Former provincial Infrastructure and Health Minister David Caplan died last week after a “tragic fire accident” in his north Toronto home, according to his family.

Caplan was responsible for leading the modernization of the province's infrastructure and planning for future population and economic growth. He released a long-term $30 billion plus infrastructure investment strategy called ReNew Ontario, which used a private financing model expanding and building new hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, and transit and transportation systems.

“It’s his legacy,” said Clive Thurston, President of the Ontario General Contractors Association. “It had never existed before. To his credit he reached out to the industry and asked us to work with him…to play a significant role in setting up the whole ministry. It was a lot of work and he took it from its infancy to what we see today.”

President Clive Thurston and some of his friends took part recently in the Greater Toronto Sewer & Watermain Contractors Association's golf tournament.

Shown here are (left to right): Andy Manahan, Richard Lyall, Clive Thurston and Brandon Pageau.

Among the tasty treats provided along the course were pizza, ice cream, espresso, cigars and much more!

From the Ontario Construction Secretariat ...

Ontario’s ICI permit values so far this year (January-May) are up by 12% compared to the same period in 2018. ICI permit values, at $5.5 billion, are also higher at this point in the year than in any year previously. Commercial permit values in the January-May period have increased by 6% year-over-year, while institutional permits in Ontario are up by 15%, and industrial permits up by 23%.

For more information, please click here.

The month of May was the celebration of Safety Month and the Safety Week, May 5-11. The League of Champions members and patrons organized events, meetings and activities as part of their initiative to show commitment to health and safety in the workplace.

This Newsletter will be the last issue that we will feature our members and their safety celebrations. The safety initiatives showed that our members value the importance of health and safety for their workers. Thank you LOC Members and Patrons for your contribution in creating a healthier and safer workplace. We are looking forward for more amazing safety initiative submissions next year. We are Safety Leaders and Leaders Need to Lead. #SafetyChampions #safetyculture #healthandsafety #safetyexcellence #safetywareness

All GFL Infrastructure members came together to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of Health and Safety through its various initiatives such as BBQs, special training programs and the roll out of their new Health and Safety Program, just to name a few. On site BBQs were conducted in a joint effort with Crosslinx, EllisDon and with the help of Sunbelt, to demonstrate their commitment to safety.

A Safety champion was also nominated for not only having an exemplary safety record, but for having a history of improving their knowledge of work site safety and encouraging others to work safely every day.

GFL Infrastructure is honoured to have celebrated the importance of Safety during safety month.

Buttcon Limited safety week activities included colouring contest for children where all entries were put into their annual Safety Week calendar. Safety talk was organized where workers enjoyed a pizza lunch with their teams and a bad safety slide show was presented.

The teams also enjoyed doing safety word search, safety crossword puzzle and safety word scramble.

To celebrate the hard work of all trades involved in the Guildwood Retirement Residence project and for the continued support of their safety initiatives, CSL invited them for a Safety BBQ lunch on May 7.

There were lots of food and door prizes for the guests, generously donated by their suppliers.

CSL Management and Health and Safety Staff made remarks on the project and their continued commitment towards providing a culture of safety on all job sites.

Although the site has seen more rain than they could have ever predicted, the rains held off that day and they had a fantastic time full of comradery and fun.

To celebrate the hard work of all trades involved in the Maple Lodge Farms project and for the continued support of their safety initiatives, CSL invited them for a Safety BBQ lunch on May 8. Over 100 tradespersons and MLF project staff joined for a catered lunch provided by Maple Lodge Farms. There were door prizes for the guests, generously donated raffle prizes from several suppliers, and lots of chicken sandwiches. MLF’s event staff, Management, and CSL Health and Safety Staff made remarks on the many projects CSL has safely completed at the facility and their continued efforts to work together to create a safe work environment for all. The day was sunny and provided everyone in attendance the opportunity to celebrate the many successful projects that were nearing completion.

For more information about the League of Champions or to apply to become a Champion, contact Marjorie Javier by phone at 905 671 3969 or email at Marjorie@theLOC.ca.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, accompanied by Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, announced a FedDev Ontario contribution of $2.5 million for Newton Group Ltd. (Newton Group), a premier general contracting company that specializes in the design, prefabrication and construction of buildings, to accelerate growth plans to commercialize its new energy-efficient building system. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.

Newton Group has much to look forward to, complete with the confidence and support of the Federal Government.

Click here for the full announcement. 

Newest member Huinink Infrastructure Ltd has entered the OGCA Photo Contest with this photo of their project on Airport Road in Brampton.

Only a couple of more days until the contest closes.

The winner will be advised by email that they have won Registration for two, and a three night stay at the JW Marriott Hotel in Lake Rosseau for the 81st Annual General Meeting and Conference. 

Good luck, and send in your entries to mary@ogca.ca by July 31.

A Hard Hat Hero is the kind of person who improves your day in a small way—but they do it everyday. They might not say a whole lot, but when they talk, everyone listens.

A Hard Hat Hero isn't defined by a single day of hustle, but by a lifetime of showing up.

If this sounds like someone you know, we want to hear about them. If this sounds like you, then we want to hear your story too. Nominate someone today by clicking here.

Today, COR™ certification has reached a stage where you just cannot remain registered anymore, especially since Jan 2019. The luxury of just remaining registered and bid for projects is soon vanishing. Therefore, it’s time to take quick action.

CLICK HERE to check the latest COR™ requirements of various organizations published by the IHSA.

Get to know more about COR™ and how to make it easier to achieve COR™ in Ontario from Expert COR™ Consultant | Associate External COR™ Auditor of the IHSA at the COR™ Breakfast Seminar held at the OGCA. 

Next one is on September 11, 2019 at the OGCA.

CLICK HERE to book now. 

The July 28, 2019 issue is now available by clicking here.

For issues prior to November 2018, please contact Mary Wademan at the OGCA Offices.

Only two days left for the early bird pricing for the 81st AGM and Conference if you are planning to pay online!

We understand there have been some concerns regarding the accommodations at the JW Marriott The Rosseau, and that many people are unable to get rooms for the duration of the conference.

We are working with the JW Marriott to increase the availability of rooms and will send out a notice to anyone who has registgered.

If you didn't register yet, please do so today, as we can't reach out to you if we don't know you're planning to attend. You can download the registration form by clicking here.