undergrounder - oswca

SUMMER 2004SUMMER 2004

UndergrounderUndergrounderTheTheFALL 2005

INSIDE

O N TA R I O S E W E R A N D W AT E R M A I N C O N S T R U C T I O N A S S O C I AT I O N

Membership in the ORCGA“Struck-By” Accidents One Call Legislation UpdateMember Profile: Kovacs Sand & Gravel

The OntarioInfrastructureProjectsCorporation

Follow the leader.We’re the industry leader in Precast Concrete drainage

system components and that’s no accident.At Hanson, we have built a reputation on our consistent quality, on-time delivery and outstandingcustomer service. Our innovative, high quality drainage system components and our experienced

team of management and staff has clearly separated us from our competition.

So when it comes to selecting pipe for your next project, choose the leader, choose Hanson.

CAMBRIDGE: Head Office

Tel: +1 888 888 3222

OTTAWA:

Tel: +1 800 833 7540

WHITBY:

Tel: +1 800 265 1354

WINDSOR:

Tel: +1 888 880 8006

HANSON PIPE & PRODUCTS CANADA INC.www.hansonpipeandproducts .com

Today, more than ever, you’re taking on more project responsibilities—and risk. Business is changing, and with change, come challenges.Trust TOROMONT for solutions. You’ve always been able to count onCat® machines, work tools and support to meet your job site needs.But we’re also working hard to help you overcome industry challengesby delivering solutions that go beyond equipment and service—solutions like:

• Training programs for operator efficiency, safety and employee retention.

• Machinery designed to meet stiffer regulations.

• Better information through technology to help improve production and efficiency.

• Flexible financing options and insurance assistance.

• Expert consulting from equipment selection and system planning,

including rentals, to disposal or resale.

Call your Toromont representative, visit your branch, or surf toromontcat.comto learn about the many ways you can Trust TOROMONT. to deliver MORE.

Environmentally Conscious... Like you.

TRUST TOROMONTTo deliver MORE.

www.toromontcat.com

The Undergrounder / Fall 2005 • 5

MESSAGES

7 President’s MessageKathleen Grimes

9 Executive Director’s MessageSam Morra

ANNOUNCEMENTS & BULLETINS

11 New Claims Management CourseNew Gold Seal Certificate Recipients

FEATURES

13 The Ontario Infrastructure Projects Corporation

15 Membership in the ORCGA

17 “Struck-By” Accidents

19 One Call LegislationFacing challenges

22 The Civil Construction Management Education Series

24 Water Strategy Expert PanelStakeholders eagerly awaiting report

MEMBER PROFILE

27 Kovacs Sand & Gravel

30 Buyers’ Guide and Trade List

The Undergrounder is published for the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA)5045 Orbitor Drive, Unit 12, Suite 300Mississauga, ON L4W 4Y4Tel.: 905-629-7766, Fax: 905-629-0587

Published by Naylor Publications Co. (Canada)100 Sutherland Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2W 3C7Tel.: 204-947-0222, Fax: 204-947-2047www.naylor.com

SUMMER 2004SUMMER 2004UndergrounderUndergrounderTheTheFALL 2005

INSIDE


Membership in the ORCGA“Struck-By” Accidents - Superintendents and company owners need to ‘walk the walk’One Call Legislation UpdateMember Profile: Kovacs Sand & Gravel


UndergrounderUndergrounderTheTheFALL 2005

Senior Managing Publisher: David Long

Publisher: Robert Phillips

Senior Sales Manager: Allen Reimer

Editor: Jonah O’Neil

Editorial Coordinators (OSWCA):Sam Morra & Gus Morelli

Project Manager: Kim Davies

Sales Manager: Steve Urias

Book Leader: Bert Eastman

Sales Representatives: Anook Commandeur, Brenda Ezinicki, Brian Hoover, Dawn Stokes, Gord Jackson,Ryan Jonasson

Design & Layout: Naylor Publications, Inc.

Advertising Art: Gord Klassen

Research & Marketing: Allison Hansen

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Naylor PublicationsDistribution Dept.100 Sutherland AvenueWinnipeg, MB R2W 3C7

©2005 Naylor Publications Co. (Canada). All rightsreserved. The contents of this publication may not bereproduced by any means, in whole or in part, withoutprior written consent of the publisher.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40064978

PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2005/OSW-T0205/4228


On the cover: Public Infrastructure RenewalMinister David Caplan announced theformation of the Ontario InfrastructureProjects Corporation (OIPC) on May 9, 2005.


Message from Kathleen Grimes, President, OSWCA

When I firstassumed therole of Presi-dent of theOSWCA in Feb-

ruary of 2005, I anticipated a chal-lenge, however I never expectedthat our Executive Director, SamMorra, would resign from his posi-tion during my Presidency. It wasover six years ago that Sam encour-aged me to participate as a BoardMember of the OSWCA and that, initself, clearly demonstrates the pro-gressive and dynamic approach thathe has brought to the Association.Sam’s departure certainly adds anew dimension to the challengesthat we, as an association, will faceover the next few months. As anindividual, Sam has made a very sig-nificant contribution to theOSWCA, not only in terms of hisday to day tasks, but also in terms ofthe Association’s growth and expan-

sion as a well-respected and power-ful organization in Ontario. Sam is,understandably, returning to hisroots as a contractor and as an Asso-ciation we wish him the best andlook forward to his participation in

the Association as a contractormember.

The OSWCA, in conjunctionwith the Greater Toronto Sewer andWatermain Contractors Association,has begun the search for a newExecutive Director and, until suchtime as a new Executive Director hasjoined the Association, the OSWCABoard of Directors has established asystem that will provide the basisfor transition to a new ExecutiveDirector. More specifically, theBoard of Directors has appointed atransition team comprised of fourboard members who, along withmyself, will oversee the operation ofthe Association and provide guid-ance and assistance to the new Exec-utive Director. In addition, BoardMembers have committed to moreactive roles during this transitionperiod and correspondingly will berelied upon for their experience andexpertise as required.

At any given point in time thereis an issue that dominates the dayand, at this particular point in time,that would be the Expert WaterPanel Report which was released onFriday, July 22, 2005. The Expert

At any given point in time there is an issuethat dominates the day and, at this particularpoint in time, that would be the Expert WaterPanel Report which was released on Friday,

July 22, 2005.

Water Panel was originally chargedwith the task of providing advice tothe provincial government withrespect to the organization and longterm financing of Ontario’s waterand wastewater systems. The Panelacknowledged that over the next 15years, water and wastewater invest-ment needs in Ontario are expectedto range from 30 to 40 billion dollarsand accordingly, “…municipalitieswill become hard-pressed to investenough to bring their systems intogood repair and meet increasinglyhigh standards while keeping theirrates affordable.” In response to thisdilemma, the Panel has made a seriesof detailed recommendations thatfocus on the following: increasingthe scale and capacity of water andwastewater systems; implementationof financial sustainability throughfull cost pricing; encouragingstronger and more effective gover-nance through municipal corpora-tions; moving towards a results-based regulation system by creatingan Ontario Water Board; facilitatinginnovations in new technology andtraining by ensuring that MOEdevotes additional resources in thisregard; and finally, revising the man-date of the Ontario Clean WaterAgency to provide an arm’s lengthfrom the government by reorganiz-ing it under the Ontario BusinessCorporations Act.

Over the next few months theOSWCA will be concentrating itsefforts on assessing and evaluatingthe impact that the many detailedrecommendations may have on ourindustry. I believe that as an associa-tion we have the foresight to envisionhow the recommendations will even-tually translate into reality. Not onlywill the Association ensure that ourvision is both understood and consid-ered by the government, but we willcontinue to provide valuable detailedinput to the government that willbenefit the industry as a whole. ■

8 • The Undergrounder / Fall 2005

131 Regalcrest CourtWoodbridge, ON L4L 8P3

1-800-263-2353www.royalpipe.com

Certified to

B137.3

Digging on Private Industrial or Commercial Property ?

