1. RAISING
THE ROOFRogers Centre gets a makeover
HAIRSTYLIST
TO THE STARS
Karola Dirnberger takes us
behind the scenes
also
RIDE-ALONG
Afternoon journey with
an enforcement officer
THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TRADES MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2016 | VOLUME 3 EDITION 2

2. Hire With Confidence is a unique
job board dedicated solely to
connecting skilled trades-based
apprentices, employers/sponsors
and certified journeypersons
across Ontario.

3. T R A D E S T O D A Y
F E A T U R E S
S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
Ontario College of Trades
655 Bay St., Suite 600
Toronto, ON
M5G 2K4
Telephone: (647) 847-3000
Toll free: (855) 299-0028
Fax: (647) 340-4332
info@collegeoftrades.ca
COVER PHOTO BY KRIS CAETANO
Trades Today is published quarterly by the
Ontario College of Trades, delivering information
to its members about College activities and news
related to Ontario’s skilled trades community.
Printed by Perkins Service Inc.
Please credit the Ontario College of Trades for reproducing, in whole or in part, articles from this and/or
past issues of this magazine’s contents.
VO LU M E 3 E D I T I O N 2
2 RIDING ALONG
On the road with an enforcement officer
4 MORE PATHWAYS FOR APPRENTICES
New sponsorship options
6 RAISING THE ROOF
The view from the top at Rogers Centre
8 HAIRSTYLIST TO THE STARS
Behind the scenes of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters
10 VOLUNTEER TO LEAD
Make a difference in your trade
12 COLLEGE UPDATES

4. Perhaps you can come back next
week,” suggests a wary owner of a
Toronto automotive service centre, as we
pull up to our first stop.
For Ontario College of Trades enforce-
ment officer, Mary Kontopidis, this
isn’t an option. She is here to make sure
that individuals working in compulsory
trades are certified, so avoiding the visit
isn’t going to work. Kontopidis is one
of approximately 50 officers across the
province who are visiting workplaces to
check certification and educate individu-
als about the role of the College.
However, a ride-along with Kontopi-
dis proves that her job is much more
complex than what some may anticipate.
In fact, for the first time in Ontario,
business owners and tradespeople are not
just getting someone checking certifica-
tion but also gaining access to an expert
to answer their questions; many of which
had been left unanswered before the Col-
lege came into existence.
“I have a person that I want to hire as an
apprentice but he doesn’t have his Grade
10,” says one automotive shop owner. He
poses several other questions about his
responsibilities and the process for sign-
ing up apprentices. His story is similar
to many other business owners; the busy
people who need answers quickly, but
don’t know who to call or where to go
for the answers.
Kontopidis notes that her job is not just
to enforce certification but to also help—
not surprising, since before joining the
College, she spent more than a decade
working as a training coordinator and
overseeing apprenticeship programs.
After answering the business owner’s
questions, his demeanor quickly changes.
Suddenly, the officer isn’t just a person
with a notepad looking to write a ticket,
but someone providing information that
he’s been longing to hear.
But make no mistake; protecting the
public from uncertified workers is Kon-
topidis’s priority. With pen and paper
in hand, she follows a young apprentice
closely, observing what work is being
done and taking detailed notes. These
notes could potentially play a key role in
a trial if the apprentice is not a member
of the College.
“Most people are happy to know we
are out here checking certification and
going after the underground economy,
which is what matters to those who
have spent the time and money on
training and writing the Certificate of
Qualification exam,” she says.
Anyone who is visited by a College en-
forcement officer will be asked to show
their membership card so it’s critical
that everyone keeps the card with them
when working, she explains. The quicker
Kontopidis gets the paperwork done, the
quicker the employer and staff can get
back to doing their jobs.
After gathering the necessary infor-
mation she heads back to her truck to
confirm certification and membership
in good standing with the College. If it
turns out that they are not certified mem-
bers of the College, they could be given
a warning or a ticket. In its early days,
the College’s focus was on warnings and
encouraging individuals to come into
compliance, but since the College has
been in existence for several years, those
working in the compulsory trades are
expected to know their obligations by
now. If a person is fined and convicted,
their name or the name of their business
will appear on a public advisory on the
College's website.
We aren’t here
just to enforce,
we want our
members to be
successful.
MARY KONTOPIDIS
Enforcement Officer
Ontario College of Trades
“
KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE
AND SUPPORTING THE
SKILLED TRADES INDUSTRY
On the road with a College enforcement officer

