Friday, November 14, 2025
The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) marked a successful Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park last week, meeting with Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma, and other provincial leaders to advance dialogue on infrastructure funding, skilled trades development and workforce growth.
The day culminated in a well-attended evening reception that drew numerous ministers, MPPs and industry representatives, underscoring the association’s strong working relationship with government decision-makers. The reception provided a forum for open discussion on the province’s long-term infrastructure priorities, including how to keep essential water, wastewater and road projects moving forward.
Patrick McManus, Executive Director of OSWCA, praised the government’s “open-door policy and their openness to find ways to keep improving how we shrink our infrastructure deficit.”
Rather than focusing solely on funding requests, OSWCA approached the day with a collaborative spirit, positioning itself as a proactive partner in helping the government deliver critical infrastructure projects efficiently and effectively. The association’s discussions also touched on the importance of investing in skilled trades training and ensuring that municipalities have the resources and policy support needed to address aging underground infrastructure.
“The OSWCA team present their association as a true partner to the government, and I saw that firsthand with an engaged board and ministers in a friendly, solutions-focused environment,” said Todd Latham, Chairman of SiteMedia, Canada’s new leading industrial media brand formed through the recent merger of Actual Media and SiteNews. “As communicators in the water and infrastructure sectors, it’s wonderful to see the open dialogue and friendliness of the environment. It bodes well for the future of Ontario’s infrastructure.”
The event coincided with the release of the federal budget, offering a timely platform for discussions about how federal infrastructure funding will flow to Ontario’s municipal and provincial projects. Throughout the day, OSWCA representatives emphasized the importance of aligning values and purpose—creating more jobs, getting more shovels in the ground and reducing bureaucratic barriers to project delivery. These conversations reinforced the shared objective of improving delivery timelines for vital infrastructure and ensuring that investments translate into tangible outcomes for communities across the province.
“We really appreciate the government’s aggressive building agenda, and we wanted to meet with them to discuss how we can best support these building goals,” said McManus. “It’s so important that we work together and share perspectives for how to improve the efficiency of investments, procurement, design, and construction, and this day gave us the opportunity to address a number of these issues all at once.”
Events like Advocacy Day highlight the value of sustained engagement between industry and policymakers in shaping Ontario’s infrastructure landscape. Maintaining open, forward-facing relationships between industry associations and government continues to play a significant role in ensuring that the province’s water, wastewater and transportation systems are built and maintained to meet the demands of growth and climate resilience.
Featured image: OSWCA
