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Toronto Contractor Fined $20,000 for Digging Without a Locate

Writer: TraceIQ
TraceIQ
Oct 11
2 min read

On October 7, 2026, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) announced that Orin Concrete Inc. had pleaded guilty to a safety violation under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000. The Ontario Court of Justice fined the company $20,000, plus a mandatory 25 per cent victim fine surcharge.


WHAT HAPPENED


In June 2025, Orin Concrete employees struck an underground gas pipeline during excavation work in Toronto. Gas was released. The Fire Department attended to make the area safe, and Enbridge shut down the gas supply to stop the leak. No injuries or property damage were reported.


The part that turned an accident into a conviction: at the time of the incident, the company had not obtained a locate of underground gas pipelines for the excavation work — as required under Ontario regulations.


THE BIGGER PICTURE


This was not a one-off. TSSA's latest Public Safety Report shows pipeline strikes remain one of the most common fuel-related incidents in Ontario: 1,882 pipeline strikes in the fiscal year ending April 30, 2026 — 64 per cent of all reported fuel-related incidents.


"When excavation begins without knowing where buried utilities are located, a routine construction activity can result in a gas leak, service disruption or more serious consequences." — Owen Kennedy, Director of Fuels Safety, TSSA


WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES


Safe excavation starts with obtaining locates for underground infrastructure — it is mandatory, not optional. Contractors and property owners are advised to contact the Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call) whenever locates are needed: https://ontariodigauthority.ca


THE TRACEIQ TAKE


A private locate costs a fraction of $20,000. One visit, every line painted to APWA colour code, photo documentation and a dig sheet in your inbox the same day.


Breaking ground soon? Call TraceIQ Locating Inc. at 647-832-3696 or visit traceiqlocates.com.


SOURCES



Ontario Dig Authority: https://ontariodigauthority.ca

 
 
 

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