Does Quebec Have The Workforce To Match Its Wind Power As…

• The renewable energy sector in Quebec is challenged by a decade-long gap in wind project construction, which has led to the loss of experienced professionals who have migrated to other markets or retired, creating a talent shortage as demand surges and the build-out of new generation accelerates.
• Language requirements pose a significant barrier in Quebec’s construction industry, as oversight teams must operate in a French-first environment, limiting the pool of qualified candidates who can effectively communicate and coordinate on-site.
• PEC Construction Management adapted its hiring strategy by engaging local talent early, focusing on building long-term relationships, and ensuring compliance with provincial regulations, thereby successfully assembling multiple site teams for upcoming projects.

Contributed by Brent O’Connor | Management Consultant, PEC Construction Management

Quebec is entering a historic phase in its energy evolution – one that rivals the scale and ambition of the James Bay Project. Under Hydro-Québec Action Plan 2035, the province is shifting from managing surplus electricity to executing one of the largest renewable energy build-outs in North America.

At the center of this transformation is Hydro-Québec’s aggressive wind deployment strategy, targeting approximately 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity by 2035, with a sustained construction pace of 1,000–1,500 MW per year.

While the pipeline is robust, a critical constraint is emerging: a shortage of qualified, experienced construction management (CM) site teams capable of supporting this scale of deployment.

A Decade-Long Gap Comes Due

One of the most significant challenges facing the Quebec renewable sector today stems from its own history.

Despite being a pioneer in large-scale wind energy plants in the 1990s, Quebec saw minimal wind project construction activity for close to a decade. This prolonged lull created a structural gap in the qualified labor market, including experienced construction managers, superintendents, and owner representatives migrating to more active markets in Western Canada and the United States; others transitioning into adjacent industries and re-applying their skills in infrastructure, mining, or industrial sectors; and a portion of the workforce simply retiring, taking decades of institutional knowledge with them.

The result? A hollowed-out talent pipeline, just as demand is surging to unprecedented levels.

Language: A Non-Negotiable Requirement

In Quebec, technical capability alone is not enough. Construction oversight teams must operate within a French-first working environment, particularly during critical coordination forums such as POD (Plan of the Day) meetings, when preparing daily, weekly, and monthly project status reports, and when interfacing with key stakeholders.

This creates an additional barrier, as French-speaking professionals are required for effective site leadership; reporting, stakeholder coordination, and safety communication must align with local linguistic norms; and out-of-province talent often lacks the language proficiency needed to integrate seamlessly.

This requirement significantly narrows the already limited pool of qualified candidates.

A Generational Shift in Workforce Priorities

Beyond technical and linguistic challenges, the industry is also managing a shift in workforce expectations.

Utility-scale renewable construction, particularly wind, demands long hours, often exceeding 50 hours per week; rotational schedules; and extended periods away from home in remote or rural locations. Historically, these conditions were accepted as part of the profession. Today, however, many younger professionals are prioritizing work-life balance and a “work-to-live” mindset; geographic stability, with a preference for working from home; and career paths outside heavy construction environments.

As studied and reported by the University of Montreal, younger generations are changing the face of the labor market as their interests and ambitions are increasingly directed elsewhere – further tightening the pipeline of candidates willing to commit to the realities of field-based construction management roles.

A Perfect Storm? Competing Demand for Talent

The challenge facing Quebec is further intensified by simultaneous project awards across the province.

ing Hydro-Québec’s late 2021 / early 2022 procurement cycle, major developers, including EDF power solutions, secured multiple large-scale power purchase agreements (PPAs). These awards were publicly announced in early 2023, triggering a wave of project mobilizations. At the same time, leading EPC contractors such as Borea Construction captured a significant of the construction scope across the majority of projects.

This has created direct competition for the same limited talent pool from a single company, namely Borea; long-term employment pipelines with EPC firms that reduce labor mobility; and upward pressure on compensation and retention strategies that collide with lowest-bid budget mandates.

In effect, the market is experiencing a “talent squeeze,” where demand is not just high – it’s concentrated and sustained over a decade-long horizon; therefore, it’s not going to get any easier for owners seeking representation.

PEC Construction Management’s Early Positioning Strategy

Recognizing these challenges early, PEC Construction Management (registered to operate in Quebec as PEC Gestion de la Construction) began proactively positioning itself in the market.

