During the recent AGM and conference in Quebec City, we were able to surprise past OGCA President Clive Thurston when he was called up to the podium to receive the Chairman's Award for 2020/2021.

There is no one as passionate about the industry as Clive is.

After an emotional acceptance speech, Clive received a well-deserved round of applause, and a few comments from members who have known him for many years.

Congratulations, Clive!

In continuing to build a modern and sustainable Brampton, the City adopted the Certificate of Recognition (COR^TM) program as part of its construction contract management and construction tendering process. This is a reaffirmation of the City’s ongoing commitment to health and safety for contractors, employees and residents.

Please click here to see the schedule.

Vaccination mandates have become a hot topic as employers and businesses across the country seek to establish and implement vaccination policies to help facilitate return to the in-person work environment. While construction across the country largely continued in-person throughout the pandemic, the introduction of vaccination mandates is resulting in changes to the COVID-19 policies implemented on construction sites as part of protecting health and safety. It is therefore important for participants in the industry to understand what may be included in vaccination mandates as well as the key considerations and risks associated with their implementation and enforcement.

Please click here to read the full announcement.

From all of us at the LOC, we are delighted to congratulate three of our Champions for their wins at the 2021 Canada’s Safest Employers Awards.

• Most Innovative Use of Safety Technology – BGIS Global Integrated Solutions (Near Miss / Hazard Observation (NM/HO) Mobile Application) 
• Canada’s Safest Utilities and Electrical Employer – Black & McDonald (Construction, Utilities and Facilities Management Services | Black & McDonald)
• The Bruce Power Award for Canada’s Safety Construction Employer – Modern Niagara Group (Modern Niagara | Mechanical, electrical, HVAC & plumbing) 

I’ve spent a fair bit of time contemplating what is it exactly that makes an employer the very best in Canada.

There are a lot of things that can be said, such as hiring the right people, listening, communicating, proper training, teamwork and great leadership. But in reality, a lot of these companies' successes boils down to having developed and maintained a strong Culture of Safety. Although Safety Culture is a very important topic, I understand that it can be daunting and incredibly time consuming if we don’t know where to start. I ask a lot of my members what Safety Culture means to them and the answer is different every single time.  

So what exactly is Safety Culture? “Safety Culture can be described as the behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes towards safety and its value, found within a particular organization.” (5 Steps to a Strong Safety Culture) A company’s attitude and approach to ensuring workers’ health and safety has a lasting impact for everyone

We at the LOC are here to support our members in their continued safety efforts, and we are pleased to announce that we are in the piloting stage of a Safety Culture Survey that will be launched for LOC members in the first quarter of 2022. Stay tuned for further details. 

We are very happy to introduce our newest Champions - InterAll Ltd. Welcome to the League!

Are you a Safety Champion? Do you know a Safety Champion? Do you know a company who would be a great addition to the LOC? Have you considered joining the League of Champions? If you have any questions or want to learn more about the League of Champions, just let us know. We are here to help.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Judith Reda.

4S Consulting will be hosting a virtual webinar exclusively for OGCA members on Thursday, November 11 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about the key challenges to transition to COR 2020 from an IHSA External COR Auditor and experienced OHS consultant supporting over 90 businesses in Ontario, including general contractors, in achieving and maintaining COR as well as in transitioning to COR 2020.

Topics will include:

• A detailed overview of the key challenges to transition to each of the 14 elements for COR 2020
• Best practices and possible methods to address those challenges

Panelist: 
Sobi Ragunathan – IHSA External COR Auditor | VP, Operations, Strategy & Partnerships, 4S Consulting Services Inc. | OGCA Safety Committee Member | ISO 450001:2018 Lead Auditor

Register by clicking here

Integrity, Team Builders, Collaboration, Safety: these were the words used amongst our founders in 1946. Today, after 75 years, we can honestly boast these values remain and are why we can celebrate this amazing milestone. Established as McKay-Cocker Construction in London and rebranded to Magil Construction Ontario in 2017, our family feel, building lasting relationships based on trust, and putting safety at the forefront have all been a constant over the decades.

With our coast-to-coast presence and capacity as a top contractor in Canada, we respond to the challenges of the construction industry through innovation, creativity and best practices. We provide collaborative solutions adapted to the needs of our clients in the industrial, commercial, institutional, retail, energy and multi-unit residential sectors.

For more information visit: www.magil.com

As the always chaotic summer construction season begins to wind down and with the COVID-19 pandemic trending in the right direction, the Surety Corner team thought it would be a great time to check in with Terry Michalakos, the senior vice-president of surety at Aviva, for his insights into the current construction marketplace.

Please click here to read the full article from the Daily Commercial News.

At Cleveland Clinic Canada, we're always looking for ways to stay connected with our clients to help their teams live healthier, more active lives. That’s why we created our tHRive corporate newsletter. Each quarter, we deliver a carefully curated collection of the latest health and wellness news chosen to support you and your employees.

Please click here for the tHRive Newsletter.

Service Canada has published updated information to help employers issue records of employment (“ROE”s) for employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes when an employee either does not report to work or is dismissed because they refuse the COVID-19 vaccination.

Please click here to read the full briefing note from Sherrard Kuzz.

The latest issue of the Ontario Legislative Reports is now available on the OGCA website. Please click here to access the latest issue.

The Ontario Legislative Report is updated every two weeks and explains the intention and status of legislation and regulations that could impact the construction industry. For issues prior to March 2020, please contact Mary Wademan at OGCA.