The Dean Report and Bill 70 are driving important changes to the Ontario College of Trades. The Cabinet has now moved to appoint fresh faces to the College by appointing three new construction industry representatives to the Appointments Council which will make appointments to the Board of Directors, Sector Councils and Trade Boards. Collectively, they will oversee the reforms of Bill 70 and the Dean Report.

The appointments are:

Martha George, President and CEO, Grand Valley Construction Association

Moreen Miller, President of Fowler Construction

Mike Gallagher, General Vice President, IUOE

They are all well known veterans of the Ontario Construction Industry, and we are particularly pleased with Martha George’s appointment. She has an extensive background in education and skills development, and actively worked to challenge the former direction of the College. It’s an outstanding appointment. Congratulations, Martha!

Mississauga, ON – Over the past several years, early tender calls have been identified as a top priority issue by the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA). ORBA has worked with its members to release an advocacy paper showing the clear benefits of early tender calls. The paper incorporates statistical information from public owners on early tender calls and figures on the benefits of overall infrastructure investments.

ORBA will also use this advocacy paper as it continues to work with public sector owners, including municipalities, to make early tender calls an industry standard in the province.

"Early tender calls provide clear and tangible benefits for both contractors and public owners by allowing proper planning for the upcoming construction season and eliminating inefficiencies in the delivery of projects. ORBA would like to see the current trend of early tender calls in public projects continue to grow and strengthen throughout the province," says Ashley De Souza, Director of Government Relations, ORBA.

The advocacy paper also discusses recommendations for municipalities and other public owners on how they can adopt early tender calls.

To download a copy of the advocacy paper, please visit ORBA’s website at orba.org/early-tender-calls-advocacy-paper.

The Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA) is the voice of the transportation infrastructure sector in Ontario. Our members build the majority of provincial and municipal roads, bridges, transit and transportation infrastructure across the province, and employ in excess of 30,000 workers at peak season. To learn more about ORBA, visit www.orba.org.

With safety month around the corner, don’t forget that the League of Champions has safety paraphernalia for sale.

For companies where employees may face hazards on the job, the right protective clothing can help guard against injuries. For many companies that demand quality safety garments, The League of Champions is the provider of choice for hi-visibility workwear and protective clothing.

You can also use the LOC merchandise as prize giveaways or to assist in promoting safety recognition among your employees. To find out how The League of Champions can help you simplify your company's protective clothing and safety gear, while saving you both time and money, contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

On March 3, 2017, join IHSA and OGCA at this must-attend safety event of the year where owners, leaders in government, and the construction industry meet to share successes, set priorities and support the emergence of a safer construction industry.

The Certificate of Recognition (COR™) is a national standard for the measurement and continuous improvement of workplace health and safety systems in Canada. It has been gaining momentum in Ontario over the past few years, particularly with buyers of construction.

Come out and hear from a panel of industry leaders as they share their stories and experiences in achieving COR™.

Newcomers will also be welcomed into the League of Champions, an initiative that exists to help companies build a safety culture and be recognized for their leadership. The League of Champions is a catalyst for safety improvement in individual companies and the industry as a whole. Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, WSIB President Thomas Teahen, and Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis will address new prevention initiatives. Register today! 

Safety month is upon us, and as leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure everyone in our industry goes home safely at the end of each day. This should be at the forefront of everybody's mind and it takes continued due diligence.Therefore, OGCA will be designating the month of May as OGCA’s Safety Month.

OGCA’s Safety Chair Craig Lesurf wants to present this challenge to all OGCA members: To demonstrate Safety Leadership and to participate in SafetyWeek2017 and encourage all to participate on our jobsites and in our offices.

Rob Ellis of MySafeWork often asks, "What do good companies look like? Well, they care for their staff, they care for others, are proactive about safety and lead by example."

The main objectives for raising the bar for Safety in our industry are:

• Generating awareness
• Education
• Positive reinforcement
• Changing cultures
• Sharing best practices - after all, Safety is not proprietary

These objectives will support our efforts to ensure that our workforce works safely, that our new and vulnerable workers are protected and that everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.

