Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 4
CHAIR’S MESSAGE
LEADING THROUGH CHANGE
By GREG BROKENSHIRE, OGCA Chair
VERY GENERATION likes to think it is
living through extraordinary
times. Most probably aren't. This
one might be, at least in terms of
the construction industry.
For decades, our industry
has evolved in ways that were largely
predictable. Materials improved.
Equipment became more capable. Project
delivery models changed. Technology
steadily made us more productive. Safety
performance improved dramatically. We
adapted, learned and moved forward.
Today feels a bit different.
For the 昀椀rst time in a long time, many
of us are asking not just how construction
will change, but whether the fundamentals
of our business may change with it. How
projects are designed, estimated, procured,
managed and delivered is being challenged
from multiple directions at once. Arti昀椀cial
intelligence is receiving most of the
headlines, but it is only one part of a much
broader transformation that includes
automation, digital engineering, advanced
analytics, industrialized construction and
entirely new ways of organizing work.
No one can say with con昀椀dence exactly
where this leads. Business models may
evolve. Competitive advantages may shift.
The skills that create value 昀椀ve or ten
years from now may not be the same ones
that have de昀椀ned success over the past
generation.
Uncertainty can be uncomfortable, and
it can also create opportunity.
The Ontario General Contractors
Association can be at its best during
periods of change. Our role has never been
to predict the future (that's shockingly
hard), our role is to help members be
resilient and deal with what might be
coming.
That responsibility has probably never
been more important.
Every week brings another software
platform, another AI application,
another technology vendor promising to
revolutionize construction. Some might
make an impact, and many will not.
E
Uncertainty can be
uncomfortable, and it can also
create opportunity.
4 the generals • SUMMER 2026
For busy contractors trying to run
successful businesses, it's becoming
increasingly dif昀椀cult to separate
meaningful innovation from clever
marketing.
Not every new tool deserves our
attention. Not every trend deserves
investment.
Our challenge as an association is not to
chase every headline. It is to help members
identify the innovations that genuinely
improve safety, productivity, quality
and competitiveness while avoiding the
distractions that consume valuable time
and resources.
That is where our Innovation
Committee has become increasingly
important. Its value is not simply
introducing members to new technologies.
Its value is providing perspective.
Evaluating ideas. Sharing practical
experience. Creating opportunities for
members to learn from one another rather
than having every company navigate this
rapidly changing landscape alone.
The same is true of our Education
Committee.
The pace of change means learning can
no longer be something we do occasionally
throughout our careers. It has become a
continuous requirement for organizations
and individuals alike. Whether the
topic is technology, project delivery,
leadership, risk management or workforce
development, our members need practical
education that keeps pace with the realities
of today's marketplace.
Perhaps the biggest challenge, however,
is not technology at all, it's people.
Our industry continues to compete
aggressively for skilled tradespeople,
project managers, engineers, estimators
and future leaders. At the same time, a
new generation is entering the workforce
with different expectations about careers,
learning, technology and 昀氀exibility.
Recent reporting from Brown University
highlighted how widespread reliance on AI
tools has become among students, raising
questions about how foundational skills
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