Drainage Superintendents Association of Ontario

August 31, 2008

History of the Drainage Superintendents Association

BY RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE OF ONTARIO, A SELECT COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED ON JUNE 30, 1972 TO EXAMINE, STUDY AND INQUIRE INTO MATTERS REGARDING LAND DRAINAGE IN ONTARIO.
 

THE SELECT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IN JUNE, 1974: 

THAT EVERY MUNICIPALITY WHICH UNDERTAKES PROJECTS UNDER THE DRAINAGE ACT BE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE A DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT. TWO OR MORE MUNICIPALITIES MAY JOINTLY RETAIN A DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT OR ONE MUNICIPALITY MAY ENGAGE A PART-TIME SUPERINTENDENT PROVIDING HE IS QUALIFIED.

• THAT THE DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT BE REQUIRED TO REPORT PERIODICALLY ON THE CONDITION OF ALL THE DRAINS WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY.
   

• THAT THE DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT BE REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A COURSE OF STUDY SATISFACTORY TO THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD.
   

• THAT THE SALARY OF THE DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT BE BORNE BY THE GENERAL RATE OF TEE MUNICIPALITY AND THAT THIS SALARY BE SUBJECT TO THE NORMAL GRANT STRUCTURE AVAILABLE FROM THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD.

THE DRAINAGE ACT WAS REVISED AND PASSED INTO LEGISLATURE IN 1975 AND IN 1980, TILE ACT WAS AMENDED TO INCLUDE DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTSí APPOINTMENTS AND GRANTS FOR MAINTENANCE.

THE FIRST COURSE TO QUALIFY AS A DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENT WAS HELD IN STRATFORD IN 1981. WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON DRAINAGE, A GROUP OF DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS ATTENDING THE SUPERINTENDENT COURSE IN MARCH 1983 IN KJTCHENER AND OTTAWA, FOUND INTEREST IN FORMING AN ASSOCIATION FOR ONTARIO DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS.

SOME OF TUE OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION COULD BE:

1  TO EDUCATE THROUGH THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS.

2  TO PROVIDE UNIFORMITY OF INFORMATION FOR ALL SUPERINTENDENTS.

3 TO PROVIDE A STANDARD MEANS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN  AGENCIES AND   GROUPS SUCH AS: 

a)         MTO
b)         ROAD SUPERINTENDENTS
c)         OFDA
d)         OMAF
e)         DRAINAGE ENGINEERS

4  TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE BODY TO LOBBY FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGES. 

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT OUT TO ALL DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS AND OTHERS INTERESTED, FOR COMMENTS ON THE USEFULNESS OF SUCH AN ORGANIZATION. MEETINGS WERE HELD ON JUNE 3 AN]) JULY 8, IN TORONTO, TO REVIEW THE RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE AND TO MAKE CHANGES TO A TENTATIVE CONSTITUTION.

THERE WERE 69 FORMS RETURNED AND ONLY 5 NOT COMPLETED. SOME OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED WERE: 

a)   THAT THIS WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE ASSOCIATION.

b)   NEWSLETTER OR BULLETIN SENT OUT PERIODICALLY WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND INFORMATIVE.

c)   MEET LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY, QUARTERLY AND ANNUALLY ON THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL.

d)   ASSOCIATION WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO DISCUSS CONCERNS, IDEAS ANT) EXPERIENCES.

AT THE ADHOC COMMITTEE MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1983 IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, THE COMMIITEE MADE PLANS TO BE INCLUDED AT THE ONTARIO FARM DRAINAGE CONVENTION TO BE HELD JANUARY 18, 1984 IN LONDON. ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MEETING WAS THE APPROVAL OF THE FIRST CONSTITUTION FOR THE ONTARIO DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTSí ASSOCIATION. 

THE EXECUTIVE APPROVED ART JANSE AND CHARLES McGUIRE TO REPRESENT THE DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS ON THE ADHOC COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE O.F.D.A. SEVERAL EXECUTIVE MEETINGS WERE HELD IN 1984. AT THE MEETING OF JUNE 14, 1984, RALPH CLAYTONíS APPOINTMENT AS REPRESENTATIVE FOR O.M.A.F., DRAINAGE SECTION, WAS ACCEPTED. A LETTER SIGNED BY KEN McCUTCHEON, PRESIDENT OF O.F.D.A., OUTLINING ACCEPTABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES, FORMAL BUDGET, AND A REQUEST FOR A MUNICIPALITY MEMBERSHIP FEE WAS PRESENTED.

THE O.D.S.A. EXECUTIVE APPRECIATED THE SERVICES AND FACILITIES EXTENDED BY THE O.F.D.A. AT THE ANNUAL MEETING. SEVERAL OF THE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS HELD MEETINGS IN THEIR AREAS TO RECOMMEND GUIDELINES FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION. THERE WERE 34 DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS PAID AS MEMBERS CONSISTING OF 29 DRAINAGE SUPERINTENDENTS AND 5 ENGINEERING FIRMS.