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BUILDEX Vancouver 2026 has two sessions on politics and construction.

The Builders’ Bench Live: Where Politics Meets Construction – Construction Keynote takes place Wednesday, Feb. 11.

The host of The Builders’ Bench podcast and Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s director of advocacy and engagement Craig Larkins will be in conversation with Chris Atchison, president of the British Columbia Construction Association, Jeannine Martin, VRCA president, Sajjid Lakhani, director, Impact Public Affairs, and Louis-Philippe (LP) Champagne, associate vice-president, public affairs and industry practices with the Canadian Construction Association.

The next day, Feb. 12, The Builders’ Bench Live: The Municipal Election and the Future of Construction will cover how the next wave of elected municipal officials will impact how the industry builds, bids and does business.

Larkins and Martin will be joined by Regina Marklund, project director, Turner Construction Canada, Lakhani and Scott Adkins, operations manager with PCL Construction.

Martin says politics matter because it shapes the legislation and decisions that directly impact construction.

“From recently approved prompt payment legislation, to funding for major projects, and development fees and regulatory processes, political decisions affect how our industry operates every day,” she says, adding construction and politics “naturally intersect.”

“During the recent federal election, construction received significant attention, and we want to carry that momentum forward at the municipal level,” she says.

B.C. municipal elections take place in October.

“Construction is vital to our municipalities,” says Martin. “We build critical infrastructure, and we also provide well-paying, pride-inducing jobs for local residents.”

Martin says VRCA has intensified its focus on political engagement in the last two-and-a-half to three years.

“But we’re politically agnostic,” she says. “Construction needs to be able to work with whoever is in office. Our role is to push, amplify and elevate the issues that matter to construction and to explain why policy-makers should care.”

Larkins says there is a lot happening on the political front today.

“We’ve come through a provincial election and a federal election, and now we’re heading into a municipal election,” he says. “During the federal election, there was a huge spotlight on construction. New nation-building offices were announced, and legislation was passed both federally and provincially.

“There’s a real need to break down what all of that means for industry, and to translate the political jargon into practical impacts.”

Atchison says B.C.’s construction industry needs to become familiar with how the three levels of government work.

The provincial and federal levels of government set the framework and policies at the higher level, but municipal decisions can determine how and when projects move forward.

“Municipal governments play a direct role in shaping construction activity, through their decisions on permitting, approvals, development charges, zoning and infrastructure planning,” says Atchison. 

“Local government policies can influence project timelines and cost predictability, often more immediately than provincial or federal decisions.”

In addition, development cost charges and approval processes are established and administered at the municipal level, which makes local government engagement essential for industry stability.

Champagne says the CCA is focused on three main issues: infrastructure, work force development and procurement.

“We need to modernize how we deliver infrastructure,” says Champagne. “We need to start thinking more long-terrn, not according to the short-term election cycle.”

On his second point, the construction industry needs more labour.

“We need both short-term and long-term labour,” says Champagne. “We need to attract both skilled workers who will be in it for the long haul and immigrants who can help fill temporary gaps in the work force.” 

Finally, the construction industry needs to do a better job of procuring construction services.

“We need more modern delivery models,” he says. “Not every model is right for every project, so what is needed is the right model for the right project.

“With good collaboration and consultation between construction and government, both parties can achieve excellent results.”

Vancouver developer and retired architect Michael Geller says people in the construction industry need to meet more often with politicians and make their concerns known to them, so that politicians get a better understanding of the industry.

“At the same time, politicians need to make an effort to meet with members of the construction industry and learn about it, especially the financial pressures it’s operating under now,” says Geller.

For more information about the above sessions and BUILDEX Vancouver 2026,