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Top Story
Despite the rain, this year’s sold-out tournament was a resounding success!
Thank you to all the golfers, volunteers and sponsors for making this year’s tournament one to remember.
Event Photos Here!
Events
 Please see the cancellation memo below from President and CEO Douglas Lapp.
If you have any questions regarding the cancellation of this year’s event, please email rebecca@orcga.com.
The Canadian Common Ground Alliance is excited to announce that registration for the 2023 Damage Prevention Symposium is now open.
Join us for this dynamic and engaging event that is sure to provide practical, relevant information which will focus on damage prevention public awareness initiatives and expand stakeholder knowledge on efforts to protect essential infrastructure.
The format for the conference consists of 3 days of professional development, workshops, panel presentations, networking events, along with an exhibitor tradeshow. All sessions will be in English.
Education
 Damage Prevention Technician Training (DPT100 and DPT200) provides instruction on the fundamentals
of locating. The DPT training is focused on a combination of in-class instruction (in-depth review of techniques used to locate all utility types, safety, locate requests and industry practices), field awareness
review and on-the-job competency assessment.
 The Safe Excavation Training (SET) course sets the standard on damage prevention and safe excavation practices around underground infrastructure. It is the knowledge requirement for excavators in Ontario.
Excavators who successfully complete the training will be awarded the Safe Excavation Certificate, demonstrating they know best practices and proper procedures to minimize damage, ensure worker and public safety, and keep projects on time and on budget. They enhance their own and their company’s reputation as professionals dedicated to the health of the industry and the public.
Developed by the ORCGA in consultation with numerous subject matter experts and corporate training experts Flint Learning Solutions, this training is based on the latest research and resources on excavation best practices, legislation and standards. It provides instruction on the fundamentals of compliance, planning and design, notification service, locating and marking, and excavation.
The SET is an interactive 4-hour technical/theory course.
Industry News
Source: Link2Build Ontario
Toronto City Council has voted unanimously to accept $226 million in funding from the provincial government for the delivery of the SmartTrack Stations Program.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie announced on June 14 that the funding had been secured from the Province of Ontario. Following Council’s request in March, the City and the Province successfully negotiated construction funding terms, signalling a commitment for the SmartTrack program and ensuring the transit initiative can proceed to construction as soon as possible.
“This $226 million-agreement with the Province of Ontario is great news for transit in Toronto,” she said. “Council’s approval of this provincial funding protects funding commitments already made by the City of Toronto and the Government of Canada. Most importantly, it moves SmartTrack forward. By transforming Toronto’s existing rail infrastructure from a regional commuter service into an urban rapid transit network, we will greatly benefit Toronto residents and increase their transit options.”
Source: Link2Build Ontario
Hydro One has broken ground on the Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line, a new project in southern Ontario that aims to provide clean electricity to support growth in the agri-food and manufacturing industries.
Hydro One President and CEO, David Lebeter was joined by Minister of Energy, Todd Smith, First Nation leaders, as well as several local agricultural and municipal leaders to celebrate the start of construction on the $268-million investment on June 19.
"The Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line is paving the way for Ontario's clean energy future and will support economic growth and local food suppliers in southwest Ontario," said Lebeter. "With our strong history in building new transmission lines, we're focused on creating a new electricity network in the southwest that will bring a cascade of benefits including more jobs and economic growth, as well as equity investment opportunities for local First Nations that will generate revenues for generations to come."
Source: On Site
Cameras and imaging systems are changing construction sites. From site mapping to project tracking, cameras, drones and lasers are providing very accurate and precise information that can be harnessed to produce more efficient builds.
On March 20, three industry experts, Steve Mahaney, VDC area manager for Eastern Canada at EllisDon; Cody Nowell, construction services manager at PCL Constructors; and Steve Rollo, national BIM/ VDC manager at Graham, took part in a virtual discussion, moderated by yours truly, the editor of On-Site Magazine to share how these technologies are being used by their teams on sites throughout Canada.
Source: On Site
In early 2020, a major Canadian construction firm, announced it had been hit by a ransomware attack. Although the company provided reassurance that they were able to continue with business as usual, there’s no doubt that sensitive information had been compromised.
But they are not alone. In fact, they are in good company. More than 85 per cent of Canadian companies were hit by cyberattacks over a 12-month period in 2021, and companies hit by these attacks spent $600 million to recover.
Source: Between the Poles
A livestream presentation of 3D Gyroscopic Pipeline Mapping Technology was given by Otto Ballintijn, CEO of Reduct NV, during SUMSF 2023, on May 16, 2023. The presentation served as an introduction to inertial navigation technology and the benefits of high-frequency usage and points.
Reduct develops solutions for accurate utility mapping of pipelines and ducts, and is a leading developer of inertial navigation systems. The company knows what you can’t see is just as important as what you can see.
Source: ConstructConnect
Is artificial intelligence (AI) really intelligent?
And, if it is, what are its intentions?
In the public forum, it’s either the key to heaven on earth, where everything is done faster and smarter, or a miserable dystopia, where machines tell humans what to do.
Whatever we think of AI, it’s already been having an effect on the construction industry, including skills training and knowledge transfer.
To get an idea of the impact of AI and what the future might hold, the Journal of Commerce spoke to some experts in AI and construction.
Source: Trenchless Technology
It’s safe to say that the last three years have been a rollercoaster for sewer and water system owners. Many took advantage of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to get some much-needed work done. But, as things drew on, they became hamstrung by contractor labour shortages, supply chain issues and price hikes in the subsequent years. All of this has had a direct impact on the amount of work they can get done.
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Crystal Bedore