“Fully aware of the challenges ahead, we began our search for Francophone and bilingual construction managers across Quebec and Canada back in 2023, a full 2-3 years ahead of anticipated mobilization to the sites,” detailed Brent O’Connor, author of this article and a managing consultant to the firm who serves the company in a business and corporate development capacity.

“This timeline is in stark contrast to our typical hiring process, which is 2-3 months ahead of mobilization; enough time to onboard, educate, secure local lodging, receive acceptance from the client and ensure the prospect representatives have the jurisdiction mandated safety certifications and respective training.”

This strategic move had three drivers: PEC Construction Management’s long-standing relationship with a primary client; PEC Construction Management’s confidence that it would win that client’s competitive RFP to supply contracted services through competitive bidding; and the expectation that the awarded projects would require multiple full-site Owner’s Representative teams.

The Real Challenges in Building Site Teams

As PEC Construction Management moved to assemble these teams, several key challenges became clear:

1. Scarcity of qualified talent became a significant challenge, particularly when attempting to identify professionals with utility-scale wind experience; an Owner’s Representative mindset focused on supportive, non-directive oversight; and strong safety and QA/QC backgrounds, while also finding individuals willing to advance through the hiring process despite uncertainty surrounding project construction start dates, which limited PEC Construction Management’s ability to commit to prospective employees early in the recruitment process.

The targeted Construction Manager roles included building multiple project site teams consisting of a combination of the ing Subject Matter Experts (SME):

• Project Managers
• Site Managers
• Electrical Superintendents (HV/MV)
• Civil Superintendents
• Mechanical Superintendents
• Wind Turbine Superintendents
• Project Construction Coordinators
• Safety Specialists
• Community Liaison Officers

2. Language requirements also created additional hiring challenges, as candidates were expected to lead and actively participate in French-language meetings; produce reporting in French, with bilingual documentation provided where required; and interface effectively with local stakeholders and authorities, including Hydro-Québec, the EPC, and subcontractors such as crane operators, logistics teams, and community representatives.

While bilingual capabilities are an asset, the priority was – and remains – on Francophone candidates. English proficiency is viewed as a bonus, not a requirement. At the core of the role, candidates must be able to fully understand and navigate safety programs and protocols that are developed, documented, and administered in French by the Owner and EPC contractor.

3. Geographic, cultural, safety and technological alignment also played a significant role in candidate selection, with preference given to hyper-local professionals with deep community ties; individuals familiar with Quebec’s regulatory and social landscape; candidates experienced working with First Nations, Hydro-Québec, regional municipalities, and PEC Construction Management’s targeted clients; professionals experienced with the Vestas EnVentus platform, including the V162-6.0 MW and V162-6.2 MW units; and individuals holding a valid ASP Construction card in Quebec confirming completion of the mandatory “General Health and Safety on Construction Sites” course, while PEC Construction Management coordinated enrollment in the 30-hour certification program for those who did not already possess a valid ASP card.

4. Competition from EPC Contractors also created additional hiring pressures, with firms Borea offering long-term project pipelines, stable employment continuity, and competitive compensation and benefits, resulting in Owners and Owner’s Representative firms facing an uphill battle in attracting and retaining top talent.

5. Workforce availability and willingness have also become significant challenges, as even when technically qualified candidates are identified, a willingness to commit to project demands has become a gating factor, particularly among younger professionals who are less inclined toward rotational, site-based careers that require extended periods away from home.

Labor Laws Leave No Room for ‘Lost in Translation’

Beyond talent scarcity and language requirements, another – and often underappreciated – challenge in Quebec is strict compliance with employment classification under Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec regulations. In many construction markets across North America, it is common for experienced site professionals to operate as independent consultants. However, in Quebec, the line between employee and independent contractor is rigorously defined – and enforced. For construction management roles embedded full-time on project sites, these classifications are not flexible interpretations; they are legal determinations based on control, integration, and economic dependency.

This poses a significant challenge when recruiting experienced professionals accustomed to working as consultants. In practice, many of these roles – particularly Owner’s Representative positions embedded within daily site operations – do not meet the legal criteria for independent contractor status under CRA and Revenu Québec guidelines.

