TECH TAKES
TECH TAKES
Click Before You Dig: Ensuring Safety with Ontario Dig Authority
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In this episode of Tech Takes, host David Terlizzi explores the critical importance of understanding underground infrastructure before beginning any digging projects in Ontario. From connecting everyday diggers with utility owners to navigating regulatory compliance and prioritizing on-site safety.
Joined by Mitch Panchuk, CEO of the Ontario Dig Authority (formerly known as Ontario One Call), they examine the organization's recent rebranding, where modernized processes are needed, and how strategic partnerships and future initiatives can help improve underground infrastructure management across the province.
Discover the essential practices shaping Ontario’s excavation sector, the role proactive communication will play, and what it will take to ensure safe construction and infrastructure development.
Have a topic you’d like to discuss or comments about the episode? Reach us at techtakes@oacett.org.
Tech Takes
Click Before You Dig: Ensuring Safety with Ontario Dig Authority
David Terlizzi: 00:09 - 00:49
What's beneath your feet could be just as important as what you're building above them. On this episode of Tech Takes we're talking about underground infrastructure and why knowing what's there before you dig is critical to keeping Ontario's projects, services and people safe. I'm David Terlizzi and joining me today is Mitch Panciuk CEO of Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call to talk about the organization Rebrand, Click Before You Dig. It's partnership with OACETT and what the future holds for underground infrastructure management in Ontario. So let's dig in. Did you like that? Shall we? Mitch, welcome to Tech Takes. It's great to have you with us.
Mich Panciuk: 00:49 - 00:51
Well, thanks very much, David. It's a pleasure to be here with you today.
David Terlizzi: 00:52 - 00:56
Awesome. So let's dig right in. Sorry, I have to say that. I just, I'm sorry.
Mich Panciuk: 00:56 - 00:57
I never heard that before.
David Terlizzi: 00:58 - 01:11
I'm sure you have it. So for our listeners who may be less familiar with Ontario Dig Authority, can you start by explaining the organization's role in Ontario's infrastructure system and how it helps keep people and infrastructure safe?
Mich Panciuk: 01:11 - 02:37
Yeah, well, thanks David. You know, basically in a nutshell, if anyone or entity wants to dig in Ontario, they have to come through Ontario One Call And the reason for that is because we operate the notification system. The notification system is where we connect people who want to dig with underground infrastructure owners who own assets that are in the ground. And when we say connect them, we notify underground infrastructure owners that someone wants to dig in the area of their infrastructure and then by law they're required to go out and identify it. So if you've ever seen paint on the ground or those little flags, that is what happens when an underground infrastructure owner is identifying their underground assets so that digging can happen safely. So I'd say there are two things that are important about that. One is that Ontario is the only province in Canada where it is the law that if you want to dig, you must contact us as a notification system operator. And second, the law requires underground infrastructure owners to identify their assets within five or 10 days. And then in terms of volume, you know, we're a pretty big province, about 40% of Canada. We get over a million requests a year for digging, which generates between five and a half and six million notifications for safe digging. So it is a significant operation that we do, and that's designed to keep Ontarians safe, it's designed to keep our infrastructure safe from damage so that it continues to work, and really to protect our communities.
David Terlizzi: 02:38 - 02:52
You know, just so our listeners can hear, you just said five to six million. That's insane. That's insane. I can't tell you how many times I've walked by the sidewalk and thought, red, pink, blue, all these different colors that you can probably do a whole podcast on that. I'm glad you're here today.
Mich Panciuk: 02:53 - 03:31
I agree. It's pretty amazing that we can handle that type of volume. But I also think about what happens if we weren't doing that. Those are that many opportunities for underground infrastructure to be damaged. It can be something as simple as an inconvenience because your Wi-Fi went down when a Bell 5 cable was damaged, or it can be something catastrophic where a gas line was punctured and people were killed. and everything in between. But at the same time, if we want to power our province going forward, we want to have new and expanded services, we require safe excavation, and that's what the Ontario Dig Authority is for.
David Terlizzi: 03:32 - 03:43
You know, Mitch, what I find interesting is, which I learned today actually, is that Ontario is the only province. That's incredible. I thought every province had the same sort of system set up. What are your thoughts on that actually?
