By Anna Guy
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With a 78-year history of advocating for
safety in the industry and for its mem-
bers, the Ontario General Contractors
Association takes on its next big chal-
lenge: legalized marijuana.
H
ealth and Safety of it members,
fair procurement and dispute reso-
lution, construction excellence in
Ontario’s Industrial, Commercial, and In-
stitutional Sectors: these are some of the
driving mandates of the Ontario General
Contractor’s Association (OGCA).
Clive Thurston is entering his 17th year as
President of the largest representative of
ICI General Contractors. A passionate ad-
vocate for his members, Thurston isn’t out
to win a popularity contest—which, it turns
out, has made him a highly respected and
successful instrument of change for the in-
dustry.
SAFETY RISKS AND THE
LEGALIZATION OF
MARIJUANA
Of high importance to the OGCA is the im-
pending legalization of marijuana. Thurston
is adamant that without the proper tools to
keep his members, the general public, and
job sites safe, the legalization of marijuana
will mean injuries and death on worksites.
“When I was working in construction ev-
ery summer, lunch would come around,
and hard-working crew members would
open up their lunch and out would come a
bottle of beer,” says Thurston, illuminating
the point that unfettered legalization has
negative consequences. Of course, today
no one would consider drinking on a con-
struction site safe—or legal—something
Thurston works tirelessly to see apply to
marijuana.
“I would just say we don’t seem to learn
from history,” saysThurston. “[Legalization]
NOVEMBER 2017
H
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