5. Kontopidis recognizes that for the legitimate busi-
ness owners, time is money, and tries to be in and
out within 20 minutes, if all the paperwork is readily
available and they are cooperative.
She does warn though, that tricks like turning the
lights off or putting up a closed sign as she ap-
proaches is just delaying the inevitable.
Yvonne Inong-Farinas is an automotive service
technician apprentice and while she may be small
in stature she doesn’t lack the strength to grab two
tires and move them effortlessly, barely slowing
down as she jumps into her next task while under
the hood of a vehicle.
Kontopidis watches Inong-Farinas working, waiting
patiently for her latest task to be done, then asks to
see her qualifications.
Inong-Farinas eagerly produces the documents,
and in the brief chat explains how proud she is to
be an apprentice, knowing that she is a part of a
minority of women in her field of work.
The shop owner looks relieved that everything is in
order with his business and his apprentice.
Within a half day, Kontopidis has already visited four
job sites, checked certification and helped educate
owners on a number of issues relating to their busi-
ness. If she discovers a violation then the visit will be
much longer and have more paperwork involved.
She does admit that not every visit ends well and in
cases where dealing with unauthorized workers and
their employers, it can be downright nasty.
“Some of them can be pretty hostile but it’s part of
my job,” she explains.
Despite the tougher side to the job, she says it is re-
warding to see the pride from certified professionals
and to be able to help them, and those professionals
appreciate that College enforcement officers like
Kontopidis are out there every day protecting the
trade and the public.
“We aren’t here just to enforce, we want our mem-
bers to be successful,” she explains.
Apprentice Yvonne Inong-Farinas working on
an engine.
Automotive service technician apprentice,
Yvonne Inong-Farinas (left), and Afghan Auto
Service and Used Cars Sale Ltd. owner Nader Shah
Sarwari, with College's enforcement officer, Mary
Kontopidis (right).
1426FIELD VISITS
245UNAUTHORIZED
WORKERS FOUND
83PART I TICKETS
ISSUED
137INCIDENTS
REPORTED
IN MAY 2016

6. SPONSOR
GROUPS
CREATE MORE
PATHWAYS FOR
APPRENTICES
This spring, Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Associa-
tion, with the help of the Ontario College of Trades (College),
became the newest group sponsor of horticulture technician appren-
tices in Ontario. This status, recognized by the Ministry of Training,
Colleges and Universities (MTCU), enables organizations like Land-
scape Ontario to act on behalf of employers and sponsor apprentices.
Typically an apprentice’s sponsor is also their employer, but that is not
a requirement under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act,
2009 (OCTAA), and in fact, a wide range of sponsorship and training
arrangements are available that fall under the following three catego-
ries: employer, group or individual sponsor.
For example, an apprentice may be sponsored by a person, company
or other group that provides on-the-job training but the apprentice
may not be an employee of the sponsor, such as with subcontracting
or other non-traditional work arrangements.
An apprentice may also be sponsored by a person or group
who then arranges to have the on-the-job training provided
by a third-party employer or trainer, as with sponsor groups,
…Landscape Ontario
Horticultural Trades
Association supports
horticultural technicians
in accessing the
apprenticeship program,
and all employers,
by developing a more
skilled workforce.
SALLY HARVEY CAE, CLT, CLM
Manager of Education,
Labour Development & Eastern Ontario
Region for Landscape Ontario
PHOTOGRAPHSCOURTESYOFLANDSCAPEONTARIOHORTICULTURALTRADESASSOCIATION

