jmcomic������������

MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — Future of Work 2026, hosted by Pitt Meadows Plumbing, drew more than 800 attendees from across Canada recently, along with guests from the United States, for two days of discussion about the pressures reshaping construction and the ideas gaining traction in response.

Held at Shop XL in Maple Ridge, the event was built around a clear premise: that the future of construction will be shaped not by technology alone, but by the industry’s ability to lead well, develop people and adopt new tools with purpose, explains a release.

Coined Powered by People. Driven by Tech., the event delved into leadership, mental health, mentorship, Lean thinking, AI and industrialized construction.

Speakers consistently returned to the realities facing the sector: burnout, labour shortages, resistance to change, fragmented communication and the difficulty of improving performance without eroding trust.

Day one focused on the human side of the business: leadership, resilience, mental health and mentorship.

“One moment that resonated came during the mental health panel, when an audience member asked whether environmental conditions on jobsites and in workplaces have a direct impact on mental health,” reads the release. “The answer from the panel was unequivocal: absolutely, they do, and the industry needs to take that seriously. It was a brief exchange, but it underscored the tone of the day. The conversation was not theoretical. It was about the lived conditions of work and what leaders are willing to change.”

The conversation around mentorship was amplified by an interactive wall that invited attendees to write down something a mentor had taught them — on the reverse side, the piece of technology that had most changed a project.

Day two turned toward process and technology with discussions around Lean, AI, software integration and field-ready innovation.

The closing keynote, delivered by Felipe Engineer-Manriquez, chief engineer at EBFC AI, was called From Chatbot to Construction Companion: AI That Remembers Your Work.

He addressed the shift from novelty to utility, arguing for tools that reduce friction, retain knowledge and support better decisions on active projects.

For Sara Searle, marketing manager at Pitt Meadows Plumbing, the event “went far beyond what we had envisioned, and that was because of extraordinary industry support, the strength of our elevated speaker program, and the expertise of Emelia Winnig of The Event Architect. Most of all, it was made possible by our Pitt Meadows Plumbing team, who had to pivot all week and absorb the disruption that comes with opening your doors in this way.”