Professional Buried Utility Locating Services

�� Complete service for locating sewer, water, gas, telecom and power�� Fully trained, equipped and insured technicians�� “Utility clearing” service for boreholes and excavations�� A reliable and prompt contracted solution for private service locates

or an alternative to existing networks�� Increase worker safety, reduce surprises, expedite your projects

Call 905-629-8959 or Fax 905-629-7379E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.multiview.ca

48-hour

Response!!


Message from Sam Morra, Executive Director OSWCA

By now you no doubthave heard that I ammoving on. What agreat 14-plus years ithas been at the

OSWCA. I really do feel privilegedto have worked with such a greatgroup of people in the sewer andwatermain construction industry.

In particular, each of the Presi-dents I have served with has made apositive and lasting impression onme. From Lloyd Ferguson’s bulldogapproach to Mike Turek’s desire tohave local meetings to Doug Woods’safety-first culture to ReneDoornekamp’s “friendly giant”demeanour to Chris McNally’s prag-maticality to Tony DiPede’s practi-cality to Ted Cooper’s vision to DavePagnan’s deceiving intelligence toRon Robinson’s quiet shrewdness toJohn Weber’s seeming crustiness toKathleen Grimes’ toughness, I havelearned from them all. I mostenjoyed the times of strategic think-ing and positioning on the multi-tude of issues facing the industry ona daily basis.

I feel it is necessary to clarify thatit is only a mere coincidence that Iam resigning within six months ofthe OSWCA appointing its first

female president! I am not leavingdue to Kathleen Grimes! In fact, I’vehad a lot of fun these past fewmonths discussing the issues withour newest leader.

The saddest part of my departurewill be saying goodbye to my staff.Gus Morelli has been a rock for me.Mr. Dependable who came from thefield like me. Few know that Guswas an injured pipe layer that wentto college in his thirties to getretrained as a Certified EngineeringTechnologist. Not an easy thing todo. Meredith Karosas has kept meon the straight and narrow for thelast seven years. She’s balanced myschedule when it seemed like itcouldn’t be done. So many of youhave come to know her pleasingdemeanor. Margaret Malagowski isanother seven-year employee whohas done double duty on a couple ofoccasions as Meredith created herfamily. Margaret is special becauseshe came straight out of college towork with me and hasn’t left since.The person I will miss most of allwill be Mary Reuse. Mary and I start-ed together at the Association mereweeks apart in 1991. Through thickand thin she has supported myprogress through the Association’s

What a great 14-plus years it hasbeen at the OSWCA

From Lloyd Ferguson’sbulldog approach to Mike Turek’s desire tohave local meetings to Doug Woods’ safety-first culture to Rene Doornekamp’s“friendly giant”demeanour to Chris McNally’spragmaticality to Tony DiPede’s practicalityto Ted Cooper’s vision toDave Pagnan’s deceivingintelligence to Ron Robinson’s quietshrewdness to John Weber’s seemingcrustiness to Kathleen Grimes’toughness, I havelearned from them all.

ranks when others thought I mightnot be able to do the job.

I remember looking at financialstatements with Lloyd and Mary in1995 and thinking that we only hada few months to survive if the mem-bers didn’t buy into the industryfund program. Wow, have we evercome a long way! The OSWCA isnow Canada’s strongest advocate forclean water and safe sewage infra-structure construction. We have laidthe foundation for Ontario’s sewersand watermains to be financiallysustainable forever.

Although we have done much,there is always more to do. By work-ing together and building on ourstrength at the grassroots level, wecan attain any goals we set. I wish allof you the very best in the future - afuture in which the OSWCA contin-ues to prosper while looking afterthe best interests of its members.

Again, it has truly been a pleasureto serve the industry.

God bless and thank you. ■

10 • The Undergrounder / Fall 2005

Call 1-800-461-0365 or 416-674-1913 Fax: 416-674-866071 Steinway Boulevard, Etobicoke, ON

NTARIO LASER RENTALSLTD.NTARIO LASER RENTALSLTD.SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS

• Machine Control Pavers,Graders, Dozers & Excavators

• Hydraulic Hammers • Demolition Shears• Concrete Pulverizers• Survey Equipment• Rotating Lasers• Pipe Lasers

• Heavy Equipment RentalsExcavators, Dozers &Excavator Attachments

• Aluminum Hydraulic Shields • Trench Boxes / Slide Rail• Bedding Boxes• Speed Shoring• Road Plates

1363 CORNWALL ROAD, OAKVILLE, ONTARIO TEL: (905) 844-7831 FAX: (905) 844-5122www.directequipment.ca

RENTALS • SERVICE • SALES� Trench Boxes� Slide Rail Shoring Systems� Trench Sheeting� Aluminum Hydraulic Shoring� Pneumatic Trench Shoring

� Construction Lasers� Pipe Plugs� Road Plates� Coring & Tapping Equipment� Misc. Equipment/Services

The saddest part of mydeparture will be sayinggoodbye to my staff. Gus Morelli has been a rock for me… Meredith Karosas haskept me on the straightand narrow… Margaret Malagowski isspecial because she camestraight out of college towork with me and hasn’tleft since… Mary Reuse,through thick and thin,has supported myprogress through theAssociation’s ranks…

The OSWCA would like to congratulate the following people ontheir Gold Seal Certification:

• Richard (Dick) Coyne of Con-Drain Company- Gold Seal Certification for Project Manager

• Carlo DeGasperis of TACC Construction- Gold Seal Certification for Project Manager

• Bruno S. Ierullo of Carillion Construction- Gold Seal Certification for Estimator - General Contracting

The OSWCA/ORBA Joint Education Committee is pleased to announce the addition of a Claims Management course for the 2006 Education Series. Stay tuned for course details.

The Undergrounder /Fall 2005 • 11

New Claims Management Course

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

CORPORATION

WATERWORKSOntario Branches

Location Phone Fax

Belleville . . . . . . .(613) 962-9286. . . . . (613) 962-3763Hamilton . . . . . .(905) 318-3277. . . . . (905) 318-4430Kitchener . . . . . .(519) 894-7006. . . . . (519) 894-6294London . . . . . . . .(519) 686-1141. . . . . 1-877-392-0240Mississauga . . . .(905) 564-7788. . . . . (905) 564-2228

Location Phone Fax

Oshawa . . . . . . .(905) 723-1173. . . . . (905) 433-8630Ottawa . . . . . . . .(613) 842-7640. . . . . (613) 842-4647St. Catharines . .(905) 685-3626. . . . . (905) 685-3627Windsor . . . . . . .(519) 948-8131. . . . . (519) 948-4210

New Gold Seal Certificate Recipients

12 • The Undergrounder /Fall 2005

BARRIE . . . . . . . .705-726-6775OTTAWA . . . . . . .613-822-3444VAUGHAN . . . . . . .416-635-7822NORTH BAY . . . . .705-472-0350

S.S. MARIE . . . . . .705-949-5980PEMBROKE . . . . . .613-732-1190KITCHENER . . . . . .519-741-4044SUDBURY . . . . . . .705-566-1814

WINDSOR . . . . . .519-250-7222PETERBOROUGH . . .705-742-7744KINGSTON . . . . . .613-546-3141OWEN SOUND . . . .519-376-9869

2150 Richardson Side Road, Carp, ON K0A 1L0T: 613-831-1736 F: 613-831-2048 www.mconproducts.com

We pride ourselves on the fact

that our products will never see

the light of day.Our quality products stay underground where they belong!