Mich Panciuk: 03:43 - 04:58
Yeah, well, you know, in 2000 and, I'm sorry, 1996, when Ontario OneCall, our predecessor, was first formed, it was a voluntary coming together of underground infrastructure owners, mostly the big utility companies. that were saying, hey, we're seeing a lot of damage, the system's working, Call Before You Dig is working in other areas, let's start that up in Ontario. And from 1996 until 2012, it worked really, really well. But in 2012, in response to some pretty significant developments, including an explosion right here in Etobicoke, where an underground gas line was punctured. There wasn't an explosion, but gas did seep into a neighboring building. It did explode and people lost their lives. And as a result of that and other things that sort of moved us along to make it mandatory. I think there are a lot of people that would tell you that the mandatory component versus the voluntary that is in other jurisdictions, there's pluses and minuses for it. But I would say it works really well for us here in Ontario. And that's the message I take when I go and speak to other provincial or North American colleagues. People have gotten used to it. It works well. I think we provide good value and the numbers speak for themselves in terms of how successful we been.
David Terlizzi: 04:58 - 05:17
Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. I know, Now, Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Coal, recently introduced its new name and brand identity. What inspired the rebrand and how does this new identity reflect the organization's evolution, if you will, and the vision for the future?
Mich Panciuk: 05:17 - 06:31
Yeah. So, you know, previously we were basically a, you know, a service provider. We operated in a notification system and we connected those people that wanted to dig with those that had underground infrastructure and made sure everything was safe. In 2024, things changed. The provincial government also gave us the power to be the regulator, meaning that we enforce the act. So we enforce the requirement for safe digging in Ontario and we enforce the requirement for underground infrastructure owners to provide notifications or locates within the time period. So as a result, we're now an investigator, we're now a judge in some ways about if misconduct is occurring, and we have the ability to issue penalties. And so as a result, we're much more than just our previous name, Ontario One Call We're now a full regulatory authority, and that's why our name has changed to the Ontario DIG Authority. We think it communicates better what we are, a modern regulator, facilitating the economic growth that's required in Ontario. And, you know, the response has been very good about our new name. We're still the same old company in the sense of doing the basic, making sure underground infrastructure is safe, just with some different tools.
David Terlizzi: 06:31 - 06:54
You know, I think it makes a lot of sense and kudos to your marketing department. They deserve a raise for that name because it really does sort of fit it well. Listen, Ontario's infrastructure network is, we all know it's growing and it's becoming, I would say, more complex. I think no one would argue that. What challenges does that create when it comes to identifying and protecting underground infrastructure, especially in a highly dense area like Toronto, let's say?
Mich Panciuk: 06:55 - 09:17
Yeah, well, it's not just that. It's also the fact that in a jurisdiction like Ontario, the province, we have a huge province geographically and also population-wise. We're about 40% of Canada and we make up so much of the gross domestic product of our country. And as a result, that requires lots of services. In Ontario, there are about 830 individual and different underground infrastructure owners. And so coordinating that large group of companies and entities with thousands of kilometers of underground infrastructure can be challenging. And so, you know, having better records is the key thing. When you go back to the point you made about in highly dense areas, like downtown Toronto, for example, or large urban centers, you know, you have 150 years worth of infrastructure that is under there. Some of which is still in use today. And so when you look at it, it can, it can go down store stories in terms of levels of depth. And so it is be very, very complicated because you can't see what's underneath the ground. Uh, it's not like looking through a piece of glass where you have a view of it. So it becomes really, really important to be able to identify that infrastructure, where it is, the size of it, how it impacts the excavation that needs to occur there. And so we're looking always at different tools, different jurisdictions, how they're handling this. And we've come to the conclusion that the most important thing for us to do is to get better data. Better data means less damage and a safer environment. And that is what we're proposing now to the provincial government. to be the first in North America to lead with a unified base map of consolidated underground infrastructure for the entire province that will allow us with real-time views of that infrastructure. It'll make it safer, make it faster, it'll make it less expensive, and that really is the future of the world. You know, the way I kind of explain it to people is that if you believe that one day every centimeter of the planet, both above and below ground, will be digitally mapped in some way, What we're talking about is the beginnings of that, is that to create a platform that all that data can be ingested and then can be put into the right format so that it can be easily viewed. But also that in a hundred years from now, we can use that data for whatever their use are going to be at that point.
David Terlizzi: 09:18 - 09:27
That's interesting. And I want to continue at the point about North America. So we have Ontario. Are you familiar with anywhere in North America where a similar sort of organization exists actually?
