Ontario Construction Report staff writer
The Ottawa Construction Association (OCA) is entering 2026 with new leadership at the helm, reporting a record-high membership and a solid financial foundation following a busy year of industry advocacy.
Dan Leduc of Soloway Wright LLP has been elected to assume the role of OCA chair for 2026, officially taking the gavel from 2025 chair Ken Crawford of C & M Electric. The leadership transition coincides with a historic shift in the association’s executive office. John DeVries has retired as president and general manager after leading the organization for nearly 28 years.
DeVries has been succeeded by Bill Ferreira, who joined the OCA following eight years of service at BuildForce Canada and previous experience with the Canadian Construction Association.
“I don’t have to tell you what a contribution he has made to this association, to our local industry and to the community at large in that period of time,” Crawford wrote of DeVries in the association’s 2025 annual report.
Ferreira steps into the executive director role of an association experiencing steady growth. The OCA closed 2025 with a record 1,190 member firms, having achieved a net gain of 20 new companies over the year. The diverse membership base now includes 370 trade contractors, 368 manufacturers, services and suppliers, 184 general contractors, 169 mechanical and electrical contractors, and 99 roadbuilders and heavy construction contractors.
Financially, the association remains on firm footing. According to the 2025 financial statements, the OCA generated total revenues of $3,226,560 against operating expenses of $3,103,059, resulting in an excess of revenues over expenses of $123,501. The association’s total net assets at the end of the year stood at a healthy $8,020,748.
The regional construction market also maintained its momentum. In 2025, the City of Ottawa issued 7,492 building permits valued at just over $3.25 billion. While this represents a four per cent decline from 2024, it marks the seventh consecutive year that permit values have exceeded the $3-billion threshold. Correspondingly, the OCA’s plansroom saw a nearly three per cent increase in activity, hosting 2,769 projects over the year.
The OCA also secured significant advocacy victories for its members in 2025. The association successfully pushed back against the City of Ottawa’s plan to sole-source a $15-million newcomer reception centre to Toronto-based BLT Construction using a pre-engineered “sprung structure”. Following public criticism from the OCA and the General Contractors Association of Ottawa regarding the city’s assumption that local industry lacked the capability to deliver the project, the city cancelled the contract.
Additionally, the OCA successfully lobbied the city to modify liquidated damages provisions on the $300-plus million Lansdowne 2.0 redevelopment—ultimately awarded to EBC Inc.—eliminating unpredictable risks that went well beyond standard delay costs.
Beyond industry advocacy, the OCA continued its strong tradition of corporate philanthropy. In 2025, the association donated more than $113,000 to local charities. This included a record $50,000 donation to the Ottawa Food Bank, raised during a massive spring golf tournament that attracted an unprecedented 648 players across three local courses.