My name is Frank Zechner. I'm the executive director of the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association. With me is Mr. George Kleinsteiber, our anti-theft consultant for construction equipment.
I should note that Mr. Kleinsteiber is a former OPP officer, having 32 years on the force. Nineteen of those years were in the auto theft branch of the OPP as a detective constable. He had responsibility for investigation of all auto thefts, including heavy equipment, across Ontario.
The Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association is also a member of the Canadian Construction Association, established in 1918, and it is a federal not-for-profit association representing Canadian construction contractors, suppliers, consultants, and other businesses.
A lot of the equipment of our members--both the Canadian and Ontario associations--is in public road allowances on a 24/7 basis. Consequently, it is a target for thieves. Both the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association and the Canadian Construction Association have had serious concerns about theft and vandalism of construction equipment, and both associations support the passage of Bill C-26, an act to amend the Criminal Code.
I'd like Mr. George Kleinsteiber now to give you some information on construction.