We manufacture a wide variety of underground precast products such as maintenance holes, concrete pipes and box culverts to

specialty products like O.G.E.R.s and pumping chambers. We also offer engineering support, design consultation, project costing and custom designs for any project. We are eastern Ontario’s leading producer

of underground precast concrete products.

Call 1-800-267-5515 or email [email protected] more information.

expertise and best business practicesfor all areas of infrastructure plan-ning. “To truly tackle Ontario’s infra-structure deficit, we need morecapital on the table. Our govern-ment will be pursuing AFP projectsvigorously,” Caplan said, adding thatthe OIPC will play a key role in mak-ing that happen.

The Urban Development Insti-tute of Ontario says OIPC is thegovernment’s investment tool toaddress the public infrastructuredeficit. “Lack of government facili-tation and investment has stymiedthe construction of critical infra-structure for too long and if the

Provincial government does nottake decisive action today, Ontarioruns the risk of squandering theopportunity to enhance the Pro-vince’s economic competitiveness,”said Neil Rodgers, the Institute’spresident, in a press release. TheUrban Development Institute ofOntario supports the Provinceleveraging private sector monies tohelp deliver infrastructure projectsin an accelerated fashion within afair, transparent and eff icientprocess.

The government’s decision touse alternate sources of funding forpublic infrastructure is no surprise.

The Ontario governmenthas announced it willcreate a new provincialagency to managemajor public infrastruc-

ture projects. Public InfrastructureRenewal Minister David Caplanannounced the formation of theOntario Infrastructure Projects Cor-poration (OIPC) on May 9, 2005.

The government said OIPC willbe an independent agency reportingto the Minister of Public Infra-structure Renewal. It will have afocus on Alternative Financing andProcurement Projects (AFP), and willalso have a mandate to provide


Minister Caplan

making the OIPC

announcement

at the Toronto

Board of Trade.

By Cheryl Rego


capacity to deliver the infrastruc-ture the province needs.”

This document clearly hinted atthe government’s intent to explorepublic-private partnerships. Underthe principle of “Value for Moneymust be demonstrable”, the docu-ment says, “Where private financ-ing is involved in the delivery ofpublic infrastructure initiatives,there must be safeguards againstfinancial returns that are not pro-

portional to the associated risk.”Under the principle of “AppropriatePublic control/owner must be pre-served” the government states that“…water, sewer, hospital and pub-licly-funded school assets willremain publicly owned and con-trolled”, leaving the reader toassume that all other infrastructureis open to private investment.

Stakeholders in the sewer andwatermain industry are well awarethat the infrastructure spending lagswell behind the requirements. Astudy done by TD Bank FinancialGroup in May 2004 estimated Cana-da’s infrastructure gap to be between$50 billion and $125 billion, whichis 6-10 times the level of all currentannual government infrastructurebudgets combined. TD Bank’s ChiefEconomist, Donald Drummond, saidthe municipal infrastructure gap as apercentage of national GDP grewfrom 2.7% in 1984 to 5.0% in 2002.

The Urban Development Insti-tute said that industry is urging thegovernment to act quickly andlaunch the corporation in order tounlock the required capital andbegin construction of critical infra-structure. Wilson Lee, a spokesper-son for Minister Caplan said thegovernment is presently reviewingthe staffing options and the otherrequirements to set up the agency.He said the government hopes tohave the agency up and running inthe next few months.

“We are taking a bold steptowards renewing our infrastruc-ture,” Caplan said at a TorontoBoard of Trade luncheon. “By sup-porting provincial government min-istries, local municipalities andagencies in the broader public sectorin their dealings with the privatesector, while also directly overseeingnew, large alternatively financedinfrastructure projects, we are takingaction now to secure our infrastruc-ture for future generations.” ■

In July 2004, the governmentreleased a document called “Build-ing a Better Tomorrow - Infrastruc-ture Planning, Financing andProcurement Framework forOntario’s Public Sector”. This docu-ment was billed as the govern-ment’s 10-year framework onrenewing Ontario’s infrastructure.The document said the reasons forthis framework was to ensure“…that Ontario has the financial


[email protected]

table has to agree on any change forany Best Practice before it moves for-ward. This is a key factor thatencourages membership.”

There are three levels of sponsor-ship at ORCGA – Bronze, Silver andGold. Each level has its own valueproposition which can be found onthe organization’s website atwww.orcga.com. The annual mem-bership fee for Bronze sponsors is$5,000, Silver sponsors pay $10,000and gold sponsors pay $20,000.Ontario 1 Call, Toronto Hydro Elec-

tric System and Super SuckerVacuum Excavation are all newBronze sponsors. Hydro One,Avertex and Badger Daylight-ing Inc. are new Gold levelsponsors.

Although the benefits ofmembership in the ORCGAare self-evident, the organiza-tion has also been engaging invarious events from awarenesssessions to trade show partici-pation in order to boost mem-bership.

ORCGA hosted ten aware-ness sessions in cities andregions around the provinceincluding Niagara, Hamilton,Waterloo, London, Windsor,Sarnia, Toronto, North Bay,Ottawa, and Cornwall. Dou-glas said that at the awareness

growth is that the ORCGA representsall the industry stakeholders. “Whenpeople are looking at value, theywant to ensure not only their specif-ic needs are met but that any blocksin dealing with other sectors of theindustry are cleared,” he said.“ORCGA members can bring forwardan exhaustive list of pros and consof any particular issue since all sec-tors of the industry are represented.The group develops Best Practicesand agreement is on consensus only.This means that everyone at the

Founded just two years ago,the Ontario Regional Com-mon Ground Alliance hasseen a rapid increase in itsmembership – particularly

over the last few months. Jim Dou-glas, Executive Director of theORCGA says, “In the past sixmonths the ORCGA has grown inmembership to 104, more than triplefrom this time last year. We havealso added six new sponsors.”

Douglas said that the key factorfor this exceptional membership


ORCGABy Cheryl Rego

– A Success Story at Only Two Years Old

“In the past six months the ORCGA has grown inmembership to 104, more than triple from this time lastyear. We have also added six new sponsors.”

tribution Information Systems &Technology (EDIST), Heavy WorkEquipment Trade Show in the GTA,Association of Road Supervisors ofOntario in Minden and the Canadi-an Gas Association Workshop heldin Calgary.

On February 28th, the ORCGAhosted a Canadian CommonGround Alliance Forum to discusscoordination of efforts for otherCanadian Provincial CGAs. The pur-pose of the forum was to communi-cate the progress of the ORCGA andto help others who are planning onimplementing a CGA in theirrespective province. Both Quebecand Alberta have regional CGAchapters and preliminary plans areunderway to develop chapters inother western provinces.

While new members are beingrecruited, the work of current mem-bers continues with the Best Practicecommittees. At the May 13th func-tional committee meeting, three BestPractices were revised and one newBest Practice was approved. A numberof new Best Practices are expected tobe approved at the functional com-mittee meeting in September. TheORCGA has planned to release a sec-ond volume of its Best Practice Bookin the fall. All the committees areplanning on coordinating their meet-ing dates throughout the year tomake if easier for committee mem-bers to attend meetings and attractnew members. Once complete, all thedates will be listed on the website.

Even with this very full schedule,in addition to all the work that hasgone into this early success withmembership and deliverables, JimDouglas has no intention of restingon his laurels. “I think the work hasjust begun. There are many morepeople to whom we need to commu-nicate. We have had very early suc-cess but the potential for anyorganization to get involved ishuge,” he said. ■

sessions, the organization was ableto communicate early successes andcontinuing benefits to the excavat-ing community. He said the aware-ness sessions procured many newmembers.

