Our next Member and Board Meetings will be held on February 6th, 2020 at the Shaw Tower in Vancouver. See the agenda for the day. Our speaker in the morning will be Bas Owel of Global Training who will be talking about the BC Ground…

On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is our pleasure to present the British Columbia Common Ground Alliance (BCCGA) 2019 Report to Members. This document lays out the high-level success we have had in 2019 in relation to our five-year strategic priorities. This year…

A special greeting at Christmas time to express to you our sincere appreciation for your confidence and loyalty. We are deeply thankful and extend to you our best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season.

Our October 23rd Ground Disturbance Session in Kelowna was a huge success! Global News Okanagan covered the story online with video they shot at the event. It was also covered by the Kelowna Daily Courier online The story was also picked up by MSN News. Join is…

Published Published Nov. 7, 2019  A man is dead after a natural gas leak in southern Alberta Thursday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to a rural property off Highway 549 north of Turner Valley at around 1:45 p.m. Once fire officials determined the property was…

Vancouver Convention Centre  — Vancouver, BC — May 28 – 29 Open to the Public  — Free Admission! Highlights: Approximately 7,500 student visitors  Over 50 Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities Over 40 skill competitions representing six sectors: Construction; Employment; Information Technology; Manufacturing and Engineering; Transportation; Service Over 550 secondary…

The National Research Council of Canada has launched a Public Review to provide feedback on proposed changes to Codes Canada Publications, listed below: National Building Code of Canada 2015 (NBC) National Fire Code of Canada 2015 (NFC) National Plumbing Code of Canada 2015 (NPC) You can have…

CCGA DIRT Report Estimates Damage to Buried Utilities Continues to Cost Canada at Least $1 Billion Every Year NIAGARA FALLS, ONT. (Oct. 9, 2019) – The Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) released the 2018 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report in Niagara Falls, Ontario on…

Congratulations to the Capital Regional District and the City of Kelowna for winning this year’s Ground Disturbance City of Excellence Awards — presented at the BC Municipal Safety Association / Public Works Conference in Penticton on September 17th! BC Common Ground Alliance Vice-Chair, Michelle Petrusevich,…

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER! This event focuses on critical issues specific to Canadian stakeholders. This is an excellent opportunity to network with your peers from across Canada and share knowledge and ideas. Learn more… Break Out Session: Implementing CSA Z663-18 Addressing the limitations and gaps in stakeholder awareness and engagement. Learn…

The 2019 BC Construction Health & Safety Conference (formerly known as Bridging the Gap) will be held on October 24th and 25th.  This year’s conference is not to be missed as there is another strong speaker line up and NEW venue, Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront. LEARN ABOUT: Practical…

The BCCGA and the ABCGA are pleased to announce that Global Training Centre have been endorsed to the Ground Disturbance 201 (British Columbia) Standard!  Global Training Centre have been granted full endorsement of their Ground Disturbance Level II classroom training program as meeting the requirements of the…

Don your finest suits, dresses and head toppers (or just wear shorts!) and join us on Friday, September 6th at the Hastings Race Course for our 4th Annual Racing for Safety Social Event… …which will, undoubtedly, include Beer (for Safety). Friday Nights at Hastings includes Live Races with live…

Please be advised that the next BCCGA Member and Board meeting will be held on Thursday July 25th from 10 am until 3 pm with lunch included.  The meeting will be held at BC Hydro at Dunsmuir and Homer in Vancouver. The Day agenda and…

We are pleased to provide you with Technical Safety BC’s State of Safety report for 2018. The report documents TSBC’s work over the past year through stories and data on hazards, incidents, and safety management of technical systems in British Columbia. Here are some important highlights of…

Journal Of Commerce| News Service | June 6, 2019 Surrey, B.C. – Three companies have been singled out by the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA) for their commitment to safe digging practices. The companies were acknowledged to have made a high number of tickets into BC…

The National Energy Board and National Resources Canada are seeking feedback on the proposed International Power Line Damage Prevention Regulations (IPLDPRs) consultation paper. The deadline for comments is June 7, 2019.  If you would like to provide comment on the consultation paper, links to the paper and where…

Please join us for this year’s second ASTTBC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event specifically for CSO and RULT. The event will be broadcast live from CLAC in Langley. If you can attend in person, come over to CLAC.  Date:    Tuesday, June 11, 2019Time:    5:00 pm – 8:30 pm  Theme: ‘Construction…

