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December is usually a month that people look forward to, a month that is synonymous with family and joy and, above all, celebration. Everyone is looking forward to the time off with family and generally speaking, people are happy. So, why am I forcing everyone to recall the tragic events that occurred in the construction sector in December 2020? In a word: perspective.
On January 20, 2022, please join us for the first Chairman's New Year's Event at The Loft on King, located at 485 King St. W., Toronto. Several local politicians have been invited, and this is a perfect opportunity for our Associate Partner and OGCA members to meet and mingle with the OGCA Board of Directors. Registration is now available by clicking here. The cost to attend is $150 per person plus HST. Payment can be made online at the OGCA store. Sponsorship in the amount of $1,500 is also available for our APP members by clicking here. Please note that this is an OGCA event and only open to OGCA and APP members.
Industry News
Building a super library from scratch can be complicated and costly under the very best of circumstances. But when you throw a pandemic into the mix, it can raise the price considerably. That’s the lesson learned recently by the City of Ottawa, the federal government, and Library and Archives Canada. Please click here to read the full article in the Daily Commercial News. Ontario’s construction and soil management industries can now access the Excess Soil Registry, one month before legal requirements in the On-Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation to file notices in the Registry take effect on January 1, 2022. Please click here for more information. OGCA has recently been in the news. The first article focused on mental health. Click here to read the article. Additionally, there was an excellent write up about the OGCA BIM session. Click here to read that article. The Ontario Construction Secretariat reports that Statistics Canada recently released the Investment in Building Construction data for September. Overall, third-quarter ICI investment in Ontario amounted to $4.47 billion, down 8.7% over Q3 2020, but up slightly (+3.1%) over Q2 2021. Industrial investment in Ontario was down by 10.7% over Q3 2020, but up by 2.7% over Q2 2021. Commercial investment was down by 11.9% year-over-year, and down by 2.0% quarter-over-quarter. Institutional investment in Q3 2021 was up over both Q3 2020 (+1.5%) and Q2 2021 (+18.0%).
The Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) has released Building Pathways and Pipelines into ICI Construction, a report outlining solutions to address labour shortages amongst project managers and site supervisors in the ICI construction industry. Across Ontario, the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction sectors’ productivity and competitiveness is laden with labour shortages. General contractors (GCs) have repeatedly identified a sector-wide workforce shortage of skilled candidates for these leadership roles critical to operational success and productivity.
innovation Corner
So much of the construction tech available today was created by egg-heads who’ve never worked a day in the field. Not that there’s anything wrong with egg-heads – they keep the world going round in lots of ways. But they don’t understand what happens on a day-to-day basis on a jobsite. They’re approaching the problem from ivory towers.
If you have not already had the opportunity to complete it, this note is to let you know that the Construction Act impacts survey we are conducting with the Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario has been extended to December 8. If you have already completed the survey, thank you. Your input is important to informing our efforts to address issues such as prompt payment, lien rights, contract terms and conditions, and others. As always, your responses are confidential and only aggregate data will be reported through our research partner, Bramm Research. The link below is unique for your use. You can access the survey at: https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50129020/OGCA-11-Const-Act-2021 Thank you again for your time and attention. AECO Innovation Lab and buildingSMART Canada in collaboration with researchers from L'École de technologie supérieure Montréal, University of British Columbia, and University of Waterloo has launched the Canadian Construction Technology Survey 2021. The survey features 48 questions that investigate the use of BIM and Technology, commonly held beliefs, benefits and barriers of technology, application and need of standards and resources, and the future of technology in our industry. The Canadian architecture, engineering, construction, owners, operators and other stakeholders within this industry are generalized as lagging behind its international counterparts when it comes to the adoption of new technologies and processes. Understanding the uptake and beliefs surrounding these technologies is critical for their adoption in Canada. The survey aims to capture the state of BIM and other transformative technologies within the Canadian industry and provide a benchmark for their implementation in Canada. Taking part in the survey will allow for a greater understanding of where the industry is today to help shape the future of the Canadian construction industry. When I first joined the LOC and OGCA, I spent a lot of time reflecting on these four words and what they really meant. I joined the team after a decade in a very competitive industry, where everyone simply wanted to be ‘the first’. I quickly learned that we are all on a journey, and what matters most with Safety is that you get there. You don’t have to be first, but you do need to make the commitment and put in the work, however long it may take.
