Toronto & Area Report

	South Central Ontario
Alex Law, Aread Supervisor

The crane and concrete pump sectors remain busy throughout South Central Ontario while the earthmoving
sector is stable. Work continues at three major hospital projects in Hamilton with EllisDon and PCL as the general contractors.
Many of our area contractors are busy with the excavating and sewer work.
Arcelor Mittal Dofasco continues with monthly mark-up meetings for the new bag house, coal pulverizer project and the restart of the #3 blast furnace.
OPG Nanticoke is looking to schedule minor shutdowns, with dates still to be determined.
Imperial Oil had a shutdown scheduled for approximately four to six weeks in September.

NIAGARA REGION
Rankin Construction is busy in the Niagara region, working on Brook’s Bridge and Coffey Bridge as well as rehabilitation work on Regional Road 64. Rankin also won hot mix contracts for Port Colborne and Welland. Nexterra Substructures was the low bidder for municipal services improvements on Niagara Street in St. Catharines. This work includes road, sewer and watermain reconstruction.
Norjohn Contracting is nearing completion of the reconstruction of East Main Street in Welland. Steed & Evans was the low bidder on the Berkley Parks redevelopment project in St. Catharines.
Dufferin Construction remains very busy on the QEW widening through St. Catharines and has three bridges scheduled for demolition over the next few months.

GUELPH-KITCHENER
In Guelph, work has begun on the business parks with EllisDon, PCL and Cooper Construction on site with phase one.
Expansions and improvements continue at the University of Waterloo with Aecon, Bondfield and Ball Construction working on the $130 million Quantum Nano Building.
Structform continues its work at the Bauer buildings with two of the six tower cranes currently working in the Kitchener/ Waterloo area on site.
The utility and distribution sectors are very busy throughout this area. Unfortunately, work in the Brantford area has been delayed due to the native protests.

NEGOTIATIONS
Negotiations continue with several companies and we are optimistic we will achieve fair settlements for our members.
A shop agreement was recently ratified with Sterling Crane.
I’d like to remind all members to maintain accurate work records, such as job locations and hours worked, and to keep pay stubs as this is invaluable when delinquency issues arise.

CONGRATULATIONS
I’d also like to congratulate the officers and members who were recently elected or acclaimed. I look forward to working with you over the next four years.

	Eastern Ontario Report
Rick Kerr, Area Supervisor

The members in Eastern Ontario enjoyed good work opportunities throughout the summer, although it was a wet season. The unemployment rate has bucked the national trend and actually been lower due to strong construction numbers. There are a lot of contracts still to be let for the remainder of 2008. Housing starts have increased, building permits are on par with 2007, and with oil prices stabilizing the future looks bright for construction.

ROADS
Road building has been decent in 2008 with Bot working on a $72-million widening of Highway 7. Aecon is widening Highway 417 in Kanata and Dufferin’s second rapid bridge replacement project on Clyde Avenue over the long weekend in August went flawlessly. New work out for tender includes the Limebank Road extension and a $40-million widening of Highway 401 through Kingston.

SEWER & WATERMAIN
Sewer and watermain work has benefited in all major areas due to the strong residential sector. The City of Ottawa had major
difficulties during heavy rains this year, resulting in sewage
leaking into area rivers. The situation raised major health concerns and resulted in the closure of many of the beaches throughout the city due to high e-coli levels. It is obvious that there is much work to do on the city’s aging infrastructure which will result in employment for our members.

ICI
The ICI sector is advancing with two new schools under way. EllisDon is constructing both the $33-million Riverside South Catholic High School and the $32-million LDH Secondary
School in Barrhaven. Queen’s University in Kingston has another four projects coming up, including a performing arts centre, a 560-seat theatre, a stadium building and a new health science building. Algonquin College is gearing up for a $136-million expansion, including a trades centre, pedestrian bridge and health science centre. The Ottawa Congress Centre is slated for demolition in the fall in order to begin construction of the new $120-million convention centre. More than $600 million in work is slated for CFB Trenton, consisting of a new control tower, ramp construction, hangars, aerospace warfare centre and relocation of an ammunition storage building. Ottawa has been selected as the home of the new high-tech defence headquarters. PCL is working on the Winchester Hospital expansion and the Queensway-Carleton Hospital project. The Cornwall Community Hospital Redevelopment project is also gearing up. Aecon is working on utility work throughout Eastern Ontario and was the successful bidder onweathera gas contract in Ottawa for 2009. Link Line is finishing up a distribution project in Johnstown and work has started on a wind power project on Wolfe Island across from Kingston with our members working for Mammoet.

NEGOTIATIONS
We will be starting negotiations with Hastings Highlands, Coe Hill, Limerick and Faraday townships later this fall. We achieved three-year agreements consisting of three per cent, 3.25 per cent, and 3.5 per cent per year in our previous negotiations
which compares very favourably to recent CUPE negotiations in Belleville where their members received 2.75 per cent per year. I truly believe the service our township members receive is much superior. We were recently certified
to represent employees of TWD in the Summerstown and Morrisburg district and we will be working to arrive at a good first agreement for these new members.