What can you do to raise the bar for Safety?

1. Challenge the status quo
2. Take part in OGCA Safety Month (May) follow us @TheLOChampions and share your safety stories
3. Take part in SafetyWeek2017
4. Join The League of Champions to use as your lever to improve safety culture at your company

After all, LEADERS NEED TO LEAD, and unless we all step up to make a difference, people will continue to get hurt in our industry and that is simply unacceptable.

Wishing everyone in our industry a safe and healthy 2017 and beyond.

OGCA is very pleased to announce the latest OGCA members, many courtesy of Clive Thurston's and David Frame's Road Trips. Please join us in welcoming:

Basekamp Construction Corporation, Vaughan
Magnum Constructors Inc., Sudbury
Caird-Hall Construction Inc., Burlington
Manshield (NWO) Construction, Thunder Bay

The Generals Magazine holds some interesting articles, including mention of several members who have Milestones they are celebrating this year. Be sure to watch for it, coming early March 2017.

 

Congratulations to Walsh Canada and Bondfield Construction Company Limited for the Project Achievement (Large) Award for their joint venture project - Women's College Hospital Redevelopment.

The award was presented by Toronto Construction Association.

TCA Chair Craig Lesurf presented John Aquino with the award during the latest OGCA Board of Directors meeting.

The Legislative Report is updated every two weeks and explains the intention and status of legislation and regulations that could impact the construction industry. Be sure to check it out on the OGCA website. Click here to access.

The world of workers’ compensation can be complex and frustrating for those responsible for managing claims. This Worker’s Compensation Bootcamp (previously titled Claims Management I and II) workshop will assist Claims Management Personnel, Human Resources Personnel, Managers and Supervisors to understand and navigate the claims management process. The session will familiarize participants with adjudication principles, provide guidance on how to avoid some of the pitfalls that can arise, and will help participants understand some of the more complex systems in the workers’ compensation. Click on the headline to register.

This half-day seminar will provide legal and practical information to assist with the identification, assessment and prevention of workplace violence and harassment. Click the headline to register.

Breakfast Event: Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Norm Keith, LL.M., partner at Fasken Martineau, will address this timely and important topic of the accountability, criminal enforcement and the social responsibility of corporations in Canada. Topics to be covered will include:

1.The "new normal" of criminalizing corporate behavior;

2.How the Westray Mine disaster changed corporate criminal liability;

3.The problem of proof in white collar prosecutions (Dunn & Duffy);

4.Recent examples of white collar convictions (Karigar & Kazenelson);

5.Will criminal prosecutions make businesses "more ethical";

6.Towards a rationale model of corporate accountability and compliance.

Agenda

7:45amBreakfast
8:15amPresentation
9:00am Q&A

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE- SPACE IS LIMITED!

MEMBERS COMPLIMENTARY (Subject to space availability - includes unlimited employees of corporate members)

Non-Members: $15.00

* Note: The hours from this non-accredited seminar may be applied towards the 9 Substantive Hours of annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) required by the Law Society of Upper Canada.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Register on the Centre’s web site at www.ethicscentre.ca or contact the Centre by phone: (416) 368-7525 or e-mail: lmarsh@ethicscentre.ca, noting any special dietary requirements.

 

 

All League of Champions and OGCA members are invited to register for the 2017 EllisDon/Threads of Life Charity Hockey Tournament.

EllisDon is looking for teams to register no later than April 1, 2017 for this two day hockey tournament, which is being held at The Sports Village, 2600 Rutherford Road, Vaughan, Ontario on Friday, May 5 from 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, May 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Bring your family and friends to cheer your teams on. Don’t forget to bring your little ones along too as there will be a family skate on Saturday afternoon from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

For information on how you can register for this worthy cause, please contact Dan Fleming at 416-616-0252 or email at dfleming@ellisdon.com or, contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca