TARBA

TARBA Calls for Shared‑Risk Contract Models as Fuel Costs Surge

Natasha Thurston — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:14:11 +0000

Ongoing global uncertainty and supply chain pressures continue to drive significant volatility in the cost of key construction inputs. Fuel, steel, asphalt cement, and other essential materials are experiencing swings that are difficult – if not impossible – to predict at the time of tender.

For contractors delivering Ontario’s transportation infrastructure, fuel price fluctuations are not just an operational challenge; they ripple across the entire supply chain. Aggregates illustrate this clearly: up to 60 percent of their cost is tied to transportation. When fuel prices shift suddenly, the cost of moving these essential inputs rises immediately, placing pressure on project budgets and timelines.

Unlike many industries, construction operates on fixed-price contracts secured months or even years in advance. When input costs change dramatically, contractors are left managing risks that could not have been reasonably anticipated – an especially acute challenge for small and mid-sized employers.

Most municipal contract models place the full burden of this uncertainty on contractors at the time of bid. This dynamic can lead to higher upfront pricing, reduced bid accuracy, and a greater likelihood of claims during project delivery. Over time, this approach risks reducing competition and introducing avoidable uncertainty into public infrastructure programs that will drive up project costs.

A more balanced approach is available.

TARBA is encouraging Greater Toronto Area municipalities to adopt proven risk-sharing tools—such as fuel cost adjustment indices—that are already working effectively in several jurisdictions:

Ministry of Transportation (MTO): Monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment Index with a ±5% threshold
City of Ottawa: Application of the MTO index with a 7% fuel allotment and a ±15% threshold
Region of Waterloo: Annual fuel adjustment for multi-year contracts, with ±10% threshold

These models align costs more closely with real market conditions, supporting more accurate bids and fostering a healthier, more competitive procurement environment.

Municipalities can further strengthen outcomes by streamlining procurement timelines. Reducing the gap between bid closing, award, and project start helps ensure pricing reflects current conditions, minimizing the need for contractors to include contingency premiums.

Fuel price volatility is driven by external forces beyond the control of any single party. By adopting shared risk mechanisms, municipalities and industry can work together to improve pricing certainty, reduce disputes, and enhance project delivery.

Greater stability benefits everyone: more competitive bids, better value for taxpayers, and timely delivery of the infrastructure communities depend on.

TARBA looks forward to continued collaboration with municipal partners to ensure infrastructure programs remain resilient, efficient, and responsive to today’s economic realities.

Read TARBA’s Open Letter to GTA and Simcoe municipal partners advocating for the adoption of a Fuel Cost Adjustment Index.

New TV Ad Highlights How Recycled Materials Can Slash Emissions, Save Money

Natasha Thurston — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:34:00 +0000

Recycled materials offer cost savings and environmental benefits without compromising quality

Toronto, Ontario — The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) is launching a new TV ad campaign to promote the use of recycled concrete and asphalt in municipal road building—an approach that would cut carbon emissions, while delivering better value for taxpayers. The ad will first air on April 6 on CP24, reaching millions of viewers and municipal decision makers across the Greater Toronto Area.

As Ontario faces mounting infrastructure demands, rising construction costs, and increasing pressure to meet climate targets, industry leaders are calling for smarter, more sustainable ways to build. Recycled Crushed Aggregates (RCA) is emerging as one of the most immediate and practical solutions available today.

Despite being widely used in major projects like Ontario’s highways and airports, most municipalities either prohibit or restrict RCA use. The new TV ad campaign is designed to raise awareness among decision-makers and the public that sustainable infrastructure solutions already exist—and are ready to scale.

“RCA is proven, available, and cost-effective—the gap isn’t performance, it’s policy. Updating municipal rules is the fastest way to unlock RCA’s full potential,” said Raly Chakarova, Executive Director of TARBA. “RCA strengthens local supply chains by reducing dependence on long-haul materials—something that matters more than ever in a volatile fuel cost environment.”

If municipalities increased RCA use to just 20%, Ontario could save more than $260 million annually, while reducing carbon emissions equivalent to taking 15 million gas cars off the road.

RCA is produced by reclaiming asphalt and concrete from old infrastructure and processing it for reuse. Its advantages are clear and proven:

● Lower costs: Reduces transportation and material expenses, helping municipalities stretch limited infrastructure budgets.