One can reasonably assume that, in a constrained labor market, some Owner’s Representative firms and project owners amay choose to overlook this risk or assume it to secure talent quickly, seemingly reducing costs and making the onboarding process more convenient. However, doing so may introduce serious exposure, including regulatory risk related to worker reclassification; financial risk associated with penalties, back taxes, and interest; insurance risk through the potential invalidation of liability coverage due to improper employment structures; and project schedule risk resulting from unexpected administrative disruption during project execution.

In short, this is not a misclassification is not a minor administrative issue, it is a budgetary and scheduling risk that can materially impact project delivery, therefore, in addition to themselves hiring in non-compliant conditions, owners need to ensure their selected Owner’s Representative firms are not hiring temporary consultants. As the Owner Representative, whose mandate is to protect the client’s interests, assuming this level of risk is fundamentally at odds with the role. Ensuring compliance is not optional – it is a core responsibility of the Owner’s Rep.

Compounding the issue further, many prospective candidates were already working under such misclassified arrangements. In some cases, individuals were unaware that their current working structures were in direct conflict with Quebec labor and tax laws. This lack of awareness, often coupled with language barriers or differing practices from other jurisdictions, can make it challenging, if not impossible, to align expectations during the hiring process.

Explaining that engagement as an independent consultant is not a “grey area” and not viable under Quebec regulations is a difficult conversation to have with a prospective employee. For some candidates, it means fundamentally rethinking how they view their role, compensation structure, employment relationship, and tax structure.

Ultimately, hiring these individuals as consultants would not only result in non-compliance with CRA and Revenu Québec requirements, but could also create downstream complications – including liability insurance issues years down the road, audit exposure, and contractual risk for the client.

In a market already defined by tight labor supply and increasing demand, this regulatory layer adds yet another constraint. But it also reinforces a key principle, which is PEC Construction Management’s motto: “Do it right, do it once.” Even when doing it right is the harder and seemingly more expensive path.

Note: The said labor law is not exclusive to Quebec and applies across Canada and into the U.S.

The Solution: Building Teams Differently

Despite these challenges, PEC Construction Management successfully assembled multiple site teams by rethinking its approach.

Early engagement and pre-qualification

PEC Construction Management began identifying and engaging candidates well before project mobilization, allowing time to assess fit and secure commitments. The firm prioritized hyper-local leadership by focusing on senior managers based in Quebec; professionals with established regional networks; leaders capable of bridging technical expertise with local insight; and candidates sourced from neighboring provinces, including Francophone and Acadian townships in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Ownership mindset

PEC Construction Management focused on integrating team members into a company culture that prioritizes relationships while ensuring mutual engagement and satisfaction; offering incentives that foster long-term commitment and retention, including defined long-term career paths for employees; and diligently maintaining a strong pipeline of projects to support the redeployment of team members ing completion of their initial +/-2 year assignments, thereby supporting career continuity across Quebec and Canada and, where appropriate, potentially supporting U.S. work visa opportunities for placement on the company’s U.S. projects as part of a broader skills development and diversity exposure initiative.

Technical Depth

Technical depth was also a key consideration, with ideal candidates selected based on geography, proximity to site, and willingness to relocate; education level, with civil and electrical engineering degrees preferred; direct wind project experience, ideally ranging from 5–10 years and preferably within Quebec; experience within the specified discipline, including civil, electrical, substations, or administrative functions; cross-country project exposure; contingent upon role, experience with the specified wind turbine manufacturers and evolving technologies and models; experience working with Hydro-Québec; experience working with the client’s selected EPC, namely Borea; strong safety backgrounds and related training; strong references and background checks; and other relevant qualifications. While difficult, this approach proved that high-quality team assembly in Quebec is not impossible, but rather requires foresight, discipline, and local integration.

Pre-Wash, Pre-Rinse and Repeat: A Leap of Faith

Positioning in advance always introduces a unique layer of complexity that may extend beyond traditional workforce planning. In our chosen sector, construction contract agreements may not have been formally executed, projects are still progressing through permitting stages, and definitive construction start dates may remain uncertain – challenges that all participants in the renewables sector willingly “sign up for.”

Despite these common challenges, PEC Construction Management made a deliberate decision to move forward significantly earlier than normal – fully aware that doing so would increase complexity and challenges, requiring a level of commitment and risk not typically assumed in standard hiring cycles.