Mich Panciuk: 09:28 - 11:38
Not that, not doing what we're doing. And matter of fact, I'm not aware of anywhere in the world that you have both a notification system operator and the regulator being in the same case. You know, certainly in North America where the, you know, there are very few jurisdictions where it is the law that you must use a notification system operator and, and there they are not dealing with regulator responsibilities whatsoever. And in Canada, the regulator is typically some other government department that's not involved. They may be more specific to industries. For example, oil and gas, they would be regulated by one government entity. Electrical power underground would be regulated by another. Nobody has the situation that we have now. And that gives us a really unique perspective on things because as a system operator, You know, we're looking at what can we do to make it easier and faster and simpler and smoother and less expensive for the people that have to pay for it, which are underground infrastructure owners. But at the same time, we're also saying, you know, you have to dig safely and you have to, this can't be the wild, wild west. You know, for example, I was telling you earlier about in Ontario, the minimum length of time or the maximum length of time it can take an underground infrastructure owner to provide those notifications is five or 10 days. In some states, it's two days and if you don't hear anything back from them, you're free to dig. That's incredible. That's in Ohio. I was just there a few weeks ago and that's what it is. So Enbridge, what operates in all of North American jurisdictions, here in Ontario, if someone wants to dig near one of their you know, transnational pipelines, which is, you can imagine the consequences of having that go out of operation for a while. If someone wants to dig near there in Ontario, they have a minimum of, or sorry, a maximum, I should say, of five days or 10 days, depending on the type of excavation in which to do it. In Ohio, where they just bought a legacy system, I think it's called Dominion Gas, they bought a huge one. There, if someone wants to dig, they've got two days in which to respond, and if they can't find someone to go out and do the locates and whatnot, then the excavator is free to dig. Could you imagine?
David Terlizzi: 11:39 - 11:52
No, I can't actually. And you know, I do want to mention, we tend to, and rightly so, sometimes look at the States and the great work they do and they do, but I think sometimes you don't give enough credit to Canada for being a leader, especially Ontario. So that's great to hear.
Mich Panciuk: 11:52 - 12:50
Well, the interesting thing everywhere we've spoken in the United States about our plans for Ontario of developing this national underground asset register type of system. NUAR, which I just referred to, is actually in place today. It's not a concept, it's not a theory. It's in place today in the United Kingdom. They started in 1998 to build this, I'm sorry, in 2018 to build this out. They're now about 80% of all underground infrastructure data is there. And they've reduced their locate timelines from an average of six days down to six seconds. So, you know, we're looking at replicating that here in Ontario. We would be the first jurisdiction. Every time we speak about this, whether it's in Canada or in the United States, everybody is interested in this because they understand that better data, quicker access to it, makes for a safer environment. We would have first mover advantage. We would lead the way and we would be leading North America, including all of the United States.
David Terlizzi: 12:50 - 13:28
You know, I want our listeners to understand, you just said six days to six seconds, which is pretty impressive. But that is, yeah, I'm just trying to grapple with that. Listen, our listeners may not know that OSIT has recently partnered with actually the Ontario Dig Authority. A partner I'd say, a partnership I'd say we're particularly excited about because of what it can offer our members. OSIT members work across engineering, we have this discussion now, construction, utilities, transportation, and municipal infrastructure. How does Ontario Dig Authority's work intersect with what these professionals do and the project they're responsible for, some of these projects?
Mich Panciuk: 13:29 - 14:51
A lot of what you talked about, almost all of it, deals with digging of some type, either to upgrade and improve services or to bring in new services. A lot of that planning work, you figure out where you're going to source the materials, what type of product you're going to spec for the work, how it's all going to fit in, how it's all going to work. A lot of times we don't think about what has to be done to start that project, which is excavation. And so first of all, our partnership was designed to make your members more comfortable with understanding the law and the fact that they're required to, how much lead time they would need as part of their planning process, but also we want to make them more familiar with how you go about applying or asking or requesting a locate. It's not difficult, but sometimes there is a little bit of apprehension. So the idea here is to be able to make people more comfortable with what it is that we do, why it's important, and then how to do it. And I think that is really the key thing. For us to be able to reach 20,000 individuals in the province of Ontario that are all involved with excavation at some point, it's a huge opportunity. And so we're really grateful to be able to partner with you. And this is consistent with some of our work with other organizations as well, where we're saying, you know, we're opportunities not just to educate and to help, but also to make the system more effective and more efficient and work for those people that want to use it.