The organization’s second annualsymposium was held this March atthe Delta Meadowvale Hotel in Mis-sissauga. Over three hundred dele-gates attended the symposium andgave it a 97% overall satisfaction rat-


STILL THE SAME APPROVED PRODUCTSAND QUALITY SERVICE FROM

TWO FULLY OPERATIONAL LOCATIONS

Manufacturers of:• Cast Iron Test Fittings for Testing and

Locating Municipal Sewer Connections,made in a full range of sizes

Exclusive Distributors of:• AVK Hydrants and Valves

Distributors of:• PVC Pipe and Fittings

• Ductile Pipe and Fittings

• Maintenance Hole and CatchbasinFrames and Covers

• Related Sewer and Waterworks Material

CROWLEFITTINGS & SUPPLY LTD.

407 Deerhurst DriveBrampton, ON L6T 5K3

Tel: 905-793-2222Fax: 905-793-3919

CROWLESUPPLY (SIMCOE) LTD.31 Booth Street, RR#2

Hawkestone, ON L0L 1T0Tel: 705-487-9990Fax: 705-487-9994

For all your Waterworks Requirements, Call

HawkestoneTel: 705-487-9990

BramptonTel: 905-793-2222

ing. Data from survey responsesindicated that they felt the sympo-sium featured a number of veryinteresting workshops and speakers.The 2006 symposium will be held atthe Westin Hotel in Ottawa, whilethe 2007 symposium will be held inthe city of London.

ORCGA also participated andmade presentations at several tradeshows and conferences, includingLandscape Congress, Electricity Dis-

The Undergrounder /Fall 2005 • 17

You need to look into how many times vehi-cles and machines have bumped into objects– because that could have been a worker. Youonly get one chance with an accident likethis and generally it is fatal. This is very

unforgiving equipment to be around. It doesn’t respectyou, doesn’t care about you, weighs 20 tonnes more thanyou and does not stop when you are in its path.” JimLaFontaine is serious and wants workers to listen well. Heis in charge of health and safety at Dufferin Construction,and does not want to see any more “struck-by” accidents.

“Struck-by” accidents occur when workers are struck bymoving equipment. ByApril this year, the indus-try already had two fatalstruck-by accidents.Struck-by accidents havenow replaced electrocu-tion as the second leadingcause of death in con-struction. Even worse,every struck-by accident ispreventable, and safetyproponents want to makesure workers and supervi-sors are taking the extraprecautions necessary.

LaFontaine said thathis company is alwayslooking at areas wheresafety can be improvedto prevent struck-byaccidents. “We’ve installed back up detection devicesthat have sonar units that send out a signal that anobject is behind. That technology is now available forlarge off-road equipment and we are in the process oftesting it,” he said.

“Struck-By”Accidents

By Cheryl Rego

Superintendents and company owners need to ‘walk the walk’

“ “Secondly, we’re looking at the camera system. We’veinstalled cameras on the back of our three fuel trucks andthey are equipped with an audible microphone. As soonas the transmission is engaged the camera is turned oninside the cab and the driver cannot just see, but also hearwhat is going on behind him. It has a140-degree visibilitywith a fish eye lens,” LaFontaine explained.

However, even with the best technology, LaFontainestressed that the primary safety tool is the operator. “Theoperator must always check over the shoulder for theblind spot. These [new technology] devices are an addedsecondary safety feature,” he said, “One of the big prob-

lems is that the equipment travels as fast in reverse as itdoes in driving forward.”

LaFontaine is adamant that adequate awareness train-ing is essential to accident prevention. “The biggest prob-lem is that the workers on the ground assume the

“We mandated a condition of employment that theforeman does a five-minute safety talk once a weekwith his crew. That shows commitment from the fore-man. He goes over safety topics that are relevant. Wereinforce the formal training through the foreman’ssafety talks,” LaFontaine said. Tailgate topics are alsoavailable from CSAO. Furthermore, he said that everytime any safety training is done, the employees receiveawareness training on backup procedures.

Having the safety features in good working order isimportant and LaFontaine said companies should bereminded to have a program to make sure the backupbeepers are working. “There are just two thin wires mak-ing the backup beeper work and especially with the heavywork these machine perform, the wires can corrode andbreak off,” he explained.

For those organizations that do not have enough in-house resources, the CSAO provides an excellent trainingprogram called Traffic Control and Backing Up.LaFontaine recommends all workers receive this training.The training is available in picture form so it can tran-scend any language barriers. Nonetheless, CSAO has alsotranslated it into Portuguese and Italian. LaFontaine said aforeman can be used as an interpreter to make sure thereare no language issues.

LaFontaine said that safety programs are the mosteffective when they have support at all levels of the orga-nization. “Superintendents and company owners need to‘walk the walk’. When you get out of your vehicle, thehard hat and safety vest should go on immediately. Theyneed to demand excellence in health and safety as a con-dition of employment. The workers will see that and therewill be a better safety culture out in the field,” he said.

“Our goal as an association and an industry has to bezero injuries, zero accidents and it is attainable but notthrough good luck, it has to be through good manage-ment,” LaFontaine said. ■

operator can see them, and in big machines and in trucksthere are blind spots. It is a real priority for us to train ourpeople to be aware of the blind spot, to make sure theycatch the operator’s attention and let him/her knowwhere they are,” he said.

One of the biggest issues in preventing struck-by acci-dents is complacency. LaFontaine said that workers arewearing their safety vests all the time and this gives thema false sense of security because they assume the equip-ment operator should see them. Legally, all dump trucksmust have backup beepers, and LaFontaine said that Duf-ferin Construction uses them on all their equipment.However, with equipment backing up often, he said thebackup beepers become white noise – people tend to tunethem out because they hear them all day long.

The solution, LaFontaine said, is to have drivethroughs so that trucks don’t have to reverse, and to sepa-rate workers from the machinery whenever possible. Infact, Enzo Garritano, the Manager of Technical Serviceand Quality Assurance for the Construction Safety Associ-ation of Ontario (CSAO), said that having drive-throughswhenever possible is the law. “The requirements are alloutlined in the Regulations for Construction Projects,” hesaid, “If all parties are following the requirements, welower the risk of accidents greatly.”

Dufferin Construction has now gone beyond the mini-mum requirements and has also developed a backup per-mit system. “It is a checklist for a supervisor to make surethat all the elements of the back up program are in place.They have to ensure backup beepers are working, that thesignal person is in place and is trained, and ensure wehave a drive-through operation wherever possible,”LaFontaine said. Depending on the scope of the work thepermit could be good for a day or for a week.

As well, Dufferin promotes continuous formal train-ing and informal training through tailgate meetings.


Struck-by accidents have now replaced electrocution as the second leading cause of death in construction. Even worse, every struck-by accident is preventable, and safety proponents want to make sure workers andsupervisors are taking the extra precautions necessary.

lated through the CRTC and the restof the underground utilities areprovincially regulated.

Frank Zechner, an independentlegal practitioner who assists OSWCA

on various matters, said that One-Calllegislation would promote publicsafety and worker safety, protectunderground plant and reduce over-all costs to the province. He saidprovincial laws first need to be put inorder and then we can deal with fed-eral-provincial jurisdiction issues.

“In Ontario we have a regulatorygap,” he said. “We have legislationthrough the Energy Act and nowunder TSSA [Technical StandardsSafety Authority] for people torequire a locate and for gas compa-nies to respond to locate. In Novem-ber 2004, we finally got a similarregulation in place for the electricaldistributors. The OccupationalHealth and Safety Act requires exca-vators to obtain locates andarguably requires utilities to respondbut there is not one standard legisla-tion that we feel is adequate to regu-late One Call procedures.”

