Happy Holidays from the Ontario General Contractors Association! We are happy to share these two little videos created by staff in order to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. See you in January!

Click to watch An OGCA Christmas Carol

Click to watch Rockin' around the OGCA Christmas Tree

OGCA staff, and representatives from CECCO, CLRAO and SAC got together for a teambulding event just before Christmas.

Cocktails and Paint came into the office and gave instructions on how to paint with acrylics.

As you can see, we made quite an impression with our assorted talents!

On November 6, 2017,  Michael Fenn spoke at the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships annual conference to discuss the research he had done on behalf of RCCAO, including the report released in late October entitled “Infrastructure Ontario: A Key Agency to Implement the Long-Term Infrastructure Plan.”

Please click here to watch the video.

Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have issued a Request for Qualifications for interested parties to design build and finance the Lakeshore West Corridor Infrastructure Improvements project.

The infrastructure upgrades are required to accommodate the planned expansion of GO Transit rail service on the Lakeshore West line.

Click here to read more…

Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) today welcomed the news that NOVA Chemicals will invest $2 billion towards a new facility in Ontario. The funds, representing the single largest business investment in the Sarnia-Lambton region, will go towards the building of a new polyethylene facility and the expansion of its Corunna Site ethylene cracker. CIAC also thanked the Province of Ontario for its contribution of $100 million to the project. The investment will create 2,000 direct and indirect jobs over the first 10 years of the project alone, and will result in a further 25 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity from 2016 levels.

Click here to read the full press release.

TORONTO – Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Metrolinx have awarded a fixed-price contract to Toronto Tunnel Partners (TTP) to design, build and finance the Highway 401 Rail Tunnel project, in support of the province’s GO Regional Express Rail (RER) program.

The contract is valued at $116.9 million, which reflects the substantial completion payment. Click here for more information.

The request for proposals stage has closed for teams to submit their bids to design, build, finance and maintain the Finch West LRT project. 

Following a fair, open and transparent request for qualifications process, three teams – Humber Valley Transit Partners, Mosaic Transit Group, and FACT Partners – were shortlisted and invited to respond to a request for proposals in February 2016. All three teams have submitted their proposals by today’s deadline.

Click here for more information.

In this op-ed, Ottawa architect Toon Dreessen explains how the public sector can spark more innovative designs – while saving money – by rethinking procurement processes. Please click here to read the article, published in the Ottawa Business Journal.

We are pleased to announce that Andrea George assumed the role of Program Coordinator for the League of Champions as of December 11, 2017.

Andrea will be responsible for leading and expanding the League of Champions to the next level of safety excellence. Andrea has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Toronto coupled with a postgraduate certificate in Public Relations through Humber College. She comes with a strong level of association knowledge as well as a background in communications and events.

We are excited to welcome Andrea and we are confident that she will be an excellent match for this position and a strong asset to the League. Please join us in welcoming her.

Feel free to contact Andrea by phone at 905-671-3969 or by email at andrea@ogca.ca

OGCA is convinced that most contractors want to keep their workers healthy and safe, and given the right tools, information and motivation, they will do everything possible to do so. The other side of the discussion suggest that tough enforcement backed up with harsh penalties will scare employers so much that they will comply with the law. Last week, the province took action by amending the Ontario Occupational health and Safety Act by greatly increasing fines and penalties and the Act.

Among the charges corporate fines will triple to a maximum of $1.5 million, and a quadruple individual, supervisor, worker, director and officer liability fines to a maximum of $100 thousand per charge.

Please click here for details. This change is now in effect.

OGCA is sponsoring a breakfast meeting with RESCON and OSWCA on the WSIB’s new Rate Framework on Thursday, January 11, 2018.

This is an excellent opportunity to begin to prepare for the new premium and experience rating system.

Please register as an OGCA member. Click here for details and registration information.

Among other items of news, the Ministry of Labour has a free, new app designed to provide Ontario workplaces with an understanding of the Construction Projects Regulation. The guide provides information on 50 topics, from personal fall protection systems to scaffolds and electrical hazards. The app was designed by the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Click here to visit the website for more news.

The Training and Awareness Branch would like to announce that the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO) Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) Accreditation Standard, and a supporting consultation paper consultation deadline has been extended to January 26, 2018.

We would like to thank all participants who have already provided feedback, and if you have not yet had the opportunity, to access the documents and share your ideas, click here.

Thank you for your ongoing support in the development of this initiative.

For the next issue of the Generals Magazine, due out in early March, we are looking for news from our members about any upcoming milestones, including Anniversaries, Mergers, Big Projects, etc.

Please submit your information to Mary Wademan (mary@ogca.ca) by January 15, 2018 to be included.

G.S. Wark Ltd. is pleased to announce that we obtained our COR certification this past November.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff and our subtrades for their effort and dedication in bringing G.S. Wark to this high level of safety.

Bill 148 introduces significant amendments to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act and minor amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Bill 148 introduces significant amendments to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act and Labour Relations Act and minor amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.  

Some of these amendments are already in force and many will take effect January 1, 2018.  
If you have not already done so, now is the time to review and update your workplace policies to ensure compliance with the new laws.

In addition to creating several new employer obligations, the amendments will impact existing workplace policies, including:
• Paid Leave (e.g., Sick Leave, Personal Leave, Bereavement Leave)
• Attendance Management
• Parental Leave
• Vacation
• Dress Code / Uniforms
• Scheduling 
• Public Holidays

For assistance reviewing and updating your policies, contact any member of Sherrard Kuzz LLP, or reach us through info@sherrardkuzz.com

The province has passed legislation to regulate the legal framework concerning distribution, sale, and use of cannabis, effective July 2018.

The plan includes an awareness strategy to warn potential users about the dangers of driving impaired. The impact on workplace health and safety has generally been overlooked, placing the focus on employers managing the risk without new tools to do so.

OGCA is working with other construction associations to design generic "fit for work" or "fit for duty" policies and procedures to manage the challenge.

We are planning a second seminar on the issue with RESCON to present the tools and discuss their use.

The province's plan can be read by clicking here.

Remember that OGCA will be closed from noon on Friday, December 22, and will re-open at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2018! Please have a safe, happy and prosperous holiday!