b'MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAVENUESDoing Avenues is published forthingsThe Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association differently 5720 Timberlea Blvd., Suite 103 Mississauga, ON L4W 4W2 Tel: 905-507-0711 www.theholestory.caF olks, 2020 was a year no one will ever forget!tooweather, at least inPublisher Robert ThompsonIt got off to a roaring start. The early winterOSSGA Editor southern Ontario, did not seem to have hitbadly. And we hadRichard HillierexcellentturnoutsatbothourmajoreventsheldinJanuaryand February respectively: the Operations Health and Safety Seminar inEditor Toronto and then our annual Conference and AGM in Niagara Falls.Roma IhnatowyczSales Executives But shortly thereafter, the roof sort of fell in. Dawn Stokes, Derek de Weerdt,Brenda Ezinicki, Bill Biber, April HawkesPlease return undeliverable items to: The Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, 5720 Timberlea Blvd., Suite 103, Mississauga, ON L4W 4W2For almost a year now, we have been doing things differently than we used toSenior Design Specialist do. Meetings by Zoom; masks in grocery stores and other public places; fewerifJames T. Mitchellanybusiness lunches or informal get togethers; and, of course, more isolation from family and friends.Design Specialist Marisa GiesbrechtIt has not been an easy time, but for the most part we have weathered it, at leastAVENUES is published for theso far. And Im happy to say that while the number of cases is still high relative toOntario Stone, Sand & Gravel Association by: where we were last summer, the end is in sight. In the meantime, we must continue to maintain good public health practicesP u b l i s h i n guntil this pandemic is truly behind us. Only then will we fully understand the33 South Station Street impact, the damage if you will, that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on us inToronto, ON M9N 2B2 terms of the way we do business and how we lead our lives. 1-866-480-4717 Email: robertt@mediaedge.caThis may seem trite, but one thing we know: business continued during the531 Marion Street pandemic, and business will continue after the pandemic has passed us by. WhatWinnipeg, MB R2J 0J9 continues to amaze me in this industry is the variety of issues and challenges we1-866-201-3096 need to deal with on a day-to-day basis.Complying with regulatory requirements.Fax: (204) 480-4420 Lookingforwaystoimproveouroperations.Assessingandplanningforanwww.mediaedgepublishing.comuncertain future. Doing all the due diligence steps before going public with an application or a request for an amendment. Estimating where the biggest costsPresident savings are and what technologies and practices to utilize while maintainingKevin Brownhealth and safety in the workplace. Meeting and working remotely. Senior Vice-President All these things were part of pre-COVID-19 and will remain with us post- Robert ThompsonCOVID-19. What we dont know yet is how these activities will change as thingsDirector, Business Development return to normal, if at all. Indeed, we cant even be sure what normal will be.Michael BellBranch Manager Theimpactofreducedimmigration,tighterpublicsectorfinancesandNancie Privhousehold budgets, and a greater desire for better work/life balance will not only impact society in general but will impact our industry as well. It will influenceAll rights reserved. The contents of this publication may those who regulate us, those who buy from us, and those who work for us. not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the association.So, heres to a New Year! Hopefully it will be a year in which we recover from thisPublished February 2021 global storm and move on with confidence to face the challenges thatlieahead.PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT #40787580Norman Cheesman, Executive Director, OSSGA Avenues is printed on 10% post-consumer FSC certified paper using soya based inks. When necessary to mail an issue in an enclosure,we use an environmentally-friendly, 100% oxo-degradable poly-wrap.6 AVENUESWINTER 2021'