David Terlizzi: 14:51 - 15:21
Yeah. And I want our listeners to know that moving forward over the next few months in the year, I excited about some of the opportunities we'll have with the Ontario DIG Authority. I think it's fantastic. It aligns perfectly. So it was serendipity, so to speak. So Mitch, Ontario DIG Authority's groundwork and no risk training programs are now eligible for OACETT's continuing professional development credits, which is huge for us. Our members are always, it's a requirement. They're always looking at that. So how can these courses support OACETT members and their actual work day to day?
Mich Panciuk: 15:21 - 16:20
Well, as I just said, you know, a part of it is to make everyone aware of what the law is in Ontario and how you must contact us before a project starts to dig. Secondly is about how, um, you know, how you can use better planning tools. Before you design the site, before you go out to work, it's best to get an understanding of what may be in the area. And certainly we want to play a bigger role. This unified base map that I'm talking about is really a huge opportunity in the coming years to be able to get that information for pre-planning purposes, which are going to help you to, you know, pick a better route to bring in services, but also to be able to do projects faster, get them done on time and for less cost. So those are all really, really big things. But right now, you know, the key thing for us is that your members, they want to do a good job. They want to do better. We're going to be able to develop a course that they can help them with their individual work. And the nice thing is it's part of your requirements. So that's really great.
David Terlizzi: 16:21 - 16:35
I want you to hold this crystal ball. It's virtual by the way, folks. And I want you to tell us this unified mapping. When do you see it at some point being, I don't know if the word is fully accomplished, but at a point that you're really happy with? Oh, that's really a tough question.
Mich Panciuk: 16:35 - 19:12
I know, that's why I asked it, Mitch. You know, it's going to depend on when we can start. You know, we're ready to go. Ontario OneCall has been doing the work that we've been doing for 30 years prior to this year, which is now the start of the Ontario Dig Authority. So we're ready to go. we just need to be unleashed to be allowed to do this important work. And right now the province is considering it, how the best way to go about it. We're in a unique place because as a notification system operator, we have a current relationship with all 830 individual underground infrastructure owners. There are 4,000 to 6,000 commercial excavators in the province of Ontario. They already know us because they're contacting us to get locate requests in so that they can have notifications. Locate service providers, the ones that actually go out in the field and put those flags in or put paint on the ground, they know us already. We're uniquely positioned to be able to bring this project forward because we already have people's We're already integrated with them, and I think they trust us. They know that we've been able to do that job. So as soon as we get the green light, we can move this quicker. If we were to receive approval today, I would imagine that this system would be fully operational within six years. And then it'll take decades for us to be able to add all additional information to the system. The intention here is not to go out and to make underground infrastructure owners, like municipalities or gas companies or anyone that has buried infrastructure, go out and use LIDAR radar to map underground infrastructure. It's to add it as it becomes available. So for example, new construction, that's easy. All those plans now are digitized. We can get that information. We can ingest it very, very quickly. Locate service providers that roll out in the field to be able to identify these things. They can use GPS enabled technology to upload that data to us. we'd be able to integrate it right away. There already is significant mapping information there that could all be integrated today. And information that we don't have over the next number of decades, when construction occurs and the ground is open, well then we can add that information in and to make a whole piece of the big pie that would be this digital map. The nice thing about technology today is that it's infinitesimal, the storage capacity. We're not worried about running out of space on a hard disk or on a computer or on a memory stick. This information, there's no limit to it. And not only is location going to be important, but in the future it's going to be the size of the asset, the dimensions, the depth that it's at, perhaps soil condition, soil quantity.
David Terlizzi: 19:12 - 19:12
Incredible.
Mich Panciuk: 19:13 - 19:21
All these things can be added to it as part of the features that the information can be, we can store, and then we can decide how we want to use that in the future.
David Terlizzi: 19:21 - 19:36
I think that makes sense. I also think you said six years, and six years we'll have this podcast again, we'll sort of check on where you are. How has Ontario Dig Authority evolved to meet the changing needs of infrastructure owners, contractors, municipalities, you know, and all the other stakeholders you deal with?
Mich Panciuk: 19:38 - 19:53
Well, 30 years is a long time from when Ontario OneCall first started back in 1996. And over those years, there was significant progress, taking advantage, particularly of technology. Back then, people would call the organization.
