Community boosters are worth a lot. Schools, arenas, parks, and libraries in Strathmore share stories of people pulling together to get the project finished. More businesses are discovering that the community is proud to help them grow, too.

Investments in agri-business, manufacturing, and renewable energy are setting records for the largest volume of capital investment in Strathmore’s history. It’s a town focused on the future and growth that welcomes a variety of startups but has retained its rural roots and a commitment to its community.

More businesses are discovering what Strathmore offers

That is just one reason why Borea Construction has been so pleased with its partnership with Strathmore. It is constructing two major solar projects in the area and has received an incredible level of support from the town. “Strathmore is really willing to go farther to help us succeed,” says Chelsea Million, the company’s talent advisor. When explaining what sets Strathmore apart from other places, she cites the successful job fair hosted locally, the quality of local candidates, and the town’s willingness to share resources in order to help meet the firm’s goals.

The town has a long tradition of being innovative and solution-focused. Its Marigold Library System, established in 1981, was a game-changer. The not-for-profit municipal collaboration provides state-of-the-art library services, now serving over 300,000 people across 44 municipalities. It joined forces with Western Irrigation District (WID), which supplies irrigation water to almost 100,000 acres of farmland, to build a new shared headquarters this year. It’s a prime example of Strathmore’s strong collaborative spirit.

Focus on success and innovation

Local businesses are expanding their reach. Origin Malting drew on five generations of farming expertise when they launched their malting plant in 2016. As pioneers of soil conservation and traceability, they brought a focus on sustainability to their operations. Producing the finest malt for craft brewers has brought customers from across North America.

We have great people that work hard here. Some of the finest people you’ll ever meet…they work right here. We’re much like a family I guess.

An unexpected start-up has its origins in a local farm as well. G&S Airport Conveyor, which builds and maintains baggage conveyor systems for airports around the world, started out of a garage on an area farm. Since moving into Strathmore, the company has grown and invested in newer, more advanced technology. Owner Jim Goertz appreciates how business-friendly Strathmore is. He also likes the inviting small-town feel, something that makes it easy to attract and retain employees. It’s a desirable place to work and to live in. “We have great people that work hard here. Some of the finest people you’ll ever meet … they work right here. We’re much like a family I guess.”

Strathmore is well-positioned to keep the momentum going. “Strathmore offers start-ups a great place to grow. Our team offers personalized support you can’t find in large centers” says Mayor Pat Fule. “We’re a friendly, welcoming community that helps each other to succeed.”

The post Small Towns Are Friendly — And Startups Succeed with Lots of Friends appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Let’s face it — innovation was not a topic during the 2021 federal election. Neither was agri-food. Agri-food in Canada has strong innovative potential and is essential for solid economic recovery and growth.

The lack of focus on agri-food research and innovation is concerning. Canada has been a leader in the sector but the ship now seems rudderless. There’s no national strategy, no direction, and no sense of where we’re going beyond “let’s export more.”

We’re now 19th in agricultural production globally. Public investments in agri-food research and innovation steadily declined in Canada-based on an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report (and other reports as well).

We need to export more. In order for Canada’s agri-food sector to continue to meet the world market’s growing demand, innovation must be supported through science-based policy work and needs-specific funding.

Canada is well-positioned in the sector but is facing competition from other countries with cheaper production costs, fewer regulatory obstacles, and/or more adoption of innovation.

But to export more we need to innovate more and better facilitate the adoption of innovation.

The oft-quoted Barton report (2017) described agriculture and food as a sector that can lead in growth. It also mentions that “the government, in concert with the private sector, can take a targeted approach that would unleash the sector’s full potential.” We agreed and still do.

However, since then, some of the key suggestions from the report were not or not thoroughly implemented. The recommendation to have the government and the private sector work together toward bold growth objectives was not taken.

Another key recommendation, to have the government put in place an inter-governmental task force to “remove obstacles”, was also not put in place.

The Agri-Food Innovation Council is recommending the creation of a national strategy on agri-food research and innovation. Such a strategy would streamline our efforts, and provide a direction, a framework, coordination, and set goals for research and innovation in the sector.

