide 2026 planning and beyond, but this year’s event also carried a new subtext – concerns over economic uncertainty stemming from policy volatility south of the border.

Hamilton‑Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) director of capital projects Jonathan Wetselaar outlined two major port infrastructure projects in Hamilton and Oshawa respectively and also told HHCA members the port authority has become engaged with the federal government on potential new Great Lakes trading initiatives.

November’s federal budget identified additional ports for container import and export designation, particularly in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region, specifically mentioning Quebec City and Hamilton.

“This will help catalyze private investment at ports and is essential to diversifying our trade,” stated the budget.

“Ports are definitely a very strategic thing for our nation,” Wetselaar said during a break at the HHCA event. “Diversification of our trade is also very important, so we see ourselves as one of the enabling agencies that’s going to be able to drive economic growth for Canada as the trade patterns change.”

HOPA has previously accessed federal National Trade Corridors Fund support for such projects as a rail transload facility at Pier 15 and Oshawa port expansion. Wetselaar said HOPA and federal officials are looking to augment Hamilton’s fledgling container transfer facilities.

Hamilton has been mentioned as a possible first point of entry for overseas goods and as a more significant last port for exports as well, Wetselaar noted.

In January 2024, HOPA announced Hamilton Container Terminal and CN had successfully launched direct intermodal rail service between Hamilton and Montreal carrying export-bound shipping containers. 

HOPA vice-president Larissa Fenn noted in a statement the partners are awaiting a further administrative licence that will allow containers to move from a first port of arrival like Montreal, Halifax or St. John’s and undergo screening in Hamilton.

“We are working with our partners to show how additional container services can facilitate the new global trading relationships and supply chains that Canada needs,” stated Fenn. 

Among projects presented at the HHCA event, Wetselaar said HOPA’s Pier 14 project involves reconstruction of 570 metres of wharf, valued at about $25 million. An engineering contract was awarded to RV Anderson in Q4 2025 and phase one construction will be tendered in Q3 or Q4 2026, launching a multi-phase build.

In Oshawa, HOPA is advancing a $15-million project to protect the approach channel, with engineering and permits underway and construction planned for 2026 or later.

Another presenter, Lisa Debenham, director of redevelopment and planning at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, also outlined projects that are in the planning phase or due for tendering this year:

• St. Joseph’s Villa RCC Renovation. Renovation of three floors at the Reactivation Care Centre. The project is being designed by Hanson and Jung Architects Inc. with REA Construction as contractor.
• Charlton Campus Renal Transplant Clinic Expansion. Renovation and expansion to accommodate increasing patient volumes. Consultant Walter Fedy is leading the design.
• Clinical Services master planning. Includes aligning infrastructure and capital investments. An RFP is targeted for 2026.

The City of Burlington, meanwhile, will be spending heavily on cycling infrastructure.  The city’s director of engineering services Aaron Brouwers​ outlined three projects involving new bike lanes and associated infrastructure extending over 10 kilometres that are set to go to tender this year.

The projects, for Upper Middle Road, Plains Road and Walkers Line, are budgeted to cost $32 million.

Halton, Hamilton address procurement shortfall

Members and guests attending the recent HHCA forecast heard a similar lament from representatives of the Hamilton and Halton municipal governments – there’s a tendering gap that too frequently leaves project funding unspent.

During separate presentations, City of Hamilton director of engineering services Brian Hollingworth and David Olsen, manager of capital engineering and construction for the Region of Halton, said their administrations are working to address the continuing shortfall between projects approved each year by municipal governments and the number of those projects that ended up going to tender the same year.

Olsen said in 2025 in Halton there were 45 projects approved to go to tender but only 31 tenders were eventually issued. That’s about 30 per cent of approved projects that did not make it to the starting line in the intended time frame, Olsen said.

Reasons why projects were postponed, Olsen said, is that project schedules were modified to align with strategic objectives; the scope of work was modified; or there were other factors such as local co-ordination problems, utility conflicts or lack of approvals.

Hollingsworth told HHCA members the City of Hamilton hoped to work with constructors to address the issue. He said the gap was similar in other municipalities.

“There’s areas where we can be more efficient, and I mentioned procurement as being one of them,” Hollingsworth said in an interview.

“The more we can customize our approaches so it’s not one-size-fits-all for every type of project, and look at thinking about procurement needs very early in the project as designed.”

A statement from the City of Hamilton indicated the city is taking steps to reduce its backlog of infrastructure projects and streamline the process to “get projects out for tender and shovels in the ground. 

“Areas of focus include taking steps to identify and mitigate potential delays earlier in the design process and continuing to upgrade procurement policies and systems.”