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Events
2026 DAMAGE PREVENTION SYMPOSIUM February 10–12, 2026
SNEAK PEEK AGENDA IS NOW POSTED! Full details will be available soon—check back to our event site for updates.
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 to $139 per night + HST $975 + HST Day passes are also available for Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 Municipal Pass: $350 + HST Contractor Pass: $400 + HST 
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
Bell and Queen's University announced plans in December to collaborate on a proposal to build and operate an artificial intelligence facility in Kingston.
Once complete, the building will be able to host a world-leading AI supercomputer, enabling groundbreaking research and technical advances. A memorandum of understanding between the entities is the next step in the university’s plan to draw on some of the more than $900 million announced by the federal government in its Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program If it is able to secure funding from the government, Queen’s will take the lead on research, chip procurement, system architecture, advanced technology programs, and the design, build, and operation of the supercomputer. Bell, meanwhile, will lead the design, financing, construction, and maintenance of the facility, that will adhere to high efficiency standards and include an innovative heat recapture system. “We are very pleased to partner with Bell on this transformative project,” says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “This new facility will serve as a national testbed for Canadian technology and significantly strengthen our capacity to advance ... PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, ONT. — Stantec Consulting Ltd. has been awarded the detailed design contract for a roundabout at Highway 62 and County Road 1 in Prince Edward County, Ont.
The work includes reconstructing existing pavement, modifying entrances, improving drainage, and installing new lighting and landscaping. According to a release, the roundabout will improve road safety. “We’ve heard from our community that a roundabout at the corner of Hwy. 62 and County Rd. 1 would be a welcomed safety initiative to reduce the potential for collisions at that site,” said Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte, in a statement. “The detailed design work is an important final step before tendering the construction.” The Ontario government has already made progress on several key projects in the region, including making major upgrades to the Bay of Quinte Skyway Bridge and awarding $2 million for the reconstruction of Main Street from County Road 33 to County Road 30. 
Source: Canada ConstructConnect
Located in the heart of Ontario’s wine country, the picturesque Niagara Region community of Beamsville is in the midst of a two-part, major infrastructure project that is causing some inconvenience to homes and businesses along Ontario Street, its main thoroughfare.
Earlier this year, general contractor Alfred Beam Excavating began the open cut installation of a 1.7-kilometre-long, 400-millimetre-diameter PVC water main along Ontario Street from King Street to Greenlane Road. Using an approximately 10-member labour force and a fleet of machines including medium-to-large excavators, loaders, and dozers for haulage, pickup trucks, vacuum trucks and bobcats, the contractor excavated the road sequentially in sections. Source: OnSite Magazine
As Canada’s construction sector enters 2026, it stands at a pivotal moment when rising infrastructure demand, rapid technological adoption, generational labour turnover, and macroeconomic uncertainty converge. It’s a moment that represents more than another cyclical shift. For many firms, 2026 may be the year that determines who adapts and thrives, and who struggles to remain competitive in a market defined by accelerating change.
The fundamentals are unmistakable. BuildForce Canada’s latest national outlook points to a tightening labour force that will continue to shape the industry’s trajectory into the foreseeable future. Over the next decade, Canada is expected to lose 270,000 experienced tradespeople to retirement, while total demand will require more than 380,000 new workers by 2034 to maintain the pace of construction. The labour force, currently hovering around 1.73 million with roughly 1.65 million actively employed, is already stretched thin, and the national unemployment rate of 4.6 percent reflects a market in which demand for skilled workers continues to exceed supply. 
Ear to the Ground
Member News
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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