David Terlizzi: 19:53 - 19:54
I did it myself. Yeah.
Mich Panciuk: 19:54 - 21:25
And you would make a phone call, and then someone would answer it. So we had to have a large call-centered style of operation. Well, today it's much different. The click before you dig, it's the law, is our tagline for the Ontario Dig Authority, and that's because most people contact us by computer. They go to the website, they're able to go to the program where they identify where it is that they want to do their dig, and they do all that. And unless there is some incorrect information put in or some questions, it's all handled pretty much automatically. And then they get back the clearances from all the underground infrastructure owners in that area. So we've become, I think, much better at using technology to be able to deliver our service. That is done to not just make it more efficient, but also make it less costly to those that have to pay for our operation. And I think the addition of being the regulator today also gives us now the oomph to be able to sort of deal with people who don't follow the law much more effectively and there. What I'm talking about in terms of this unified base map shows that we're not satisfied with where we are today. We still want to continue to improve. We see this as the future and we see it as a huge economic advantage for us over competing jurisdictions. where we can not only have a safer culture and climate, but also that we can be faster and move quicker and make these projects that our national and our provincial leaders are talking about being so important for our future, make them happen much easier.
David Terlizzi: 21:25 - 21:40
Yeah. And I think this is an example of how really technology, let's be honest, if we didn't have the technology we have now, if it was a generation ago, it was really a bit of that technology is allowing to do some of the stuff, the great stuff you're doing now when you think about it, right. The unified base. So that, that's, that's pretty cool.
Mich Panciuk: 21:40 - 22:43
It's interesting to say that because I think we still struggle sometimes with some of those outliers that are slow to respond. You know, there are 444 municipalities in Ontario and Some of them are really, really good. They've really moved along. Um, they, everything is digitized. It's, it's really great, but some of them have no digital mapping whatsoever. If you want to build something in their community, you've got to bring in four or five copies of your plans in paper, drop them off. They mark them up, they give it to you. Um, they've got people there who don't want to learn new technology because they're going to be retiring in a few years. And so why take it on? And that's one of the challenges. when you deal with the provinces sides of Ontario, is you have different underground infrastructure owners with different levels of risk, you know, tolerance, but also those that want to do better. And so to lead them along as an organization, it sometimes is a challenge, but I think we're a lot better today than we were 30 years ago as well. And I think the stats I talked about earlier in terms of our operations speak for themselves.
David Terlizzi: 22:44 - 23:07
I would agree. I would agree. Um, switching gears for, for OACETT members working on infrastructure projects. And like I said, our membership is probably 30, 40%, you know, civil, electrical, mechanical. Um, what are some of the most important things they should understand? This is the key about the locate process and the responsibilities. Obviously we were tied to ethics before excavation begins. Yeah.
Mich Panciuk: 23:07 - 24:09
So, you know, your members aren't actually going to be out there with the excavator or the backhoe or, or the, you know, the auger and do, and to do this work, but I think they should be familiar with the processes because that makes them able to better understand their project. But, you know, the first thing I would do is I would direct them to our website and on the website, there is a lot of information, including tutorials about how to go on and to request a locate and to process it and deal with, with all of that, that information. And I, you know, I, I, that's the, That's the first place that I would send people to. And because once they see it, understand it, they may have other questions. We're happy to answer them. We're there to support people who are requesting locates. But I think that would make all of your members better at their jobs because they'd have a better understanding of what's involved in that process. You don't have to be the one on the backhoe to understand the importance of better planning and safer digging, but it's essential that everybody that's involved in it understands it.
David Terlizzi: 24:10 - 24:28
Oh, I would totally agree. And we spend a lot of time on mapping. So I know that's big for Ontario Dig Authority. It would be for me as well, actually. But beyond mapping, we go beyond that, that sphere. How do you see data and technology helping improve, I don't know, damage prevention, coordination and infrastructure delivery, let's say another decade looking ahead?
Mich Panciuk: 24:29 - 24:53
Well, one of the things we're really sort of, when I say pushing, we are suggesting is a key way for us to be able to demonstrate our value is something called mandatory damage reporting. So in Ontario today, if someone who is digging damages underground infrastructure, unless it's oil and gas or electricity, there is no mandatory damage reporting.
David Terlizzi: 24:53 - 24:53
You're kidding.
