Staff shortages threaten defence-related projects, construction industry warns

Construction industry leaders are flagging potential staff shortages as the sector prepares for a surge of defence-related projects.

The Winnipeg Construction Association is tracking roughly 33 projects tied to 17 Wing Winnipeg, the city’s Royal Canadian Air Force base, in the coming years.

Another nine or 10 projects will begin at Southport, an aerospace hub near Portage la Prairie, said construction association president Darryl Harrison.

He expects most projects to begin in the next three years. Construction should stay “consistently strong” for five to seven years, he said.

“(This) represents brand new construction spend — so construction spend that we haven’t planned for already,” Harrison said.

“We’re going to have to have the appropriate workforce.”

A BuildForce Canada report released in April 2025 forecasted a need to hire up to 19,400 new construction workers in Manitoba by 2034. Twenty-one per cent of the current labour force is expected to retire by then, the report says.

It estimates that the majority of the labour gap — up to 11,500 spots — would be filled by young adults in Manitoba entering the sector.

Another 7,900 workers would need to be recruited outside the local pool, BuildForce Canada said.

“There is labour needs across the board in most trades,” Harrison said.

Companies are especially lacking at the project management level, he added.

Labour needs vary by union, but generally, they’re ready to meet the demand. It depends on how new projects unroll — and how many are ongoing at the same time, said Tanya Palson, executive director of Manitoba Building Trades.

“We’re excited for the work,” Palson said, adding she expects the defence project rollout to be staggered.

If it isn’t, given “the math,” a skilled labour shortage could be impending, she said.

The Winnipeg Construction Association estimates 17 Wing projects could exceed $400 million in federal spending. Southport could house another $300 million to $400 million in upgrades, Harrison said.

He provided lower numbers to the Free Press earlier this week; on Thursday, he said he’d been updated.

Manitoba Building Trades encompasses 13 member unions.

It’s been “desperately advocating” for a provincial construction workforce development strategy, which would include workforce data and forecasts of supply and demand for provincial projects, Palson said.

“There’s not enough current data that says we’re going to be short ‘x’ amount of tradespeople,” she said.

Meantime, Harrison is lobbying for a return to two-to-one apprenticeship-to-journeyperson ratios. The New Democrat government changed the policy to one-to-one in 2024, citing worker safety and better apprentice support.

Harrison argues boosting the ratio will get more people into the trades.

The provincial government declined to comment. It’s in a blackout period leading up to a July 21 election in The Pas–Kameesak.

On Thursday, dozens of construction firm employees filed into the RBC Convention Centre for a panel about the upcoming defence-sector projects.

The panel included representatives from the Royal Canadian Air Force and 17 Wing.

“When it’s billions of dollars — if that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what does,” said Gil Carmichael, a project manager with Tri-Core Projects.

He and fellow attendees shared a desire to ink contracts.

Carmichael hasn’t worked on Department of National Defence jobs for Tri-Core. However, he’s done so with past employers. The clearance process is “a bit of a tricky situation” and can require “an amazing amount of paperwork,” he said, adding it’s worth the effort.

Companies must obtain security clearances at both contractor and individual staff levels.

Infrastructure projects are still in the planning phases, said Col. Jody Hanson, 17 Wing’s commander. Leadership is determining where to place new buildings, for example.

Hanson didn’t have an exact number of personnel incoming. Current projections say 1,500 to 1,800 military members could arrive over the next two decades, along with their families.

“Over the course of that period of time, the Air Force is going to be asked to increase production of air crew training for future operations,” Hanson said.

A new 17 Wing training facility is slated to be built over five years. It’ll include an aircraft hangar, flight simulators and classrooms.

Other projects will include housing, building expansions and heating system replacements, among other things.

“We really need to see the Royal Canadian Air Force as a key part of our economy,” Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said before the panel.

His office co-organized the event, which was closed to media.

Manitoba Hydro will add 10.5 megawatts of power to 17 Wing. The base will have a new substation to supplement its overall expansion.

CFB Shilo will also likely see increased defence spending.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com