As was mentioned in a recent OSPE blog article, the topic of Weather, Floods and Extreme Weather is particularly timely given the rise in catastrophic weather since 1990. Moreover, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development recently concluded that the federal government has not prioritized efforts to mitigate the anticipated impacts of severe weather.

Statistics Canada’s recent survey of investment intentions revealed that total investment by Ontario businesses and public sector institutions is expected to edge down by 0.1% to $69.5 billion in 2016. This follows two strong consecutive increases of 11.5% and 9.6% in 2014 and 2015.

You wouldn’t speed at the office, so why speed in a construction zone? • ONE IN EVERY THREE DRIVERS (28%) admits that they are not always focused on the road while driving • Many drivers report witnessing a number of other drivers’ bad habits including SPEEDING (87%), WEAVING (72%) and ROAD RAGE (61%) • Most Ontario drivers agree construction sites are simply people DOING THEIR JOBS (93%) but a significant majority also report viewing construction sites as an INCONVENIENCE (75%) • Adhere to posted speed limits and other signage on the road • Avoid distractions while driving • Plan ahead to avoid delays • TREAT CONSTRUCTION ZONES AS IF THEY WERE YOUR OWN WORKPLACE

OGCA recently attended a meeting with Infrastructure Ontario Real Estate. There were some significant points of which members need to be aware. OGCA will continue to be an active partner working with IORE to continue to make improvements to the system.

Former Minister of Labour Chris Bentley has been appointed by the government to address the Dean Report issue that has held up the recommendations from moving to legislation.The Report recommended that the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) be given jurisdiction over the enforcement of scope of practice matters. Bentley will consult on and make recommendations about the appeal to the OLRB, the extent of contextual information they will be authorized to use or have regard to under its appellate authority.

This seminar is presented by Fasken Martineau. When an OHS Inspector/Officer arrives at the workplace, many employers and their managers do not know what their rights are. This seminar was designed specifically at the request of clients to understand their rights and responsibilities when an OHS Inspector/Officer arrives for a routine inspection, workplace complaint, work refusal, or an accident investigation.