Mich Panciuk: 24:53 - 26:55
No. And so let's say somebody, you know, a municipality was out repairing one of its stormwater, you know, pipes and they damage something else beside it and they fix it, no one would even know. The challenge we have right now is to demonstrate what is the actual cost of damage that occurs today with our system with over a million requests a year generating five and a half to six million notifications. We know that all excavation in Ontario is not going through Ontario One Call and so when we look and say, you know, this is what we're doing and this is really great, we want to be able to use better facts to prove that, to show it. And having mandatory damage reporting would at least allow us a set of baseline of what's occurring so that we can show how we're driving improvements and reducing that cost. The numbers that people throw around in terms of total damage in Ontario or in Canada would blow your mind if you really understood the cost of it. And not just the cost for the damage to that, but also the economic cost that goes there. A couple years ago, in Calgary, they had a failure of one of their major water lines. That happened because the pipe itself failed. Imagine if a backhoe had gone through that on an excavation project, and you saw the You know, it was months and months. Matter of fact, it was years of disruption. During that time, they had to ration water. Businesses went out of business. People had to move away. When you consider all those economic consequences, you have to add all that up when you talk about damage prevention. So, you know, in the next 10 years, I would like to be in a situation of not just having a more efficient and effective way to operate the notification system with a unified base map, but also I'd like to see mandatory damage reporting so that we can measure our performance and the improvements that's being made and that people get a realistic idea of the, you know, the billions of dollars every year that are a consequence of damage underground infrastructure.
David Terlizzi: 26:55 - 27:02
That's interesting. Does the interior dig authority have a handle or a percentage of of how many are undocumented, if you know what I mean?
Mich Panciuk: 27:02 - 28:53
Well, not really, because there is something that when we work with the Canadian Common Ground Alliance, which is basically an association that helps excavators, they do have something called the dirt report, which is filed annually, but it is a voluntary document. And so, you know, not everybody's doing it. And, you know, the reason why I first got interested in underground infrastructure was when I was a city councilor, I was a rookie city councilor, and I responded to a sinkhole that occurred in the neighborhood. And what happened was, over the years, there was a stormwater drain that had been damaged. It was incorrectly repaired. and it just sort of leaked water. And over the years, that water softened up the ground below it, and then sure enough, one day it collapsed. Now we have a problem. I didn't even know what a locate was. I didn't know what Ontario OneCall was at that time. And I learned it through that process. And so the city did a number of things incorrectly. They were slow to respond to the request for locates. So it took a little bit longer, but also the disruption to the community was incredible. And we had the materials, we had the people, we just couldn't do the work because we didn't have this in time. But it showed me that damage is occurring because that damage had occurred to that city infrastructure without the city's knowledge. And so the developer that had been working on that new neighborhood damaged it, fixed it according to what they thought, buried it, you know, covered it back up again. No one knew about it until it failed down the road. So my point is like, these are the things that we need to know. You know, a lot of times infrastructure owners repair their own damage. but they shouldn't have damaged it in the first place. They should have had more safe excavation and a mandatory damage regime that's, that is, you know, regulated by someone like Ontario dig authority is the best way to be able to show that.
David Terlizzi: 28:53 - 29:28
And I would argue regulation is the right route because you need that regulation behind it, that mandatory porting. I'm going to put a dig in for OACETT, but if they were OACETT certified, that probably wouldn't have happened, but that's neither here nor there. So we're actually in the point of collaboration now. So we all know it's kind of cheesy to say, but it's kind of true. It's essential. So collaboration is essential and projects involve multiple infrastructure owners. We talk about that and stakeholders. As CEO, what role does collaboration play in creating more safer, sort of more efficient infrastructure projects across Ontario?
Mich Panciuk: 29:28 - 30:37
Yeah, well I think we found over the years that where projects are delayed or they're significantly over budget or they don't get off the ground, it's because there's been a lack of connection of all the different service providers or the entities that are designed to deliver the project where there hasn't been good communication. And so when we talk about collaboration, we're talking about is working together. And when we work together, we share that information that's essential and we can identify potential risks before they occur and then deal with them, have a plan. You know, it's not a question of if something goes wrong, it's well, what are we going to do when something goes wrong? And do you have the connections now with all the different entities that you have to? And so I think from your perspective, that planning, that pre-planning work is so essential. And your members probably have a better finger on the pulse of that, certainly than the excavator, the person that will be designed to do it, or the construction company that will be working on the project. You know, their planning is there. So being able to sort of coordinate that and play a role to facilitate that is really, really important for Ontario Dig Authority because that's part of our mandate.
