It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same, especially amongst the Public Procurement system. How many times have we in the industry, consultants, trades, and contractors, tried to reach out and collaborate with the buyers on good, sensible, workable and acceptable procurement methods, and achieving successes only to see new staff come in and return to the old ways.

The GCAC has been extremely active since its inception over the Christmas break. The first inaugural meeting was just a few weeks ago and its already showing the value of this group.

We heard about a need to respond to the Government of New Brunswick on how to address Prompt Payment and had six days to get it done. Championed by a well-known industry leader in New Brunswick Durck deWinter, not only did the GCAC legal team pull together an excellent document for use by the NB contractors, but we launched a Maritime Chapter of Nova Scotia, NB, and PEI. Led by local firms, they are part of the GCAC and working to establish a stronger voice for GCs in those Provinces.

At a function in Burlington on Monday, February 26, Clive Thurston posed with Caroline Mulroney. 

Alectra Utilities is the new electrical distribution provider in the regions of the former utilities: Horizon (Hamilton/St. Catharines), Enersource (Mississauga), PowerStream (Vaughan/Markham/Barrie) and Brampton Hydro (Brampton).

During the week of April 2, 2018, Alectra will be hosting several free Safety Breakfast Meetings for local area contractors to attend and learn more about utility damage prevention in our various service territories.

We will be having some great speakers from the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, Electrical Safety Authority, Ministry of Labour and Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance in attendance. Please click here for more information.

We have another exciting opportunity for League of Champions members this month. Join us at Mohawk College on Thursday, March 15th as we field student questions and promote health & safety culture in the construction industry.

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 am
Location: Awareness Theatre, Stoney Creek Campus for Skilled Trades, Mohawk College (481 Barton St, Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2L7)
Who: Post-secondary and apprenticeship programs
What: Presentation by Rob Ellis, MySafeWork in conjunction with a panel of industry leaders (including Champions) who will respond to student questions

Additional details will follow. RSVP is required, so please express your interest by email to Andrea George at andrea@theLOC.ca

“Don’t be quiet about H&S. Let’s continue building momentum creating the best H&S culture we can!” – Corey Lofft, NCSO, Pomerleau, Regional Health & Safety Manager – GTA 

Pomerleau jersey displays captain’s C’ symbolizing COR™ certification		From L to R: Rob Ellis (MySafeWork), Corey Lofft (Pomerleau), Dean Dell Elce (Pomerleau), Louis-Philippe Sylvestre (Pomerleau), Éric Desgagné (Pomerleau)

February 21 and 22, 2018, Pomerleau ‘rallied the troops’ for its annual Health & Safety Quality Days in Toronto. With several speakers and an emphasis on raising the bar for safety excellence, employees had some interesting discussions about Pomerleau’s safety culture and taking the program to the next level.

Rob Ellis, MySafeWork, engaged the room and facilitated an enlightening discussion. One notable takeaway was Pomerleau’s commitment to supporting its team outside of the work environment. Group athletic challenges are designed to inspire togetherness, perseverance and camaraderie. Fostering a feeling of community amongst employees is a great way to build trust and encourage communication that spans across all tiers of an organization. When employees feel comfortable around senior management, and do not fear repercussions for speaking up about required health & safety improvements, companies experience long-term gains.

To book Rob Ellis as a speaker for your upcoming event, or for more information on how your company can become a Champion, contact Andrea George at andrea@theLOC.ca

Just 4 more days till our biggest IHSA and OGCA Leadership Day conference and we cannot wait to see you all there.

Those who have not yet purchased their seat, there are still tickets available. Register today!

The program includes presentations and panels which discuss how you can raise the bar in Health and Safety and improve your safety culture. Come and hear from industry experts as they provide you with the right tools and resources when it comes to COR, Accreditation, leadership, technology and so much more.

Speakers who are presenting are: Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn, Safety Champion Rob Ellis and Safety leader Dr. Judy Agnew, just to name a few.