7. 5W W W . C O L L E G E O F T R A D E S . C A · S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
local apprenticeship committees or joint
training trusts.
“The process [to become a sponsor group
for the Upper Canada and Ottawa chapters
of the horticultural technician trade] was me-
ticulously planned and after a year and a half,
working with MTCU, the College, members
and many other stakeholders, we are very
pleased to have become a sponsor group,”
says Sally Harvey Landscape Ontario’s Man-
ager of Education and Labour Development.
Group sponsors, like Landscape Ontario,
are able to provide support that improves
the apprenticeship experience for both ap-
prentices and employers and makes it easier
for small employers to take on apprentices.
“As a group sponsor, the landscape profes-
sion will benefit as Landscape Ontario sup-
ports horticultural technicians in accessing
the apprenticeship program, and all employ-
ers, by developing a more skilled workforce.”
The full responsibilities of a sponsor are out-
lined in the Apprenticeship Sponsor Agreement
and Registered Training Agreement. MTCU is
responsible for the administration of apprentice-
ship training, including determining sponsor
eligibility and registering training agreements:
• the apprentice receives on-the-job train-
ing according to the trade’s training stan-
dards developed by the College,
• the apprentice’s trainer is qualified, i.e., a
certified journeyperson for compulsory
trades or—for voluntary trades—a certi-
fied journeyperson, member of the Col-
lege, or someone who has the skills of the
trade as per the trade’s training standard,
• the progress of training is monitored and
skills demonstrated by the apprentice are
signed-off on,
• the apprentice has the opportunity to
attend formal classroom instruction,
• the apprentice only works in accor-
dance with any applicable apprentice
wage rates and journeyperson-to-ap-
prentice ratios, and
• the apprentice is a member of the College.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact your local MTCU apprenticeship
office: services.findhelp.ca/eo/tcu/appoff
Hiring, training and apprenticeship
grants: www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/
employmentontario/employers/
• Sponsors can become members of
the College under the Employers/
Sponsors Class.
• Members of the Journeypersons Class
who take on apprentices may join the
Employers/Sponsors Class without any
additional membership fees.
• All members in the Employers/Sponsors
Class have the ability to post jobs on
HireWithConfidence.ca.

8. Rogers Centre
gets a makeover
ALBERT SMOUTER
Certified Electrician
New Electric Enterprises Inc.
…I have zero regrets
about getting into
the trades.
PHOTOGRAPHYBYKRISCAETANO
It’s a very exciting time at Rogers Centre
in Toronto—the Blue Jays have a new
roof over their heads.
Built 27 years ago, Rogers Centre, former-
ly Skydome, was home to the very first
retractable roof in the world. There have
been 25 built since.
The roof’s original motor, tracking and
control systems were in need of replace-
ment, according to Dave McCormick,
certified plumber and manager of engi-
neering for Rogers Centre’s Toronto Blue
Jays Baseball Club. To find the best new
system for Rogers Centre, McCormick
travelled to stadiums across the United
States to collect research.
The hardest task for McCormick was find-
ing a contractor who could design, install
and service a state-of-the-art, modernized
system to seamlessly open and close the
retractable roof for many more years to
come. He found the right crew and exper-
tise in New Electric Enterprises Inc. of
Oakville, who started working on the new
system about a year ago.
“One of the things in my life that I
have zero regrets about is getting into
the trades,” says Albert Smouter, New