● Reduced emissions: Shorter truck hauling distances significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and congestion.

● Preserves natural resources: Extends the life of non-renewable materials.

● Diverts waste from landfills: Reuses materials that would otherwise contribute to Ontario’s shrinking landfill capacity.

● Proven performance: Engineering studies confirm RCA performs comparably to primary aggregates.

The campaign is supported by leading industry partners, including Strada Aggregates, Amrize, and Dufferin, who are helping drive innovation and adoption across the sector.

“This isn’t a future solution—it’s already being used successfully in Ontario and across the world,” said Mario Pietrolungo, Vice President, Operations at Strada Aggregates. “The industry has the capacity to supply more RCA today. What’s needed is broader municipal acceptance and leadership to make it a standard choice on transportation projects.”

To learn more, visit RCAontario.ca.

About TARBA

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) represents unionized contractors who build multimodal transportation infrastructure, including roads, transit, highways, bike lanes, and sidewalks, in the Greater Toronto Area and Simcoe County. TARBA advocates for policies and practices that promote safe, cost-efficient, and sustainable infrastructure development.

For media inquiries: info@tarba.org

New Report Finds GTA Would Unlock Nearly $1 Billion in Savings Through Uniform Road Paving Standards

Natasha Thurston — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 20:34:10 +0000

New Report Finds GTA Would Unlock Nearly $1 Billion in Savings Through Uniform Road Paving Standards

New analysis shows standardizing asphalt mix specifications across the Greater Toronto Area would boost productivity, protect local jobs, and deliver safer, longer-lasting roads without raising taxes.

Toronto, ON — As municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) face mounting budget pressures, a new report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) shows that a simple change — standardizing asphalt mixes across the Greater Toronto Area — would unlock nearly $1 billion over the next decade.

Municipalities spend an average of 7.7% of their annual capital budgets on paving and repairing their roads, and each uses their own asphalt mix design. Those variations require suppliers to change materials, equipment, and testing procedures — sometimes dozens of times a day — leading to higher costs, lost productivity, and more waste. This is especially true in the GTA, where suppliers and contractors serve multiple municipal and regional markets that collectively require more than 300 asphalt mix designs.

Commissioned by the Toronto Area Road Builders Association (TARBA), the landmark study, “Impact of Non-Standard Asphalt Mix Policies in the Greater Toronto Area,” reveals that efficiency gains from standardizing municipal asphalt mixes and testing standards could pave 1,800 additional lane-kilometres of road — without a single new tax dollar — while protecting more than 3,000 local jobs and $140 million in wages.

“Municipalities are facing rising construction costs, infrastructure deficits, and tighter budgets,” said Raly Chakarova, Executive Director of TARBA. “We can’t afford inefficiencies built into the system itself. Harmonizing road building standards is a simple, evidence-based way to make every infrastructure dollar go further – building safer roads, supporting local jobs, and delivering more for our communities — without asking taxpayers for a penny more.”

KEY REPORT FINDINGS

Unlock nearly $1 billion: Harmonizing asphalt standards within the GTA alone would unlock nearly $1 billion in value over the next decade.

Inaction is costly: Failure to standardize will drain more than $500 million from municipal budgets in the next 10 years — money that could have paved more than 1,000 lane-kilometers — while a slow roll-out would forfeit 40% of potential benefits forever.
Boost for small businesses: Cutting red tape and uncertainty reduces risk and waste, creating a more level playing field that boosts productivity and competitiveness for small and medium-sized businesses, who make up more than half of the asphalt industry in the GTA.
Protecting local jobs and wages: Harmonization protects more than 3,000 GTA jobs and $140 million in wages, keeping economic benefits within the communities where asphalt is produced and laid.
Bigger gains through broader standardization: Extending harmonization throughout all aspects of road building and procurement would unlock $11.7 billion in broader gains, help reduce the growing infrastructure deficit, and deliver safer, high-performing roads.

“This study shows asphalt harmonization is about economy-wide efficiency, not new public spending,” said Paul Smetanin, President and CEO of CANCEA. “It lets producers raise productivity and helps municipalities complete resurfacing and repairs more quickly, with no added cost to residents.”

While provincial standards exist and are managed through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Municipal Engineering Association, Ontario’s 444 municipalities have discretion in their implementation and have instead amassed hundreds of varying requirements for how to build and procure similar use projects, like roads, bridges, sewers, and watermains. These differences cost taxpayers millions of dollars more, while reducing quality and productivity and increasing waste and carbon emissions. When every municipality builds to the same proven standard, Ontario gets safer, greener, more cost-effective roads — faster.