Please join us on Friday, March 2, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. at the Verdi Convention Centre.

General Admission is $21.00, tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

If you have any questions, please contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca, or by calling 905-671-3969

Our Leadership Day event could not be possible without our generous sponsors.

Thank you for your support.

Event Sponsor | Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA)

Title Sponsors | BlueDrop Learning Networks (SkillsPass) & Procore Construction Management & 4S Consulting Services

Partner Sponsor | e-compliance

With 4 days left to Leadership Day, if you have yet to purchase your ticket, please register today! 

Speakers Dan Fleming, EllisDon, Charmaine Freake, BlueDrop, Kathryn Locke, SkillsPass, and our very own David Frame will be presenting the Safety Pass on Friday, March 2nd at the Leadership Day conference. 

Since our presentation last November at Construct Canada, the Taskforce, along with our SkillPass partners, have been working hard to finalize the Safety Pass product. OGCA would like to extend a warm thank you to all committee members for their expertise, commitment and dedication give to this project:

• Sean Scott, PCL Construction 
• Robert Love, Alberici Constructors, Ltd.
• David Irwin, Walsh Canada
• Dan Fleming, EllisDon
• Katherine Rossel, EllisDon
• Cameron Freese, Aecon Building Group
• Bob Plewes, Safety Professional Consultant  

OGCA is also very lucky to have partnered with SkillsPass who continue to be a tremendous supporter with the Safety Pass, and we continue to work with our partners in providing a platform which is a one-stop shop for workers and employers to complete the Safety Pass, which will allow everyone to work more safely.

Please join us at Leadership Day on Friday, March 2, 2018 and learn how you can get your Safety Pass. 

“The Power of Safe Choices” is this year’s 2018 safety week theme.

Mark your calendars for May 7-11 #safetyweek

Safety isn’t something we can do alone. And while we each must make safe choices every day – on our way to work, in the office, on the job site or heading back home – the impacts of those choices affect us all.

Host a Safety Week event as a way to re-focus and re-energize your commitment to reducing injuries on jobsites.

Send your event details to OGCA and you can WIN a prize. Whether your event is private or open to the public, let everyone know what you are doing to celebrate Safety Week. Please send your events to Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Toronto, Ontario – February 20, 2018 – Walsh Canada is pleased to announce it has won two “Best of the Best” awards at the Toronto Construction Association’s (TCA) Annual General Meeting, held on February 15th. Several Walsh Staff were on hand to receive the awards for Project Achievement - Large Projects (over $50 million), and for Outstanding Safety Culture. Click here for more information.

EllisDon extends its invitation to all OGCA members to “shoot and score” for charity. There is fun for the whole family with a 1-hour family skate on the Saturday afternoon after 1:00 p.m.

Event Details: 
When | April 20-21, 2018 | Friday - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Saturday - 10:00 am to 7:00 pm 
Where | Sports Village, 2600 Rutherford Road, Vaughan, ON L4K 5R1 
Entry Fee | $1,200 per team 
Threads of Life Donation | $400 per Contractor / Union 
Team insurance is available | $150 per team

For more details on how you can register your team, please contact Dan Fleming at dfleming@ellisdon.com or call 416-616-0252.

New mini-documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at creating Toronto’s newest architectural icon: Cadillac Fairview’s landmark CF Toronto Eaton Centre Bridge. 

Includes interviews with: 

• Wayne Barwise, Executive Vice President, Development, Cadillac Fairview
• David Stewart, Director, Project Management, Development, Cadillac Fairview
• Vaidila Banelis, Senior Partner, Zeidler Partnership Architects
• Dominic Bettison, Director, WilkinsonEyre
• Matt Stainton, Senior Construction Manager, PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto)

Click here to view the video.

After a long and rewarding career, it is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of Janet Mascitelli as of March 1st, 2018.

Janet’s 32-year trailblazing career in surety began in her hometown of Saint John, New Brunswick, when she discovered a passion for people and business in the banking industry at CIBC. Click here for more information.

