On March 29, 2017, OGCA President Clive Thurston will be addressing the Construction Community at a session presented by PMI Toronto Chapter . Please click the headline for the information and instructions on how to register.

As of April 1, 2017, companies must have applied for Certificate of Recognition (COR) to bid on traditionally-delivered projects with a construction value above $10 million. Companies looking to partner with Infrastructure Ontario (IO) on larger, traditionally-delivered construction projects need to be aware of new requirements that take effect in 2017.

After more than 40 years as a litigation counsel, Harvey Kirsh will focus exclusively as an independent and full-time arbitrator and mediator of construction disputes and claims.

Kirsh’s experience as an alternative dispute resolution neutral includes international and domestic claims relating to the construction of pipelines, oil sands projects, solar power projects, commercial roofing, copper mines, sewage systems, military bases, hospitals, breweries and residential housing.

Congratulations to Rob and Jess. On March 9, Governor General David Johnson presented them each with the Meritorious Service Cross at a ceremony in London. It recognized many years of service through MySafeWork, working with students, workers and employers to tell the story of their loss, and inspire excellence in workplace health and safety.

Their message has moved hundreds of thousands of persons from across Canada and the US and has helped to establish a health and safety culture.

OGCA started a relationship with Rob and MySafeWork over three years ago and they have been able to reach out and touch many of our members and their employees. The creation of the League of Champions last year has helped to take the message across the Ontario construction industry in a short period of time.

Their achievement without a doubt has resulted in other families not having to face the same loss that they suffered. This is an outstanding recognition of the service they have given and this presentation was an act of gratitude to them from the people of Canada.

OGCA's recent Leadership Day stirred up some comments in the Daily Commercial News. Click the headline to read the full article.

On Friday, March 3, 2017, OGCA, in partnership with IHSA, held its Annual COR™ Open House & Leadership Day Conference. Leadership Day is designed to cultivate leadership in Health and Safety. It aims to improve and support Health and Safety initiatives, while promoting a safety culture among its members and providing a platform to share best practices and future announcements in safety-related initiatives occurring in the construction industry.

Safety Week is only a few months away and we are encouraging those who are planning events to plan ahead.

Those wishing to reserve Rob Ellis to speak at your upcoming event, please reserve your dates as soon as possible.

League members, don’t forget that the League of Champions has swag for purchase to give away as prizes.

To keep OGCA and The LOC engaged in your upcoming safety events, tweet us by using hashtag #LOCsafetyevents.This year’s theme is Hand Safety.

For more information or if you should have any questions, contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of the wife of Michael Assal (Taplen Construction) - Gill Alexander-Assal. She was the mother of two children - Torin (14) and Konstantine (11), and will be greatly missed. Memorial donations can be made to the GoFundMe campaign for Torin and Konstantine at

Please be reminded that all OGCA member companies and employees of member companies, are eligible to participate in a Group Home and Auto Insurance Program. This program is also open to spouses and dependent children.

Administered by Marsh Canada Limited, and underwritten by Aviva Traders, the program provides you with access to home and auto insurance rates at competitive group rates. Features include:

• A monthly payment plan with no service fees.

• 24-hour emergency claims service.

• Unlimited telephone assistance for legal, home, and health issues.

• Optional accident forgiveness.

For a no-obligation quote, call Marsh’s Private Client Services at 1-877-476-6727 or visit them at www.marsh.ca/quote to submit your policy expiry dates. Their licensed brokers will be pleased to provide you with a quote and answer your questions.

The latest Ontario Legislative Report (February 27, 2017) is available here. Previous issues can also be found at the OGCA website (www.ogca.ca) under Government Resources.

Marijuana accessibility is increasing. Social stigma is decreasing. Legalization for recreational use is a political promise with potential multi-billion dollar implications. As employers work to cope with this new reality, many questions come up. While implementation will lag behind legalization, it is important to start pro-actively addressing this issue now. Click the headline to register for this complimentary course provided by Matthews Dinsdale Clark.

OGCA Golf Tournament - Monday, July 10, 2017
OGCA’s Annual Golf Tournament will be open for registration in early May. We are back at Glencairn Golf Course in Milton, a fabulous course with three nine hole courses. We fill up rather quickly, so be sure to watch for the registration form. This year, the sponsorship will be going up if you are not a member of the OGCA’s Associate Partner Program. More information on the APP will be available shortly.

AGM and Conference 2017 - October 19 - 22, 2017
This year, we are in Toronto for what is starting to look like a sell out! We have had more interest in this AGM and Conference than ever before. Dates are October 19 – 22, 2017, and we will be at the Omni King Edward Hotel. We are hoping to fill the AGM with more of our smaller firms as they are now given the opportunity to experience an AGM on our home turf. Hope to see you there!

Symposium 2017 - April 6 - 8, 2017
This year’s symposium is almost here, and we have sold out of our sponsorship space! If you were hoping to attend, please don’t delay in sending in your registration form and session check off sheets, both of which can be found on the OGCA website at www.ogca.ca under STORE, and EVENTS.