OGCA News

Most OGCA members have been exposed to some aspect of “community benefits,” otherwise known as “social procurement,” through various tenders, projects, conversations with buyers of construction, or simply from following the advances made through the association. Pursuant to one’s level of involvement with this subject, it will yield a direct correlation to how versed a contractor is on this topic. For those of you who ask “What are community benefits or social procurement anyway?” this article hopes to shed some light on the subject and demystify the interworking of the concept.

Last Friday, Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that Toronto Public Health and Peel Public Health would enter lockdown (grey zone), forcing the closure of all non-essential workplaces. Public health measures have been increased in all regions, but workers can travel to and from work across different zones so long as they respect the rules of each region.

 

 

 

 

OGCA and the Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario (CDAO) have had discussions with the Ontario Government, Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx about providing clarity to force majeure provisions to include costs related to COVID-19, including safety provisions, supply chain delays and reduced productivity. We are encouraged that this will be forthcoming. Until this occurs, members must negotiate with owners to find reasonable solutions.

 

 

John completed his engineering diploma at Sault College, and he then founded his construction company J.P. Pierman Construction Limited. John would build the company into the largest non-union construction firm in Northern Ontario in the mid-80’s. During this time, John played an important executive role in many organizations including the Canadian Construction Association of Canada, the Ontario General Contractors Association, and the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation.

Despite its inherent challenges, some inspiring stories were born out of 2020 and the pandemic. One of those is construction’s resolve in the face of adversity. In January, we heard reports about a new virus and growing concerns from colleagues, friends and family in other parts of the world. By March 11, we were operating in a declared pandemic, and on April 4, all ICI construction in Ontario was halted to protect health and safety.