Zechner said that one stumblingblock is that telecoms are federallyregulated through the CRTC and areimmune to certain provincial legis-lation. “The hope is that once wedevelop a bill in Ontario, we mightinitiate a dialogue with the CRTCand other federal bodies and havethem adopt our law as one of theirrequirements or to pass parallel leg-islation,” he said.

In 2002, the National Telecom-munications Damage PreventionCouncil (NTDPC) in the US devel-oped a model One Call bill for USstate legislation. The ORCGA One-

Using legislation toback-up the One-Call procedures onlymakes sense and theOSWCA is working

hard to make this happen. Whilepushing through any form of legis-lation is a difficult task, One-Calllegislation has its own challenges –including the separation of provin-cial and federal jurisdictions.

Last year, the Ontario RegionalCommon Ground Alliance (ORCGA)developed a Best Practices Guidemodelled on a similar documentdeveloped by the Common GroundAlliance in the US. However, whencomparing the two guides, one majordifference is that every state in the UShas some form of One-Call legisla-

tion, whereas that is absent in Cana-dian jurisdictions. US legislationcovers all underground infrastructure.In Canada, we run into difficultiesbecause telecoms are federally regu-


One Call LegislationFacing challenges

By Cheryl Rego

Zechner said that after a certain point, the taskforce has to give the issue up to provinciallegislators and urge them to move it through. “One of the optimistic elements is that we aretrying to approach the Ontario government on aconsensus basis by having a broad representation of stakeholders who agree to the proposedlegislation and thereby reduce the likelihood ofopposition,” he said.

legislation. The task force includesrepresentatives from most affectedsectors including representatives fromBell Canada, Hydro One, Enbridge,Union Gas, OSWCA, TSSA, ORBA (theOntario Road Builders Association),and Ontario One Call. The task forcehas also had representation frommunicipal engineers associations.

“We started with that US modelbill and made changes to reflect theCanadian and Ontario framework.

We determined that we would carveout anything that amounted to a bestpractice, because we wanted bestpractices to become an objective forthe industry. What’s left is a five-to-six page document that has some keyfundamental requirements,” Zechnersaid. The key requirements are thatanyone who has an undergroundplant in the public right of way orroadway allowance must participatein a provincial One-Call system; any-one proposing to excavate in the pub-lic right of way must request a locatethrough the One-Call system, and;the utilities who are members mustrespond to those locate requests.

In order to move the legislationthrough the required channels,ORCGA has retained a well-respectedconsulting agency, Informetrica, toprepare a comprehensive study onthe cost of utility damage in Ontarioand to provide recommendations.ORCGA is also developing informa-tion comparison documents thatcould be provided to stakeholdersand legislators for comments. Howev-er, Zechner said that after a certainpoint, the task force has to give theissue up to provincial legislators andurge them to move it through. “Oneof the optimistic elements is that weare trying to approach the Ontariogovernment on a consensus basis byhaving a broad representation ofstakeholders who agree to the pro-posed legislation and thereby reducethe likelihood of opposition,” he said.

The task force and the industry aremoving quickly on getting the One-Call legislation developed. It has onlybeen two years since ORCGA cameinto existence and it was only afterthe initial best practices were final-ized last spring that the stakeholdersbegan to consider legislation to com-plement the best practices. Zechner isone of many people who hope themomentum can keep going and thatOne-Call legislation in Ontario willsoon be a reality. ■

Call Legislation Task Force decidedthis model bill would be a goodstarting point, especially as it wasdeveloped by the telecom industry,which is one of the more reluctantsectors regarding One-Call issues. Inaddition, certain NTDPC membersalso operate in Canada.

The ORCGA One-Call LegislationTask Force, of which Zechner is amember, is an intra-industry taskforce looking at developing One-Call



Tall, grey, and handsome.

Smooth on the outside, tough on the inside.

Committed to a long term connection

with a maintenance hole.

Personals.

Call 1-800-461-5632. The pipe of your dreams is now rolling out of a larger production facility.

Munro, where bigger is better.

To make every joban ideal installation,specify Ideal PipeAny spec, any size From drainage pipe and CSA-compliantstorm sewer pipe to poly-conduit,Ideal Pipe is your ideal choice.

Expert field supportWith 25 years of experience, Ideal comesthrough with the product and applicationknowledge you need.

Fast, easy installationWe deliver tough, flexible HDPE pipein industry-standard lengths to keep jobson budget with minimal time, fittingsand equipment.

Available through majordistributors across Canada.

Manufacturers of CHALLENGER® 3000 Gasketed Smoothwall Pipe

London • Ontario • Canadatoll free: 1-800-265-7098

tel: (519) 473-2669 • fax: (519) 641-2524www.idealpipe.ca • [email protected]

typically once the committeedecides to move ahead with acourse, they first choose an instruc-tor for the course and then begin todevelop the course material withthe instructor. The committee hasalmost finalized the choice ofinstructor for the claims course.

For January 2005, there were sixcourses that made up the Civil Con-struction Management EducationSeries. Financial Management forthe Non-Financial Manager istaught by Deirdre Taylor, whobegan her career in the constructionindustry and is now a Professor ofAccounting at Ryerson University.The course has been speciallydesigned for the civil constructionindustry and makes allowance fornon-financial supervisors. Theobjective is to instil an understand-ing of how profit is derived in theconstruction industry and theimportance of tracking cash flows.

The course on Health & Safety –Risk, Responsibility and Liability isbilled as “the most comprehensivehealth and safety program availableto civil contractors”. The course takessupervisors and managers throughthe rules and regulations of interact-ing with the Ministry of Labour, theprosecution process and defence, duediligence and loss control. For mem-

bers of the Civil Construction SafetyGroup, this course is mandatory forat least one representative from eachcompany.

The most popular course of theseries is Effective Communicationand Negotiating Skills. This course isdesigned to improve the written, oraland negotiating skills of supervisorsand managers. It teaches the skills ofsuccessful debate from listening skillsto determine the needs of the otherparty, and resulting in a win-win sit-uation. The course has two instruc-tors. Peter Wilson has over 20 years’management experience with com-panies such as IBM, General Foodsand ATCO. He is a professor at Ryer-son University and teaches the nego-tiating part of the course. ColleenMarlin is an accomplished broadcast-er and radio and television script-writer. She has been teachingbusiness communications for over 20years at the post secondary level. Sheteaches the written communicationsportion of the course.

The Pre-Bid Risk Managementcourse was completely redesignedwith a new instructor for 2005. Theinstructor, Eric Lewis, has spent hisentire 40-year career working in thecivil construction industry. He hashandled all kinds of civil projectsfrom supervision of the bid to man-

OSWCA members willsoon be able to enrolin a new course onclaims that can beused towards their

Gold Seal Certification. The courseis part of the series on Civil Con-struction Management Educationoffered by the Joint Committee onEducation in conjunction withRyerson University. The Committeeis composed of members fromOSWCA and the Ontario RoadBuilders Association (ORBA).

The Joint Committee on Educa-tion was struck about eight yearsago. The committee started out byoffering four courses, and in 2006will offer seven courses to OSWCAand ORBA members. The coursesare usually offered during the slowconstruction months of Januaryand February and the main thrustof all the courses is for Gold Sealcertification. Students must passeach course for the certification.

Neil Toner has been sitting onthe committee since its inception,and is also its chairman. “When wefirst sat down eight years ago webrainstormed on what kind ofcourses we needed. We kicked thisone on claims around for about ayear and decided to go ahead withit,” he explained. Toner said that


TheCivil ConstructionManagementEducation SeriesBy Cheryl Rego

aging the work. The course itselfprovides comprehensive identifica-tion and analysis of the elements ofrisk leading up to the civil contrac-tor’s bid.

