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QuoteSecond Guilty Plea This Year for Pipeline Strikes in Ontario
 
Toronto, ON, August 20, 2025 — Vaughan-based Orin Landscaping Inc. (Orin Landscaping) has pleaded guilty to striking and damaging a natural gas pipeline in Toronto and has been fined $30,000 and a 25% victim surcharge by the Ontario Court of Justice. The company was found guilty of an offence under Ontario Regulation 210/01 of the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000.

In December 2024, Orin Landscaping was using a mechanical excavator for a drainage installation project at Bathurst Street in downtown Toronto when it struck and damaged a 4-inch plastic gas main pipeline that was part of the Enbridge gas supply system. No injuries were reported in this incident.

By law, contractors must obtain locates before digging to avoid damaging pipelines and other underground infrastructure. Even with the legally required locates, Orin Landscape violated safety code requirements by using a mechanical excavator within one metre of the gas line. Only vacuum excavation equipment or hand tools is permitted within this distance, as specified by the safety code provision.

"Enforcement is one of our key tools to protect public safety as Ontario's safety regulator. This marks the second guilty plea for gas pipeline strikes so far this year," said Owen Kennedy, TSSA's Director of Fuels. "Contractors must take every necessary precaution when digging near pipelines. Striking underground infrastructure doesn't just disrupt the affected neighbourhoods; it can cause gas leaks and many other serious consequences. Follow rules and dig safe, that's the right thing to do for every business involved in excavation," added Mr. Kennedy.

In March 2025, another construction company was fined for damaging multiple gas lines in and around Ottawa, which caused gas outages for six homes and a retail mall. Pipeline strikes account for the vast majority of fuels incidents in Ontario, making up 70% of all reported fuels incidents in fiscal year 2024, according to TSSA's latest Public Safety Report. Failing to follow safety requirements when digging can lead to serious risks, including gas leaks, fires, explosions, property damage, injuries, or fatalities. Additionally, repairs often require shutting off the gas supply, leaving nearby homes and businesses without heat, hot water, or cooking fuel.

Contractors must follow the safety code when digging. The requirements are set out in Canadian Standards Association's Damage Prevention for the Protection of Underground Infrastructure safety code, CSA Z247-15.

Before any digging project, homeowners and contractors must contact Ontario One Call to locate underground infrastructure such as gas, hydro, cable, and phone lines. This is an important step to help reduce the risk of damaging pipelines and other buried services.

If a gas line is damaged or a leak is suspected, it must be reported immediately to the Ministry of the Environment's Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060 or TSSA at 1-877-682-8772.

QuoteNew Requirement for Fuels G2 Enrolment: Proof of G3 Work Experience for Challenge Certificate Holders

TSSA will enforce the new requirement starting January 1, 2026

Starting January 1, 2026, Gas Technician 3 (G3) certificate holders who earned their certification through the challenge process must provide proof of 450 hours of G3 work experience before enrolling in a G2 program.

This new requirement seeks to ensure that candidates who obtained certification through a challenge process — specifically those who take an exam for a certificate without attending formal training — possess the necessary practical experience before pursuing higher G2 certification.

Accredited training providers of the Gas Technician and Oil Burner Technician Certification Program are responsible for obtaining proof of work experience totaling 450 hours from holders of G3 certificates. An acceptable form of proof includes a letter from the employer on company letterhead, confirming the candidate's G3 work experience.

Background

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers the Gas Technician and Oil Burner Technician Certification Program. Following consultation with accredited training providers, TSSA revised the Gas & Oil Burner Technician Policies & Procedures (section 6.5) in March 2025 to reflect this new requirement.

TSSA deferred the enforcement of this requirement to January 1, 2026, to give accredited training providers of this certification program time to implement this new requirement in screening processes for candidates of the G2 program.

TSSA is identifying ways to help accredited training providers determine whether a G3 certificate holder obtained their certificate through the challenge process.

To communicate this new requirement to potential candidates, TSSA will:

Post information on its website
Indicate the new requirement on the G3 challenge application form on the TSSA Client Portal
Remind G3 candidates of the new requirement during practical assessments
Notify employers of G3 certificate holders through the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

For details, please read the Gas & Oil Burner Technician Policies & Procedures.