Media Relations

For media inquiries, please contact Raly Chakarova, Executive Director, Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) at raly@tarba.org and media@cancea.ca.

About CANCEA

The Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) is an independent, interdisciplinary socio‑economic analytics and advisory firm that supports evidence‑based decisions across government, industry, and the social sector. CANCEA is home to Canada’s largest and most integrated socio‑economic simulation platform, widely used for policy evaluation, delivering rigorous, data‑driven insights from the household to the national level. Trusted for more than 20 years, CANCEA applies advanced agent‑based modelling and forecasting to help leaders assess impacts, manage risk, and plan for inclusive, sustainable growth.

About TARBA

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) represents unionized contractors building multi-modal transportation infrastructure, including roads, transit, highways, bike lanes, and sidewalks, in the Greater Toronto Area and Simcoe County. TARBA advocates for policies and practices that promote safe, cost-efficient, and sustainable infrastructure development.

WHAT REGIONAL LEADERS ARE SAYING

“We are an integrated region, but a patchwork of overly burdensome rules and regulations create barriers that drive up costs and timelines. The CANCEA report demonstrates this clearly in road construction—if the asphalt mix and testing standards are good enough for one part of the Toronto region, there’s no reason they should not be accepted across the region. Adopting region-wide best-in-class standards is a sensible way to simplify and streamline regulations, not just for road construction, but across sectors.”

– Toronto Region Board of Trade

“It’s time for municipalities to standardize asphalt mixes & testing standards. This would create efficiencies that will stabilize supply chains, speed up construction of new roads, protect jobs, and save taxpayers billions of dollars. Read the report and support the call to action.”

– Sandro Perruzza, CEO of Ontario Society of Professional Engineers

“The report highlights opportunities for significant efficiencies for road infrastructure that would benefit municipalities — and Canadians. Harmonizing standards, encouraging innovation, and emphasizing the need for strategic investment is how we build a stronger Canada, together.”

– Canadian Construction Association

“RCCAO welcomes and commends this new important infrastructure research released by TARBA. It will further support our advocacy call for greater provincial leadership to harmonize municipal standards across Ontario to improve industry operations and our communities.”

– Residential and Civil Construction Association of Ontario

“Standardizing specifications can have a huge impact on municipal infrastructure. It can make capital construction dollars go further, speed up project design and delivery, and improve quality and performance by creating greater economies of scale. Big potential for long-term gains on this.”

– Patrick McManus, Executive Director of Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association

“Good Roads welcomes TARBA’s new report highlighting the benefits of harmonizing asphalt standards. Greater consistency in roadbuilding practices helps municipalities achieve better value for money and ensures the long-term quality of our local infrastructure.”

– Scott Butler, Executive Director of Good Roads

“This recent CANCEA report highlights a transformative opportunity for the Greater Toronto Area and the province of Ontario to harmonize road construction and safety standards. By modernizing and achieving greater consistency and uniformity in technical standards, we can reduce cost and expedite construction, delivering safer, longer-lasting roads. Embracing comprehensive road construction and safety standardization is a vital step to providing resilient infrastructure for our growing communities.”

– Jackie Choquette, Head of Government Affairs at 3M Canada

‘Paving roads the hard way’: Roadbuilding standard for asphalt mix a must, says TARBA

New Report finds uniform road paving standards could unlock $1B in savings

Report points to savings potential of uniform paving standards

TARBA Advocacy Leads to Faster Approvals and Clearer Rules for Oversize/Overweight Permits

Natasha Thurston — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:23:43 +0000

Metrolinx

In January 2025, contractors received notice that all applications for single trip oversize/overweight load permits submitted to the City of Toronto must now include the necessary Metrolinx permit and/or sign-off. This change was effective immediately and applied to all right-of-way construction permit requests.

HCAT & TARBA raised the cost implications and major delays this new process would cause for construction projects and have been advocating in providing more clarity to industry on viable routes and streamlining and fast-tracking approvals through a single-window process and approval.