9. 7W W W . C O L L E G E O F T R A D E S . C A · S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
▶▶ DesignedbyarchitectRodRobbieandstructural
engineerMichaelAllen
▶▶ Theworld’sfirstfullyretractableroofthatopens
orclosesin25minutes
▶▶ 86meters(282feet)high,ortheheightofa31
storeybuilding
• The entire Rogers Centre development
is 12.7 acres (5.14 hectares)
• There are 143,000 square feet
of exhibit space on field level
• Volume inside with roof closed is
56.5 million cubic feet
(1.6 million cubic meters)
• The diameter of the building is 700 feet
• The building itself is 11.5 acres
(4.66 hectares)
• The ceiling height is 310 feet
Electric’s foreman, certified electrician in
charge of managing the electrical crews at
Rogers Centre. “Many days it doesn’t even
feel like work,” he says. Last year, he was
thrilled to be front and centre, working
during the playoffs when the Blue Jays
won the American League Division Series.
Smouter started growing a beard when
the project began—as some superstitious
fans do during the playoffs—and vowed
that he would shave only when testing was
completed on the new system. The new
roofing systems began testing in May, the
roof is now in full use, and Smouter’s big
beard is gone.
McCormick says that the increase in at-
tendance means an increase in day-to-day
work. Rogers Centre has three levels of
washrooms and 140 suites (like tiny con-
dos with their own HVAC, hot water and
toilets) that all need regular maintenance
and service after each game and event. The
stadium has some 9,000 lightbulbs and
776 field lights that surround it. All of this
requires maintenance, but Rogers Centre
tradespeople are happy to be behind the
scenes at the home of the Blue Jays.
“We’ve sold out so many games recent-
ly, especially on the weekends. Not that
long ago, we were used to having roughly
17,000 people in attendance; now we aver-
age 30,000 or sellout crowds of 48,000 ev-
ery weekend.” Capacity issues have taxed
the facilities—it has greatly increased util-
ity, service and maintenance requirements.
Being a huge baseball fan and working at
Rogers Centre has its perks. Smouter takes
pride in his work, appreciating the behind-the-
scenes access, and knowing that the general
public doesn’t get to see most of what he does.
“The trades have lots of opportunities and
my career has taken me to so many inter-
esting places, Rogers Centre being one of
the most exciting,” says Smouter.
Albert Smouter and Dave McCormick testing Rogers
Centre's new roof.

10. PHOTOGRAPHYBYKRISCAETANO
Karola Dirnberger spends her days
�among some of Hollywood’s
biggest stars. Having worked as a hair-
stylist in the film industry for over three
decades, her creative talents have helped
major productions come to life. From
gore, werewolves and vampires, to mod-
ern glitz and glamour, Dirnberger has
worked on a variety of films over the
years, but none have brought her more joy
than the latest production she worked on,
the movie Spotlight, which won an Oscar
for best picture earlier this year.
Film industry veteran,
Karola Dirnberger, takes us
behind the scenes

11. KAROLA DIRNBERGER
Hairstylist
Every day
is different.
Everything you
do is really
creative.
“If you felt the earth shake, that was me jump-
ing up and down,” says Dirnberger. “Truly, I
think that’s the highlight of my career.”
Hair and makeup are perhaps overlooked
by most as integral aspects of film produc-
tion, but both play a huge role in how the
final product is presented to the public.
From creating realistic vampires in the
popular Twilight movie saga, to making
sure we, the viewers, don’t notice any con-
tinuity issues on screen, Dirnberger works
tirelessly to make sure every little detail is
perfect. And her work speaks for itself.
Along with Oscar-winning feature
Spotlight, Dirnberger has a wide array of
famous movies and TV series titles under
her belt, including Cinderella Man, Hanni-
bal, Blue Bloods, Silent Hill, and many more.
She has just started work on a new series
based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning
novel, American Gods. It is currently being
filmed in Toronto.
Although the hours can be long with lots
of travel, alongside crew members that she
calls ‘the last of the carnival workers’ due
to constant location changes, she says she
can’t imagine doing anything else. “Every
day is different,” she says. “Everything
you do is really creative.”
From travelling across the globe with film
crews, to the skills she’s learned by work-
ing in this industry, Dirnberger wants to
encourage more certified hairstylists to get
into the fast-paced world of film.
“I know how desperate we are in the indus-
try for good hair people,” she adds. The in-
dustry, she notes, is changing rapidly. With
every TV station and streaming network
creating their own content, the need for
more film crew like hairstylists is growing.
“I love what I do, but I’m also at the back
end of my career and want to see the in-
dustry flourish in the years to come,” she
says. “There is so much opportunity, I re-
ally hope more young people get certified
and start their careers.”
More information about Dirnberger’s
work can be found on her website:
karoladirnberger.com

