Ontario to require menstrual products on construction sites
The Ontario government will require large construction sites in the province to provide menstrual products as part of an omnibus bill set to be introduced Monday.
Labour Minister David Piccini says the requirement will apply to sites of 20 workers or more where construction is expected to last at least three months.
The Working for Workers bill, the fifth installment in a series of government labour legislation, will also require employers at construction sites and other workplaces to keep washrooms clean and sanitary and maintain records of cleaning.
In a news release issued Monday, the government said the legislation, which it described as a “first of its kind” in Canada, would make the skilled trades more accessible to women and support women at work.
“To deliver on this government's ambitious plan to build Ontario, we're going to need more hands on deck,” Piccini said at a Monday morning news conference. “But without more women in the trades, we'll have one hand tied behind our backs and I refuse to let this happen.”
The government says approximately one in 10 construction workers are women and according to a 2022 Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen survey, half of respondents said better washrooms on site were needed to make construction more appealing to women.
Also included in the bill is the addition of “virtual harassment” to the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s definition of workplace harassment and workplace sexual harassment. As well, the bill pledges to engage with harassment survivors, legal experts, and stakeholders to create a “duty to act” for employers to address workplace misconduct.
Parts of the bill were teased last week, with the government announcing bigger fines for “bad actor” employers in the province and expanded health coverage for wildland firefighters. Also included is the removal of sick note requirements for workers on short absences to reduce paperwork for family doctors.
Piccini is expected to table the bill in the legislature Monday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.