As a result of ongoing discussions, we have been successful in Metrolinx making the following changes:

Clarify that Metrolinx approvals are only required if the route crosses their right of way
Reduce their “zone of influence” around their assets from originally 400m to 60m, automatically reducing the number of reviews by 50%
Identify intersections along Eglington where an oversize vehicle and load do not exceed 50 tonnes do not require Metrolinx review:
- Dufferin St & Eglinton Ave W
- Avenue Rd & Eglinton Ave W
- Yonge St & Eglinton Ave
- Mt. Pleasant Rd & Eglinton Ave E
- Don Mills Rd & Eglinton Ave E
Include review timeline and escalation route in automatic email responses to applicants

Further to those immediate changes, Metrolinx is conducting a detailed analysis of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT ECLRT route, intersection by intersection, to identify additional areas that can best accommodate oversize truck movement. Metrolinx is also conducting a similar review for the Finch West LRT project route.

We continue to advocate that Metrolinx standardize its own crossing standards and align them as best as possible with the City

Ministry Of Transportation

In June 2025, MTO notified contractors that review time for single trip O/O permits will now be 15 business days. We told the Ministry that this timeline is NOT acceptable and after several discussions, sent in an official letter (below).

In response, MTO revised its policy and confirmed that their new service standard for single trip O/O permits is 3 business days.

We continue to advocate that permitting be centralized through a single-window service where a company would apply through only one portal to receive municipal, provincial, and agency (e.g. Metrolinx) permits for their route, and we continue to stress the importance of initial consultations with industry before major changes to process and policy like this are made.

OPSS Standardization

Natasha Thurston — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:36:58 +0000

Why Ontario Needs Standardized Road Building Specifications

Ontario’s roads are the backbone of our economy, connecting communities, moving goods, and getting people where they need to go. But when it comes to how those roads are designed, built, and maintained, Ontario faces a major problem: every municipality has its own playbook.

Across the province’s 444 municipalities, hundreds of different road-building specifications and procurement practices exist. In the Greater Toronto Area alone, contractors must work with over 300 different asphalt mix designs. This patchwork approach drives up costs, slows down project delivery, and undermines quality.

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) believes it’s time to fix this — by standardizing road specifications through the Ontario Provincial Standard Specifications (OPSS) framework.

The OPSS Model

The OPSS.PROV and OPSS.MUNI standards were developed to provide a comprehensive and uniform framework for provincial and municipal road construction and procurement practices. It establishes clear, consistent technical requirements for material use, construction methods, quality control processes, and general conditions of contract aligned with best practices and provincial guidelines.

These standards are jointly developed and managed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the Municipal Engineering Association, and representatives from industry. It has been proven by consistently well-built, cost-effective, safe, and dependable highways, roads, sewers, watermains, and many other types of infrastructure in the province. Any changes to the standards are measured and are implemented with realistic timelines.

Currently, the use of OPSS.MUNI is not mandatory, and municipalities have discretion in adopting these standards, modifying them, or creating their own. Unfortunately, OPSS specifications and drawings have not been widely adopted among municipalities in Ontario. Municipalities have created stricter “supplementary specifications”, a long list of exceptions, or bypassed OPSS.MUNI, fragmenting consistency and amassing hundreds of different specifications across the province. Municipalities can quickly change their own standards without any consultation, simply issuing a notice to industry that can impact production, design, build, and performance.

The Case for Standardization

Standardization is about creating a strong, evidence-based baseline that ensures quality, safety, and cost-efficiency while still allowing room for regional adjustments.

Here’s how adopting OPSS.MUNI as the standard across Ontario would benefit municipalities, taxpayers, and industry:

Cost savings for taxpayers: With common standards, municipalities can leverage economies of scale, bulk procurement, and more competitive bidding. An upcoming study by CANCEA shows harmonizing asphalt mix designs in the GTA alone could unlock nearly $1 billion in value over the next decade.
Faster project delivery: Clear, pre-vetted standards mean less time spent on drafting specs, back-and-forth reviews, and disputes — resulting in projects being designed and built with fewer delays.
Better quality and safety: Uniform standards mean consistent pavement thickness, materials, and testing protocols. That means fewer potholes, less emergency repair work, and safer travel for everyone.
Sustainability: OPSS standards already encourage practices like using recycled crushed aggregates — reducing carbon emissions, conserving non-renewable resources, and cutting landfill use.
Streamlined project management: Clear, consistent specifications simplify project planning, contract administration, and oversight, thereby reducing delays and minimizing disputes between municipalities, contractors, and suppliers.