BCCGA Utility Locator Specialist Course in Surrey at our *NEW* KPU Civic Plaza Campus Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be offering the 3 day BCCGA Utility Locator Specialist course at KPU Civic Plaza 13485 Central Avenue, Surrey, B.C. http://www.kpu.ca/civicplaza $550+GST/per Student  Course details can be found on the KPU web…

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 30th, 2019 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at: Technical Safety BCSuite 600 – 2889 East 12th AvenueVancouver, BC The Agenda and minutes from last year are available for your reference in the Members Area of our website.…

The 7th Annual CCGA Damage Prevention Symposium will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario from October 8-10, 2019! We look forward to you joining us as we focus on critical issues specific to Canadian stakeholders. We hope you utilize this opportunity to network with peers from…

For anyone that locates… Learn how you and your staff can become trained and certified as Utility Locator Technician and join us for a free breakfast presentation on Wednesday, May 29 in Burnaby! Accent Inn Burnaby3777 Henning DriveBurnaby, BC V5C 6N5 Complimentary Parking Please feel free to…

The North American Society for Trenchless Technology’s British Columbia Chapter (NASTT-BC), the Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT), and Benjamin Media are pleased to announce the 2019 Trenchless Technology Road Show in Richmond/Vancouver, BC. This show will consist of two full days of technical presentations and…

Journal of Commerce | News Service | April 2, 2019 VANCOUVER — BC One Call is urging homeowners and contractors to pick up the phone and give them a ring before digging during Dig Safe Month. BC One Call reminded residents that they can go…

BC Housing is offering a 3-hour interactive webinar on April 4, 2019 entitled Building Smart: Key Considerations for High Performance Walls. The workshop explores practical design and construction solutions to help achieve higher levels of performance in Part 3 buildings. Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019 Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00…

April is once again National DigSafe Month, the time of year when all Common Ground Alliance stakeholders come together to communicate how important it is that professionals and homeowners call before they dig and follow the safe digging process to help prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages.…

Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | March 21, 2019 Dial before you dig isn’t negotiable, but it is often forgotten. A FortisBC expert explained the potential hazards and procedures involved when builders dig around, over and under buried pipes and wires to attendees at…

The CAPULC safety conference this year has an excellent line-up of guest speakers and they are promoting April National Dig Safe Month. See the AGENDA and REGISTER!!

VANCOUVER – A new initiative called the Builders Code aims to retain more women in the construction trades by creating a supportive, inclusive work environment that works for everyone. A key goal is to have women make up 10% of B.C.􀍛s construction trades by 2028,…

The submission deadline of March 31st is fast approaching. All 2018 data must be submitted before the deadline to be included in the 2018 Annual DIRT report. If you missed or want to re-watch our webinar on how to submit your DIRT data, you can find it here.…

Operators Without Borders has formally invited Ron Enns, on behalf of Continuing & Professional Studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, to join a team of water and wastewater operators who will be volunteering this February in Belize. The goal is to build capacity in water and…

Please be advised that the next BCCGA Member and Board meeting will be held on Thursday February 28th from 10 am until 3 pm with lunch included.  The meeting will be held at Technical Safety BC at 2889 East 12th Avenue, Suite 600. The Day…

DIRT data submissions for calendar year 2018 are due March 31, 2019, so please get your data in as soon as possible to inform the comprehensive 2018 DIRT Report. Visit www.cga-dirt.com to get started today! If you already submitted your data for 2018, thank you! No further action is required.…

Before You Dig Partners is launching the new system at 8 PM MST, January 31, 2019. For more information and the timeline of planned cutover activities on January 31, please see the Cutover Day Checklist found at:https://beforeyoudigpartners.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360022381232-Cutover-Day-Timeline-Member-Information-Document

BCMSA & KPU are looking for Utility Locate Instructors, if you are interested please apply! BC Municipal Safety association & Kwantlen Polytechnic University are looking for Instructors for the BC Common Ground Alliance 3 day Utility Locater Specialist course. If you are a subject matter expert in…

We are reintroducing this prestigious award with a simpler nomination process. The award recognizes local governments for activities that improve ground disturbance, safe excavation techniques and best practice at or around underground infrastructure, in the year previous to the award. Who’s eligible? Any BC local government…

