Manitoba Heavy Construction Association

Earth Max Construction Inc. Phone: 204-344-5760 Fax: 204-480-1683 info@earthmax.ca www.earthmax.ca Stony Mountain, MB Site Development | Sub-divisions | Road Building Surface Water Management | Retention Ponds Wastewater Stabilization Pond Contruction & Maintenance Sewer and Water Services | Excavation Services Granular Supply | Custom Hauling | Snow Removal " B ill S-229 would require all federally regulated underground infrastructure to be registered with a one-call service such as Click Before You Dig Manitoba," says Mike Sullivan, executive director of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance, an industry organization that advocates for safety of underground infrastructure such as pipelines and telecommunications lines. e proposed legislation would require all underground utility owners to belong to, and register their underground infrastructure with, a single 'one-call' service. Contractors would be able to call that service to locate all utilities underground, before their work starts. Mandatory registration would reduce the estimated 12,000 utility strikes that happen each year across Canada. "I've seen major thoroughfares shut down in Winnipeg as a result of utility damages," says Rob Morrison, of Manitoba Hydro. Morrison supervises Manitoba Hydro's response to requests to locate underground infrastructure and serves on the executive of the Manitoba Common Ground Alliance. Locate requests can be made online at clickbeforeyoudigmb.com or by telephone at 1-800-940-3447. More than 62,000 such requests were received last year. In Manitoba, the Gas Pipelines Excavation Regulation requires that any person carrying out an excavation first ensures that gas pipelines in the area are identified. But gas pipelines aren't the only hazards. Underground infrastructure includes cable, telephone, electric and broadband connections. While strikes haven't led to loss of life in recent years, Sullivan stresses that the risk is always there. e cost of underground infrastructure damage, including service disruptions, environmental contamination, emergency services and other factors, is estimated at $1 billion a year in Canada. e industry has asked the federal government to enact a law requiring registration of underground infrastructure. Last May, the Senate passed Bill S-229, which covers federally regulated infrastructure, including telecommunications and pipelines that cross provincial or national borders. However, Bill S-229 has stalled on the way to approval by the House of Commons. e recent federal budget, which contained a provision changing the name of the National Energy Board, will likely require a rewrite of the bill's language, and Sullivan acknowledges that the number of different federal departments involved in underground infrastructure likely adds to the complexity of the bill's path. e CCGA is urging Parliament to move and hopes Bill S-229 will become a template for provinces to enact similar legislation. Since Ontario did so, damage to underground infrastructure has been reduced by 60 per cent. e CCGA has established a website at www. icandigsafe.ca to gather public support for the bill. Users can indicate their support for the site and have a letter sent on their behalf to their local MP to advocate for the bill, which has the support of the Manitoba Common Ground Alliance. "is is about taking the "guess work" out and simplifying the first step to ensuring a safe excavation," says Morrison. IN MANITOBA, THE GAS PIPELINES EXCAVATION REGULATION REQUIRES THAT ANY PERSON CARRYING OUT AN EXCAVATION FIRST ENSURES THAT GAS PIPELINES IN THE AREA ARE IDENTIFIED. BUT GAS PIPELINES AREN'T THE ONLY HAZARDS. UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDES CABLE, TELEPHONE, ELECTRIC AND BROADBAND CONNECTIONS. SAFE DIGGING: IT OUGHT TO BE THE LAW B Y B O B A R M S T R O N G A BILL SLOWLY MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH PARLIAMENT AIMS TO SAVE CANADA AS MUCH AS $1 BILLION A YEAR IN ECONOMIC DISRUPTION TO UNDERGROUND UTILITIES — AND REDUCE THE RISK OF CONSTRUCTION-RELATED INJURY OR DEATH. 14 THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018 A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Celebrating 75 GROUNDBREAKING years in 2018

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