February 21, 2005

Construction Corner

By Kathleen Grimes

President, Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association

In support of OSWCA

I have always been proud to be a part of the OSWCA. In six years of sitting on the Board of Directors, I have been struck by the association’s ability to participate in, contribute to, and particularly affect change on issues that are important to our industry.

As an industry we have always been aware that clean drinking water cannot be taken for granted. The association and its allies have fought the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude and have encouraged governments to invest in water and sewage infrastructure.

We have been an integral part of various committees and have presented to numerous government groups who have had an impact on our industry.

We have been successful in our efforts.

Ten years ago it would have been difficult to imagine that there would be legislation in place that requires municipalities to take stock of their water and sewage infrastructure; it would have been difficult to imagine that there would be legislation in place to ensure that municipalities recover the full costs associated with providing those services and, of utmost importance: that there would be legislation in place requiring municipalities to set up dedicated reserve accounts to ensure that monies collected in relation to water and sewage services will be set aside for ongoing maintenance, repair and replacement.

The next step is for the association is to ensure that the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, is proclaimed and that the tedious task of providing input into the regulations is relentlessly pursued.

Similarly, years ago, it would have been inconceivable to a contractor that utilities would be responsible for providing information with respect to the depth of their plant.

I would like this to become a reality.

In the case of subsurface utilities and locates our vision is clear: implement “Subsurface Utility Engineering” and implement an effective one-call system.

More recently, the association has been working with other industry stakeholders on the development of a construction court.

As a lawyer, this is just incredible. It is very satisfying to know that there is serious discussion on the development of a court where cases can be litigated by people that have developed a body of knowledge in construction.

It doesn’t take long to realize why this association is able to affect change in so many areas of the industry. We just don’t accept “givens.”

The association has taken the opportunity to apply the concept of “common sense” in relation to utility issues. We have made progress with an incredible slate of matters that are important to our industry.

Our efforts will not subside.

The association actively seeks to identify issues that have the potential to impact on our industry and, to take action where necessary to ensure that any impacts are positive and beneficial for the industry.

I can’t emphasize enough that, what this organization has accomplished for our industry could never have been accomplished by individual members acting on their own. The achievements of this association could only be attained by your support, through the industry fund.

In addition, the progressive and dynamic nature of this association, together with the passionate approach to each issue, provides the right ingredients for results. Our strength is in our collective voice, and that voice is heard throughout the province.

The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association is a very powerful organization and I encourage everyone to participate by directing their individual concerns to the association.

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