David Terlizzi: 30:39 - 30:53
Look, you're the CEO, so therefore your responsibility is look at the biggest, the big picture. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Ontario Dig Authority and for the engineering technology professionals who are helping build Ontario's infrastructure? What do you see? How can they support?
Mich Panciuk: 30:54 - 32:29
Well, I think, you know, utilizing these courses that we're talking about, I think that's the first and most important thing is becoming better, more familiar, letting others know that they exist. You know, I don't want to say, you know, being, a champion for us, but talking about the fact that safe digging is important goes a long way. I think a lot of people, they understand why we should be careful, but they just don't know what to do to be careful. And so this is where I think working with your organization will help to elevate awareness, and that's really, really important. But make it an essential part of all your projects. The fact that it's on the checklist of items that are being sent down to the project owner, whether it be the construction company who then hires an excavator or to the excavator themselves. Let's double-check. When's the timeline that they're going to request locates? Have they done so? Was there any damage that occurred there? Were there any slowdowns? Let's learn and share the experiences that we have. there are some pretty high level projects in Ontario that are significantly late and over budget. And the thing about it is that we shouldn't allow those, the reasons for that to have happened to go wasted. What I mean by that is let's, let's not, let's learn about them and so that we can improve. It's a completely wasted effort if we just say, okay, well, you know, this, this project was late and behind and uh, you know, the next one will be better. It's, it doesn't happen that way.
David Terlizzi: 32:29 - 32:55
Yeah. Mitch, can you name those projects? I'm kidding. It's a joke. It's a joke. Listen, before we wrap up, I want to say that first off, I've had personal opportunity to work with some of your team. You're a lucky man. They're great. They're a great group of people that are highly intelligent and look forward to working with them. But we always like to wrap up with a fun question. And so we like to get to know you a little more. So Mitch, tell us something we don't know about you. What does Mitch do when he's not leading the Ontario Dig Authority?
Mich Panciuk: 32:56 - 34:08
Well, you know, a lot of people don't know that for 25 years I was in the restaurant business and we owned and operated a Boston Pizza in Belleville, Ontario. I got involved in politics afterwards as a city councillor and as a mayor, ultimately, and got this passion for underground infrastructure safety and moving forward. In addition to everything else that I've done in my life, I'm someone who's really motivated by things that I'm passionate about, that interest me, that get me really wanting to be involved and to help and to make things better, and that's where I'm at. But for those that are in the region of Belleville, where they're probably pretty familiar with me, but in other places where your members live all across Ontario, They're not so familiar, but yeah, I don't miss it. I don't want to go back to it, but I certainly did appreciate the opportunity I had in municipal politics because that is really the place where the rubber hits the road. That is where we dig in to get anything done in our communities. And it's the most important because that's where we live is the part of our lives that is most important to us.
David Terlizzi: 34:09 - 34:14
Very well said. I want you to hear that folks, members, free pizza, if you're in the Belleville area from.
Mich Panciuk: 34:14 - 34:21
Well, not anymore because after 25 years we sold it, but I'm sure the new owners would be happy to fulfill your promise that they get free pizza.
David Terlizzi: 34:22 - 34:30
Mitch, thank you so much for joining us today, teaching us so much about the Ontario Dig Authority and you know what, for taking some time to talk about a partnership. Thank you.
Mich Panciuk: 34:30 - 34:32
Our pleasure. We're really looking forward to this, David.
David Terlizzi: 34:32 - 35:26
Perfect. Folks, there you have it. From knowing what's beneath their feet to building what's next, it's clear that collaboration, innovation, and a little planning can go a long way toward keeping Ontario's people, projects, and underground infrastructure safe. Listen, if you're an OACETT member looking to build your professional knowledge, Ontario Dig Authority offers professional development courses that are eligible, as I said before, for OACETT CPD credits. Visit OACETT's professional development page at OACETT.org or email cpd at OACETT.org. That's cpd at OACETT.org to learn more. And of course, you can visit the Ontario Dig Authority website at ontariodigauthority.ca to learn more about the organization and its work. And remember, before you dig, click first. Thanks for listening to Tech Takes. Until next time, keep learning, keep innovating, and whatever you do, know what's underneath before you dig. Bye for now.