It would need to be co-led by the federal government and industry and provide a key role to the provincial governments and academia. It would also be essential to ask representatives of Indigenous Peoples to participate fully and help lead the development of such a strategy.

The process to develop the national strategy shouldn’t be needlessly complicated. No one wants to see another major consultation effort. The consultation needs to happen but it can be innovative and nimble.

Care must be taken to ensure the strategy doesn’t become so convoluted that it becomes another forgotten effort to provide leadership to the sector. It can and should be a living document that supports the sector’s growth, enables cooperation, and delivers on results.

While politicians settle back in Ottawa following this last election and while the public service reopens its outreach to the sector, we must reawaken the conversation around the importance of the agri-food sector and the need for a national strategy should be a key priority for our sector.

The post Agri-food and Innovation: The Need for a National Strategy appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Start with green thinking

Morrison Hershfield believes that creative green design at the outset of a project is good for the environment and can create significant operational efficiencies for owners and operators. Edmonton Transit Service’s (ETS) Centennial Garage, for example, is a LEED Silver-certified state-of-the-art transit facility that delivered on ambitious energy efficiency goals, showcasing the firm’s sustainable design capabilities and resulting in streamlined operations and energy savings for their client.

The energy-efficient building envelope minimizes thermal loss and capitalizes on alternate power sources, such as a solar wall to preheat make-up air. The design and engineering features lean heavily on the use of natural light and high-tech systems, which has led to increased productivity and a reduction in reported absenteeism. In short, employees want to work here.

Designing with the community in mind

It’s good business to support the communities in which organizations, such as transit providers, operate. Transit facilities are industrial in nature, operate 24/7 and occupy significant acreage. Due to their potential impact on surrounding communities and the environment, early and active community engagement is needed to address concerns related to new transit facility infrastructure investments.

Morrison Hershfield worked with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) on the design and build of the McNicoll Bus Garage. This facility was built to Toronto Green Standard requirements and has set a benchmark for future TTC facilities. The primary goals of the project were to develop a community-sensitive and energy-efficient design. Community input impacted the facility’s striking design and site landscaping and contributed to alleviating additional concerns like traffic, air quality, noise, and vibration.

An underground stormwater retention system was built on-site to retain up to three million litres of water, reducing the strain on local municipal infrastructure. The building boasts the largest green roof in Toronto, and the low-maintenance landscaping includes over 350 planted trees and a preserved, historically significant Vimy Oak. The facility’s strategic location reduces the distance buses travel for maintenance and storage, resulting in operational efficiencies and reduced emissions.

The future of transportation is now

Governments and transit authorities across Canada are committed to zero-emission strategies and the electrification of bus fleets. The Edmonton Transit Service’s 40 electric buses were one of the largest purchases of electric buses in Canada. Electrification of our transportation system will reap significant benefits. Each traditional bus replaced with an electric bus produces 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and reduces maintenance costs by 30 percent.

To accommodate the future of public transit, Morrison Hershfield worked with ETS to develop innovative in-depot overhead charging stations, the largest of its kind in Canada. These stations provide a quicker charge, which, combined with the buses’ larger charge storage capacity, means customers can enjoy a better experience with fewer stops to recharge.

The move to the electrification of transportation fleets is an ever-present reality in the world of public transportation — with forward-thinking solutions and expert advice, the transition from diesel to electric is an attainable and realistic next step for transportation systems in Canada.

With forward-thinking solutions and expert advice, the transition from diesel to electric is an attainable and realistic next step for transportation systems in Canada.

As a leader in the transportation industry, Morrison Hershfield seeks to advance public transportation. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn, connect and share ideas with other transit industry professionals during Morrison Hershfield’s interactive Transit Facilities Webinar series.

The post A Leading Canadian Engineering Practice Helps Forward Thinking Clients Drive Green Solutions appeared first on HiveInnovates.