On behalf of Mike Sullivan, PresidentAlberta One-Call Corporation Over many months, the Pelican Project team has worked diligently to produce and test new software that will provide Western Canada with the most technologically advanced One Call system in North America and the BeforeYouDig Partners Project…

We are once again pleased to submit this year’s ‘BCCGA Annual Report – 2018‘  on behalf of our Board of Directors. This report provides a summary of the main successes that have taken place throughout the 2018 calendar year in relation to our new strategic…

Please note that a new information sheet as been posted: Asbestos-containing pipes in municipal underground works projects. The network of asbestos-containing pipes in B.C. is aging or failing. As a result, it is being replaced over time. Municipalities, contractors working on municipal projects, and other…

In the fall of 2018 the CCGA released Best Practices Version 3.0. This includes updates developed through regional and stakeholder consensus. This is a continuation of the significant goal of the harmonized Best Practices Version 1.0 released in 2014 and Version 2.0 released in 2016.…

Wander the market’s winding alleys and discover authentic German delicacies: sizzling sausages, warming Glühwein (mulled wine), old world confections, and 75 other food and craft huts. Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Meet at 5:30 PM at the Cactus Club Coal Harbour Entrance Vancouver Christmas Market JACK…

CATT is conducting a survey is to better understand the current state of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) practices, barriers, and acceptance across Canada. Knowledge and information gained through this survey will: (1) establish the industry baseline with respect to SUE knowledge, application, usage, barriers, and…

The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT), Benjamin Media, and NASTT-BC are pleased to announce that the deadline for submission of Abstracts and Presentations for the 2019 Trenchless Technology Road Show in Richmond/Vancouver, BC, May 6-8, 2019, has been extended to November 23rd. Have you submitted your abstract?…

The Canadian Press  |  Todd Richmond  |  November 1, 2018 © Provided by thecanadianpress.com   In this July 11, 2018, file photo, shows the aftermath of a gas explosion in downtown Sun Prairie, Wis. Court documents say a contractor failed to properly mark a natural gas…

Reporting damages into the Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) is critical for the CCGA to determine the root causes of those damages and develop mitigating measures to reduce and eliminate them. As of 2015, only four Regional Partners are entering damage data into DIRT and…

It’s that time of year again, with the 13th Annual Bridging the Gap Construction Safety Conference happening October 25/26 in Vancouver. This year’s conference theme…Preparing for Tomorrow…The Future of Health & Safety in Construction.  We kick things off with keynote speaker Terry O’Reilly, of CBC’s…

As you may have seen in the media, a natural gas transmission pipeline north of Prince George has been ruptured. This pipeline feeds our system. Please see our service update for the most recent information, and please share the message below with your communities: FortisBC…

Trenchless Technology Canada |  Harry Dickinson | Summer 2018 Everyone has heard “Safety is no accident” and I recently attended a seminar on Critical Safety Thinking by an international guest speaker David Fennell, CRSP.  This event was sponsored by Canadian Society of Safety Engineering Thompson…

Be a Part of Canada’s Unified Damage Prevention Movement  This event that attracts members from the many Canadian organizations and associations who share the responsibility of damage prevention and public safety solutions. This is an excellent opportunity to network with peers across Canada and share knowledge and…

The CGA 811 Excavation Safety Conference & Expo is the premiere international event dedicated to providing educational content and resources to help protect buried assets. The Conference is the largest event in the underground damage prevention industry, drawing nearly 1,700 participants and offering 80+ hours…

Natural Resources Canada and the National Energy Board will soon be seeking public comments to help inform the approach to developing two new regulations and making amendments to an existing regulation to support the government’s proposed Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act). A Public Notice…

The sixth annual CCGA Damage Prevention Symposium is in Whistler, BC from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. Come and be a part of Canada’s unified voice on damage prevention! For more information and to register, visit CanadianCGA.com. See our new Video!

