January 7 Report

Steve and Elizabeth are proving to be great additions to our team and I look forward to their efforts in assisting our members and in facing the challenges ahead.

There is no doubt that this coming year is going to be as busy, if not busier, than the one we have just experienced. Clearly the OGCA and its partners in the industry are going to be even more engaged as a new government continues to make changes to the world we live in.

We are preparing our next three-year strategic plan to guide the organization, and we are well on our way planning our 11th Construction Symposium in Blue Mountain.

Already we have seen major changes come about, such as the demise of the College of Trades. But with that demise comes a great deal of work, because there is still a gap to fill on ensuring that we get the tradespeople we need to perform the work in the coming years.

Changes are happening across the board in numerous categories and they will impact how everybody does business, from owners to contractors to subtrades.

The second part of the Construction Act is expected, along with changes that are being made to Labour Relations and Tendering. These things are going to certainly send a message that change is happening.

Through all of this, we, as your representatives, combined with the other associations that we work with, represent the strongest, most knowledgeable resource when it comes to construction in this province.

For a number of years now, we have been leading the consultations with organizations such as Infrastructure Ontario, the WSIB, and Ministry of Labour. This is not going to change; in fact, it is going to become even more important as we go forward.

With our partners, we are preparing reports and research papers to be delivered to the government to find new and inventive ways to procure projects and finance them. We are conducting a national study into the impact of poor pre-planning on projects and the importance of upfront investment to ensure that projects are carried out with the best value for the public.

A joint task force with the OAA and others is looking at the new CCDC2 and the impact of Ontario's legislation on standardized documents. We are working on updating our agreed-to supplementary conditions. We are also working to produce a companion guide for construction management to the CCA documents 25 and 26, again in collaboration with the OAA, ARIDO, legal consultants, and project management firms Colliers and BGIS.

The second part of our handbook to assist general contractors with the upcoming changes to the Construction Act, that will include prompt payment and adjudication, is also under development.

We have put together a significant advisory group to work with the government and have already been asked by the Minister of Infrastructure to provide information and suggestions on the best ways to take infrastructure forward in the province of Ontario. We are looking at new brainstorming sessions and collaborative organization sessions that will bring together key provincial government people along with industry experts to address the many challenges and issues that we have. One such example is the working group now collaborating with Metrolinx who will be one of the most prolific providers of work in our industry for the next few years, if not the next decade.

The collaboration and support between our organization and those within the CDAO has proven to be the most effective voice for construction that this province has ever seen.

Over the last year, we have seen more and more owners begin to prequalify contractors based on their membership in the Ontario General Contractors Association. This is something we support because the reputation of our members, their quality and in particular, their safety records, is unmatched by any others. Owners want the best and want to avoid problems, knowing that the contractors they are hiring are members of our organization and are backed up by a knowledgeable, professional organization that can provide assistance in resolving disputes, preparing and reviewing contracts, in short, improving the relationship between contractor and owner.

As I am in my final years here at the OGCA, I can tell you I'm still as excited as I was from the first day. We have much to do and we need your help and support to ensure that it happens. Going forward, our industry is going to be at the forefront of ensuring that Ontario is not only open for business but that we are the most effective, safest and efficient construction industry in the world.

I look forward to continuing to represent you at all levels and in working with my partners in the industry to make this happen.

So buckle up ladies and gentlemen - it's going to be an interesting ride as we move forward into 2019.