12. LEADING CHANGE
College’s trade boards connect leaders to industry
Shawn Stoughton saw an opportunity
to make a difference in his trade and
have his voice heard. He applied to become
a member of the College’s plumber and
steamfitter trade board, nearly three years
ago, and wants to encourage other trades-
people to do the same.
“The College is setting the standard for
how all trades will be regulated and struc-
tured,” he says.
Stoughton is the owner of Stoughton’s
Plumbing and Heating, in Gooderham, and
has worked in the skilled trades for nearly 25
years. He began with an apprenticeship in the
plumbing trade, working under his grand-
father, who was first an electrician, then a
plumber, then an oil burner technician.
“Being on the trade board has allowed me
to have a voice and a vote,” he says. “We’ve
tackled important issues for our trade like
ratio reviews, curriculum changes, and finally
we have enforcement.”
He encourages more people to directly con-
tribute to the issues important to their trade
by applying to become a governing member
of the College’s trade boards.
“Before the College, we didn’t have a Public
Register and scopes of practise weren’t
being enforced,” he says. “I take pride in
my work, and I care about what happens in
my trade. When the College was created, I
applied to sit on the trade board, and later, I
was accepted.”
Stoughton believes the College is creating
a level playing field for all tradespeople in
Ontario, and the only way to truly make a dif-
ference and to learn how the College operates
is to get involved with the trade boards.
He says that there has to be incentives for
young people to get into the trades, and for
him, the College has helped put more value
in the trades.
“Being on the trade board has made me more
passionate about my own trade. I’ve learned a
lot, and made good contacts. We need to see
the importance of all our trades.”
Any current or prospective employer or jour-
neyperson members in good standing with
the College can apply to the Appointments
Council, an independent body responsible
for selecting members to sit on the College’s
governance structure.
SHAWN STOUGHTON
Plumber & Steamfitter Trade Board member
Being on the trade
board has made me
more passionate
about my own trade.
Click on the Volunteer to Lead button on the College’s home page,
or visit cot-appointments.ca for more info.
Shawn Stoughton and College's Communications
Director, Sherri Haigh (right) visiting Zoomer Radio to
talk trades and certification on the Fight Back with
Libby Znaimer show (Znaimer pictured centre).

13. 23 EMPLOYEES 25 EMPLOYERSMOTIVE POWER MOTIVE POWER
26 EMPLOYEES 27 EMPLOYERSINDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL
22 EMPLOYEES 24 EMPLOYERSSERVICE SERVICE
76 EMPLOYEES 73 EMPLOYERSCONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION
VISIT cot-appointments.ca
BROWSE position details
CHECK vacant positions
SUBMIT resume & application form to:
MAIL College of Trades Appointments Council
23rd floor, Mowat Block
900 Bay Street
Toronto, ON M7A 1L2
EMAIL appointments.council@ontario.ca
296 TRADE BOARD MEMBERS 49 TRADE BOARDS
7 TRADE BOARDS
9 TRADE BOARDS
9 TRADE BOARDS
24 TRADE BOARDS
122 TRADE BOARD
MEETINGS IN 2015