Please be advised that we have moved the BCCGA Board meeting to Whistler on Monday, October 29th from noon until 3 pm with lunch included.  We will also have a one hour Communications and Education Committee meeting from 10 to 11 am and a Pipeline Safety…

It’s that time of year again!  Don your finest suits, dresses and head toppers (or just wear shorts!) and join us on Friday, August 10th at the Hastings Race Course for our 3rd Annual Racing for Safety Social Event… …which will, undoubtedly, include Beer (for Safety).…

Applications Now Open for New BC Ground Disturbance Standard We are pleased to announce that we are accepting applications to access our Ground Disturbance 201 Standard (British Columbia).  Training providers in British Columbia who are looking for endorsement to the new BCCGA Ground Disturbance 201 Standard…

News release June 21, 2018 – Gatineau, Quebec – Government of Canada The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety for construction workers, Canadians and our federal public infrastructure. Today, Steven MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services…

As you’ve heard, BC One Call, Alberta One-Call, and ClickBeforeYouDigMB (Manitoba), are cutting over to PelicanCorp software later this year. All provinces are inviting damage prevention stakeholders to keep informed of developments and our collective pathway to a successful November 30th cutover by following the www.BeforeYouDigPartners.com…

April 28 has been designated the national Day of Mourning, a time when we all come together to remember those who have lost their lives due to work-related incidents or occupational diseases. Last year 158 workers died as a result of their work. Sadly, in…

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at: BC Hydro – Presentation Centre 333 Dunsmuir Street Vancouver, BC The Agenda and minutes from last year are available for your reference.  The agenda includes a list of Stakeholder…

April is HERE!  Help us to promote DigSafe Month…. April is once again National DigSafe Month, the time of year when all Common Ground Alliance stakeholders come together to communicate how important it is that professionals and homeowners call before they dig and follow the safe digging process to help…

Bill S-229 has not been yet passed First Reading; however, the bill and its contents remains very much in play. The CCGA Executive Director, Mike Sullivan, continues to meet with all departments and Ministries that would be affected by the Bill – Pubic Services &…

Today’s Lythism –> How can we possibly seek to understand ‘safety’ at work if we don’t know anything about the psychology of risk or how people’s minds work? Please share this opportunity with your colleagues, members and anyone else you think might be interested or could…

In partnership with WorkSafeBC, please join BCCSA on Thursday, April 19th at Trev Deeley Motorcycles for their Occupational Disease Symposium for a full day of learning from industry professionals on a variety of topics, including: Asbestos, Sun, Lead and more. Full- buffet breakfast and lunch…

Join CAPULC at their 2018 AGM and Safety Conference ~ Registration is FREE and seats are limited. All registrations include meals. When:  April 26, 2017 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Welcome Reception and Networking Event. April 27, 2018, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm –…

Liberals say they will also announce new protections for oceans, lakes and rivers By John Paul Tasker, CBC News  | Posted: Feb 08, 2018 4:00 AM ET The federal Liberal government says it will streamline the approval process for major natural resources projects, scrapping the National Energy Board…

The S-229 microsite promoting bill S-229, and QUICK electronic process for any Canadian to show their support to their Member of Parliament, is now LIVE – www.icandigsafe.ca  and it’s EASY! To date we only have 25 letters….please support this very important federal legislation. Do you…

Please be advised that our next Member and Board Meetings will be held on January 31, 2018 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm in the BC Hydro offices at 333 Dunsmuir Street in Vancouver.  The agenda for the day is attached. YOU MUST RSVP to cheryl@commongroundbc.ca if you…

Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be offering the 3 day BCCGA Utility Locator Specialist course in Cloverdale! $550+GST/per Student and seats are filling up fast! Course details can be found on the KPU web page –> http://www.kpu.ca/cps/wastewater/safety-courses If you are interested please register at the KPU website at:http://www.kpu.ca/cps/wastewater/registration Or contact Ron at ronald.enns@kpu.ca or…

One of the CCGA’s objectives over the past 18 months has been to participate on the CSA Z663 Technical Committee for the development of a CSA Z663 – Land Use Planning in the Vicinity of Pipeline Systems. This Standard’s history dates back to a document…

We are once again pleased to submit this year’s ‘BCCGA Report To Members’ on behalf of our Board of Directors. This report provides a summary of the main successes that have taken place throughout the 2017 calendar year in relation to our new strategic priorities.…

Kwantlen Polytechnic University will be offering the 3 day BCCGA Utility Locator Specialist course in Kelowna! $550+GST/per Student and seats are filling up fast! Course details can be found on the KPU web page:  http://www.kpu.ca/cps/wastewater/safety-courses If you are interested please register at the KPU website at: http://www.kpu.ca/cps/wastewater/registration Or contact Ron at ronald.enns@kpu.ca or…

British Columbians are at serious risk when underground infrastructure such as buried gas lines, pipelines or hydro lines are struck or damaged because building contractors, homeowners and other excavators are not aware of the lines’ precise locations before digging.  In BC, there are over 2,000…