ELECTION
I would like to congratulate all the officers, executive board members, trustees, auditors and conductor on being elected or acclaimed. I look forward to working with you to advance the interests of members and their families. On behalf of Wendy, Kathleen, Andre, Randy, Jim and myself, I’d like to wish you a safe and productive fall season.

	North Eastern Ontario Report
Robert Turpin, Area Supervisor

I would first like to thank the members of Local 793 for re-electing me as a union trustee. It is an honour to represent the members of this local. I would also like to congratulate business manager Mike Gallagher and his team for a successful election campaign. For the most part, work throughout Northeastern Ontario has remained steady in 2008.

NORTH BAY
The North Bay Hospital is taking shape and has provided excellent employment for many of our members. Sewer and water projects throughout the city are keeping Clearway and Gap Construction employees busy. Aecon is also busy with road construction in the area. Carillion, Bot and Alerie/Aecon remain busy completing four-laning projects on Highway 11.

PARRY SOUND
Bot Construction is still working on four-laning Highway 69 at Parry Sound and has started a four-laning project at Killarney. Tera North and Sturgeon Falls Brush are busy four-laning Highway 69 at Nobel.

SUDBURY
Tera North is in the final stage of completing the cloverleaf at Highway 17 and Long Lake Road. Alarie/Aecon is finishing up work at Estaire while Carillion continues work just north of the Alarie/Aecon section. Belanger and Nor Eng Construction are building bridge structures for the new highway projects. Belanger and Tera North have ongoing sewer and water projects on Manitoulin Island.

TIMMINS
KAP (Keiwit/Alarie Partnership) has a contract to demolish four OPG dams and build four new ones at Wawaitin, Sandy Falls, Lower Sturgeon and Hound Chute. The work started in June and all four dams are scheduled to be completed by December 2010. We anticipate approximately 100 members will work on these sites next year.

SAULT STE. MARIE
The work situation in Sault Ste. Marie remains steady. The Sault area hospital site continues to keep many members busy. Essar Steel has various projects on the go that are providing good employment for members. Various sewer and water projects are continuing throughout the city. Pioneer Construction, Mid Canada, Palmer and Rainone 2007 were all busy this past summer.

NEGOTIATIONS
We recently ratified agreements with Pioneer Construction, Palmer Construction and Rainone 2007. At press time,we were negotiating new collective agreements with Avery Construction and Archibald Bros.

BEST WISHES
On behalf of the members and staff in Northeastern Ontario, I would like to wish Corrie Stewart-Boyd all the best in her new position with the crown attorney’s office in Sudbury. Corrie was with us for 13 years and her presence in the office will be missed. I’d also like to wish all members of Local 793 a safe and productive fall.

	North Western Ontario Report
Brian Madigan, Area Supervisor

The provincial government has announced $140 million in funding to improve the Northwestern Ontario highway system.
Along with funding from the federal government, the MTO is stepping up efforts to develop the four-lane strategy for sections of road between Nipigon and Thunder Bay, and Kenora to the Manitoba border, and in the Kakabeka Falls area. Although this funding is in place, officials said it could take up to three years for construction to start.
Improvements to sections of the Thunder Bay Expressway and to the Noden Causeway near Fort Frances are also in the plans.
Pioneer Construction continues to be busy with paving projects in the western end of the province. The company has been awarded a $17-million project to add passing lanes to Highway 17 at Eagle River.

ICI
Construction of the Memo Ya Win Health Centre in Sioux Lookout has started. Sacchetti Construction was awarded the micro-piling and has crane work there. E.S. Fox has been awarded the plumbing and heating installations while Comstock Canada has been awarded the electrical installation.
Tom Jones Corporation has been busy constructing the new Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute, with Makkinga Contracting providing the excavation and backfill, and G. Lorentson Rentals providing the hoisting.
Tom Jones is also doing $4 million in renovations at city hall in Thunder Bay, developing commercial properties at Intercity and is upgrading Lakeshore TS for Hydro One.
Several other small Hydro One/OPG projects are also being tendered.
Sacchetti Construction is back at the Onion Lake dam demolition project and has piling projects on Highway 11 near Beardmore.
LTL Drilling has begun a water supply project for Terrace Bay. The project includes a new intake line, rock boring, sheet piling and an expansion to the sewer system. LTL Contracting has projects in Red Lake, Ignace and Sioux Lookout and has several members working on projects with Hydro One throughout northern Ontario.
The Bio Mass project at the Fort Frances paper mill is continuing to produce good work for operators. The boiler is scheduled to fire up at the end of October, but several weather-related delays might extend that schedule. One of the final projects on site will be the completion of a 42,000-square-foot paved storage area for hog fuel.

ORGANIZING
Through an organizing drive that started in 2007, Local 793 and Gravel Doctors Construction and Materials have signed collective agreements for all sectors of the construction
industry.
We would like to welcome the more than 60 employees of Gravel Doctors. The company is focused on roadbuilding, paving and material supply, but it also contracts excavation, site cleanup and demolition.

ELECTION
In closing, I would like to congratulate business manager Mike Gallagher and his team for a successful election campaign
and thank members for re-electing me to the executive board.