David Fox

Principal, Entuitive

Entuitive’s work begins with design and continues through construction, maintenance, and renewal. We work with contractors and owners to ensure the best balance of constructability, cost, and performance requirements. By integrating temporary works into permanent structure design, a host of efficiencies can be unlocked that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

Integrating construction engineering with permanent structure design exemplifies our philosophy of continuously seeking to provide additional value to our clients. By integrating the temporary works into the permanent structure, we can find efficiencies in the lengthy construction process, eliminate the need to do things twice, reduce materials, and ensure the design is constructible.

The value in integrating construction engineering with permanent structure design

Depending on the delivery model, such as design-build or public-private partnership, it’s often possible to integrate temporary works into permanent structure design, thereby saving time and money and creating a safer construction sequence. By engaging our team early in the project process, contractors and owners gain the benefit of having their construction sequence accommodated in the structural design. When we know how contractors intend to construct a structure, we can collaborate with them to identify opportunities for efficiencies that will enable them to complete their work on time and on budget. We don’t believe in “setting it and forgetting it.” We work with contractors throughout the process, collaborating with them every step of the way, asking questions, and listening to the answers.

We don’t believe in ‘setting it and forgetting it’. We work with contractors throughout the process, collaborating with them every step of the way, asking questions, and listening to the answers.

What does this approach look like?

An example would be designing a base structure to account for temporary loading, such as construction traffic or equipment. By understanding how the contractor is going to complete their work, we can build that capacity into the base design, eliminating the need for and cost of temporarily shoring the slab if that’s the cost-effective option. Similarly, if we know that the contractor is going to use a tower crane or material hoist restraint, we can design space in the base build to accommodate this connection, ultimately saving time and money. Both Calgary’s New Central Library and Platform Innovation Centre and Parkade, for example, were constructed directly overtop an active light rail transit line. The design of the building required an innovative sequence of construction considerations to enable the installation of very heavy long-span structural elements across the corridor. Both projects had their unique challenges, but one thing in common was the constructability sequencing and temporary bracing elements that were incorporated in the building design. Other examples of this work include New York’s Manhattan West Platform and the Finch LRT in Toronto. If you’re interested in learning more about our projects, or how Entuitive can support contractors, reach out to Stephen Brown or David Fox.

The post Our 1+1=3 Approach to Construction Engineering and Permanent Structure Design appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Where collaboration meets innovation

Founded in 1926, Graham Construction is one of Canada’s most experienced construction companies and a leader in innovative infrastructure development. “Innovation and collaboration are at the center of how we operate — we have a true partner culture,” says Cecil Dawe, Graham’s Executive Vice President of Industrial and Infrastructure. “We recruit, train, and develop our people to foster a collaborative environment. This results in more successful project outcomes for Graham and our clients, and for all stakeholders.” 

Graham invests in its people through purpose-built learning and development programs that strengthen employees’ commitment to Graham’s culture and core values. These internally-developed programs ensure the business has highly qualified and progressive project teams and is part of Graham’s long-term devotion to innovation, collaboration, and future industry leaders.

This approach generates innovative solutions to complex challenges. During the recent Groat Road Bridge Rehabilitation project in Edmonton, Graham worked closely with its engineering partner to develop a unique overhead gantry crane system to revitalize the 70-year-old bridge. This enabled the structure to remain open to traffic throughout construction while protecting the marine habitat in the river below. Despite its aggressive schedule, the project was successfully delivered on time.

“Innovation is not new to Graham, it’s something we do daily,” says Tom Cole, Graham’s Vice President of Infrastructure in Western Canada. “Our clients recognize and appreciate our abilities to collaborate and innovate, to meet the needs of demanding projects.”

Collaborative contract models are reshaping the industry

Graham is an advocate for more collaborative contracting models. These efforts have included discussions with national and provincial construction associations and meetings with capital project staff at over 80 provincial and municipal governments. Graham provides clients with suggestions for improved public procurement of infrastructure projects, from a constructor’s point of view. This includes recommendations for optimizing Canada’s standard model for P3 (public-private partnership) projects.

