President – Lu-Ann Marentette
Municipality of Leamington
Phone: 519-326-5761 Ext 1309
Email:lmarentette@leamington.ca
Past President – Greg Nancekivell
Dietrich Engineering Ltd.
Phone: 519-880-2708 Ext 304
Email:gnancekivell@dietricheng.com
Vice-President– Elizabeth Cummings
Town of Plympton-Wyomimg
Phone: 519-845-3939
Email:ecummings@plympton-wyoming.ca
Director – Ryan Moore
City of Hamilton
Phone: 905-546-2424 Ext 6471
Email:Ryan.Moore@hamilton.ca
Director – Frank Jonkman
Town of Bradford, West Gwillimbury
Phone: 905-778-4321
Email:fjonkman@townofbwg.com
Director – Lorne Franklin
Robinson Consultants Inc.
Phone: 613-592-6060 Ext 123
Email:lfranklin@rcii.com
Director-at-large – David Moores
City of Sarnia
Phone: 519-332-0527 Ext. 3267
Email:david.moores@sarnia.ca
Director - Paul MacIntyre, L.E.L. C.E.T.
R. J. Burnside & Associates, Stratford
Phone: 519-271-5111 Ext 2009
Email:pmacintyre@rjburnside.com
Secretary
Wray Wilson
P.O. Box 167
Fordwich, ON N0G 1V0
Email:dsao@dsao.net
DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO
April 7, 2020
A Message from the President of DSAO
To: ALL Drainage Superintendents Association of Ontario Members
Members, I hope all is well with yourselves, family, friends and co-workers.
In response to the global pandemic (COVID-19) the DSAO board has decided to increase communications with its members.
The information “shared” within these communications is not to be interpreted as “direction” or “advice” from the DSAO. It is our intent to share information we have received with our members that may aid in the interpretation of the various sections included in the “List of Essential Workplaces” from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, on April 3, 2020.
The health and well-being of Ontarians remains the government’s number one priority.
The attached List of Construction Sector Essential Services as announced Friday, April 3rd https://www.ontario.ca/page/list-essential-workplaces#section-10, has been truncated from the Provinces entire list to include only those sections which are applicable to our operations.
That said, some firms in the Heavy Construction Sector have chosen to voluntarily shut down for various reasons, (mostly man-power related), and that is their prerogative. It should be clear in these circumstances, that a firm choosing to cease operations due to their firms concerns or their workers concerns about the spread or exposure to COVID 19 within their ranks, among their vendors, or their families, are perfectly in their right to do so. (per: Windsor Heavy Construction Association)
Here is some general information to assist you in your decision making to determine whether or not your projects are deemed essential/critical.
Examples of this would be any works that the Drainage Superintendent deems as an emergency, that will cause flooding or have the risk to flood or to create any harm to critical infrastructure:
1. Collapsed culverts
2. Dyke breach
3. Plugged catchbasins
4. Sinkhole in enclosed tile drain systems
5. Pump repairs
6. Beaver dam removals
7. Major erosion control
8. Blockages to open drains
Steve Brickman had a conversation with an operator from the ‘Stop the Spread Business Information Line.
The following is a brief summary of his phone call which has been shared with us. As mentioned earlier, this summary is not to be interpreted as advice, direction, or instruction:
I asked her a few questions and gave her my understanding of some categories that we may fall under. In the end, she said it absolutely comes down to your best judgment; if the project can take on a bit of a holding pattern for the next little while (I’m paraphrasing), then it isn’t essential. Your assessment of the project must also be done on a project by project basis. We can’t do the entire industry under one or two exemptions.
Below are a few scenarios that I ran past her. Her comments are highlighted.
For Agricultural Settings:
Where the project will prevent or correct erosion and/or flooding on croplands (or other ag uses), then the work is essential under Exemption No. 26 (see the wording of exemptions below)
Where the project is to improve crop yields. In other words, things are okay now, but the Landowner would like to make his land better (improvement) then this project is non-essential. It can wait. I asked about expanding the food supply… she said this is still non-essential, the project can wait a little while.
Residential Settings:
Where the purpose of the project is to prevent/correct erosion and/or flooding of residential property, then the work is essential under Exemption No. 20 (repair – not maintenance)
Roads & Rail
Where the project will provide increased safety to the public through improved drainage to roads and rail, then the project is essential under Exemptions No. 21 ii B, No. 28, No. 34 iv.
Another scenario
Projects that enable the new development of some non-essential service. An example that I did a year ago was a new municipal drain to provide an improved outlet to enable future development. The development was a furniture warehouse. This project is non-essential.
Again, it all comes down to your judgment.
Should any further changes to the list of Essential Services be established by the Government we will pass them along as soon as possible.
Please also check out www.dsao.net for any updated information.
To download a copy of this document click here.
Regards and please stay safe,
Lu-Ann Marentette
President, Drainage Superintendents Association of Ontario
APPENDIX
Exemption No. 20 Maintenance, repair and property management services strictly necessary to manage and maintain the safety, security, sanitation and essential operation of institutional, commercial, industrial and residential properties and buildings.
Exemption No. 21 ii B: services that support the operations and safety of transportation systems including maintenance and repairs.
Exemption No. 26 Businesses that support the food or agricultural products supply chains and the health and safety of food, animals and plants.
Exemption No. 28 Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in, critical provincial infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond the day-to-day maintenance.
Exemption No. 34 iv Critical infrastructure repair and maintenance including roads, dams, bridges etc.
