Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council Expands Trades Exhibition Hall to Cape Breton

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The Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council is set to establish a new Trades Exhibition Hall in Cape Breton, building on the success of its existing facility in Halifax, with plans to open in 2026 or 2027.

The Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council (NSCSC) is expanding its innovative Trades Exhibition Hall (TEH) concept, with plans to establish a new facility in the Sydney area on Cape Breton Island. Trent Soholt, the executive director of NSCSC, announced that they are currently in search of an appropriate location and anticipate moving into the new space by late 2026 or 2027. The TEH, which was founded in 2014, serves as a unique venue where students and their educators can engage directly with various construction trades.
Targeting students from Grades 9 to 12, the TEH is developed in collaboration with industry partners and the Nova Scotia Ministry of Labour Skills and Immigration. The facility features 14 interactive booths, offering students and their teachers insights into careers as boilermakers, bricklayers, carpenters, and other skilled trades. Participants can engage in hands-on demonstrations and have discussions with industry professionals at different career stages.
Soholt emphasized the facility's realism, stating, "The Trades Exhibition Hall is as close to a real jobsite as it is possible to get without being on a real jobsite." The popularity of the TEH has surged, with groups booking tours a year in advance. Feedback from teachers reveals that students enjoy visiting the TEH, often expressing either a desire to learn more about the trades or concluding that the trades are not their path, which Soholt views positively.
The success of the TEH has exceeded initial expectations, leading to interest from construction and training organizations across Canada and the United States looking to replicate its model. Notably, a similar facility is being developed in Alberta, specifically the Alberta Trades Discovery Centre (ATDC), which will occupy a remodeled 13,000 square foot warehouse in northeast Calgary. This centre aims to provide junior high and high school students with hands-on exposure to skilled trades careers, with an expected opening in fall 2026 and plans for further expansion based on demand.
Warren Singh, chairman of the ATDC board, noted that representatives from the Alberta construction industry and government visited the TEH in late 2025, inspired by its success. The ATDC will operate under a board comprising members from various construction associations and labor relations organizations in Alberta. Bill Black, the president and CEO of the Calgary Construction Association (CCA), visited the TEH in late 2025 and stated, "The TEH concept has a place in Alberta," advocating for a continuous engagement model rather than a sporadic annual event.
Black further indicated that the CCA plans to collaborate with local school boards to facilitate student visits to the ATDC, integrating it into their existing network of initiatives. The model has garnered support from Kyle Downie, CEO of SkillPlan, a non-profit organization focused on construction workforce training. He highlighted that the TEH model provides young people with essential hands-on experience in the trades and has the potential for replication across Canada.
Brynn Bourke, executive director of the BC Building Trades Council, praised the TEH, noting it offers youth a concentrated opportunity to engage with tradespeople in a single day. She pointed out that the support of the Nova Scotia provincial government, which arranges school tours of the TEH, is critical to its sustainability.
In British Columbia, a virtual counterpart to the TEH exists through the College of BC Building Trades, which provides an online platform for students to explore the skilled trades. The college offers the Trade Ambassador Program, delivering interactive workshops designed to give high school students insight into the trades through the perspectives of young construction workers.

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