“Innovation should never be an afterthought,” says Cole. “We believe collaboration is essential in the early stages of a project because that’s when we discover where everyone’s strengths are, and therefore able to develop innovative solutions together.”

Graham endorses early contractor involvement because it allows for optimal designs to emerge, and early planning to de-risk the construction phase before building commences. Putting these project partners together early in a project’s lifecycle, allows that fusion of knowledge and experience to generate impressive results.

Graham’s track record of collaborative project delivery is extensive. In 2013, the company began working on the first project in Canada to leverage the integrated project delivery model — the Dr. F.H. Wigmore Regional Hospital in Saskatchewan — and is currently working on the first progressive design-build contracts in Canada at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant also in Saskatchewan and the Stuart Lake Hospital Redevelopment (BC). Graham partners closely with its clients, designers, sub-contractors, suppliers, Indigenous communities, and all other stakeholders involved in a project.

Ongoing innovation in technology

“In addition to hiring and developing our people to be collaborators and innovators, we also invest in technology to give our people great tools and systems to help them manage projects,” says Matt Gramblicka, Vice President of Information Technology and Enterprise Applications at Graham.

Graham is currently investing $20 million to integrate industry-leading software into its existing project management system, ensuring project stakeholders have the most recent iteration of technology at their disposal.

This continual investment in improving on-site technology, in combination with its recruitment and training programs, true partner approach, and leadership in emerging contracting models, has positioned Graham as the contractor of choice for clients across Canada. Graham is delivering the solutions to successfully build and replace Canada’s infrastructure.

The post Innovating from Within to Deliver Canada’s Infrastructure appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Investing in well-designed, constructed, and maintained infrastructure that meets the needs of today — and is resilient enough to meet the challenges of tomorrow — has never been of greater importance.

The events of the past 18 months, from the devastation of the pandemic to the extreme heat, wildfires, and flooding caused by climate change, have amply demonstrated that waiting to repair, upgrade, or build new infrastructure is a recipe for disaster, causing greater economic and social hardships for governments and citizens alike over the long term.

Investing in infrastructure is also a proven way to quickly jumpstart economic activity and to enable greater opportunities for job and economic growth in the future to ensure our communities thrive.

Approaching infrastructure with a mindset open to innovation, like in a P3 project, can also lead to amazing results that benefit the public.

Across Canada, governments at all levels have responded to this crisis with commitments to invest tens of billions of dollars in critical infrastructure projects, from new hospitals and long-term care homes to transformative urban transit, innovative energy, and high-speed internet access for Canadians in communities large and small.

But beyond helping governments achieve their ambitious goals to get shovels in the ground quickly, we also need to examine how we can better harness cutting-edge technology, embed inclusiveness and diversity, and think sustainably in our projects.

A big part of this is considering how to stretch taxpayer dollars further given mounting government deficits and a lack of public appetite for increased taxes, and how to install more rigour in understanding, planning, and budgeting for life cycle maintenance of our infrastructure so it can reliably function for decades to come.

The public-private partnership (P3) approach is particularly well-positioned to rise to the challenge. A significant portion of the infrastructure built in Canada over the past 30 years has been through the country’s globally-recognized P3 model. These partnerships, which most often involve long-term private investment, fuel government procurement efficiency, enabling better use of public funds. Research has also shown that, when used for the appropriate projects, they’re less likely to suffer cost and schedule overruns because of increased accountability and oversight.

Approaching infrastructure with a mindset open to innovation, like in a P3 project, can also lead to amazing results that benefit the public. This includes such things as innovative financing, using drones and robotics, different building materials, and greener technology. Already as a result of the pandemic, infrastructure experts are looking at how to integrate new solutions and flexibility into building hospitals, for example, to make the Canadian health care system more resilient and adaptable in future pandemics. The investments — and innovations — we make now will have a profound impact on enabling the future of Canadian communities from coast to coast to coast to thrive and prosper.

This article was sponsored by The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP).

The post Canada Has the Will, Talent to Build More Innovative Infrastructure appeared first on HiveInnovates.

With a “return to normal” on the horizon, what challenges do you foresee persisting for small businesses over the next year?

