01-32_GENERALS_SUMMER25_PT - Flipbook - Page 3
CONTENTS SUMMER 2025
PUBLISHER: Giovanni Cautillo,
Giovanni@ogca.ca
EDITOR: Andrew Sampogna,
andrew@ogca.ca
ADMINISTRATION: Daniela Polsoni,
daniela@ogca.ca
COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT:
Grace Hoang, grace@ogca.ca
SALES:
Patricia Abbas, patricia@actualmedia.ca
647-207-9888
Ontario General Contractors Association
180 Attwell Drive, Suite 280
Toronto, ON M9W 6A9
Tel: (905) 671-3969
www.ogca.ca
10
18
BY STACY RICHARDSON
HEALTH AND SAFETY
14 How trench collapses happen
Why you should never take soil stability for granted
ENGAGEMENT
18 Co-ops for Skilled Trades
How a high school co-op nurtures the next
generation of skilled workers
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024/2025
Paul Kundrat
Ray Lawrence
Anthony Leonetti
Ken Maaten
Joel Melloul
Ali Mohtashami
Harold Reinders
Randy Stone
Dean Walker
Ron Worrall
Al Youmans
Bart Kanters
The Generals is the official publication of the
Ontario General Contractors Association. All rights
reserved. The contents of this publication may
not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the
prior written consent of the publisher. Published in
partnership with Actual Media Inc. actualmedia.ca
BY EMILY SMIT-MERTZ
29
ENGAGEMENT
21 OGCA Associate Partner Program
OGCA APP benefits for your company
BY GIOVANNI CAUTILLO
INNOVATION
23 Better Margin with AI
Better decisions and better margin with ai agents
BY DAVID BOWCOTT
ENGAGEMENT
24 Navigating Insurance Lapses
How to navigate insurance lapses
D E PA R T M E N T S
5 CHAIR'S REPORT
6 PRESIDENT'S REPORT
8 ADVOCACY MITIGATION VS ACCELERATION
BY CHRISTINA BLACKWELL AND ALINA RUDMAN
ON THE COVER
L to R: Giovanni Cautillo, President, OGCA
Janet Brewers, Employer Health & Safety Consultant, WSIB
Craig Lesurf, OGCA Chair, President, Gillam Group
Harold Reinders, President & CEO, Maple Reinders Group
Enzo Garritano, President & CEO, Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)
THEGENERALS.NET
HEALTH AND SAFETY
10 Respiratory Protection
Selecting Respirators for Your Workplace
EXECUTIVE BOARD 2024/2025
CHAIR: Craig Lesurf
FIRST VICE CHAIR: Greg Brokenshire
SECOND VICE CHAIR: Alexia MacLeod
TREASURER: Jean St. Pierre
SECRETARY: Daniel Rosati
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR: Jim Blair
CCA REPRESENTATIVE: Frank Perricone
Steve Arbour
Daniel Aquino
Victor Aveiro
Kyle Bryan
Monique Buckberger
Brent Cochrane
Angelo Cofini
Lewis Cowan
Shaun Dawson
Andréa Rinaldi
John Goffredo
Marty Harris
F E AT U R E S
BY DAVID RAE
ADVOCACY
27 Questions Before Bidding
Key questions for contractors before bidding
BY LEONARD FINEGOLD
HEALTH AND SAFETY
29 Building a Safer Tomorrow
Lessons and solutions from the
2025 OGCA Safety Summit
BY ANDREW SAMPOGNA,
SUMMER 2025 • the generals 3
