It is a rare event but all members of the Ontario Legislature came together to support a heavily amended Bill 142, Amendments to the Construction Lien Act on December 5th by a unanimous vote of 87 to O.

The Bill still requires regulations to the lien and adjudication sections before all the details are known. It is expected that the Lien Act provisions will be implemented in about 6 months. The prompt payment and adjudication provisions will be implemented together on a date to be determined. It will apply to contracts dated that date or later.

The OGCA Construction Lien Act Committee, led by Paul Raboud, was very successful in obtaining a number of amendments to deal with unintended consequences, and support the effective application of the adjudication system. The Construction Act will be an unprecedented change for the construction industry. In particular, the Bill will implement a series of timelines from payment of invoices through to the adjudication process. OGCA will develop education material and organize seminars to communicate the new requirements.

The OGCA Staff will be making a donation to Toys for Tots Canada this year in celebration of the holidays.

We hope that all of our members enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

Our office will be closed at noon on December 22 and will reopen on January 2, 2018.See you then!

Rob Ellis created a lot of buzz at the Construct Canada Building Show, November 29 – December 1. With more than 1,600 attendees, the OGCA booth had many people asking what the “Jersey of Courage” was all about. Rob passionately advocated that the “Jersey of Courage” promotes a safety culture among leaders.

Leaders in prevention need to work together collaboratively in promoting workplace safety. All worker deserve to be protected from workplace injuries and fatalities, because the ultimate goal is that everyone goes home safe at the end of the day. Ellis challenged every person who signed the “Jersey of Courage” to step up and become Champions and instill the principals to create a safety culture within your company.

Prevention requires continuous action on everyone’s part every day. And it requires the help and vigilance of supervisors and employees every moment of every day. To learn more about how you can become a champion today, visit www.theleagueofchampions.com

Visit The League of Champions Facebook page for Photos from the Construct Canada Building Show. Follow us on Twitter as well @TheLOC

The OGCA is proud to announce that on November 29 at the Construct Canada Building Show, speakers Dan Fleming of EllisDon, David Frame of OGCA and Sean Scott of PCL Construction Toronto, introduced OGCA’s “The Safety Pass.”

With over 67 attendees, the session was a huge success. The session generated comments, feedback, and questions, indicating the immense industry interest. The question was asked – “Would you support a general HSE orientation that is industry recognized?” An outstanding 72% said yes. This percentage demonstrates the need for such a program as it raises the standard of safety awareness in the construction industry.

The Safety Pass will ensure that all construction site workers undergo basic health and safety awareness with the view to making a positive contributionn to the prevention of accidents and the avoidance of health hazards, and it is transferable.

There is still work that needs to be done. OGCA’s Safety Taskforce has dedicated time and expertise on this project. Their next task is to develop subcontractor guidelines. These guidelines will act as a tool to establish consistent requirements and expectations of subcontractors and generals, while sharing best practices. 

In the New Year, OGCA will be approaching each member and asking you to review the Safety Pass and register to use it. If you have any questions, please contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Mark your Calendar for March 2, 2018.

We are currently looking for generous sponsors to get involved and to help us create a successful event. By sponsoring the event, you will have the opportunity to expose your company to more than 300 members and stakeholders in the industry.

There are three levels of sponsorship from which to choose. There is opportunity to have a table top for which there is limited space available. Sponsorship payment is now available through the OGCA store. Visit www.ogca.ca/store, click on Events and select your level of commitment.

For more details on how you can become a sponsor, please visit the OGCA website or contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

If you or someone you know has demonstrated exceptional service in health and safety by their actions, contribution to the industry, or in a manner considered worthy of recognition, please submit your nomination today.

To send in your nominations, please visit www.ogca.ca. The form is available online under the About Us, Association Awards. The deadline for submissions is Friday January 19, 2018.

If you have any questions, please contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Once again, the Poker Scam of 2015 has risen its ugly head ... this time in Timmins. In case you don't remember it, you might get a call from someone telling you that your company has been shortlisted or selected to build a building in your area.

You might be invited to attend a meeting with the company in order to go over the specs. This meeting might happen at a local hotel where you will join the scammers at the bar while awaiting the arrival of the key player.

As time goes by, you might be invited up to their suite where a card game may be taking place. You might be invited to sit in for someone while they take a washroom break.

Next thing you know, the key player is unavailable after all, and you have lost at poker! 

If you get a call even remotely similar to this, please contact your local police. Check out the article from 2015 by clicking here.

The Minister of Public Services and Procurement Honourable Carla Qualtrough is considering launching a public review of federal procurement and payment practices with a focus on implementing prompt payment requirements.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed Bill S-224 Prompt Payment legislation applying to federal government projects. OGCA has been critical of the Bill that was developed without consultation. President Clive Thurston has written to the Minister asking that a full and proper review be launched and the Senate Bill be set aside.

OGCA is working with the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and our Construction Lien Act Committee to ensure that an extensive and comprehensive process is used as in the Ontario process to find a solution that has broad support.

The latest Ontario Legislative Report (November 22, 2017) can be found by visiting the OGCA website, and clicking on Government Relations.

The next issue of The Generals Magazine will be out in March.

We are currently seeking any milestones from our members to include in the next issue.

If you have something to share with our readers, please feel free to contact Mary Wademan (mary@ogca.ca) with your information. We need the info by January 15 in order to be included.