OGCA Salutes Black History Month

2020 was a year fraught with racially charged events that have changed the very nature of our society and our construction industry. February is Black History Month, and the OGCA wants to acknowledge that efforts are now being made to make our industry a more equitable and inclusive place to work. Things are changing for the better.

For those of you who need a refresher on the events that transpired, the main trigger event for the pent-up hostility and underlying racial injustice in the United States was when George Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis. The scene played out on social media with a white police officer pressing a knee into the neck of a black man while taking him into custody. The death of George Floyd launched multiple demonstrations and riotous protests throughout the United States.

In Canada, we all watched the events unfold with horror and with the self-righteous position that we in Canada were far better than those in the United States. In Canada, this type of social injustice and indecency toward our fellow Canadians does not exist.

That glorified and sanctimonious view of our society, as well as our Canadian superiority to the Americans, was quickly shattered with nooses being found on a number of construction projects in Toronto. Nooses! In 2020!

The events were quickly made public, and the industry’s response was a veritable tidal wave of condemnation over these clearly repugnant, beyond heinous and cowardly acts. Additionally, there was a certain level of disbelief that these acts would be perpetrated in today's day and age. The industry was sent reeling from the inevitable confrontation of systemic racism in construction.

These events may have been the triggers for change, but they are not the conclusion to the story. No. They are the beginning of the narrative toward making construction a better and more equitable and inclusive place to be.

Since the events of 2020, the construction industry has responded with massive efforts to root out this systemic cancer and move the conversation to inclusion and diversity, instead of ignoring the problem. Organizations and associations have since been working collaboratively to ensure that the conversation continues and that active change is occurring.

All the discussions have incrementally opened the doors wider and peeled back the historical layers that were at the root of this problem. Unfortunately, there is no one “quick fix” to right the previous injustices, but with the topic at the forefront of people’s minds, it is no longer something relegated as taboo to discuss. And to effectively create solutions, we need to keep talking about racial and social injustices.

Things are clearly progressing and this month, Black History Month, marked the launch of Canada’s new Afro-Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA). The OGCA welcomes this new association and will actively work with them on shared initiatives toward mutually beneficial outcomes for the industry.

So, what are the ACCA’s initiatives. Their goals are: “fighting racism in the sector; recruiting and increasing Black representation in the trades; creating a voice for Black contractors and supporting the development of more Black-owned contractors; forming alliances with the broader construction community; and co-ordinating community benefits efforts with groups like the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN).”

The ACCA wants to be the voice for Black-owned contractors in construction and that falls in lockstep with the OGCA, since we are the voice for all General Contractors in all of Ontario. Regardless of company size, sexual orientation or racial background, the OGCA speaks for all of our contractors with one shared voice.
I welcome any OGCA members that would like further information on the ACCA to visit their website. 

The OGCA looks forward to working with the ACCA to banish racism in the construction industry and to opening avenues for more black youth to be represented in both the trades and in the entirety of construction. Remember, there are a multitude of positions that construction offers outside of the skilled trades, and ICI construction needs good people in all of them.

In closing, I want to leave you all with an important message both for Black History Month, but also relating back to the trigger incidents for racial reform. In a recent roundtable discussion on Anti-Racism in construction, the industry heard a number of special guest speakers who communicated the need for equality. The message was clear and concise. “If you see something, say something!”

Change in attitude starts with each of us, and the pursuit of equality and inclusivity in Canada isn’t some lofty dream, but a real and tangible reality. I challenge each and every one of you to be part of the solution. Speak up and be heard, and let everyone understand that the construction industry is not only listening, but changing.

Should any of our members want further information on the ACCA or initiatives that the OGCA is working on to create more equitably and diversity in construction, or if you require any assistance from the OGCA, please contact me directly at giovanni@ogca.ca or via phone at 905.671.3969.