One of the more intensely felt impacts of the pandemic has been on supply chains and business logistics, and unfortunately, it is one that I do not see as magically disappearing overnight. If even one link in the chain, such as a factory producing vital materials in another country, is delayed because of ongoing restrictions or outbreaks, then the entire chain can be backed up for days or weeks on end.

And this is an issue that small business owners are well aware of CFIB data from May 2021 indicates that 41 percent of business owners are worried about business logistics, such as getting and shipping products or managing inventory, up from 29 percent in April 2020.

Your recent report on these challenges talks about what you call a “domino effect of delays”. Who is being affected on the latter end of these delays?

As our country moves towards economic reopening and recovery, we need to be mindful of the fact that these disruptions will add up for small businesses and significantly affect their operating costs. To avoid shuttering their doors completely, these increasing costs are going to inevitably fall on the consumer. On average, businesses indicated that they will increase prices by 3.3 percent over the next twelve months, the biggest increase we’ve seen since 2009. Small businesses are already in a precarious position due to the past fifteen months, and higher prices will further hurt their ability to rebound and make up lost sales.

Is there anything small businesses can do to mitigate these challenges?

Capacity and policy surrounding rapid testing have developed significantly over the past few months. Now more than ever is the time to capitalize on frequent testing in manufacturing and warehouse settings. Workplace outbreaks can grind production to a complete halt due to shutdowns that last a minimum of two weeks, often more. Rapid testing can help avoid these shutdowns. Physical distancing requirements could also be relaxed with more rapid testing, allowing production to increase and become more stable.

This is also an opportunity for the government to step in and proactively address what has the potential to be a real threat to economic recovery. By keeping taxes low and reducing red tape, such as internal trade barriers, governments will be able to offset some of the increasing costs facing small businesses.

The post How Governments Can Help Business Recovery Affected by Logistics Issues appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Trish Penny works in corporate health and safety at Black & McDonald. She’s a member and volunteer of Threads of Life — Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support. Trish’s older brother Luke died when a wall collapsed and he was crushed while working in a trench. He had just started a new job weather proofing buildings.

What inspired you to enter a career in health and safety?

It wasn’t until Luke’s passing that I even considered a role in health and safety. I began taking courses when we started court proceedings, as a personal venture to understand a little more about things we may hear during the trial. Once I started the courses it became evident that this was something I could do long-term.

Thinking back on some previous jobs, I couldn’t recall any emphasis on worker safety. I felt like it was a gap, and that I could come in with enthusiasm, passion, and a personal understanding to fill that gap. 

What was your planned career before this?

I had gone to school to be a hairstylist. I’d been working in a local salon when I started taking my occupational health and safety courses. 

What’s your personal philosophy of health and safety?  

I would say that my personal safety philosophy is to make sure it’s relevant. Developing and implementing safety processes that can integrate into operations is very much the goal. I feel like this is achieved by actively listening to the workers, and ensuring that they have input in the development of programs. Collaboration is essential. 

I feel like this is achieved by actively listening to the workers, and ensuring that they have input in the development of programs. Collaboration is essential.

How has the pandemic affected your work?

I’ve been in a corporate health and safety role for almost three years now. This means much less field time or visits to project sites. I’m fortunate to be able to work from home during the pandemic. 

We do have many employees who do essential work. They’ve been continuing to work in various roles, and truly deserve recognition for the work they’ve done throughout the past year.

What has shifted for me, personally, is the need for continual updates as new information becomes available. Laws, standards, and requirements in health and safety do change frequently, but the data from COVID-19 (be it recommendations for masking or facial coverings or occupancy requirements) seems to change hourly. It’s been a pretty fast-paced year, just making sure we’re on top of all the latest information. 

Where would you say you are today in your own grief journey?

To be honest, I have to say I’m in a state of limbo at the moment. 
It’s been almost 11 years since Luke passed away. There have been so many milestones since then that he has missed, and those hurt the most.

I’m currently five months out from my own wedding and the grief of him not being there for that is huge. But, most days I’m good. I have mostly happy memories.

