The Ontario Construction Report – April 2009 – PAGE OCR B1
Sixth Annual OGCA Construction Symposium
provides recession-fighting resources, insights and
connections for Ontario’s Construction Industry
STAFF WRITER – The OCR Construction Report Special Feature
Approximately 500 construction industry leaders will attend
the sixth annual Ontario General Contractors’ Symposium at
the Blue Mountain Resort for three days of intensive learning
and networking April 23 to 25.
OGCA President Clive Thurston says attendance is ex-
pected to decline by about 200 this year as the recession takes
its toll, but he believes contractors, superintendents, suppliers,
and other industry representatives attending the event will
gather valuable skills, insights, and relationships to help them
weather the economic storm.
The Construction News and Report Group of Companies,
publisher of Ontario Construction Report, is a Platinum Spon-
sor for the symposium. (See the complete sponsors list on Page
B5)
“We believe the symposium is the best value you can give
for your employees and yourself,” Thurston says. “Participants
in some 29 sessions can learn about a huge array of issues and
trends relevant to their businesses and careers.”
Thurston says this year, guest speakers will discuss in detail
the processes involved in three high-profile and challenging
projects: the new Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario
Museum, and the Percon Project, the first LEED Platinum cer-
tified building in Ontario and the third in Canada. “This pres-
entation will review in detail the passive and active design
strategies employed in the design of the building to reduce its
envirornmental impact, reduce water use by 90 per cent and
achieve a confirmed overall energy saving of over 60 per cent,”
the symposium introduction says.
A special session on Building Information Modelling (BIM)
will focus on the new technology’s practical applications.
“This isn’t about the theory of BIM,” Thurston said. “We’re
talking about how it affects the contractor, focusing on hands-
on experience. We’ll get into the nuts and bolts of BIM, not
just the theory.”
April 23 – 25, 2009
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