Peter Wilson also teaches thecourse on Management Skills: WhatMakes a Good Manager. Over fivedays, Wilson works with students togive them the skills required toeffectively plan, organize, direct,control, solve problems and learnfrom experience. This course isfilled with interactive activity and isa favourite with OSWCA members.

The Construction Law course isonly in its second year. It provides anintroduction to basic legal conceptsand principles of Canadian law asthey relate to the development ofland and the construction process.The course instructor is lawyer GlenW. Ackerley, a partner with Weir-Foulds Law Firm. His primary area ofpractice is construction law. Ackerleyalso teaches the Construction Lawcourse at the Department of Architec-tural Science and Landscape Architec-ture at Ryerson University.

Toner said that OSWCA andORBA members appreciate thecourses offered and the educationcommittee makes sure the coursesgive students what they need.“Attendance has been excellent, ithas been quite impressive,” he said.The Education Committee takessteps to ensure the courses give stu-dents what they need to know. “Wegive every student an evaluation tocomplete on the instructor and con-tents of the course. On the whole ithas been positive. Any negativecomments are reviewed and if it isjustified we review the course andinterview the instructor.”

Any members looking for moreinformation should contact theOSWCA office. As well, The Canadi-an Construction Association isworking with the committee to takethe courses online. ■


Whitby, Barrie, Bracebridge, Cobourg,Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo,

Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Catharines

[email protected] [email protected] www.tsh.cawww.tsh.ca

•EnvironmentEnvironmentTransportationTransportationInfrastructure RenewalInfrastructure RenewalBuildingsBuildings

Value EngineeringValue Engineering

•••

•

•Land DevelopmentLand Development & Resources& Resources

A Customer Care Company

www.strongco.com

Ontario Branches

Mississauga 905-670-5100

Stittsville 613-836-6633

Pickering 905-428-3808

Timmins 705-267-1012

Grimsby 905-643-4255

Kitchener 519-744-3518

Thunder Bay 807-475-3052

Lambeth 519-652-3234

Lively 705-692-5801

Quebec Branches

Baie D’Urfe 514-457-6911

Ste-Foy 418-653-2801

Val D’Or 819-824-2791

Chicoutimi 418-690-1724

Longueuil 450-674-6769

Baie-Comeau 418-296-3091

Atlantic Branches

Moncton 506-857-8425

Dartmouth 902-468-5010

Western Branches

Edmonton 780-464-1909

Calgary 403-216-1010Grande Prairie 780-513-3700

THE NEW B-SERIES EXCAVATORS.EVERY CUBIC INCH A VOLVO.

The moment you fire up the engine on our powerful new B-Series, you can tell

it’s a Volvo. High torque rise lets you take on the toughest of jobs. Low working

rpm means you use fewer gallons of fuel. And you get more hours

between services. Which adds up to helping you

move far more cubic yards.

More care. Built in.

Across thep r o v i n c e ,stakeholdersas diverse ast a x p a y e r

associations and govern-ment organizations areeagerly awaiting thereport from the WaterStrategy Expert Panel.The Panel was struck bythe Ontario governmentto advise on how to makethe investment needed toimprove Ontario’s waterand wastewater infra-structure and on how tobest organize and deliverwater and wastewater ser-vices. At press time, thereport had reached thepublication stage and wasexpected to be releasedwithin two to threeweeks.

The Water StrategyExpert Panel is meant toprovide the governmentwith advice on allaspects of organization,governance, investment,financing and pricingrelated to Ontario’swater and wastewatersystems. The govern-

ment said the panel is tasked with“…developing a solution thatmaintains public ownership, whileensuring that the investment need-ed to improve our water and waste-water infrastructure takes place,that water and wastewater systemsare financially sustainable and thatwater rates are affordable.” Thepanel did not address matters relat-ed to water quality standards, oper-ator training, or other similarissues.

From August to November 2004,the Panel consulted with a varietyof stakeholders, including individ-ual, large and small municipalities,


Stakeholders eagerly awaiting report

WaterStrategyExpert Panel

By Cheryl Rego

ment and regulation, and employ-ment and trade.

OSWCA made a submission tothe panel in November 2004. In itssubmission, the organization reiter-ated several points it has been mak-ing to the government since theWalkerton report was released. TheAssociation lobbied for full costpricing, and that increased waterrates will motivate conservation.The Association also said that it isnot reasonable for smaller munici-palities to maintain expert staff tomanage their water systems or tofoist unaffordable rate increases ontheir taxpayers. However, the Asso-ciation stressed it is still reasonable

to expect municipalities to adapt inorder to mitigate water rate increas-es through the integration of services or a rationalization of ser-vices under a government agency.The Association said, “Consolida-tion, under the auspices of theprovincial infrastructure financingframework, preserves accountabili-ty and transparency.”

Once the panel releases its report,the next question for industry stake-holders is how much considerationthe government will give to thereport recommendations, and howfar the government will go in termsof converting the conclusions intolegal regulations. ■


LOCATE SOLUTION SPECIALISTS

Your margins aren’t increasing but yourproduction can with accurate informationfrom underground.

RADIODETECTIONPRECISION PIPE (RPE) & CABLE LOCATE &INSPECTION EQUIPMENT

2070 Queensway Drive, P.O. Box 1338Burlington, ON L7R 4L9

Tel.: 905-634-0669 • 1-888-821-2673Fax: 905-634-6685

UTILITY EQUIPMENT INC.

“we’re Here To Serve You Better!”

SPECIALIZING IN ALL YOURNEEDS FOR WATERWORKS AND

SEWER SUPPLIESwww.wamco.ca

FOR QUALITY SERVICE, CALL(905) 832-9222

OR FAX US AT:(905) 832-0202

115 RODINEA RD., UNIT #2MAPLE, ONTARIO

L6A 1R5

The panel is tasked with “…developing a solutionthat maintains public ownership, while ensuringthat the investment needed to improve our waterand wastewater infrastructure takes place, thatwater and wastewater systems are financiallysustainable and that water rates are affordable.”The panel did not address matters related to water quality standards, operator training, or other similar issues.

municipal and environmental orga-nizations, plant operators, engi-neering and public works experts,economic and financial experts,business and industry groups, andconsumer and user groups.

The members of the expert panelwere Harry Swain, Jim Pine andFred Lazar. Harry Swain was theChair of the Walkerton ResearchAdvisory Panel and is a frequentspeaker on water provision and gov-ernance policy issues. Jim Pine isthe Chief Administrative Officer ofthe County of Hastings and a mem-ber of the Implementation Commit-tee of the Expert Source WaterProtection Committee, providingadvice to the Ontario governmenton tools and approaches to imple-ment watershed-based source pro-tection planning. He brought broadexperience of municipal manage-ment in a wide variety of municipalsettings to the Panel. Fred Lazar isAssociate Professor of Economics atYork University and the SchulichSchool of Business. He has a PhDfrom Harvard University and haswritten extensively on a wide vari-ety of economic policy issues,including water industry invest-


V. GIBBONSCONTRACTING LTD.SEWERS • WATERMAINEXCAVATING • RENTALSROCK DRILLING &BLASTING

P.O. Box 40Ridgeway, ONL0S 1N0

VAUGHN GIBBONSPresident

Phone (905) 382-2393Fax (905) 382-2706

[email protected]

SAND & GRAVEL905-655-9954

• Limestone

• Sand/Gravel

• Screened Topsoil

• Triple Mix

• Wood Chips

• Peat Loam

• Recycled Asphalt

• Garden Rock

4900 Thickson Rd. N.Division of Hard-Co

Construction Ltd.