I can’t say it gets easier, but you just learn your emotions and triggers and kind of prepare for it. 

What did Luke’s death teach you (good or bad) about workplace safety?

1. New and young workers are so vulnerable. They don’t know what they don’t know, and even the most confident person may be hesitant to ask questions or request clarification. Employers need to understand that gap and take necessary steps to fill that gap. Ongoing coaching and mentorship go a long way. 

2. The value of building relationships is imperative to ensuring safety in workplaces. People need to feel like they can speak to their health and safety team without fear of reprisal. 

3. Supervisors need to understand what their role entails. The role greatly increases your responsibilities when it comes to health and safety. It’s important to understand that what you tell people, how you coach them, how you lead them, and what you allow or don’t allow will translate in how they’ll work. It’s an integral position within any organization. 

How did you first learn about Threads of Life?

An ex-girlfriend of Luke’s reached out to us about a year after he passed away. She had found Steps for Life (an annual fundraising and awareness event) and thought we may be interested in starting a team and doing the walk. We were able to gather a small group and raise some money (much more than I thought we could!). The walk put us in contact with Threads of Life, and that fall we attended our first forum. 

What value do you feel Threads of Life offers for a health and safety professional?

Hearing the stories that Threads of Life members share definitely reinforces the reason why I work in safety. Those true stories are the fundamental reason why I do what I do, and you don’t have to have my personal experience with tragedy to feel that commitment. No one should go to work and come home injured, or not come home at all.

The post Motivation From the Heart appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Thirty years ago, Canada held its first official National Day of Mourning. Since then, every April 28th, we pay our respects and remember those workers who tragically lost their lives, were injured, or suffered illness while working. We think of those who feel the impact today, their lives forever changed: loved ones, family members, friends, and coworkers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the importance of workplace health and safety to workers, unions, and employers. Our government is working hard to provide a vaccine for everyone who wants one. Tens of thousands of Canadians are getting vaccinated every day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home the importance of workplace health and safety to workers, unions, and employers.

As Minister of Labour, I’ll continue to make sure that workers are secure and protected. We’ve made many legislative and regulatory changes in the past two years that put workers’ safety first. We’re ensuring that the Westray provisions of the Criminal Code are properly understood. Criminal conduct resulting in serious injury or death in the workplace will be penalized. Working with the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, we’ve increased education on workplace health and safety for workers and employers.

I’m consulting with workers, unions, and employers about making the protection of workers’ mental health a part of our occupational health and safety rules. I’m also examining the changing nature of work — the trends of automation, gig work, and the right to disconnect.

Let us remember all workers who have lost their lives or felt the impact of unsafe working conditions. We must continue working together towards ensuring workplace health and safety.

The post Working Together Towards Ensuring Workplace Health and Safety appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Airports are far more than glass, metal, and concrete — they’re distinctly human spaces filled to overflowing with a variety of emotions, experiences, and perspectives. People are the heart and soul of Pearson — its travellers, their friends and families, the communities it serves, and, of course, its valued employees. For this reason, health and safety are, above all else, Pearson’s top priorities.

National Day of Mourning is a time to remember those who have lost their lives or experienced illness or injury while on the job. It’s also a day to reaffirm Pearson’s commitment to health and safety, understanding that Pearson, the 400-plus employers at the airport, its union partners, and its workers are on a continuous and collaborative journey to enhance worker health and safety.

“The most fitting way to honour workers across Canada who have lost their lives or been injured on the job is to develop a culture of health and safety that permeates every corner of the airport,” says Kath Hammond, Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Safety and Security at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). “This means having honest conversations, recognizing areas for improvement, and making changes where necessary. It’s also about highlighting past successes, improving on them and amplifying them, in the context of the current environment.”