Overcoming Barriers

Some municipalities may worry about upfront costs, local conditions, or losing control. But these challenges can be managed.

Transition costs (such as moving from Marshall mixes to Superpave) are offset by longer service life and lower maintenance costs.
Smaller municipalities gain access to vetted, high-quality standards without needing extensive in-house engineering capacity.
Local conditions can be accommodated through a tiered model — a province-wide core standard, with regional add-ons to reflect climate and traffic differences.

Standardization doesn’t take away local control. It ensures that innovation and quality improvements are shared across the province instead of staying siloed in individual municipalities.

TARBA’s Recommendations for Implementing Standardization

To strengthen confidence in and promote broader adoption of OPSS.MUNI, the existing governance framework should be enhanced. Here’s how:

Establish a Structured, Representative Governance Model
- The OPS Advisory Committee should serve as the governance lead and overall approval body and be supported by Specialty Committees responsible for technical specification development, with representatives from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), municipalities, and industry
Implement a Fixed, Recurring Review Schedule
- Implement a predictable review process to ensure transparency and accountability when updating standards that includes feedback beyond the existing committee structure.
- Decisions on standard changes should be evidence-based, using field data, pilot projects, and lifecycle cost analysis.
Adopt a Tiered Model
- Core Standards (mandatory): Apply across all municipalities in Ontario. These should cover non-negotiable areas such as material specifications and general conditions of contract.
- Regional Standards (flexible): Pre-approved add-ons tailored for Ontario’s five MTO regions: Central, Eastern, Western, Northeast, Northwest. This allows for climate and traffic-specific needs while maintaining regional economies of scale.
Develop a Formal Customization Process
- Municipalities wishing to introduce additional customizations outside of OPSS.MUNI must provide evidence and have them reviewed and approved by the OPSS governance board in advance.
Tie Standards to Funding
- Make provincial and federal funding for municipal transportation projects contingent on the use of OPSS.MUNI. This ensures alignment across municipalities while protecting taxpayer dollars.

Lessons from British Columbia: The MMCD Model

Ontario doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. British Columbia has already shown what’s possible through its Master Municipal Construction Documents (MMCD).

Established in 1996, the MMCD is a standardized framework for municipal infrastructure projects used widely across BC. Like OPSS.MUNI, it sets technical specifications, contract language, and quality standards. But what makes MMCD successful is its governance model:

It’s maintained by a non-profit society with representation from municipalities, consultants, and contractors.
Updates are made through a transparent, evidence-based process with broad industry consultation.
Municipalities benefit from clear, consistent standards while still being able to make controlled adjustments for local conditions.

The result? Faster projects, better quality, and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. BC’s example proves that province-wide harmonization works — and Ontario can achieve the same benefits through OPSS.MUNI.

Building a Better System for Ontario

The road ahead is clear. By adopting OPSS.MUNI as the provincial standard for municipal road building, Ontario can:

Cut red tape and duplication.
Save taxpayers money.
Deliver safer, longer-lasting infrastructure.
Level the playing field for small and medium-sized contractors.
Support sustainable construction practices.

The time to act is now. Ontario deserves roads that are built to the highest standard — without wasting money or time.

ADVOCACY UPDATE

In October 2025, the Ontario government introduced Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 that made a legislative change to give the Minister of Transportation the authority to set mandatory standards for municipal road construction as part of a subsequent regulation.

TARBA fully supports the province’s intent to harmonize municipal road construction standards to accelerate capital project delivery, improve cost‑effectiveness, and build high-performing infrastructure across Ontario’s municipalities. We’ve outlined five additional recommendations as part of our ERO posting:

Make OPSS.MUNI mandatory for all municipalities, in its entirety, effective January 1, 2028 to allow adequate lead time for transition and to avoid disruption to the 2026 and 2027 construction seasons.
Safeguard capital projects already in design and construction stages and allow those continue under the specifications and contract documents under which they were initiated.
Prioritize high-impact areas, including asphalt mixes, aggregates, and general conditions of contract – areas that represent the greatest variability, risk, and cost inefficiencies in municipal road construction practices.
Conduct a comprehensive review of OPSS.MUNI standards to identify outdated specifications and gaps in technical guidance and ensure they are current, complete, and practical for implementation across all municipalities.
Develop additional standard contract documents to support specifications and provide practical tools for tendering, pricing, technical compliance, contract amendments, reporting, and inspection—all necessary to ensure OPSS.MUNI standards are applied consistently and efficiently across municipal projects.

