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Events
2026 DAMAGE PREVENTION SYMPOSIUM February 10 – 12, 2026 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
2026 brings us back to Niagara Falls, Ontario, and to a new location NIAGARA FALLS CONVENTION CENTRE Hotel accommodations are provided at the Marriott on the Falls Rates range from $119 - $139 per night + HST
FULL DELEGATE EARLY BIRD PRICING IN EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 12 TO JANUARY 6 $825 + HST Day passes are also available for Wednesday, February 11th, 2026
SPONSORS THIS YEAR’S EVENT! Sponsorship and Tradeshow bookings are now open to our full membership! INTERESTED IN EXHIBITING OR SPONSORING? Email rebecca@orcga.com to get your secure link today!
We are now accepting submissions from industry professionals for the upcoming 2026 ORCGA Damage Prevention Symposium. Interested individuals may submit their paper to rebecca@orcga.com
Due date for submissions is Monday, December 1, 2025 For more information on submission parameters: Visit: https://cvent.me/YADmEy
FALL DIG SAFE BREAKFAST MEETINGS Great educational presentations & amazing networking opportunities Don't miss out!
NEW! Let's Talk About It! (open discussion) NEW to 2025 Fall Dig Safe Breakfasts: Join us for an open discussion on current local excavation, development, rehabilitation projects, or initiatives working towards safer excavation. Audience participation is encouraged. Come prepared with any progress updates or questions for the group.
Education
The DPT 1000 is a four-week comprehensive classroom/in-field practical training required for locators if locating large and established utilities, including dedicated locators (DL) Two weeks - In Class Two weeks - In-Field Practical Training Dates: TBD To register and for additional information, contact: Kimberly Sheppard 905.532.9836
DPT 100 and 200 - 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 an 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.
DIRT Reporting
Industry News
Source: Link2Build
Ontario Premier Doug Ford believes Prime Minister Mark Carney will back his idea for a tunnel under Highway 401 through the Greater Toronto Area, though it is unclear if he had received any such assurances from Ottawa.
Carney recently named the first five projects in the national interest that will be fast-tracked, which is intended to strengthen the country's economy, particularly in the face of U.S. tariffs.
One Ontario project was on the initial list—building small modular nuclear reactors—and Ford said Tuesday that accessing the province's critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire region will be in the next set of projects.
It received a nod in Carney's announcement, along with energy, high-speed rail, and port projects, suggesting the federal government will indeed work with provinces to bring those to fruition down the line.
Source: Link2Build
Ontario is set to begin building the road to the Ring of Fire, Ontario Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford announced Wednesday.
The province is investing nearly $62 million in Geraldton, Ont., to rebuild several segments of existing road that will serve as the start of the eventual road to the mineral-rich region that the government is dubbing the "gateway to the Ring of Fire."
"This five-kilometer stretch from where the TransCanada is based, through Geraldton, cannot handle the kind of commercial, industrial, and personal travel that is required to build the corridor that will revitalize the nation, creating more opportunities for First Nations communities," Rickford said at the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
Source: Bayshore Broadcasting
The Ontario government is investing $12,759,123 to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure across Parry Sound-Muskoka. The funding will be delivered through the 2026 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) as part of the government’s more than $200 billion capital plan to protect Ontario by building key public infrastructure that will strengthen the economy and keep workers on the job in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty.
"Our government’s unprecedented commitment to funding towns and townships across Parry Sound–Muskoka is about more than dollars and cents..." 
Source: The Meaford Independent
The Ontario government is investing $16,309,769 to help renew and update municipal infrastructure across Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
The funding will be delivered through the 2026 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) as part of the government’s more than $200 billion capital plan to protect Ontario by building key public infrastructure that will strengthen the economy and keep workers on the job in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty.
Source: Nugget
The City of North Bay has received the lion’s share of a $6.1 million infrastructure fund doled out by the provincial government.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced the Ontario government is investing more than $6.1 million through the 2026 Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to help renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure in Nipissing. The minimum grant amount for municipalities will increase to $125,000 from $100,000. Funding allocations are based on a formula that takes into account the diverse needs and economic conditions of each community. Communities may accumulate funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects. 
Ear to the Ground
Member News
Within the Enbridge Damage Prevention department, the team is always trying to come up with creative solutions to reduce gas line damages. One consistent trend we observe is a higher rate of damage from sewer and water work. Jason Syragakis came up with a creative challenge for a Toronto-based sewer and water contractor, CG Construction Services Ltd., to complete one full year of ground disturbance with no gas line damages. This was a lofty target given the volume and scope of the projects CG Construction Services was undertaking in 2024.
Do you have concerns about your employee benefits program getting hit by large prescription drug costs? Have you experienced increasing healthcare premiums with no end in sight? Looking for a solution that works and gives tremendous financial relief without decreasing benefits for your team members? Contact an expert who can help.
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