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Events
2026 DAMAGE PREVENTION SYMPOSIUM February 10–12, 2026
FULL AGENDA & SPEAKER PROFILES NOW POSTED!
2026 brings us back to Niagara Falls, Ontario, and to a new location NIAGARA FALLS CONVENTION CENTRE
$975 + HST Day passes are also available for Wednesday, February 11th Municipal Pass: $350 + HST Contractor Pass: $400 + HST
*NOTE OUR HOTEL BLOCK IS NOW CLOSED. Accommodations may still be available at the Marriott on the Falls—please contact them directly for availability.
This year brings a record number of NEW and REPEAT vendors to our Tradeshow with 37!
See who is exhibiting by visiting our website!
Join us for our Welcome Reception sponsored by OE UTILITY SERVICES & OEC on Tuesday, February 10.
Get your country on at our Giddy Up & Go Reception—sponsored by ONTARIO UTILITY LOCATES—on Wednesday, February 11.
Both receptions are included with our Full Delegate Pass. Can’t attend the full event? Day and reception passes are available. Click the link below for full details!
Join us in celebrating Best in Class Excavators from across the province with our Excavator of the Year Awards, Wednesday, February 11.
*Full Delegate or one-day pass required to attend.
The Jim Douglas Award of Excellence in Damage Prevention honours ORCGA members that have served in the organization over a long period of time and whose impact has left its mark on the organization in a positive and memorable way.
The ORCGA Member of the Year is presented annually to the ORCGA member whose dedication and service to the ORCGA went above and beyond the call of duty.
See who this year’s winners are during our Awards luncheon.
Don’t miss our Keynote Speaker, Todd Keirstead, sponsored by Go360.
*The Awards luncheon & Keynote Address are open to Full Delegate and one-day pass holders.
Thank you to this year’s Event Sponsors!
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
To register and for additional information, contact:
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 Power Generation (OPG) has submitted the initial project description for its proposed new nuclear project at Wesleyville in Port Hope to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC).
The regulatory milestone is the first step in advancing the project through the impact assessment process. In early 2025, the Ontario government asked OPG to explore the potential for new nuclear generation at its Wesleyville site to help meet the growing demand for electricity in the province. The site, which is maintained by OPG and already zoned for electricity generation, is well-suited to support a large new nuclear site and is located near existing transmission, road, and railway infrastructure. The project description has been developed based on a range of potential nuclear technologies that could be deployed at the site, totaling up to 10,000 Mwe, enough to power the equivalent of 10 million homes. Source: Canada Construct Connect
ONTREAL — The Crown corporation overseeing a planned high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City says tunnels will be needed in Montreal and possibly Toronto.
In an update on its website, Alto says it plans to burrow from just north of the Prairies River, which borders Montreal’s north side, to downtown in a corridor that would exceed 10 kilometres. It also says it is considering tunnels and elevated tracks to access Toronto’s downtown, terminating at either Union Station or a nearby location. Rail tunnel construction has proven a pricey undertaking in recent years, ballooning the budgets of Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown light-rail line and Ontario Line subway plans as well as Ottawa’s Trillium Line. 
Source: Canada Construct Connect
Winter repair and maintenance work is underway on two Welland Canal locks and three bridges, resulting in some closures.
According to St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation manager of media relations and communications Nicole Giroux, the SLSMC is investing over $350 million in infrastructure, with $180 million in the Welland Canal region and more than $170 million in the Montreal to Lake Ontario region.The investment is to maintain and upgrade locks, bridges and energy systems for safety and reliability. This winter marks year two of the project that began in April 2024 and is due for completion in March 2027. Source: Link2Build
The Ontario government has announced plans to invest an additional $700 million to help 127 municipalities and First Nations communities upgrade and expand aging water infrastructure.
The funding, which comes from the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), will support access to safe drinking water, housing, job creation and protection for communities in the event of extreme weather events. Across Simcoe North, the government is investing up to $78.4 million to support five water system projects, including upgrades to Orillia’s Fittons Road West Sewage Pumping Station, which will help prevent sewage backups and support future growth. 
Ear to the Ground
Member News
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