Read TARBA’s full submission here.

Learn More About TARBA’S Advocacy

CAA Joins Growing Industry Coalition Advocating for Increased Use of Recycled Crushed Aggregates in Ontario Infrastructure Projects

Raly Chakarova — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:12:45 +0000

TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2025 /CNW/ – The push for using recycled asphalt and concrete is gaining momentum as the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) joins nine other influential organizations representing civil infrastructure leaders, builders, suppliers, and engineers, united behind the goal of increasing the use of Recycled Crushed Aggregates (RCA) in public infrastructure projects across Ontario.

With CAA on board, the coalition that launched earlier this year is advocating for policy changes that will incentivize and mandate the use of RCA in projects like roads, subdivisions, highways, bridges, and tunnels, and, above all, harmonize municipal specifications through provincial standards to build greener, more cost-effective, and high-performing public infrastructure that residents can rely on.

“As the voice of Canadian motorists, CAA supports smarter infrastructure investments that improve road safety, durability, and reliability,” said Lauren Fisher, Manager of Government and Stakeholder Relations for CAA South Central Ontario. “The use of recycled crushed aggregates is proven to deliver reliable performance, while cutting costs and carbon emissions. We’re proud to join this important coalition and support a mandate that will benefit drivers, taxpayers, and the environment.”

“CAA’s support underscores the fact that this isn’t just a construction issue—it’s a public interest issue. Using more recycled materials in infrastructure projects can safeguard the long-term expansion of our transportation networks while preserving non-renewable resources and reducing carbon emissions, waste, and traffic congestion,” said Raly Chakarova, Executive Director of the Toronto Area Road Builders Association (TARBA). “Beyond an increased use of sustainable materials, standardizing construction specifications and contracts at the municipal level can go further to rein in rising construction costs, speed up project delivery, and ensure higher quality outcomes.”

RCA is produced by reclaiming and recycling concrete and asphalt that would otherwise end up in landfills. Since RCA is available at a fraction of the distance to new construction sites, the need for long-haul heavy truck transport is reduced, along with carbon emissions, project costs, traffic congestion, and wear and tear on roads. Despite being a proven and high-performing material already used in 400-series highways, Toronto Pearson Airport, and many road and transit projects across the province, RCA use in municipal projects is severely limited by some existing local policies.

If Ontario municipalities mandate just 20% RCA use in their infrastructure projects, they can save more than $260 million annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 15 million gas cars from the road every year.

The 10 coalition members include:

To learn more about the campaign and the benefits of RCA, visit rcaontario.ca.

For media inquiries, please contact Raly Chakarova, Executive Director, Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) at raly@tarba.org and Lauren Fisher, Manager of Government and Stakeholder Relations, CAA at lhun@caasco.ca.

About CAA

The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit auto club offering roadside services, automotive care, travel, and insurance. There are more than 2.6 million CAA members in Ontario and over 6 million members in Canada. For more than 100 years, CAA has advocated on behalf of its members at all three levels of government on issues related to transportation infrastructure, traffic safety, consumer protection, and mobility. Three clubs currently operate in Ontario – South Central Ontario, North & East Ontario, and Niagara.

About TARBA

Civil Construction Industry Welcomes Provincial Commitment to Standardize Municipal Construction Practices

Raly Chakarova — Tue, 13 May 2025 15:55:33 +0000

Toronto, ON—The civil infrastructure construction associations welcomed the Ontario government’s announcement that consultations will be launched with municipalities and industry to harmonize road building standards as part of the recently introduced Bill 17, Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025.

Ontario’s municipalities own and manage more public infrastructure than the federal and provincial governments combined, with, on average, more than 50 per cent of their budgets allocated to construction and infrastructure. While provincial standards exist, Ontario’s 444 municipalities have discretion in their implementation and have instead amassed hundreds of varying requirements for how to build and procure similar use projects, like roads, bridges, sewers and watermains. These differences cost taxpayers millions of dollars more, while reducing quality and productivity and increasing waste and carbon emissions.

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA), Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association (GTSWCA), and the Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT) have advocated that following provincial standards, jointly administered by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Municipal Engineers Association, will result in reduced building costs and faster construction timelines through efficiencies and economies of scale.