A Leader in the Tunnellingand Marine Industries

McNally Construction Inc.Contractors and Engineers

Part of the McNally International Inc. Group of Companies

Tel: 905.549.6561 Fax: 905.549.3548

Website: www.mcnallycorp.comE-Mail: [email protected]

Other Locations in:Toronto, Halifax, Belleville, Cleveland

Hamilton, Ontario

C

MNHIGH PRESSURE WATERJETTING

SEWER FLUSHING

VACUUM PUMPING

DEEP CLEANING

PIPE LOCATING & INSPECTION

DAYLIGHTING

INDUSTRIAL VACUUM CLEANING

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

SPONGE JET CLEANING

DECONTAMINATION

HYDRO VAC SERVICE

DRY ICE BLASTING

TRENCHLESS PIPE REPAIRING

WATERJETTING

Tanks, Drains, Sewers, Process Lines

Equipment, Silos, Heat Exchangers

Stacks, Ceiling Decks, Structural Steel

Airport Runway Rubber Removal, Masonry Cleaning

INDUSTRIAL VACUUMINGLiquids, Slurries, Sludges, Solids, Chemicals

Oils, Dusts, Dry Products, Plant Cleanups

Specialized Vacuum Service, M.O.E. Certificate A840206

Industrial CleaningHigh Pressure WaterblastingLiquid/Dry Vacuum ServicesTel. 905.619.3009 Ext. 15Fax 905.619.3638Mobile 1-416-802-5278 (Emergency After Hours Calls)

77 Orchard Rd., Ajax, ON L1S 6K9

John EeclooPresident & General Manager

[email protected]://www.aquablastcorp.com

Building Things That Matter

Aecon Utilities Aecon Construction& Materials

20 Carlson Court, Ste 800 Tel.: 416-293-7004Toronto, Ontario Fax: 416-940-2283M9W 7K6 www.aecon.com

ONTARIO

EXCAVACVacuum Excavating Specialists

The ‘No Dig’ Approach to Excavating

Specialists in water curb box replacements,trenching and utility poles

Contact: Phil LaflecheTel.: 416-749-0005 Fax: 416-749-8656

said. “We have gone from a waysidepit to a 12-month operation.”Kovacs has four full-time employees,in addition to managing the trucks.“We don’t own any trucks, but weemploy people to run trucks andthat can vary from seven trucks aday to thirty trucks a day. We try tokeep it down to a decent flow,”White said. The company suppliesall types of granular material.

Kovacs Sand & Gravel has quicklymade a name for themselves in thiscompetitive business. The companyis currently supplying a big job onHighway 12 in Durham that is beingdone by the Miller Group. “We havedone quite a few large subdivisions.We just finished a big sub-divisionin Brooklyn. Our jobs typicallyrange from 5000 tonnes to 60,000 –70,000 tonnes,” White said. He saidthe company also has a contractwith the Ontario Power’s twonuclear plants. “The jobs at theseplants are challenging because it ishard to get material in and outbecause of security and the trucksget tied up for a few days,” Whiteexplained.

The aggregate business naturallyfollows the construction cycle withthe usual ebbs and flows. This bringsits own set of challenges. “Some jobs

are very large and the customerwants the material out at once. Inthis business, we have to manage thetrucks well. Sometimes there justdoesn’t seem to be enough trucks togo around. It is hard for someonewho owns six trucks to get six morebecause they’ll be sitting idle fromChristmas until spring,” White said.“We produce product all year aroundand it is very hard to get consistency.If we don’t manage the trucks prop-erly, jobs can get delayed.”

White said that the high cost offuel also plays havoc with the busi-ness plan. “It is an extremely com-petitive business. The fuel increasesare absolutely paralyzing for us. Onethird of the trucks’ daily intake getsconsumed in fuel costs and there isno recourse. We have to price workin the dead of winter that isn’t goingto start until June the following year.So for instance, we priced jobs withfuel at 78 cents per litre and it is nowat 98,” White said. He said that deal-ing with the price of fuel and truck-ing is the hardest part of thebusiness. “If the cost of fuel was fixed- doesn’t matter what it was fixed at -it would be easier because then wecan budget it. However, now withpricing we can’t anticipate it being adollar per litre, although we know

Few Ontarians realize howessential the aggregateindustry is to their qualityof living. The AggregateProducers’ Association of

Ontario says that Ontario consumesan average of 155 million tonnes ofaggregate annually. Every person inOntario consumes about 15 tonnesof gravel per year on roads, side-walks, asphalt or even roofing shin-gles. Aggregate is used in everythingfrom houses and schools to roadsand even products inside homes.

One person that is acutely awareof the many uses of aggregate isGreg White, General Manager forKovacs Sand & Gravel. The companyhas been supplying aggregate since2003. Kovacs Sand & Gravel owns agravel pit from which they producesand and gravel for constructionprojects mostly in the Durhamregion. At the time the companypurchased the gravel pit, it was lyingdormant. Previously this same pitwas operated on a levy basis, whereoperators would pay a fee to producetheir own gravel. Kovacs brought thepit back into operation and nowhires trucks to move the sand andgravel out of the pit. “We producematerial all year round, and we’reconstantly pricing work,” White


MEMBER PROFILE:

Kovacs Sand & GravelBy Cheryl Rego

said that there are many benefits forcustomers who choose his company.“Our ownership is not corporate. Soin some fashion our overhead islower, decision-making is quickerand we are more accountable. Ifthere is a problem, we deal with itright away; there is no chain of com-mand to go through. If there is anissue, it can be resolved on the spot,”he said. “I deal with individual smallcontractors and we give them the

same attention and courtesy as we doto people who own 50 pieces ofequipment. I think it is good thatsomeone can walk in here and seethe guy who runs the place. The con-tractors can phone me right up andget an answer ASAP. The truckersknow they can just walk in here andtalk to me.” From the proven successin the past few years, it seems thatcustomers have already recognizedthe benefits of choosing Kovacs. ■

that is the direction of the price,because of competitors. This is one ofthe biggest challenges,” heexplained.

Despite the challenges of theindustry, White said he enjoys work-ing in it. “I like the sales end of it. Ienjoy the people in the industry. Thecontractors in Durham regions are anexcellent group of people,” he said.Although Kovacs competes againstlarge international companies, White


C o n s t r u c t io n I N S U R A N C E

A N D S U R E T Y S P E C I A L I S T S

Toron to

F r a n k Di I l io

1 1 Cidermill AvenueConcord, ON L4K 4B6

9 0 5 . 7 6 0 . 5 5 6 9

8 6 6 . 7 5 5 . 0 6 5 5

WAT E R LO O

J E F F K I E N A P P L E

I A N P IG N AT E L L I

100 - 20 ERB STREET WESTWATERLOO, ON N2L 1T2

5 1 9 . 7 7 2 . 0 9 7 2

8 8 8 . 7 7 2 . 0 9 7 2

Lon d on

Jon Ton de u r , P. E n g

B a rt P ort e r

400 - 250 York StreetLondon, ON N6A 6K2

5 1 9 . 6 4 6 . 5 8 0 0

8 0 0 . 2 6 5 . 5 9 5 6

the right pipe, the right choice, the right supplier

High Density Polyethylene Sclairpipe®

Proven Performance

Diameters ” to 63”

Full range of Fittings

AWWA C901/C906, ASTM F-714

ISO 9002

Fusion Service Centre

On-site Fusion Services ” to 63”

Fusion Machine Sales / Rentals

Electrofusion Processors

Extrusion Welding (Custom Fab.)