This meant engaging, vetting, and in many cases securing highly qualified candidates well before mobilization certainty existed. Inevitably, this approach required repetition. Pre-qualified professionals were often lost to other opportunities with firmer, earlier timelines, forcing the team to restart the process – again and again.

While some degree of candidate turnover during pre-construction phases is expected in this industry, the scale here was exceptional. In practical terms, PEC Construction Management found itself fully pre-qualifying and essentially building three complete site teams for every one team that ultimately mobilized – a ratio that is rare, if not entirely unprecedented.

Being an international, multi-market firm provided a meaningful advantage during this process. It enabled PEC Construction Management to secure strong candidates and, if necessary, place them on active projects in other jurisdictions until Quebec opportunities materialized, potentially helping retain high-quality talent that might otherwise have been lost to the market.

In hindsight, even in those worst-case scenarios, many of these “false start” relationships have proven valuable. serving as the foundation for future opportunities, while also providing the added benefit of increasing a strong network and getting to know some exceptional professionals across the industry.

Moreover, this “pre-wash, pre-rinse and repeat” cycle was not without purpose. Each iteration strengthened the bench, refined selection criteria, and deepened market intelligence. More importantly, it ensured that when projects did move forward, PEC Construction Management was not reacting – but continued to be ready.

In a sector and market defined by uncertainty, competition, and constrained talent, this approach ultimately became less of a gamble – and more of a necessary strategy grounded in foresight and conviction.

Human Resources: Aligning Culture with Compliance

To ensure full alignment with provincial requirements, PEC Construction Management engaged Labranche RH, a boutique Quebec-based human resources firm with prior experience in the sector, to support its onboarding process. This partnership provided local expertise in employment standards, worker classification, payroll compliance, and regulatory obligations, while also ensuring practices were culturally and socially appropriate within the Quebec context. Additionally, the firm provided support in revising PEC Construction Management’s employee handbooks and other mandated internal programs.

By leveraging in-province specialists, PEC Construction Management was able to confidently onboard personnel in a manner that is fully compliant, transparent, and respectful of local norms – consistent with both Revenu Québec and broader provincial employment regulations.

The Bigger Picture: A Decade of Continuous Building

Quebec’s renewable strategy is not a short-term surge. Hydro-Québec’s plan includes adding 8–9 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity by 2035; scaling to 30–40 GW of additional capacity by 2050; and developing strategic wind zones while expanding transmission infrastructure. This translates into a continuous 10-year construction cycle that is fundamentally changing the province’s energy landscape.

The challenge of securing qualified Construction Management site teams in Quebec is not simply a staffing issue, but rather a structural market constraint shaped by history, language, workforce evolution, attitude, commitment, and scale. Firms that succeed will be those that invest early in talent identification, prioritize local and bilingual expertise, adapt to shifting workforce expectations, build long-term relationships rather than project-based teams, and are willing to assume risk on behalf of good clients with the confidence to succeed.

As Quebec continues to accelerate towards its decarbonization goals, the ability to build and sustain high-quality Construction Management teams will be just as critical as financing, permitting, and engineering.

PEC Construction Management continues to expand its presence in Quebec and across Canada – working in tandem with its U.S. operations – to meet this demand head-on, one site team at a time.

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About the Author

Brent O’Connor serves as a Management Consultant specializing in Business & Corporate Development at PEC Construction Management, where he supports the company’s strategic growth and market expansion initiatives in the renewable energy sector across Canada and the United States. With more than 18 years of experience, Brent has played a key role in originating and advancing several gigawatts of utility-scale wind, solar, and BESS projects across 14 international markets throughout North, South, and Central America.

Prior to joining PEC, which today serves top-tier IPPs, electrical utilities, and developers, Brent worked alongside many of the industry’s leading organizations supporting market penetration strategies, project origination, and early-stage development initiatives in emerging energy markets. At PEC, Brent has helped position the company for growth in Quebec, across Canada, and key U.S. jurisdictions by strengthening strategic partnerships, supporting business development initiatives, and aligning PEC’s Owner’s Representative and construction management services with the evolving needs of the renewable energy sector. A strong advocate for local workforce integration, Brent has also supported initiatives focused on recruiting and developing regional talent, helping PEC establish relationships with local professionals, technical specialists, and communities to support sustainable, renewable energy workforces capable of advancing long-term project development across North America.