14. U P D A T E
Recreationvehicletechnician(690H)
andapplianceservicetechnician(445A)
apprenticeshiptrainingstandards
The updated on-the-job training stan-
dards for the recreation vehicle tech-
nician trade and the appliance service
technician trade brings these provincial
training standards in line with the Red
Seal National Occupational Standard and
their corresponding Red Seal exams.
Auto body and collision damage
repairer (310B) curriculum standard
implemented this fall
The updated curriculum standard was de-
veloped by the College in consultation with
representatives from the trade and Training
Delivery Agent instructors, such as Cen-
tennial, Fanshawe and Mohawk Colleges.
The standard has been updated to support
consistency and accountability within the
in-school training process; ensuring ap-
prentices across Ontario are developing the
skills necessary for success in their trade.
General machinist (429A) training
standard log book
The training standard log book identifies
all the skills associated with an appren-
tice’s trade in Ontario. It outlines the
skills and training needed to become
competent in that the profession.
For more info visit,
www.collegeoftrades.ca/trades-in-ontario
R E M I N D E R
Sprinkler and fire protection installer
classification change
On February 2, 2017, the sprinkler and fire
protection installer trade will become
compulsory. This means that any individ-
ual practising this trade on or after this
date will have to be a member in one of
the College’s membership classes to con-
tinue to work legally as a sprinkler and
fire protection installer:
• Apprentices Class (holder of a state-
ment of membership);
• Journeyperson Candidates Class
(holder of a statement of member-
ship); or
• Journeypersons Class (holder of a
Certificate of Qualification/Provision-
al Certificate of Qualification) issued
by the College.
More Information can be found at
www.collegeoftrades.ca.
Reminder for Automotive Service
Technicians
Changes to Reg. 611 of the Ontario
Highway Traffic Act, announced by the
Ontario Ministry of Transportation come
into effect July 1, 2016. For more informa-
tion, please go to www.mto.gov.on.ca/
english/trucks/motor-vehicle-inspec-
tion-stations.shtml#passenger
C O L L E G E
U P D AT E S
IMPORTANT
CHANGES AT
THE COLLEGE
AsofFriday,May6,2016,theGovernment
ofOntariotransferredtheregulatoryand
administrativeoversightoftheOntario
CollegeofTrades(College)fromtheMin-
istryofTraining,CollegesandUniversities
(MTCU)totheMinistryofLabour.
We would like to assure our members and
the public that the College’s enforcement
officers will continue to enforce the On-
tarioCollegeofTradesandApprenticeship
Act,2009 as it applies to the 22 compul-
sory trades in Ontario and our members.
We look forward to working with Minister
Kevin Flynn and the staff of the Ministry
of Labour and have no doubt that their
expertise in complex labour matters
will be very helpful to us as we fulfill our
mandate by regulating and promoting the
skilled trades.
MTCUwillremainresponsibleforregis-
teringapprentices,assessingclientand
sponsoreligibility,schoolschedulingand
seatplanning,andconfirmingcompletion.
TheCollegewillcontinuetoworkinpart-
nershipwithMTCUonapprenticeshipand
therewillbenochangesintheadministra-
tiveprocessforourmembers.
This transfer between ministries in no
way impacts any of the other day-to-day
operations of the College, including up-
dating training curriculum and standards,
promoting skilled trades, issuing Certif-
icates of Qualification and updating our
Public Register.
Wewillcontinuetoupdatemembersand
stakeholdersontheprocessasmorein-
formationbecomesavailable,throughthe
College’swebsite—collegeoftrades.ca

15. 13W W W . C O L L E G E O F T R A D E S . C A · S U M M E R 2 0 1 6
E V E N T S
CANADIAN SOCIETY OF
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
2016 CONGRESS
June 23 – 25, 2016
Winnipeg, MB
www.csla-aapc.ca/events/2016-
congress
HONDA INDY TORONTO
July 15 – 17, 2016
Toronto , ON
Visit the College’s booth at Ontar-
io’s largest annual sporting event.
www.hondaindytoronto.com
CANADA’S OUTDOOR
FARM SHOW
September 13 ­– 15, 2016
Woodstock, ON
www.outdoorfarmshow.com
C O N G R A T S
OTSC Winners
Congratulations to all participants and
winners at this year’s Ontario Technologi-
cal Skills Competition!
For a complete list of all the winners, visit
www.skillsontario.com.
O U T A N D
A B O U T
1. Left to right: College's Registrar & CEO,
David Tsubouchi, Canada's Top 100
Employers Senior Editor, Kristina Leung,
College's Chief Diversity Officer, Sandeep
Tatla, and College's Board of Governors'
member Irene Harris accepting the '2016
Canada's Best Diversity Employers' Award.
2. CTV's Anwar Knight on set with College's
Communications Director, Sherri Haigh.
3. Certified electrician and Trades Today
spring cover tradesperson Jennifer Pigozzo.
4. Left to right: Board of Governors' Chair,
PatBlackwood, Stakeholder Relations
Coordinator, YacineDottridge, and CEO &
Registrar, DavidTsubouchi representing the
College at the 2016 Skills Ontario competition.
5. Board of Governors' Chair Pat Blackwood and Skills Ontario
Executive Director Gail Smyth (right) with Brandon Becker,
the brick masonry gold medal winner at the 2016 Ontario
Technological Skills Competition.
6. Refrigeration and air conditioning systems mechanic, Darryl
Grenier, at the 2016 Canadian Mechanical & Plumbing Expo.