Training (On-site or In-shop)

154 Crown Court, Whitby, Ontario L1N 7B1

Toll Free (877) 261-5293 Fax: (905) 579-4755

[email protected] www.scarboroughsupply.com

Distributor of:

3/4

3/4

BUSINESS ADVISORY SERVICESMANAGEMENT CONSULTING

TAX PLANNING & COUNSELINGINVESTIGATIVE ACCOUNTING

ACCOUNTING & AUDITING

Auditors for the Ontario Sewer &Watermain Construction Association

2000 STEELES AVE. W., SUITE 200CONCORD, ON L4K 3E9PHONE (416) 798-4997

FAX (905) 660-3064E-MAIL [email protected]

www.rsp.ca

C H A R T E R E D A C C O U N T A N T S& B U S I N E S S A D V I S O R S


FLOYD PRESTON LIMITEDAGGREGATES - TRANSPORTATION - TOPSOIL

LANDSCAPING ROCKS - TRIPLE MIX

LARRY PRESTONPresident/Owner

BUS.: (905) 473-1921FAX: (905) 473-5754E-MAIL: [email protected]

AGGREGATES

P.O. BOX 54818444 MCCOWAN RD.MOUNT ALBERT, ON

L0G 1M0

InfrastructureVideo InspectionCleaning - LocatingHydroexcavation

KEN KIVISTO, B.A.BUS. (905) 857-0729

1 (866) 393-8439FAX (905) 857-9494GTSWCA.OSWCA

310 DINGLE COURTBOLTON, ONL7E 4T1www.eyeviewdrains.com

SERVICES LTD.SEWERS • DRAINS

Easy to install,corrosion resistant,maintenance-free

safety equipment,engineered to meet

your most exactingrequirements and

fabricated to the highestindustry standards.

Voice: 905 823-4340Fax: 905 823-4947Toll Free:1-800-268-5336Browse our Website:

www.msumississauga.come-mail:[email protected]

GENERAL CONTRACTORSEXCAVATING

SEWER, WATERMAIN& UNDERGROUND

UTILITY INSTALLATIONS

Tel. (519) 856-9526Fax (519) 856-9182

R.R. #1 Rockwood, Ontario

N0B 2K0

CONSTRUCTION LIMITEDR.R.#1 N0B 2K0

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTSArmtec Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back coverCONSULTING ENGINEERSTerraprobe Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28TSH Engineers Architects & Planners . . . . . . . . . . . . 23CONTRACTORSAecon Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Drexler Construction Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29CONTRACTORS - SEWER & WATERMAINV. Gibbons Contracting Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26EXCAVATINGOntario Excavac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26FUELS & LUBRICANTSUltramar Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30GROUNDWATER CONTROLAtlas Corp. (The) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . outside back coverHEAVY EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERSToromont Cat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Strongco Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23MARINE CONTRACTORSMcNally Construction Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

METAL FABRICATINGMSU Mississauga Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

PIPE SUPPLIERSHanson Pipe & Products Cda. Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Ideal Pipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Royal Pipe Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

PIPES & FITTINGSTrenchless Utility Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

POLYETHYLENE PIPE SYSTEMSScarborough Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTSAnchor Concrete Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14M Con Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

PRECAST STRUCTURESAnchor Concrete Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

PUMPSITT Flygt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

SEWER & DRAIN INSPECTIONEye-View Drain Services Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

SHORINGDirect Equipment Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Ontario Laser Rentals Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

STORAGE TANKS & RESERVOIRSAnchor Concrete Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

SURETY BONDSSt. Paul Guarantee Insurance Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Stevenson & Hunt Insurance Brokers Ltd. . . . . . . . . . 28The Guarantee Company of North America . . . . . . . . 30

TRAFFIC CONTROL PRODUCTSAnchor Concrete Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Beacon Lite Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

TRENCH BOXESDirect Equipment Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Ontario Laser Rentals Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

TUNNELING CONTRACTORS & ENGINEERSMcNally Construction Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

UTILITY LOCATING & MAPPING SERVICESMultiVIEW Locates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

VACUUM EXCAVATINGOntario Excavac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

WATERJETTING & INDUSTRIAL VACUUMINGAquablast Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

WATERWORKS PRODUCTS SUPPLIERSCrowle Fittings & Supply Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16EMCO Waterworks Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Wamco Supply Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Wolseley Waterworks Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

ACCOUNTANTS/MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTSRosenberg, Smith & Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

AGGREGATESFPL Aggregates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Hard-Co Sand & Gravel/Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

BONDING & INSURANCECunningham Lindsey Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12St. Paul Guarantee Insurance Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Stevenson & Hunt Insurance Brokers Ltd. . . . . . . . . . 28The Guarantee Company of North America . . . . . . . . 30

CONCRETE PIPE & PRODUCTS MANUFACTURERSCon Cast Pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

CONCRETE PRODUCTSAnchor Concrete Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Munro Concrete Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT RENTALS & SALESUnited Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover

CONSTRUCTION LASERSDirect Equipment Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Ontario Laser Rentals Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10


131 Loretta Avenue North, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2J7Tel.: (613) 722-7413 • Fax: (613) 722-0876

1-888-740-0142

TRAFFIC CONTROL PRODUCTSFOR OVER 40 YEARS

Rentals – Sales – Service• Impact Attenuators

• Traffic Signs • Rubber Adjustment Risers

• Traffic Control Devices• Safety Products

• Site Fencing

Serving Eastern Ontario & Western Quebec

One-Stop For All Your Traffic

Control Requirements

NATIONALCAPITAL HEAVYCONSTRUCTION

ASSOC.ASSOC. MEMBER

OTTAWACONSTRUCTION

ASSOCIATIONMEMBER

Beacon Lite Ltd.Ultramar, premier supplier to industrial,commercial & construction customers

• Gasolines• Distillates• Jet fuel• Heavy fuel oil• Heavy marine fuel oil• Asphalts• L.P.G.’s (propane,butane)• Lubricants

For reliable service!

Call: 905.361.2804 or 800.387.6244

Buyers’ Guide & Trade List

Head Office:Guelph, Ontario, Canada (519) 763-2360 Toll Free 1 (800) 265-9391Visit us at our web site: www.armtec.comOntario Sales Offices:Toronto 905-738-3172, Peterborough 800-363-5047, London 519-661-0049, Thunder Bay 807-939-2601, Sudbury 800-315-2720, Chesterville 613-448-2314, Comber 519-687-2338, Forest 519-786-5742, Orangeville 800-265-2446

CSA G401BNQ 3311-100

ASTM A929

CSA G401BNQ 3311-100

ASTM A929

CSA G401ASTM A929/A762

CSA B182.6/B182.8*BNQ 3624-110,

115, 120

Aluminized Type 2Steel Pipe

CorrugatedTRENCHCOAT®

Steel Pipe

High DensityPolyethylene Pipe

GalvanizedCorrugatedSteel Pipe

* CSA certification available on all diameters100 mm - 750 mm (water tight coupling system)

900 mm (soil tight coupling system)

ATLAS DEWATERING

Atlas Bypass Pumping ServicesAtlas Bypass Pumping Servicesfor the Construction IndustryIncludes:

� Over 50 Years’ Experience in the Pumping Business� Reliable Pump Rentals and Sales� Large Inventory of Rental Equipment� Complete Turn Key Contracts� Diesel or Electric Pumps

Other Services Provided Include:

� Vacuum Wellpoint Dewatering Systems� Vacuum Eductor Well Dewatering Systems� Gravity and Vacuum Well Dewatering Systems� Dual Phase Extraction Systems� Groundwater Treatment Systems� Geotechnical and Environmental Drilling Services� Sediment/Weir Tanks� Oil/Water Separators

ATLAS DEWATERING111 Ortona Court - Concord, Ontario, Canada L4K 3M3

Phone: 905-669-6825 • Toll Free Phone: 1-877-669-6825 • Facsimile 905-669-4036

Website: www.atlasdewatering.com • E-mail: [email protected]

undergrounder - oswca

Documents