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 at judith@theloc.ca 
Member News
The OGCA is pleased to advise that we have opened up the sponsorship for the OGCA's 13th symposium, being held April 7 - 9, 2022 at the Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood. At this time, sponsorship is limited to our Associate Partner members. We will open it up for everyone early next year. In January, we will open up the registration and will hope to see all of you there. For now, if you are interested in sponsoring this great event, please click here to open the sponsorship package to see what is included with your sponsorship. Please complete the page on sponsorship and email it back to me (mary@ogca.ca). Preference for booth / table locations will be given based on the level of sponsorship. Booth locations can be found by clicking here. The OGCA is proud to be partnering with Member Benefits Alliance to bring you corporate discounts and unique benefits to aid you through any project. All OGCA members will have access to a member benefits portal where you can access financial, business and group benefit services. Some benefits include:
View the full list of benefits by clicking here. To ensure that your team has proper access, please fill out the attached form and email it to sabrina@ogca.ca. OGCA members will receive up to five complimentary registrations. These perks are a part of your OGCA membership. A selected member of your choosing must be named the administrator, with the others being indicated as regular members. For additional company registrations, the OGCA has negotiated a special discounted rate. EXTENDED DEADLINE: Submissions are required by Monday, December 20, 2021 by NOON. If you have any questions about the member benefits form, please contact Sabrina Tropiano at sabrina@OGCA.ca. Associate Partner News and Events
PLATFORM is an independently owned Canadian brokerage that delivers specialized insurance and bonding solutions to the development and construction community across Canada. At our core, with over 60 industry experts throughout Canada, PLATFORM focuses on delivering innovative solutions that provide protection, reliability, opportunities for growth, and a strategic advantage to our clients. Acting as an extension of our clients’ teams, our mission is to achieve excellence through simplicity, pairing industry-leading talent with a collaborative, customer-focused working environment. Please click here to access their website. The J.S. Held team is comprised of a group of multi-talented professionals who bring together years of technical experience in all facets of construction. This includes the areas of industrial, commercial, special structures, high-rise, governmental, residential and infrastructure. We are the experienced specialty contractors, claims specialist, delay experts, damages experts, schedulers, estimators, engineers, construction managers, and environmental, health and safety professionals on which our clients depend. Please click here to view their profile page or their name above to view their website. Our Construction and Surety Practice is part of a global network of more than 1,000 dedicated specialists in construction risk management, insurance, surety/bonding and consulting. As part of this global network, we are able to harness the collective knowledge of these professionals to benefit our clients. This approach has put Marsh at the forefront of industry trends in order to provide specialized advice and solutions designed to respond to the emerging risks your organization may face. Please click here to access their profile page, or click the company name to visit their website. McMIllan LLP As a leading Canadian construction law firm, McMillan is proud to include the OGCA among its many industry relationships, working with it for the betterment of the industry. McMillan represents owners (both public and private sector), contractors, design professionals, lenders, and others on all aspects of the construction process – from project delivery advice and procurement, to negotiation of contracts, and project advice as work proceeds. We also act on their behalf through the resolution of claims and disputes, including adjudication, arbitration and litigation at all levels of court on various matters including delays, liens, negligence, insurance, warranties and latent defects. Please click here to view their website.
Legislative & Legal Updates
Bill 27, sponsored by Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton, has been passed into law and set new requirements under a series of employment-related legislative amendments. OGCA with the CEC has been in discussions with the government about returning excess WSIB funds to employers for some time. Under this Bill, qualified employers will be rewarded for their funding of high WSIB premiums to retire the unfunded liability. The WSIB is now overfunded by about $6 billion, and Bill 27 directs the WSIB to redistribute excess funds to employers when the funded level exceeds 115%.
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. Education & Events
President Giovanni Cautillo invites you to attend this upcoming session presented by the Canadian Institute February 24-25, 2022. Among the highlights of the event are:
To register for this event, please click here. The Ontario government is investing $24 million to improve and modernize equipment and training facilities that support hands-on learning for students and apprentices. These investments ensure apprentices have access to high-quality training as they pursue rewarding careers in the skilled trades. Please click here to read the full Press Release. 
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ONTARIO GENERAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
180 Attwell Drive, Suite 280 | Toronto, Ontario M9W 6A9 Tel 905-671-3969 |