Dan Lawrie Insurance is now entering into their final months of the Select Sweepstakes Campaign for OGCA members.

The contest closes on March 31, 2018. They won’t be doing another contest of this size, for at least a year and want to give members one final opportunity to enter into the draw. Click here for more information.

Learning in construction is a lifelong process. Standards are always changing, new technologies are being introduced, and new trends are constantly emerging. OGCA is always looking for ways to improve our educational offerings to members.

OGCA is also looking for educational articles in the upcoming General Magazine. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2018.

The magazine addresses problems, concerns, and opportunities facing the Ontario Construction Industry and includes major issues from technology to health & safety to globalization.

If you have a session or an article you would like deliver to our members, please contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Just weeks after the General Contractors Alliance of Canada (GCAC) was formed, the anticipated national review of prompt payment and adjudication has begun.

In a letter to GCAC Chair Matt Ainley, reviewers Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel have announced that industry consultation will run from March 5th to 30th, which will include meetings and written submissions. A report of recommendations will be delivered to the government by May 1st.

The Reviewers have issued an Information Package that serves as a reference and discussion document for the consultation. It includes a serious of questions that are the focus of the review.

The process is driven by an extremely aggressive timeline that includes introduction of legislation early in the fall session. This is probably very complex legislation and while Ontario is extremely familiar with the issues and proposed solutions, the rest of the country's general contractors are not yet familiar with it or the impact.

The compact consultation will likely cause Reynolds and Vogel to rely heavily on their recommendations that became Bill 142. The GCAC will meet to prepare proposals in the next week.

The latest Ontario Legislative Reports, prepared by Frank Zechner, are now available. Click here to see the February 20 issue, and past issues.

Join Edward (Ted) G. Betts from Gowling WLG and Sandra Astolfo from WeirFoulds LLP on February 28th. 

Bill 142, The Construction Lien Act is now law. However, the major changes will not come into force until later 2018, early 2019. 

Learn more about what you, as a general contractor, need to know when it comes to prompt payment, adjudication of construction dispute, changes in lien rights and time periods, changes in litigation process and much more. To register for this webinar, click here to download the file, fill it out, and email it back to Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Bill 148 introduces significant amendments to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) and Labour Relations Act, 1995 (“LRA”), many of which took effect on January 1, 2018, with others coming into force on April 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019.

This webinar is designed to provide an overview of the changes to the ESA and LRA and provide practical tips to construction employers who wish to remain compliant with the new legislation.

Topics include:

• Equal Pay for part-time, temporary and casual employees: understanding and applying the new law
• Scheduling: policies and practices to comply with the new obligations 
• Personal Emergency Leave: integration with existing leave policies and other paid entitlements
• Vacation and Holiday Pay: how to calculate under the new regime
• Record Keeping: what’s new and how to comply
• Changes to Collective Bargaining and Labour Board Processes: strategic options to address labour relations challenges

Details coming soon to all OGCA members.

For those who were not able to attend the earlier webinar - Today’s Minefield in Construction - the recording and presentations will be made available on the member’s only portion of the OGCA website soon. 

Registration forms will be sent out in the next two weeks for the golf tournament on Monday, July 9, at Glencairn Golf Course in Milton.

This tournament sells out quickly, so be sure to watch for the registration form.

Members and APP members get the first opportunity to register.

Join us September 25 - 30, 2018 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver, BC for the 80th AGM and Conference.

Incoming Chairman John Dawson and his wife Christine have planned a special event for the welcome dinner entertainment. They have also asked for a return to the past by offering a team-building event for everyone to participate.

The Associate Partners may be reaching out to you to invite you to attend, so please be open to their calls.

The Board of Directors will also be reaching out to you, as part of our Member Outreach program, to make sure you feel welcome and to let you know that you will be among several first timers to this event. Shown above are the first timers in Washington, DC.

See you in Vancouver!