Kath Hammond

Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Safety & Security, Greater Toronto Airports Authority

“Mourning is more than remembering,” says Steven Tufts, Toronto Airport Workers Council (TAWC) spokesperson. “Mourning is a process of paying respect through actions. It means continuing to support Pearson Works! Online, the online resource centre for workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. It means establishing a vaccination hub at Pearson to serve airport workers and the surrounding communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”

“All over the country, countless dedicated workers before us have paid a price that serves as a reminder of our human frailty,” says Mike Garabedian, Senior Chaplain at Pearson’s Aviation Interfaith Ministry. “Although this is a solemn occasion, we commemorate the National Day of Mourning with a sense of expectation for the present and hope for the future as we reflect together on better things to come.”

Steven Tufts

Spokesperson, Toronto Airport Workers Council

Mourning is more than remembering. Mourning is a process of paying respect through actions.

— Steven Tufts, Spokesperson, Airport Workers Council

The launch of the Healthy Airport initiative

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a variety of challenges around health and safety, but it has also resulted in opportunities for collaboration among the Pearson airport community. In June 2020, Pearson launched its Healthy Airport initiative, a comprehensive program that outlines the steps the airport and its partners are taking to be ready for the new realities of air travel and to lead the aviation industry in advancing the future of healthy travel corridors.

An airport is a complex environment, and everything from airport security and public safety to employee-customer interactions and day-of operations needed to be considered as part of Healthy Airport. In fact, many of the 400-plus organizations operating out of Pearson have implemented a variety of health and safety measures, and work closely with the GTAA to ensure their employees comply with the Healthy Airport commitment.

Healthy Airport consists of measures such as enhanced cleaning, mandatory mask-wearing inside the terminal, and limiting terminal access to employees on duty and same-day travellers. Pearson has also employed a host of innovations, from upgrades to the HVAC system, real-time, publicly-available air quality monitoring, and autonomous cleaning robots to COVID-19 testing pilots, four different applications of UV-C light sanitization, and the installation of plexiglass barriers throughout the airport. These advancements benefit passengers and employees alike, but the airport has also worked closely with its partners to develop a number of COVID-19 responses aimed directly at employees.

Focusing on employees

In addition to conducting airport-wide workforce education sessions at the launch of Healthy Airport, the GTAA has worked with public health officials and a growing number of airport employers to develop a COVID-19 case log. The log is voluntary and provides high-level, depersonalized information about confirmed COVID-19 cases at the airport, with 94 employers currently participating.

Earlier this year, the GTAA announced the deployment of 1,000 COVID Safety Alert devices to frontline GTAA employees. These devices were designed to help reinforce physical distancing and rapidly enable workplace contact tracing in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

Finally, selected workers at Pearson now have the opportunity to participate in a first-of-its-kind study into the use of repeated antigen tests to identify COVID-19 in the workplace. Study participants are being asked to take a rapid antigen test two to three times per week, to support an understanding of enhanced safety in group settings like workplaces and further strengthen a science-based approach to COVID-19.

Strength through support

Airport workers have acutely felt the dramatic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, the GTAA partnered with TAWC to create Pearson Works! Online, a virtual resource centre dedicated to supporting the employee and employer communities at Pearson.

“We’re encouraged with how the GTAA has recognized the impact of COVID-19 on the worker community at Pearson,” says Sean Smith of TAWC. “The future of our airport community will be shaped by our collective response to this unprecedented crisis. Now is the time for us to work together to make the changes needed so that Pearson will remain Canada’s gateway to the world, providing good jobs to anchor the communities where we live.”

“It’s vital that employers and workers continue to collaborate on our efforts against this pandemic so that the airport community can emerge from this crisis stronger, and so that the airport can fulfill its role as an anchor in the new economy for the region,” adds Deborah Flint, President and CEO of the GTAA.

Looking to the future

While the COVID-19 pandemic is anything but predictable, Pearson looks toward a future where a safe and healthy restart of air travel takes place at the right time. When that happens, there will inevitably be new challenges and opportunities with regard to worker health and safety. The GTAA is confident that continued collaboration with all airport partners and an unwavering focus on agility in the collective response will ensure that the health and safety culture at the airport continues to grow and flourish.

The post Collaboration for a Safer, Healthier Toronto Pearson appeared first on HiveInnovates.