“This announcement builds on the government’s ongoing commitment to reduce red tape and build the critical infrastructure our communities need. We look forward to working with the provincial government and the ministry as part of the consultation process,” said Raly Chakarova, Executive Director at TARBA. “Breaking down barriers by harmonizing practices across municipal boundaries is a real solution that will bring in faster construction timelines and create significant cost savings for taxpayers, particularly through initiatives such as the standardized and increased use of Recycled Crushed Aggregates.”

“This is a pivotal moment for infrastructure development in Ontario,” said Patrick McManus, Executive Director of the GTSWCA. “By standardizing construction specifications and contracts, we can reign in rising construction costs and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and cost-effective infrastructure solutions, without fundamentally altering how we design, build, finance, or maintain our critical core infrastructure in the region.”

“This is the time for the provincial and federal governments to step in and ensure that municipalities have predictable and continuous infrastructure funding to get projects out the door, shovels in the ground, and keep everyone employed,” said Peter Smith, Executive Director at HCAT. “But municipalities need to drop their own barriers. There is no reason that a different asphalt type or watermain fitting needs to be used simply because a project crosses over Steeles Ave.”

Media Contact

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Patrick McManus, GTSWCA at patrick.mcmanus@oswca.org and Raly Chakarova, Executive Director, TARBA at raly@tarba.org.

About GTSWCA

The Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association (GTSWCA) serves as a collective voice for its members who build water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure across the Greater Toronto Area. www.oswca.org

About HCAT

The Heavy Construction Association of Toronto (HCAT) represents contractors in the heavy civil engineering construction sector, including bridge construction and rehabilitation, tunnels, marine construction, and structure foundations. HCAT advocates for best practices in infrastructure development while addressing industry challenges, providing educational opportunities, and promoting safety and sustainability. www.hcat.ca

About TARBA

The Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA) is the collective bargaining agent on behalf of unionized contractors involved in the new construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Simcoe Areas. TARBA advocates for policies and practices that promote safe, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure development. www.tarba.org

Sustainability in Action: Using Recycled Crushed Aggregates in Linear Infrastructure

Raly Chakarova — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:21:54 +0000

On May 8, industry professionals joined an in-depth webinar focused on the use of Recycled Crushed Aggregates (RCA) in Ontario’s linear infrastructure projects. The session featured Executive Director Raly Chakarova and Salman Bhutta of Engtec, who shared findings from their 2024 research report on RCA gradation equivalency. The report demonstrates that RCA can match the performance of primary aggregates while delivering measurable economic and environmental benefits.

The session provided engineers and infrastructure stakeholders with the latest insights and practical guidance on integrating RCA into transportation construction. Attendees learned how RCA supports sustainable construction, reduces project costs, and advances circular economy goals—without compromising on quality or reliability.

Recycled Crushed Aggregates for roads | Rogers tv

Raly Chakarova — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:28:33 +0000

Recycled Crushed Aggregate is exactly what it sounds like: reclaimed asphalt and concrete from roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and structures, processed and reused for new construction projects.

In Ontario, only about 7% of aggregate used today is recycled — despite decades of proven success on our 400-series highways and other projects. There’s a major opportunity for #municipalities to increase the use of RCA, save money, and reduce carbon emissions.

Learn more from Executive Director Raly Chakarova about why RCA matters.

Using Recycled Crushed Aggregates: Case Study of York Region’s VivaNext Project

Raly Chakarova — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:52:00 +0000

Recycled Crushed Aggregate (RCA) is asphalt pavement and/or concrete reclaimed from old roads and structures. This material undergoes rigorous quality control processes, ensuring it meets or exceeds the same performance standards as primary aggregates. It is a sustainable product that offers some of the greatest environmental benefits at a lower cost.

In this webinar, attendees will learn about the economic and environmental benefits of RCA, its many applications in transportation building projects, and how York Region used more than 200,000 tonnes in its construction of the VivaNext transit line on Yonge Street. Hear directly from speakers representing the public project owner, contractor, and supplier to better understand quality control measures, performance, and cost savings.

Speakers:
· Jason Mainprize, District Supervisor – Central, Roads Operations, York Region
· Ehsan Fard, District Manager-North & East, Dufferin Construction
· Domenic Passalacqua, General Manager, D. Crupi & Sons
· Raly Chakarova, Executive Director, Toronto and Area Road Builders Association (TARBA)