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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 | 47 Reinforcing Steel P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y H ER I TAG E S T EEL ; K I T S T EEL Despite inflation and delays, Canada's reinforcing steel specialists forge ahead by ROBIN BRUNET M ike Kubes, general manager at Kit Steel of Welland, Ontario, explains one reason why reinforcing steel specialists take such pride in their work, even during high inflation when many projects have been put on hold. "The projects that we're most proud of are ones that contribute to the quality of life in our community," he says. "Once it's in the concrete, you don't see the rebar that Kit Steel has cut and bent, but we know that our contribution matters. It ensures a strong foundation for years to come." Kubes cites as an example the Chestnut Park Affordable Housing Project, a five-storey apartment building in Port Colborne intended for seniors and single- parent families with children under 14. Working with Rankin Construction, Kit Steel supplied 47 tons of rebar for the facility. Another recent project with Rankin saw Kit Steel supply 126 tons of rebar for the 30-condo Waterway project on the Welland Canal. The company also sup- plied 173 tons of steel on behalf of Percon Construction for the expansion of the Foyer Richelieu Welland long-term care facility in Fort Erie. Kubes says, "It's a privilege to work on projects such as these that allow people to live and learn in their own communities. It gives our staff a sense of purpose that their work matters, as the majority of our staff are local to the Niagara region." On the other side of the country in Langley, B.C., Steve Selig, branch manager at Heritage Steel, offers his thoughts on the state of the industry in 2024: "Overall we are fairly busy, and we foresee being fairly busy through to the end of this year," he says. "We suspect 2025 will also continue to be brisk." Heritage Steel's operations are central to B.C.'s Fraser Valley and Vancouver, with a shop that includes a rebar shipping and storage yard, shearing and fab- ricating facilities, and estimating, detailing, sales, and administrative offices. A typical project that showcases Heritage's abilities is the Latimer Heights twin tower in Langley, for which the company provided 5,200 tons of rebar on behalf of Vesta Properties. While disclosing that this spring saw a slowdown in the amount of tenders, Selig is confident that consistent volumes will soon return. As for current work, "We are doing a significant amount of residential high-rise projects plus a significant STEELY RESOLVE Core installation at Latimer Heights, Langley, B.C. Chestnut Park Affordable Housing Project, Port Colborne, ON

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