Ontario Construction News staff writer
The thirteenth Ontario General Contractors’ Association (OGCA) Symposium April 7 to 9 at Blue Mountain promises to live up to the experience of the previous 12 educational and networking events, with an array of speakers, entertainment, and connection-building opportunities.
The bi-annual program needed to be deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but can get back on schedule this year as pandemic restictions are lifted; making it the first in-person gathering for many of the hundreds of participants since the world went into isolation in 2020.
OGCA members from across the province will gather at the symposium, along with suppliers and support businesses. One highlight will be the presentation of the Ontario Builder Awards, representing the best construction projects in the province.
The program has been designed to start on Thursday evening, with a full day of seminars and programs on Friday, and a wrap-up Saturday. Some members stay on for a brief weekend vacation.
The symposium will culminate Mary Wademan’s career as the OGCA’s office manager. Wademan along with other staff members have spent many hours preparing for the event.
Entertainers include comedians Derek Edwards and Dave Hemstad, who will perform after dinner on Thursday and Friday.
The list below is just a sampling of the speakers and events:
- Building and Measuring your Safety Culture
- The Rise of the Predictive Jobsite Part 2, presented by Aon
- Geotechnical Risk: Allocation of Contractual Risk and Managing Geotechnical Claims
- Starting your Tech Journey, presented by SmartBuild
- Construction Act Adjudication
- Recent Developments in Ontario Health & Safety Law, presented by Norm Keith of KPMG Law
- Women in Construction Panel
- Employer Supports to help the Crisis in Management
- CoreXchange – A Data-based Approach to Health & Safety
- Collaborative Contracting
- Bonding Royal Rumble – Key Industry Leaders Tackle Hot Topics, presented by FCA Insurance
- Story of a Mass Timber Project
- A Conversation about Contracts – Emerging Trends and Challenges
- Top 10 Tips for Construction Claims, presented by FTI Consulting
- And much more…
The Construction News and Report Group, which publishes Ontario Construction News, is the event’s media sponsor.
“I’ll be at the symposium, along with editor Robin MacLennan,” said OCN publisher Mark Buckshon. “We intend to report on several of the sessions, as well as the Ontario Builder Awards.”
Other sponsors (as of March 4) include:
Diamond
Travelers
Weirfoulds LLP
Media Sponsor
Construction News and Report Group
Gold
Aon
Innocon
Procore
Silver
Aviva Insurance Company of Canada
CLAC
Concrete Ontario
Gallagher
Home Depot
Intact
KPMG Law LLP
Lerners LLP
Marsh Canada Limited
Northbridge Insurance
PLATFORM
Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company
Western Surety Company
Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.
Bronze
Alliance Creative Marketing
AuditSoft
Benefit Partners
BFL Canada Risk & Insurance Services Inc.
CMiC
Cowan Insurance Group
Driver Trett
Dufferin Concrete
Environment Abatement Council of Canada
ELM Insurance Brokers Inc.
FCA Insurance
Fernandez Construction Claims Experts
FTI Consulting
Goldman, Sloane, Nash & Haber (GSNH)
Grand Valley Construction Association
GSSI
Hayman Construction Inc.
I&A Professional Corporation, CPA
Liberty Mutual Canada
Lind Equipment
Maestro Technologies
Masters Insurance
MFE Inspection Solutions
MNP
NFP Canada Corp
NORCAT
Ontario Association of Architects
Pomerleau
Rosenberg & Parker of Canada Inc.
Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel LLP
Surety Association of Canada
With sponsorship support, attendance fees are reasonable: OGCA and Associate Partner Program (APP) members registering after the early bird-deadline on Jan. 31 pay $500 plus HST and non-members/spouses $400 plus HST, including meals. (Accommodation at the Blue Mountain Resort is extra, but room rates are modest.)
For more information and to register, see https://ogca.ca/2022/01/13th-construction-symposium-april-7-9-2022.